Calvary Road Baptist Church
“TIMOTHY AND THE BIBLE”
Second Timothy 3.10-16
My plan is to set before you certain truths not to simply inform you. I pray you will deal with these truths, think about these truths, respond to these truths, and that your life will be changed by God using these truths.
In Second Timothy 3.10-17, we find the Apostle Paul’s words written to the man named Timothy:
10 But thou hast fully known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, charity, patience,
11 Persecutions, afflictions, which came unto me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra; what persecutions I endured: but out of them all the Lord delivered me.
12 Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.
13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.
14 But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them;
15 And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and 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.
Paul made some significant points in this portion of his letter. However, before we look at those points, let me introduce you to Timothy, the fellow Paul was writing to, so you will see why the words in this passage should be so particularly important to you.
Before I introduce you to Timothy, I want to introduce you to another fellow, whose given name was John, who was also known by his Roman name of Mark, just as the Apostle Paul was known by his Roman name of Paul, though his given Jewish name was Saul.
In Acts 13.1-13, we learn some things about John Mark:
1 Now there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers; as Barnabas, and Simeon that was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, which had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.
2 As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them.
3 And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.
4 So they, being sent forth by the Holy Ghost, departed unto Seleucia; and from thence they sailed to Cyprus.
5 And when they were at Salamis, they preached the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews: and they had also John to their minister.
6 And when they had gone through the isle unto Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew, whose name was Barjesus:
7 Which was with the deputy of the country, Sergius Paulus, a prudent man; who called for Barnabas and Saul, and desired to hear the word of God.
8 But Elymas the sorcerer (for so is his name by interpretation) withstood them, seeking to turn away the deputy from the faith.
9 Then Saul, (who also is called Paul,) filled with the Holy Ghost, set his eyes on him,
10 And said, O full of all subtilty and all mischief, thou child of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord?
11 And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon thee, and thou shalt be blind, not seeing the sun for a season. And immediately there fell on him a mist and a darkness; and he went about seeking some to lead him by the hand.
12 Then the deputy, when he saw what was done, believed, being astonished at the doctrine of the Lord.
13 Now when Paul and his company loosed from Paphos, they came to Perga in Pamphylia: and John departing from them returned to Jerusalem.
John Mark started out right. He traveled with the Apostle Paul and his uncle, Barnabas. In Acts 13.5, he is referred to as “their minister.” That means he went with them as their servant. It is excellent training for a young man to be the personal assistant of someone like Paul or Barnabas. If young people ever have an opportunity to serve in that kind of capacity, I suggest they consider doing it. For the rest their lives they will remember lessons learned in such a position.
As I approach the last years of my ministry and reflect on my experiences, I deeply regret not having had the opportunity to serve a mentor as John Mark did. It thrills a pastor to have a young man serve in this ministry in such a fashion. However, John departed from the men he served and returned to Jerusalem. He went home to his mommy. He was not tough enough, he was not man enough, to endure the hardships of serving God. Such is the real reason why most who do not serve God do not serve God. Whether they are men or women, they are not man enough to deal with the difficulties of living the Christian life and serving God ... so they opt for a way out.
John Mark’s failure, however, proved to be Timothy’s opportunity. When the boy with all the advantages could not tough it out, the boy with none of the advantages rose to the occasion. Here is what happened: Paul and Barnabas completed their missionary trip and returned home to report on what God had graciously done. After a time in Antioch, where their home Church was located, Paul suggested they make another trip. We can read about it in Acts 15.36-41:
36 And some days after Paul said unto Barnabas, Let us go again and visit our brethren in every city where we have preached the word of the Lord, and see how they do.
37 And Barnabas determined to take with them John, whose surname was Mark.
38 But Paul thought not good to take him with them, who departed from them from Pamphylia, and went not with them to the work.
39 And the contention was so sharp between them, that they departed asunder one from the other: and so Barnabas took Mark, and sailed unto Cyprus;
40 And Paul chose Silas, and departed, being recommended by the brethren unto the grace of God.
41 And he went through Syria and Cilicia, confirming the churches.
Paul refused when Barnabas wanted to give his nephew John Mark a second chance. The ministry is too important to risk a proven failure. After a ministry failure, one must reestablish his reliability before being given a second opportunity for important service. The result was a parting of ways between Paul and his good friend Barnabas. Who do you think was right and who do you think was wrong? Verse 40 shows us that the Church seemed to agree with Paul. “And Paul chose Silas, and departed, being recommended by the brethren unto the grace of God.” As well, Barnabas is not mentioned again in the book of Acts.
John Mark did get a second chance with the Apostle Paul, though it was many years later, after he had repaired his reputation and had proven himself to have become a reliable and trustworthy servant of God. Just think of what his life and ministry might have been like, but for that terrible sin of unfaithfulness at a crucial time. Having replaced Barnabas with Silas, Paul then replaced John Mark with Timothy. Acts 16.1-3:
1 Then came he to Derbe and Lystra: and, behold, a certain disciple was there, named Timotheus, the son of a certain woman, which was a Jewess, and believed; but his father was a Greek:
2 Which was well reported of by the brethren that were at Lystra and Iconium.
3 Him would Paul have to go forth with him; and took and circumcised him because of the Jews which were in those quarters: for they knew all that his father was a Greek.
Timothy was a young fellow, probably still in his teens. He may have been raised in a broken home. However, he was a half-breed to the Jewish community, having a Gentile father, and not much better off with the Gentiles, having a Jewish mother. To top it all off, Paul required that he be circumcized if he wanted to travel with them since the Jewish people they would encounter would find him unacceptable if he remained uncircumcised.
Back to our text, Second Timothy 3.10-17:
10 But thou hast fully known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, charity, patience,
11 Persecutions, afflictions, which came unto me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra; what persecutions I endured: but out of them all the Lord delivered me.
12 Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.
13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.
14 But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them;
15 And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and 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.
Timothy, a fellow who had earlier in his life been a teen from what was probably a broken home, with none of the advantages that John Mark had enjoyed. There were some things, however, that Timothy had going for him: First, he knew a great deal about the Apostle Paul, according to verses 10-11. Second, he knew a great deal about what he could expect to face, according to verses 12-13. But, third, he had a good mother who had done a good job raising him and teaching him God’s Word, according to verses 14-15.
It is at this point that we arrive at the two verses which were to mean so much to Timothy and which have proven to be so important to Christians throughout history, two verses that tell us about the Bibles we hold in our hands. Paul told young Timothy three things about the Bible:
First, WHAT THE BIBLE IS
The first phrase of Second Timothy 3.16 reads, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God.”
The phrase “all scripture” refers to “all writings.” How do we know Paul is referring here to the Bible, specifically the Old Testament (since the entire New Testament had not yet been completed)? The context. Look to verse 15:
“And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.”
The final word in this brief phrase is a most important word, a crucial word, which is found only here in all the Bible. It is a word translated “is given by inspiration of God.” It is a word that means “God-breathed, breathed into by God, inspired.”[1]
“The rabbinical teaching was that the Spirit of God rested on and in the prophets and spoke through them so that their words did not come from themselves, but from the mouth of God and they spoke and wrote in the Holy Spirit. The early church was in entire agreement with this view.”[2]
What Paul is doing is identifying God as the Author of Scripture. Thus, this Bible was not the invention of a single man or even a group of men. It was written by more than 40 men over a span of 1,600 years, so it could not have been a human invention. This book has as its Author ... God. Second Peter 1.21 gives more information about the process that leads to the result Paul speaks of in our text:
“For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.”
What God did through the Jewish prophets to deliver into men’s hands the Hebrew Scriptures of the Old Testament He also did through the apostles of Jesus Christ to deliver into men’s hands the Greek Scriptures of the New Testament. The result is that what you hold in your hand is the Word of God. Called “scripture” in Second Timothy 3.16 and “the holy scriptures” in Second Timothy 3.15, it is referred to as “thy word” by both David in the Psalms and by the Lord Jesus Christ in John 17.17, meaning it is God’s Word.
Because the Bible is God’s Word, it should be honored. How highly should you honor God’s Word? Psalm 138.2 shows us how highly God honors His Word. David wrote,
“I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.”
If God prizes God’s Word above His Own name, how highly prized should His Word be to you and me? This book should be treated with respect, should be read with an open and humble mind, and should be studied with diligence and intelligence.
The Lord Jesus Christ acknowledged to His Father that “thy word is truth,” John 17.17. The Apostle Paul also wrote, in Romans 3.4, “let God be true, but every man a liar.” This means that God must always be accounted true, while anyone who disagrees with Him (by disagreeing with His Word, the Bible) is a liar.
Thus, being God-breathed, this Book is reliable, this Book is true, and to call into question the truthfulness of the Bible is to challenge God’s truthfulness, is to call God a liar. That is a serious thing when you keep in mind that God has magnified His Word above His Own name.
Next, WHAT THE BIBLE IS GOOD FOR
In the last half of verse 16, Paul explains the proper use of Scripture:
“and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.”
The Word of God can be rightly used to benefit both saved and lost people in four distinct ways:
First, God’s Word is profitable for doctrine. What is doctrine, anyway? Doctrine refers to the things which are taught, the truths contained in the Bible, the way things really are. Understand that God has not left it up to you or me to determine spiritual truth. It is not our prerogative to determine whether or not God created the world in six days, to determine whether or not God exists, to determine whether or not there is a heaven and a Hell. What kind of arrogance must a person have to presume to sit in judgment to decide whether God is to be believed or not, to decide whether or not he thinks there is sufficient evidence that God exists? Additionally, God’s Word informs us what our situation is, what God demands of us, what the Lord Jesus Christ did for us, how to be reconciled to God, and how to live the Christian life. Thus, the task is to discover what God’s Word declares and then impart that teaching, that doctrine, to others. So, what should you believe? You should believe what God tells you to believe, because God is true and His Word is also true. Psalm 119.6 declares,
“Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.”
What if you choose to ignore what God’s Word tells you to do or to believe? Simple. You will be chastised if you are God’s child, or you will go to Hell if you are not God’s child. I urge you to pay attention to God’s Word. Psalm 119.105 declares,
“Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.”
Thus, Scripture is like a bright light in pitch darkness, with light like a lamp to show you where your feet are, and with light like a beacon to show you the path from where you are to safety.
Next, the Bible is profitable for reproof. The Bible teaches you what you should do, but also teaches you where you have gone wrong when you go astray, what your errors are when your beliefs are wrong. Despite the fact that the Bible shows us what is true and what is false, what is right and what is wrong, what we should do and what we should not do, sinful men, even converted men who sin, are prone to wander, are prone to stray, are prone to error and sin. Thankfully, God’s Word is also profitable to deal with those kinds of issues.
For example, a woman likes a man who is not her husband, so she invites that man to come over to her house and spend the night. Or she goes over and spends the night at his house. If she sleeps with the man, not being married to him, the Word of God labels her either an adulterer or a fornicator, depending upon whether she is married or not. It does not matter one bit whether she loves the man, whether she likes the guy, whether she even knows the fellow. It doesn’t even matter that she has plans to someday marry him. God’s Word makes pronouncements on such things as that woman did, and the pronouncement is “Guilty.”
Likewise, if you take what is not yours the Bible labels you a thief. And if you knowingly say what is not true the Bible labels you a liar. As your feelings for another person do not alter the fact of the lies you may tell them or the things you stole, neither do your feelings alter the wickedness of sex sins. So, not only does the Bible tell you what to do, it tells you where you have done wrong. However, that is not all.
Third, Scripture is profitable for correction. You know what you should have done. However, you are a sinner who has done what you know to be wrong. Now you are in a terrible fix. What do you do? You’d better do what the Bible tells you to do because the Bible, in addition to telling you what to do (doctrine), in addition to telling you when you have done wrong (reproof), can also tell you how to best remedy what you have done wrong (correction).
My authority for making such a claim is Psalm 119.9:
“Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word.”
Have you done something wrong, and you desire to deal with the sin? Then do what God’s Word tells you to do.
Let me give you an example: Say you are a bit sharp with the tongue, and you have said some very harsh things about someone who made you angry. Ephesians 4.29-32 gives a course of action to remedy the problem after you have asked forgiveness for what you have done:
29 Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.
30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.
31 Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:
32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.
So, the Bible instructs you what you should do when you veer off course and how to get as much back on track again as possible, understanding that some sins create problems that cannot be completely fixed. Need I elaborate? A drunk who kills someone in a car wreck can indeed find God’s forgiveness and perhaps even the forgiveness of the family of the man he killed. However, forgiveness will never bring that victim back from the grave. Keep in mind that not even forgiveness fixes everything.
Fourth, God’s Word is profitable for instruction in righteousness. This is how you stay on track. The word translated “instruction” refers to providing guidance for responsible living, primarily by discipline and correction.[3] Life is not supposed to be lived from feeling to feeling, so that you are bound to follow your urges and lusts and cravings. Such a life is no better than a wild animal, yet many people live such lives of appetite and craving. What a slavery you are condemned to by such an approach to life. God’s plan is for you to live with discipline, so that you derive satisfaction and joy from being who God wants you to be, doing what God lays before you as duty and privilege. This is possible when you submit to God’s will in the disciplines of life that are set forth in Scripture.
Consider Galatians 5.22-23 and see how joy and temperance travel together:
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
Temperance is discipline, what God’s Word accomplishes when you have been instructed in righteousness.
I could go on, but allow me to summarize for you what we have from the last half of Second Timothy 3.16: God’s Word tells you what track to be on, when you are off track, how to get back on track, and how to stay on track. If God’s Word can be used to such benefit, it must be recognized that the Bible is sufficient. That is, it is enough. Having given to us the Bible for our instruction, we don’t need anything else. God did it right the first time.
Finally, WHO THE BIBLE WAS GIVEN FOR
Notice verse 17:
“That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.”
There are two phrases in this verse, “That the man of God may be perfect,” and “throughly furnished unto all good works.” I would like to look at these phrases individually, considering the last one first.
First, the phrase “throughly furnished unto all good works.” As I mentioned before, this portion of verse 17 reiterates again; the Bible is sufficient. When you have the Bible, you have the ultimate source of truth given to man. When you have the Bible, you have the final pronouncement of God on matters of faith and practice. To insist that something is needed in addition to the Bible, such as psychology, or sociology, to solve man’s problems and to provide guidance through life on the way to eternity, is to challenge God’s love, to question God’s truthfulness, to slight God’s wisdom, and to dishonor God’s name. Thus, equipped with the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, the man of God is ready to do business for God. The question still remains, who is “the man of God”?
For that answer, focus your attention on the first phrase of verse 17:
“That the man of God may be perfect.”
The word “perfect” translates a Greek word that is used only here in the New Testament, the verb referring to being well fitted for some function, complete, capable, proficient, able to meet all demands.”[4] This word fits wonderfully with the thrust of the second phrase, showing “the man of God” to be in need of nothing else when he is armed with the Bible. However, who, or what, is “the man of God”? John MacArthur, an American pastor, indicates that this phrase, “the man of God,” is “A technical term for an official preacher of divine truth.”[5] Another writes, “in the OT [the phrase] is applied (over thirty times) exclusively to Moses and the prophets who follow in his footsteps.”[6]
In First Timothy 6.11, we see this term, “man of God,” used again:
“But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.”
I agree with what John MacArthur writes about the phrase “O man of god”: “This is a term used in the NT only for Timothy; as a technical term, it is used about 70 times in the OT, always to refer to a man who officially spoke for God ... The key to his success ... is the perfection produced in him by the Scripture (2 Tim. 3:16,17).”[7]
We have seen what the Bible is. It is the God-breathed book that we know to be the Word of God. We know what the Bible is good for. It tells you what track to be on, when you are off track, how to get back on track, and how to stay on track. Finally, we know who the Bible was given for. It was specifically given for pastor-teachers, to fully equip you and men like you to do what God has called us to do, which is to teach and preach the Word of God, both to groups and individuals.
Some would argue that people do not need a pastor-teachers. I would direct those people to the Ethiopian eunuch, in Acts 8.26-35:
26 And the angel of the Lord spake unto Philip, saying, Arise, and go toward the south unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is desert.
27 And he arose and went: and, behold, a man of Ethiopia, an eunuch of great authority under Candace queen of the Ethiopians, who had the charge of all her treasure, and had come to Jerusalem for to worship,
28 Was returning, and sitting in his chariot read Esaias the prophet.
29 Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot.
30 And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest?
31 And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him.
32 The place of the scripture which he read was this, He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth:
33 In his humiliation his judgment was taken away: and who shall declare his generation? for his life is taken from the earth.
34 And the eunuch answered Philip, and said, I pray thee, of whom speaketh the prophet this? of himself, or of some other man?
35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus.
Notice, that important, powerful, intelligent, well-educated, articulate man did not understand what he was reading in the Bible. The Spirit of God sent Philip to that Ethiopian for that very reason, to declare the truth to him and to explain the way of salvation. This is needful, because First Corinthians 2.14 establishes that unsaved people cannot understand Scriptural truth by themselves:
“But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.”
Others will say, “Okay. Unsaved people need a preacher to help them understand the Bible, but real Christians can do okay without a preacher.” Can they? Is that God’s plan for Christians? Then why are these passages given?
Ephesians 4.11-12:
11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.
Second Timothy 4.1-2:
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.
Hebrews 13.7, 17:
7 Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God: whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation.
17 Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.
The truth is that God has given us His Word. It is truthful, and it is reliable. However, God has also given men whose ministry is to use the Bible to be a blessing to those who will listen to us preach and teach. Such men are preachers, teachers, pastors, men of God, who God will hold personally accountable for our ministries of watching out for the welfare of others.
What does a wise man do when he has an important legal issue that needs resolution? Does he not make use of an attorney?
What does a wise man do when he has a need to design and construct a fine building? Does he not make use of an experienced and accomplished builder?
What does a wise man do when he suffers from a serious physical ailment or illness that threatens his health or his life? Does he not make use of experienced and well-trained health care professionals?
What does a wise man do when he finds his automobile broken down and in serious need of repair? Does he not make use of experienced and well-trained automotive service technicians to repair his car so that it will safely run?
What does a wise man do when he finds himself involved in serious and complicated tax issues? Does he not make use of experienced and well-trained tax experts, such as certified public accountants or tax attorneys?
My point is obvious: Wise individuals make use of experienced and well-trained experts to address all sorts of problems that are far less important than the spiritual issues that affect someone’s eternal destiny. If someone is wise enough to hire someone to work on his car, to solve his tax problems, or to treat his illnesses, why would he refuse the ministry of the man of God using the Word of God to address his spiritual problems?
This is God’s book, the Bible. He wrote this book, and He gave this book so that our spiritual problems could be properly dealt with. But His plan was not for people to be left alone with their issues. His plan was for a man of God to use the Bible to deal with people’s spiritual problems.
If you are wise, you will strive to be God’s man and to use God’s Word in the way He intended that it be used in your own life, and in the lives of other people.
__________
[1] Fritz Rienecker & Cleon Rogers, Linguistic Key To The Greek New Testament, (Grand Rapids, MI: Regency Reference Library, 1980), page 647.
[2] Ibid.
[3] Bauer, Danker, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and other Early Christian Literature, (Chicago, Illinois: The University of Chicago Press, 2000), page 748.
[4] Bauer, page 136.
[5] See footnote for 2 Timothy 3.17 from John MacArthur, The MacArthur Study Bible, (Nashville: Word Publishing, 1997), page 1880.
[6]Philip H. Towner, The Letters To Timothy And Titus (NICNT), (Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2006) page 593.
[7] See footnote for 1 Timothy 6.11 from John MacArthur, The MacArthur Study Bible, (Nashville: Word Publishing, 1997), page 1871.
This message was delivered at the 7th Reformed Baptist Minister's Conference, Pokhara, Nepal
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