The Whole Bible

The Whole Bible
This past Sunday FBC was reminded that the weapon of our warfare is the Word of God. Scripture is the weapon that we have to combat the world, the flesh, and the devil. This should motivate each and every Christian to consume the Word with zeal. Unfortunately, many have said that the issue of our day is that the Church is full of people who don’t know the Bible. 

John 3:16 is a beautiful verse in the Bible, but our knowledge of Scripture must go beyond just one verse. When Paul wrote to Timothy to tell him that “all Scripture is God-breathed and profitable for teaching, reproof, correction, and training in righteousness that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work” (2 Tim. 3:16-17), he meant the Old Testament. Timothy did not have the New Testament yet, except for the letters that he received from Paul. If we, 21st-century Christians, are going to take up the sword of the Spirit, then we must have a knowledge of all of Scripture. 

To ignore the Old Testament is a dangerous thing. Without the Old Testament, the New Testament makes no sense. If I do not understand what happened with Man in the Garden, how God spared Noah, called Abraham, appointed Moses, raised up David, and more, then the New Testament will make little sense. Why does Paul call Christ the second Adam in Romans? How is Abraham the father of all who have faith (Rom. 4:16-17)? How is Jesus greater than Moses (Heb. 3)? All of the questions are unanswerable apart from the Old Testament.

If we are to stand against spiritual attacks, we must take up the sword of the Spirit. If we are to die every day and kill the deeds of the flesh, we must take up the sword of the Spirit. If we must take up the sword, then we ought to be well acquainted with the weapon in our hands. Brethren, take up and read. Let us not be content to be ignorant of Scripture.