My Sunday Skl

Let’s continue our teachings on the gospel with this question: Is the Bible alone enough? Or do you need another special teaching or revelation? Is the Bible enough to thoroughly equip you for every good work? 

The apostle Paul believed so, and his words in 2 Timothy 3 shed light on the profound wisdom found within the Old Testament Scriptures.

Imagine Paul speaking these words directly to you: “But as for you, 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” (2 Timothy 3:14-15).

Notice the emphasis Paul places on the source of this wisdom – the Holy Scriptures, referring specifically to the writings from Genesis to Malachi. According to Paul, these Scriptures possess a God-given ability to make you wise unto salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. They contain a profound testimony, set apart for a particular kind of communion and communication – one that imparts an understanding of salvation through faithfulness in Christ.

But that’s not all. Paul continues, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16). Within these Holy Scriptures lies a prophet – a powerful voice that speaks into your life, guiding you in doctrine, correcting your course, and instructing you in righteousness.

And what is the purpose of this divine wisdom? Paul reveals it in the next verse: “That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works” (2 Timothy 3:17). Pause and let that sink in. According to Paul, if all you had was the Old Testament Scriptures – Genesis to Malachi – it would be enough to thoroughly furnish you, to completely equip you for every good work God has called you to.

In other words, the man of God (in this case, Timothy, but applicable to you as well) will find within these Holy Scriptures all the doctrine, teaching, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness needed to be perfect, thoroughly furnished for a life of good works.

Jesus’ Source of Teaching

We discussed in part 1 about Paul’s affirmation of the profound wisdom found in the Old Testament Scriptures. But he was not the only one. It may feel like repetition, but this is how we begin to truly build understanding and belief. The Bible didn’t teach many messages. It taught one truth, many times. We aim to do the same.

In Luke 24:44, Jesus himself declares, “These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me.”

Pause and consider the weight of these words. Jesus, the embodiment of divine wisdom, drew his teaching material from the fulfillment of what was written in the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms. If it wasn’t found in these writings, Jesus would have had nothing to say.

Jesus’ doctrine and teaching came directly from the Holy Scriptures – the very Scriptures Paul commends to Timothy as profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness. If the Old Testament Scriptures were the source of Jesus’ profound teachings, how much more should we seek to immerse ourselves in their depths, allowing their wisdom to thoroughly prepare us for every good work?

In Luke 24:45, we read, “Then He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures.” What Scriptures was Jesus referring to? The Holy Scriptures – the books from Genesis to Malachi. He wanted his disciples to understand the writings of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms, viewing them through the lens of Christ.

When the Bible says Jesus “opened their understanding,” what exactly was he doing? Verse 27 gives us the answer: “And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.”

Jesus began with the Law of Moses and the Prophets, explaining and expounding upon the Scriptures, revealing how they all pointed to himself as the promised Messiah. This was the foundation of his teaching ministry – the writings of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms, interpreted through the lens of Christ.

At this point, you might be wondering, “But what about the New Testament writings? Didn’t Jesus need those books to fully explain the Gospel?” The answer is a resounding no. According to Luke’s account, Jesus used only the Old Testament Scriptures to open the disciples’ understanding of who he was and the redemption he brought. This isn’t to say that the New Testament has no value to us today. Of course we need the New Testament. 

But we must also recognize that there was no Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts, Romans, Galatians, Ephesians, or any other New Testament book written at that time. Yet, Jesus was able to take the Scriptures – the writings of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms – and use his explanation of those books alone to bring the disciples to a clear understanding of himself and the Gospel message.

This truth should challenge us. Could we explain Christ through the Old Testament alone? Could we teach the Gospel message through the Old Testament alone? It was sufficient for Jesus.

This truth is further reinforced in 1 Timothy 6:3, where Paul writes, “If anyone teaches otherwise and does not consent to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which accords with godliness…”

According to Luke 24:44, the “wholesome words” of Jesus were drawn from the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms. Therefore, the foundation of sound doctrine, the doctrine that accords with godliness, is found in these very Scriptures.

Paul’s warning is clear: “If anyone teaches otherwise and does not consent to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which accords with godliness, he is proud, knowing nothing” (1 Timothy 6:3-4). In other words, anyone who ignores the writings of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms, and does not teach from these sources, knows nothing of true doctrine or godliness.

As believers, as preachers and teachers of the Word, we are called to follow in the footsteps of our Lord Jesus Christ. Just as He took His words from the writings of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms, so too must we desire to draw our doctrine and teachings from these same wells of truth. The Old Testament is not just stories and accounts. It is a source of wisdom and teaching. 

We are the body of Christ, and if the Head himself found His teachings in the Old Testament Scriptures, then we must aim to do the same. Our approach to these ancient writings should be one of reverence and submission, allowing the Holy Spirit to open our understanding and reveal the depths of wisdom contained within.

The Promises of God Fulfilled in Christ

Imagine the apostle Paul standing before you, proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ. What would be the foundation of his message? In 2 Corinthians 1:19-20, we find the answer: “For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us… was not Yes and No, but in Him was Yes. For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us.”

Paul’s proclamation was clear: the promises of God, which were recorded by the prophets in the Holy Scriptures, have found their “Yes” – their fulfillment – in the person of Jesus Christ. When Paul preached Christ, he was declaring that the promises of God, made long ago, have been accomplished in Him.

But what exactly are these promises that Paul refers to? In Romans 1:1-2, he sheds light on this truth: “Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God which He promised before through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures.”

Here, Paul equates the “gospel of God” with the promises that God made through His prophets, recorded in the Holy Scriptures – the writings of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms. These promises, as Paul clarifies in verse 3, concern God’s Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

The prophets, in their writings, were proclaiming the Gospel – the good news of God’s promised Messiah, Jesus Christ. When you open the pages of the Old Testament, you are encountering the very promises that found their fulfillment in the person and work of Christ.

Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms are not merely historical accounts or moral teachings; they are the divinely inspired proclamation of the Gospel, the glad tidings of God’s redemptive plan for humanity through His Son, Jesus Christ.

When we preach Christ, we are not bringing a new message; rather, we are echoing the promises of God that have been recorded by the prophets of old. Our task is to unveil the glorious reality that the One they foretold has come, and in Him, all of God’s promises find their resounding “Yes!”

The Promise Fulfilled

Recall the words of the apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 1:19-20: “For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us… was not Yes and No, but in Him was Yes. For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us.”

The grace foretold by the prophets, the promises they declared, found their resounding “Yes” in the person and work of Jesus Christ. When we preach Christ today, we are proclaiming the fulfillment of the very grace the prophets prophesied would come.

But what exactly did the prophets foretell? Peter provides the answer in 1 Peter 1 verse 11: “Searching what, or what manner of time, the Spirit of Christ who was in them was indicating when He testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow.”

The prophecies of grace centered on two pivotal events: the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow – His resurrection, ascension, and indwelling presence. Every teaching, every proclamation of the apostles, was rooted in these prophetic declarations, unveiling the fulfillment of what the prophets had foretold concerning the Messiah.

Yet, there is one more profound truth that Peter unveils in verse 12: “To them it was revealed that, not to themselves, but to us they were ministering the things which now have been reported to you through those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven.”

Pause and let these words sink in. The prophets were not merely ministering to their own generation; their words, their prophecies, were a ministry to us – the recipients of the gospel, the partakers of the grace they foretold. When Moses, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and the psalmists penned their inspired words, they were ministering to you, unveiling the grace that would come through the sufferings and glory of Christ.

The Word of God Preached

I want you to place yourself in the city of Berea. See yourself eagerly listening to the apostle Paul as he proclaims the good news of Jesus Christ. Acts 17:10-11 provides a glimpse into the scene: “Then the brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea. When they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews. These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so.”

Pause and consider the weight of these words. The Bereans did not merely accept Paul’s teachings at face value; instead, they “searched the Scriptures daily” to examine whether the things he preached were indeed true. But what Scriptures were they searching? The answer lies in the Old Testament – the writings of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms, which at that time were the only Scriptures in existence.

As you continue reading in Acts 17:13, you find a profound statement: “But when the Jews from Thessalonica learned that the word of God was preached by Paul at Berea, they came there too and stirred up the crowds.”

Here, the text explicitly refers to the message Paul preached as “the word of God.” But what was the content of this “word of God” that Paul proclaimed? The answer lies in the prophecies recorded in the Old Testament Scriptures.

But why did the Bereans search the Scriptures to validate Paul’s teachings? The answer is found in the words of the apostle Paul himself, recorded in 2 Timothy 3:16-17: “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.”

Paul affirms the sufficiency of the Scriptures – the writings of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms – to thoroughly equip and furnish the believer for every aspect of doctrine and godly living. The Bereans recognized this truth, diligently searching the Scriptures to examine the validity of Paul’s teachings.

Just as the Bereans did, search the Scriptures daily, allowing the Holy Spirit to illuminate your understanding and reveal the depths of wisdom contained within. For within these pages, you will find the very foundation upon which the apostolic witness stands – the foretelling of the coming of the Messiah, the promised Savior, Jesus Christ.

Let their words shape your understanding of the Gospel and deepen your appreciation for the grace that has been manifested in Christ. Embrace the call to search the Scriptures, recognizing that within their pages lies the source of sound doctrine, thoroughly equipping you for every good work.

The Preaching of the Gospel

So as we begin to wrap up, let’s answer this: what, then, is the preaching of the Gospel? Peter provides the answer: it is the reporting, the unveiling, of the very things the prophets ministered. When the apostles proclaimed the good news of Jesus Christ, they were not inventing a new message; they were echoing the prophecies of grace recorded in the writings of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalmists.

As the apostle Paul affirms in 2 Corinthians 1:19-20, the promises of God – those foretold by the prophets – found their resounding “Yes” in Christ Jesus. The Gospel is the proclamation that the grace foretold has come, the sufferings of Christ have been endured, and the glories have followed in His resurrection and exaltation.

Embrace the call to search the Scriptures, recognizing that within their pages lies the foundation upon which the apostolic witness stands – the foretelling of the coming of the Messiah, the promised Savior, Jesus Christ. Let the prophecies of grace minister to you, unveiling the eternal plan of God and the glorious fulfillment of His promises in the person and work of His Son.

Continuing the Conversation

Remember, this isn’t just ancient history; it’s a living, breathing reality that influences everything we are and all we do. Let’s continue this conversation, diving deeper into the truths of God’s word, and embracing our role in this divine narrative.