2Tim 3:14-17
The Powerful Knowledge
Last week, Paul began to encourage Timothy regarding the future.
\\#1-9\\ Character of end times
\\#10-13\\ Contrast of godly
\\#14-4:5\\ Command to Timothy
The command is twofold and continues into the next chapter.
1. \\#3:14-17\\ Continue in Knowledge
\\#3:15\\ …continue thou in the things that
hast learned….
That’s a definite reference to knowledge.
2. \\#4:1-5\\ Continue in Action - When we read the first verses
in the next chapter, you will notice that they are all
commands to action.
I. \\#3:14-17\\ Continue in Knowledge
A. Paul gave Timothy two reasons why he should continue in what
he had learned.
1. \\#14\\ Because of who taught him, Paul.
a. That may sound a little pretentious.
b. Remember Paul was writing a personal (perhaps even a
private) letter to Timothy. As such, he reveals his
heart and some personal thoughts.
c. Also remember that Paul was an apostle whom God had
used and had been anointed.
d. All knowledge and truth are good but when you have
learned from one of the best, you do have an
additional reason to continue in and to hold to the
truth.
2. \\#15\\ Because of what he had been taught, the "Holy
Scriptures."
a. The word "holy" means sacred, divine, of God.
(1) There are many advantages we have by having the
printed Word of God so readily available but
one disadvantage may be that we have lost our
appreciate for what it is.
(2) It is the holy, sacred, Word of the living God.
(3) I fear we handle and hold this holy thing too
casually.
(4) It is not just a book, a paperback, or program.
b. Timothy, like all of us, had been privileged to be
exposed to the Bible since his youth.
(1) This was a privilege of Timothy’s youth.
2Tim 1:5 When I call to remembrance the
unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt
first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother
Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also.
(2) While that is another privilege, it is also
another reason to take the Bible for granted.
(3) Because of what Timothy had been taught, Paul
commanded him to continue in what he had
learned.
3. Paul went on to describe the Bible’s procurement,
purposes, and power.
B. \\#16\\ The Bible’s Procurement - How did we come to get it?
1. It was by inspiration.
2. Inspiration means that it was "God breathed."
a. Literally, what we hold in our hands is the WORD of
God.
b. Between have a Book dictated by God Himself and the
indwelling of the Holy Ghost, Christians have the
PERSONAL Word of God. \\#John 16:13\\
c. There is no truth, no problem, no need, and no
situation in which God’s Word cannot minister and
guide you.
3. As such, the Bible is a Holy Book.
a. We do not want to worship it.
b. We do want to respect and reverence it, in the way we
speak about it, the way we read and obey it, and even
in the way we handle it.
c. There should not be anything material thing that you
treasure or guard than the Bible.
d. My wedding ring
4. While we are speaking of how we got the Bible, we need to
at least mention two others Bible words.
a. Preservation - God spoke the Bible to men who wrote it
down, but then God promised to keep the Bible in its
original form—without error.
Psalm 12:6 The words of the LORD are pure words:
as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified
seven times.
7 Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt
preserve them from this generation for ever.
b. Illuminate - God not only has given and kept the
Bible for us, but He helps us to understand it.
1Co 2:10 But God hath revealed them unto us by
his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things,
yea, the deep things of God.
11 For what man knoweth the things of a man,
save the spirit of man which is in him? even so
the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit
of God.
(1) There comes a point in every Christian’s life
where you must quit just reading the Bible and
start studying it.
Jos 1:8 This book of the law shall not depart
out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate
therein day and night, that thou mayest observe
to do according to all that is written therein:
for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous,
and then thou shalt have good success.
(2) You read to get what you want. You study to
understand it all.
(a) Good preachers and churches are few today.
(b) They are going to be fewer.
(c) The only way you will ever know if what they
are preaching is correct is if you study.
2Tim 4:3 For the time will come when they will
not endure sound doctrine; but after their own
lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers,
having itching ears;
4 And they shall turn away their ears from the
truth, and shall be turned unto fables.
C. \\#16\\ The Bible’s Purposes
1. It "is profitable for doctrine."
a. Doctrine means knowledge, truth, facts.
(1) Typically it is knowledge or facts collected and
arranged on some type of logical manner but it
is still knowledge and facts.
(2) Some say they don’t believe in "doctrine." They
are ignorant. You either have doctrine or your
mind is a blank, empty, nada.
(3) Maybe what they mean to say is that they don’t
like Baptist, Methodist, Catholic doctrine.
That is fine with God but you certainly better
know Bible doctrine.
(4) For those who don’t like doctrine, they really
aren’t going to like the remainder of what Paul
said.
b. The Bible is a book of doctrine. Truth about:
(1) Life (5) Heaven
(2) God (6) Hell
(3) Sin (7) Salvation
(4) Devil (8) And all other topics it discusses.
c. These are topics you may prefer to remain ignorant of
but ignorance will not excuse your accountability.
2. It is profitable for reproof and correction.
a. These two words are not the same but they are similar.
(1) The word "correction" means to be set straight,
to make a thing right, to repair something
broken.
(a) This is done via conviction.
(b) It has the thought to gently, privately
realign a crooked thing—which is how the
Bible convicts believers.
(2) The word "reproof" means to rebuke a person or
idea.
(a) It is vocal and seems to imply being called
out for correction.
(b) This refers to the preaching and confronting
ministry of the Bible.
b. So the Bible, both privately and in the hands of
others, keeps us straight, repairs us, corrects us.
(1) I take it that this is the reason some say they
do not believe it doctrine. It convicts and
corrects them.
(2) Understand, that is just what the Bible does.
That is why God made it. It is the Bible’s
purpose.
(3) To distance yourself from it may lessen the
Bible’s effect on you but it will not stop the
repercussions of the Bible from coming upon you.
3. It is "for instruction in righteousness."
a. The Bible is not just knowledge. It instructs.
b. It teaches us how to be righteous, "right with God."
c. This is done both by Bible commands and historical
examples.
d. Indeed, it is the only tool we have that can! Any and
all others are liars.
D. \\#17\\ The Bible’s Purpose
1. That the man (or woman) of God might be complete.
a. That you might have what you need to not only survive
but to be victorious in life and eternity.
b. That is what God wants for you and your eternity and
that is why God gave you the Bible.
2. That you might have everything you need to do all the good
things God wants you to do.
That is this Book. Paul has mentioned 4 personal associates, 2 from
history, and he will mention more—all of whom turned from or went
against the Bible. He did not want that for Timothy. This preacher
does not want it for you. Find what you need in the Bible.
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