2 Timothy 3:16
Bill Wenstrom
Inspiration • Sermon • Submitted • 1:05:46
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· 185 views2 Timothy 3:16 Lesson # 3
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The Scriptures claim that they are inspired by God the Holy Spirit.
Thus, when approaching the subject of inspiration, one should let the Scriptures speak for itself (2 Samuel 23:2; Isaiah 59:21; Mark 12:36; Acts 28:25; 1 Corinthians 2:12-13; Ephesians 3:4-5; Hebrews 3:7; 1 Peter 1:12; Revelation 2:7, 11, 17; 3:6, 13, 22).
Second Timothy 3:16 is considered by many as an internal argument for the inspiration of the Bible.
If this verse is internal proof for the inspiration of the Bible, then we must have an accurate translation of what this text actually does say.
However, there are differences of opinion regarding the translation of this verse.
2 Timothy 3:16 All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness. (NASB95)
This verse contains the figure of asyndeton meaning that Paul is not using a connective word between his last statement in verse 15 and his statement here in verse 16.
This figure emphasizes the solemn nature of Paul’s statement with regards to the Old Testament Scriptures which suggests that he is making an assertion about the Scriptures.
“All Scripture is inspired by God” is composed of the following: (1) nominative feminine singular form of the adjective pas (πᾶς), “all” (2) nominative feminine singular form of the noun graphē (γραφή), “Scripture” (3) nominative feminine singular form of the adjective theopneustos (θεόπνευστος), “inspired by God.”
There are lot of difficult exegetical decisions that need to made with regards this verse.
For instance, does graphē refers to various passages of Scripture or is it used in a collective sense.
If the latter is the case, then what collection does it refer to?
There is the question as to whether or not the adjective pas means “all” or “every?”
Does theopneustos function as a predicate adjective or an attributive adjective?
The latter would mean “God-breathed Scripture” whereas the former would mean “Scripture is God-breathed.”
Consequently should the verb eimi, “is” which is omitted due to the figure of ellipsis, be placed after graphē or after theopneustos?
The former would mean “Scripture is God-breathed” whereas the latter would mean “God-breathed Scripture is...”
This results in a decision as to whether or not kai is between theopneustos and ōphelimos which would give us the translation “God-breathed and profitable” or is it functioning as an adjunctive adverb “also” resulting in the translation “God-breathed Scripture is also profitable.”
In 2 Timothy 3:14-4:2, Paul is exhorting Timothy to continue to persevere and remain faithful in carrying out his duties as his delegate.
Timothy is to persevere and remain faithful to the gospel which he has learned and become convinced of (2 Timothy 3:14).
Paul reminds him that he was raised in the Old Testament Scriptures (2 Timothy 3:15).
In 2 Timothy 4:2, the apostle exhorts him to preach the gospel.
His young delegate can be totally and completely assured that he is able to do this because the gospel message he proclaims originates from God Himself (2 Timothy 3:16) and not from human beings.
Therefore, the Scriptures are profitable for Timothy and his ministry because it is God’s Word.
The teaching of the Judaizers which certain apostate pastors in Ephesus and Crete were listening to originates with Satan and the kingdom of darkness (1 Timothy 4:1; cf. Titus 1:14).
In direct contrast to this, Timothy’s message originates from God.
The noun graphē means “Scripture” and is used in a collective sense referring specifically to the Old Testament canon of Scripture since the New Testament was in the process of being written during the first century and was not completed until the end of the first century.
This is indicated by the fact that the word is used in this way often in the New Testament.
Also, Paul’s statements in 2 Timothy 3:14-15 indicates this as well as since they refer to Timothy being raised in the Old Testament Scriptures.
The noun graphē is modified by the attributive adjective pas which means “each and every” since it pertains to totality with emphasis upon a thing’s individual components.
When the adjective pas is used with a noun in the singular and without the definite article, it emphasizes the individual members of a class that is denoted by the noun.
Pas is used here without a definite article and with the singular noun graphe.
Therefore, the adjective pas is modifying the noun graphe and is used in a distributive sense referring to “each and every” portion of the Old Testament Scripture.
The NET Bible has the following note, “There is very little difference in sense between every scripture (emphasizing the individual portions) and ‘all scripture’ (emphasizing the composite whole). The former option is preferred, because it fits the normal use of the word ‘all/every’ in Greek (πᾶς, pas) as well as Paul’s normal sense for the word ‘scripture’ in the singular without the article, as here. So every scripture means ‘every individual portion of scripture.’”[1]
Mounce writes “The question is whether Paul is thinking of Scripture as a cohesive whole (‘all’) or as the sum total of its parts (‘every’). Some argue that ‘every’ Scripture suggests that only some portions of Scripture are God-breathed (‘every Scripture that is inspired’), but this seems foreign to the text. Paul is encouraging Timothy to center his ministry on Scripture because it comes from God and will fully equip him for service. It is out of place within this context to introduce the note of the supposed unreliability of some of Scripture. Rather translating πᾶς as ‘every’ emphasizes that the origin of every single element of the OT comes from God.”[2]
The adjective theopneustos appears only once in the Greek New Testament, here in 2 Timothy 3:16 and is a compound word composed of the noun theos, “God,” and the verb pneo, “breathe, breathe into” thus, its etymology suggests the word means “breathed by a god” or “divinely inspired.”
This word can be viewed in a passive sense emphasizing that Scripture’s source is the breath of God meaning that it originates in and comes from God Himself.
It can be viewed in an active sense emphasizing that the Scripture is filled with the breath of God meaning it is inspiring.
I will choose to render the word “God-breathed” rather than “inspired by God” since the word’s original sense is passive and more importantly the context indicates a passive sense for the word.
In 2 Timothy 3:16, the adjective theopneustos is functioning as a predicate nominative meaning it is making an assertion about each and every portion of Scripture, namely that it is God-breathed.
The context indicates that the adjective theopneustos is functioning in a predicate relation to the noun graphē.
The adjective theopneustos is in the second anarthrous predicate position to the noun graphē.
This all indicates that Paul is making a solemn assertion regarding the divine origin of the Old Testament Scriptures.
Some argue that the word is used in an attributive sense which means “All God-breathed Scripture is also profitable.”
However, the apostle Paul’s intent in the passage is to reaffirm the Old Testament Scriptures originated with God.
He is making an assertion about the divine origin of the Old Testament Scriptures.
Furthermore, we know the copula is omitted due to the figure of ellipsis.
The most natural place for the copula to go would be between the subject and the first word that follows it.
We need to remember when a writer uses this figure he assumes his readers understand where the copula should go.
This would suggest that theopneustos has a predicate function.
So we can see here in 2 Timothy 3:16 that Paul is emphasizing with Timothy and the church which would read this epistle that the Old Testament Scriptures were God-breathed and thus are useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction and for training in righteousness.
In other words, though God used men to communicate with the human race through the Bible, the Bible itself originates with God and is not merely human book but also a divine book.
Therefore, it is a unique book because it is both human and divine just like Jesus Christ who is both God and man.
[1] Biblical Studies Press. (2006). The NET Bible First Edition; Bible. English. NET Bible.; The NET Bible. Biblical Studies Press.
[2] Mounce, William D., The Word Biblical Commentary, volume 46, Pastoral Epistles, page 566; Thomas Nelson, 2000.