Introduction

Throughout history, the greatest teachers of the Word have been the men who were not confused about how people’s lives were changed. A truly great Bible teacher recognizes right away that all the answers that people need are contained within the pages of this incredible book. They realize that their job is not to offer their best advice, but to draw people to God’s life-changing Word. Jer 23:29 the Lord asks, “Is not my word like fire, declares the Lord, and like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?” The main role of the Bible teacher is to listen to the needs of their people and then apply the God’s Truth – the hammer – to their lives.

As a Bible teacher, I don’t have ANY power in myself, but I hold in my hand something that is truly powerful… It’s truly remarkable! God’s Word is like fire! If the preaching in this church is powerful at all, it is because we have effectively let God’s Word speak (not because I’m a good speaker).

You’ll find that in every meeting of this local church, we are opening the Bible and talking openly about the Bible. We are an open-Bible church. We’re a “replace-your-Bible-every-year-because-it’s-so-worn-out” kind of church. We are actively and intentionally building a community not just based on the word of God but saturated with the Word of God.

The kind of Bible teaching that changes lives is the kind of teaching that draws its power from the living Word of God. Effective Bible teaching is really as simple as:

• Pointing to text
• Explaining “this is what this verse means”
• Asking “Do you see that too?”
• Then there is a stirring up that happens – “if that’s what this verse means then what is keeping you and I from doing that?”
• Then an exhortation “Go and obey.”

Historically, the most effective teachers do these things well. They understand that they do not have the power in themselves, but the Book they teach is the source of all truth and is truly authoritative.

John 17:17 says “your Word is Truth.” It doesn’t just say that the Bible is true. Although the Bible is true, it’s not the only a book that’s just “true.” Just because something is true does not mean that it’s truth. Let me explain with this example:

I downloaded the manual to this keyboard I’m borrowing the other day. As far as I can tell, every word in that manual is true. Is it going to change my life just because it’s true? Is it authoritative just because it’s true? Is it the source of all truth?

There is a huge difference between being true and being truth. What is “true” conforms to a higher standard of truth outside of itself. The Bible does not only claim to be true, but it claims to be the final source of truth by which all other truth is measured. (John 17:17)

Hebrews 6:18 says, “it is impossible for God to lie.” Truth is simply what God says. We have what God says here in the Bible! Let’s go to our text.

¹⁶ All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness…

All Scripture is Breathed Out by God

Let’s start with the phrase, “All scripture.” What “scripture” was Paul talking about here? He is referring to the Old Testament that was written and the New Testament that was being written. The “scripture” referred to in this text does not include any other writings outside of the Old and New Testaments. God’s Word, as it is found in the Old and New Testaments, is the ultimate source of truth.

The truthfulness of everything else is measured by the ultimate source of truth, the Bible. It was never intended to be a starting point that we move on from. There is no higher discipline than the study of God’s Word.

• Christianity’s not a spiritual elementary school that you’ll graduate out of some day. (Moving on to other deeper, more spiritual things)
• We don’t move on from scripture to other things like science or philosophy or metaphysics or eastern mysticism

Science, philosophy and other belief systems are all subject to the truth we find in God’s Word. If they don’t line up, then they are not in line with truth. Nothing supersedes the Bible. Everything submits to it.

The word “theopneustos” (the-a’-new-stas) translated as the phrase “breathed out by God” occurs only in this one place in scripture and nowhere else in all of ancient Greek literature. Paul may have made up the word. Theo means “God.” Pueustos means “breathed out, exhaled, out of breath.”  “Breathed out by God” is a more literal translation of this phrase than “inspired by God” as it reads in some translations. How did God breathe out his Word?

Sometimes God dictated his word to Biblical writers. He told them exactly what to say. An example of God dictating His word could be found in Jer 1:9 where Jeremiah says, “⁹ …the Lord put out his hand and touched my mouth. And the Lord said to me, “Behold, I have put my words in your mouth.”

God didn’t always dictate his word to the writers of the Bible. In most Biblical passages, God used the minds, the vocabulary, the writing styles, the research and the experiences of the Bible’s authors to produce his own Word that was perfect, infallible and inerrant in its original language. Peter explains this phenomenon like this, “²⁰ knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. ²¹ For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” 2 Peter 1:20-21

When I think of someone being carried along, I think of a sporting event when a player is injured. When they are helping a player off the field, they are carrying him along. They are carrying the burden of walking for the player who can’t walk for himself. You don’t carry someone along from a distance. You are up close and personal in the process.

The Bible uses the picture of a man being carried along by the Holy Spirit to say that although we see different writing styles, different languages and different personalities within the authors of the Bible, the Holy Spirit was very involved in the process. He was directing their thoughts. He was intensely helping them to choose the exact right words to convey God’s message while allowing the author to express his own personality, expressions and writing styles. Each writer communicated in a way that is distinctive to the writer while communicating the exact detail of divinely directed, inspired scripture. SO: Two Pictures: God-breathed and carried along by the spirit!

Do you see how involved God was in the process? There were no inspired writers. What I mean is that outside of Jesus, there was not a man who was such a religious genius that he just spoke scripture all day. There are only inspired scriptures written down by normal, godly men who were directly guided and directed by the Holy Spirits intimate involvement.

What do we do with these scriptures? Our text lists several things:

Profitable for Teaching /Doctrine

¹⁶ All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness…

The Bible is comprehensive and complete.

• It tells us everything we need to know about life.
• It tells us everything we need to know about truth.
• It tells us everything we need to know about godliness

Keep your finger in 2 Timothy and turn to the exact middle of your Bible to Psalm 119. Psalm 119 is the longest book in the Bible and it is completely devoted to unpacking the immense value of God’s word. Let read just a few verses about how God’s word helps us to be godly – starting in verse 97. King David puts it like this:

⁹⁷ Oh how I love your law!
It is my meditation all the day.
⁹⁸ Your commandment makes me wiser than my enemies,
for it is ever with me.
⁹⁹ I have more understanding than all my teachers,
for your testimonies are my meditation.
¹⁰⁰ I understand more than the aged,
for I keep your precepts.
¹⁰¹ I hold back my feet from every evil way,
in order to keep your word.
¹⁰² I do not turn aside from your rules,
for you have taught me.
¹⁰³ How sweet are your words to my taste,
sweeter than honey to my mouth!
¹⁰⁴ Through your precepts I get understanding;
therefore I hate every false way.

Nun

¹⁰⁵ Your word is a lamp to my feet
and a light to my path.

I love that last verse. God’s word isn’t a beacon on a hill. It doesn’t show us the end from the beginning. It does, however, give us the very next step in the journey. It teaches us how to do the next thing….how to take the next step.

Likewise, it does not tell us everything there is to know about God, but everything we need to know about God is contained within its pages. We don’t need a third testament. The two we have are more than enough! At Canyon, we often compare the Bible to mining a bottomless well. We find that every verse is so rich and so deep that we could never unpack all the truth and all the implications contained within the pages of God’s Word – even if we spent every hour of every day for the rest of our life trying.

Profitable for Reproof

God’s word tells us what behavior is righteous and what is sinful. That’s very helpful! It defines godliness. When a believer is walking in sin, the Bible is profitable for correcting that behavior. The word for reproof in the Greek is stronger than just making a little adjustment. It’s calling out sin in another believer’s life. It is loving someone enough to say, “you’re messing up…you don’t want to continue down that path or it’s going to destroy you…and here’s why” and then point to God’s Word.

As parents, God’s word is hugely beneficial for knowing what behaviors need to be encouraged and what behaviors need to be punished in the lives of our children.

In more difficult cases, the word reproof can refer to church discipline. There are some believers who are so bound up in sin that the elders have to step in and lovingly confront that individual. What is the basis for church discipline? God’s Word.

Profitable for Correction

Whereas reproof refers to lovingly calling out sin. Correction is the process of restoring a person who has fallen into sin back to a position of walking with the Lord

“Correction” is the Greek word, epanorthōsis, (ep-on-ar’-tha-sis). It is only used here in the New Testament. In other ancient Greek literature, it is used to describe taking an object that has fallen over (like a statue) and putting it back into place.

“Correction” refers to process of getting people back on the right track. It’s the process of mending broken people and relationships. It is helping people to grow in their faith. It is not just calling out sin, but pointing a person back to righteous living.

Profitable for Training in Righteousness

The Greek word for “training” usually refers to the elementary education of a child. In this context, Paul is saying that God’s word covers all the basics for all of life. It reshapes a person’s mind to a new set of godly standards. The follower of Christ never graduates or moves on from Biblical training. It is a life-long pursuit!

God’s Word is like a strict teacher who instructs, commands, warns and disciplines its students to help them master righteousness. God’s Word is like the tough coach that pushes hard during training and demands its athletes are eating nutritious food (good spiritual food) and not junk (not indulging in the empty pleasure of the world).

It’s not just about discipline. It’s about serving Christ. God’s word is a strict teacher and a tough coach pushing hard so that we be well-equipped to serve Jesus… finding that our greatest treasure and deepest satisfaction are found when we are serving Him! Read 2 Tim 3:16-17

Life Application: Equipped for Every Good Work

¹⁶ All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, ¹⁷ that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

The implication of God breathing out scripture are wide and vast. This morning we’ve just scratched the surface, but of all the amazing things we could say about this incredible book that we treasure, this one seems most compelling. God gave us his word to equip you and me for every good work.

Jesus said in Matthew 5:16, “…let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”

The Bible’s purpose it to equip you for good works. The aim of good works is to glorify God. (Matt. 5:16)

Psalm 53:2, David tells us that “God looks down from heaven on the children of man to see if there are any who understand, who seek after God.”

When God looks down from heaven and looks into your life and mine, we fall into 1 of 2 categories: Ready or Resistant – Ready to be used by God or resistant to the call of God. When God looks upon my life, I want Him to be able to say, “Mark is a man who I can use” not “Mark is currently unable to be used for Kingdom work” or “Mark really can’t be used in the capacity I desire for him.”

The thing that determine the difference between ready or resistant has everything to do with how we respond to Biblical teaching, reproof (or rebuke), correction and instruction.

Turn in your Bibles with me back 1 page to 2 Timothy 2:21.

²¹ Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work.

We can conclude for our text today 4 scriptural principles that are regularly observed by growing disciples:

The way we know what is honorable and what is dishonorable is through Biblical teaching.

1. Sit under Biblical teaching

Our openness to allowing another believer to speak into our lives will often determine if we continue to walk dishonorably or we continually turn from the pull of sin to walk honorably.

2. Receive criticism with humility and prayer

When we have a brother or sister, or family member or a spouse who has fallen into sin, God instructs us to not just confront the sin, but to help them rise again to a position or restoration

3. Always strive for restoration

Lastly, the most basic building block of your Christian walk is your personal time in prayer and Bible study.

4. Be a student of the Word and diligent in prayer

Those are four steps to being ready for every good work that God has for you to complete. I’ll end with this final exhortation from God’s Word:

…we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2:10

Teaching Outline

The Bible does not only claim to be true, but it claims to be the final source of truth by which all other truth is measured. (John 17:17)

All Scripture is Breathed Out by God

God’s Word, as it is found in the Old and New Testaments, is the ultimate source of truth.

“theopneustos”

• Theo means “God.”
• Pueustos means “breathed out, exhaled, out of breath.”

“⁹ …the Lord put out his hand and touched my mouth. And the Lord said to me, “Behold, I have put my words in your mouth.” Jeremiah 1:9

“²⁰ knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. ²¹ For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” 2 Peter 1:20-21

Profitable for Teaching

The Bible is comprehensive and complete.

Profitable for Reproof

God’s word tells us what behavior is righteous and what is sinful.

Profitable for Correction

“Correction” refers to process of getting people back on the right track.

Profitable for Training in Righteousness

God’s word covers all the basics for all of life.

Application: Equipped for Every Good Work

“…let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” Matthew 5:16,

The Bible’s purpose it to equip you for good works. The aim of good works is to glorify God.

God looks down from heaven on the children of man to see if there are any who understand, who seek after God. Psalm 53:2

²¹ Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work. 2 Timothy 2:21.

Four scriptural principles

1. Sit under Biblical teaching
2. Receive criticism with humility and prayer
3. Always strive for restoration
4. Be a student of the Word and diligent in prayer

…we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2:10