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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." 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. 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. 
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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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