bibleinchurch

Persecutions and the Power of the Scriptures (2 Timothy 3:10-17)

Jul 26, 2024 By: Johnny Dos Santos Topic: Sermon Devotional Scripture: 2 Timothy 3:10-17

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16-17)

These verses were one of the hallmarks of the preachers during the Reformation in the 16th century. Emerging from the Middle Ages, they protested against the strong grip of the Roman Catholic Church, which claimed that only the church (Roman Catholic) could rightly interpret the scriptures with the assistance of tradition and councils.   

On the other hand, the reformers affirmed that the knowledge necessary for salvation was given to man in the scriptures. To the reformers, any person earnestly seeking salvation can find it under the guidance of the Holy Spirit by just reading and studying the Bible. 

In these two verses, we see the doctrine of the divine inspiration of the scripture plainly stated. This is an amazing and profound statement. In it, Paul expresses that the scriptures do not result from human creativity or imagination but have a divine origin. 

Unlike the Ten Commandments (Decalogue), which were written by God’s finger, the scriptures (OT and NT) were written by human authors under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. This is not to say that these human authors were mechanically inspired and assumed a passive role in which they were mere pawns under the influence of the Holy Spirit. 

According to Louis Berkhof, “Reformed Theologians generally have an organic conception of inspiration.” This means that God illuminated the minds of the human authors, prompting them to write using their own gifts, talents, education, and style. This allows each book to have its own flavor and literary style and be called the Word of God.   

Liberal theologians have utterly rejected the doctrine of the divine inspiration of the scriptures by claiming that the Bible is merely a human book and not God’s words.  

However, for those standing on the shoulders of the reformers, 2 Timothy 3:16-17 not only encourages us to trust in every prophecy, promise, and teaching of the Bible but also tells us that in the scriptures, we have everything we need to live a life according to God’s will. 

The Bible is sufficient to teach sound doctrine to God’s people, expose the errors of false teachers, correct wrong behavior, and instruct believers in righteousness. For this purpose, God breathed out the scriptures so that through them, his people may come to salvation and be complete and equipped in every way to do his will and live for his glory.  

In reflecting on these verses, I’m overwhelmed with gratitude and awe. I am grateful and awed that God has given us his Word and preserved it down the centuries despite persecution and the attacks of hell to destroy it. 

Jesus affirmed to his disciples that even though the heavens and earth, as we know them, will one day pass away, the Word of God will remain forever. The Word of God is indestructible, contains no errors, is authoritative, and is sufficient to lead to salvation, reveal who God is and who we are, and for what we were created for. 

Thinking about the passage, let me ask you this: when you read the Bible, do you approach it with a worshipful humility, expecting to hear from God, or is it a merely mechanical exercise that seeks to ease a religious conscience that has been instructed that reading the Bible is something that Christians are supposed to do? 

I hope this short devotion will encourage you to worship God more profoundly, thank Him for giving you faith to believe in His Word, and challenge you to grow in your view and approach to the Bible.