by Mike Ratliff
16 All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; 17 so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16-17 NASB)
If you pay close attention to the enemies of the truth, apostates, heretics, and pagans, they all attack the doctrine of the Inspiration of Sacred Scripture. In this post we will take a closer look at the five things that, since Scripture is Inspired, for which it is profitable or useful or helpful. Of course, the enemies of God’s truth reject all of this because they insist on things being man-centered while the deeper we dig into these truths there is no way we can come away from what we find without the understanding that God is Sovereign and those who belong to Him do so for His glory not theirs.
16 πᾶσα γραφὴ θεόπνευστος καὶ ὠφέλιμος πρὸς διδασκαλίαν, πρὸς ἐλεγμόν, πρὸς ἐπανόρθωσιν, πρὸς παιδείαν τὴν ἐν δικαιοσύνῃ, 17 ἵνα ἄρτιος ᾖ ὁ τοῦ θεοῦ ἄνθρωπος, πρὸς πᾶν ἔργον ἀγαθὸν ἐξηρτισμένος. (2 Timothy 3:16-17 NA28)
16 All Scripture is God-breathed and helpful for teaching, for rebuking, for straightening, for instruction in righteousness; 17 so that the man of God man may be equipped and fitted for all good work. (2 Timothy 3:16-17 translated from the NA28 Greek text)
The word the NASB translates as “profitable” and I as “helpful” from the above text is ὠφέλιμος (ōphelimos), “useful, beneficial, advantageous.” Paul then tells us that the inspiration of God’s Word makes it ōphelimos for what?
The first benefit is that it is ōphelimos pros didaskalia, that is, helpful for teaching. Notice that the source of the teaching of this “doctrine” is the Word of God, not philosophy or some other man’s book or what men want to hear. None of those are even close to ōphelimos pros didaskalia. Why? They come from uninspired sources while the Word of God comes from God Himself.
The second benefit is that it is ὠφέλιμος πρὸς ἐλεγμόν (ōphelimos pros elegmon), that is, helpful for reproof or instruction. Human psychology, Oprah, Dr.Phil, Your Best Life Now does not cut it. No, none of those are inspired because they are all sourced in man. They may be popular. Those behind them may make a lot of money and sell a lot of books, but what they are selling is not ōphelimos pros elegmon as is the inspired Word of God. The reason God’s Word is inspired is that the Holy Spirit is behind it. When it is read and used properly for this, the Holy Spirit inhabits it and works in the hearts and minds of people to work and bring repentance. No man can do this.
The third benefit is that it is ὠφέλιμος πρὸς ἐπανόρθωσιν (ōphelimos pros epanorthōsin), that is, helpful for correction. The word ἐπανόρθωσιν (epanorthōsin) is the Accusative, Singular form of ἐπανόρθωσις (epanorthōsis), which actually consists of three words. The root ὀρθῶς (orthōs) means “upright, straight, correct” and is where we derive such English words as orthodontist, orthopedics and orthodox. The orthodontist corrects and straightens teeth. The orthopedic surgeon corrects bone injuries and deformities, et cetera. The word Orthodox, despite the negative connotation some have given it in our time, refers to conforming to correct doctrine or belief. Add to this the prefix ἐπί (epi), “to” or “upon” and the prefix ἀνά (ana), denoting repetition (as in the word “again”), and we have the word ἐπανόρθωσις, which means “to set upright again, to straighten again” and we have the action of putting things back the way they should be. When Biblical correction is done that is indeed what happens because it is done with the goal of restoration. Sin is first exposed, rebuked, and punished, and then comes restoration. That is what the Word of God does. It sets things right, improves, restores, and brings us back to where we are supposed to be.
The fourth benefit is that it is ὠφέλιμος πρὸς παιδείαν (ōphelimos pros paideia). This Word, παιδείαν (paideia) refers to “tutorage, that is, education or training; by implication disciplinary correction: – chastening, chastisement, instruction, nurture.” The rest of the sentence above refers to this training or nurturing being “in righteousness.” Why? Notice that once again that since the Word of God is inspired we have this benefit. Without that, the best we would have would be flawed, man-based stuff. Since the Word of God is inspired and if we use it correctly for this purpose then godly results will be the product.
The fifth and final benefit of the inspiration of the Word of God is that it makes us “throughly furnished.” The word we are talking about here is the last word in v17, ἐξηρτισμένος (exērtismenos), which the NASB translates as “equipped” and I as “finished.” This word emphasizes completeness in the sense of being capable and fit or perfected. However, it also focuses on the necessity of what it takes to bring this about, which is our being “fitted out, altogether fitted or fully fitted.” Think of the preacher of the Word of God who rightly handles Word of Truth. When he preaches, God is glorified, the Body of Christ is edified and it is just amazing. It is the exact opposite from listening to one of these seeker-movement “showmen” who are building their kingdoms and can move their crowds with manipulations, emotions, et cetera. No, when the man of God who handles God’s Word correctly preaches, it is nothing like that at all. I can tell the difference immediately. First, the Word of God is central to that man and his focus is to bring glory to God and open the text to God’s people for their edification. It is not self-glory. It is never self-glory. It isn’t about building huge ministries or big churches. It is only about obeying God and being that fitted out servant of God that has been prepared by God to do this very thing. When I attend church each Sunday I know I hear the Gospel in one form or another preached at least 5 times including during the Baptisms. None of it is ever pointed to us, our church, or anything we do, but only to what Christ had done.
Soli Deo Gloria!
Possessing the Treasure 