All Scripture Is Breathed Out by God
10 You, however, have followed my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness, 11my persecutions and sufferings that happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, and at Lystra—which persecutions I endured; yet from them all the Lord rescued me. 12Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, 13while evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. 14But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it 15and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.(2 Timothy 3:10-17)
Stirring words from the apostle, Paul, to Timothy, his disciple. Verses 16 and 17 are heard fairly often, and we want to learn these words and to trust them. We want to be men of God. We want to be able to teach, reprove, correct, and train. We want to be ready for every good work. But let us not so quickly jump past the first half of the paragraph. Look at the framing in which Paul says this.
I have been persecuted and yet I showed godly character, Paul says. I haven't been passively persecuted, not in a vague sense. Remember Lystra? That's like me asking Walt, do you remember Crossville? He is not talking about in general. He points to a specific point in his life, and goes, you remember then? Like a few years ago. When we were here and this happened.
We have to constantly remind ourselves that the Bible is REAL. It was written by actual people in a specific historical setting. Does that mean that it doesn't apply to us? Not at all, it means that God really used actual people to speak both to their own community and time first, and then through the Spirit, to us who would read and hear these same truths millennia later. So yes, the Bible does speak to us now. However, let us guard ourselves from denying that the Bible was written by people and to people then, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Sorry, this is a tangent, but the point is, Paul had experienced persecution, and yet, he held up. The Lord rescued him. What great news, but continue reading, there is more.
Paul says, bad men are out there. If you follow Christ, you will face persecution. But he gives direction here as well. He points out that Timothy will face persecution, and then just goes right on. Timothy probably wanted to hear a bit more there. He probably wanted to ask Paul to elaborate on the suffering a bit more. Wouldn't you want that? I would have wanted it. Paul, you wrote a good chunk of Bible, what suffering am I going to face? Give me details here. Prophesy for me, or something!
But Paul goes right on. Paul in his wisdom skips to the important part. Love the sacred writings, Timothy. Love them. We remember, Paul is a jew and a Pharisee. He had learned some sacred writings. Probably at one point, he had them written on his doorposts and clothes and stuff, but now, as a Christian, he had new writings. He had the fulfillment of the jewish writings in the new writings. He had a fuller truth. Imagine, he had held on to all of that old scripture which he had been taught since childhood, and now, he has the fulfillment. What does he tell Timothy? Continue in what you have learned. Hold fast to this teaching. It is good and useful, and it will make you good and useful for our God. Stay in this word. Do not depart from it.
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