As we continue our study to become a theologian, I want to look today at why we can use the Bible as our starting point. The Bible as we know it has four characteristics:
- Authority
- Clarity
- Necessity
- Sufficiency
Let's look at what each of these mean.
Authority
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,
2 Timothy 3:16
- If Scripture is God-breathed (inspired by God), can we trust what it says about God?
- Who knows God better than God Himself? nobody
- If God inspired all of Scripture, then the Scripture itself has authority to tell us about God
Clarity
6 These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. 7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.
Deuteronomy 6:6-7
- Some of Scripture may be hard to understand, but for the most part, it is clear and easy to understand.
- Would we be commanded to teach it to our children if it couldn't be understood clearly?
- Would we be commanded to talk about it in different situations to different people if nobody could undertand it clearly?
Necessity
Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.
Matthew 4:4
- We know we need to eat to live. Jesus tells us that we need God's Word to live.
- If Jesus tells us we need God's Word to live, do you think we need it?
Sufficiency
16All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
2 Timothy 3:16-17
- Scripture equips us to do every good work.
- Are there things we should do that Scripture does not help us with? No
- You may also recall from our study of Psalm 119 that Scripture is useful for many things.
- Is there any thing else that we can take as having authority, clarity, and necessity? no
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