The Scriptures, affirmed Paul, were inspired by God. A translation closer to the original Greek would be, “All Scripture is God-breathed.” This tells us that every word of the Bible was breathed out from God. The words of the Bible came from God and were written by men. The apostle Peter affirmed this when he said that “it was the Holy Spirit who moved the prophets to speak from God” (2 Peter 1:21).
Paul’s words here reminded Timothy that because Scripture is inspired and infallible, it is also useful. The Bible is not a collection of stories, fables, myths, or merely human ideas about God. It is not a human book. Through the Holy Spirit, God revealed his person and plan to certain believers, who wrote down his message for his people. This process is known as “inspiration.” The writers wrote from their own personal, historical, and cultural contexts. Although they used their own minds, talents, language, and style, they wrote what God wanted them to write. Scripture is completely trustworthy because God was in control of its writing. Its words are entirely authoritative for our faith and lives.
Scripture was profitable to every aspect of Timothy’s ministry. Scripture:
can teach us what is true. The content and teaching of truth, which must flow from and be consistent with Scripture. By calling the Bible “God-breathed,” Paul was identifying its divine source; by making it the source of doctrine, he was reminding Timothy of its authority. Teaching that contradicted biblical doctrine was to be rejected, corrected, or replaced by accurate teaching.
can make us realize what is wrong in our lives. The initial impact of true doctrine involves the confrontation of false teaching and understanding. The offensiveness of some who teach biblical truth may have to be excused, but the offensiveness of biblical truth to error and evil requires no apology.
In the area of correction, the Scriptures have two roles: (1) they provide a complete presentation of the teaching, where only part of the truth has been present; and (2) they provide for a right understanding and application where true doctrine may have been taught but has not taken effect. It also teaches us to do what is right by showing us how to please and glorify God. The nature of Scripture allows us to teach it confidently to our children and to learn from it ourselves.
The Bible is not purely a record of the past—the history of the Jews and then of the church. Rather, every story, every prophecy, every teaching, every admonition, and every command points beyond to the author, God, who came to us in Jesus Christ. God confronts us in the pages of his Word—telling us how much he loves us, how we can become his children, and how we should live to please him.
Scripture’s purpose is to prepare and equip believers for every good thing God wants them to do. Timothy carried a heavy responsibility in Ephesus, but through his faith in and reliance on God’s word, he was capable and proficient—able to meet all duties and challenges. Believers should study the Bible so that they will know how to do Christ’s work in the world. Knowledge of God’s word is not useful unless it strengthens our faith and leads us to do good (Ephesians 2:10).
SO WHAT? (what will I do with what I have read today?)
It's what we state quite frequently here at COV. For a follower of Christ to get a firm grasp upon God's Word, they must HEAR IT (worship service), READ IT (devotions), STUDY IT (word study, character study, book study, etc..) MEMORIZE IT, MEDITATE UPON IT (think deeply upon what you have heard, read, studied and memorized - asking God to show you how you can/will apply it to your life) and DO IT (live it out).
Today, ask God to birth within you a desire to know Him and His Word. NOT so you can have a "religious" or "academic" understanding of the Word, but so that you will know God's plan and purpose for your life and family. A Christian who is not reading the word daily is really and oxymoron - it's incongruous.
WHY? So God will change your life. THE PURPOSE OF THE BIBLE IS life change! Specifically to change our character and our conduct. To change our character, meaning that the man or woman of God may be perfect, mature, complete. And to change our conduct, meaning that we replace bad works with good works.
I like it the way D.L. Moody says it even better “The bible was not given to increase our knowledge but to change our lives.” That is it.
THE BIBLE IS NOT a history book. IT IS a manual for life. It has history in it but that is not the purpose – to teach what happened in history. It is a manual for life. Now notice what Jesus said in John 6:63 (NIV) “The words I have spoken to you are Spirit and they are Life.”
Start today. Embrace God's Word. Love God's Word. Live God's Word.
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