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2Timothy 3 Every word of Holy Scripture is inspired or "God-breathed" (Greek theopneustos). Without impairing the intelligence, individuality, literary style, or personal feelings of the human authors, God supernaturally directed the writing of Scripture so that they recorded in perfect accuracy His comprehensive and infallible revelation to man. If God Himself had done the writing, the written Word would be no more accurate and authoritative than it is.
The inspiration of Scripture is attested by O.T. writers (2Sa. 23:2-3; Is. 59:21; Jer.1:9) and by hundreds of instances where the expression "this is what the LORD says" or its equivalent is used. Christ affirms the inspiration of the O.T. (Mt. 5:18; 22:42-43; Mk. 12:36; Jn.10:35). The apostles bear the same testimony (Ac. 1 :16; 4:24-25; 28:25; Heb. 3:7; 10:15-16; 2Pe. 1 :20-21). By means of divine inspiration the writers of Scripture spoke with authority concerning the unknown past, wrote by divine guidance the historical portions, revealed the law, penned the devotional literature of the Bible, recorded the contemporary prophetic message, and prophesied the future. Inspiration extends equally to all Scripture, although only a small portion was given by direct dictation of God, e.g. Ex. 20:1; Lev. 1:1; Dt. 5:4.
The inspiration of the N.T. was also authenticated by Christ. The apostles claimed inspiration for their portions of the N.T. (1 Co. 2:13; 14:37; Gal. 1 :7-8; lTh. 4:2,15; 2Th. 3:6,12,14). Paul quotes both Deuteronomy and Luke as Scripture (lTi. 5:18; compare Dt. 25:4; Lk. 10:7).
Peter declares all Paul's Epistles to be Scripture (2Pe. 3:16). Although the N.T. sometimes quotes the O.T. loosely, in paraphrase, or interpretively, this is never done in a way to deny the authority or accuracy of the original text. The early apostolic church received the N.T. Scriptures as the inspired Word of God as they were written, though formal recognition of the entire canon came more slowly. Because the Scriptures are inspired, they are authoritative and without error in their original words, and constitute the infallible revelation of God to man. |
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Godlessness in the Last Days 1.But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. 2.People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3.without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, 4.treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— 5.having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them. 6.They are the kind who worm their way into homes and gain control over weak-willed women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires, 7.always learning but never able to acknowledge the truth. 8.Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so also these men oppose the truth—men of depraved minds, who, as far as the faith is concerned, are rejected. 9.But they will not get very far because, as in the case of those men, their folly will be clear to everyone.
Paul's Charge to Timothy 10.You, however, know all about my teaching, my way of life, my purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance, 11.persecutions, sufferings—what kinds of things happened to me in Antioch, Iconium and Lystra, the persecutions I endured. Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them. 12.In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, 13.while evil men and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. 14.But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, 15.and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16.All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17.so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. |
