The Trustworthiness of Scripture

Torah, photo by Lawrie Cate

The apostle Peter denied Jesus three times (Mark 14:66–72). Many remember this monumental failure on Peter’s part. Jesus even forewarned Peter that this would happen before He went to the cross (Matthew 26:34). However, we see a completely different Peter than this in the book of Acts when Peter leads about three thousand to Christ publicly (Acts 2). Where once we saw Peter looking out for himself or looking at lesser things, we now see him looking at Jesus.

The account of Peter’s faith is not perfect, but it is real. If you were making up a story, you wouldn’t want to include a lot of what Peter did and said. Peter walked on water, but then began to sink because he looked away from Jesus (Matthew 14:25-33). Peter even cut off the high priest’s servant’s ear in the garden when Jesus was being arrested and he was rebuked by Jesus for doing so (Matthew 26:51-52). Peter tried to stand in the way of Jesus going to the cross in another account and Jesus told him “Get behind me Satan (Mark 8:33)!” Yet, Jesus chose Peter to “be the rock upon which He would build His Church (Matthew 16:13-20).”

When Peter wrote First and Second Peter, we also see a different Peter. We see his faith in the risen Lord. In 2 Peter 1:16 Peter recalls seeing the deity of Christ first hand when he witnessed the transfiguration of Jesus on the “sacred mountain” with James and John. There the disciples heard the voice of God and saw Jesus radiate with the light of His Glory and Holy Spirit. This event help solidify for Peter who Jesus is (Matthew 17:1-9). Peter recalled, “For we did not follow cleverly devised stories when we told you about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ in power, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.”

Not only is Peter an author of scripture, he is also an eye witness with a firsthand account of Christ and His ministry. As he continues to write his letter 2 Peter, Peter goes on to say this about the scripture: “Knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit (2 Peter 1:20-21).” Peter is acknowledging that the scriptures were written by Holy men of God who were led by His Holy Spirit.

So how do we know if the Bible is trustworthy? According to 2 Peter, we can rest in the following facts about how we can know that the Bible is trustworthy:

1. The Bible is not a list of made up “stories,” myths, or fables
2. First and Second Peter, and many other books of the Bible, were written by eye witnesses
3. The Bible did not come about through private interpretation
4. It was not through the will of man, but was the will of God that the Bible came into being
5. God moved people to write and led them by His Holy Spirit

It is extremely assuring to rest in the scriptures with the knowledge of these facts. It is even more assuring to realize that the “messiness” of the accounts in scripture actually lend themselves to the Bible’s credibility. As evidenced in the life of Peter, the Bible is indeed trustworthy. It is trustworthy not only because it gives us the high points, but it gives us the low ones as well. The Bible gives us the whole story. It gives us the whole truth. It is indeed trustworthy.

The New King James Version. 1982 (2 Pe 1:16–21). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

Why Study the Bible?

photo by Jan Tito on Flickr

Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890), Stilleven met bijbel, 1885,
Still life with bible

I remember when I first started reading the Bible back in middle and high school. It was complicated for me at times to understand what I was reading. I asked God in prayer to help me understand what I was reading. Sometimes I did understand and other times I didn’t.

I specifically remember reading 2 Timothy. In 2 Timothy 3: 14-15, Paul is writing to young Timothy and was instructing and encouraging him in his faith. Paul, in chapter 3 verses 14-15, says to Timothy: “But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.”

Paul was reminding Timothy of all that he had learned and how he had grown in his faith. Most importantly, he was reminded of how he had learned through the scriptures of God’s salvation. It was in that salvation found in scripture, Paul asserted, that Timothy was made wise through his faith in Jesus.

As a high school student, I didn’t quite understand all of this and the verses that followed in 2 Timothy 3: 16-17 really threw me off. Here Paul tells Timothy that “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work (2 Timothy 3: 16–17).”

What was Paul saying here? At first, and in my ignorance, I thought he was saying that it was profitable to correct scripture. This was probably due to the fact that as a teenager I thought the world revolved around me. This was the exact opposite of what Paul was saying to Timothy. Paul was actually telling Timothy that the scriptures are profitable for correcting him. This is also what these verses were saying to me and this is what they are telling us today.

As I look forward to teaching Bible to high school students in Haiti, I can’t help but look back on my own youthful understandings and misunderstandings of scripture. My hope is to learn even more about God’s word and to handle it and teach it rightly by God’s grace and by His Holy Spirit. Hopefully I can teach these basic concepts that Paul was teaching his young student about the Bible.

Here is some of what I hope to teach students about the Bible, what I hope is reinforced in me, and what Paul wanted Timothy to know about scripture in 2 Timothy 3: 14-17:

1. The Bible helps us learn of our salvation and ensures us of our salvation
   
2. The Bible makes us wise for salvation through faith in Jesus Christ
3. God has given us the Bible so that we can hear from Him
4. The Bible is profitable for doctrine (or a set of guiding principles)
5. The Bible is profitable for reproof (or warning)
6. The Bible is profitable for correction (God will make improvements on us)
7. The Bible is profitable for instruction in righteousness (or right or moral living)
8. The Bible ensures that a person is complete (or whole; integrated)
9. The Bible helps to totally equip a person for every good work (preparation)

The New King James Version. 1982 (2 Ti 3:14–17). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

Idiot

Photo from the Web

I used to read the account of the Rich Young Ruler in the gospels with much pride. This account, in Matthew 19: 16-30, tells of a rich young ruler who was asking Jesus what he must do to be saved. Jesus replies in Matthew 19:21–22: “Go sell your possessions; give everything to the poor. All your wealth will then be in heaven. Then come follow me.” The scripture goes on to say, “That was the last thing the young man expected to hear. And so, crestfallen, he walked away. He was holding on tight to a lot of things, and he couldn’t bear to let go.”

I used to think, “What an idiot! This young guy would rather hold on to his riches than follow Christ? I’m glad I’m not like that!” You see, I thought that I was above riches keeping me from following Jesus. As a matter of fact, I didn’t think that I was rich. As the old song goes, “I am a man of means by no means.” At least this is what I thought, until it was Jesus asking me to “sell everything and follow Him.”

I didn't know how much I had, because I took so much of it for granted. I took the comforts of life for granted. I took running water and food for granted. I took my job, my house, material goods, technology, and all the other “basic” luxuries that I have for granted.

When God led my wife and me to sell our home and belongings and quit our jobs and follow him to Haiti, I had a staggering and sobering realization; “I am that idiot.” As it turns out, I am rich. It’s not just that I am rich. It’s that I would rather, by default and in my sinfulness, hold on tight to my “many things,” rather than follow Jesus.

Thank God that He empowers us to follow and obey despite of ourselves and even when we do not obey, God is faithful. Having sold our possessions and set up our move to Haiti, we have discovered and experienced that what Jesus has told us is true: “A man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions (Luke 12:15)." Our lives do not consist of what we have or do not have. Nor do they consist of what we do or do not do. We find our lives hidden in Christ Jesus (Colossians 3:1-4). Yes! Even we idiots find our lives in Him.

Peterson, E. H. (2002). The Message : The Bible in contemporary language (Mt 19:21–22). Colorado Springs, Colo.: NavPress.

Listening to God

Photo by Robbie Pruitt © 2011

Below is a talk I gave last month to youth workers on listening to God and my testimony about God leading Irene and me to Haiti to work at a private Christian School.

If you are interested in helping support our work in Haiti click here.

A Biblical View of Justice

WaPo: U.S. forces kill Osama bin Laden, Photo By justgrimes,http://www.flickr.com/photos/notbrucelee/5680354671/

Guest Post By Pastor Trey Pruitt

I decided, based on recent events and many people approaching me on the subject, to comment on the death of Osama Bin Laden.

The Bible states, “Justice executed is a joy to the righteous but a terror to those who practice iniquity.” - Proverbs 21:15

It is certainly ok to celebrate justice. It is certainly ok for Christians to rejoice when there is justice in the world. However, this must be different than celebrating vengeance. “Vengeance is mine…” says the Lord.

In addition, we must be cautious… the Bible also tells us this, “Do not gloat when your enemy falls, and do not let your heart rejoice when he stumbles. Or the Lord will see, be displeased, and turn His wrath away from him.” (Proverbs 24:17-18) The enemy here is terrorists and their idolatrous ideology founded in the religion of Islam. God does not want us celebrating death or else we will be no better than our enemy!

Where is the balance in these? First we must understand the difference between our response as Christians and the Government’s response to evil. The Bible states, “For government is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, because it does not carry the sword for no reason. For government is God’s servant, an avenger that brings wrath on the one who does wrong.” (Romans 13:4)

The Bible tells us that the execution of Osama Bin Laden is a good thing, and we can have joy in the fact that justice was served. What happened is good because it was carried out by God’s instrument for justice. We can also take joy in the fact that we live in a God fearing nation that promotes justice and defends the weak. I pray for the fulfillment of Proverbs 21:15… that the just acts of the United States has brought terror upon those who seek to work iniquity in this world. Military and law enforcement “use of force” is God ordained when it is carried out in a God honoring manner. I am grateful that our President recognized the need for justice and had the courage to act. We must continue to pray that God will guide President Obama! In addition, I am grateful for all of our veterans, our service members and our law enforcement professionals who do the Lord’s work in dangerous situations!

Now, we must not forget about our response as Christians. A Christian can certainly use force under the authority of government, when it is just. However, there is an even greater calling for the church of Jesus Christ! I am reminded of a quote from Henry David Thoreau, “For every one hundred men cutting the branches of evil there is but one who strikes the root.” The job of the church of Jesus Christ is to cut away at the root of evil. We are grateful to our military and law enforcement officers who consistently chop away at the branches of evil… but there is only one group of people who are equipped and called to address the root of the problem, and those people are you (Christians)!

The Bible tells us not to be overcome by evil but to overcome evil with good. Love conquers hate! Forgiveness, and sharing God’s love with the world strikes at the very root of evil! As a church, we must do our duty. The only way to conquer evil is to see the hearts of mankind transformed by the loving power of Jesus Christ.

The United States has the Navy Seals and the CIA but the God of heaven also has His special forces; the Church and the angelic hosts under the command of Jesus. As this great nation exports justice with firepower, we must export the love of God with spiritual power. “For our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world powers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens.” (Ephesians 6:12)

We must share the love of Jesus Christ with the Muslim world. Yes, even to those who seek to do us harm. After all, they cannot terrorize us because we do not fear man but God (Matthew 10:28). And we are not of those who shrink back in fear but we are bold in faith. (Hebrews 10:38-39)

Take joy in justice but do not allow yourself to gloat and do not allow a vengeful heart… God will honor both you and our nation if we do this.

Pastor Trey Pruitt

Hope Baptist Church

Columbia, SC

http://www.discoverhopeonline.org/

Leadership Lessons from the Ant

Photo by jurvetson, Ants in Space!

“Go to the ant, you sluggard! Consider her ways and be wise . . .” –Proverbs 6:6

Every year at about this time in Virginia ants begin to invade. You may have experienced this before. As the weather gets nicer and the spring begins these little creatures wake up in the warmth and find their way indoors to look for food. Both in homes and in offices in Washington, DC and the surrounding suburbs, the ant’s takeover begins. These little creatures are nothing if not persistent.

If you watch the ant you can see they are disciplined, industrious, committed, hard-working, relentlessly crafty, and diligent. While looking at these creatures, it is also easy to reflect on Proverbs 6:6-11, which asks us to consider the ant and to be wise.

What does it mean to consider the ant? How would considering the ant’s ways make us wise?

Eugene Peterson’s The Message translation of scripture puts Proverbs 6:6-11 like this:

You lazy fool, look at an ant.

Watch it closely; let it teach you a thing or two.

Nobody has to tell it what to do.

All summer it stores up food;

at harvest it stockpiles provisions.

So how long are you going to laze around doing nothing?

How long before you get out of bed?

A nap here, a nap there, a day off here, a day off there,

sit back, take it easy—do you know what comes next?

Just this: You can look forward to a dirt-poor life,

poverty your permanent houseguest!

Here are ten things we can learn from Proverbs 6:6-11 and from watching the ant:

1. There is no value in an overindulgence of slothfulness.
2. There are lessons to be learned everywhere around us, so we should watch and learn.
3. No matter how small the source of a valuable lesson, the truth is monumental and invaluable.
4. We should be watchful and observant of what needs to be done and then do it.
5. If we wait for someone to tell us what to do, we may be too late and may have missed valuable opportunity.
6. Planning ahead is essential for life, for survival, and for success.
7. Doing nothing leads us to nothing.
8. Getting up is the first step and “a journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step.”
9. A day off is good, but if they outnumber our days on, we are just “oversleeping.”
10. Our present actions or inactions will determine our future.

So the next time we see an ant scurry across the kitchen floor at home, or across our desk at work, would we stop and consider this ant and its ways so that we can be wise.

Skipping Rocks

Photo Rock Skipping by -Aero-Lite

"And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God." - Ephesians 3:17-18

"My wife Irene loves to skip rocks when we are backpacking in the mountains. Often we find ourselves at a river bank or at the edge of a mountain lake so that Irene can skip rocks. I usually find a place to rest and watch her as she skips rocks with childlike joy and wonder. The rocks skip across the water, the more skips the better, then they slow to a stop and sink to the bottom.

As I watched this for some time, it hit me that many us, go through life like skipping rocks. Many of us are skipping rocks in our relationships with God and with one another. We rush through life at such a pace that we hit the surface of interaction and relating to God and others and we bounce to the next person or the next big thing, only to bounce on . . . and on . . . and on. In the process we miss the depth and richness that God has for us. If only we were to slow down long enough, we would sink to the depth of relationship that God has in mind for each of us to have with Himself and with one another.

Paul relates this truth well in Ephesians 3:18 when he prays that the Church in Ephesus would 'have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ' for them. Would we also be given the power and ability to understand, grasp and sink to the depths of Christ's love for us and for one another.

Lord, we praise you for the depth of love that you have for us and for calling us into that depth of love for you and for one another. We confess that we often go through life like skipping rocks and barely skim the surface of what you have for us. Grant us Lord Jesus the power and presence of your Holy Spirit to slow us down and sink us to the depths of your love. Amen!