Why the Bible?

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Frequently avoided questions of the Christian faith
“Why the Bible?” 2 Timothy 3:14-17

Intro…The “bible” for tennis etc…
Big Pic: When we live the Bible instead of just speak the Bible, people will be able to see the transforming, life-changing power of this God inspired book.
• New Series based on the book, "Frequently avoide questions"

Text: 2 Timothy 3:14-17

The theme of chapter 3 in 2 Timothy is “Godlessness in the last days.”
• One of the things that makes people Godless is having no moral base to work from. vs. 1-5
• Paul addresses these problems with advice to follow his example,
v. 10-11
• Knowing, believing and living the Bible solves that problem.

Now, that all makes sense to those of us who are Christians and have read and studied the Bible for years.
• However, there are some people who have questions like:
• “What makes the Bible better than the Koran, the book of Mormon or “Conversations with God?” “You mean you actually believe the Bible?” “Do I have to read the whole thing…what is the really important stuff?” “What good does it do me to read the Bible?” “Wasn’t it just written by a bunch of men with a limited world view?”

From about 320 AD until the 17th and 18th centuries, the Bible was THE sacred book for the Western world.
• After the enlightenment, ( a philosophical movement of the 18th century, characterized by belief in the power of human reason and by innovations in political, religious, and educational doctrine.) the Bible still continued to influence culture, language, thought etc. throughout Europe and the New World.
• Here in America, among the founding fathers there were many aristocrats who rejected the deity of Jesus and denied the God-inspired Bible, yet continued to use Biblical language and images.
• Early on in the history of our nation, the Bible carried the weight of absolute authority.
• Most public communication in the original 13 colonies, written or spoken was influenced by the King James Bible.
• Over time there developed a more liberal view of the Bible and a more conservative view.
• There is actually some danger is both views of scripture.
• Liberals tend to dismiss some of the larger miracles and core doctrines of the faith.
• Conservatives sometimes go to the Bible as if it were an encyclopedia of religious and secular knowledge.
• They have a topic in mind, find a verse or verses that in some way refer to the topic and congratulate themselves on finding the truth. “God has spoken.”

I’ve said it before, but the Bible does not have an answer to every specific issue in life. (sex outside of marriage…Heb. 13:4, 1 Thessalonians 4, 1 Corinthians 6:18-20)
• The Bible is one large book consisting of stories, laws, poems, prophetic warnings, letters to churches etc.
• The Bible tells the overarching story of God, the plight of mankind and our divine redemption secured through Jesus and revealed to his people.
• We also need to remember that every verse in the Bible is embedded in a context that affects it’s meaning within that chapter, book, Old or New Testament and finally the entire Bible.
• The Bible is the word of God, but we shouldn’t use it as a club to win arguments (beating someone over the head with a Bible).
• The Bible may be “logical” to those of us studied it for years, but to the average non-Bible believing person, telling them the Bible “makes sense” doesn’t always work.
• Anyone can search the internet and find endless arguments against the Bible. Or people may just dismiss logic with a shrug of the shoulders.
• We live in a world of chaos and our worldview doesn’t always make sense, at least not to us humans.
• I believe we need to allow room for mystery and wonder as we study the sacred texts of the Bible…and to admit that sometimes it doesn’t “make sense.”

The Bible is alive and powerful!
• We need to approach the Bible with a sense of wonder, expecting to hear from God, wanting to hear truth and have our lives transformed.
• As we learn to properly interpret the Bible, we will be able to discover its depth, beauty and power.

Yet we can’t equate spiritual maturity only with Biblical knowledge.
• The critical issue is what effect the Bible produces in the lives of those who read it.
• Since there is more to the Bible that what is found in other holy texts, the proof will be in the loving lifestyle of people who travel the world demonstrating the kindness and integrity of Jesus.
• The Bible is God’s word to us today, but it’s also one grand story of God’s redemption of the human race.
• We are part of that story, ideally we should be living the bible.
• Our lives should show why we choose the Bible over other holy books, rather than just telling people or resorting to religious language.
• The Bible is the word of God and it does offer hope and salvation.

So, if you get to the point where you are ready to view the Bible as the inspired word of God that has real meaning for your life today, then Paul’s advice in vs. 14-17 will help.
• Continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed…that’s called studying the Bible.
• As you read and study, God works in and through you, making you wise for salvation through faith in Jesus Christ.

But here is the key: (v. 16)
“God breathed”, or “breathed out by God”
• At the time Paul wrote this these words applied to the OT and some of the NT writings.
• “God-breathed” comes from the Greek word: theopneustos. It’s the first time this word is used.
• This term emphasizes the divine origin and authority of the Bible.
• God worked through the authors of the Bible to make the scriptures inspired. These are words spoken by God.
• All of scripture is profitable in a variety of ways, ultimately leading to righteousness.

• Useful or profitable for teaching, reproof, correction and training in righteousness. What a great place to be!
• Then we are competent and equipped for every good work…which is the balance to having only head knowledge.

Remember, the Bible takes place in the real world, our world, the world of our experience.
• Into this world order, justice and mercy must be imposed because those things are not here inherently.
• Our world needs to be fixed, rescued and redeemed.

The people in the Bible, like us, are sinful and broken and need to be rescued and redeemed.
• The Bible is an “R” rated book with people we can relate to.

The common theme throughout the Bible is God’s salvation of mankind.
• Unlike other sacred texts, the Biblical story includes a Redeemer/savior who, even though he is transcendent, steps into the human story, embraces it as his own and loves us to the point of self-sacrifice.

Conclusion:
A great response to someone who questions the validity of the Bible is: “What have you heard about the Bible?” “What would make you want to read it?” “What is your most pressing spiritual concern?”
• When the story of our lives is defined by the story of the Bible, people will see the power of the Word.
• When we as Christians live lives that are loving, generous, hospitable, and compassionate… and when we speak the truth in love, the Bible becomes a real, believable book.