2 Timothy 3.16b-The Four-Fold Benefit of Each and Every Portion of Old Testament Scripture
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Tuesday August 11, 2015
Second Timothy: Second Timothy 3:16b-The Four-Fold Benefit of Each and Every Portion of Old Testament Scripture
Lesson # 82
2 Timothy 3:16 All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness. (NASB95)
“And profitable” is composed of the following: (1) conjunction kai (καί), “and” (2) nominative feminine singular form of the adjective ōphelimos (ὠφέλιμος), “profitable.”
The conjunction kai is a marker of result meaning it is introducing an assertion which is presenting the result of the previous assertion that each and every portion of Old Testament Scripture does, as an eternal spiritual truth possess the characteristic of being God-breathed.
The apostle Paul is employing the figure of ellipsis meaning that he is deliberately omitting, though it is implied, the third person singular present active indicative form of the verb eimi (εἰμί), which means “to possess a particular characteristic,” which is identified by the adjective ōphelimos, “useful.”
This indicates that each and every portion of the Old Testament Scriptures “possess the characteristic of being” useful for teaching, reproof, correction and training in righteousness.
The present tense of the verb eimi is “gnomic” which indicates that each and every portion of the Old Testament Scriptures possesses “as an eternal spiritual truth” the characteristic of being useful for teaching, reproof, correction and training in righteousness.
The adjective ōphelimos means “beneficial” in the sense of promoting or conducive to well-being and conferring benefits.
The word is modified by four prepositional phrases πρὸς διδασκαλίαν, πρὸς ἐλεγμόν, πρὸς ἐπανόρθωσιν, πρὸς παιδείαν τὴν ἐν δικαιοσύνῃ.
Therefore, this adjective and these four prepositional phrases indicate that each and every portion of Old Testament Scripture is beneficial for teaching, reproof, correction and training in righteousness.
“For teaching” is composed of the following: (1) preposition pros (πρός), “for” (2) accusative feminine singular form of the noun didaskalia (διδασκαλία), “teaching.”
The noun didaskalia is used in an objective sense and means “doctrine, doctrinal teaching, teaching” since it pertains to the content of teaching contained in the Old Testament.
This word is the object of the preposition pros which functions as a marker of purpose indicating that each and every portion of Old Testament Scripture is beneficial “for the purpose of” providing doctrine or teaching for the body of Christ.
“For reproof” is composed of the following: (1) preposition pros (πρός), “for” (2) accusative masculine singular form of the noun elegmos (ἐλεγμός), “reproof.”
The noun elegmos means “conviction (of sin)” since it pertains to convincing a Christian of their sin through the teaching of the Old Testament Scriptures so that they are compelled to admit their sin resulting in confession and obedience to the Word of God.
This word is also the object of the pros which again functions as a marker of purpose indicating that each and every portion of Old Testament Scripture is beneficial “for the purpose of” convicting the Christian of sin in their life.
“For correction” is composed of the following: (1) preposition pros (πρός), “for” (2) accusative feminine singular form of the noun epanorthōsis (ἐπανόρθωσις), “correction.”
The noun epanorthōsis speaks of “correcting” a Christian by instructing them through the Old Testament Scriptures in the sense that such teaching causes the Christian to correct sinful attitudes and behavior patterns or lifestyle choices.
This word is also the object of the pros which again functions as a marker of purpose which would indicate that each and every portion of Old Testament Scripture is beneficial “for the purpose of” correcting the Christian in the sense of causing them to correct sinful attitudes and behavior patterns or lifestyle choices.
“For training in righteousness” is composed of the following: (1) preposition pros (πρός), “for” (2) accusative feminine singular form of the noun paideia (παιδεία), “training” (3) accusative feminine singular form of the definite article ho (ὁ), which is not translated (4) preposition en (ἐν), “in” (5) dative feminine singular form of the noun dikaiosunē (δικαιοσύνη), “righteousness.”
The noun paideia means “instruction, training” and refers to the Christian receiving instruction from the Old Testament by their pastor-teacher for the purpose of forming godly behavior habits or producing godly behavior or conduct in the Christian.
The word speaks of educating the Christian from the Old Testament regarding the proper godly way to live one’s life in the manner that honors the Lord.
It too is the object of the pros which again functions as a marker of purpose which would indicate that each and every portion of Old Testament Scripture is beneficial “for the purpose of” training the Christian for the purpose of exemplifying godly conduct.
The noun dikaiosunē means “righteousness” and refers to the Christian practicing God’s righteousness by exemplifying God’s integrity and virtue.
Second Timothy 3:16 Each and every portion of Scripture does possess, as an eternal spiritual truth the characteristic of being God-breathed. Consequently, it does possess, as an eternal spiritual truth the characteristic of being useful for teaching, for conviction, for correction, for training which is related to righteousness. (My translation)
After asserting that each and every portion of the Old Testament Scripture does possess, as an eternal spiritual truth the characteristic of being God-breathed, the apostle Paul employs a result clause which presents the result of this being the case.
He is teaching that each and every portion of Old Testament Scripture is useful for teaching, reproof, correction and training in righteousness as a result of being God-breathed.
In other words, the result of each and every portion of Old Testament Scripture being God-breathed is that it is useful for teaching, reproof, correction and training in righteousness.
The apostle Paul makes the assertion in this result clause that each and every portion of the Old Testament Scripture does possess the characteristic of being beneficial for teaching, reproof, correction and training in righteousness.
This is an eternal spiritual truth or spiritual axiom.
Each and every portion of Old Testament Scripture is beneficial in the sense they promote or are conducive to the Christian’s spiritual well-being and confer spiritual benefits upon the Christian.
These spiritual benefits are four-fold.
Paul employs four prepositional phrases which present the four-fold purpose of each and every Old Testament Scripture possessing the characteristic of being beneficial.
Each purpose confers a spiritual benefit upon the Christian.
The first benefit is “teaching,” which refers to that body of doctrine or teaching contained in the Old Testament.
The second is “conviction” which pertains to convincing a Christian of their sin through the teaching of the Old Testament Scriptures so that they are compelled to admit their sin resulting in confession and obedience to the Word of God.
The Holy Spirit inspired the Old and New Testament Scriptures and convicts the Christian of sin through instruction from the Scriptures.
Each and every portion of Old Testament Scripture is beneficial for the purpose of convicting the Christian of sin in their life.
The third benefit is “correction” which speaks of causing the Christian to correct sinful attitudes and behavior patterns or lifestyle choices.
Each and every portion of Old Testament Scripture is beneficial for the purpose of correcting the Christian in the sense of causing them to correct sinful attitudes and behavior patterns or lifestyle choices.
The fourth and final purpose and benefit is that “training which is in regards to righteousness,” which refers to the Christian receiving instruction from the Old Testament by their pastor-teacher for the purpose of forming godly behavior habits or producing godly behavior or conduct in the Christian.
It speaks of educating the Christian from the Old Testament regarding the proper godly way to live one’s life in the manner that honors the Lord.
Therefore, each and every portion of Old Testament Scripture is beneficial for the purpose of training the Christian for the purpose of exemplifying godly conduct.
“Righteousness” refers to the Christian practicing God’s righteous by exemplifying God’s integrity and virtue and speaks of exemplifying Christ-life character which is perfectly sound by practicing righteousness.
It refers to perfectly adhering to God’s perfect standards, which appear in the gospel and denotes doing all that God commands him in the gospel and all that He demands of him in the gospel as His child and all that He approves, and all that He provides through Christ.
This righteousness speaks of fulfilling one’s obligations to God and all people.
The former is loving God with one’s entire being and the latter speaks of loving one’s fellow human being as oneself.
The righteousness of God is produced by the Holy Spirit in the Christian who is obedient to the Word of God.
When the Christian obeys their Old Testament, the Holy Spirit produces this righteousness in the life of the Christian so that they fulfill their obligations to both God and their fellow human beings.