Series: Inspired Word of God
2 Timothy 3:16-17 ESV
It’s difficult to explain or teach the fullness of scripture to young children because when we are young we see the Bible as a book. In many ways to a child it’s just like any other book.
Take for example a book that has special significance. I had a Shirley Temple Storybook when I was very young. It was a large book and it had many pages. I was told it was a special book and I needed to take care of it.
When I was in third grade I was given my first Bible. I was also a beautiful story book that had pictures I loved. The words on the page brought the stories to life.
While my Bible had some pictures, but mostly it had words. Even though I could read I still loved my beautiful story books because of the pictures.
In time my understanding of the difference between the two books changed but it took time and help from Sunday School teachers, my Pastor, and my parents. The words ‘inspired’ didn’t mean a lot to me as a child.
Ever so gradually I learned what the word inspired meant in reference to scripture. Part of the reason it took time is that I had to learn what scripture said about scripture.
2 Timothy 3:16-17 tells us, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”
I wish I could remember how old I was when I read that scripture in 2 Timothy, but I don’t remember. Instead I had good teachers (and my da) who physically treated their Bible book with so much care that I learned to understand it was THE special book.
In Sunday School my teacher taught us not to touch the Bible if we had sticky candy on our hands (candy and Sunday School were almost synonymous words).
We had to learn to physically respect the Bible when we read the Bible in class. In time we learned it was a special book that we carefully carried and held in our lap.
Because of the special treatment the Bible received in Sunday School I noticed that when my da was reading his Bible he was careful with it. His Bible did not have pictures, but he read it a lot.
That spoke eons to me.
It meant it was important enough to merit his time and attention.
The words may be different today, but in the late 1950’s and early 1960’s we were taught that the Word of God was inspired by men and women who heard from God.
Fast forward several decades…
As an adult the descriptions for the Word of God changed in some circles. It became apparent that if you spoke of scripture as being inspired you were in one camp and if you spoke of scripture as being without mistakes were in another camp. Those categories were confusing.
I wasn’t sure what words I should use.
Plus, by the time the descriptions became used, my da was not around to help me understand my theology.
Ultimately God worked that out in me and I grew because of it.
Today’s scripture was very important to me when I was young and through the years because it helped me to grow and embrace scripture.
First, Paul taught young Timothy that the Word is:
God breathed
Teachable
Good for reproof (conviction), training/discipline
The Word keeps us on the right road
The Word completes us and equips us
I can’t begin to explain how much I rely on scripture today, how much memorized scripture means to me, and most importantly how much scripture changes ME every time I read scripture.
Also, a few movies changed me. While it frightened me the movie A Thief in the Night and other films made me think what life would be like without a Bible.
That made me want to memorize scripture.
Spiritual Practice: Memorize
Choose one scripture to memorize.
In God, Deborah
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