2 Timothy chapter 3, a passage that I think is good to look at occasionally to remind us as to why we do what we do on Wednesday nights. We're here to study the Bible, and of course 2 Timothy 3, specifically 16 and 17, commend to us the utility, the profitability, the usefulness of Holy Scripture. So I want to read chapter 3, and then we'll look at this section, specifically verses 16 and 17, in the context. So beginning in 2 Timothy 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 disapprove 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." I'll just read the four, five. I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at his appearing in his kingdom, preach the word, be ready in season and out of season, convince, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and teaching.

For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine. But according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers, and they will turn their ears away from the truth and be turned aside to fables. But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. Amen."

Introduction: Context of 2 Timothy 3

Well, basically the apostle here gives a contrast between the wicked and righteous Timothy. If you notice specifically in chapter 3 verses 1 to 9, he gives sort of a revelation, an explanation concerning wickedness in the last times. Notice that in chapter 3 verse 1. But notice that in the last days perilous times will come.

This does not refer to something in our future, it does not refer to something that is on the horizon for us. The last days is the time frame between the first and the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. It's biblical shorthand, it's a theological identifier for that period, between the first and the second advent. We know this because what Paul describes was the case in the first century, because notice how he tells Timothy specifically in verse 5 at the end, "...and from such people turn away." If this was something in our future, if this was something way in the distant future for Timothy, there'd be no admonition or exhortation from him to turn away from such men.

No, the idea is that the last days refers to that last big time frame before the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. When he gives this description in 2 Timothy 3, 1-9, he's describing things that take place within the context of the church. It reads a lot like Romans 1. It's what's called a vice list.

It describes the wickedness of man. In Romans 1, Paul describes the Gentile, the heathen, the one outside of the covenant people of God. Well, here in chapter 3 of 2 Timothy, he's describing what's going to happen within the context of the church. So there are external threats that affect the people of God, but there are internal threats that affect the people of God as well.

And when you look at this particular list, it's a pretty detailed description of bad things in the context of the church. How do we know it's bad things in the context of the church? You notice specifically in verse 5. having a form of godliness, but denying its power." So everything that he describes there are predicates of these wicked men. He then goes on to say they have a form of godliness.

In other words, they're righteous-appearing men. They make a profession of faith, but inwardly, they're wicked, they're vile, they're wretched. He then gives the contrast, notice first in verse 10, but you, you're not like these men, Timothy. You have carefully followed my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, long-suffering love, perseverance.

And then he highlights some of the things that he had gone to, and then he underscores that principle in verse 12. Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. Once more, he looks back at the wicked men, verse 13, but evil men and imposters will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. And now another contrast with Timothy, but you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned that.

This sets the stage for his explanation of the value of God's holy word. And the value of God's holy word is not only to inform Timothy concerning his personal conduct as a righteous man, but it also informs Timothy about every good work. Notice in verse 17, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. So the scriptures fit Timothy for godliness before the Lord so that he doesn't look like the sorts of men that have been described in chapter three verses one to nine.

But this word also furnishes Timothy for the public work that he has as a man of God, vis-a-vis specifically what Paul says then in chapter four, specifically at verse two. Preach the word, be ready in season and out of season, convince, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and teaching. In other words, Timothy, the scriptures are able to make you wise for salvation, to inform your regenerated heart on how to live in a manner that is consistent with God's holy word, but they also fit and equip you for that vital aspect and primary role of pastoral ministry, which is to preach the word. Brethren, it was never intended by God for pastors to be CEOs.

It was never intended by God for pastors to be cheerleaders or to be the pep squad or to be Fortune 500 sort of operators in the context of the church. They're to be men of God who know the Word of God so that they can conduct themselves according to that Word and so that they can preach that Word for the equipping of God's people. So he emphasizes specifically in verses 16 and 17 the surpassing value of the Word of God. Our confession of faith in chapter 1, paragraph 1, tells us that the Holy Scripture is the only sufficient, certain, and infallible rule of all saving knowledge, faith, and obedience.

The divines did not make that up. The divines understood that that's Paul's commendation in a passage like 2 Timothy 3, verses 16 and 17.

Identity of Scripture

So as we look at this brief section, we'll notice first the identity of Scripture, secondly the authority of Scripture, and then thirdly the utility or profitability of Scripture. But notice first the identity.

Old Testament as Primary Referent

He says in verse 16, all scripture, or every scripture. Now in the context, it refers specifically to the Old Testament. At the time that Paul penned 2 Timothy, we didn't have the completed New Testament canon. Now, probably 2 Timothy is Paul's last letter.

It's the last letter that the Apostle Paul himself wrote. He makes mention of this specifically in 4.6, for I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand. So the book of Acts ends at AD 60-62 with Paul's first Roman imprisonment. Paul is then released and he engages in subsequent ministry in around 63 and 64.

I think he wrote Hebrews at that time. I think he wrote 2 Timothy at that time. I think that that's when he penned these letters that mark the end of his ministry. He knows, he understands that he's about to die.

So his last statement concerning the Scripture is that all Scripture is given by inspiration of God. Certainly he is penning Scripture, but at this point, in about AD 64, the New Testament canon was not closed, and they did not have beautifully printed Cambridge Bibles with generous wide margins for note-taking. They didn't have that. So the primary referent in this all Scripture is the Old Testament.

We know that specifically in the context from 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. How did he know that? Well, if you look back in 2 Timothy chapter 1, specifically at verse 5, when I call to remembrance the genuine faith that is in you, which dwelt in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am persuaded is in you also.

So his mother and his grandmother, godly women, taught Timothy. What did they teach him? They taught him the scriptures. They taught him the Old Testament.

Now notice what Paul says, the Old Testament is profitable for, or is useful for, according to verse 15. He says, in that from childhood you've known the Holy Scriptures which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. Justification by God's grace alone through faith in Jesus Christ alone is not a brand new concept in the New Testament. It's everywhere in the Old Testament.

It starts with Genesis 15. Abraham believed God and it was accounted unto him as righteousness. The Apostle Paul, when he's showing the beauty of justification by faith alone, goes back to Abraham and he goes back to David to show that this has always been the way that God has justified his people. James, when he's highlighting the reality of a saving faith that is manifested or at least seen by the evidence of works, points to the patriarch Abraham and to the prostitute Rahab.

And he says that they were justified by God's grace through faith, and as a result, there were good works that followed. So the Old Testament Scriptures, if you found yourself on a desert island and you only had an Old Testament, it's all about Jesus. It's able to make one wise unto salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. Christ is all over the Old Testament.

He is, to use a Puritan reference, He is the scope of the whole. He is the scope of Scripture. All Scripture leads us to our Lord Jesus Christ. So the Old Testament, obviously.

We see the Old Testament confirmed and affirmed by Jesus and by the Apostles in the New Testament. Jesus in Matthew chapter 5, verses 17 to 20. Do not think that I came to abolish the law. of the Law and the Prophets. I didn't come to abolish, I didn't come to abrogate, I didn't come to do away with them, but rather to fulfill them.

Law and Prophets there is theological shorthand for the Old Testament. Luke chapter 24, Jesus spoke from the Scriptures all things concerning Him. John 5, 39, he upbraids the Jews. You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life.

And these are they which testify of me. So the Old Testament is confirmed all throughout the New Testament. Every time there is a fulfillment formula in Matthew's Gospel when he says, it is written. Every time that one of the Apostles appeals to the Old Testament to make their theological case, it underscores the reality that Jesus and the Apostles recognize the divine origin and the authority of the Old Testament Scriptures.

And again, most people don't debate that.

Apostolic Authority and New Testament Canon

More debate comes with reference to the New Testament. People wonder, did the Apostles know that they were writing Scripture? Did the Apostles know that they were in the hand of God specifically in a capacity sort of equivalent to Moses and the prophets in terms of the inscripturated word. I would suggest that absolutely, positively, they knew that.

With reference, first of all, to their role in the church. A couple of weeks ago we considered Matthew 16. We saw that Peter is not the Pope. But Peter and the other apostles play a foundational role in the church.

What is one of the aspects of that foundational role? They were vehicles by which God revealed himself to the people of God in the first century and subsequent centuries. In other words, they were the penman. They were the equivalent of the prophets and of Moses in terms of the inscripturated word.

Herman Ritterbaugh says, for the communication and transmission of what was seen and heard in the fullness of time, 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 so that this authority would take visible, tangible shape for the foundation and extension of the church on earth. In other words, Christ knew what He was doing in Matthew 10 when He selects these 12 men and invests them with authority. Again, it's not absolute authority, it's not universal authority, it's not sovereign authority the way that Jesus has, but it's authority such that they go and they minister in His name.

He's able to say to them, when they receive you, they receive me, the one who sent you. If they reject you, then they reject me, the one who sent you. So there's this obvious authority structure, formal structure, in the church, or in the early church, that we see. And then in terms of the apostles' consciousness concerning scripture, we see that as well.

The apostles knew that they weren't just writing things like grocery lists or, you know, encouragement to a particular people group. Paul the Apostle understood what he was doing. Peter understood what he was doing. Peter understood what Paul was doing, and we see that built into the text of the New Testament.

Paul insisted, for the sake of time, I've got to beat Naphtali home tonight, or he's going to stand on our porch. I forgot to give him the key. Pretty sure we're going to make it home beforehand, but you can jot these texts down just to look at this in your own time. Paul insisted that his letters be read in the churches. 1 Thessalonians 5.27.

Now brethren, why would he do that? Because that was the practice in the Jewish synagogue. You'd read the prophets, you would read Moses. Remember Jesus goes into the synagogue in Nazareth, according to Luke's gospel, Luke chapter 4, the synagogue official hands the book to Jesus, the scroll of the prophet Isaiah, Isaiah 61, Jesus reads it and he says, today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.

This was the common practice, to read the divine scriptures in synagogue worship. So when we get to the church of the Lord Jesus Christ, we have again the equivalent of Moses and the prophets in terms of the apostles who say or demand that their letters be read in the churches. Paul insisted that his letters be exchanged among the churches, according to Colossians 4.16. Again, that would be an arrogant statement if he thought it was just his own penmanship, if it was his own work.

Paul insisted, thirdly, that his letters be obeyed, 1 Corinthians 14, verse 37, 2 Thessalonians 2, 15, and 2 Thessalonians 3, 14. In fact, in the 2 Thessalonians correspondence, he says, note those who don't obey our words in this epistle and discipline them. Again, these scriptures, these writings that Paul gave to them brought with them divine authority, and as a result, if you denied or defected from that, it was a defection from God Most High, and you were subject to the discipline of the Church. And then Paul insisted that his words were taught by the Spirit in 1 Corinthians 2, verses 12 and 13.

Again, he's not just thinking that he's the greatest guy ever. He understood that the way God operated in the Old Covenant, covenant documents always were associated with covenant ratification. You've got the covenant documents in the Old Covenant placed in the Ark of the Covenant. You've got the covenant documents in the New Testament, which is the New Testament itself.

It accompanies the revelation of God, and we see it inscripturated for the benefit of the church subsequent to that first century. And then notice as well, with reference to a few explicit assertions, look at 1 Timothy chapter 5. 1 Timothy chapter 5. The argument is that Paul is telling the church in Ephesus that you need to pay your pastors. That doesn't mean they need private jets, they need gold chains hanging down from their necks, they need gold teeth like the rappers and all that.

He's not saying that. They're not supposed to live high on the hog, but they're not supposed to dwell in huts and swing from vines either when everybody else is driving nice cars. So that's the emphasis in 5.17. Let the elders who rule well be counted worthy of double honor.

And the honor in the context is money. It's financial recompense. It's financial remuneration. We know that because of verse 3.

Notice in 5.3, honor widows who are really widows. That doesn't mean, hello, right Reverend Miss Widow. We're going to just give you the honor and the accolades that you deserve. There's the parking.

No, it means give them money. Let them not die. Let them not starve to death. The first order of business is that their family takes care of them.

If there's no family to take care of them, they qualify to be on the widow's list, then the church is to honor them. The church is to pay for them so that they don't die. They don't starve to death. So the honor in 5.3 and the honor in 5.17 has to do with financial remuneration.

So let the elders who rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in the word and doctrine. And then notice, for the Scripture says, and where does he go? He goes to the Old Testament, Deuteronomy 25, 4, you shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain. And he goes to the New Testament, Luke's Gospel, Luke 10, specifically at verse 7, the laborer is worthy of his wages.

Turn over to 2 Peter chapter 1. Again, we agree that the Old Testament is confirmed all throughout the Old Testament. We see it confirmed all throughout the New Testament. But I'm arguing that the New Testament confirms the New Testament as well.

It's not just this random collection of writings that these guys, you know, put it down, buried it, and then, you know, a few hundred years later people found it and said, let's start a religion based on this. And intriguingly, the transmission of Holy Scripture is another very curious and interesting study. And we'll see that it wasn't the case, or you'll see that it wasn't the case, that in 1611, the King James Bible fell out of heaven, and there it was. The early documents, the Greek texts, were circulated, as I've already mentioned, throughout the churches.

They were copied by scribes, they were disseminated, and they were not determined by the church to be the Word of God. They were rather recognized by the church to be the Word of God. And it wasn't this altogether supernatural process. It was, or it obtained in a way that you might imagine.

We see the Word going forth, we see the Word being preached, we see God blessing it, we see the people of God coming to hear it and receive it, and we see it gradually impress upon the Church the divine origin of Holy Scripture. So notice in 2 Peter 119, and so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts, knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation. For prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. And then notice 2 Peter 2.

But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction. And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed. By covetous words they will exploit you with deceptive words. For a long time their judgment has not been idle, and their destruction does not slumber.

So after this statement concerning the God-breathed power of truth, he then highlights the danger of the false prophets among people back then, and false teachers among you now. And then notice in 2 Peter 3, 1. Beloved, I now write to you this epistle, in both of which I stir up your pure minds by way of reminder that you may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets." I think that's a reference to the Old Testament prophets. There were New Testament prophets, but the language that he utilizes here and the comparison that he makes, I think he's suggesting or he's referencing the Old Testament holy prophets.

And then notice their equivalent. and of the commandment of us, the apostles of the Lord and Savior. So the way that Isaiah and Jeremiah and Ezekiel and Nahum and Habakkuk function in the old covenant people of God, so do the apostles function in the new covenant people of God. And then, of course, we have a most explicit reference in verse 16. But look at 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, as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you. Now before we look at what he says concerning Scripture in verse 16, this is one of the reasons why I think Paul wrote Hebrews. Who's Peter writing to? He's writing to dispersion Jews.

He's writing to Jewish believers. Hebrews is written to who? To Jewish believers. And I think that that's what he's referring to here.

According to the wisdom given to him, has written to you. He wrote to the Jewish believers in the book of Hebrews. Did he use what's called an amanuensis, a penman, a sidekick? Perhaps.

His Greek and Hebrews is different than it occurs elsewhere, but Paul is certainly involved in the book of Hebrews. It is Paul's letter to the Hebrews. That's just a little sideline note. Not all people agree with that.

If you don't, that's okay. I just had to get that off my chest. But notice what he says in verse 16. As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures.

So all of Paul's letters were written according to the wisdom given to him. All of Paul's letters are within the category of divinely inspired scripture. All of Paul's letters carry eternal consequence. In other words, if you distort Paul's letters, If you distort Paul's letters in the manner that some distorted Isaiah's prophecy, then the wrath and judgment and fury of God is upon you.

This is the emphasis that Peter gives here. So there are other things to consider to be sure. There's much more to be said at this point in terms of canon, in terms, again, of the church recognizing which books were canonical, which were included in the canon of Scripture, but we don't have time for all of that.

Authority of Scripture

So, now we move to the authority of Scripture. So, the identity, verse 16, all Scripture, and then we see the authority based on that next phrase, is given by inspiration of God. It's given by inspiration of God.

Organic Inspiration and God-Breathedness

Now, the word he uses literally means God-breathed. God breathed. God breathed out this Word, and He does so in a way that doesn't invalidate Paul as a man, doesn't change John as a man, doesn't change James as a man. When you read John, or when you read James, or when you read Paul, or when you read Peter, they have different writing styles.

Romans 6 is a dense piece of theological argument. Romans 6, 7, and 8, Romans 1 to 16, is dense theology. It's not like 1 John, for instance. 1 John is just statement after statement, declarative statement after declarative statement, pretty simple, pretty straightforward, pretty easy to get one's mind wrapped around. So God doesn't use them to the exclusion of them.

But he uses them in such a way that the very words that they write are the words that God intended. So a wonderful doctrine of organic inspiration of Holy Scripture. So notice, the word used literally means God-breathed. So when it says all Scripture is given by inspiration of God, it's God-breathed.

The translations that have that are better here than what the New King James has. Some people understand inspiration this way. You know, I climbed Mount Sham and the sunset was so beautiful. I was just drawn out and I composed a poem.

That's not what it means here. It means God breathed. and it means God-breathed when they wrote scripture. If Paul wrote a grocery list and gave it to his friend to go get some supplies, that wasn't inspired, that wasn't God-breathed. It applies to the scripture, it applies to Romans, it applies to 1st and 2nd Corinthians, it applies to Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, it applies to scripture.

So the God-breathedness argues for its authority. The obvious implication is this. Since the scriptures come from God, since the scriptures are breathed by God, they carry with them the divine authority of God. It's a very simple argument.

All scripture is given by inspiration of God. Again, underscoring the origin, Paul didn't just come up with Romans, Peter didn't just come up with 1 Peter, John didn't just come up with the book of Revelation when he was on the island of Patmos for the word of God and the testimony of Jesus, rather God used these men to pen his words. So the origin is divine in nature and therefore it carries with it authority. So the word of God is authoritative.

We don't have the right to say, you know, I don't like that. Or, you know, I don't, I don't want that. You know, there was a famous comedian when I was growing up and he, he had this bit and he said, well, I believe in seven of the 10 commandments. And, you know, everybody laughs and all that sort of thing.

That sort of stuff is in the church. Well, you know, I don't really like this. I mean, we see it increasingly in a woke age. Churches that adopt woke-ism are basically rejecting and neglecting and defecting from the Word of God.

God speaks clearly concerning sexual ethics. We don't have the right in churches to wave the rainbow flag. That is defection and apostasy from the living and true God. We don't have the right to say to the Bible, well, you know, that just doesn't work for us.

That's just not the way we roll. No, if it is divine in its origin, then it carries with it the very authority of God Most High. We may not like it, but that doesn't mean it's wrong, it doesn't mean it's incorrect, and it doesn't mean we can argue it away. It means we need to repent.

It means we need to forsake our sin. It means we need to align ourselves under that word instead of being the arbiter over that word. Well, you know, that doesn't really fit with who I am as an individual. Guess what?

God doesn't care who you are as an individual in that regard. He obviously does, because He's loving and kind and all of that sort of thing. But when it comes to the arbiter of His Word, God alone is the Lord. God alone brings the authority to bear on His people. 2nd London Confession, chapter 1, paragraph 4, tells us the authority of Scripture for which it ought to be believed dependeth not upon the testimony of any man or church, but wholly upon God, who is truth itself, the author thereof.

Therefore it is to be received, because it is the word of God." Now there are those that will say, well that's to argue in a circle. Everybody argues in a circle. We just happen to have God and His Word in our circle. That's the commitment of the people of God when they are converted.

They come to Scripture, they see it as God's Word, it originated from Him, and therefore it carries divine authority. It is the marching orders for the people of God. Paul doesn't give this up, you know, Timothy, if you so choose, pick those pieces that work for you. No, all scripture is given by inspiration of God.

All scripture is breathed out by God.

Inspired, Infallible, and Inerrant

So I think that at this point, just a practical sort of an encouragement or a practical sort of application to help you, a little mnemonic, so to help you, it's not a mnemonic technically, an alliteration. How do we remember what the Bible's all about? Well, I think three I's help us. Inspired, infallible, and inerrant.

Inspired, infallible, and inerrant. Now, our confession uses the language of infallible. The scriptures are, I already read it at the outset, the Holy Scripture is the only sufficient, certain, and infallible rule of all saving knowledge, faith, and obedience. Well, there's been debate, at least it broke out in the 20th century, about the inerrancy of scripture.

And some have said, well, the 17th century Reformed confessions don't contain the word inerrancy. Well, if something is infallible, it is necessarily inerrant. Infallibility means it cannot lie. Inerrancy means it does not lie, right?

If it's infallible, then it necessarily follows that it's inerrant. So though the word inerrant is not in the 17th century confession, the very concept of inerrancy is right there in the doctrine of infallibility. So if it cannot lie, then it certainly does not lie. So just know that.

It's inspired, it's infallible, that would be enough, but based on the debates that have broken out in the church, go ahead and add inerrant. So inspired, infallible, and inerrant.

Utility and Profitability of Scripture

We've got the identity of Scripture, the authority of Scripture, and then Paul ends this bit on the utility of Scripture, or the profitability of Scripture. Notice what he goes on to say, and it is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness. First, there's a general profitability, we see that there, and then a specific profitability in verse 17, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. So whatever is true of verse 16 is true for every single Christian.

Every single Christian. But in this context, when Paul is exhorting Timothy to definitely be contrasted with these wicked men in 2 Timothy 3, 1-9, and then as he emphasizes to Timothy his lasting or abiding role in the church as a model for all subsequent ages of the church, He is specifically addressing Timothy as a man of God, a pastor in the church, an elder in the church who's tasked with preaching and the ministry of the word. So there's this general profitability, verse 16, then the specific profitability in verse 17. And again, I think that sets the stage for that final command in verse two of chapter four, preach the word.

Paul gives commands in the rest of chapter four, but they're personal in nature. Bring the cloak that I left at Carpus. Bring the books, especially the parchments. The last corporate command the Apostle Paul gives to the church is to Timothy to preach the word.

Not to entertain the masses, not to have coffee with everybody, not to be woke, not to be friendly to, you know, wickedness and lawlessness and all that. No, no. The task of the Christian ministry is to preach the word. Somewhere along the line, we missed that.

Somewhere along the line, we neglected that. Somewhere along the line, entertainment, felt needs, pandering to people, that all became center stage. But that's never been God's intention. He's always mandated that the pulpit be about the proclamation of the truth.

We may not get to that, but let's look at the general profitability.

Profitable for Doctrine

Notice first, it is profitable for doctrine. It is profitable for doctrine. All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine. We don't like doctrine in the church.

We prefer teaching. Guess what, genius? Teaching is doctrine. Doctrine is teaching.

They're synonymous words. Well, doctrine divides. Doctrine separates. That's interesting because in 1 Corinthians chapter 13, the Apostle Paul tells us that love rejoices in what?

It rejoices in truth. It doesn't rejoice in lies. It doesn't rejoice in deception. It doesn't rejoice in subterfuge.

It rejoices in truth. Doctrine doesn't divide. Well, bad doctrine does. True doctrine brings the people of God together.

There's unification. There's solidarity. It's profitable for doctrine. And interestingly, this was the focus of Timothy's ministry.

Go back to 1 Timothy 4. 1 Timothy chapter 4, specifically at verse 6. If you instruct the brethren in these things, you'll be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished in the words of faith and of the good doctrine which you have carefully followed. You need to notice a pattern in the New Testament epistles. And the pattern is helpfully seen when you get the dates down.

When I call out, hey, this letter was written then, or this book was written then, I don't do that because, hey, I'm a Bible student, I know with a date. It's very important that you understand the dates. When you get that Corinthians was written in the mid-fifties, when the New Testament canon was further from being completed, and you see prophesying and tongue-speaking in the life of the church, you'll understand that prophesying and tongue-speaking in the life of the church was revelatory in nature. So in other words, in the absence of having printed New Testaments, the Word of God came through prophets and tongue-speakers.

When you get to the pastoral epistles, which are written later, Guess what you don't see at all in 1st and 2nd Timothy and in Titus? You see no reference to tongue speaking. You see no reference to prophesying as a revelatory gift where God is communicating his mind to the brand new church, the brand new people of God. What's the emphasis in 1st and 2nd Timothy and Titus?

Sound doctrine. What do you think the emphasis should be in the church today in the 21st century? Tongues and prophesying? No, it should be on sound doctrine.

There's no more apostles. There's no more New Testament prophets. There's certainly no more Old Testament prophets. What remains in terms of the life of the church?

You've got deacons who function in terms of the service of the table of the Lord, the table of the poor, the table of the minister. And then you've got the elders. What is a primary qualification for the eldership? They must be apt to teach.

So there's aptness to teach, not apt to speak in tongues, not apt to receive revelation and prophesy it out to the joint church. The emphasis in the later epistles in the New Testament is on preaching. It's on teaching. It's on sound doctrine.

It's on the communication of the mind and will of God to the people of God. And that's how you're supposed to shepherd. You hear that word pastor, it simply means to shepherd. How does the pastor slash shepherd pastor and shepherd?

Does he do it with the crook? Does he do it, you know, hitting people? Does he do it by Lord? He does it by teaching the Word of God.

It's not rocket science, brethren. It's a very simple process. The shepherds are supposed to just feed the sheep. I know that seems revolutionary, but that's their task.

That's their function. They're to feed the sheep. And what's the sort of idea? That the sheep who receive the food are then equipped to do what sheep are supposed to do.

Function in a capacity that pleases God. So doctrine is emphasized here, 1 Timothy 4, 6. Notice 4, 13. Till I come, give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine.

There's that word again, doctrine. What's he saying there? This isn't Timothy's private devotional life. This is Timothy's corporate pastoral life.

Notice, till I come, give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. Again, that's not Timothy in your prayer closet on a Monday morning, give yourself to these things. No, Timothy, when you're in that pulpit, that's what's supposed to be what you're about. You're supposed to be about reading the scripture because they don't have the completed New Testament.

You're supposed to exhort from the scripture so that people don't continue on in their lawless ways, and you're supposed to teach them what the Bible says. Notice in 1 Timothy 6.3, if anyone teaches otherwise and does not consent to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which accords with godliness. Make no mistake, there's a doctrine which accords with ungodliness. When you deny the Trinity, when you deny who Jesus is, when you deny justification by faith alone, you don't then engage in godliness.

It's the truth that sets us free. It's the truth that brings us into submission to the Lord Jesus, and it's the truth which accords with godliness. 2 Timothy 2.1, You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus, and the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. What does Paul say? Paul says, Pastor Timothy, pass the baton on to young faithful men who will then be able to teach others in the context of the local church.

Again, it's not magic, it's not papal succession, it's not, you know, some mysterious thing. It's the preaching ministry, preaching to everybody, but seeking to identify men that are fit and qualified and called according to 1 Timothy 3, and equipping them so that they may likewise teach the Word of God to others. 2 Timothy 2, 14-16, remind them of these things, charging them before the Lord not to strive about words, to no profit, to the ruin of the hearers. Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. That's the primary emphasis in gospel ministry, not golf dates, not coffee time.

I'm not suggesting that every pastor who golfs or has coffee is wicked, but I am suggesting they are if they're neglecting the great calling of their office, which is to preach the word and to teach sound doctrine to the people of God. That's the marching order. That's what King Jesus says, and that's what Jesus wants with reference to his church. Notice in 2.25, in humility, correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance so that they may know the truth and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will.

We've already seen 4.2, but look at Titus 1. Titus 1, the qualification for elders in verses 5 to 9. He's got to be a godly man. He's got to be a faithful man.

He's got to be a one-woman man. He's got to be a man that's not greedy. He's got to be a man that's not pugnacious. He's not a fighter.

He's not the kind of man that's unstable and unfit for Christian ministry. But notice what else he has to be in terms of qualification. Verse 9, holding fast the faithful word as he has been taught that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and convict those who contradict. And brethren, it's easier to exhort those who already believe.

It's a bit more difficult to convict those who contradict. So the man of God must hold that doctrine in such a way that he's able to do both. He's able to feed the sheep and he's able to drive off the wolves so they don't ravage the sheep. We heard something of that on Sunday night in Acts chapter 20.

So it's profitable for doctrine. Listen to John Murray. 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, then there are only two alternatives.

Either our doctrine is not of scripture, or we ourselves are cold and lifeless. Funny how people don't usually make that connection, right? It's funny how people don't usually say, what, me? What, me, me, me?

Yeah, you. The problem may actually be you. I know we don't like that in our delicate snowflake age, but the problem could be you. So those are the alternatives.

Either our doctrine is not of scripture, so then it would be cold and lifeless and devoid of anything, or we ourselves are cold and lifeless. Now brethren, this doesn't mean if you nod off on a Sunday, I think you're the reprobate of the century. I get it. We're human beings.

We're not disembodied spirits. We sometimes don't get sleep on a Saturday. I'm not up there taking notes. I'm not, you know, that guy fell asleep, you know, back in, you know, May of what?

No, no, no, no, no. Eutychus. What happened to Eutychus? He falls out of the window when Paul is preaching.

I mean, come on. It happens. It was late. Paul's going on and Eutychus falls out and dies.

Thankfully, Paul was an apostle and God used him to raise him back to life. That's not the point. There are times our hearts are the equivalent of a cold dead fish. I get that.

I'm not pontificating here. You all need to be white hot like me. The idea is in a general sense. He goes on to say, 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.

He says lack of biblical doctrine is lack of interest in God and his will for us. And this is godlessness. Again, some of you may not have been sort of privy to this, but there are those out there that think that doctrine is a bad thing. Oh, no, no, no.

We just need to love Jesus. Well, I always like to ask the question, which Jesus are you loving? If there ain't no doctrine, which Jesus? Is it the Jesus of your imagination?

Is it the mild, meek Jesus that'll never cast a sinner into hell? Is it the mild, meek Jesus that winks at your sin, that has no concern whatsoever for God's justice and righteousness and holiness? It is doctrine that gives us Jesus. It is doctrine that provides for us the understanding of the triune God.

It's doctrine that teaches us or conveys to us the blessed truth of justification by faith alone. No doctrine, as Murray says, is godlessness. He's right.

Profitable for Reproof

Now notice, it's profitable also for reproof. The scripture is profitable in rebuking for wrong belief or wrong behavior. The scripture exposes the errors of false teachers, like we saw there in Titus 1.9, both to exhort and convict those who contradict. So back in 3.16, it's profitable for doctrine for reproof.

So it teaches us, but it also reproves us, and that's good. Beware of, you know, the Bible makes me feel uncomfortable. Maybe we need to be a little uncomfortable once in a while. You know, this idea that I'm only ever happy when I go to church.

Now, I don't set out on a Sunday morning to make you miserable. That really isn't my intention, but you know, a bit of confrontation with the word of God at times promotes a bit of uneasiness on the part of the receptor. Don't shrink back from that. If God is reproving you, embrace it.

Faithful to the wounds of a friend, Solomon says, and God is the friend of sinners, and if he reproves you, it's for good cause.

Profitable for Correction

But notice he doesn't just leave you reproved, he also corrects you. See, notice what Paul is saying here. It's profitable for doctrine, it provides the raw data, it provides to us the teaching that we need, and we receive that teaching and it reproves us because we are prone to wander and we are prone to leave the God that we love. Rebecca and Pastor Naftali and I were talking recently about the nature of sheep.

You know, it's not an accident that God likens the people of God to sheep, and he doesn't do that because we're the most intelligent beings. There's a little, I don't know what it is, you see a little clip of a video on the computer, and I saw one recently where there was this trench, and the shepherd fetched a sheep out of the trench, and once he let it go, the sheep ran and dove right back into the trench. What a great caricature of the people of God. All we like sheep have gone astray.

Why does God use that convention, that metaphor? It's because we've got problems, brethren. The sooner we accept that, the better it is. Once you accept how messed up you are, you'll see how wonderful God's word is.

So it not only provides the doctrine, it reproves us, and then it corrects us. It corrects us. The scripture is profitable in setting persons on the right track with reference to belief and conduct. It not only exposes our wrong thought, it not only exposes our wrong action, but it then provides the necessary information to set us back on course, to put us back on that path that we need to be on.

Profitable for Instruction in Righteousness

And then notice, it is profitable for instruction in righteousness. So it is useful in each of these areas, doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness. If you want a blessed and a beautiful amplification of 2 Timothy 3.16, read Psalm 119. Psalm 119 is 176 verses that celebrates the glory of God's word, His commandments, His statutes, His ordinances.

The psalmist says that the law of God makes me wiser than my teachers. We see the several statements. How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to your word, Psalm 119, nine.

Psalm 119, 105, your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. Verse 130, the entrance of your words gives light. It gives understanding to the simple. 133, direct my steps by your word and let no iniquity have dominion over me. In the high priestly prayer, what is Jesus praying?

John 17, 17, sanctify them. By what? by the most recent craze, by the new scheme that the big-haired preacher is preaching. No, by thy truth, thy word is truth. That's what is the edifying and sanctifying influence upon the people of God.

So that's the general profitability.

Specific Profitability: The Man of God

Then he hones in specifically on Timothy in verse 17, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. It's not necessarily his training in and of itself. Now, I'm not against training. In fact, 2 Timothy 2.2, identify men in the church and teach those men so that they can teach other men.

I'm not against seminary. I'm not against those things. But primarily, it's the Word of God. So insofar as the teacher or the trainer uses the Word of God, it's the Word of God that shapes and prepares and fits the man for the ministry of the Word of God.

It's not even his likability. you know, I've wrestled with this. I don't always feel like I'm the most likable fellow on the face of the earth and I try to rationalize it. Well, you know, if I went to a doctor, would I want the most likable one or would I want the one who doesn't have a shaky hand? Do I want the one who knows how to do brain surgery?

I mean, he may not buy me a coffee, but if he fixes my brain. No, I should buy you a coffee and preach the word. So, you know, I'm trying to work on likability here, but we shouldn't shop for pastors in that manner. But he's so nice.

He's so wonderful. Okay. Is he apt to teach? Why do we sacrifice that key component of what he's actually supposed to do?

And I don't doubt there's a lot of nice guys out there. There's a lot of wonderful human beings, far more wonderful than me. But if they're not apt to teach, they don't belong in a pulpit. Sorry, I didn't make the rules, but God tells us how it's supposed to be.

It's not his charismata, his ability with these gifts. Well, he's a miracle worker, he's a healer, he's a tongue speaker, he's supposed to be a preacher. Preach the word, be ready in season and out of season. Listen to John Calvin, and remember John Calvin lived in the 1500s. you know, giants used to walk in the land way back when.

Calvin said, at the present day, there are many who are well nigh sickened by the very name of preaching, because there are so many stupid, ignorant men who blurt out their worthless brainwaves from the pulpit. What would he say in light of Benny Hinn? What would he say in light of some of these heritage... We're not talking, you know, there's a little variance or a little nuance where he could have said it better.

That's not what we're talking about. We're talking about butchers of souls under the name of Jesus Christ. Calvin would probably lose his lunch if he saw some of the things that we see regularly. Listen to B.B.

Warfield. He lived in the 19th century. He made this observation. He said, if the minister comes to be thought of, for example, fundamentally as merely the head of a social organization from whom may be demanded pleasant manners and executive ability.

See what he's saying? If all the minister's role is that he's the head of an organization, he's got some good management skills, he's a bit of a mover and shaker. He goes on to say, or as little more than a zealous promoter, that means like a cheerleader, a pep squad leader. The minister's whole function is summed up in these or such things.

If the whole function of the minister is inspirational rather than instructional, then no doubt we may dispense with all serious study of the scripture. It's not inspiration that you're looking for. It's the instruction of God's Word. Why?

Because it's profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction in righteousness. Not just so you can feel better about yourself, Now, I've got this zany idea that when preaching is done properly and the people of God have the Holy Spirit, it will make them happy. It will be a boon to their Christian life. It will be something that puts a bit of wind in their sails.

I think that's the way God designed it. You've got this class of people that will turn aside and seek out teachers that'll tickle their ears, but you've got a class of people that receive happily and heartily the word of truth. And for those people, the Christian ministry is blessed. They love it.

They don't want the inspirational guy. They don't want the pep rally. They don't want the cheerleader for Jesus. They want a guy who's going to give them 16 ounces to the pound scriptural truth. and he's gonna make some observations in terms of some practical ways we can apply this in our lives.

Now go live like you're supposed to as individuals, as families, in your society and in your church. Again, it's not magic, it's not esoteric. It is so that the man of God will ultimately be equipped for every good work. Again, I don't think there's any accident here that the primary work is then indicated in chapter four, verses one and two.

George Knight said, since God created Christians for good works and calls on them to do good works, he has given scripture to instruct them so that they may know in principle what God expects of them and thus be equipped to do that particular good deed called for in each situation. Again, there's other stuff to be said, but I hope you get the point. We've got all Scripture, Old and New Testament. We've got the divine origin and authority therein.

It's God-breathed. And then we see the utility or profitability, doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness generally for all the people of God, specifically for the man of God, so that he will be thoroughly equipped for every good work vis-a-vis the primary work, 2 Timothy 4 to preach the word. Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and teaching.

And notice there, Paul tells him the act or the action, preach the word, but he also gives him the manner. Preach the word, but not like you're preaching a phone book. Preach the word, but not like you're preaching your own personal experience. Preach the word and convince, rebuke, and exhort.

Do it with long suffering and teaching. Why? Because the time's going to come when that's not what they're going to want. But they don't get to call the shots.

What they don't want is precisely what they need. And so therefore, preach it. So the two reasons why Paul tells Timothy the command in verse 2 of chapter 4 is that people don't want it, and two, Paul's about to die. And since Paul's about to die, he wants Timothy, his ministerial associate and comrade, to do that task.

He's already told him in 2 Timothy 2 to equip other men so that they can pass the baton all through the subsequent ages of the church so that when we get to the 21st century, there is a remnant, there is a faithful people of God being fed the word of God and knowing that God gave it for that particular purpose. All right, well, I'll close in prayer, and if there's any questions or comments, we can talk.

Closing Prayer

Our Father in heaven, thank you that you've not left us alone in the world. We know that Jesus promised the other comforter, the Holy Spirit, and we rejoice that he dwells in us. We rejoice as well that you've given us the written word. that You've given us, both the Old and the New Testaments. And God, help us to read, help us to pray through these things, help us to receive instruction, help us to attend to the means of grace for the good of our soul, for the good of our family, for the good of our church and society as a whole.

For we know this word thoroughly furnishes unto every good work. Go with us and bless us and watch over our church, our people, all the brothers and the sisters. Bless Pastor Naftali as he continues in ministry to our churches. And God, just give him grace and give him refreshment and send him back with zeal in his heart and a desire to proclaim your truth there in Eldoret, Kenya.

And we pray through Christ the Lord. Amen.

Questions and Answers

Well, any questions or comments? Yes, there's D. Scott, yes. Scott Meadows.

In the chess world, this is the equivalent of trash talk. When you stick a picture of yourself behind the board staring at your opponents like this, this is intimidating. This is how trash talk works. Yeah, actually, he has a whole profile through the US Chess Fed and tournament records in the 1990s or something.

Well, any questions or comments on Secretary

Scripture References

• Genesis 15
• Deuteronomy 25:4
• Psalm 119 9; 105; 130; 133
• Isaiah 61
• Matthew 5:17-20; 10; 16
• Luke 4; 10:7; 24
• John 5:39; 17:17
• Acts 20
• Romans 1; 1-16; 6
• 1 Corinthians 2:12-13; 14:37
• Colossians 4:16
• 1 Thessalonians 5:27
• 2 Thessalonians 2:15; 3:14
• 1 Timothy 3; 4:6; 4:13; 5:3; 5:17; 6:3
• 2 Timothy 1:5; 2:1; 2:2; 2:14-16; 2:25; 3:1-9; 3:10; 3:12; 3:13; 3:15; 3:16-17; 4:1-2; 4:6
• Titus 1:5-9
• 2 Peter 1:19; 2; 3:1; 3:14; 3:16