1. What does the Bible say about itself?

2 Timothy 3:16 (ESV) 16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,

Romans 15:4 (ESV) 4 For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.

Matthew 24:35 (ESV) 35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

Isaiah 55:11 (ESV) 11 so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.

2. What did early Church leaders say about the Bible?

“By the will of God they delivered to us the Scriptures, to be, for the future, the foundation and pillar of our faith.” —Irenaeus

“The Holy Scriptures, given by inspiration of God, are of themselves sufficient toward the discovery of truth.” —Athanasius

“The security and preservation of our faith are not supported by ingenuity of speech, but by the proofs of the divine Scriptures.” —Cyril of Jerusalem

“God did not give the Bible so we could master Him or it; God gave the Bible so we could live it, so we could be mastered by it. The moment we think we’ve mastered it, we have failed to be readers of the Bible.” —Scott McKnight

• So how do we invite God to transform us and master us through the Scriptures?

Ezekiel 2:9-3:4 (NIV) 2:9 Then I looked, and I saw a hand stretched out to me. In it was a scroll, 2:10 which he unrolled before me. On both sides of it were written words of lament and mourning and woe. 3:1 And he said to me, “Son of man, eat what is before you, eat this scroll; then go and speak to the people of Israel.” 3:2 So I opened my mouth, and he gave me the scroll to eat. 3:3 Then he said to me, “Son of man, eat this scroll I am giving you and fill your stomach with it.” So I ate it, and it tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth. 3:4 He then said to me: “Son of man, go now to the people of Israel and speak my words to them.

3. What did Jesus say about the Bible?

• Taught the Bible, He was saturated with the scripture, He held the scripture high, It is written, man shall not live by bread alone

There is no legitimate apprenticeship of Jesus that doesn’t have a central place for the Bible. —John Mark Comer

Matthew 5:17 (NIV) 17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.

Matthew 5:18–19 (NIV) 18 For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. 19 Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 5:20 (NIV) 20 For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 5:21-22a (NIV): “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ 22 But I tell you…

Matthew 5:27–31 (NIV) 27 You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’  28 But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. 30 And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell. 31 “It has been said, ‘Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.’

• Practice of the heart behind the Bible itself

Mark 12:18–27 (NIV) 18 Then the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to him with a question. 19 “Teacher,” they said, “Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies and leaves a wife but no children, the man must marry the widow and raise up offspring for his brother. 20 Now there were seven brothers. The first one married and died without leaving any children. 21 The second one married the widow, but he also died, leaving no child. It was the same with the third. 22 In fact, none of the seven left any children. Last of all, the woman died too. 23 At the resurrection whose wife will she be, since the seven were married to her?” 24 Jesus replied, “Are you not in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God? 25 When the dead rise, they will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven. 26 Now about the dead rising—have you not read in the Book of Moses, in the account of the burning bush, how God said to him, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? 27 He is not the God of the dead, but of the living. You are badly mistaken!”

John 5:39–47 (NIV) 39 You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me, 40 yet you refuse to come to me to have life. 41 “I do not accept glory from human beings, 42 but I know you. I know that you do not have the love of God in your hearts. 43 I have come in my Father’s name, and you do not accept me; but if someone else comes in his own name, you will accept him. 44 How can you believe since you accept glory from one another but do not seek the glory that comes from the only God? 45 “But do not think I will accuse you before the Father. Your accuser is Moses, on whom your hopes are set. 46 If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote about me. 47 But since you do not believe what he wrote, how are you going to believe what I say?”

2 Timothy 3:14–17 (NIV) 14 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, 15 and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the servant of God  may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

• Teaching - to reveal life in Christ
• Rebuking - where we are out of alignment
• Correction - bring us back into alignment
• Training - over all process becoming like Jesus

a silent surrendering of everything to God. —Soren Kierkegaard

• The daily act of reading scripture is to make room for Jesus; to welcome His word, His correction, His training into our spirit–rather than come to the Bible and question it; to let it question us.