“Why We Preach” (Part 3)

Once again, we are considering this week Paul’s instructions to Timothy (2 Timothy 3:14-17)  as an expression of why we preach the Word of God. On Monday, we saw it as essential to people’s spiritual training, and on Wednesday we saw the character of God’s Word. We conclude today by seeing what that Word can produce by seeing the …

Purpose of the Word (v.17)

so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.

         Adequate- artios- capable and proficient in the sense of being able to meet all demands. It could be viewed as “mature” giving us the confidence that we will come to spiritual maturity in Christ through His word and work in our lives.

His Word.

         Equipped- for every good work! Compare to Eph 2:10- the Bible is not just for knowing, it is for doing! We are His workmanship, created for good works. We are to be doers  of the Word, not just empty hearers (James 1). Warren Wiersbe wrote:

The purpose of Bible study is not just to understand doctrines, or to be able to defend the faith, as important as those things are. The ultimate purpose is the equipping of the believers who read it. It is the Word of God that equips the people of God to do the work of God. The times are not going to become better, but we Christians can become better people, even in bad times. We must continue in our study of the Word of God, then God can equip us for ministry in these difficult days.

One teacher wrote…

The Christian faith is not a philosophy that must adjust to every cultural trend. It is a declaration of what God did once and for all in Jesus Christ for the salvation of man and what this implies about the conduct of those who by faith enter into a personal relationship with the risen Lord.

How we do that is by building our lives on the Bible—which reveals the mind of the God who has authority over all. Perhaps that is why Vance Havner said, “A Bible that is falling apart usually belongs to a person that isn’t!” May we believe the Bible, trust the Bible, and as a result, preach the Bible, so that we and our people might build our lives on the Bible.