2 Timothy 3:16 All Scripture

2 Timothy 3:16 says: "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,"

The word "all" is what I focused on for whatever reason. So I did some searching. I knew that there were documents, sometimes called scripture, that are not in the modern Bible. I also know that the New Testament was not written when Paul wrote the second letter to Timothy. Just exactly what did Paul mean by "all scripture" being God-breathed?

I looked up the word scripture in a couple of Bible dictionaries. One dictionary was at biblegateway.com. It says that when this passage was written in a letter to Timothy and later ended up in the New Testament, it must mean the Old Testament. It also says that the OT at the time of Jesus is the same as we now have. But that is up for debate or we wouldn't have a Catholic Bible and a Protestant Bible.

Another online dictionary says: "Scripture means a writing, and is used to denote a writing recognized by the Church as sacred and inspired." Another says: "That which is written; book; letter." Yet another says: "Scripture: akin to grapho, "to write" (Eng., "graph," "graphic," etc.), primarily denotes "a drawing, painting;" then "a writing,'"And the Noah Webster's Dictionary says 1. (n.) Anything written; a writing; a document; an inscription. 2. (n.) The books of the Old and the new Testament, or of either of them; the Bible; -- used by way of eminence or distinction, and chiefly in the plural. 3. (n.) A passage from the Bible;; a text. And interestingly enough one site just says "see Bible". My "Compact Bible Dictionary" also says to see Bible, Canon, OT, NT. The only real thing we can get from this is that today, when we see the word scripture, it most likely refers to our bibles, whatever versions and however complete they are.

Well, we know what "all" means. So what is "all scripture"? Paul likely was referring the the Jewish Old Testament references. In his mind, he may have even included writings that are excluded from our modern Bible, because they didn't pass the rules they used when they packaged them together into the current Bible.

My conclusion: God will use whatever fits His purposes. It is wise for us when "teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness" to use the same documents that have been used for centuries. That would be the Bible whether it be the Protestant, the Catholic, or the Jewish Bible. Someone named Dennis Bratcher has a lot to say on the subject at another website if you are interested. http://www.crivoice.org/2tim3-16.html

I think the debate over scripture and whether it is God-Breathed is a strange one. Anyone with a relationship with God and has the Holy Spirit, knows what scripture being God-Breathed means. We have read passages that suddenly become clear, offering revelation about bits of our lives, and opening our eyes and minds what God would have us know. THAT is God-breathed. Just like Pentecost - did the apostles speak in tongues, or did the throngs of people hear in their own tongues? I'm not sure it makes a difference. Their minds were opened and their lives were changed no matter how God chose to work it out. I think the same is true of the Living Word of God. He reveals to us what he reveals to us. We use the Bible to test our interpretations and perceptions. In that sense, having the Holy Spirit makes the works I am reading if used by God God breathed.

Thank You for the Holy Spirit and the Holy Scripture and any other method You use to make me closer to Your image. Amen.

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