January 9, 2023
Bishop, W. F. Houston, Jr.
***Bible Study Reading:
2 Timothy 2:14–19
Focal Study Verse:
2 Timothy 2:15
Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved.
According to a recent survey of evangelical Christians, many adhere to views that the Bible does not support. Thirty percent of respondents believed that Jesus was not God but an excellent teacher. Forty-two percent of people think God is open to worship from people of all religions. Forty-six percent of people hold the belief that the Holy Spirit is a force and not a person. Among the respondents, 18% believed
the Holy Spirit could instruct a person to engage in behaviors explicitly forbidden by the Bible.
Erroneous views are often the result of incorrect interpretations of God's Word. One of the most important reasons to pursue a God-sanctioned education is to handle the word of truth correctly (v. 15). Scripture must always serve as the Christian community's primary resource for spiritual growth in their day-to-day existence.
*A God-sanctioned education “does not” imply that a human institution is the only God approved spiritual establishment.
The Bible is God's revelation; as such, it’s without error and flaw. The Holy Spirit was the source of its inspiration. It’s necessary to approach its reading with an attitude of submission and obedience because it is a book that belongs in a category all to itself. Generally, we pass judgment on books, but Scripture judges the reader (Heb. 4:12).
To put this into perspective, Paul was cautioning against a gnostic heresy that disregarded material reality (v. 14). The Word became flesh via the Incarnation (John 1:14). The Gnostics sought to alter reality so that it would be consistent with human wisdom. Their doctrine affected the Body of Christ like a sickness (Vv. 16–18).
The church, both then and now, can best defend itself against such false teachers by learning to handle Scripture accurately and faithfully (v. 15). The task of correctly interpreting the Bible falls on each one of those who call themselves Christians. We hope that one day we may be able to stand before God as workers in this field who are not ashamed of their efforts. In either event, "God's solid foundation" will remain unshakeable until the end (v. 19; also look at Eph. 1:13).
*Beloved, we pray that the C H O F Ministry Bible Study will lead you to a deeper and more accurate understanding of God's Word. We hope that you have found your time in God's Word with us to be rewarding; if so, we hope that you will consider passing along our C H O F Ministry bible study (https://chof-ministry.org/c-h-o-f-ministry-bible-study) to a friend or loved one who could also benefit from it.
Let Us Pray:
Dear Heavenly Father, interpreting Your Word is a big job, but You don't expect us to do it without help. Thank You for filling us with the Holy Spirit so we can know Your truth. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.