2021 BFM Series: #1 - Scriptures
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
The spring that Lindsey and I first came to Morgan Baptist, we began doing a Sunday night study through the BFM 2000. Given that that was nearly 2 1/2 years ago, and the fact that we have some new faces on Sunday nights, and a variety of issues being faced in our world, I felt like it would be good to go back to “school” if you will on what we believe as Southern Baptists. Sometimes we are in conversation with Christians of other denominations or even churches and they ask what we believe on a certain doctrine or idea and we sometimes don’t really know because we haven’t thought about it before. In general, other denominations study their beliefs far more often than Southern Baptists do. This is why we’ve tried to do some theology/doctrinal studies on Wednesday nights to stretch our spiritual brains a little bit and to get us to think in a way that we might not be used to.
Over the next few Sunday evenings we’ll be going through the BFM 2000 - for those who need a refresher or those who have never seen a BFM 2000 before, we have some in the back - there have been several BFM’s over the years but in 1999 a team was commissioned to examine the 1963 BFM and clarify some points that were a little vague. We know that our culture changes often and as the culture changed throughout the 20th century, it became clear that Southern Baptists needed a statement of faith that was rock solid on some controversial subjects. We need a document to be able to tell someone, here is a summary of things that we believe as a Southern Baptist - there is liberty in the church, yes, but these statements are things that every SBC church adheres to. They are pretty broad so that it’s not just one type of person who can affirm such a statement. You can have disagreements with someone in your church and both agree with the BFM 2000 and that’s purposeful. It’s not a document meant to divide churches - it’s meant to help us come together and understand what Southern Baptists have believed about God’s Word in the past and what we affirm today as well. The awesome thing about the BFM is the amount of Scripture used in each section to provide a Scriptural defense along the way.
Maybe you’re wondering why it’s important to have such a study or why the BFM even matters in the first place. Before the BFM 2000 there were people in Southern Baptist Churches who said that the Bible isn’t completely true and the Bible isn’t authoritative. People are saying the same things today. People say that the Bible is partly true but partly false and the Bible certainly isn’t authoritative because it’s outdated. Our feelings and emotions should be more authoritative than the Bible. Because of these people and the debates roaring around churches, the BFM 2000 was formulated to help set a baseline for others to see this is what Southern Baptists believe. Now, we have to keep in mind that the people who formulated the BFM are not the authors of Scripture. Even though they are Christians and led by the Holy Spirit, they are sinners and they are not perfect. Therefore, the BFM is a helpful tool just like other confessions are, but they aren’t to be held to the standard of Scripture. Scripture comes first, but statements like the BFM and other creeds and confessions help us not drift into dangerous, heretical waters.
2 years ago I started off by sharing what the committee itself had to share about the BFM and that’s a great place for us to start tonight too:
That they constitute a consensus of opinion of some Baptist body. They are not intended to add anything to the simple conditions of salvation revealed in the New Testament. That we do not regard them as complete statements of our faith, having any quality of finality or infallibility. As in the past so in the future, Baptists should hold themselves free to revise their statements of faith as may seem to them wise and expedient at any time. That the sole authority for faith and practice among Baptists is the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments. Confessions are only guides in interpretation, having no authority over the conscience. That they are statements of religious convictions, drawn from the Scriptures, and are not to be used to hamper freedom of thought or investigation in other realms of life. We have adopted the BFM in order to have a confession of our faith that the rest of the world can look at and see where we stand! This confession also stands as a place that we can hold ourselves accountable doctrine wise.
The BFM serves as a guide to show the world where we stand and it serves as a document of accountability for Southern Baptists.
Let’s study the BFM statement, look at Scripture that talks about the importance of God’s Word, and then conclude with some application of why the Bible matters so much
The BFM 2000 statement on Scripture is as follows:
The Holy Bible was written by men divinely inspired and is God's revelation of Himself to man. It is a perfect treasure of divine instruction. It has God for its author, salvation for its end, and truth, without any mixture of error, for its matter. Therefore, all Scripture is totally true and trustworthy. It reveals the principles by which God judges us, and therefore is, and will remain to the end of the world, the true center of Christian union, and the supreme standard by which all human conduct, creeds, and religious opinions should be tried. All Scripture is a testimony to Christ, who is Himself the focus of divine revelation.
7 The instruction of the Lord is perfect, renewing one’s life; the testimony of the Lord is trustworthy, making the inexperienced wise.
8 The precepts of the Lord are right, making the heart glad; the command of the Lord is radiant, making the eyes light up.
9 The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever; the ordinances of the Lord are reliable and altogether righteous.
10 They are more desirable than gold— than an abundance of pure gold; and sweeter than honey dripping from a honeycomb.
17 “Don’t think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to abolish but to fulfill.
18 For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or one stroke of a letter will pass away from the law until all things are accomplished.
15 and you know that from infancy you have known the sacred Scriptures, which are able to give you wisdom for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.
16 All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness,
17 so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.
19 We also have the prophetic word strongly confirmed, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.
20 Above all, you know this: No prophecy of Scripture comes from the prophet’s own interpretation,
21 because no prophecy ever came by the will of man; instead, men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.
What do we believe about the Bible?
We Believe that the Bible is a truthful book (2 Timothy 3:16)
What is truth? To many people in our world, truth is a relative term used to describe our feelings or perspective. In this sense, there can be multiple truths. Say you are rooting for the Lebanon football team to win and they lose, therefore you are a little upset. Your friend from Springfield, though, was rooting for Kickapoo to beat Lebanon and Kickapoo won, therefore they’re really happy. One action, one truth, two different feelings. Some people say that there are multiple truths, though, and that truth is relative. For someone, they might think 2 +2 = 4 but another might think that 2 + 2 = 5. They’re not wrong, they’re just living their truth. The same principle carries over into daily life beyond simple math. I feel like I’m a good person, I do good things, I pay my taxes, I tip well when I go out to eat, therefore my truth is that I’m going to go to heaven when I die because I’ve done lots of good things. You disagree because of what the Bible says. You believe that the only way you get to heaven is by grace through faith in Christ and you say that my works cannot save me. I tell you that it’s ok, you live your truth and I’ll live mine. This is the mentality of many people, Christian and non-Christian alike. The idea is that truth changes based on our circumstances and everyone view truth differently.
The reality of the situation is that there are some absolute truths out there. One of them is that we are sinners. You don’t have to be a Bible scholar to figure out that the Bible tells us this or that we see the impact of sin each and every day. Romans 3:10
10 as it is written: There is no one righteous, not even one.
What is so important about this reality? The Bible goes on to share with us, as we looked at this morning, that Christ died for the ungodly. It’s a good thing that we’re not righteous because we see that we are who Christ died for! The Bible helps correct false views and opinions that people in our world have - which sadly are on the rise!
Notice what the BFM shares, “It has God for its author, salvation for its end, and truth, without any mixture of error, for its matter. Therefore, all Scripture is totally true and trustworthy.” As Southern Baptists, we hold strongly to the truthfulness of Scripture in part because we affirm that God is its author. Back in 2017, Gallup research asked people what their views were concerning the Bible. The options were this: Actual Word of God to be taken literally, Inspired by God, not to be taken literally, Fables and moral stories recorded by man. Back in 1976, nearly 40% of Americans believed that the Bible is the literal Word of God. In 2017, that number was down to 24%. I would assume that in the 4 years sense, it has decreased even further. Why is this the case? Why do so many people think that the Bible is a helpful book rather than a truthful book? Because many doubt the author of Scripture.
When it comes to the books of the Bible being written, we believe that God inspired the authors to write what they wrote. Now, each author is unique in their writing style. Paul doesn’t sound the same as Luke and Luke doesn’t write like John does. They’re all unique because of their personalities, but we believe that the Holy Spirit inspired them to write the content that they wrote. Therefore, the Bible is not truthful because it itself is a history or science textbook. Rather it is truthful because it’s ultimate author is the creator of truth itself.
God doesn’t make mistakes or errors! Additionally, some might be a little confused as to the truthfulness of stories in the Old Testament like Jonah or the plagues in Egypt or other events that are hard for us to imagine… Did you know that Jesus affirms much of the Old Testament during His ministry? If Jesus believed that these Old Testament stories were true, we should believe the same thing. Thankfully, as Southern Baptists, we believe that the Bible is a truthful book.
We Believe that the Bible is a purposeful book (Luke 19:10, Hebrews 1:1-3)
Many people want to know the purpose of life - as we discussed this morning. They want to know what their specific purpose is and what the meaning to life is. Further, when it comes to the Bible, people want to know what its purpose is. Some say that the purpose of the Bible is to get you to be a better human being. Others say that the purpose of the Bible is to encourage us. Some say that the purpose of the Bible is to help us in hard times. While the Bible does do these things, we see that the Bible is so much more than just that. The purpose of the Bible is to demonstrate who God is and who we are. It shares with us that we are created in His image. That we are created to be in relation with Him. Yet, it also shares with us that we are separated from Him due to our sin. As a result, we see the great story of redemption unfold throughout Scripture as Christ saves sinners as Paul shares in 1 Timothy 1:15
15 This saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners”—and I am the worst of them.
This is good news, friends! We studied that this is what the Old Testament is pointing to and this is what the New Testament is all about - the Savior who comes to seek and save the lost. The BFM shares this: “The Bible has salvation for its end.” This is what the Bible is all about. It’s a message that we are not good enough and we need a savior! Further it adds, “All Scripture is a testimony to Christ, who is himself the focus of divine revelation.” We see this in the book of Hebrews as the preacher of Hebrews shares this
1 Long ago God spoke to our ancestors by the prophets at different times and in different ways.
2 In these last days, he has spoken to us by his Son. God has appointed him heir of all things and made the universe through him.
3 The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact expression of his nature, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.
What does Jesus do? Jesus is the greatest and fullest revelation of God to us. He is the essence of what Scripture has been about. It’s about Him. Why would the BFM have to state this fact? Because there were some in the world and even in the church who didn’t believe in this. They looked at stories about God’s wrath in the Old Testament - the plagues in Egypt for example - and they said that God couldn’t do that because God is just a God of love. He would never cause destruction or calamity to occur. We cannot have a false view of our God and we cannot have a false view of Jesus Christ. We affirm what Scripture says because it is God-breathed and we see the overarching purpose of Scripture speaks to the fact that Jesus Christ is the savior. We must be reconciled to Him.
We Believe that the Bible is a living book (Hebrews 4:12)
While our Bible is finalized - there are 66 books that are in our canon, no more and no less - we know that the Word of God changes people today. One of these days we’ll get around to looking at historical creeds and early church council meetings where the finalized the Biblical canon and how that process went down, but the BFM shares this, “(The Bible) is a perfect treasure of divine instruction.” This instruction is from thousands of years ago, yes, but it is also modern in the sense that the Holy Spirit helps us to connect its timeless truths to our lives and to live for Christ. In Hebrews 4:12, the preacher of Hebrews shares this Heb 4:12
12 For the word of God is living and effective and sharper than any double-edged sword, penetrating as far as the separation of soul and spirit, joints and marrow. It is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
In the Greek, the word for word of God is the term Logos - this is the same word found in John 1 where we find that the word became flesh - we know that this is in reference to Jesus Christ. Thinking about this a little deeper, we know that Christ is alive and so long as Christ is alive, the Word will be actively doing it’s work. We know that Scripture pierces deep into our hearts and it changes us and transforms us. How does it do this? Because of God. Because God is alive. Because His Word doesn’t come back void. He changes us and His Word is no different.
We Believe that the Bible is the most authoritative book (Isaiah 40:8, 2 John 1:9)
Lots of things are authoritative. As a doctoral student, I have been learning just how authoritative the MBTS style manual is going to be for my next 4-5 years. It’s authoritative because every paper I write has to adhere to it and even one or two mistakes over the span of 20+ pages can be the difference between an A and a B. The BFM states this regarding the Bible’s authority, “The Bible reveals the principles by which God judges us, and therefore, is, and will remain to the end of the world, the true center of Christian union, and the supreme standard by which human conduct, creeds, and religious opinions should be tried.” In our world, due to sin, authority will always be flawed. Parents, try as hard as they might, are sinners and will make mistakes. The US Supreme Court, try as hard as they might, is comprised of sinners and will make mistakes. Your pastor, try as hard as he might, is a sinner and will make mistakes. Yet, the Bible is different. The Bible is the supreme standard and it reveals to us that our God doesn’t change (Hebrews 13:8) Heb 13:8
8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
What does this have to do with us? Simply this: as other people/society changes, the truths in Scripture are the same.
Think about this question of morality that I saw earlier this week on social media. A man was asked in his philosophy class in college, “Is it unethical for a father to steal food from a grocery store in order to feed his hungry family?” How do you think the class answered? Do you think people believe that in that scenario, stealing is not really wrong? Do the ends justify the means? In our world, sadly, they do. In this student’s class, he was the only one to say that this was still wrong. Our society is the same way. It’s ok to cheat on a test because you need to get a good grade to get into college. It’s ok to steal because you got laid off. It’s ok to chew someone out or call them a bad name because they did the same thing to you. It’s ok to commit abortion because it’s not murder and it’s not even a baby… It’s a fetus. The Bible shares with us that these things are not ok. Because the Bible is our supreme authority, we don’t put the laws of the state or the laws of man first - we put the law of God first. We have to make sure that the Word is our final authority on all matters - this requires us to study what it says!
Rather than going with what the world says or with what a lot of Christians say, we have to do careful study to God’s Word. Are our actions, choices, and thoughts lining up with Scripture and what the Bible commands of us? Are they pointing people to Jesus?
Conclusion
Conclusion
We will never be able to say that we walked with Jesus Christ as His disciples did. We will never be able to say that we saw the 10 commandments come down Mt. Sinai with Moses. We will never be able to say that we saw Jesus ascend back into heaven. What we can say is that we have our copy of God’s Word that is fully inspired and authoritative. Scripture is God-breathed and we can have confidence that it is truthful, without error and our guide book for anything we experience in life.
The crux of this discussion in modern churches seems to lie here, though: what constitutes the Scriptures? Is your Bible the “Scriptures” or is there only one translation that is the Scriptures? Some say yes. Some say that there is only 1 translation out there that is the right one and that all other translations are perversions, terrible, and good for nothing. If you study how we arrived at our modern Bible, you would be amazed to learn about how many manuscripts of the Bible we have. Specifically of the New Testament, we have over tens of thousands of manuscripts that have been found and many date to the 2nd and 3rd centuries. What has happened in recent years is that we are able to look at these manuscripts and compare them to existing ones. In part, this is why you’ve seen some updates in Bibles throughout the years. For the longest time I was a huge New American Standard Bible fan and I still am today. The NASB translation that I read was from 1995 and last year they released a 2020 version with a few changes based off of new manuscript evidence found since 1995. What is the point here? To simply say this, we are learning more and more things each day about Biblical manuscripts and it’s not necessarily a bad thing to see an update here or there whenever we discover an older manuscript that has a different word in a particular verse. If you’re a KJV person by preference, that’s great, I know many people that prefer the KJV just as I know others who prefer the NIV, ESV, CSB, or NASB. What we can’t do, though, is say that one is perfect and everyone else is bad and not as good. There are some that are more accurate compared to the original Greek/Hebrew, but ultimately it comes down to a preference and we have to give great liberty for that. We believe that the original manuscripts, or the autographs, are inerrant as they were what the Holy Spirit inspired the authors to write. Everything since then has been a copy. The good news is that the manuscript copies that we’ve collected over the last 1900 years are virtually exact in most cases and in cases where they are not, there is almost always a clearly obvious answer or solution. Much more could be said about this, but I like including this graphic for informational purposes.
The slide on the screen demonstrates some of the differences between Scripture translations and being either a word for word or a phrase by phrase translation.
The thing that we have to glean from our study this evening as we begin to review the BFM and what we claim to believe, is that God’s Word is truthful. It is purposeful. It is living and changing lives. It is authoritative. The moment that we say that it contains errors or that we don’t believe a part of it, we are opening the door for our entire faith to deconstruct and that is what we see with people in Scripture in 1 John 2:19
19 They went out from us, but they did not belong to us; for if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us. However, they went out so that it might be made clear that none of them belongs to us.
Don’t sacrifice the truthfulness of God’s Word on that altar of convenience or looking good in the eyes of society. God’s Word has stood the test of time and it will continue to do so because its author is the Creator of the universe and it’s testimony is all about Jesus who saves sinners.