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2 Timothy 3:16-17
16 All scripture is God-breathed and is 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.
To live a Christian life in a world stained with sin is a weighty task to say the least. While scripture teaches us that our eyes have been opened and our hearts have been freed, it can often feel as though we are still lost in a sense -- not in terms of salvation, but in spiritual guidance. How do we know what is God's word and what is not? How do we know what is sin and what is righteousness? These questions, if left unanswered, are enough to keep us up at night. So, in this week's article, we hope to calm your anxieties by walking through the concept of "God-breathed" scripture.
Theopneustos
In his 2nd letter to Timothy, Paul utilizes a particularly interesting word in the Greek, "theopneustos," (thay•ah•nup•stoss). It is a combination of the two words, "THEOS," meaning deity or divine, and "PNEO," which means "to breathe". Paul uses this term to refer to the concept that while it was indeed sinful, fallible men who wrote the books of the Bible, God's inspiration and guidance ensured their writings accurately communicated His spoken and revealed word. This is what we mean when we call the scriptures "divinely inspired."
2 Peter 1:20-21 states,
"knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone's own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit."
This is an essential concept to grasp, as it ultimately determines what is and what is not the authoritative word of God. Additionally, when we come to understand the idea of scripture being the literal breathed-out word of God, it becomes far easier to navigate the many gray areas of the Christian life, as we now have a definitive standard by which to rightly judge all things.
"Scripture"
Among the many controversies of the authority of scripture, the very definition of "scripture" is one of them. What exactly was Paul referring to when he used that term? The Old Testament? The New Testament? His own writings? While, for the sake of brevity, we may not accomplish the same depth as a seminary-level study, we can certainly explore the matter through a critical lens.
The Old Testament
It is assumed that Paul included the Old Testament writings by default into this verse, as Paul himself was a well-educated Pharisee before his encounter on the road to Damascus. As a Pharisee, he would have believed in the divine inspiration of not just the Torah (as the Sadducees did), but of the entire Old Testament canon. This view did not fade in his conversion to faith in Christ. Some argue, however, that Paul strictly refers to the Old Testament alone as God-breathed "scripture."
The New Testament
Others argue that Paul is referring to not just the Old Testament (OT), but the New Testament (NT) as well. Proponents of this view argue that NT authors recognized each other's writings to be authoritative, assigning to them the label of "scripture." We see that Paul cites directly from Deuteronomy 25:4 and Luke 10:7 in his instructions to the church
(1 Tim. 5:18). Preceding his citation of these writings, Paul states "For the Scriptures says...." Note, his reference to Luke's Gospel is encompassed within the same citation to Deuteronomy -- a book of the OT Law which Paul most assuredly viewed as Scripture. Likewise, Peter cites Paul's letters in reference to the ignorant and unstable who twist the scripture's -- along with Paul's writings -- to their own destruction (2 Peter 3:15-16).
Conclusion
The controversy generated by this verse can seem complex and often eludes our understanding, but based on the evidence referenced in this article, we believe here at Make The Time that Paul referred not only to the Old Testament, but to the New Testament as well. Please be aware that we wish to communicate clearly but briefly, and there is a myriad of additional evidence to sift through regarding what scripture is authoritative. Such evidence might include the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy, the views held by the early church regarding scripture, and more. Regardless, we believe that it is because of this divine inspiration of the Scriptures that we can trust them to guide us, challenge us, encourage us, and correct us as we work out the salvation afforded to us by the finished work of Jesus Christ.
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