THE INSPIRATION OF SCRIPTURE

Pastor James J. Barker

Text: II TIMOTHY 3:14-17




INTRODUCTION:


1.     In his second epistle to Timothy, the apostle Paul reminds Timothy of the nature and purpose of the Scriptures (II Tim. 3:16).

2.     “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God…” This means literally, “God-breathed.”

3.     The Latin word meaning “to breathe out" is inspiro, and this is where we get our English word “inspiration.”  I will say more about this in a few minutes.

4.     I cannot overestimate the importance of the sacred Scriptures.

·       First of all, we are saved by the Word of God.  First Peter 1:23 says, “Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.”  

·       Romans 10:17 says, “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”

·       Secondly, we are changed by the Word of God. Psalm 119:11 says, “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.”

·       Heb. 4:12 says, “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”

·       Thirdly, we are cleansed by the Word of God.  Psalm 119:9 says, “Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word.” 

·       Jesus said in John 15:3, “Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.”

·       Fourthly, we are guided by the Word of God.  Psalm 119:105 says, “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.”  And verse 130 says, “The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple.”

·       Fifthly, we have victory over the devil by the Word of God.  Psalm 17:4 says, “Concerning the works of men, by the word of thy lips I have kept me from the paths of the destroyer.”

·       Remember when our Lord was tempted by the devil, He quoted Scripture (Matt. 4:4-10).

·       Sixthly, we are built up by the Word of God.  Paul said to the elders at Ephesus, “And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified” (Acts 20:32).

·       Furthermore, we should delight in the Word of God.  The psalmist said, “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.  But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night” (Psalm 1:1, 2).

·       Let me remind you that God’s Word is magnified above His name.  David wrote, “For thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name” (Ps. 138:2).

5.     Sometimes we hear scoffers and mockers say, “You fundamentalists put too much emphasis on the Bible.”  They criticize us and call us “Bible-thumpers.” 

6.     Personally, I do not mind being called a Bible-thumper, but I prefer being called a Bible preacher and a Bible-believer.

7.     But how can we make too much of the Bible when we know that God has magnified it even above His name?

8.     Our Lord said, “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away” (Matthew 24:35).

9.     Voltaire, the French infidel (died in 1778), boasted that within 100 years Christianity would be extinct.  However, in 1878 his house was being used by the Geneva Bible Society to print Bibles (cf. Matthew 24:35).

10. Psalm 119:89 says, “For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven.”  Men can argue and debate all they want but the Bible is the inspired Word of God.

 

I. WHAT WE MEAN BY “INSPIRED”

1.     Inspiration refers to the transmission of God’s revelation to man.  God has done this in such a way that He has providently kept it from human error and mistake.

2.     “Inspiration is usually defined as a supernatural influence exerted on the sacred writers by the Spirit of God, by virtue of which their writings are given divine trustworthiness” – Benjamin B. Warfield (International Standard Bible Encyclopedia).

3.     This “supernatural influence” is described by Peter in his second epistle where he says, “but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost” (II Peter 1:21).

4.     They were literally “moved by the Holy Ghost.”  This is the idea behind “inspiration” – “God-breathed.” 

5.     Therefore, when we speak of the inspiration of the Bible, we are not using the word the same way people use it to describe Shakespeare, Milton, Handel, and so on.

 

II. IT IS PROFITABLE FOR SAINTS (II TIM. 3:16, 17).

1.     There are many good books, which are profitable.  Of course there are many bad books, which are unprofitable.  And while there are many good and worthwhile books, there is only one Bible!

2.     I often tell the story of Sir Walter Scott, when he was dying, calling out, “Get me the Book!”  His son-in-law said, “Which book?” (He had a large library.)  Sir Walter Scott said, “There is only one Book!”

3.     “Perfect” (3:17) means “complete and mature.”  This should be the objective of each and every Christian. 

4.     Our Lord said, “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect” (Matt. 5:48).  This will never happen apart from the Word of God.

5.     “All Scripture (not some Scripture, but “all Scripture”) is…profitable…” (3:16).

·       For doctrine – teaching Bible truths – the deity of Christ, His blood atonement, heaven & hell, etc.

·       For reproof – exposing error – false teachers, cults, etc.

·       For correction – straightening out those who have strayed.  DL Moody wrote these words in the flyleaf of his son’s Bible: “This Book will keep you from sin, or sin will keep you from this Book.”

·       For instruction in righteousness – this means it is the systematic teaching of the Word of God which builds and develops Christian character.  Do you need discipline?  Read the Bible!  Do you need holiness?  Read the Bible!

·       If you want God’s will for your life, you must study the Bible.

6.     Look at II Tim. 3:16 again.

·        DOCTRINEWhat is right.

·        REPROOFWhat is not right. 

·        CORRECTIONHow to get right.

·        INSTRUCTION IN RIGHTEOUSNESSHow to stay right

 

III. IT IS PROFITABLE FOR SINNERS (3:15).

1.     The holy scriptures “are able to make thee wise unto salvation…” (3:15).

2.     No other book can do that.  The Bible brings conviction of sin.  The Bible tells us how to get to heaven.  The Bible tells us how to avoid going to hell. The Bible tells us that God loves us and that Jesus died for us.

3.     W. A. Criswell, in one of his books, tells how he used to pastor in a little country church.  One of his deacons found a very nice Spanish Bible but didn’t know what to do with it.  Then he remembered that he had some Mexican neighbors so he gave it to them.

4.     Some time passed and he forgot all about it, until one day there came a knock on his door.  It was the Mexican neighbor explaining that he and his entire family got saved reading that Bible.   Now they wanted to be baptized.  Some time later Dr. Criswell says that Mexican farmer’s house burnt down but before it burnt down his neighbors saw him run in and rescue that beautiful Spanish Bible.

5.     “From a child,” Timothy knew the Scriptures. I thank God that our four children learned the Scriptures from their childhood – always in Sunday School, and always in church. They learned the Scriptures at home and also at the Christian day school.

6.     Parents –make this your priority.  Soon your children will be grown and on their own.  You can never give them “too much Bible.”

7.     Timothy learned the Scriptures from his Christian mother Eunice, and his Christian grandmother Lois (II Tim. 1:5).

8.     Daniel Webster wrote, “If there is anything in my thoughts or style to commend, the credit is due to my parents for instilling in me an early love of the Scriptures.  If we abide by the principles taught in the Bible, our country will go on prospering and to prosper; but if we and our posterity neglect the instructions and authority; no man can tell how sudden a catastrophe may overwhelm us and bury all our glory in profound obscurity.”

9.     Let me remind you that the devil does not want young people to read the Bible.  That is why he has been so busy shutting down the Sunday Schools.  That is why the communists would not allow children to attend church or Sunday School.  That is why the devil got the Bible out of the public schools.

10. I read an article a while ago about some worldly comedian called Bill Maher.  This Maher does not like Christians.  He said that it is terrible that so many Americans believe in the Bible, and he said it is because they are taught to revere the Bible at an early age.

11. May God help us to continue to teach young people to revere the Bible at an early age!   Do you realize that most Christians are saved at an early age?

12. In yesterday’s NY POST, there is an interesting article entitled, “Getting the Bible Back into School.”  The author, Rich Lowry, says, “Without a basic grasp of the Bible, it is impossible to understand the well springs of our country and the basis of Western civilization. Which is why it is a scandal that Bible education has been chased out of the schools and why the work of the Bible Literacy Project to put it back there is so admirable.”

13. I hope this Bible Literacy Project is successful and that many people (students and teachers) are saved as a result.

14. The Bible shows us the way of salvation. A person cannot be saved apart from the Word of God.   Lost friend, God’s Word has the answers to your problems (John 3:16).

15. Christian friend, if you want to see sinners saved, start studying the Bible.  Learn the Scriptures.  Memorize Scripture.

 

CONCLUSION:

1.     People complain that the Bible has been removed from the public schools, but it was taken out of the homes and churches first.

2.     This world is in trouble but God’s Word has the answer.  People are worried about terrorism.  Why don’t we send millions of Bibles to the Muslim countries?  You say, “But the terrorists and the Muslim fanatics won’t like that?”   But they hate us anyway.

3.     People are worried about crime.  Why don’t we distribute millions of Bibles to the prisons?

4.     People are complaining about immigration.  We should be reaching these people with the Gospel!  God is telling America, “You did not send out enough missionaries so I am sending the people right to your doorstep!”

 



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