2 Timothy 3:16-17 pt.1 Session Devotional

2 Timothy 3:16-17- 16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work (ESV).

I. The Source of Scripture (16a).

All Scripture is breathed out by God

Notice that when the Apostle Paul refers to Scripture that he has in mind the Old Testament Scriptures. The New Testament Scriptures had not yet all been collectively written. The early church in the Book of Acts relied upon the Old Testament as their inspired written instruction from God.

The Greek term here for Scripture is “graphe” and it refers in the general sense to “writings” but that is not how it is being used here. In this context Paul has already made reference to the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus (15b).

Therefore it is obvious that Paul has a set of writings in mind that have already been identified as set apart by God. This would be the writings of the Old Testament.

The New Testament writings rest under the authority of Christ given to the Apostles to speak His truth by the Holy Spirit as they minister in their apostolic authority (John 16:12-15; Matthew 28:18-20).

Paul however was not yet an Apostle at this time. He came into his apostleship at a later time. It is Peter that identifies Paul’s writings as Scripture in 2 Peter 3:15-16: “And count the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you according to the wisdom given him, as he does in all his letters when he speaks in them of these matters. There are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures.”

The Lord Jesus reminds us that Scripture cannot be broken (John 10:35). The point He makes is that Scripture continues even into the New Testament times. In a profound sense Scripture rest upon the person, testimony and work of Christ. He is the one who binds it all together.

Scripture is also breathed out by God. This is a key verse in regards to the doctrine of divine inspiration. This adjectival phrase is only one word in Greek (theopneumatos). It is a compound word where the term for God (theos) and the term for spirit (pneuma) are compounded together to form one word. And this word in this context is functioning as an adjective modifying the term Scripture.

How is Scripture Unique in origin and authority?