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I believe 2 Timothy chapter 3, 
as we open it up, is a wonderful presentation of the doctrine 
of Scripture. So I'll just begin reading in 
chapter 3 at verse 1. But know this, that in the last 
days perilous times will come. For men will be lovers of themselves, 
lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, 
unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without 
self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, 
haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a 
form of godliness but denying its power. and from such people 
turn away. For of this sort are those who 
creep into households and make captives of gullible women loaded 
down with sins, led away by various lusts, always learning and never 
able to come to the knowledge of the truth. Now as Janus and 
Jambres resisted Moses, so do these also resist the truth, 
men of corrupt minds, disapproved concerning the faith. But they 
will progress no further, for their folly will be manifest 
to all as theirs also was. But you have carefully followed 
my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, long-suffering, 
love, perseverance, persecutions, afflictions, which happened to 
me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra, what persecutions I endured. And out of them all the Lord 
delivered me. Yes, and all who desire to live 
godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. But evil men and 
imposters will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. But you must continue in the 
things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing 
from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you have 
known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for 
salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture 
is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, 
for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 
that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every 
good work. Amen. So the Apostle Paul has 
exhorted Timothy in verse 14 to continue in the things which 
you have learned and been assured of. There is a marked contrast 
set forth by the Apostle of those false teachers, those heretics, 
those wicked men that lead away or that make captives of gullible 
women loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts. There's a contrast between the 
godless and godly Timothy. And the Apostle wants him to 
continue to persevere, to be steadfast, to be faithful in 
the things of the Lord. He reminds Timothy of those things 
that he had taught him and now he reminds Timothy of the source 
of his teaching. Verses 15 to 17. 15 is a reference to the holy 
scriptures that Timothy has known from his childhood which are 
able to make him wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ 
Jesus. And then Paul gives this doctrine 
of scripture in verses 16 and 17 for Timothy's benefit again 
to charge him that he continues in those things which he has 
learned and seen in the Apostle Paul. I just want to quote Michael 
Horton in a book called Christless Christianity. He makes this statement. He says, my concern is that we 
are getting dangerously close to the place in everyday American 
church life where the Bible is mined for relevant quotes, but 
is largely irrelevant on its own terms. God is used as a personal 
resource rather than known, worshiped, and trusted. Jesus Christ is 
a coach with a good game plan for our victory rather than a 
Savior who has already achieved it for us. Salvation is more 
a matter of having our best life now than being saved from God's 
judgment by God Himself. And the Holy Spirit is an electrical 
outlet we can plug into for the power we need to be all that 
we can be. That's a very excellent description 
of what does pass for much of biblical preaching or teaching. 
The apostle had a contrary view. The apostle saw the origin of 
the scriptures as being God himself. The apostle realized the necessity 
and the importance of the scriptures for all of life, for all of thought, 
for all of practice. So tonight, we're going to consider 
the doctrine of scripture under three considerations from verse 
16 primarily. First, its extent. Paul says, 
all Scripture. Secondly, its character, Paul 
says, is given by inspiration of God. And then thirdly, its 
utility or its usefulness. He says, it is profitable for 
doctrine, for reproof, for correction. Based on the reality that we 
have this God-breathed Word, from him himself, there is profit 
in it for us in terms of study, in terms of memorization, in 
terms of application in our own lives. So let's take up first 
the extent. Paul says all scripture. Now 
primarily in focus, at least at this particular time, he has 
in mind the Old Testament Scriptures. He is speaking, yes, of the apostolic 
writings, and we'll see that as we move along in our study 
tonight. We're not going to just confine 
ourselves to this particular verse. We're looking at a doctrine, 
so we'll let other passages shine some light on it for us. But 
notice the referent in verse 15, "...and that from childhood 
you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise 
for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus." Now when 
Timothy was a child, the Holy Scriptures consisted of what 
we call the Old Testament Scriptures, from Genesis to 2 Chronicles 
in the Hebrew canon. or in our English Bibles from 
Genesis to the book of Malachi. Those Old Testament Scriptures 
are what Timothy had, and this is what Paul is referring to. 
Again, he is referring to the New Testament, and we will see 
that as we move along. But we need to appreciate this 
reality. For the Apostle Paul, the Old 
Testament had binding authority upon the New Testament Church. 
For the Apostle Paul, he was not a dispensationalist. Some 
dispensationalists believe that in the New Covenant era church, 
the Old Testament has little or nothing to say in the life 
of God's people. That it's essentially an irrelevant 
book, or at the most, it's a book of stories designed to teach 
us moral lessons about certain heroes of the faith. But Paul 
doesn't see it that way. He says that Timothy from childhood 
has known the Holy Scriptures. Now notice, those holy scriptures, 
Genesis to Malachi, or Genesis to 2nd Chronicles, which are 
able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ 
Jesus. So a reading of the Old Testament 
can bring one, by the power of God the Holy Spirit, to a saving 
faith rooted in the person and work of our Lord Jesus Christ. So the Old Testament has binding 
authority. It is necessary. It is useful. It is something the Church dismisses 
at her peril. The Apostle says all Scripture 
is given by inspiration of God, and as a result, as New Covenant 
Christians, We ought not to make only much of the New Testament 
Scriptures, but we ought to be students of the entire Bible. 
We ought to know the history of Israel. We ought to know God's 
covenantal dealings throughout the history of redemption. We 
ought to know the major movements and shapes and characters of 
what is going on in the Old Testament. In many ways, if you come only 
to the New Testament and you don't have that rich backdrop 
of the Old Testament, you're really only getting a portion 
or a piece of the pie. The Old Testament is full of 
information concerning the person and work of our Lord Jesus. And 
the Apostle says that those Old Testament scriptures are able 
to make one wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ 
Jesus. The rest of the New Testament 
refers to the Old Testament as authoritative. Let's just look 
at a few of these. Luke 24. Luke chapter 24. I'm going to move quickly through 
these verses. You can write them down or fill. 
Which were written in the law of Moses and the prophets and 
the Psalms. Notice, concerning me, Jesus 
says. And He opened their understanding. 
that they might comprehend the Scriptures. Notice in John 5. John 5 verse 39. 539 you search the scriptures for 
in them you think you have eternal life and these are they which 
testify of me and then notice in verse 46 for if you believe 
Moses you would believe me for he wrote about me notice in Acts 
chapter 10 Acts chapter 10. Incidentally, this was one of 
the texts that I spoke on at my mother's funeral. I knew the 
man that was leading the service was going to read these passages, 
and I also knew he wasn't going to comment on these passages. 
So I took up the passages that he read and just simply tried 
to explain them. Verse 43 in Acts 10. The Apostle 
Peter says, to Him, to the Lord Jesus, all the prophets witness 
that through His name, whoever believes in Him will receive 
remission of sins. So when you read Isaiah, and 
you read Micah, and you read Zechariah, and you read Malachi, 
and you read Hosea, you are reading of the Lord Jesus Christ. Remember 
when we were standing on the plains of Moab in Deuteronomy 
chapter 30, God through Moses announces the new covenant that 
is to come, the new covenant that would be brought to fruition 
by the Lord Jesus Christ. What happens in the fullness 
of the time when God sends forth His Son, born of a woman, born 
under the law, to redeem those under the law, this wasn't the 
first statement concerning this. It started in the garden with 
the announcement by God that the seed of the woman would crush 
the head of the serpent. And then that promise is unfolded 
all throughout the Old Testament, so that when we come to the New 
Testament, we understand why John the Baptist can look at 
Jesus and say, Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin 
of the world. People that knew their Old Testament 
Scriptures weren't scratching their heads saying, what does 
he mean by that? They would say, oh, that's the 
one who comes to answer all of the types, all of the shadows 
set forth in the Levitical system and the sacrificial rites. It 
is Christ who is the Lamb of God who would take away the sin 
of the world. So all of this to say, if you 
don't read your Old Testament, go home and read. All scripture 
is given by inspiration of God. You ought to know what's going 
on in the prophets. You ought to know what's going 
on in the book of Joshua. You ought to know that the book 
of Judges, which so many see as just a bleak picture in the 
history of Israel, And it is in some regard, or others. I 
know my sons love the story of Eglon and Ehud. My sons love 
when Jael drives that tent peg through Sisera's head. There's 
excitement around every turn in the book of Judges. But you 
know what the recurring theme in Judges is? Yes, I know there 
was no king in Israel and everyone did what was right in their own 
eyes. But the series, the cycles of 
sin and oppression and repentance and deliverance. Judges is about 
the fact that Yahweh is salvation. He saves his people. You ought 
to read Judges with great joy and happiness, especially in 
light of the reality that those earthly judges were typical and 
pointed forward to the one hero that would come and save his 
people from their sins. So all scripture is given by 
inspiration of God. The Old Testament certainly. Then we must ask the question, 
did the apostles understand that they themselves were writing 
scripture? Yes, they did. They understood 
this. Notice in 1 Timothy chapter 5 
when the apostle is arguing for the payment or remuneration of 
gospel ministers. Notice in 5.17, 1 Timothy, let 
the elders who rule well be counted worthy of double honor. That 
doesn't mean they get a parking spot or they get a placard on 
their door. Honor in the context means money. Honor those who are widows indeed. That doesn't mean just give them 
special parking, it means help them buy their groceries. That's 
what honor means in the context. Let the elders who rule well 
be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in 
the word and doctrine. For the scripture says, you shall 
not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain. Where is that? Deuteronomy, that's right, 25-4, 
and the laborer is worthy of his wages. Where is that? Luke 
chapter 10, the scripture, and then Paul cites the Old and the 
New Testament. Notice in 2 Peter chapter 3, 
just surveying some passages here to demonstrate and highlight 
the reality that the apostles understood their place in God's 
redemptive plan to be authoritative agents or representatives of 
Jesus Christ to communicate His Word. Before we get to 3.14-16, 
notice 3.1. Beloved, I now write to you this 
second epistle, in both of which I stir up your pure minds by 
way of reminder. There's a legitimizing reminder. Repetition is good in the Christian 
faith. That you may be mindful of the 
words, notice, which were spoken before by the holy prophets. Take this as a reference to Isaiah, 
to Jeremiah, to Ezekiel, to Daniel, to Hosea, to Joel, Amos, Obadiah, 
Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi, Zephaniah, 
all of them. and of the commandment of us, 
the apostles of the Lord and Savior. You see, the Apostle 
Peter puts the apostolic ministry on par with the holy prophets 
of the Old Testament. You see, the New Testament occurs 
in a context. God is the Covenant Lord. When the Covenant Lord speaks, 
there are written documents to testify. There are authorized 
agents that bring those written documents. The prophets in the 
Old Testament bring the Covenantal Lord's documents. The same thing 
is true in the New Covenant. He has his designees. He has 
his agents. They are called the Apostles 
and they speak and bring these Covenantal documents to bear 
upon the New Covenant community. Now notice in 2 Peter 3.14, Therefore, 
beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found 
by him in peace, without spot and blameless, and consider that 
the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation. The context. What's going on? Scoffers are 
saying, where's the promise of His coming? How come Jesus hasn't 
returned yet? Well, here's why, according to 
verse 15. Consider that the long-suffering 
of our Lord is salvation. The fact that Jesus has not returned 
means that there are elect out there in every tribe, tongue, 
people, and nation, that are to be called out through faithful 
preaching to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and to be saved. 
At some point in history, that last elect sinner is going to 
believe the gospel, and then Jesus is going to return. It 
would be nice to be that last elect sinner, wouldn't it? It 
would be like, there's no sanctification there, you believe, and then 
Jesus comes, right? And then you're ushered into 
glory. That person is going to be doubly blessed. Actually, 
we're as blessed as that person. We're going to the same Christ, 
going to the same heaven. But that's what he means. Consider 
that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation. Now notice, 
as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given 
to him, has written to you, as also in all his epistles. You see, already in the first 
century, there was a collected body of the epistles of the Apostle 
Paul. Do you realize that by early 
into the second century, the church recognized what we call 
the New Testament canon? It wasn't this shifting, mysterious 
thing that Hollywood novelists like to portray. The church recognized 
early on those documents that came from the hand of an apostle 
or an apostle's representative, a la Mark, a la Luke. They were not apostles, but their 
letters bore apostolicity. That's what's important, and 
that's what those documents had, and they, in the language of 
Coleman, forced themselves upon the church. It wasn't like the 
church sat around like we're doing and said, who votes that 
James belongs in the canon? Who votes for Romans? No, these 
letters force themselves upon the church by virtue of their 
apostolic character. Notice what he says, as also 
in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which 
are some things hard to understand. We speak of the purpose-scuity 
of Scripture. The purpose-scuity of Scripture 
means its clarity. All things concerning God's glory 
and man's salvation are clear in Scripture. But Peter acknowledges 
there are some things that are hard to understand. when it comes 
to the man of lawlessness in 2 Thessalonians 2. There are 
some tough things there. When it comes to the Nephilim 
in Genesis 6, there are some tough things in there. But in 
terms of how is a sinner saved, it is absolutely clear. We are saved by grace alone, 
through faith alone, in Christ alone. The perpiscuity of Scripture 
does not mean that every jot and tittle of Scripture is readily 
understood by every jot and tittle of God's people. But the purposes 
of God in terms of salvation and His glory are clear. They 
are undeniably clear. So we ought to take solace in 
the fact that when we don't understand something in the Scripture, Peter 
himself said that in some of Paul's writings, there are some 
things that are hard to understand. Peter wasn't afraid to admit 
that. It's good to admit that once in a while. We could say 
there's some things in Peter's epistles that are hard to understand. 
But now notice, speaking in them of these things, eschatology, 
in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught 
and unstable people twist to their own destruction. Imagine 
that. If you twist a letter that I 
wrote, I doubt you'll go to hell. You twist a letter that Paul 
wrote, you'll go to hell. You twist it to your own destruction. I mean, that's a huge statement. 
I mean, the main point is following, as they do also the rest of the 
scriptures. I mean, that's the big tada in 
this verse. Peter says that what Paul has 
written is scripture. God breathed scripture on par 
with the holy prophets of old. The apostolic writers knew and 
were convinced that they were agents of our Lord Jesus Christ 
in order to convey those covenantal documents. Peter acknowledges 
that all of Paul's letters were written according to wisdom given 
him. Who gave him that wisdom? the 
Holy Spirit. All of Paul's letters are within 
the category of divinely inspired scripture. Their divine authority 
is seen in the result of distorting their message. Destruction. Again, 
I might send you an email. You may totally disagree with 
it. That might hurt my feelings. But I don't think for a moment 
you're going to go to hell as a result of that. But when you 
twist Paul's writings, when you twist Peter's writings, when 
you twist James' writings, when you twist Luke's writings, when 
you twist Isaiah or Jeremiah's writings, destruction is your 
portion and your lot. You see, this is the authority 
of God that we need to take into consideration. Paul insisted 
in the churches that his letters be read. Now remember when Jesus 
goes into the synagogue on the Sabbath day in Nazareth in Luke 
chapter 4. What does Jesus do? He reads 
from the prophet Isaiah. In the synagogue, which the early 
church modeled their services after, not the temple. Not the 
sacrificial temple, not the incense, and not the ritual, and not the 
pomp, and not the glory, and not the show. The temple system 
was done. They modeled their worship on 
the synagogue, which was reading, singing, preaching. What did 
they read? They read the Word of God. And 
this is precisely what Paul says in 1 Thessalonians 5.27. He insisted 
that his letter be read in the church. Paul insisted that his 
letters be exchanged in Colossians 4.16. Paul insisted that his 
letters be obeyed. Obey my instruction in these 
things. 1 Corinthians 14.37, 2 Thessalonians 
2.15, and 3.14. Paul insisted his words 
were taught by the Holy Spirit. So if we ask the question in 
2 Timothy 3.16, what does Paul mean there by all scripture? 
Certainly he means the Old Testament, certainly he means the New Testament 
as well. The apostles of Christ were conscious 
of the fact that they were used by God to pen the Holy Scripture. We're going to look at a few 
verses in just a moment. But if you've been paying attention, 
in our studies especially, in Matthew chapter 10, what does 
Jesus do in verses 1 to 4? An extra 10 bit for anyone who 
answers this. What does he do in verses 1 to 
4 in Matthew 10? He appoints the 12. These men 
were paradigmatic. They were foundational. They 
were what, in a sense, the church is built upon. Jesus Christ is 
the chief cornerstone. But the apostles were crucial. Again, they're representatives 
of the Lord. He appoints these men for a very 
specific task. Notice, again, just to look at 
a few of these verses so that we understand that the apostles 
themselves and even their representatives, Mark and Luke, realized that 
what they were writing was in fact from God. Mark 1.1, the 
beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. He doesn't give any defense. He doesn't give any apology. 
He doesn't spend time establishing his credibility. He just says, 
what I'm about to write is the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son 
of God. John 21, 24. John 21, 24. This is the disciple who testifies 
of these things and wrote these things. And we know that his 
testimony is true. 1 Thessalonians 2. 13. The apostle 
commends the Thessalonians. Why? Because they received the 
word that was preached by them. Not as if it was only the words 
of men, but as it was in truth the word of God. 1 Thessalonians. 2. 1 Corinthians chapter 7. Paul is dealing with what we 
would call a mixed marriage situation. He says that the Lord Jesus didn't 
speak to this particular situation. That means that in his earthly 
ministry, the Lord did not speak specifically concerning that 
contingency. So Paul speaks authoritatively 
to that contingency and gives instruction that must be obeyed. That would be great arrogance 
on the part of a man if he wasn't God's representative, right? It would be great arrogance on 
the part of a Moses to say, look, we're going to leave Egypt and 
we're going to wander through the wilderness and we're going 
to come to the land of Canaan unless he's God's man. It'd be 
arrogance on the part of Joshua to say, look, I'm going to take 
you now since Moses is dead. No, God conspicuously makes sure 
that the people understand that Joshua is the successor of Moses. You see, there is this paradigm, 
there is this pattern that God establishes. And in the New Covenant 
setting, It is the very same thing, and it is the apostles 
that bear this particular responsibility. Notice in 1 Corinthians 14, already 
referred to this, we'll read verses 37 and 38. Verse 37, if anyone thinks himself 
to be a prophet or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the 
things which I write to you are the commandments of the Lord, 
but if anyone is ignorant, let him be ignorant." Paul says, 
what I'm writing is the commandments of the Lord. The only way that 
a pastor, a minister, could do that today is if he cites scripture, 
is if he uses the quotation marks, and then he indicates chapter 
and verse. No pastor can say something that 
is not from the scripture and says, this is the commandment 
of the Lord. I hope that if someone ever says 
that, you'd say, no thank you, I'm not going to drink your Kool-Aid 
today. That is not godly. What we find in the apostolic 
ministry is an authority given, vested in them by the Lord Christ 
for the communication of Scripture. Ritterbos says it this way. For 
the communication and transmission of what was seen and heard in 
the fullness of time, Christ established a formal authority 
structure, just like God did with the prophets in the Old 
Testament. Again, this new covenant didn't 
happen in a vacuum. It didn't just fall out of heaven. 
They were operating consistently with what they had known from 
of old. He says that Christ established 
a formal authority structure to be the source and standard 
for all future preaching of the gospel. From the beginning of 
his public ministry, we see Jesus' intent on sharing his own power 
with others. Where do we see that? Just said 
it, Matthew 10. Remember the flow. Matthew 5 
to 7, Jesus speaks. Matthew 8 and 9, Jesus does. Matthew 10, Jesus invests that 
authority. He gives that power to his disciples 
and he sends them out to do and he sends them out to preach. 
He shares that authority for the communication and transmission 
of what was seen and heard. From the beginning of his public 
ministry, we see Jesus' intent on sharing his own power with 
others so that this authority would take visible, tangible 
shape for the foundation and extension of the church on earth. It is not an accident that the 
two abiding offices in the church are elder and deacon. 1 Timothy 
3, not apostle. The 12 were unique. The 12 were 
the 12, not the 13, not the 14, not the 144,000. But these 12 
Christ invested with this authority for, as Ritterbaugh says, the 
communication and transmission of what was seen and heard in 
the fullness of time. Jesus says in Matthew 10, verse 
40, to the apostles, again, we can make the application that 
if a minister of Christ is faithfully expounding the word of God, as 
the Helvetic Confession says, the true word of God is coming 
forth. That is certainly true. But in 
Matthew 10, 40, Jesus says, he who receives you, receives me. 
He who receives me, receives the one who sent me. You see, 
the father sends the son. The son appoints these 12 to 
duplicate, to extend his ministry, and to write these documents 
for the codification of God's new covenant word for the Church 
of Jesus Christ. John 14, verse 26, the Spirit 
teaches and brings to remembrance the words of Christ. Again, there 
is a doctrine of illumination. Faithful preachers will pray, 
God the Spirit, illuminate our minds as we study the Scripture. 
But in the upper room, Jesus is especially concerned to equip 
these men so that when Jesus dies, rises, and goes away from 
them, they will leave that upper room to extend the ministry of 
the kingdom, to make disciples, and to plant churches, and to 
write or inscripturate the word. That's why he says the Spirit 
teaches and brings to remembrance the words of Christ. It's because 
they were putting it in the print. 15, John 15, 26 and 27, the Spirit 
testifies concerning Christ and then the apostles will bear witness 
to Christ. You see the apostles preached, 
the apostles witnessed, and the apostles taught concerning the 
Lord of Glory. And then in John 16 verses 12 
and 13, the Spirit will guide the apostles into all truth. And then in Acts chapter 10, 
we read verse 43, but in chapter 10 verse 40 we read that him 
Christ God raised up on the third day and showed him openly not 
to all the people but to witnesses chosen before by God even to 
us who ate and drank with him after he arose from the dead 
and he commanded us to preach to the people and to testify 
that it is he who was ordained by God to be judge of the living 
and the dead." Again, Ritterbaugh says the apostles were not simply 
witnesses or preachers in a general ecclesiastical sense. And that's 
true, they were. That's true today when men speak 
the truth of God, be they pastors or missionaries or you're faithfully 
witnessing to, you know, Sophie the wash woman who's doing your 
cleaning. That is true in that general sense. But he says their 
word is the revelatory word. In other words, when Matthew 
writes, when Mark writes, when Luke writes, when John writes, 
when Paul writes, when Peter writes, when James writes, there's 
something more going on than Jim writing. I doubt James was 
known by Jim, so maybe there was one Jim anyway. But notice 
what he goes on to say. It is the unique once and for 
all witness to Christ to which the church and the world are 
accountable and by which they will be judged. More at stake 
in these documents than there are in other documents. And then 
again, Ritterbos, on this idea of apostolicity. Because sometimes 
people get hung up on the fact that Mark and Luke weren't apostles. People get hung up on the fact 
that Jude wasn't an apostle, that James, though a small a 
apostle, wasn't one of the 12. Ritterbaugh says, the apostolicity 
of a book is determined by whether its content embodies the foundational 
apostolic tradition, not whether it was written by the hand of 
the apostle. In other words, just suppose 
for a moment that you were a very important person, and you had 
your own letterhead, and you had correspondence going out 
daily on that letterhead. Probably after a while, you're 
not writing every piece of correspondence. Probably after a while, you have 
agents that are doing some of your bidding. But you are ultimately 
responsible. There is a tradition associated 
with that letterhead. You are saying and stipulating 
and stating that whatever flows from this office on that correspondence 
comes from my authority. And the association of these 
particular men with the apostles, they are covered in that apostolicity. The early church saw it this 
way as well. Justin Martyr, who lived from 
AD 100 to 165. We're not talking about 700. 
We're not talking about 800. We're talking not long after 
the death of John the Apostle. Not long at all. AD 100 is when 
he was born. He died in AD 165. He says, for 
the apostles, in the memoirs composed by them, which are called 
gospels, have thus delivered unto us what was enjoined upon 
them. He knew that Mark and Luke weren't 
technically apostles. in the strictest sense, but the 
early church accepted Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John as the gospel 
records, as the memoirs. Irenaeus lived from 130 to 202. He says, we have learned from 
none others the plan of our salvation than from those through whom 
the gospel has come down to us. which they did at one time proclaim 
in public, and at a later period, by the will of God, handed down 
to us in the scriptures to be the ground and pillar of our 
faith." Reading that book by Kruger, it's a book I highly 
recommend. It's called The Canon of Scripture 
by Michael J. Kruger. It is an enlightening 
and very helpful read on how the canon of scripture came to 
be. But the quotes that he gives from the early church and how 
very early on the church recognized the church did not designate, 
the church did not appoint, the church did not decide, but rather 
the church recognized those books which were apostolic in nature. It was from early on. You know, 
there's this idea that it wasn't until 400 that the church got 
around and made some decisions. It wasn't even in reaction to 
Marcion. It wasn't in reaction. It was 
the fact, again, I mentioned this man Coleman earlier, forced, 
the canonical books forced themselves on the church by their intrinsic 
apostolic authority. So when Paul says in 2 Timothy 
3.16, Old Scripture, he means the Old and the New Testament. It is important to have an understanding 
of the unique role of the apostles. This, of course, helps with reference 
of revelation itself. With the death of the 12, with 
the end of the apostolic ministry, we don't look for more revelation. The Book of Mormon is a fraud. 
It purports to be another testament of our Lord Jesus Christ. It's 
not. Muhammad is a fraud. Unless they were sanctioned, 
unless they were appointed by the Covenant Lord himself, they 
are fakes. It's a fraudulent. There is no 
claimant to the Word of God, except today, save the 27 books 
in our New Covenant canon. So that's its extent. Notice 
secondly, its character, what Paul says concerning scripture. 
Verse 16, all scripture is given by inspiration of God. Literally, it is God-breathed. And I know the NIV has that, 
so kudos to that translation. Probably the ESV does too, does 
it? Breathed out is good, yeah. given 
by inspiration of God can fall prey to some pretty bad interpretation. We get inspired by pretty sunsets. We get inspired by lovely people. And we take that idea of inspiration 
and assume that when the scripture, when theologians speak about 
the inspiration of scripture, Paul got this burst of energy 
and sat down and penned Romans. He was frolicking through some 
gardens and he thought about the Corinthians. He wrote 1 Corinthians 
in a fit of inspirationalism. That's not what inspired means. 
It is God breathed. It means that God used these 
human authors to pen divine words. It is literally God breathed. The text does not say the men 
themselves were inspired. When Paul went down to the local 
market to buy a steak, it wasn't under inspiration by God. When 
he sits to pen Romans, when he sits to pen 1st and 2nd Corinthians, 
it is inspiration by God. Raymond says, just as God's breath, 
his word, created all the hosts of heaven, just as his breath 
gave physical life to Adam and all mankind, just as his breath 
gave spiritual life to Israel, the valley of dry bones, so also 
his powerful, creative breath, in its word form, is living and 
active, imperishable and abiding, And through it, God's Spirit 
imparts new life to the soul. It's a great sort of explanation 
of that concept of Theanoustos, which is God-breed. That's what 
the Apostle says in terms of its character. Well, the fact 
that it's God-breed, the fact that it comes from the Lord, 
again, highlights the origin or source And then it does, should, 
provide some implications to us in terms of the doctrine of 
Scripture. I'm appealing to our confession 
because I think it nails it with reference to these various categories. 
Our confession of faith, chapter 1 of the Holy Scripture, speaks 
first of the necessity of Scripture. It is necessary that these apostles, 
these representatives of Christ, write these things down. Not just because that's what 
was done in the Old Covenant, that when the Covenant Lord spoke, 
there were documents that were written and inscribed and placed 
in the Ark of the Covenant as a testimony and as an instruction 
to the people, but because if the Scriptures are not written, 
what happens? We lose them. Our minds aren't 
that sharp, especially as we get older. You start forgetting 
things. There is a necessity to the scripture. The confession then highlights 
its identity, spells out the 39 books of the Old Testament, 
the 27 books of the New Testament. That is important. The Confession 
highlights the reality that the Apocrypha are not the Word of 
God. Those books that Roman Catholics 
include in their Old Testament are not scripture. And the Confession 
identifies those books. It highlights the authority. 
It is God speaking in Holy Scripture. It highlights its infallibility. Now, if you followed evangelicalism 
or any of the controversies that have affected the church, say, 
over the last 10, 20, 30 years, you'll know that inerrancy has 
been a battle point. People say the Bible is not inerrant. The Bible is an errant word. In other words, what is said 
concerning God and salvation, those things are inerrant. That's 
good, that religious instruction. But the Bible does not purport 
to be accurate in matters of science and history and all those 
particulars. And so inerrancy has come to 
the forefront. We don't hear much about it anymore. 
I don't even think we're discussing that anymore. We just don't care. period, about the Scripture and 
its authority. I think that's the bigger problem, 
not us particularly or specifically, but in general. I think Horton 
is right. The Church has taken the Scriptures 
and used them as a slogan or as mottos or as inspirational 
sayings to sort of fire up the people of God, rather than the 
voice of God Himself. Anyways, the Confession speaks 
of the infallibility of Scripture. It doesn't speak of inerrancy. 
And people say, well, the confession doesn't identify the scriptures 
being inerrant. So why do you proponents of the 
confession insist on inerrancy? Because an infallible Bible is 
an inerrant Bible. Infallibility is a larger concept. Infallibility means that the 
scriptures cannot lie. So it stands to reason that if 
they cannot lie, they certainly do not lie. You see? We have 
an infallible Bible, and it's not just because the Confession 
says so. The Bible says it's infallible. If it is infallible, 
it is most certainly inerrant. So if it cannot lie, it means 
it does not lie. The Confession highlights that. 
The Confession as well highlights its sufficiency, its clarity, 
its availability, and its finality. Those are implications, I think, 
justly drawn from this statement in 2 Timothy 3, 16. All Scripture 
is God-breathed. If it is God-breathed, then we 
are legit to draw out these implications that our confession sets forth 
in constructing this doctrine of Scripture. Chapter 1, paragraph 
10, I think nails it well when it says, the supreme judge by 
which all controversies of religion are to be determined, and all 
decrees of councils, opinions of ancient writers, doctrines 
of men, and private spirits are to be examined, and in whose 
sentence we are to rest can be no other, but the Holy Scripture 
delivered by the Spirit into which Scripture so delivered, 
our faith is finally resolved." It's a beautiful, wonderful statement 
concerning the doctrine of Scripture. In summary, when we construct 
a doctrine of Scripture, we look at its inspiration, we look at 
its infallibility and inerrancy, and we look at its usefulness 
or utility. And we'll close there on 2 Timothy 
3.16. Notice, Paul says, and is profitable. You see, it's not only true that 
Old and New Testaments are God-bred. We don't just go to the museum 
and look at it and say, wow, isn't that amazing? God breathed 
that out. Now let's go to Taco Bell and 
eat and drink and be merry for tomorrow we die. No, because 
God breathed that word, it has profit for us as his creatures. The Catechism says, what do the 
Scriptures principally teach? The Scriptures principally teach 
what man is to believe concerning God and what duty God requires 
from man. You see, that's what Paul does. 
He doesn't just throw this doctrine of Scripture out there and say, 
well, isn't that wonderful? We have a speaking God who's 
revealed Himself to us through men like Paul, Peter, James, 
and John. No! He says, as a result, or as an 
implication, or as a consequence of the fact that we have a God-breathed 
Word, we need to understand it's profitable for doctrine. Profitable 
for teaching. Profitable for instruction. This 
was to be the focus of Timothy's ministry. You can read 1st and 
2nd Timothy and become completely enamored with the reality of 
what Timothy is not doing. Timothy is not golfing. Timothy 
is not speaking at the prayer breakfast. Timothy is not shucking 
and jiving with all the leaders in Ephesus. Timothy isn't just 
loving on his city. Timothy is sitting somewhere 
with his books, studying. Timothy is sitting somewhere 
with his books, praying. Timothy is preparing his heart 
so that when he stands before the people of God, he can accurately 
and effectively feed them the Word of God. That's what Timothy 
was supposed to be doing, and I trust Timothy was doing. It's 
profitable for doctrine. Don't just say, oh, I love the 
Bible. You better learn its doctrines. You better understand its truth, 
its content. If the scriptures principally 
teach what man is to believe concerning God, do you know Him 
in His attributes? Do you know Him in His wisdom, 
His power, His holiness, His goodness, His justice, His truth? Timothy was to give himself to 
the study and to the propagation of sound doctrine. John Murray 
makes this comment concerning doctrine. I think it's beautiful. 
He says, doctrine concerns the whole range of thought respecting 
God, the world, man, man's paramount interests, his destiny. If doctrine 
is to us cold, dead, and lifeless. You ever heard anybody say that? 
No, no, no. Doctrine is just cold, it's dead, it's lifeless. 
All you get in your church is doctrine. Shouldn't we just go 
love Jesus? Well, without doctrine, what 
Jesus are we loving? If doctrine is to us cold, dead, 
and lifeless, then there are only two alternatives. This is 
Murray. Either our doctrine is not of 
Scripture, because it's impossible that the truth concerning God 
Christ's salvation should be cold, dead, and lifeless. That's 
an impossibility. Either our doctrine is not of 
Scripture or we ourselves are cold and lifeless. We do nothing 
properly without thought and we think nothing aright except 
as we think the truth of Him who is the King eternal, immortal, 
invisible, the only God. Lack of biblical doctrine is 
lack of interest in God and his will for us. And this is godlessness, 
is what Murray says. I say amen a hundredfold. The 
church needs doctrine. Paul says it's profitable for 
doctrine. It's also profitable for reproof. This is rebuke for wrong behavior 
or wrong belief. We need that. You need to read 
your Bible. You're going to go astray. When 
you sing 400, do you resonate with what the hymn writer says? 
Prone to wander, prone to leave the God I love. How many of you 
sing that and say, wow, I don't know what he's talking about? 
Sure, if you're like me, you'll say, he's got that one down. 
We need the scripture to reprove us. Faithful are the wounds of 
a friend. How much more faithful are the 
wounds of God's book in our lives? This was also to be a primary 
emphasis in the life of the minister. Titus chapter 1 verse 9, with 
that faithful word, he holds it fast as he has been taught 
that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and convict 
those who contradict. So it's profitable for doctrine, 
for reproof, for correction. After we've been reproved, we 
need to be corrected. God not only chastens us, not 
only causes us to see, we're reading our Bible, perhaps we're 
going through the Ten Commandments, perhaps we get to the Fifth Commandment 
and we reckon and we realize, you know, I have not been subordinate 
to lawful authority in my life. There's a stretch of road that 
I think ought to be a hundred, not fifty. And so I've been taking 
matters into my own hand and driving 100. God, forgive me 
that I've been insubordinate to lawful authority. It's not 
a sin for them to tell me to go 50. It's a sin for me to disobey. God, forgive me. So I not only 
need to be reproved, I need to be corrected. Help me, Lord, 
to drive 50 on that stretch, or to avoid it altogether. I'm 
just kidding. See, not only reproof, but we 
need to be corrected, setting right with reference to conduct. The Bible not only exposes wrong 
faith and practice, but it prescribes the right way for us. And then he says, finally, in 
terms of its utility, for instruction in righteousness. The Bible is 
the book for instructing God's children in the way they should 
go. Jesus prayed in John 17, 17, 
sanctify them by your truth, your word is truth. The psalmist 
prays, your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. So the utility of God's Word 
is seen in the remainder of verse 16, with the goal, with the purpose 
of verse 17, that the man of God may be complete, that he 
may not be lacking, that he may not be half a man, but that he 
may be thoroughly instructed in all of God's Word for all 
of life in God's world, so that he may then be thoroughly equipped 
for every good work. So the idea of a God-breathed 
word is not just a speculative or a theoretical oddity that 
we have different from all the world's religions. It is a blessed 
reality that God spoke through the prophets, through the apostles, 
so that we might have this instruction for doctrine, reproof, correction, 
and for instruction in righteousness that we may be complete and thoroughly 
furnished unto every good work. Well, that was a bit of a thumbnail 
sketch of the doctrine of Scripture. And if we have a proper understanding 
of the Word of God, I think it stands to reason we will give 
ourselves to the study of the Word of God in our private lives. We will read the Scripture. Pastor 
Cavan mentioned something. Very good. We need to memorize 
Scripture. You know, the days of walking 
around with three by five, you don't even do that anymore. I 
think there's an app for scripture memory. Everybody, you see these 
people walking, you know, on a crowded street, texting. Well, 
go ahead and read your scripture while you're walking on a crowded 
street. No, don't do that. That wouldn't be too wise. But 
memorizing scripture. What does the psalmist say in 
Psalm 119? Your word I have hidden in my 
heart. What does he mean? So I can get 
points, so I can get jewels for my vest, so I can be better than 
my sister. Thy word I have hidden in my 
heart, that I might not sin against you. You see that idea? I hide 
the word of God in my heart with a practical purpose, that I might 
not sin against you. If you're going to lust, think 
about that seventh word. If you're going to steal, think 
about that eighth word. If you're going to bow down to 
Baal, think about that first word. You're to hide it in your 
heart that you might not sin against the Lord God Almighty. 
So we are to give ourselves to the study of Scripture privately. 
Family worship. Abraham was extolled for leading 
his family in the things of God. Joshua makes that famous declaration, 
as for me and my house we will serve the Lord. Godly men lead 
their families in the study of this particular book, and as 
well church or corporate life. If in fact the word of God preached 
is God speaking to us, then we will take pains to attend upon 
that word proclaimed. Those are some practical applications 
for our benefit. Well, let us pray. Our Father, 
we thank You for Your Word. We thank You for what it testifies 
concerning itself, and we thank You that You have given it to 
us, God, both the Old and the New Testaments. And I pray that 
You would help each one of us to have a love for Scripture, 
help each one of us to take it seriously, to hear in Scripture 
the voice of our God commanding and blessing and encouraging 
and inviting and promising, all those things we find in Holy 
Scripture. Help us to have ears to hear and hearts to receive 
Your truth. And I pray that You would just 
go with us. I pray that You would mark this church by a conspicuous 
emphasis upon the truth of Your holy Gospel. And we pray through 
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.