The Holy Scriptures
Study Scripture: Psalm 19: 7 – 13 2 Timothy 3: 14-17.
Lesson 1 December 06, 2025.
Key Verse
All Scripture is inspired by God and beneficial or teaching, for rebuke, for correction, for training in righteousness, so that the man or woman of God may be fully capable, equipped for every good work.
2 Timothy 3:16-17
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INTRODUCTION
At the very start we must understand the focus of Scripture is on God.
It then accordingly speaks about the statutes of the revelation which impact the followers of God.
As we study God’s plan of the ages we must understand that the knowledge of God is the end, and the aim of life.
So the psalmist like Job is expressing the yearnings of the human heart “Oh, that I knew where I might find him”.
The disciple Phillip would also ask Jesus “Lord, show us the Father and it sufficeth us”.
The Lord Jesus would therefore tell us in His teachings as He prays to the Father,
“This is life eternal, that they might know Thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent”.
The Apostle Paul emphasized this idea that the aim of life is to know the Father.
However the problem man has is that God is Spirit, and as well He is an infinite Being, and therefore He cannot be known by finite beings such as us. It is well said that the finite cannot lay hold on the infinite.
Man therefore cannot know God by searching after God.
The only way we can know God is by Divine Revelation. One writer points this out to us:
“Now the word “revelation” is a Greek word and in its basic form that means “to take off the veil”. Apokalupis is the Greek word. It is of course as you know the name for the last Book of the Bible, the apocalypse, or the Revelation.
It is the taking off of the veil, and when a veil is taken off of something then you’re able to understand that something. So God must reveal himself if we are to know God. We cannot know him by searching…
But since God is an infinite being, we have no methodology whereby we can investigate him. We cannot take God and put him into a test tube. And so we are limited, since we are finite beings, so Revelation from God. He must make himself known to us. We cannot find him out by searching for he is beyond our scientific methodology.
In fact, it is very unscientific for us to use the so-called scientific methodology used in other sciences of God because he is an infinite, invisible, immutable, omnipotent, omnipresent being, and our scientific methodology is not able to find out God”
Men classify the sources of divine revelation sometimes in two ways, primary, the Bible is the primary source, and secondly nature, history, providence and conscience as secondary sources.
Our Study today will look at God’s Revelation of Himself in nature. He first addresses this to man as a man, just as a man who is a finite being. We are therefore now examining the “revelation of God” in the Psalms.
All of these ‘Psalms’ or ‘songs’ are therefore very helpful, because they express most of what we feel, and recount the experiences through which we all pass. The saints can therefore identify perfectly with the sentiments expressed, and learn much about what these experiences we undergo mean, and how they should be handled.
Our Study however can only be properly understood if we pay close attention to the Context of the passage we will examine for this Psalm in our Study Text comes after a significant introduction to the Word of God, the ways of God, and what will flow from these to the faithful believer who as a believer is now in a class to be cherished.
There is an important reason why the Holy Spirit arranged the order of the Psalms as He did.
It is thus very important and very interesting to note that some hold that the Psalms are really divided into five books or sections which match the themes in the first five books of the Bible, namely the themes in Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy.
Remember that the theme of the Book of Genesis involves introducing us to human life and its place in the universe, and reveals the deep need of the human heart. The first 41 Psalms, which forms the first book or section echoes this theme of Genesis.
The Book of Exodus is the Book of Redemption, and recounts how God moves in human history to change and redeem people, and save them from bondage. Psalms 42 to Psalms 72 corresponds to this Book of Exodus and its theme.
The Book of Leviticus is matched by the third section of the Psalms, which runs from Psalms 73 to Psalms 89. The Book of Leviticus recounts how Israel was instructed in the way to draw near to God, how to properly understand what the Tabernacle meant, and how to worship Him through this Tabernacle that He had made for them.
Psalm 90 to Psalm 106 form the fourth section, and like the Book of Numbers deals with issues related to the wilderness wandering, and testing and failure.
The fifth section in the Psalms covers Psalm 107 to Psalm 150, and has the same theme as the Book of Deuteronomy. We remember that Deuteronomy is called the Book of the Second Law, for it describes the way by which God redeems and sanctifies His people, and changes them into the kind of men and women that He originally intended them to be.
This Book, as well as this section of the Psalms, tells us of the Law of the Spirit of life in Jesus Christ, which frees us from the Law of sin and death.
The first Psalm sets the tone for the entire book of Psalm, and with the background of the Covenant, distinguishes between the righteous and the wicked. It describes the way of those who are faithful to the God of the Covenant, calling that the way of the righteous.
It describes the blessings that come from following that way. It then contrasts that way with the way of the wicked, who are not in any way faithful to the God of the Covenant. They are said to be cursed, and destined for destruction.
This teaching applies clearly to all humanity, for all men can see that there is a great contrast between the character and condition, as well as the present and future destiny of the righteous and the wicked. One group will experience happiness, while the other will have the ultimate experience of misery.
Psalm 1 as it begins, therefore must be regarded as a Psalm which stresses in several ways, that obedience to its instruction is a matter of life or death.
It invites and encourages all the people of God to live godly lives, assuring them that they will be rewarded, and they will inherit the promises of the Covenant. It is emphasized that the godly must pursue the way of God, and reject the way of the world.
This way is the way of wisdom, for it will inevitably and certainly lead to blessing. The pursuit of godliness will lead to rewards from God.
In direct contrast, following the way of the wicked will lead to adversity, and judgment, and a shutting out from the benefits of the Covenant.
Before we actually look at the Text we must note that Hebrew poetry is ideally structured to teach these lessons. The Psalms is Hebrew poetry.
Our Western English type of poetry manipulates sounds, and uses rhyme, and a particular kind of sentence. But Hebrew poetry is different. It repeats and rearranges thoughts, rather than sounds.
It uses different types of parallel arrangements of thought.
It will help us if we look for some of these as we read the Psalms, for we will learn more easily what the writer is saying.
Let us look at some basic examples and they will show repetitions, restatements, differentiations, and progressions in thoughts.
The first kind of parallel arrangements, or parallelism is:
- The Synonymous, where the same thought of the first line is basically repeated in different words in the second line. For example, in Psalm 3: 1 it reads, “Lord, how are they increased that trouble me! Many are they had rise up against me.”
- The Antithetical, where the thought of the first line is emphasized by a contrasting thought in the second line. They are often identified with “but”. For example, in Psalm 1: 6, “For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish”. Another exampleis in Psalm 34:10.
- The Synthetic, where the second line explains or further develops the idea of the first line. For example, in Psalm 1:3 “And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.” This is alsoused in Psalm 95:3.
- The Climatic, where the second line repeats with the exceptionof the last terms. See Psalm 29: 1 for an example of this.
- The Emblematic, where one line conveys the main point, the second line illuminates it by an image. See Psalm 42: 1: 44: 19: 44: 22 and 23: 1 for examples.
God therefore inspired these words, using the language of men, and did it so artistically that we would certainly get the picture or the message.
Psalm 19 fits into this structure and WE will learn much if we look at this Psalm carefully.
Remember therefore that the first Psalm introduces the rest of the Psalms, teaching a very general and basic message that frequently occurs throughout the Psalms.
Though it presents two ways of life, namely, the way of the righteous and the way of the wicked, its key point is really that the ‘Word’ of God is really central to the life and fruitfulness of the righteous, the righteous who really love his word.
We see from this that:
(a), Scripture is absolutely important, and absolutely necessary, and
(b) God promises to change the character, stability, and fruitfulness of those who make Scripture the center of their lives.
This Psalms make sure that we understand this truth by using “contrasts”.
First, it lays out the way of the godly and the blessedness that is theirs. It then contrasts this with the way of the ungodly. See 1:1-6.
Second, it says negatively what the godly will not do. See verse 1: 1. Then in contrast, it says what the godly will do. See verses 1:2.
Third, it sets out a contrast between the results of the two ways of life. It contrasts character and destiny. The godly are stable and fruitful, but the ungodly are unstable and face certain judgment.
It therefore lays out two paths, a narrow way and a broad way. Both are diametrically opposed to each other. It calls on all men to be wise. This is a Wisdom Psalm. There is a qualitative and total difference between the ‘old life’, the ‘flesh’, or the ‘old man’, and the ‘new man’ in Christ. There is no resemblance between them. Let us understand that clearly. Psalm 1 preaches that same message.
The first Psalm therefore begins by exclaiming literally “Oh, the blessednesses, or the blessings”. This type of language stresses that this position is a fact for those who meet the conditions stated in the verses.
“Blessed” is an intensive plural, which is used to emphasize the many, many blessings, or the multiplicity and happiness for all those who fulfill the requirements in the Psalm. These people are called very, very happy.
Note as we read that this blessedness is not deserved, but is a gift of God. Outside of God’s blessing man is cursed, and leads a meaningless life.
Also note that the Hebrew word for blessing means, “to go straight, go forward, advance, set right”. The root verb means, “to proceed, advance in the way of understanding”.
Blessing therefore comes from growth, through fellowship with God, and through increasing knowledge of the Word of God.
The Text pronounces blessings on a particular group of people, and is clearly not an unconditional statement. It is conditional, and points to a certain kind of person, who obeys what is stated in the passage.
The word used for “man” is generic, and refers to both men and women. The word “who” thus points us to the person who is blessed, who has the qualities of life which leads to blessedness.
Note that God promises blessings to those who have certain qualities. Quite simply God blesses those because they have faith, and are in a special relationship with God. They therefore have the things which build, develop, make them fruitful, and which gives them the capacity and the ability for happiness.
Note also that this word “happy” or “blessed” is not merely a feeling. This is a gift. The righteous may not feel happy, but God still considers them “blessed”.
PSALM 19
Verses 1-6. It is pointed out by scholars and students of the Bible this is one of the three psalms that celebrate the to-ra—God’s law. The other two are Psalm 1 and Psalm 119. He summarizes:
“This psalm begins by celebrating the universe which God has created (vv. 1-6).
Then it celebrates God’s law (to-ra- instruction), which the author sees as life—giving—just as the sun is life—giving (vv. 7-10).
Then the psalm while admitting the benefits of the law, also admits inability to keep it.
The palmist ask God forgiveness so that he might be blameless (vv. 11-13).
The final verse asks that his words and meditations might be acceptable to God (v. 4)”.
Be careful to note that in all this the sun and the creation is notthe focus.
The focus is on God.
Does anyone have an excuse in not following the way of the righteous, whether they be in the covenant community of Israel or are simply Gentiles and outside of the community of Israel?
This psalm is therefore a psalm of praise, devotion, and supplication. It calls for the recognition that man is dependent on God and His mercies. God is sovereign. He is the Creator.
It calls for our confession.
It stresses the authority of the “law” of God shown clearly in the natural order of things. This is carefully explained in the Torah.
Psalm 19 deals with this question while affirming that men must follow the “Law of God”.
It tells us that the knowledge of God has been written in two Books, and that it takes two Books to properly understand God and know Him.
David declares that the greatness of God is seen in world of nature, that this declaration is clear and plain. The Heavens are constantly telling us a story, telling forth the glory of God.
The heavens and the expanse, the firmament created by God and told us in Genesis 1:7 includes the sun, the moon, and the stars.
David uses the word El the general name for God also used by pgans, which speaks particularly of power and might.
But he states that this creation is the work of an artist supreme who is all-powerful and is a divine genius.
This is abundant revelation, for the Heavens are stretched out everywhere, through infinite space, shouting loudly about the handiwork of God.
This shouting never stops. It is telling about God constantly, and pouring out its message to everyone, everywhere. Their witness pours out in the day by the sun, and at night the moon and the stars pour out the message of God’s glory.
Men see the power of nature, the surging of the sea, and they sense their loneliness and finiteness. They know that there is God, for they hear His voice.
God has designed nature that way to teach man of His Being, His power, and His wisdom.
No men have lived without being exposed to this witness of God in nature. Geography does not matter for this message is sent out everywhere.
This testimony is so clear and powerful that it cannot be avoided. The Psalmist spoke of the sun coming out like a bridegroom leaving his lodging, joyfully emerging from the bridal chamber, shaped up as a strong man running his race with joy, going from one end of the heavens to the other, giving heat, light and strength to every living thing on earth.
But we know that men have missed the message and instead of worshipping God, had instead worshipped the sun, which God had made.
How could they miss the message?
It must have to do with man deliberately suppressing his knowledge of the truth.
God made nature to tell us that there must be something behind them.
This is the first book of Revelation. The heavens continually display the fact that there is a Creator. This message reaches all nations, and everyone understands it. The message is given night and day, with no stopping, in every language and speech, in every land and in every part of the world.
With the speech comes great pleasure to man, for nature is beautiful, and observing it gives great pleasure. The message from nature is a glorious one, and shows at every moment God’s existence, His power, His wisdom and His goodness.
One writer states:
“It is not merely glory that the Heavens declare, but the “glory of God”, for they deliver to us such unanswerable arguments for a conscious, intelligent, planning, controlling, and presiding Creator, that no unprejudiced personal can remain unconvinced by them. The testimony given by the Heavens is no mere hint, but a plain, unmistakable declaration; and it is a declaration of the most constant and abiding kind. Yet for all this, to what avail is the loudest declaration to a deaf man, or the clearest showing to one spiritually blind? God the Holy Ghost must illuminates us, or all the suns in the Milky Way never will.
He who looks up at the firmament and then writes himself down as an atheist, brands himself at the same moment as an idiot or a liar.”
The message of nature shows the tremendous grace of God, for He has showed His goodness everywhere and at all times.
This is powerful but is an indirect witness to the need for a greater witness. The revelation of God’s Law was therefore given to make clearer the revelation in nature.
In this the inner man is touched directly.
God’s revelation is His Law. He is the source.
God’s law is described by six names, with six characteristic qualities discussed, and six divine effects declared.
With regard to Verse 7,. one commentator states
“ It is a rule, God’s testimony for the truth, his special and general prescription of duty, fear and judicial decision. It is distinct and certain, reliable, right, pure, holy, and true. Hence it revives those depressed by doubts, makes wise the unskilled, rejoices the lover of truth, strengthens the desponding, provides permanent principles of conduct, and by God’s grace brings a rich reward.”
There are several words used which are synonyms for God’s revelation: namely, “law”, “statutes”, (vs.7); “precepts”, “commands” (vs.8); and “fear”, “ordinances” (vs.9).
These all emphasize that the Word of God is beneficial, and much greater than the natural revelation.
Verse 7. The Law of the Lord is flawless or perfect. It is complete. It is so perfect that it “revives”. It has the greatest ability to restore and give healing to the entire man. It restores the man to the place from which sin had taken him.
It moves and renews the soul, changing the depraved nature.
It changes the alcoholic and the drug addict and it enables those who have managed to keep a marriage together in faithfulness to God’s law.
His testimony is plain and infallible. It is so sure that we can get all the comfort we need for eternity. No attack can weaken its strength or force. It is not uncertain in any respect. It is reliable and dependable, and one can count on it. It is trustworthy in every situation of life. It reflects God’s integrity, uprightness and blamelessness.
Those minds that are teachable and humble, ready to receive the word, are made wise unto salvation. The things that are hidden from the wise would be revealed to the babies. It is ready to help the inexperienced as well as the wise.
His law is therefore perfect, complete with nothing left out. It covers everything that we need. No problem or situation and live can occur without the Law of God addressing it so that there is perfect guidance.
The Law of God is accordingly simple and makes even the simple, the illiterate, or the semi-literate wise. It is easy to understand even though it might not always be easy to put the law into practice.
God therefore can choose to work though those we consider to be ordinary people to do great things. He often bypasses the brilliant who foolishly like to take credit for what they have done.
The simple instruction is to Love God. Love your neighbor.
Everything hangs on those two and so you cannot argue you do not understand God.
It addresses everything the needy sinner wants. It omits nothing and fits perfect in with God’s plan of grace.
Note however the need for the Second volume in the revelation of God for there are things absent in the revelation of God in nature. You csn look at creation and understand God is powerful and is the supreme artist, who is constantly speaking of His presence.
But you are not told of God’s grace and of His mercy and that He is a God of love who has spoken in His grace and given us in His grace and mercy the Lord Jesus Christ to bear our sins and open up the way of fellowship with the Father.
So there is Special Revelation in Scripture teaching about the coming of the eternal Son of God to live among us, die and bear our sins, and be resurrected, and to ascend to the throne of His Father as our High Priest and Intercessor.
Verse 8. However, the precepts of the Lord bring heartfelt joy, inner peace and tranquility. It gives heavenly delights to satisfy the inner man and the mental faculties.
It is pure with no mixture or error in it, no stain of sin, and no adulteration.
It gives light to the eyes, as the joy from inside shines through the eyes to the world. It purges away all the things that will make the eyes dim and full of sorrow. It makes the eyes clear and bright, as it removes all impurity and cures any natural blindness.
Now we must admit that sometimes we bump up against the laws of God and do not rejoice in it because sometimes the desires of our hearts are diametrically opposed to the leadings of the Holy Spirit. When this is the case you bring yourselves to reality for as Jesus said,
“The gate is wide and the road is easy that leads to destruction, and there are many who take it.
For the gate is narrow and the road is hard that leads to life, and there are few who find it”. Matthew 7:13-14.
Sometimes when we refuse to heed the law bad results come quickly, but sometimes it takes a couple of years or even many years to come to pass.
Bad results or even disaster will certainly come in one form or another. So we encourage each other to do what God wants over the long haul for when the positive outcome arrive and we are faithful, our hearts wil rejoice.
Remember therefore the Ten Commandments and other commandments for they are pure and enlighten the eyes. Consider them carefully:
“You shall have no other gods before Me.
You shall not make for yourself an idol.
You shall not make wrongful use of the name of the Lord your God.
Remember the Sabbath Day and keep it holy.
Honor your father and your mother”.
Is any of that and the rest of the Commandments hard to understand?
Not reslly! It is simplicity itself.
Some parts of the Bible might seem to be difficult to understand but what is simple and easy to understand is sufficient to enlighten you, clarify the priorities that should be in your life, and as one writer puts it:
“guide you in such a way that we will not crash and burn”.
It is therefore most foolish, self-damaging, and therefore evil to neglect the testimony of God, the Holy Scriptures, and spend time reading only other books. There may be excellent truths in other books, but if one wants comfort against outward trouble as well as inward fears, with joys to warm the heart and the soul, there is nothing available to man but the Holy Scriptures.
We must warn ourselves for it is often easy to be deluded and deceived by the world for as one writer states:
“Not good is some of these alluring, gossamer-like philosophies which float around today suggesting, for example, that pleasure is the reason for which you exist, that to enjoy yourself is the supreme object in life, that anything you do toward that end is right.
But the word of God says, “No, that is not right!”
God is the One who ultimately will give pleasure. It will be beyond anything you ever dreamed. But to follow pleasure for pleasure’s sake is the way of death, and it will lead you on to that.
The testimony of the Word, is sure”.
It is amazing how often you hear in the church recitation of these secular, human psychology based doctrines and philosophies which sound attractive and seem to bear some relationship to what the word of God is saying.
But if you examine these secular modern of ancient thinking or psychology you will find the small amounts of truth is then loaded over with deceptive satanic doctrines.
Remember the Bible is realistic and it looks at life and analyses it as it is, never treating evil including idolatry, gender changes sexual sins such as homosexuality, greed, violence, and abuse as inconsequential. It reveals them as terrible distortions of human nature into which people are trapped and unable or unwilling to be freed.
Verse 9. The psalmist now switches his focus and so he stresses that the truth of God is clean in itself, and therefore cleanses out love of sin and sanctifies the heart. It keeps man clean. There is no uncleanness or filth, and there is no decay or corruption.
Hence the psalmist declares the “ordinances” of God, this is another word for “law”, is altogether true and righteous.
When the psalmist speaks of the “fear” of God, note that the word “fear” means honest respect for God. This fear produces a clean quality of life.
Why is that so?
The grace of God is pure and it cannot be described. The will of God never changes and continues forever. It is eternal.
The Word is reliable, dependable and they can be counted on to give right guidance.
Since there is no decay, and the Word of God cleanses spiritually and keeps away sin, those who enter into the “fear of God” will be kept from defiling themselves.
God’s Words reflect Him. His judgments are completely true, excellent, and commend themselves in every respect, being unimpeachable. They are righteous just as how God is righteous. He is long-suffering but will not tolerate iniquity forever.
This is permanent truth.
The Apostle Paul therefore in Romans 1::18 tell us plainly that the wrath of God is certain for those in rebellion against Him. He states:
“For the wrath of god is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness:
Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shown it unto them.
For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen”.
Verses 10-11. Because these are God’s words, they have immense value. They have tremendous positive effects on those that observe outGod’s words. It causes integrity, loyalty, uprightness, purity, and growth in righteousness.
Honey is one of the sweetest, most enjoyable, and beneficial foods known to man. Gold is one of the most invaluable of treasures.
But the word of God in terms of its qualities and its ability to transform the godly, is of infinitely greater value that the most valued objects that man want and strive to obtain.
The pleasure that a person gets from the correct understanding of the testimony of God are most delightful. Earthly enjoyments cannot compare with them. They are more precious and sweeter than anything earthly that man knows.
There are therefore clearly two arguments for loving the statutes and commandments of God. They are profitable, or more profitable that obtaining fine gold, and pleasurable, more pleasurable that the sweetest pleasure that earth has to offer.
They are enriching
One writer comments:
“The Law of God is wonderfully pleasant, marvelously pleasure producing.
Never forget that there is great reward in keeping the laws of God. The psalmist knows this very well
Verses 12-13. He therefore turns to consider the errors into which he and us fall. He speaks of his hidden faults and his sins.
He has testified about the perfections of God the Creator. He has told us about the perfect, holy, and great rewarding laws of God and so he makes it clear to all that he is not perfect.
He has contrasted the perfection of God and His order with his own life and as he knows that there is nothing hidden from God whether they be sins of the heart of sins done in secret so he asks God for mercy.
He prays that God will keep him from sins of presumption which means sins of arrogance. These sins are found in people who are insolent with regard to God’s laws. They follow the ways of the wicked, take the path that sinners follow, and sit in the seat of the scornful.
This therefore is a prayer for deliverance from the ungodly and not only from people with only a bad attitude.
So the psalmist prays that God will cleanse him from secret faults and deliver him from the works of the ungodly people who are around him.
Remember these people smiled with David but behind his back called him a tottering fence and a shaky wall that would soon fall down.
David knows he has a propensity to do sins and he knows he needs the help of God for if God does not help him he will become guilty of the “great transgression” for which the wicked in Psalm 1 are accused.
So very conscious of his imperfections he prays that his words, his prayers, will be acceptable to God.
Note in Verse 14 that he calls Yahweh his Rock. He knows Yahweh is strong and cannot be moved and if he builds his life on that Rock of Yahweh he will be seen as wise for he will be safe from storms and floods given his strong foundation. See Matthew 7:24-25.
Note he also calls Yahweh his go-ali his ge-uliym. Translators tell us this word is translated “Redeemer”, the person required by Levitical law to bring redemption to an impoverished family member that had been forced to sell themselves into slavery in order to survive.
Yahweh is thus his savior and his Redeemer.
May the Holy Spirit teach that lesson to us, so that we might behave in the correct way. Please therefore commit your ways to the ways of God.
2 TIMOTHY 3:14-17
We must now remind ourselves of the great importance of Context when we Study Scripture.
Let us note therefore the predictions of the Apostle Paul in the Verses 3:1-5 preceding those in our Text:
“In the last days, grevious times will come.
For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money,
Boastful, arrogant, blasphemers,
Disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy
Without natural affection,
Unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, fierce.
No lovers of good, traitors, headstrong, conceited,
Lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of god;
Holding a form of godliness, but having denied its power.”
Imposters will come and Timothy is praised for following his teachings but warned about what he will meet.
Our Study now faces the issue of authority and we realize that men have different positions on this matter. One scholar lists four positions for our examination:
- One is the position of religious liberalism with its subjective source of authority, where the ultimate truth which is the final authority final of men is arrived at by religious experience, or insights they have, or by reason, or by what man feels is common sense.
- A second position is the source of authority is the Scripture plus tradition. So this is co-authority with Scripture plus church tradition.
- A third position is that Jesus Christ is the authority. Scripture is said to reflect the mind of God and that is mediated to us trough Jesus Christ, for Jesus Christ is revealed in the Scripture, The question which should then be asked is, Is Jesus Christ here in what is said and proposed? Jesus certainly is the one through God created the world and He has been God’s message as by Himself He purged our sins and now is seated at the right hand of the Majesty on High.
- Jesus Christ is God’s message to us and He has spoken to us through His son. The message we are sent is concerning His Son Jesus Christ. One writer makes clear what the divine self-revelation is:“Jesus did not write any books, he did not actually give us anything in writing. What we have concerning Jesus Christ has come to us through generally speaking, the apostles who were commissioned by the Lord Jesus Christ to give us the Scriptures. So we have some individuals, Paul is one of them, who have given us the New Testament…. This is Volume two, this is God’s self-revelation. His revelation in his word is composed of an Old Testament and a New Testament. The Old Testament which has come through the prophets and the New Testament which has come directly from the Son intermediately through the Apostles to us as the New Testament Scriptures. So that the two together, the Old and the New Testament make God’s divine self-regulation in his word”.
Note the importance of what the Christian teaching is on the divine self-revelation, which is the correct revelation.
“The one thing that distinguishes Christianity from every other religion is the fact that we have a resurrected Lord. And that this resurrection of Jesus Christ is attested by competent witnesses. Not by any one book, but by many witnesses” states one scholar.
Many people do not remember that fact and so this scholar reminds us as follows about how the Bible and the revelation of God in the New Testament was put together.
This is a unique and quite extraordinary compilation of the revelation of God. Nothing like that can be seen in human history of knowledge. This scholar states:
“The books of the New Testament are twenty-seven in number. These twenty-seven books circulated for many years as separate testimonies. The bible did not come into existence at once. The first book of the bible may have been written in the 40s of the 1st Century. The last book of the bible was no doubt written in the 90s.
For fifty years, perhaps or forty years, the New Testament was I the process of being written. And the books, as they circulated separately.
As far as we know the Pauline epistles were not collected together in total until about, at the earliest 90 A.D. The gospels were not collected together as a group of gospels until about 140, at the earlisst A D.
But we know as the New Testament was not collected together and circulated as a book until the latter part of th 2nd Century, so these testimonies that we have in the New Testament now in this one book are separate testimonies.
Mark’s testimony is a separate testimony. Luke’s testimony is a separate testimony. Matthew’s as a separate testimony. John’s is a separate testimony. Paul’s is a separate testimony. And within their own testimonies they have separate testimonies of many other individuals such as Mary Magdalene and so on.
So that we have, in the resurrection of Jesus Christ, an authenticated historically event that we doo not have in any other revelation, so-called revelation.
Now not only do we have the Christian revelation attested by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, but I think that it is true and honest and accurate to say that the best attested fact of ancient history is the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
We have more testimony to that event than we have for any other ancient fact. That might startle you but it is true.
As a matter of fact in the bible, which we possess, or the New Testament, I have a Hebrew Old Testament there and this is a Greek New Testament. Now this Greek New Testament we have approximately five thousand manuscripts of the Greek New Testament. We do not have any other book of ancient times that has anything like the testimony to the credibility and reliability than we have for the New Testament.
We have not only five thousand approximately, manuscripts of the Greek New Testament, we also have other copies of the New Testament that we made extremely early.
So when we come to the question of the Christian revelation we should not be ashamed of the evidence that we possess because we possess the strongest evidence for the resurrection that we could possibly have, I think”.
The Christian case is solid and it has survived numerous attacks. There is no need to fear attacks by naysayers. Christian scholarship is solid.
Verse 14. Paul wrote this letter to Timothy while he was under house arrest and waited for the date of his execution by beheading.
This is one of the saddest letters in the Scripture for Paul loved Timothy and since he knew he would not be around to help Timothy to stay the course he urged Timothy to abide in the place or position where he was spiritually, remaining and staying the course
It would require great faith and self-discipline to practice faith, honesty and sexual purity, and not to be like those in the Paul had described in 3:1-13.
So the apostle reminded Timothy he had learned knowledge of Scripture from his believing mother Eunice and his believing grandmother Lois, as well as learning from the Apostle.
He should remember the fact that his mother and grandmother loved him and wanted the best for him. They therefore taught him from he was born the things that were right and that would bring him the great reward of eternal life.
Verse 15.He had benn taught from the Scriptures from childhood. These were Holy Scriptures and therefore they had words pf divine wisdom that would make him wise. He would inherit salvation for wisdom would bring salvation through faith which is in Jesus Christ.
Note that all the New Testament had not yet been written and so salvation had been taught him and his mother and grandmother by the Old Testament Scriptures.
The Scriptures had contained saving power for God had revealed salvation through His Word. Remember that the Holy Spirit had inspired men to write the Scriptures.
Salvation had therefore come through faith in Jesus Christ. (John 14:6).
Verses 16-17. The apostle therefore would remind Timothy that every Scripture is God-breathed (Greek theopneustou) and so we see the combination of what God theos did and He breathed pneustou.
We are therefore reminded of God breathing into man the breath of life and man then became a living soul. Genesis 2:7.
Then we learned in the Book of Ezekiel that God’s breath animated and raised to life the dry bones of the nation of Israel.
It might help to consider what it means by God- breathing the Scriptures. One writer tells us of some differing views on this matter:
- Some believe in verbal inspiration—that God, in essence, inspired writers word-by-word, as if the words were dictated and written exactly asGod intended. That raises questions. Why are the vocabularies and styles of biblical writers so different and distinctive? Did God also inspire the transmission of the manuscripts through the ages? Has God inspired writers word-by-word, would’nt he also manage the process of transmission and translation?
- Others believe that God inspired the writers to convey God’s message, but in the words of the authors.
But whatever your favourite theory is about inspiration be aware that the Apostle Paul assured Timothy that all Scripture is a faithful guide. “It is profitable for teaching, for reproof (rebuking, and for instruction in righteousness”.
Those in the Christian community who profess to be believers must understand that their beliefs and actions must be in sync with Scripture. You are not allowed to develop your “own” rules which do not come from Scripture.
The aim of Scripture is to produce complete or fully qualified and equipped men and women of God who will do “good work”.
So no believer has any excuses for not being proficient in Scripture.
If you believe With God all things are possible as stated in Mark14:16 you have no excuse for you can know Scriptures well just as Timothy’s mother and grandmother did.
One witty person described evangelism in this way, “Evangelism is just one beggar telling another beggar where to find bread”.
So you have no excuses. It is simpler than you think. So-called ordinary people are inspired by the Holy Spirit to carry the message of divine revelation to everyone in the world.
CONCLUSION
The creation activity of God is enormous and intricate and its scope is more than we can fathom.
We therefore can only stand in awe and sing:
“All things bright and beautiful,
All creatures great and small,
All things wise and wonderful,
The Lord God made them all”.
One writer Annie Dillard gives us a taste of the enormity of creation in her Book Pilgrim at Tinker Creek. Another writer quotes her thus:
“I am sitting under a sycamore at Tinker Creek….underneath me, directly under the weight of my body…are other creatures….Take just the top inch of soil, the world squirming right under my palms.
In the top inch of forest soil, biologists found an average of 1,356 living creatures present in each square foot, including 865 mites, 265 springtails, 22 millipedes, 19 adult beetles, and various numbers of 12 other forms….
Had an estimate also been made of the microscopic populations, it might have ranged up to two billion bacteria and many millions of fungi, protozoa and algae—in a mere teaspoonful of soil” (pp. 95-96).
So our God is fantastic. He is loving, cating for all os us and His creation. He was planned perfectly and will save us.
We will spend eternity learning about His wonders, knowing fully well we will never run out of new and exciting things to learn in eternity.
So never give up that new state He will take us into. Remember the Apostle is telling us to be wise unto salvation through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.