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2nd Timothy 3.16-17 4.1-22
December 13th 2020
Meat
Okay we left off with covering some basics about the first line of 2nd Timothy 3:16 which says:
“All scripture is given by inspiration of God,”
You should listen to that teaching if you missed it as we explained that the best way to read this line is:
“All writings inspired of God is…”
So, let’s continue forward talking about these two concluding passages of chapter 3 as Paul says:
“All writing inspired by God Scripture is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: (17) That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.”
We have explained that Paul is NOT suggesting that everything between the opening of Genesis and the closing of Revelation should be seen as scripture, but that any writing between those pages that are inspired by God is:
profitable for doctrine,
for reproof,
for correction,
for instruction in righteousness:
“That” the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.”
The question then becomes, if every word included in the Bible is not inspired, how can we tell what is?
Because the answer to this can be daunting and debated, the early leaders in the faith decided to jump in whole hog on the subject and declare every word inspired, so that there is no debate and the notion of Sola Scriptura could be established.
So we enter into some observances to help us bring this to some reasonable views.
First, when people say every word of the Bible is inspired what they are saying is every word of the original manuscripts – which were written in foreign languages, namely Hebrew and Greek (along with some others).
This does not do us very much good because we first do not have ANY original manuscripts around and secondly few of us read the original languages in which the original manuscripts were written!
This brings us to the second point- the Bible in the original manuscript form (which no long exists) when translated to other languages, takes on a whole new flavor. Sort of like if an ancient recipe for beef stew included beef, salt and water and the modern recipe includes beef salt water, pepper, celery, carrots, potatoes, onions, garlic, and seven spices.
Yes, the beef water and salt are there but so are a whole bunch of other ingredients (words) which may or may not change the flavor of the original recipe.
To get around these factors a believer must then say that God was in the making of the translations and versions and kept the original intent in place in the process – which is what many people fall back on. But we not only have no evidence of this we have evidence to the contrary!
So, then we are forced to say, “well then, how can a reader accurately interpret the Bible today and use it for instruction, correction, reproof and the like?”
It’s by the spirit working subjectively with each reader, bringing out what they need to read and see at that time in their life. This approach includes God in the continued transmission of the written word to people through the Spirit – which teaches us all things.
Ultimately, this is yet another proof that the faith is subjectively experienced today, while supporting the fact that the Bible is the living word and by the Spirit has the capacity to renew minds, and hearts and lives – which is more than manifestly proven over the past 1900 years.
Unfortunately, men have tried to take our modern language versions and make it written law; they have attempted to say that is needs to universally agreed upon in everyway by the masses, and have provided interpretations of it to allow this to happen.
Unfortunately, those interpretations, accepted by some groups of people, are not accepted by all groups of people, and the Bible winds up dividing believers up into warring factions instead of uniting people who seek God and Christ in love.
So, instead of gathering together and telling people what the Bible says and how they must see it, we gather and read and study the Bible and allow all people to get from it what the Spirit gives.
Ultimately, by and through this process, all people will come to a unity of the faith. The other approaches merely sustain division. So, Paul says:
“All writing inspired by God is profitable for doctrine,”
Did-aska-lea is the Greek term translated to doctrine and from that we get the word, didactic. The word essentially means “instruction,” with “didactic” meaning, “I am telling you.”
The scripture tells us – instructs us – on the things relative to God and His will and ways. Sometimes it is direct and didactic, as when it says, “I command you,” but sometimes it can be less direct and much more inferential though tales and stories.
Didactic instruction is when one source, like the Bible, delivers instructions to its audience.
A second type of instruction is found in what is called the dialectic approach. In this method, which is sometimes called the Socratic method of instruction, back and forth engagements occur between the parties involved. We see God appeal to what we call the Socratic method in the book of Job when he questions Job.
Sometimes the scripture is dialectical and sometimes its didactic and sometimes it is referential, allowing the reader to discover insights and connections between the vast amount of insights provided.
But all of it winds up serving as a fantastic source of instruction.
Paul adds, “for reproof,” – el-eng-khos – “for evidence, conviction and correction.”
No doubt. As the instruction pours out the Word of God has the otherworldly capacity to get in between our flesh and our soul and to reveal our minds as corrupt, and our walk as crooked.
In and through this means we the reader are presented with a steady feed of redirects which, often painfully, serve to put us back in alignment with the will and ways of God.
For this reason, many people do NOT appreciate hearing the Word of God taught. Especially week after week, and it is a central reason why many people cannot or will not read the Bible on their own.
It’s like going to the dentist every day for a root canal of the soul. As a means to offset the reproving nature of the word but to fulfill the requirement to read it, many pastors focus on the Palms or other books that are less offensive to the human psyche.
But the Word has such tremendous capacity to explain (and to then lead us) to correct things about of waywardness toward God and I have found that a steady diet of its contents, while revelatory and painful, does serve to fortify our souls with nutrients than lend to faith and love, His two commands to all believers.
This leads us to the next capacity found in the word of God – “correction,” which I have already touched on.
The Word of God “instructs” us, then it “reproves” us, then it “corrects” us. The Greek word is “epan-or-thosis” and in it we might hear in that word, ortho, which means, “to make straight.”
This is especially true in the lives of those who care and seek and want to know the truth relative to God. They read the word and receive its instructions, they receive proof or evidences that suggest a correction is needed in their mind or lives; they then make corrections to their attitudes, belief or actions that adjust themselves back into a straight or correct relationship with God.
In this capacity, we might consider the Word of God sort of like the chiropractor of the soul – again of the mind, the will and the emotions. When such get out of whack it steps in a realigns or readjusts us.
“for instruction in righteousness:”
This is yet another Greek term and its “pah-hee-dee-ah” and it means that the word is serving as a tutor or instructor in our lives – so its almost like a personification of the Bible into that of an living breathing tutor.
What a gift – all in one book – to the life and soul of a world traveling believer.
It provides instruction and direction, it proves evidence, conviction and correction, it provides the ability to then adjust us and make us straight, and it does all of this by serving as a tutor to us.
There are math tutors, and English tutors, and science tutors – what kind of tutor is the word of God?
“A tutor in righteousness” is what Paul says – a tutor in “deka-yoo-soonay.” The word means “justification,” innocence, equity, or rightness before God.”
I thought Jesus blood justified us before God? It does. And the word of God is replete with instructions on how we abide in Him and His offering as a means to constantly participate in what He did on our behalf.
To what end? Paul brings it all together as an answer to this question in the next verse, saying:
17 That . . . the man of God . . . may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works . . . which are able to make thee wise unto salvation . . . through faith which is in Christ Jesus.”
It’s a fantastic passage, folks. I want to start by addressing the line, “wise unto salvation,” which Paul clearly associates it with “faith which is in Jesus Christ.”
Without question, when any human beings look to Christ in faith, and by the grace of God are saved from the ravages and ruin of sin and saved to His Kingdom here and there.
But what Paul says here leads us to believe that there is “salvation and “that there is wise salvation,” and that the scripture has the capacity to make believers wise unto such a gift.
This idea is supported by a number of stories and parable Jesus tells in the Gospels.
Stories about vines that are in Him that branch that bear fruit and how others do not.
Stories about three men all receiving a certain amount of money but only two of them bringing back a return on investment.
Stories of three of four groups of seeds being planted and received with joy in the ground but two of those groups failing to produce fruit.
All of these stories are teaching that there is salvation and there are those who are wise unto salvation.
The difference, at least in this instance here given by Paul, is the presence of the Word of God and its capacity to “provide instruction and direction, provide evidence, conviction and correction; it provides the ability to adjust and make us straight, and it does all of this by serving as a tutor to us.”
The word of God, read by the Spirit, is the chicken soup for the soul – not some series of books filled with the wisdom of Men or some positive mental attitude delivered over the pulpit at a televised mega-church.
The Word of the Living God that is alive and working in us, making all who are willing to receive its provisions into their lives. Paul says that its purpose is so:
“That . . . the man of God . . . may be perfect,”
The word perfect here is arti-os and it means, “fresh,” and has an allusion to being complete or capable. There are two other Greek words that describe the same thing – teleios and holo-khlay-ros. Interestingly, all of them could also be described as complete.
Because teleios tends to include complete at the end of time, that word seems to appeal more to being perfect in the sense that we understand it more than the others.
Here in 2nd Timothy 3:17 is the only place ?????? appears in the New Testament and it means complete, capable, or proficient.
In Matthew 19 when Jesus tells the rich man to sell as his stuff and to be perfect, the word, teleios, and it seems to be talking about ultimate completeness or perfection. In that sense, the words, matured or fully grown could also be used.
In that sense Jesus wasn’t telling the rich man to sell all his stuff to become capable as the word implies here in our text for today.
Finally, in James 1:4 the term “holo-khlay-ros” also means “whole, entire, or complete,” but with more of an emphasis on integrity, whole, complete, undamaged, intact, blameless.”
So, all of them speak to being complete but in subtly different ways.
That the person of God be complete, “thoroughly furnished unto all good works . . . which are able to make thee wise unto salvation . . . through faith which is in Christ Jesus.”
Paul ends the passage reminding us that our salvation is directly tied to faith which is in Jesus Christ. But we cannot ignore the fact that for a person of God to be “perfect, complete” and “wise unto salvation,” they would be
“thoroughly furnished unto all good works.”
The order must be maintained as a means to keep spiritual integrity intact. We are saved (justified) before God by faith on His Son. Period. But for a person to be wise unto salvation, they will, as a redeemed soul, be “thoroughly furnished unto all good works.”
By including what Paul says in the verses above, we could reasonable say that these good works would be of the type that come out of sound instruction from the Bible, correction from the Bible, insights from the Bible, realignment from the Bible and having been tutored by the Bible, again, in harmony with the Spirit of God teaching us all things.
Putting good works in their proper order we can turn to the Epistle to Titus, third chapter, Paul writes the following which again lays out for us the order of progressing in the faith saying:
Titus 3:3 For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another. (That describes us as sinners)
4 But after that the kindness and love of God our Savior toward man appeared,
5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
6 Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; (this describes us as being justified by faith)
7 That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. (This describes recipients of God’s grace being wise unto salvation)
8 This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men. (and this describes the wise fruit of love that ultimately will come from those who are truly his).
17 That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
In other words, the Good Works, the labors of love, will help “make someone wise unto salvation.” This is priceless insight from the Word of God folks. Invaluable.
And this brings us to the last chapter of 2nd Timothy- let’s see what we can tackle in it in the time remaining:
2nd Timothy 4:1 I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom;
2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.
3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;
4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.
5 But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.
Okay, back to verse 1 where Paul give the big wrap up of his second letter to Timothy and says:
1 I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom;
Paul, in 1st Timothy 5:21 laid out a previous charge on Timothy which was just as weighty, invoking the names of God and Christ as witnesses.
It goes without saying that this was serious business with an apostle of the Lord doing such in writing to this young servant over that part of the Bride.
Paul adds something here that is really insightful in my estimation, saying, in reference to Christ Jesus:
“Who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing AND his KINGDOM.”
We know from other parts of scripture that God would judge all things by Jesus Christ (Matthew 25:31-46; 2nd Corinthians 5:10.)
Here Paul says that he would judge the quick (which is another word for the alive or living) and the dead (those who had passed on – but it could also reference those regenerated and those not).
2nd Timothy 4:1 I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom;
Paul, like others, associates Christ appearance or return to the appearance and reign of His Kingdom, meaning at the time of his appearance His Kingdom and reign would be established in heaven and earth.
Because of this biblical fact many people assume that he has not come back because they do not see the reign of his kingdom materially on earth.
I won’t belabor this (yet again) but I do want to point out the connection between His return and the beginning of his reign.
So, Paul tells Timothy
2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.
Preach the word. The word of God; the gospel. This was to be the main business of the life of Timothy, and Paul solemnly charges him, in view of the certain coming of the Redeemer to judgment, to be faithful in the performance of it.
Be instant (the word means constant) “in season (in good times) and out of season
(when times are not convenient, not easy, uncomfortable).
“reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.
Pretty self-explanatory. But there was a reason for Paul to say these things – verse 3
3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;
When Paul says here, “For the time will come,” he is probably referring the time mentioned in 2nd Timothy 3:1 where he wrote warning Timothy:
This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
And he seems to refer to these times that were headed his way again here in the wrap up of his letter.
“The time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine.”
Who are the “they” THAT Paul is directly warning Timothy in that day about? Believers. Believers in that day. Under his leadership.
“They” will not endure, will not maintain, “sound doctrine,” which speak to doctrine that pertains to health.
Instead, Paul says, “but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;
Instead of the looking to the value of the written word of God, the times were coming where “they” would seek “after their own lusts.”
They would want teaching that would be in accordance with their own wants and desires.
All the way back in Isaiah the Nation of Israel was guilty of the same as we read in Isaiah 30:10 the people saying:
“Speak unto us smooth things; prophesy deceits.”
Out until this modern day, believers do the same. And so, it is no surprise that the believers in that day would turn to the same things too.
Paul adds that they would “heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears.”
The word heap to themselves means to multiply and accumulate to themselves instructors that would itch their ears, scratch them, tickle them and teach them things that would play to their flesh.
At verse four Paul returns to the word, “they” and says
4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. (or better said, turned aside to believe on fables).
From the last verses of chapter 3 where Paul so beautifully described the value and wonderful gift God gives those who seek him, we have now, four verses later, come to the place where men and women then (and today) arrive – accumulating teachers and teachings that please them, itching their ears, and provide them what they want instead of what God wants from them.
And after having delivered the warning once again to Timothy, Paul adds:
5 But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.
“Be an overseer, Timothy, of all these things and in so during endure the affictions and difficulties that come with such. In the meanwhile, ‘do the work of an evangelist, and make “full proof of your ministry.”
Furnish full evidence of what is the design of the Christian ministry assigned to him. Show the world around him what it meant to be a Christian in that day and age – and suffer in faith, love and hope along the way.
At this point Paul will now begin his conclusion of this letter. And in so doing admits to something – he knows that his life is about to end, as he says at verse 6:
6 For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand.
We will pick it up here next week.
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