2 Timothy 3.16
Our text is actually a rather famous verse in the history of the Church. At different times in the relatively recent past and even up to today, there have debates within the Church about the nature of the Bible. Some have wanted to water things down a bit. And this verse has been one battleground in those debates. This has been a place where the truth about God's Word could be clearly established in the face of unbelief. As good as it has been to have such a verse in one's theological arsenal, this is not the reason Paul wrote it. His goal in writing it was a pastoral one. And that is my goal also in preaching it. There are some things here that will help us all on our way as we work at following Jesus. It's my hope that the Spirit will act and bless all of us as He speaks through this verse.
Here's the first thing to note. Our God speaks. 'All Scripture is breathed out by God.' The Scriptures are words from God's mouth. We imitate Him when we speak, as our breath passes over our vocal chords and out of our mouths. Our God speaks. That significance of the will be clearer when you consider the gods that others depend on. I'm betting that no one you know bows down to worship some statue. Even though that's the case, people have idols that they look to and expect to bless them. Whether it's the god of popularity or of financial security, or of hard work or even just of good luck, they all worship some idol or other. But these and every other idol are all the same. 'Their idols are silver and gold, the work of human hands. They have mouths, but do not speak; eyes, but do not see. They have ears, but do not hear; noses, but do not smell. They have hands, but do not feel; feet, but do not walk; and they do not make a sound in their throat. Those who make them become like them; so do all who trust in them.' The idols of men are silent gods. But our God speaks.
Let's take that a bit further. If you were to ask a mystic, 'Does your god speak?', he would answer, 'Yes, my god speaks to me. He spoke in the beautiful sunset that I saw last night.' But what did that god have to say? It could be pointing to the beauty of this world or it could be saying that, like yesterday, your life will end and all will turn to utter darkness. What is your god saying? Our God speaks, and we don't need to play charades to figure out what He is saying. Our God speaks, and He uses words. His message to us is clear. We don't have to guess.
But even this is not enough. True words passed from one generation to the next can quickly enough become garbled until they are unintelligible. Have you ever played 'telephone'? Aware of this, our God has put His words in a Book. They are written down so that the message won't become garbled. God's words, the Bible.
Our God has spoken. He has told us what we need to know about living as disciples of Jesus in this very fallen world. And what He has said has been preserved in this Book. I hope, quite apart from whatever else I say this morning, that you will see even just a bit more clearly what a gift this Book is to us.
Let's take the next step. Paul writes that these words from God are profitable. And then come four words to describe their benefit to us. The first is 'teaching'. I've been reading through Mark lately, and I came upon this. 'And [Jesus] left there and went to the region of Judea and beyond the Jordan, and crowds gathered to him again. And again, as was his custom, he taught them.' Have you noticed that Jesus' ministry among the people was all about teaching. He wasn't much of an activist. Even His miracles are a form of teaching. Why? Why did Jesus teach the Twelve and all the others? It is tempting to view this teaching in an academic way. For the longest time my sermons were more like lectures. There were facts that you needed to know, so I taught them to you. And why was it that you needed to know these facts? If someone had asked me that question I'm not sure how I would have answered. I think that it would have been something close to this. There are things that you need to know and agree with – you know, like Avogadro's number, the dates for the Civil War and the scientific classification of living things. So, Bible doctrines are things that you're supposed to know and agree with. But that's not why Jesus taught the people, and that's not what Paul has in mind. The point of teaching people God's words is not to fill the mind but to mold the heart. Listen to some of Jesus' teaching on this. 'For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness.' 'The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.' Jesus has come to change hearts. He does that by His Spirit who uses God's words. To be sure, these words need to be grasped by the mind. But the mind isn't the goal. That's only a means to the goal. The goal is the heart, to mold the heart – the inner you – so that it might be restored to its original beauty. God has given us His words so that that will happen to all of us. His words are profitable – but only if they are used in the kind of teaching that leads to a changed heart.
There are three other words that Paul includes here. These fill out how this kind of teaching works. The first of these is 'reproof'. Reproof is not complicated. Reproof simply says, 'This is wrong.' Now, reproof can speak rather gently or it can be quite confrontational. But either way the point is clear. Reproof tells you that something is wrong. Jesus uses the verb form of our word here: 'For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed.' That's what reproof is all about. It exposes what's wrong. It exposes sin. So, you see what Paul is getting at. There is great profit in God words because they tell us where we are in the wrong. They expose what we too often hide, even from ourselves. They expose our sin. Now, no one likes to be told that he is wrong. And yet, how can a person's heart be changed, molded into something beautiful, unless what's wrong in there is identified? The first step to the solution of any problem is understanding accurately what the problem is. God's words identify the problem. They tell us where we are wrong. They reprove us. And thanks be to God that they do.
That leads to our next word in Paul's list, 'correction'. The basic idea here is plain. While 'reproof' tells you where you're wrong, 'correction' shows you how to fix that. And if you think about it, that's really helpful. What good is it to only be told where you're wrong? Our God understands us and our weakness, so He makes abundant provision for us. His words tell us how to mend what is broken in our lives. They provide reproof and correction. Last week's reading of God's Law included this. 'So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.' Something is wrong. A relationship with a brother is damaged. That's not good! What should we do to do to fix it, to correct what's wrong? What does it say? Stop everything – even worship! - and go to your brother to make things right with him. Be reconciled. It's important. Other words from God will tell you the details of what to do once you find your brother, but these words of God tell us that being reconciled is so very important, important enough to delay even worship. It's the first step to fixing what is wrong. So, reproof and correction go together. Reproof tells you that something is wrong. Correction tells you how to make it right again. The words of God are profitable.
That leaves the last word, training. And Paul is specific. It's training in what is right. The word translated 'training' is one that was used to describe rearing a child. So, while reproof and correction are all about fixing what's wrong, training is about introducing someone to something new. This is about learning a new skill. So, training is teaching a child how to toss a frisbee or write an essay or drive a car. It's entering new territory. This is what so much of what the book of Proverbs is about. Much of it is structured as a father taking his son aside to explain to him how life works. 'The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction. Hear, my son, your father's instruction, and forsake not your mother's teaching, for they are a graceful garland for your head and pendants for your neck.' 'A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest, and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and want like an armed man.' This is training in what is right.
So, our God has spoken. He has given us His words, words that will help us. And He has written His words down so that we might always have them. I've described the text. Now you're ready for the last step.
This text, like every other part of the Bible, has built in assumptions. Here's one of them. We are desperately needy people. If we were not so needy we would not require words from God. But we do. Let's go back again to the Garden. Along with the glories of His brand new creation, the Father gave Adam and Eve something else to enjoy. He gave them words. 'And God blessed them. And God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth."' What is this? It's training in what is right. Adam and Eve were just created. Now what? Well, the Father tells them. His words define life for them. They structure how they are to live. He is the Father of Proverbs talking to His children. 'This is how life works.' God blessed them with His words and these words were intended to mold their hearts. So, even if there were no sin, we would still need words from God to train us.
But, sad to say, there is sin. And it's not just out there. There is so much sin within each of us. More than ever, we need God's words. We need our sins exposed by His words of reproof. And once that happens we need His words of correction so that we can know how to make it right, once again. We need God's words.
And it is here that we need to remember how messed up things get because of sin. Sin is all about rebellion. That's what happened with the first sin and every other sin since. Sinners rebel against the God who created them. If God says right, sinners say left. If He says up, we say down. We are, by nature, rebels. We refuse to listen to God. So, how can rebels like us profit from God's words if we refuse to listen to them? And we're back to the Gospel. This is why Jesus has come. He has come to break the power of rebellion within so that we might listen to God's words, that we might just want to listen. The Spirit of Jesus renews the hearts of rebels. He makes it possible for us to listen. And s0, we listen. And thanks be to God that we do. God has given us words, His words so that we might be restored to the stunning people we were created to be. This is possible only because of what Jesus has done.
Now, when someone gets even just a little of what I've been talking about, it shows. Remember, out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. There will be fruit when a heart embraces these things. Let me mention just one. There will be a hunger for God's words. If a person understands that the Father has given us His words, words that will profit us, words that will deal with real needs that we have, then that person will long for those word. From Job: 'I have not departed from the commandment of his lips; I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my necessary food.' A person like this knows that words from God are a choice blessing. And so, he will give himself to those words, and he will do that even though he knows that it will hurt. His sins will be exposed. He will see the real him more clearly – and who enjoys that? And yet, the pain of exposure will lead to the joy of correction and then to wholeness in Jesus. And then, of course, there are all the realms of life about which he now knows nothing. These he will explore with excitement and wonder. And he will find himself echoing the Psalmist. 'More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.' This person will have a hunger that only grows as it is satisfied. And out of this will come teaching, not the mere filling of the mind with facts – something that can only lead to pride – but the molding of the heart that leads to hope and joy and assurance. Jesus has come so that you might enjoy words from God.
Every Christian has a hunger for God's words. You have this hunger. But, as you already know, it's still not easy satisfying it. Remember that you have an enemy who wants to keep you from enjoying those words. He has a measure of power, and he's not reluctant to use it to attack you. So, it will be a battle to enjoy God's words. But you know that. So, let me encourage you to keep at it. Progress will be measures in inches, but it will be progress nonetheless. Make this a matter of prayer. Do not give in to the weariness of the battle. And remember, 'He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.' And over time you will see the words of God growing deep roots in your soul and bearing the beautiful fruit of a changed heart. It will be hard, but it will be worth it.
Our text is actually a rather famous verse in the history of the Church. At different times in the relatively recent past and even up to today, there have debates within the Church about the nature of the Bible. Some have wanted to water things down a bit. And this verse has been one battleground in those debates. This has been a place where the truth about God's Word could be clearly established in the face of unbelief. As good as it has been to have such a verse in one's theological arsenal, this is not the reason Paul wrote it. His goal in writing it was a pastoral one. And that is my goal also in preaching it. There are some things here that will help us all on our way as we work at following Jesus. It's my hope that the Spirit will act and bless all of us as He speaks through this verse.
Here's the first thing to note. Our God speaks. 'All Scripture is breathed out by God.' The Scriptures are words from God's mouth. We imitate Him when we speak, as our breath passes over our vocal chords and out of our mouths. Our God speaks. That significance of the will be clearer when you consider the gods that others depend on. I'm betting that no one you know bows down to worship some statue. Even though that's the case, people have idols that they look to and expect to bless them. Whether it's the god of popularity or of financial security, or of hard work or even just of good luck, they all worship some idol or other. But these and every other idol are all the same. 'Their idols are silver and gold, the work of human hands. They have mouths, but do not speak; eyes, but do not see. They have ears, but do not hear; noses, but do not smell. They have hands, but do not feel; feet, but do not walk; and they do not make a sound in their throat. Those who make them become like them; so do all who trust in them.' The idols of men are silent gods. But our God speaks.
Let's take that a bit further. If you were to ask a mystic, 'Does your god speak?', he would answer, 'Yes, my god speaks to me. He spoke in the beautiful sunset that I saw last night.' But what did that god have to say? It could be pointing to the beauty of this world or it could be saying that, like yesterday, your life will end and all will turn to utter darkness. What is your god saying? Our God speaks, and we don't need to play charades to figure out what He is saying. Our God speaks, and He uses words. His message to us is clear. We don't have to guess.
But even this is not enough. True words passed from one generation to the next can quickly enough become garbled until they are unintelligible. Have you ever played 'telephone'? Aware of this, our God has put His words in a Book. They are written down so that the message won't become garbled. God's words, the Bible.
Our God has spoken. He has told us what we need to know about living as disciples of Jesus in this very fallen world. And what He has said has been preserved in this Book. I hope, quite apart from whatever else I say this morning, that you will see even just a bit more clearly what a gift this Book is to us.
Let's take the next step. Paul writes that these words from God are profitable. And then come four words to describe their benefit to us. The first is 'teaching'. I've been reading through Mark lately, and I came upon this. 'And [Jesus] left there and went to the region of Judea and beyond the Jordan, and crowds gathered to him again. And again, as was his custom, he taught them.' Have you noticed that Jesus' ministry among the people was all about teaching. He wasn't much of an activist. Even His miracles are a form of teaching. Why? Why did Jesus teach the Twelve and all the others? It is tempting to view this teaching in an academic way. For the longest time my sermons were more like lectures. There were facts that you needed to know, so I taught them to you. And why was it that you needed to know these facts? If someone had asked me that question I'm not sure how I would have answered. I think that it would have been something close to this. There are things that you need to know and agree with – you know, like Avogadro's number, the dates for the Civil War and the scientific classification of living things. So, Bible doctrines are things that you're supposed to know and agree with. But that's not why Jesus taught the people, and that's not what Paul has in mind. The point of teaching people God's words is not to fill the mind but to mold the heart. Listen to some of Jesus' teaching on this. 'For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness.' 'The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.' Jesus has come to change hearts. He does that by His Spirit who uses God's words. To be sure, these words need to be grasped by the mind. But the mind isn't the goal. That's only a means to the goal. The goal is the heart, to mold the heart – the inner you – so that it might be restored to its original beauty. God has given us His words so that that will happen to all of us. His words are profitable – but only if they are used in the kind of teaching that leads to a changed heart.
There are three other words that Paul includes here. These fill out how this kind of teaching works. The first of these is 'reproof'. Reproof is not complicated. Reproof simply says, 'This is wrong.' Now, reproof can speak rather gently or it can be quite confrontational. But either way the point is clear. Reproof tells you that something is wrong. Jesus uses the verb form of our word here: 'For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed.' That's what reproof is all about. It exposes what's wrong. It exposes sin. So, you see what Paul is getting at. There is great profit in God words because they tell us where we are in the wrong. They expose what we too often hide, even from ourselves. They expose our sin. Now, no one likes to be told that he is wrong. And yet, how can a person's heart be changed, molded into something beautiful, unless what's wrong in there is identified? The first step to the solution of any problem is understanding accurately what the problem is. God's words identify the problem. They tell us where we are wrong. They reprove us. And thanks be to God that they do.
That leads to our next word in Paul's list, 'correction'. The basic idea here is plain. While 'reproof' tells you where you're wrong, 'correction' shows you how to fix that. And if you think about it, that's really helpful. What good is it to only be told where you're wrong? Our God understands us and our weakness, so He makes abundant provision for us. His words tell us how to mend what is broken in our lives. They provide reproof and correction. Last week's reading of God's Law included this. 'So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.' Something is wrong. A relationship with a brother is damaged. That's not good! What should we do to do to fix it, to correct what's wrong? What does it say? Stop everything – even worship! - and go to your brother to make things right with him. Be reconciled. It's important. Other words from God will tell you the details of what to do once you find your brother, but these words of God tell us that being reconciled is so very important, important enough to delay even worship. It's the first step to fixing what is wrong. So, reproof and correction go together. Reproof tells you that something is wrong. Correction tells you how to make it right again. The words of God are profitable.
That leaves the last word, training. And Paul is specific. It's training in what is right. The word translated 'training' is one that was used to describe rearing a child. So, while reproof and correction are all about fixing what's wrong, training is about introducing someone to something new. This is about learning a new skill. So, training is teaching a child how to toss a frisbee or write an essay or drive a car. It's entering new territory. This is what so much of what the book of Proverbs is about. Much of it is structured as a father taking his son aside to explain to him how life works. 'The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction. Hear, my son, your father's instruction, and forsake not your mother's teaching, for they are a graceful garland for your head and pendants for your neck.' 'A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest, and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and want like an armed man.' This is training in what is right.
So, our God has spoken. He has given us His words, words that will help us. And He has written His words down so that we might always have them. I've described the text. Now you're ready for the last step.
This text, like every other part of the Bible, has built in assumptions. Here's one of them. We are desperately needy people. If we were not so needy we would not require words from God. But we do. Let's go back again to the Garden. Along with the glories of His brand new creation, the Father gave Adam and Eve something else to enjoy. He gave them words. 'And God blessed them. And God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth."' What is this? It's training in what is right. Adam and Eve were just created. Now what? Well, the Father tells them. His words define life for them. They structure how they are to live. He is the Father of Proverbs talking to His children. 'This is how life works.' God blessed them with His words and these words were intended to mold their hearts. So, even if there were no sin, we would still need words from God to train us.
But, sad to say, there is sin. And it's not just out there. There is so much sin within each of us. More than ever, we need God's words. We need our sins exposed by His words of reproof. And once that happens we need His words of correction so that we can know how to make it right, once again. We need God's words.
And it is here that we need to remember how messed up things get because of sin. Sin is all about rebellion. That's what happened with the first sin and every other sin since. Sinners rebel against the God who created them. If God says right, sinners say left. If He says up, we say down. We are, by nature, rebels. We refuse to listen to God. So, how can rebels like us profit from God's words if we refuse to listen to them? And we're back to the Gospel. This is why Jesus has come. He has come to break the power of rebellion within so that we might listen to God's words, that we might just want to listen. The Spirit of Jesus renews the hearts of rebels. He makes it possible for us to listen. And s0, we listen. And thanks be to God that we do. God has given us words, His words so that we might be restored to the stunning people we were created to be. This is possible only because of what Jesus has done.
Now, when someone gets even just a little of what I've been talking about, it shows. Remember, out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. There will be fruit when a heart embraces these things. Let me mention just one. There will be a hunger for God's words. If a person understands that the Father has given us His words, words that will profit us, words that will deal with real needs that we have, then that person will long for those word. From Job: 'I have not departed from the commandment of his lips; I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my necessary food.' A person like this knows that words from God are a choice blessing. And so, he will give himself to those words, and he will do that even though he knows that it will hurt. His sins will be exposed. He will see the real him more clearly – and who enjoys that? And yet, the pain of exposure will lead to the joy of correction and then to wholeness in Jesus. And then, of course, there are all the realms of life about which he now knows nothing. These he will explore with excitement and wonder. And he will find himself echoing the Psalmist. 'More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.' This person will have a hunger that only grows as it is satisfied. And out of this will come teaching, not the mere filling of the mind with facts – something that can only lead to pride – but the molding of the heart that leads to hope and joy and assurance. Jesus has come so that you might enjoy words from God.
Every Christian has a hunger for God's words. You have this hunger. But, as you already know, it's still not easy satisfying it. Remember that you have an enemy who wants to keep you from enjoying those words. He has a measure of power, and he's not reluctant to use it to attack you. So, it will be a battle to enjoy God's words. But you know that. So, let me encourage you to keep at it. Progress will be measures in inches, but it will be progress nonetheless. Make this a matter of prayer. Do not give in to the weariness of the battle. And remember, 'He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.' And over time you will see the words of God growing deep roots in your soul and bearing the beautiful fruit of a changed heart. It will be hard, but it will be worth it.
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