- Series:God’s Design, History, Transcript English
2 Timothy 3:16-17
“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.”
The Apostle Paul wrote: “All Scripture is breathed out by God.” Some versions have: “All scripture is given by inspiration of God.” This means the same thing because the word inspiration has changed its meaning somewhat over the centuries. Colloquially, we remark that a brilliant inventor had an inspired idea, but that is not really what is meant by inspiration in this context. Look closely at the word, and you will see that it is as if it contains the word spirit. The Greek word usually translated spirit is pneustos. This can mean breath or air. For example, compare it to the word pneumatic, which refers to a machine powered by compressed air.
2 Timothy 3:16 contains a slightly longer word – theopneustos (???????????), which means breathed by God. So, all of Scripture is breathed out by God. Time does not permit me here to justify why the term all Scripture should include all 66 books of the Bible, but it does. So all these books were personally breathed out by God. This means that the authors of the Bible books were not robots or dictation experts. They were not “forced” by some hidden hand to write text against their will. They wrote with their own styles and personalities, but the words were breathed out by God.
God would not have breathed out something that was untrue. In our own sphere of ministry, we are frequently in the book of Genesis. The early chapters of Genesis were also theopneustos – breathed out by God. That is why they are not optional add-ons. They are words of truth from God Himself. Author: Paul F. Taylor
All of Your wonderful word, the Bible, was breathed out by You. Thank You for this true inspiration. Thank You that we can, therefore, trust every word in our Bibles. Amen.
Ref: Slick, M. What is meant by the Inspiration of the Scriptures, < https://carm.org/what-is-meant-by-inspiration >, accessed 11/28/2017. Image: Adobe Stock Images, licensed to author.
