WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS ABOUT THE BIBLE - The Equilibrium of Life 8-17-25
INTRODUCTION
Ron Freeman tells of this experience while learning to preach.
I [Myself] and several other preaching students were permitted to visit Brother G. E. Steward, a masterful preacher of the gospel, who was holding a gospel meeting in Houston, TX, in the summer of 1972. We were permitted to bring lessons at that meeting.
He was following Brother Keeble’s manner of training preacher, in many of his gospel meetings. Keeble would come up behind the younger preachers, and deliver the lesson for that evening; building on what they had presented.
Brother G. E. Steward, did the same thing, the night we visited and preached in Houston. After the meeting was over, he talked to all of us young preachers. His main comment on our presentations was: “Not enough scriptures.”
He stressed, “I heard a lot of your words; but, not enough words from the Scripture.” He continued: “Fill your sermons and preaching with the word of God. The power of our preaching is in the Word.”
Ron Freeman, Sermon Central, September 23, 2019.
The Word is the source of life.
The Word is the certainty of life.
The Word is the beacon of life.
The Word is the discerner of life.
2 Timothy 3:16-17 NIV
“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
2 Timothy 3:16-17 NIV
LET US PRAY!
I. ALL SCRIPTURE IS GOD BREATHED
2 Timothy 3:16a
“All Scripture is God-breathed”
2 Timothy 3:16a NIV
A. “All” Scripture
2 Peter 1:20-21 NIV
“Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation of things. For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.”
2 Peter 1:20-21 NIV
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
Clement, Bishop of Rome, A.D. 70-96. Ad Cor Ep. i. 45. Ad Cor. Ep. i. 47.
“Clement mentioned by St. Paul (Philippians 4:3), who, as history tells us, was the second Bishop of Rome, exhorts his readers “to look carefully into the Scriptures, which are the true utterances of the Holy Spirit;” and in another place in the same writing he expressly refers to a well-known New Testament Epistle thus:—“Take up the Epistle of the blessed Paul the Apostle, what did he write to you in the beginning [that is, in the first days of the preaching] of the gospel? In truth, divinely inspired πνευματικῶς, [divinitus inspiratus], he wrote to you Corinthians about himself, and Cephas, and Apollos, because just then factions [party spirit] existed among you.””
Polycarp of Smyrna, A.D. 108. Ep. to Philippians, cap. iii.
“Polycarp, Bishop of Smyrna, a disciple of St. John, in the one letter we possess of his, tells us “that neither he nor any like him is able to attain perfectly to the wisdom of the blessed and glorious Paul, who, when he was with you, before the men who were then living taught the word of truth perfectly and surely.””
Athenagoras, A.D. 160-180. Leg. pro Christ. 9.
“This Athenian philosopher, who, while studying the Holy Scriptures with a view of refuting Christianity, was converted by the very writings he was endeavouring to bring into disrepute, writes (using the same strange, powerful metaphor which we found in the above quotation from Justin): “The prophets, while entranced . . . by the influence of the Divine Spirit, they gave utterance to what was wrought In them—the Spirit using them as instruments as a flute-player might blow a flute.””
B. All Scripture is God-breathed.
1. Theopneustos
a. “God-breathed”
b. “Inspired by God”
2. Writing
Professor Emeritus of Science at Westmon College, Peter Stoner, has calculated the probability of one man fulfilling the major prophecies made concerning the Messiah. The estimates were worked out by twelve different classes of 600 college students.
The students carefully weighed all the factors, discussed each prophecy at length, and examined the various circumstances which might indicate that men had conspired together to fulfill a particular prophecy. They made their estimates conservative enough so that there was finally unanimous agreement even among the most skeptical students.
But then Professor Stoner took their estimates and made them even more conservative. He also encouraged other skeptics or scientists to make their own estimates to see if his conclusions were more fair. Finally, he submitted his figures for review to a Committee of the American Scientific Affiliation. Upon examination, they verified that his calculations were dependable and accurate in regard to the scientific material presented.
For example, concerning Micah 5:2, where it states the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem, Stoner and his students determined the average population of Bethlehem from the time of Micah to the present; then they divided it by the average population of the earth during the same period. They concluded that the chance of one man being born in Bethlehem was one chance in 300,000.
After examining eight different prophecies, they conservatively estimated that the chance of one man fulfilling all eight prophecies was one in ten to the power of seventeen. That’s a 1 with 17 zeros after it! That is one in one hundred quadrillion!
To help us understand how large the number ten to the power of seventeen is, professor Stoner gave this illustration. Imagine covering the entire state of Texas with silver dollars to a level of two feet deep. The total number of silver dollars needed to cover the whole state would be ten to the power of seventeen. Now, choose just one of those silver dollars, mark it and drop it from an airplane. Then thoroughly stir all the silver dollars all over the state.
When that has been done, blindfold one man, tell him he can travel wherever he wishes in the state of Texas. But sometime he must stop, reach down into the two feet of silver dollars and try to pull up that one specific silver dollar that has been marked.
Now, the chance of his finding that one silver dollar in the state of Texas would be the chance the Old Testament prophets had for eight of their prophecies coming true in any one man’s life.
But of course there are many more than eight prophecies. There are over 300 Old Testament prophecies fulfilled in the life of Christ.
It is clear that what the Bible claims for itself is true - it is God-breathed!
3. Preserving
Wayne Grudem summarizes this conclusion: "The sufficiency of Scripture means that Scripture contained all the words of God he intended his people to have at each stage of redemptive history, and that it now contains all the words of God we need for salvation, for trusting him perfectly, and for obeying him perfectly."
Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology, p. 127.
II. ALL SCRIPTURE IS USEFUL
“We cannot exhale what we've not inhaled."
Vance Havner
2 Timothy 3:16 NIV
“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,”
2 Timothy 3:16 NIV
A. Teaching
1. Instruction
2. Instruction for salvation
B. Rebuking
1. Reproof
2. Conviction
C. Correcting
1. Amendment
a. Stopping sin
b. Adding holiness
D. Training for righteousness
1. Building up
2. Progressing
Napoleon, Emperor of the French said "The gospel is not a book; it is a living being, with an action, a power, which invades everything that opposes its extension, behold! It is upon this table: This book, surpassing all others. I never omit to read it, and every day with some pleasure."
Abraham Lincoln, 16th President of the United States, said "I am busily engaged in the study of the Bible. I believe it is God's word because it finds me where I am."
Lalachan Abraham, Sermon Central, March 17, 2013.
III. ALL SCRIPTURE IS NECESSARY FOR THE SERVANT OF GOD
"Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ."
St. Jerome
2 Timothy 3:16-17 NIV
“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
2 Timothy 3:16-17 NIV
A. Servant of God - highest progression in the Kingdom
B. Thoroughly equipped
Ephesians 4:11-13 NIV
“So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.”
Ephesians 4:11-13 NIV
Colossians 1:28 NIV
“He is the one we proclaim, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ.”
Colossians 1:28 NIV
C. Equipped for every good work
Dr. Walter Martin states with such clarity:
"Into this whirlpool of stagnant human philosophy and perverted revelation came the Son of God who, through His teachings and example, revealed that there was such a thing as divine humanity, and through His miraculous powers, vicarious death and bodily resurrection, cut across the maze of human doubts and fears and was lifted up, to draw all men unto Himself. It has been wisely observed that men are at liberty to reject Christ and the Bible and the Word of God; they are at liberty to oppose Him; they are at liberty to challenge it. But they are not at liberty to alter the essential message of the Scriptures, which is the good news that God does care for lost souls..."
CONCLUSION
2 Timothy 3:16-17 NIV
“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
2 Timothy 3:16-17 NIV
The Word of God comes from God. The Word of God is useful for our daily lives. The Word of God can equip us for every good work.
INVITATION
It is our custom to offer an "invitation" following the preaching of the Word. You may want to follow Jesus. You may want to proclaim your faith. You may want to repent (stop doing ungodly things and start doing Godly things). Perhaps you want to be baptized for the forgiveness of your sins and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Possibly, if you have already responded to God’s call in these ways, you would like to become a member of Kenwood Church. If you have been moved by the Holy Spirit to make a decision in your life, you can come forward now. If you would like, I would be honored to speak with you following the service about what God is doing in your life.
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