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Study God’s Word
Question 1:
When have you really enjoyed learning something?
THE POINT
Regular study of God’s Word keeps us firmly grounded.
THE BIBLE MEETS LIFE
I’m a huge Major League Baseball fan. Even as a child, I sat in front of the TV watching countless games and highlight reels. Today, you can ask me about any of the rules, and I can explain them to you. Show me a picture of a ballpark, and I’ll tell you the city where it sits. I am a self-proclaimed expert on all things Major League Baseball.
I can go a step further. As an adult, I have attended a game in person at every Major League ballpark. Consequently, the general information I learned as a kid has become more deeply enhanced. Watching games on TV now is an even richer experience because I’ve been there.
In a similar way, simply reading Scripture certainly allows us to know about God and His Word. But studying the Bible takes it to a deeper—and richer—level. The words, the events, and Jesus’s teaching come alive when we invest the time to do more than just read the text. It’s more than an exercise to fill our brains with facts, however; our lives become rich as we live out what we study.
WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?
2 Timothy 2:14-15
14 Keep reminding God’s people of these things. Warn them before God against quarreling about words; it is of no value, and only ruins those who listen. 15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.
In most New Testament letters, the apostles wrote to local churches. They often included a strong charge to answer false teaching that was circulating in their respective settings. Paul’s second letter to Timothy is no different. Timothy was Paul’s young protégé who shepherded the Ephesian church. Although we don’t know everything the false teachers were teaching, it was clear that false teaching had permeated the Ephesian church, and Timothy needed to deal with it. To help Timothy, Paul contrasted the harm of false teachers to the benefit of faithful teachers.
False teachers spend their time fighting over words. Their endless speculations, arguments, and debates are meaningless. Even worse, they actually “only ruins those who listen” (v. 14). The faithful worker, on the other hand, “does not need to be ashamed” (v. 15) because he correctly teaches God’s Word. He has no shame because God approves of him. Thus, by being diligent, faithful believers can present themselves to God as approved workers.
Practically speaking, we become approved workers by rightly handling God’s Word. Note carefully, this approval doesn’t mean approval for salvation. It has to do with testing. As we study and apply God’s Word, we can overcome the trials that come our way. We’ve been tested in our walk with Christ and found acceptable. We grow in this testing as we study God’s Word diligently.
Question 2:
What might get in the way of regularly studying God’s Word?
Any Christian can learn to study God’s Word deeply. Studying God’s Word means you learn historical contexts, key theological themes, and basic word studies. These tools help bridge ancient truths to modern life. So, what will it take to do this well?
Time. Studying God’s Word requires a time commitment. You might begin by setting aside thirty minutes per week for intentional study of a book of the Bible.
Resources. Studying God’s Word requires a few study helps. We have at our disposal many resources to help study the Bible better; for example, study Bibles, Bible dictionaries, lexicons, and commentaries are readily available. A reliable study Bible can be a good first step.
Community. Fellow Christ followers serve as a great help in studying God’s Word more deeply. Studying God’s Word together in a Bible study group can serve as a great primer in how to study the Bible on your own. A group can also encourage your personal study.
Motivation. As with most things in life, you can’t study God’s Word diligently by accident. This discipline will require both intent and desire. Studying God’s Word requires intentionality and diligence. Though it takes effort, your effort will always be rewarding.
2 Timothy 2:16-19
16 Avoid godless chatter, because those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly. 17 Their teaching will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, 18 who have departed from the truth. They say that the resurrection has already taken place, and they destroy the faith of some. 19 Nevertheless, God’s solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness.”
One thing the false teachers in the Ephesian church were teaching was an erroneous view of the resurrection. A popular philosophy was Gnosticism, which included the idea that the physical is bad, but the spiritual is good. Therefore, these false teachers rejected the idea of a bodily resurrection. Paul called teaching like this “godless chatter” (v. 16). Such false teaching, Paul insisted, “will become more and more ungodly,” and those who spread it “have departed from the truth.” These errors weren’t simple differences of opinion. Paul asserted, “their teaching will spread like gangrene” (v. 17).
We live in a time when God’s Word is often thrown into a cultural blender of ideologies, beliefs, and movements. That’s why we diligently study God’s Word. False teaching isn’t dangerous because it’s so far-fetched that no one could ever believe it. False teaching is dangerous because it can be easily believable. We might not fall for someone who teaches us to sacrifice a firstborn child to a fictional space god, but people can be easily persuaded to mistrust the Bible because someone told them Bible translators made key errors in translating the Bible. Moreover, when prevailing social whims shift dramatically, a Christ follower might feel pressure to bend to the majority view.
When Paul wrote, “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness” (v. 19), he wasn’t just calling teachers or pastors to turn away from the wickedness of false teaching. He commanded everyone who calls on the name of the Lord to do so. Every Christ follower should diligently equip himself or herself to know God’s Word deeply to avoid stepping onto the shaky foundation of false teaching. God wants His children to spend time diligently studying His Word. He wants us to study the history, the context, and the themes. He wants us to be so familiar with truth that we can detect a false claim in the blink of an eye. When you faithfully study God’s Word, it keeps you grounded in the truth no matter who tries to entice you with “godless chatter.”
2 Timothy 2:22-26
Question 3:
What are examples of godless chatter we should avoid?
22 Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. 23 Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. 24 And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. 25 Opponents must be gently instructed, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, 26 and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.
Knowing the history, context, and nuances of language all help us move from a general understanding to a deeper understanding of God’s Word. But we don’t study God’s Word as a mere intellectual exercise. Just as with our reading and hearing of God’s Word, we study God’s Word to live it out and share it.
Question 4:
How has the Word of God influenced your pursuit of godliness?
In verses 22-26, Paul presented a remarkable contrast between those who follow the many false ways of the world and those who follow the true way of Christ. Follow Paul’s logic here. Those who follow the wrong ways of the world operate from “the evil desires of youth.” Those who follow the world’s way “produce quarrels” (v. 23) through their “foolish and stupid arguments”; rather than quarreling, however, those who follow Christ’s way are gentle and patient.
Christians aren’t immune from these impassioned feelings. Cultural influences are strong. We often are tempted to engage the world with the world’s devices. Paul didn’t command us to take up arms and ambush those with whom we disagree. Instead, he taught us to obey God’s Word, live the way of Christ, and gently instruct our opponents. Why? Because who knows? “In the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth” (v. 25).
Don’t miss this key spiritual equation: your Bible study plus your application of what you learn might equal your opponent’s salvation. Displaying a changed life is the greatest way to share with others what you’ve learned from Bible study. And God can use your changed life to change someone else’s. Your diligence in Bible study can benefit God’s kingdom.
Question 5:
How has our group helped one another obey God’s Word and share it with others?
FLEE AND FOLLOW
2 Timothy 2:22 encourages believers to flee some things and follow (pursue) others. Using these points, list some examples of how studying the Bible helps you do each:
Things to Flee: Things to Follow:
1. 1.
2. 2.
3. 3.
“I never saw a useful Christian who was not a student of the Bible.”
DWIGHT L. MOODY
LIVE IT OUT
How will you take steps to study God’s Word? Choose one of the following applications:
First base: Evaluate your overall disposition toward those who follow the world’s various distortions of God’s Word. Ensure that you are demonstrating a gentle spirit rather than a combative attitude.
Second base: If you don’t have one, consider purchasing a good study Bible. Consult with your pastor or other trusted leader for a good recommendation.
Third base: Start studying a book of the Bible more in depth. Perhaps you could ask another believer to study with you for mutual accountability.
The truth of God’s Word is understandable even to a child. We can generally understand the Bible by reading it. However, God wants us to mature and have more than a general understanding. Let’s diligently study to know God’s Word more deeply!
Teacher Notes:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z0-Q3Jl7vng
Click Here to Watch the Opening Video
Video: Living
Waters – 23:50 to 30:30 (Ray Comforts)
How To Build Your Life on God’s Word
Don’t you think studying God’s Word would be
part of that?
2 Timothy 2:14-26
The Bible clearly talks about the importance of
reading and studying the Scriptures, yet studies show that out of more than 2
billion Christians across the world, less than 30% will read their entire
Bible. In fact, among American Christians, more than 82% say they only read
their Bible when they’re in church on Sunday.
3 Questions to Ponder
Study God’s Word
Why don’t we? Why should we? How do we?
Why don’t we study God’s Word?
One of the reasons that Christians fail to
dedicate their time and attention to God and His Word are that they don’t believe that it will make
a difference. This can take a couple of different forms. First, you may not believe that the bible
is actually the Word of God. You may say you believe it, but your
actions don’t match up with your words. Second, you may not believe that reading the bible will
actually change anything, putting them in the category of things that
are “nice to do from time to time, but not necessarily important enough to make
a difference.”
Why should we study God’s Word?
· To grow in Christ
· Personal encouragement & blessing
· Personal guidance
· Prepare to teach truth to others
· Defend against Satan’s attacks
· To discern between good & evil
· God will examine our work
· Keeps us grounded in truth
· To avoid godless chatter
· To discern false teaching
· To be a useful Christian
How do we study God’s Word?
· With an open mind & love for truth
· Pray for illumination from God
· Purposely set aside time for study
· Have the right materials
· Take notes
· Make it a priority
· Be diligent in your study
· Focus on truth
Our lesson says that regular study of God’s
Word will keep us firmly grounded in our faith and practice:
1. when we act with diligence
I.
Be diligent
in studying God’s Word.
What
does diligence mean? – Carefully and Thoroughly – So, carefully, and thoroughly
study God’s Word.
Read 2 Timothy 2:14-15
2 Timothy 2:14-15
Keep
reminding God’s people of these things. Warn them before God against quarreling
about words; it is of no value, and only ruins those who listen. Do your best to present yourself to God as one
approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the
word of truth.
What is Paul’s instruction to Timothy in verse
14?
Much of the motivation for Paul’s writing the
two letters to Timothy was his concern that the truth of the gospel be taught and that the false
teachers be silenced. Paul is writing to a young pastor named Timothy. Of all the duties a pastor has,
the central one is to present the Word of God accurately to the church.
But that doesn’t get you or me off the hook because Paul is also talking to every
believer — knowing how to properly interpret the Bible is a skill that every
believer should develop. And you gain that by carefully and thoroughly studying
God’s Word.
Paul’s comments in these verses have to do with
Timothy taking a stand against false teachers in the church. Most of these
verses are the focus of this session. Timothy and others were to stay grounded
in God’s Word. That would happen as they gave themselves to faithful study. Studying
the Word followed by obeying and sharing the Word would strengthen them
personally and benefit God’s kingdom. Such is true for us too.
2 Timothy 2:14-15
Keep reminding God’s people of these things.
Warn them before God against quarreling about words; it is of no value, and
only ruins those who listen. Do
your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not
need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.
How does the content of verse 15 support the
appeal for personal diligence? He says who correctly handles the word of truth?
Read: The Bible says, God will examine what kind of workers,
we are for Him, we should build our lives on His Word and build His Word into
our lives.
God’s Word alone tells us how to live for Him and serve Him.
Believers
who ignore the Bible will certainly be ashamed at the judgment.
Consistent
and diligent study of God’s Word is vital; otherwise, we will be lulled into
neglecting God and our true purpose for living.
What are ways we mishandle God’s Word?
Read:
Some people search the Bible to find passages to support their preconceived
ideas or preferred lifestyles.
Instead of diligently studying Scripture to
discover what God means and how He wants us to live, some people search the
Bible to find passages to support their preconceived ideas or preferred
lifestyles.
Read:
We aren’t free to interpret the Bible any way we want. The goal is to discover
what God meant rather than to find a meaning we like. Remember, it’s God’s approval
we are seeking — not our own or that of others.
Practically speaking, we become approved
workers by rightly handling God’s Word. Note carefully, this approval doesn’t
mean approval for salvation. It has to do with testing. As we study and apply
God’s Word, we can overcome the trials that come our way. We’ve been tested in
our walk with Christ and found acceptable. We grow in this testing as we study
God’s Word diligently.
Why should we study God’s Word?
• God will examine our work
Our lesson says that regular study of God’s
Word will keep us firmly grounded in our faith and practice:
1.
when we act with diligence
2. when we focus on the truth
II.
Faithful
study of God’s Word keeps us grounded in the truth.
Read 2 Timothy 2:16-19
2 Timothy 2:16-19
Avoid godless chatter because those who indulge
in it will become more and more ungodly. Their teaching will spread like
gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, who have departed from the
truth. They say that the resurrection has already taken place, and they destroy
the faith of some. Nevertheless, God’s solid foundation stands firm, sealed
with this inscription: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Everyone who
confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness.”
What is Paul talking about when he refers to godless
chatter?
Background: The false teachers were denying the
resurrection of the body. They believed that when a person became a Christian,
he or she was spiritually reborn, and that was the only resurrection that there
would ever be. To them, resurrection was symbolic and spiritual, not physical.
Paul clearly taught that believers will be resurrected after they die, and that
their bodies as well as their souls will live eternally with Christ (1
Corinthians 15:35; 2 Corinthians 5:1-10; 1 Thessalonians 4:15-18).
Read: We cannot shape the doctrines of scripture to
match our opinions. If we do, we are putting ourselves above God. Instead, our
beliefs should be consistent with God’s Word.
We live in a time when God’s Word is often
thrown into a cultural blender of ideologies, beliefs, and movements. That’s
why we diligently study God’s Word.
Is false teaching really that dangerous?
False teaching isn’t dangerous because it’s so
far-fetched that no one could ever believe it. False teaching is dangerous
because it can be easily believable.
Read:
We might not fall for someone who teaches us to sacrifice a firstborn child to
a fictional space god, but people can be easily persuaded to mistrust the Bible
because someone told them that Bible translators made key errors in translating
the Bible. When social whims shift dramatically, a Christ follower might feel
pressure to bend to the majority view.
False teachers still spout lies. Some distort
the truth, some dilute it, and some simply delete it by saying that God’s truth
no longer applies. But no matter how many people follow the liars, the solid
foundation of God’s truth never changes, is never shaken, and will never fade.
When we follow God’s truth, He will never forsake us.
In important areas of Christian teaching, we
must carefully work through our disagreements. When we bicker long hours over
words and theories that are not central to the Christian faith and life, we
only provoke anger and hurt feelings. Even if godless chatter reaches a
resolution, it gains little ground for the kingdom. Learning and discussing are
not bad unless they keep believers constantly focusing on false doctrine or
unhelpful trivialities. Don’t let anything keep you from your work for and
service to God.
Why should we study God’s Word?
· God will examine our work
· Keeps us grounded in truth
· To avoid godless chatter
· To discern false teaching
How should we study God’s Word?
· Be diligent
· Focus on truth
Our lesson says that regular study of God’s
Word will keep us firmly grounded in our faith and practice:
1.
when we act with diligence
2.
when we focus on the truth; and
3. when we allow it to equip us to help others come to
repentance and grow in the faith.
III.
Obeying and
sharing what we learn from God’s Word benefits God’s kingdom.
Read 2 Timothy 2:22-26
2 Timothy 2:22-26
Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue
righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out
of a pure heart. Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments
because you know they produce quarrels. And the Lord’s servant must not be
quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful.
Opponents must be gently instructed, in the hope that God will grant them
repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to
their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive
to do his will.
Why did Paul tell Timothy to flee the evil
desires of youth?
Obviously, Paul
urged Timothy to be useful by staying faithful to the way of the Lord. Flee the
evil desire of youth. Run away from certain behaviors, practices, and
influences that evolve from the pursuit of “youthful passions” (CSB) or
unconstrained human desire. Timothy was a young man of faith, but he still
needed to avoid being trapped by the fleshly desires that often tempt a man his
age. Even so, no matter our age, we are to refrain from being controlled by our
human passions or only seeking to satisfy our worldly desires.
Our command to "flee youthful lusts"
is not limited to sexual sin or immorality alone. John McArthur states,
"Not merely illicit sexual desires, but also such lusts as pride, desire
for wealth and power, jealousy, self-assertiveness, and an argumentative
spirit."
Timothy was a young man and Paul warned him to
flee anything that produced evil thoughts.
Do you have a recurring temptation that is
difficult to resist?
Read:
Running away is sometimes considered cowardly. But wise people realize that
removing themselves physically from temptation often can be the most courageous
action to take.
Remove yourself physically from any situation
that stimulates your desire to sin.
Knowing when to run is as important in
spiritual battle as knowing when and how to fight.
Why should we study God’s Word?
“I never saw a useful Christian who was not a
student of the Bible.”
DWIGHT L. MOODY
Conclusion:
Stay away
from cravings of the flesh that negatively affect your testimony. Take
intentional actions to pursue a pure heart. Avoid engaging in foolish conversations
that only lead to strife. Present the gospel with kindness and avoid being
argumentative or belligerent. Share the gospel with the objective that a person
will repent of sin and be set free to serve God faithfully.
Remember this Spiritual Equation
Your Bible Study + Your Application = Someone’s
Salvation
