Pastor Caleb Gordon: I'm going to make a shocking statement
All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, - 2 Timothy 3:16
I’m going to make a bold and shocking statement. I believe the Bible is the actual, authoritative word of God. I know that does not seem like a shocking statement, but in 2022 for some reason it is controversial. Nevertheless, it is where I stand. I have grown up in the church. I have sat in a church pew since before I was born. I have been taught for decades that the scriptures are sufficient and able to address all issues in my life. I have, for the most part, attempted to live by the text. Have I done that perfectly? No way. Have I missed the mark? Absolutely. The text tells us in Romans 3:23 that “all have fallen short of the glory of God.” That’s why we need His forgiveness and redemption so desperately in our lives. Where do we find out about that forgiveness and that redemption? The Holy Scriptures. There is a Latin phrase, Sola Scriptura, which means ‘Scripture alone.’ The idea is that THE BIBLE ALONE is the only infallible, inerrant source of authority for Christian faith and practice. This idea is grounded in 2 Timothy 3:16.
When we look at that text above, we see the phrase ‘Breathed out by God.’ That phrase is a single word in the original Greek language, theopneustos, which literally means ‘GOD-BREATHED.’ When you’re holding and reading the Scriptures, what you are holding and reading is the breath of God on paper. The same breath that breathed life into man, the same breath that spoke the universe into existence. Think about that. The God of the universe is so kind to reveal everything that we could ever need for life everlasting. He loves us enough to reveal who He is, who we are, and what is needed to have everlasting life. That’s absolutely glorious. In fact, according to Romans 10:17, which says “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God,” the ability to have faith in God at all comes as a gift from Him through His word. This is why it is so important that our churches boldly proclaim what God’s word says. It’s the way that God has chosen to reveal Himself to mankind.
But, just as in the beginning of creation when Satan said to Eve "Did God really say…" (Genesis 3:1), we have those outside and those within the church who do the exact same thing. They are questioning the veracity and authenticity of God’s word. This is not a new fight/argument. It’s the age-old, devil-inspired question that has been duping human beings for thousands of years. Therefore as Christ-followers, we must do what Paul tells us to do in 1 Timothy 4:13-16, “Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching. Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you by prophecy when the council of elders laid their hands on you. Practice these things, immerse yourself in them, so that all may see your progress. Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers.”
Did you catch that? ‘IMMERSE YOURSELF in them.’ This means to go deep. Plumb the depths. It’s like getting into a cold swimming pool on a hot summer’s day. It might be shocking to the system at first and there may be moments where you have a knee-jerk reaction of needing to get out, but I’m telling you the more you pour over the text and study what it’s saying, it will become so comforting. The truth of God’s word is a comfort to us.
John Macarthur states the following about the Scriptures: “The Word of God is the source of the goodness of life. The Word of God is the source of benefit to an obedient believer who walks uprightly. The Word of God brings us all the good that God can dispense as we walk in obedience to that Word.”
It's a fool’s errand to think that we don’t need to follow the Word of God. And it’s even more foolish to teach others that God’s word is not the final authority in our lives. It causes me to think of that old hymn: “Trust and obey, For there's no other way To be happy in Jesus, But to trust and obey.” Trusting and obeying the word of God brings blessing and ultimate satisfaction.
The bottom line is, I’ve known so many faithful men and women who loved the Scriptures and love the Lord Jesus Christ faithfully and their lives reflected that fact. As a result of those two things, their lives were blessed beyond measure. Every person I’ve been in the room with that was passing from this life into the next life and who trusted Christ never said or thought “Man, I trusted the Bible TOO much.” Rather, they have said things like, “I wish I had spent more time studying the Word of God." My challenge to you today is that you would submit yourself to the authority of God’s Word and trust every jot and every stroke of the pen that has been laid down in the mighty and glorious Word of King JESUS!
I love you all and I’m thankful for each of you.
Caleb Gordon is a longtime Bartlesville resident and pastor of the First Baptist Church of Cedar Vale, Kansas.
This article originally appeared on Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise: Pastor Caleb Gordon: I'm going to make a shocking statement
