What The Bible Says about Itself  

  II Tim 3:l6,l7 "All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work."

A. First, The Origin of Scripture:  (3:l6)   “all scripture is given by inspiration of God.”   

l. The Greek word is “God breathed.”  (this is the only place where this word, “God breathed” occurs).  The reason Paul used this word “God breathed” is to show to you and to me HOW CLOSE SCRIPTURE IS TO GOD HIMSELF...it is “God breathed.” Paul is saying that the written word had ITS ORIGIN IN THE MOUTH OF GOD.

2.  If you are reading from King James the word “inspired” is a Latin expression and means, “to breathe in.” Now, this is nice, but what Paul said was that scripture was GOD BREATHED, which means that the Word of God came out of the very mouth of God.  

a. You folks who love the King James version are my friends and all of that, but the Latin expression does not quite get it...it implies that God was “breathing in”, not “breathing out.”  The word INSPIRE is to “breathe in” and the word EXPIRE is to “breathe out.”

b. Go to Deut 8:3 where I believe Paul got his word “breathe out.”  It says in Deut 8:3, “by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.” Do you get it...scripture in Deut 8:3 is portrayed as “coming out of the mouth of God” which is what I call the Doctrine of Divine Expiration of Scripture.  

3. The Word of God is the very BREATH OF GOD...and to neglect it, is to neglect God, to omit it, is to omit God and to question it, is to question God. If we really believed that the Bible was the very “breath of God” do you think we would allow our ministers to merely read two or three verses on a given Sunday and quickly depart there from? Do you think we as believers would neglect it for days on end, if we really believed it was the very “breath of God?”  The Mother of Timothy read to that little baby the “breath of God.”  

B. The Use of Scripture:  “profitable for teaching or doctrine.”

l.  Here we have an excellent statement about WHAT the Word of God is to be used for....it is for “teaching.” (or doctrine)  

2. Then Paul gives us some SPECIFIC uses of the Word:  3:l6  

a. REPROOF:  (3:l6) which means, “pointing to sin.”  It is the same word as in Luke 3:l9, where John reproved the sin in the life of Herod.  Same word in John 3:20, where it reads, “deeds be manifested.”

b. CORRECTION:  (3:l6)...here we have the positive side of the Word.  You see, God does not just condemn us or reprove us, but also convinces us of truth.  

l. Beautiful Balance:  We have preachers who do nothing but point out sin....and then we have other groups who just point out truth.  Both are wrong, for we need the balance of both in our teaching and preaching.  If you would like to see the balance, then go to John l6:8, “He will reprove (convinces) the world of sin and righteousness and judgment.” (the little word ‘convinces’ is the same as the word “reprove.”) The word here for “correction” is Greek word used today in orthopedics....and means, “to restore something to an upright position.” 

2. Lesson:  I am so happy today that His Word puts the finger on the NEGATIVE in my life and then points me to the POSITIVE . Find you a pastor who has the balance of both the negative and the positive and then you will grow Biblically.   

3. Let us note here the 3 aspects of conviction:

a. SOURCE is in John l6:8, who is the HOLY SPIRIT.

b. MEANS is in II Tim 3:l6, which is the WORD OF GOD.

c. AGENT is in II Tim 4:2, where Timothy is the Agent.    

l. In II Tim 4:2, he is told to “preach the Word.”  WHY?  Because Timothy is the agent.  My job and your job is to get the Word from the text to the EARS...and then I STOP.  why?  Because the source of conviction is the Holy Spirit.  My work stops at the ears.  (if you want to get frustrated, then you try to get the Word of God beyond the ears into the heart of your husband or friend you are trying to win or teach.)  

c.Training in righteousness  (3:l6)

l. Now, you will understand why that Mother of Timothy read to that little baby the Word of God or quoted to that child the Word of God.  the phrase “training in righteousness” was a word in the Greek for the total education of the child.  I thought it was possible for a child to get “too much” of the Word of God and that too much would warp the emotional and mental life of the child? ( not according to the Bible. )  

 I go on record as saying that there is NO area in your life or mine, however bad, that the Word of God cannot change.  Look what the Word did in the life of the Apostle Paul, who before he was saved, ran from town to town killing men and women who were  believers.  

d. The totality of the Word:  “man of God might be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto good works.”  (3:l7).  

l. the phrase, “thoroughly furnished” means “completely furnished or adequate.” How about that for the Word of God!!!  Let’s read it again.  The word of God is able to make you “completely furnished or adequate for every good work.” (now, that is out of this world....that is sensational).

2. Most conservative, Bible believing preachers fault at this last phrase.  They will readily go along with v. 15,16 on the authority of the scripture, but v. 17 says that the WORD OF GOD IS COMPLETELY, TOTALLY ADEQUATE. Verse 17 is saying that Bible study and application of that Word to your life is really all that you need.  The equipped man in v. 17 is nothing but the WORD OF GOD.

If What Paul Has Just Said is, True Then Can I ask a Question?

What in the world are we doing in our evangelical, fundamental, Bible believing churches resorting to having more musicals than Bible Conferences, preachers who open the Word, read a passage and then quickly depart into some kind of psychological preaching or sermon?