Jenn McGarvey Blackston
jennifer.mcgarvey@mailbox.ciu.edu
MIN 5310
1-31-11
2 Timothy 3:16-17 says, "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work."
Dr. McQuilkin, in his book, "The Five Smooth Stones" has this to say about Scripture: "To get anywhere with God's purposes through his church, the leaders and congregation must take seriously the responsibility to bring every aspect of ministry under the functional authority of Scripture- every new idea, every old tradition, every activity, every plan. Otherwise it will fail. It won't be easy. Diligent, objective, thorough Bible research combined with determined full compliance and eternal vigilance are the essentials." (p. XIV) He goes on to say that, "the Bible alone, the whole of it, is our ultimate authority for faith and practice." (p. 1)
In our post-modern age, it is essential to keep going back to the authority of Scripture so we don't lose our way in an era of "anything goes." In order to be equipped for ministry, we must study and apply the truth of the Word to every aspect of our lives. Paul, in his letter to his son in the faith, Timothy, exhorts him to "continue in what you have learned, and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus." (2 Timothy 3:14-15) We live in a society where even preachers and Bible teachers are questioning the relevance of Scripture and are preaching and teaching about it less and less. They fear appearing inauthentic and they have allowed culture, not the Word, to dictate how they think and act. I don't mean to imply that we don't teach the Bible without any regard for the audience to which we are speaking. There is a place for relevance as long as we don't water down the truth of the Word for the sake of appeasing those listening. We also need to make sure that we are teaching the hard sayings of Jesus and not simply focusing on the more comfortable topics such as love or mercy. Both love and mercy are important and essential to the Gospel; justice and holiness are also important and vital. We also realize the importance of depending on the Holy Spirit to equip us to share the Word powerfully and effectively. God's Word is living and active; it can transform lives as the Spirit brings about conviction and encouragement in our lives. As leaders, we must guard our time in the Word so we can become more like Jesus and grow in our understanding of the Word. It is much easier to teach and/or preach the Word if we are studying it for ourselves and applying God's truth to our lives. We also must take heed to make sure that any activity or ministry we do lines up with the Word and does not go against Biblical teachings. There also needs to be a balance between evangelism and social justice. We are called to share the message and hope of Jesus to all in our circle of influence and beyond. We need to pray that more and more people will come to know Christ as both Lord and Savior. We are also called to show mercy and compassion- to care about justice and fight against injustice. The Word helps to give us the eternal perspective and not go to one extreme or the other. I heard a friend say one time that "God's Word is the purest source of life for us." We come to know the Living Word, Jesus, better when we study it and apply the Word to our lives. We have a responsibility, as leaders, to stay true to the Word and teach it to others. It protects us from false teachings and has the power to transform lives as the Holy Spirit convicts,encourages, exhorts and guides. God's Word is our final authority and it teaches us how to act and think. Let us boldly proclaim the truth of God's Word both in the body of Christ and to those who don't know Christ. The Word will not come back void; God will accomplish his purposes and we have the joy of working with him to see lives transformed by the life changing message of the Son of God- Jesus Christ!
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