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“All Scripture is breathed out by God
and profitable for teaching, for reproof,
for correction, and for training in righteousness,
that the man of God may be complete,
equipped for every good work.”
--2 Timothy 3:16-17
In just a few short words, the above passage covers the sufficiency and purposes of God’s word from every imaginable angle. Here, Paul was emphasizing to young Timothy the profound value of the Scriptures, referring to them as “sacred writings” (v. 15). The apostle understood this principle as few others did in his day. He was quite well-read in the written Word, while at the same time having religious roots in traditions that had slowly watered down the teachings of what we now call the Old Testament, replacing them with the traditions of men. We find in Matthew 15 and Mark 7 that Jesus gave the religious hierarchy a sharp rebuke for not recognizing this.
What is "God's Word"?
To be sure, let’s make clear the meaning of “God’s Word.” In discussions among most Bible believers, the phrase, “the Word of God” is accepted as meaning the Scriptures: the 66 canonical books found in the Old and New Testaments. Yet there are seemingly endless and various ways to confuse this. From Jeremiah 14:14 to to 1 John 4:1 we are warned against false prophets speaking in His name. From Genesis 3:1 to 2 Peter 3:16 we are told of those who distort and misinterpret what the Almighty has actually said and meant. So to avoid any confusion, when we say, “the Word of God,” we mean the written word of God.
When we read the Bible, we find the following words and phrases which emphasize its importance:
“For it is written…”
“Search the Scriptures…”
And perhaps the most comforting promise of all of these: “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.”
Having grown up in a religious system largely driven by the traditions of men (Matthew 15:1-9, Mark 7:1-13) I would grow increasingly frustrated as I was repeatedly told that “it’s a mystery” when asking certain questions pertaining to things we find in the pages of Scripture. So imagine my thrill when upon my true conversion that I realized that there is a steadfast anchor and a trustworthy, reliable source for all divine truth necessary to understand God’s plan of Creation, Fall, Redemption.
Literally over night, it was no longer the mystery I had long been told that it supposedly was.
"Thus says the LORD..."
"and the Scripture cannot be broken..."
"Your word is truth."
"Have you not read...?"
Its Proclamation
In what is possibly his last letter, the apostle Paul again wrote to Timothy telling him to "preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching." In this context, the admonition comes from one believer to another believer, and for that believer to proclaim it again to yet more believers. Further into chapter 4, Timothy is told why with a stark warning.
In other instances the word of God is to be made known to unbelievers. It goes without saying that God's message is not always received well by this group. In some cases the messenger-prophet was ignored, ridiculed, even killed.
At times it may be to a mixed crowd. In the opening verse of Isaiah 53 we are allowed insight into the frustration of the messenger: "Who has believed what he has heard from us? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?"
But this should never hinder us believers from conveying scriptural truth. In Romans 10 we are given a solid case for presenting His Word in clear terms.
Finally, we must always understand that when someone does receive the Word (and it sticks), it is due to the work of the Almighty Himself in that individual. Paul states in 1 Corinthians 2:14 that the only way anyone can understand the teachings of God is through His Holy Spirit. This means that, left our own devices, we do not and cannot understand them. But by His grace and Spirit, we can and do.
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