Pentecost 20 THE FOCUS IS ON THE
FUNCTION! 10/14 & 17/04
Please turn in your Bibles to 2 Timothy 3, starting at verse
14. Paul writes to his apprentice
Timothy regarding Holy Scripture and Christian living. Paul writes briefly about the “nature” or
“authority” of Scripture, and then devotes
his attention to the “function” of Scripture. THE FOCUS IS ON THE FUNCTION!
In
vs. 16 Paul writes clearly about the “authority” of
Scripture: “All Scripture is
inspired by God.” Other translations
read “The whole Bible is inspired by God.” This is the teaching of our denomination, this
congregation, and your two Pastors. I
especially like the New International Bible translation, “Every Scripture is
God-breathed,” utilizing the Greek word “theopneustos.” “Theo” means “God” and “pneustos”---the root
of our words pneumonia and pneumatic---meaning “air” or “breath.” No generation has worked any harder at discrediting
the Bible than the generations living today!
Within the Christian Church there are scholars who declare that the
Bible is simply the product of the hopes and expectations of early
Christians. Quoting from Scripture,
though thankfully both Presidential candidates did in the recent debate, is
often met with disdain by our secular world, resulting in a strange
Scriptural-silence within the Church.
God calls His Church to believe that “All
Scripture/Every Scripture,” yes “The
whole Bible” is “inspired by God.” If you disagree, your argument is with no
less God and
Paul’s
FOCUS, though, IS ON THE FUNCTION of Scripture…it’s purpose and impact, God’s
reason for giving it to us. First of
all, we are to teach the Scripture to even the youngest amongst us, as Paul
refers to “from childhood” in vs. 15. Many in our congregation were not afforded
childhood teaching of Holy Scripture and, this, for a variety of reasons. Many of our adults are actually studying
Scripture for the first time in their lives.
I am saddened it has taken so long and gladdened that it is now taking
place! Holy Scripture is not inspired by
God to be simply one among many good or interesting pieces of literature. Scripture is not given to us simply to be
read and discussed like some top 10 best-selling novel. God gave us the Bible for the function of
instruction…still in vs.
15, “the sacred writings that are
able to instruct you for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus,” and again in vs. 16, “and
is useful for teaching.” The word “scripture” means “sacred
writings” and it is clear that the
function of Holy Scripture is instructional, not merely informational!
Paul
writes, in 4:3,
that “the time is coming when people will
not put up with sound doctrine.” I
am increasingly certain that “the time”
Paul writes about has come and we are living in it. Turn, please, to 2 Timothy 3:1 as Paul
more specifically describes “the time”
he believes “is coming”: “People will be lovers of themselves, lovers
of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient of their parents, ungrateful,
unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal,
not lovers of the good…” and the reading continues on. Does any of this sound familiar? Might this describe much of the mood of our
world in these days? The biblical instruction is given at the end of vs. 5: “Have
nothing to do with them.”
THE
FOCUS IS ON THE FUNCTION of Holy Scripture, and the function is: “teaching the faith; correcting error; resetting the direction of a man’s life; and
training him in good living.” This
final function is stated even more powerfully in the Jerusalem Bible: “for teaching us how to be holy.” We confess that we believe in “the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic
Church,” but the Church has a long way to go in terms of “holiness.” I see, as likely do you, evidence of unholy
living within the group of people calling themselves Christians. I hear gossip and see the damage it causes; I
see infidelity and feel the hurt it causes; I hear unkind words and know the
division such words create; I witness people “tearing” other people down, when
we have been taught…some of us since childhood… to build people up! This is one of the great errors or blemishes
of the Church. Our finest ministries are
terribly diminished by our destructive words.
The testimony of our most faithful people is diluted by the hurtful talk
of others. Such talk and such actions
and such attitudes are all indications of immature faith…they are evidence of
the devil’s daily desire to be present within the Church…evidence of the moment
to moment challenge of walking with Christ, not just talking of
Christ. We know better, we’ve been
taught better, and we can do better.
“The Bible tells me so”--- Amen.
Copyright © October, 2004
Publish by permission
only. Contact Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church