The Scriptures Are Still Profitable In These Last Days

Today’s Reading: 2 Tim. 3

If knowing Christ is the foundation of our hope and joy, it’s kind of important for us to know who he is and what he’s like, so we can recognize him from phonies.
* It would be supremely dangerous to our hope and joy for us to make up stuff about God.
* Instead, he has revealed himself to us in the Scriptures; in a way, the words of the Bible represent God’s voice, speaking to us, telling us about himself.
* So, here, Paul writes to Timothy about the role of the Scriptures.

But first, Paul writes about the difficulties of the last days (3:1).
* Paul is not likely talking about some future “last days,” but about the last days that were inaugurated by the coming of the Spirit (see Acts 2:17).
* Yes, we will definitely come up against those who disagree with us, those who hate Christ and us too. That is a promise!
* Notice how Paul echoes Jesus’ own words in Matt 5:10–12 (“Blessed are those who are persecuted…”) when he writes, “Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (v. 12).

But here’s the bottom line.
* Nothing anyone says to us or throws at us or does to us will ever change the truth that God has revealed to us about himself and his will in the Bible.
* Therefore, knowing the Bible will equip you to stand for the truth because through the Bible you learn more about the One who is the truth.

I once heard someone paraphrase 2 Tim 3:16 like this, and I found it both memorable and instructive: “Scripture is useful for…
* …teaching, because it shows us what the path of righteousness is;
* …reproof, because it confronts us with where we have gone off the path;
* …correction, because it explains to us how to get back to the path;
* …and training, because it instructs us on how to stay on the path.”

May we be the kind of people who cherish the Scriptures, and may God reveal himself to us in his Word, equipping us for every good work (v. 17).