2 Timothy 3:16
All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction and for training in righteousness, so that everyone who belongs to God may be proficient, equipped for every good work.
We Americans are a very efficient people. In general, we treasure function over form, output over intention. We are pragmatic—something, anything is judged worthwhile if it bears positive results, and can be ruthlessly cast aside if it fails to deliver. Of course, there are positives and negatives to such a mindset. We are able to rid ourselves of practices that might have lost their luster, but at the same time we often cut ourselves loose from traditions, so that we at times are rootless, even aimless, unsure of who we are.
Regardless of whether or not our pragmatism is a good thing, this passage should certainly appeal to the modern American mindset. Why? Because it talks about Scripture not as “beautiful,” or “important,” or even “true.” It talks about Scripture as “useful.” Scripture has a function. It does something. Or at least it does if we open our lives to it.
Scripture teaches. Properly interpreted, it demonstrates what is right and what is wrong. We may not always agree on how it ought to be interpreted, but the fact is that Scripture holds a treasure of truth for those who are willing to give themselves to it.
Scripture reproves. When we are wandering from the truth, Scripture chides us for our errors—sometimes gently nudging, sometimes fully chewing us out for our disobedience.
Scripture corrects. When we wander, not only does Scripture rebuke us, it also gives us a pattern to shoot for, a way of living rightly to follow. Scripture does not just settle for haranguing us, making us feel guilty; Scripture also takes the more positive step of showing us the right way.
Scripture trains us in righteousness. Not only does Scripture give us a godly pattern for life, but our willingness to jump in to the Scriptures trains us for living God’s way, for speaking God’s word to the world in the way He made us to do.
Now here is an important point: Scripture does all of these things NOT for our own sake. Certainly, there is something cathartic and edifying about being taught, reproved, corrected and trained. It feels great! Yet that feeling is not why Scripture does these things. Scripture performs these functions so that we can be “equipped for every good work.” Out there, in the world, this is where the rubber meets the road; this is where God uses the hands of His people to touch the world with love and truth.
It is something like a runner training for a marathon; she does not train for the “runner’s high” she gets in the midst of a training run. She trains for the race itself, so that when it’s time to run, she runs well and finishes quickly. Just so, Scripture is training us; not for the nice feelings we get while it happens. Scripture is training us to reach out and embrace the suffering of the world as God created His people to do.
We Americans are a very efficient people. In general, we treasure function over form, output over intention. We are pragmatic—something, anything is judged worthwhile if it bears positive results, and can be ruthlessly cast aside if it fails to deliver. Of course, there are positives and negatives to such a mindset. We are able to rid ourselves of practices that might have lost their luster, but at the same time we often cut ourselves loose from traditions, so that we at times are rootless, even aimless, unsure of who we are.
Regardless of whether or not our pragmatism is a good thing, this passage should certainly appeal to the modern American mindset. Why? Because it talks about Scripture not as “beautiful,” or “important,” or even “true.” It talks about Scripture as “useful.” Scripture has a function. It does something. Or at least it does if we open our lives to it.
Scripture teaches. Properly interpreted, it demonstrates what is right and what is wrong. We may not always agree on how it ought to be interpreted, but the fact is that Scripture holds a treasure of truth for those who are willing to give themselves to it.
Scripture reproves. When we are wandering from the truth, Scripture chides us for our errors—sometimes gently nudging, sometimes fully chewing us out for our disobedience.
Scripture corrects. When we wander, not only does Scripture rebuke us, it also gives us a pattern to shoot for, a way of living rightly to follow. Scripture does not just settle for haranguing us, making us feel guilty; Scripture also takes the more positive step of showing us the right way.
Scripture trains us in righteousness. Not only does Scripture give us a godly pattern for life, but our willingness to jump in to the Scriptures trains us for living God’s way, for speaking God’s word to the world in the way He made us to do.
Now here is an important point: Scripture does all of these things NOT for our own sake. Certainly, there is something cathartic and edifying about being taught, reproved, corrected and trained. It feels great! Yet that feeling is not why Scripture does these things. Scripture performs these functions so that we can be “equipped for every good work.” Out there, in the world, this is where the rubber meets the road; this is where God uses the hands of His people to touch the world with love and truth.
It is something like a runner training for a marathon; she does not train for the “runner’s high” she gets in the midst of a training run. She trains for the race itself, so that when it’s time to run, she runs well and finishes quickly. Just so, Scripture is training us; not for the nice feelings we get while it happens. Scripture is training us to reach out and embrace the suffering of the world as God created His people to do.
posted by Rev. Michael Jordan at 8:27 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home