June 13, 2021
Scripture: All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 ESV
Observation: This is the only place in the Bible where we are told that Scripture is God-breathed. However, Jesus similarly told his disciples that the Holy Spirit would teach them “all things” and remind them of what he had taught them (John 14:6). So how do we understand the extent of God-breathed? Theologian William Hendrickson writes:
The Spirit, however, did not suppress the personality of the human writer, but raised it to a higher level of activity. And because the individuality of the human author was not destroyed, we find in the Bible a wide variety of style and language. Inspiration, in other words, is organic, not mechanical.
Takeaway: So while Paul’s obsessive personality occasionally permeates the text, timeless principles are still breathed through Scripture to train us in righteous living and equip us for every good work.
Prayer: Father God, help us to submit to your Word that it may inform how we live our lives. Amen.
Rev. Gordon Green, M.Div., M.A. Counseling
Leave a Reply