April 27, 2023

Scripture: 2 Timothy 3:15-16 – “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.”

What it means

In Paul’s second letter to his protégé Timothy, he gets down to the basics of what Timothy needs to be focusing on, and where to find ultimate truth…in the Word of God. It is our user manual for how to navigate this life – what is important, what is not so much, and how God would have us to view the world through His lens, so to speak. As you well remember, your former pastor (and my dearly beloved mentor) Jerry Page and his wife Ruth Ann made a living in translating the scriptures – into a strange language (Manika), no less…so typically when I have a question about a particular passage of scripture, or a general topic, he is always my go-to person. He’s never pushy about anything, nor does he talk over the top of you…on the contrary, he has the rare gift of being able to plainly explain the meaning of scripture that even a simpleton such as yours truly can plug into and understand.

What it means to me

I have heard people say “I don’t know what the big deal about the bible is. After all, it’s just a book…written by human beings.” Well, that’s true – but it’s not true at the same time. It is a book, true, and is written by human beings, also true. But as followers of Christ, we believe the contents of this book to be divinely inspired by God Himself, and as such, deserving of our utmost awe, reverence and respect. The final canon as we know it has endured through centuries of scrutiny, editing, revision, further revision, prayer, etc. We believe that when it’s all said and done, after a couple thousand years, they got it right. This is the final word of what God wants to share with His children, so even though it’s “just a book”, it has literally been breathed out by God, and is useful in many different applications. I know many of you are faithful in taking time to read the scriptures, and I can assure you, God will bless your efforts and reveal Himself to you in a special way.

Love you guys, see you on Sunday!

In Christ,

Brian