The Doctrine of the Word of God

Jeremy Bell
September 11, 2022
2 Timothy 3:16-17
Sermon Recap PDF

Introduction

“The heavens declare the glory of God.” – Psalm 19:1

“For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For His invisible attributes, namely, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.” – Romans 1:19-20

I. Inspiration of Scripture

“We therefore receive all 66 books of the Old and New Testaments as the perfect, infallible and authoritative Word of God.” – SG SoF

II. Inerrancy of Scripture

“If the Bible is indeed God breathed, it follows that it must be true and reliable. To assume that God could speak a word that was contrary to that fact is to assume that God Himself cannot operate without error. The very nature of God, therefore, is at stake. If we assert that the autographs of Scripture contain error we are saying that God is guilty of having told us something that is not true.” – Edward J. Young

“The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul.” – Psalm 19:7

“Because they come from the Holy Spirit, the sacred writings cannot contain error.” – Augustine

“O Lord God, You are God, and Your words are true.” – 2 Samuel 7:28

III. Authority of Scripture

“The authority of scripture means that all the words in Scripture are God’s words in such a way that to believe or disobey any word of scriptures is to disbelieve or disobey God.” – Wayne Grudem

“There is not a promise – not a word in the Bible – that is not ours. In the depths of tribulation, it will comfort. In the midst of the waves of distress, it will cheer. When sorrows surround, it will be our helper.” – Charles Spurgeon

Authority is the right or power to require obedience…From the perspective of the Christian faith, God has the supreme right and power to require obedience because He is the Creator and Lord of all men…More particularly, has God provided a source from which we may arrive at His truth and thus bring ourselves under His authority. – Bruce Milne

IV. Sufficiency of Scripture

“His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us to His own glory and excellence, 4 by which He has granted to us His precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature” – 2 Peter 1:3-4

“You shall not add to the word that I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God” – Deuteronomy 4:2

“Believers live by every word that comes from the mouth of God. The Word of God is therefore necessary and wholly sufficient for knowing the Father’s love in Christ, experiencing His glorious plan of redemption, and being instructed in the way of fruitful and godly living.” – SG SoF

Questions for Discussion/Application:

• Re-read the text, 2 Timothy 3:16-17. Consider reading, out loud, the entirety of Section 1 of the Sovereign Grace Statement of Faith.
• What initial insights and observations do you have from reading 2 Tim. 3:16-17 as well as Section 1 of the Statement of Faith?
• The SoF says, “Believers live by every word that comes from the mouth of God. The Word of God is therefore necessary and wholly sufficient for knowing the Father’s love in Christ, experiencing his glorious plan of redemption, and being instructed in the way of fruitful and godly living.”  Why is it so important that we as believers grasp the doctrine of the sufficiency of scripture? Practically, in our own lives, what does it mean that scripture is “sufficient” ? When we encounter difficult times, in what ways can we be tempted to treat scripture as not sufficient for the challenges we face?
• Re- read the quotes above regarding the authority of scripture. In what ways can cultural pressure tempt Christians and churches to not fully yield and submit to biblical authority?
• In what ways do you want your life to come into greater submission to Christ, His rule, His reign, His authority?
• How do we apply the gospel to our failures to submit to Christ?
• Consider taking time to pray, asking God to help us to grow in loving the scriptures and submitting our lives to them.