Word of Salvation - June 2018

 

B.C.4/5 - Authority in the Church

Sermon by John Westendorp

Bible reading: 2Timothy 3

Text: 2Timothy 3 (vs.16)

Belgic Confession: Article 4&5

 

BC stands for Basic Christianity.  What are the fundamentals of the faith?

BC also stands for Belgic Confession – a document in which the Christian church (in a time of great persecution) spelled out the basics of what she believes.

When Christianity is a mile wide and an inch deep it needs to grasp again the basics of the faith and confess them in a world where the faith is increasingly under attack.

Those who drew up the BC declared that they were ready to obey the government in all lawful things, but that they would “offer their backs to stripes, their tongues to knives, their mouths to gags and their whole bodies to the fire” rather than deny the truth expressed in this confession.

 

Introd: I want to begin with a little experiment for which I need three children to volunteer.

* Ask each child to cut off what they think is 30cm of wool from a ball of wool.

How do we know whether or not each of these is 30 cm long?

Each one THINKS theirs is 30 cm but obviously – they are not all correct.

Who is right?  Or who is the closest?
I suppose that as a congregation we could take a vote on it?
That might get us closer to the 30cm mark... but we want to be precise.
So what we need is an OBJECTIVE standard of measurement.
Not a SUBJECTIVE standard that comes out of our own minds.

We need something by which to measure ALL those pieces.
            Then we can all see and there will be no arguments.
            So we use a measuring stick... a ruler or a tape measure.                [measure them]

You might ask: But how can we be sure that this ruler is correct?
Well there used to be a standard metre kept in an air-conditioned room in Paris.
And all metric measurements could ultimately be measured back to that.

Okay, what does this little experiment have to do with 1Timothy 3?  Or with the Belgic Confession?
Well... if you lived in Bible times and spoke Greek this ruler would be called a CANON.
That has nothing to do with guns and military hardware... it is not a weapon of war.
CANON is simply the Greek word for a ‘ruler’... a measuring stick.

Now have a look again at the Belgic Confession’s articles 4 and 5.
And you’ll notice that they both have an unusual word that we don’t use in everyday English.
It’s the word “CANONICAL” which comes from the word CANON.

So we speak of the 66 books of the Old and New Testaments as CANONICAL books.
            IOW They are the standard against which we measure our faith and our practice.
                        We measured the wool by means of this ruler.
                        In a similar way we measure our faith and life by the standard of the Bible.

Or let me put it another way:
This ruler is the canon that has authority to determine the length of the wool.
This Bible is the canon that has authority to determine what we believe and how we live.
So this afternoon let’s think of two things:
            First the HOW – In which way does Scripture have authority for us as Christians?
            Secondly the WHY – For what reason does it carry such authority?

A]        THE HOW...?  IN WHICH WAY DOES THE BIBLE HAVE AUTHORITY?

B.C. article 5 spells out HOW Scripture has authority in 3 different ways.
All the books mentioned in article 4 of the Confession
            are received by us as holy and canonical, for the...
                        REGULATION... FOUNDATION... AND CONFIRMATION of our faith.
Let’s look at each of these three in turn.

1. First of all the Scriptures have authority for the REGULATION of our faith.

Paul also spoke to Timothy about the Bible in that way.

He tells Timothy that the Bible is INSPIRED.  All Scripture is God-breathed.
And then Paul goes right on to add that
            “...it is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.”

IOW in all those areas of life the Bible is our MEASURING STICK.
It is the standard by which we judge.
It is used for the regulation of our faith,
            ...in teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in the things of God.

Today everyone agrees: we must have a standard by which to measure 30 cm of string.

But when it comes to belief and morality most people cut the string to suit themselves.

Let me give you some examples:
In our multicultural society we see a great variety today in the area of beliefs.
We are faced with the claims of Islam.... Hinduism... Shinto...  Buddhism... New Age Mysticism!
There are literally hundreds of different religions.
And there are many groups and sects that claim to be Christian.

But who is right?
It seems that people do exactly what the kids / young people did with the string.
They made up their own mind and they cut the string where they thought it ought to be cut.
So today everyone makes up his own mind about what he or she ought to believe.

Today it isn’t even considered fashionable or loving to say who is wrong or right.
            “It’s all OK as long as we are sincere!”  That is nonsense.  Truth is truth.

When I argue at the door with a Jehovah’s Witness there are only three possibilities.
            Either: He is wrong and I am right...
               ...or: He is right and I am wrong...
               ...or: We are both wrong.  And it is nonsense for anyone to say we are both right.

There is only one solution.
Both of us must allow our beliefs to be tested by Scripture as the wool was tested by the ruler.
Scripture is the canon – the measuring stick – by which we weigh up beliefs.

Another area where the Bible is our measuring stick is in the area of behaviour and morality.

Today we live in an age where it isn’t fashionable to have strongly held standards.

In moral issues it seems one thing is right for one person and another thing is right for someone else.

The only standard today is that there are no absolute standards.
Who decides whether homosexuality is OK as a valid lifestyle or not?
What are we to think of abortion... or euthanasia?
Is it okay to cheat on your wife or husband as long as no one gets hurt?
What’s wrong with living together before marriage?
            In all these things there is – for the Christian – only one standard: the Word of God.
            The book that is “...useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.”

So we have these canonical books of the Old and New Testaments.

They regulate our faith... they ensure our faith centres on Jesus Christ and Him crucified.

And they regulate our behaviour.... because in His Word God has given us His moral requirements.

Okay, it’s true that there are some areas where have no clear instructions.
There are peripheral areas where we must leave room for Christian freedom.
But by and large – in most areas of life – the standards are clear.
            All Scripture is God-breathed and useful...
                        for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.

2. However, these Holy Scriptures do much more than regulate our faith and our behaviour.

The B.Conf. says that they also form the BASIS... the FOUNDATION for our faith.

The house you live in has a foundation... hopefully (for your sake) it’s a solid foundation.
If it doesn’t have a solid foundation you’ll be like the foolish man who built on the sand.
I’m sure you remember the disaster that happened to his house.

Scripture tells us that the church is built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets.
IOW it is founded on the WORD OF GOD – the Scriptures of Old and New Testament.
So our sure foundation is the Word of God.

In ancient buildings the most vital part of a building’s foundation was the CORNER STONE.

And Scripture tells us that our corner stone is Christ.
So the Christian builds his life on the foundation of the gospel of Jesus Christ and on His Word.
            It is thru the Word that we are born again and become Christians.
            Paul says that faith comes by hearing... and hearing comes by the gospel of Christ.

So Scripture is our foundation and in our text in 2 Timothy 3 we also notice this foundation.
Timothy’s faith rested on that same foundation.... and it had done so for many years.
            Paul points out (in vs.15) how from INFANCY Timothy had known the Holy Scriptures.
            And Paul adds that these are able to make you wise for salvation.
            IOW: These Scriptures are for our salvation... they are the FOUNDATION of our faith.

Today there are numerous people all around us who have no foundation.
So many folk are just like that house built on the sand.  They take a ‘mix & match’ approach.
            Their beliefs are a hodge-podge of ideas picked up here and there.
            They fall victim to every new teaching that comes along because there is no foundation.

Today many State schools no longer have Religious Education.
Few people in society, outside the Christian church, still send their children to Sunday School.
The foundations are being removed.
            So we begin to see that this article is not just an irrelevant bit of theology.
            It isn’t just a relic from the time of the Reformation.
            Rather it impresses on us again – for example – that we as parents have a duty.
            To ensure our children grow up like Timothy....
                        from infancy knowing the Holy Scriptures to make them wise to salvation.

These holy and canonical books are for the foundation of our faith.

3. Thirdly these sacred writings also serve to CONFIRM our faith.

The Scriptures have the authority to give us certainty and assurance.

So that as we feed on that Word of God we become increasingly convinced of its truthfulness...
...convinced that our salvation is really in Jesus Christ...
...certain of the claims that He makes on our lives.

One of the worst enemies of the Christian faith is DOUBT.
It is terrible when uncertainties creep in and pull down our faith.
It can be traumatic when doubt removes our assurance and confidence in Jesus Christ.
But that often happens to Christians... but it happens especially because they neglect the Word.
            The Bible then no longer removes their doubt.
            It stops confirming them in their faith because they no longer read it.
            And then they wonder why they lose the joy of being a Christian.

Many Christians drag themselves off to church out of a sense of duty.
            But they have lost the real interest and enthusiasm for worship.
They find it increasingly difficult to display faith and love in daily life.
            And very often it is because the Bible is no longer a living book to them.

The Scriptures then also serve a CONFIRMING function for our faith.

But only as we read those Scriptures and place ourselves under their authority.

Interestingly just a little of that also comes out in Paul’s words to Timothy.
In vs.14... Timothy had not only come to know the Scriptures from infancy.
Paul also says he had become CONVINCED of the truth of the gospel and the Word of God.
In Timothy’s life the Scriptures had confirmed his faith.

So we see that the Scriptures have authority for the:
REGULATION, the FOUNDATION and the CONFIRMATION of our faith.
            This is HOW the Bible serves as our measuring stick... our canon.
            This is still the way in which Scripture has authority for us today.

BTW: It’s interesting that the Belgic Confession spends 5½ articles on Scripture.

That seems a little out of proportion.
There is – by way of comparison – only one article on the Holy Spirit.
Why take up so much space commenting on Holy Scripture?

The reason is that at the Reformation there was a conflict between two sources of authority.
Two standards: For the church of the Middle Ages tradition had equal weight to Scripture.
In contrast – for the Reformers – the only authority for the church lay in the Bible.
They said ‘Sola Scriptura!’  The Word of God alone is our canon... it’s our only authority.
That’s why Guido De Brès devoted 5½ articles to this subject.

B]        THE WHY?  FOR WHAT REASON DOES SCRIPTURE HAVE AUTHORITY?

Let’s also consider 3 reasons why Scripture has this kind of authority in your life and mine.
1.  Scripture has authority because the Church says so.
2.  Scripture has authority because the Word itself demonstrates that.  And...
3.  It has authority because the Holy Spirit witnesses to that in our hearts.

1. First of all the testimony of the Christian church has to count for something.

For nearly 2000 years the Christian church has recognised this Bible to have authority.
From Paul (in 2Timothy 3) to us today.
And even before that – for centuries the O.T. community accepted the O.T. in that way.

In fact the church itself played a role in forming the Bible as we have it today.
It recognised some books as having authority but not others (like the Gospel of Thomas).
Over the centuries the Holy Spirit led the church to accept the 66 books we call the Bible.
It recognised them... and them alone... as holy and canonical.

If Christianity has for so long received these books as such
then we ought to be cautious about undermining their authority.

However, it is possible to go too far in listening to the testimony of the church.

Some people say we should accept the authority of the Bible...
but ONLY because the church says so.
            They argue that the church gives Scripture its authority.
            That is still an argument used by the Roman Catholic Church today.
            But that really puts the church ABOVE the Bible.

We have to be very careful at this point.
The church does not GIVE the Bible its authority.
The church only RECOGNISED that these writings HAVE authority.

The point is that the church too needs the Word.
The Word is the foundation for the church and not the church the foundation for the Word.

That is why the BC talks in very guarded tones
when it speaks about the role of the church in receiving and approving these books of the Bible.

2. There is a second, more important reason, why the Bible has authority.

Scripture’s authority comes first of all because Scripture has that authority within itself.
The Bible claims that for itself.
And Scripture proves that for itself... it is – what we call – SELF-AUTHENTICATING.

Paul told Timothy: All Scripture is God-breathed.  Paul meant that it is the very speech of God.
And we can see that in the Word itself... in a variety of ways.
            Its majestic passages lift up the soul and carry our thoughts to heaven.
            It’s a book that has radically changed lives.
                        Prisoners, drug-addicts and prostitutes testify to the power of the Word.

There is harmony within its pages:
            Written over a period of at least 1800 years by more than two dozen authors;
            Yet marvellous in its overall unity as it focuses all its attention on the Lord Jesus Christ.

The B.C. says that even the blind are able to see that the things foretold in them are being fulfilled.

So the Word is believed as authoritative – simply because it is the Word.  The God-breathed Word.

We receive it for its own sake – or else not at all... but then go our way in unbelief & perish eternally.

3. Of course people have always raised objections to this idea that the Scripture has its own authority.

We believe the Bible to have authority because it itself claims to be God’s Word.

But what if it’s wrong?  Ultimately you and I cannot prove these things by argumentation.

When all is said and done it is a matter of faith – we believe this to be so.

IOW there is a third way in which the Bible has authority.
We accept Scripture’s authority because the H.Spirit convinces us that these things are so.
The Spirit of God who inspired the prophets and apostles now illumines us, the readers.
God Himself witnesses within us that this is truly His Word.

I want to close by asking you turn with me to a word from Paul in I Corinthians 2.
There Paul shows us that the Word and the Spirit belong together.
The Word speaks to us as the Spirit touches our hearts.... and only as He touches our hearts.

<<< READ I Cor. 2:14 >>>

Paul ends that passage by saying: But we have the mind of Christ.
IOW the Holy Spirit of Jesus impresses on us the reality of these things.
So we come to know Christ and become one with him thru His Word and Spirit.

This then, brothers and sisters, is the authoritative Word of God.
It is for the regulation, foundations and confirmation of your faith.
The church tells us so.
   The Word itself tells us so.
      And the Spirit says it too.

What more do we need?

Let’s then devote ourselves to the Word.
And in our daily life bow more and more before the authority of the Word of God.              Amen.