Sunday School Lesson

1. 2 Timothy 3:14-17; 4:1-5
Enduring.
The Importance of the Scriptures.
August 4, 2019
First Baptist Church
Jackson, Mississippi
USA

2. What’s the number one thing?
https://www.allenschool.edu/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/number-1.jpg

3. The Glory of God!
http://www.thecitychurch.org.uk/sites/default/files/glory-god.jpg

4. 1 Corinthians 10:31 NKJV
31 Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you
do, do all to the glory of God.
http://www.nmnewsandviews.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/glory-of-God.jpg

5. References
•MacArthur, John, The MacArthur Study Bible NKJV
(Nashville, Nelson Publishing, 1997).
•NIV Study Bible (Grand Rapids, Zondervan Publishing,
1985).
•The Baptist Faith and Message, A Statement Adopted
by the Southern Baptist Convention, June 14, 2002.
•Morgan, Robert J, 100 Bible Verses Everyone Should
Know By Heart (Nashville, B & H Publishing, 2010).

6. Focus of Today’s Lesson
•Read 2 Timothy 3:14-17; 4:1-5 (NIV 1985) and let the
Scriptures speak for themselves.
•Study the importance of 2 Timothy 3:16-17 and what
these have in common with John 3:16.
•Tips on how to study the Bible.

7. Introduction to 2 Timothy
•Paul is again imprisoned in Rome by Emperor Nero
when writing this 2nd letter to Timothy.
•Timothy is the Pastor of the Church in Ephesus.
•Paul’s imprisonment this time is in a cold dungeon in
chains.
•Paul knows his life and work is nearly at an end.
•This letter is his final words to Timothy and the
church.

8. 2 Timothy 3:14-17 NIV
14 But as for you, continue in what you have learned
and have become convinced of, because you know
those from whom you learned it, 15 and how from
infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are
able to make you wise for salvation through faith in
Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is
useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in
righteousness, 17 so that the servant of God may be
thoroughly equipped for every good work.

9. 2 Timothy 4:1-4 NIV
1 In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge
the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his
kingdom, I give you this charge: 2 Preach the word; be
prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and
encourage —with great patience and careful instruction.
3 For the time will come when people will not put up with
sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will
gather around them a great number of teachers to say what
their itching ears want to hear. 4 They will turn their ears
away from the truth and turn aside to myths.

10. “what itching ears want to hear.”

11. 2 Timothy 4:5 NIV
5 But you, keep your head in all situations, endure
hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the
duties of your ministry.

12. 2Timothy 3:16 “All Scripture is God-breathed”
•“All Scripture” – primary reference to OT, since most
of the NT had not been written at this time (66-67
AD).
•Matthew, Mark, Luke and John had been written by
now.
•Paul’s letters had all been written and 2 Timothy was
his last.
•Paul is referring to all Scripture in OT and NT.

13. “All Scripture is God-breathed”
•Scripture – graphe (Greek) means “writings.”
•God-breathed – theopneustos (Greek) – only place
where this word is used in whole Bible.
•Paul does not point to the human authors of Scripture
as inspired people but says that the writings
themselves (Scripture) are inspired words spoken
(“breathed-out”) by God.

14. Clarification of Terms
•Infallible – Without error; there were no errors in the
original manuscripts of the inspired Scriptures.
•Errors have occurred in translation.
•Inerrant – All that the Bible affirms is true with no
error in the content.
•Interpretation – The Holy Spirit guides each believer in
personal interpretation of Scriptures; Priesthood of
believers and personal responsibility.

15. Peter reinforces Paul’s statement on the
authority of Scripture.
•2 Peter 1:20-21 NIV
20 Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of
Scripture came about by the prophet’s own
interpretation of things. 21 For prophecy never had its
origin in the human will, but prophets, though human,
spoke from God as they were carried along by the
Holy Spirit.
•Prophecy is all the writings of the prophets, not just
end times predictions.

16. “useful for teaching,”
•Teaching (doctrine) – The divine instruction or
doctrinal content of both the OT and NT.
•The scripture provides the comprehensive and
complete body of divine truth necessary for life and
godliness.

17. “useful for rebuking,”
•Rebuking (reproof) – Rebuke for wrong behavior or
wrong belief.
•The Scripture exposes sin that can then be dealt with
through confession and repentance.

18. “useful for correcting”
•Correcting – The restoration of something to its
proper condition.
•The word appears only here in the NT, but it was used
in Greek language for uprighting an object or helping
back to their feet those who had stumbled.

19. “useful for training in righteousness.”
•Scripture not only rebukes wrong behavior but points
the way back to godly living.
•The goal of Scripture is righteousness.

20. The Baptist Faith and Message, 2000
1. The Scriptures
“The Holy Bible was written by men divinely inspired and is
God’s revelation of Himself to man. It is a perfect treasure of
divine instruction. It has God for its author, salvation for its
end, and truth, without any mixture of error, for its matter.
Therefore, all scripture is totally true and trustworthy. It
reveals the principles by which God judges us, and therefore
is, and will remain to the end of the world, the true center
of Christian union, and the supreme standard by which all
human conduct, creeds and religious opinions should be
tried. All Scripture is a testimony to Christ, who is Himself
the focus of divine revelation.”

21. Tips on how to study the Bible:
•Hermeneutics – The study of the principles and
methods of interpreting the text of the Bible.
•The purpose of biblical hermeneutics is to help us to
know how to properly interpret, understand and apply
the Bible.

22. Basic assumptions in studying the Bible:
•The Holy Bible is God-breathed; it is God’s inspired
words to man.
•The Holy Bible is the complete source of all truth.
•The Holy Bible is the ultimate standard and authority
for all of life.
•The “whole counsel of God” must be sought when
studying the Bible.
•The Holy Spirit must be sought when studying the
Bible.

23. The role of the Holy Spirit in reading and
interpreting the Bible.
•John 14:26 NIV
26 “But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father
will send in my name, will teach you all things and will
remind you of everything I have said to you.”

24. Tips for studying the Bible:
1. The Bible should be interpreted literally.
2. The Bible should be read in historical context.
3. Read the Bible existentially.
4. Interpret the narrative by the didactic.
5. Recognize analogical language relating to God.
6. Be careful to observe the various literary forms.
7. Recognize the difference between proverbs and laws.
8. The “spirit of the law vs. the letter of the law.”
9. Be careful with extra-biblical sources.
10. Be patient with difficult passages.

25. 1. The Bible should be interpreted literally.
•The Bible says what it means and means what it says.
•Pay attention to the meaning of English words and the
translations from Hebrew and Greek.
•The Blue Letter Bible website is a helpful reference.
• https://www.blueletterbible.org/

26. 1. The Bible should be interpreted literally.
•Do not allegorize scripture.
•It is not just fabricated fictional stories with hidden
meanings and multiple applications.
•Jesus did turn the water to wine.
•Jesus did feed 5000 people with 5 loaves and 2 fish.
•There may be a scientific explanation by man of how a
miracle occurred, but it is still a miracle. (Example of
the plagues of Egypt)

27. 2. The Bible should be read in historical
context.
•Research the life setting and occasion of the scripture.
•Determine the purpose for the writing.
•Scriptures do have universal application even though
written for a specific situation.
•Read all the Scripture cross-references.

28. 3. Read the Bible existentially.
•Try to place yourself in the “sandals of Abraham.”
•Read the passage as if you were there and
experiencing the feelings of the person.
•Put yourself in the context.
•Pray for the Holy Spirit to guide your study.
•Be careful with the “Lucky Dip.” (Opening the Bible
and pointing to a verse.)

29. 3. Read the Bible existentially.
• Put yourself under the microscope of Scripture for God to
show you where you need to grow.
• Accept what the Bible says as true whether you agree with
it or not.
• The trend today is when you find something in the Bible you
don’t like or agree with, just change the Bible.
• Redaction criticism & higher criticism – Forms of Biblical
criticism that tend to discredit the authenticity and authorship
of the Bible.
• Do not change or discredit the Bible, use the difficult
passages to help you mature spiritually thru the help of the
Holy Spirit.

30. 4. Interpret the narrative by the didactic.
•Use Scripture to interpret Scripture.
•The narrative (story) written about an actual event
must be interpreted by the didactic. (explanations
given in the teaching or instructive letters)
•An example:
•The meaning of the cross and the crucifixion cannot
be understood by just reading the story; the Apostles
explain the importance of the event in later writings.

31. 5. Recognize analogical language relating to
God.
•God reveals Himself in the Bible with figurative
language, rather than literal descriptions, for our
human understanding.
•In this way, the Bible attributes human actions to God,
such as smelling, hearing, sitting, emotions, hands,
eyes, memory, etc.
•The narrative may be told as if God is a human, but
the didactic teaches that God is not human.

32. 6. Be careful to observe the various literary
forms.
• The example of parallelism found in Hebrew literature.
• Isaiah 45:7 KJV
7 I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and
create evil: I the LORD do all these things.
• The KJV is an incorrect translation because it says that
God creates evil.
• Isaiah 45:7 NIV
7 I form the light and create darkness,
I bring prosperity and create disaster;
I, the LORD, do all these things.
• The verse is about contrasts and God’s sovereignty.

33. 6. Be careful to observe the various literary
forms.
•Another example of parallelism– The Lord’s Prayer
•Matthew 6:13a KJV
13a “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us
from evil:”
•“evil” is an incorrect translation in KJV for Satan.
•Matthew 6:13 NIV
13 “And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.”
•The verse is about help and deliverance in temptation.

34. 7. Recognize the difference between proverbs
and the law.
•Proverb – A short saying stating a general truth or
advise.
•Law – Moral absolutes or commandments.
•The problem is when one turns proverbs into laws or
absolutes.
•Laws can be applied in every case, but proverbs
cannot.

35. 7. Recognize the difference between proverbs
and the law
•Example:
•Proverbs 26:4-5 NIV
4 Do not answer a fool according to his folly,
or you yourself will be just like him.
5 Answer a fool according to his folly,
or he will be wise in his own eyes.
•Meaning of verses:
•Sometimes it is wise to answer a fool and at other
times it is better to show the fool his folly.

36. 7. Recognize the difference between proverbs
and the law
•Example of non-biblical proverbs
•“He who hesitates is lost.”
•“Look before you leap.”
•Can you apply these totally and consistently at all
times?
•No.
•Wisdom is knowing how and when to apply the
proverbs.

37. 8. The “spirit” of the law vs. the “letter” of
the law.
•The “spirit” is defined as intent to keep the law.
•The “letter” is defined as an attempt at strict
obedience to the law.
•Strict obedience to the law is an impossibility for
humans.
•The Bible nowhere suggests a conflict between the
spirit and the letter of the law.
•The Pharisees did not keep the letter of the law.
(Matthew 15:1-9; 23:1-3)

38. 8. The “spirit” of the law vs. the “letter” of
the law.
•Those who are “trying to keep the spirit of the law”
are usually trying to redefine truth according to their
own codes.
•What God wants from us is to keep the “letter” of the
law and the “spirit” of the law.
•It’s not one or the other, but both!
•We can only do this with the help of the Holy Spirit.

39. 9. Be careful with extra-biblical sources.
• Be extra careful with Google and search engines.
‐ First on list is the most popular or a paid advertisement.
‐ The most popular or a paid advertisement will usually
misrepresent or misapply the truth of the bible.
• Be discerning with social media – Facebook, Twitter,
LinkedIn, etc.
• Not all Study Bibles are equal.
- Who are the contributing authors?
- Read from top-down. (Scripture then footnote.)
• Some base software packages are free for a reason.
• They are not good references, or they have an agenda to
misrepresent and distort Scripture.

40. 10.Be patient with difficult passages.
• Even the Apostle Peter had trouble understanding Paul’s
writings!
• 2 Peter 3:15-16 NIV
15 Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation,
just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the
wisdom that God gave him. 16 He writes the same way in all
his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters
contain some things that are hard to understand, which
ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other
Scriptures, to their own destruction.

41. 10.Be patient with difficult passages.
•Isaiah 55:8-9 NIV
8 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,”
declares the LORD.
9 “As the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

42. Corresponding truths in John 3:16 and
2 Timothy 3:16
•John 3:16 NIV
16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one
and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not
perish but have eternal life.”
•2 Timothy 3:16 NIV
16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for
teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in
righteousness,

43. Corresponding truths in John 3:16 and
2 Timothy 3:16 by Robert J. Morgan
•John 3:16 talks about the Savior, and 2 Timothy 3:16
talks about the Scriptures.
•These two entities comprise the two greatest gifts
ever bestowed on humanity.
•Both are called “The Word.”
•One is the living Word, and the other is the written
Word.
•Just as the Savior was without sin, the Scriptures are
without error.

44. Corresponding truths in John 3:16 and
2 Timothy 3:16 by Robert J. Morgan
•The Savior came to save us, and the Scriptures were
given to tell us how to be saved.
•The Savior is the God-man, and the Scriptures are
from both God and man.
•The Bible is Jesus in print, and Jesus is the
personification and fulfillment of the Scriptures.
•These 3:16s are twin verses about the Savior and the
Scriptures.

45. The Plan of Hope & Salvation:
John 3:16-17 NKJV
16 “For God so loved the world that He gave His only
begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not
perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His
Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the
world through Him might be saved.”
John 14:6 NKJV
6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No
one comes to the Father except through Me.”

46. The Plan of Hope & Salvation:
Romans 3:23 NKJV
23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
Romans 6:23a NKJV
23a For the wages of sin is death,
• Death in this life (the first death) is 100%.
• Even Jesus, the only one who doesn’t deserve death, died in this
life to pay the penalty for our sin.
• The death referred to in Romans 6:23a is the “second death”
explained in Revelation 21:8.

47. The Plan of Hope & Salvation:
Revelation 21:8 NKJV
8 “But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral,
sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns
with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”
• Anyone who’s lifestyle is one or more of the sins listed in Revelation 21:8,
will experience the “second death” if they do not repent.
• To Repent means to turn around, to go in the opposite direction, to turn
away from sin and to come to Jesus.
Romans 5:8 NKJV
8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still
sinners, Christ died for us.

48. The Plan of Hope & Salvation:
Romans 6:23b NKJV
23b but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our
Lord.
Revelation 21:7 NKJV
7 “He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will
be his God and he shall be My son.”
• Romans 10:9-10 explains to us how to be overcomers.

49. The Plan of Hope & Salvation:
Romans 10:9-10 NKJV
9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and
believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead,
you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto
righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto
salvation.
Romans 10:13 NKJV
13 For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

50. The Plan of Hope & Salvation:
Do you have questions?
Would you like to know more?
Please, contact First Baptist Church Jackson at 601-949-1900
or http://firstbaptistjackson.org/contact/