What is the Bible good for?
2 Timothy 3:16

I'm beginning a series on Paul's letter to the Galatians today. And the normal way of beginning such a series would be something like this:

I say, let's turn now to Paul's letter to the Galatians. Then I wax eloquent for a few minutes on the unique merits of this letter, and why we should study it. It is the Magna Carta of Christian Freedom, The Charter of God's grace, the rallying point of the reformation. And then we would read ch. 1 verse 1. "Paul, an apostle -- sent not from men nor by man, but from Jesus Christ and God the Father . . . " And from there we would march through the book chapter by chapter -- or perhaps plod grimly through verse by verse. And I would share with you as we go the gems of wisdom that I gleaned. And many of you would catch up on some much needed sleep.

I am not going to approach Galatians that way. In fact, I am not going to start with Galatians at all. The reason is this: I want this series to be not just about Galatians, but on how to study scripture. Galatians will be our testing ground, but my aim will be not just to learn something about the book of Galatians, but to learn something together about how to get as much as we can out of scripture.

With that in mind I want to begin our series not in Galatians, but in the book of 2 Timothy.

2 Timothy 3:14-16

In this very familiar passage Paul is giving advice to Timothy, a young and inexperienced pastor. And his central charge is this: In everything, hold fast to what you have been taught. In particular, hold fast to the scripture. Why is scripture so important? Paul makes two simple assertions to reinforce his point: First, he says, scripture is God-breathed. Second, he says that scripture is useful.

I'd like to look at each of these and try to unpack what Paul means and the implications for how we approach scripture.

1. First, Scripture is God-breathed.

To say that scripture is "God-breathed" is usually taken to be a statement about the trustworthiness of scripture -- and rightly so. Just as my breath originates from within me, scripture originates with God. And if it originates with God, it is trustworthy because God is trustworthy. God does not lie, and if God is the source of scripture, then scripture does not lie.

II Peter 1:19 states makes this point more clearly:
No prophecy of scripture is a matter of one's own interpretation, because no prophecy every came by the impulse of man, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.

Ultimately, scripture is not of human but of divine origin; therefore scripture is trustworthy. All scripture is trustworthy.

Now it's easy enough to say this -- but to be honest, it is much harder to actually accept in practice. Can I really believe that all scripture is trustworthy? How do I respond to the colleague or classmate who scoffs that the Bible is riddled with errors and contradictions? And how do I deal with my own doubts? I read passages of scripture, especially some in the Old Testament, and I think how did this get in here? It's fine to say that scripture is trustworthy -- the trouble comes with actually believing it when it counts. How can I be sure?

Well here's one way I could go about it: I could begin a painstaking life of scholarship, going systematically through the Bible and seeking to answer every single accusation of error or contradiction in the Bible. I could spend my whole life doing that -- seeking to establish the accuracy of every historical detail, solving every riddle, engaging in painstaking historical and archaeological research. Some Biblical scholars have done this, and have come away with a ever increasing confidence in the historical accuracy of the Bible. This kind of study has its place.

But to do this is like assessing the reliability of a house by examining every nail and screw in the entire structure. Imagine that I ask Bob to build me a new house -- you know we've been in this old house several months now, and it feels like its time for a change. And he builds a magnificent house. And imagine that when it is finally complete I stand outside, looking sceptical, and say, "I don't know, Bob, are you absolutely sure that every single nail is in place. Can you prove to me that every screw is properly tightened." Would I demand proof that everything was absolutely perfect before I would risk going in? Absolutely not. I would not hesitate to move in. I would have no fear that the floor would collapse, or the roof cave in. Why? Because I know and trust the builder. And the longer I lived in the house, the greater my confidence in the builder would grow. Once moved in there is plenty of opportunity to examine nails and to marvel at the workmanship -- and perhaps to figure out why on earth he did it in this particular way. The trustworthiness of scripture calls us first of all to move in -- to put ourselves under its shelter -- not first of all because we have confidence in the Bible , but because we have confidence in its author .

There is nothing wrong with examining the structure of a house. But that is not what it is built for. It is built to be lived in -- to provide warmth, shelter and to be a place of joy. It would be foolish to stay out in the cold because of fear that a nail or two might be out of place. Similarly, there is nothing wrong with testing the accuracy of scripture -- that that is not what it is given to us for. It was meant to be lived out -- to be a guide, a light, a source of joy. I could have full confidence in the accuracy of scripture -- I could believe every detail -- but it wouldn't matter a bit if I wasn't willing to live according to it. What matters is that I trust it enough to rely on.

I have lots of questions and doubts about things I find in scripture. I have no idea why alot of things are there. Believing that scripture is "God breathed" does not mean having all of my questions or doubts taken away -- it means that I have confidence enough to move in, and to live under the shelter of scripture.

When Paul asserts that scripture is God-breathed he means that it is trustworthy. Is that all? I have a math textbook here -- and it is truthful and accurate -- I know of no mistakes in it. It is true in all that it affirms. Completely trustworthy. Is it God-breathed? Of course not!

When Paul says that scripture is God-breathed, he means not just trustworthy, but also life-giving. In the NT world, breath was the symbol of life. A persons spirit within them, the essence of their life is called his or her pneuma -- her breath. [Same root as pneumonia]. And the Holy Spirit is the Pneuma of God -- the Breath of God.

Imagine an astronaut on a space walk. What sustains his or her life? It is the thin hose that connects to their spaceship and brings them oxygen. Without it the astronaut has no air and dies. Similarly, scripture is our life line. It communicates the very life of God, the very heart of God to us. Cut it and you will suffer spiritual asphyxiation. That is why the Psalm writers tell us that scripture Preserves life and revives the soul.

So when I go to the scriptures, I don't go there for interesting facts. I don't go to them for information as I might go to a textbook. No I go to breathe -- to have my soul revived. To take deep breaths -- great gulps -- of the life-giving and life-sustaining breath of God.

The scriptures are life to me because they lead me into the presence of God -- because they teach me who I really am, because they guide me in life-giving ways. The scriptures connect me to God in a way that nothing else in my early experience can. They are the my spiritual life-line.

All scripture is God breathed -- That means scripture is trustworthy -- I can cling to it and it will not let me down. And scripture is life-giving -- it is like oxygen to a drowning man.

Paul's second assertion is simply this:

All scripture is useful.

Useful for what? Lots of books are useful. I have this very useful do-it-yourself book at home. Is that the kind of usefulness the Bible has? Pull it out when you have a particular spiritual problem to fix and follow the step by step instructions -- then put it back on the shelf until the next project comes along. That's the way I have at times used the Bible.

But that isn't the sort of usefulness Paul is talking about. Scripture isn't useful in the way that a textbook or reference book is useful . . .

Scripture is useful as food is useful. Look at Psalm 19 -- (verse 7 -- then skip to verse 10) Throughout the Bible, God's word is compared to food. In fact the Prophet Ezekiel was told to eat a scroll -- he claimed it tasted like sweet, like honey. Don't try that at home. And Jeremiah says "When your words came, I ate them. They were my joy and my hearts delight."

There are two ways that scripture is like food: First, it nourishes and sustains us spiritually. "He who keeps the commandment keeps his life; he who despises the word will die." (Pr 19:16) Without a regular diet of food we waste away physically. Without a regular diet of scripture we waste away spiritually. Scripture revives the soul as food revives the body.

But scripture is also sweet! It is not like military rations, which sustain, but give little pleasure. To to those who desire God's presence, the scripture is like honey.

But you should not come to scripture expecting only sweetness -- it is also useful in more painful ways . . .



Scripture is useful as a scalpel is useful. It cuts! Scripture is God's surgical instrument for cutting away sin.

For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. Hebrews 4:12.

That's why Paul tells Timothy that scripture is useful for rebuke and correction.

Scripture is useful as a light is useful. We don't properly appreciate light until we are caught in total darkness. I vividly remember waking up in total darkness at the Monastery of Saint Catherines at Mount Sinai in Egypt. The generator had of course been turned off during the night, and when we awoke we found we had no light -- no candles, no flashlight. Yet we had to pack to catch an early bus before dawn. We were so desperate for light that we packed by the light of my digital watch. It is amazing what a difference a small light can make in a dark place.

And similarly, it is when we feel most in the dark, that scripture often means the most to us. Scripture is a light that pierces the darkness of doubt, of despair and of uncertainty.

Ps 19:8 the commands of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes.
Pr. 3:16 Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.



I have only one simple application -- put scripture to use. It is your life-line. Don't cut it off. It is your spiritual breakfast. It is the surgeons knife that brings healing, and the a light in the darkness.