Sketched V Day 14 Paul, The Renewed Soldier: Digging Deeper
Digging Deeper Days
Finding the original intent of Scripture and making good application to our everyday lives as we become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!
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The Questions
1) What is considered sound doctrine?
2) Is sound doctrine really important?
3) But I just want to love Jesus and enjoy life. Are we over thinking this?
2 Timothy 4:3-5
3 For the time will come when people will not tolerate sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, will multiply teachers for themselves because they have an itch to hear what they want to hear. 4 They will turn away from hearing the truth and will turn aside to myths. But as for you, exercise self-control in everything, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist fulfill your ministry.
Original Intent
1) What is considered sound doctrine?
God’s word, with appropriate application in context and further interpreted by other Scripture, is “sound doctrine.” Doctrine in and of itself is defined as “a belief or set of beliefs.” As noted in an article by Ligonier Ministries, even demons have teachings and their own doctrine (1 Timothy 4:1). Scripture notes that even demons are fully aware of who God is (Luke 4:40b-41; James 2:19). Therefore, being aware of God alone is neither the basis of salvation nor the definition of living a life honoring to the Lord. Simply knowing about God does not equal “sound doctrine”.
The basic foundation of Biblical doctrine is summarized multiple times in the book of Acts: “…by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified and whom God raised from the dead—by him this man is standing here before you healthy. This Jesus is the stone rejected by you builders, which has become the cornerstone. There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to people by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:10-12) Sound doctrine involves a deep and wide understanding and confession of Jesus Christ as fully human, fully God, and the only means why which salvation is attained for humanity.
2) Is sound doctrine really important?
Paul devoted his life to preaching Scripture accurately as revealed through the lens of the Gospel. Paul apparently thought it was important enough for people to align with truth that he spent years traveling and ploughing through extreme circumstances of shipwrecks, imprisonment, and more in order to call people to Christ and to living out sound doctrine.
During his own imprisonment, Paul urges Timothy to not be afraid of people and circumstances; nor to not allow these things to alter his teachings in order to please others or protect himself from persecution. (2 Timothy 1:6-7; 2 Timothy 1:13; 2 Timothy 4:1-5)
In Paul’s first letter to Timothy, Paul specifically notes of deterring from sound doctrine leads to “empty speculations” and “fruitless discussion.” (1 Timothy 1:3-7). In 2 Timothy, it’s noted how idle talk easily leads to some turning away from truth and towards false claims about Christ (2 Timothy 2:14-19). Having witnessed the destruction of handling Scripture inaccurately, Paul leads in to 2 Timothy 4 with a charge to “preach the word; in season and out of season.” Though people will want teaching that permits their chosen lifestyle and offers entertainment with “tickling of the ears”, it is absolutely necessary to cling to the gospel and pronounce it to the lost world (2 Timothy 4:1-5).
3) But I just want to love Jesus and enjoy life. Are we overthinking this?
God wants us to enjoy life! He is the one who created a perfect garden for us to live in complete union with Him. He is the one who gave Himself—His Son—as the perfect sacrifice that we may have opportunity to be right with God. And all of this after we repeatedly deny recognition of Him as Almighty Creator GOD.
However, due to the severity of sin (even “little sins”), this world is no longer perfect peace and harmony. (Obviously!) God graciously gives what is needed to sustain life in order that every human soul may have opportunity to draw near to Him through Christ in repentance. (2 Peter 3:9)
Understanding that it is the Lord’s holy, perfect standard we have violated because of sin is the beginning of making sense of the broken world around us. A right understanding of who God is illuminates good news of what He has done for us. Though God does want us to have joy, He knows true joy is only in HIM. He knows we are innately driven to please ourselves. His greater purpose is to lead us out of a path that leads to death driven by self-desires and into the eternal life with His perfect presence.
Everyday Application
1) What is considered sound doctrine?
When I first met my husband, one of the things that caught my attention was his constant challenge with the question of who people believe God is. Do I believe in the God of the Bible or do I believe in God as I assume him to be and, perhaps as I want Him to be, through my own personal experiences and interpretations? This leads to the challenge of, “What does the Bible say about God?”
To some degree, in our fallen state of thinking, we will never fully see God as He truly is until we reach Heaven in His full presence and glory. But we are to strive with Scripture as our guide. Scripture always trumps and interprets experience. Personal experience may bring alive or enhance what Scripture is teaching, but personal experience is not the interpreter of Scripture.
Life is overwhelming and the Bible is rather thick. The task can feel too hard. But God can produce great things from small, consistent bites. Follow a Bible study plan even if you fall behind. In this age of FREE podcasts, listen to multiple teachers as you drive, exercise, or clean the kitchen. The goal is to know Christ and Him crucified, resurrected, and coming again!
2) Why is sound doctrine important?
Often people skirt from seeking doctrine because it can feel overwhelming or, perhaps, believe that by declaring some sort of definite statements will divide the church. In actuality, clinging to the doctrine of the Gospel and encouraging each other to grow pulls the church together.
In a sermon by Stephen Armstrong, he describes Paul’s charge in 2 Timothy 4:1 as the climatic answer to all the problems mentioned prior. Pastor Armstrong breaks it down, “the solution to false teachers: preach the word. The solution to having misguided believers led astray: preach the word. The solution to persecution: preach the word. The solution to apostasy: preach the word.”
There are many good acts of charity and ministry people in God’s church carry out to bring Him glory. But the bottom line is only the Holy Spirit through the Word of God can change hearts and win souls. Only when hearts are repented and surrendered to the Lord can real change happen. “Whatever you do, do for the glory of the Lord,” but while you are doing these things, speak God’s Word to those around you “with complete patience and teaching.”
3) But I just want to love Jesus and enjoy life. Are we overthinking this?
Yeah, I just want to enjoy life and love Jesus, too. But living this way may not be how you initially imagine. God allows tough circumstances. Some trials are such a part of life that they are not going away in my lifetime. I get tired. My emotional love for and connection to Christ stretches thin. I question my relationship with Christ as feeling a need for a vacation more than the feeling of surrender.
So, what does it mean to love Jesus? Paul and the apostles are great examples. Through the lens of who Jesus is, they grasped their identity, not the other way around where our feelings dictate who Jesus is or who we are. Paul urges Timothy to live his identity in Christ with, “self-control in everything, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist fulfill your ministry.” (2 Timothy 4:5). Paul was “being poured out as a drink offering” to spread the Gospel (verse 6). Even then, he learned to rejoice in all circumstances (Philippians 4:11-12). Paul did not fake until he made it type of thing. As he learned more deeply the character of God and his own place before Christ, he learned true joy in living out God’s purpose to further the Gospel.
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Digging Deeper is for Everyone!
1) Take this passage (or any other passage).
2) Read it, and the verses around it,
several times
3) Write down your questions
as you think of them.
4) Ask specific culture related questions and be ready to dig around for your answers. Google them, use www.studylight.org, or look them up in a study Bible and read the footnotes (click on the little letters next to a word and it will show you
other related verses!). (www.esvbible.org)
5) Check your applications with other trusted Christians that you are in community with and embrace the fullness of God
in your everyday!
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Why Dig Deeper?
Finding the original meaning is a huge deal when we study Scripture and can make all the difference in our understanding as we apply God’s truths to our everyday lives.
In our modern-day relationships, we want people to understand our original intention as we communicate; how much more so between God and humanity?!
Here’s a little bit more on why we take Digging Deeper so seriously.
Study Tools
We love getting help while we study and www.studylight.org is one of many excellent resources, providing the original Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament) with an English translation.
Want to know more about a specific word in a verse? Click on “Strong’s Interlinear Bible” then click the word you’d like to study. Discover “origin”, “definition” and hear the original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!
Want more background? Click “Study Tools”, then pick a few commentaries to read their scholarly approach, keeping in mind that just because a commentary says it, doesn’t mean it’s true. (just like the internet :-))
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