I suspect that each of you have heard or read the following passage before, whether in a sermon or lesson, or just in your own Bible reading. I think that it’s fitting that we look at these verses near the end this series of articles, rather than starting with them, because the context leading up to this passage is valuable.
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
2 Timothy 3:16-17 NIV
https://bible.com/bible/111/2ti.3.16-17.NIV
Let’s review some previous observations:
- Paul confirmed that Timothy had followed not only Paul’s teaching (based on truth from God and His word), but also Paul’s behavior and Paul’s demonstration of the fruit of the Spirit, along with Paul’s persecution and suffering.
- Paul warned Timothy that things would get worse, driven by messages that were not the truth.
- Paul told Timothy to rely on the strong foundation that he knew to be true: truth that came from trustworthy sources, was backed up with God’s word, and provided wisdom that led to salvation.
That is the Scripture we’re talking about here: The Scripture that contains truth, that gives wisdom, and that leads to salvation.
- That Scripture is from the very breath of God (or maybe it “…is filled with and exudes the breath or Spirit of God.”, per Moss, p.232).
- That Scripture is good for teaching to other people, including those who haven’t yet heard the truth.
- That Scripture is a solid foundation to stand upon when pointing out wrong behavior (not to criticize, though, but out of love for those who we hope to restore).
- That Scripture is valuable for helping those who have gotten off-track from the truth (again, with the goal of restoration and maintaining purity in the church).
- That Scripture is helpful to build up those who need to learn more about God and what it means to walk with Him.
Timothy would succeed only by including the powerful, God-breathed, Holy Scriptures in his life and his work. Without their wisdom in the past (whether read directly by Timothy, or obtained indirectly from others who learned wisdom from those same Scriptures), Timothy would not have been led to salvation. And, without them, he would be less effective in his work for the kingdom of God.
In the same way, if we want to be completely ready to take on the purpose that God has prepared for us, we shouldn’t go without having the Bible with us.
Now, I don’t mean just carrying around a giant, leather-bound print copy everywhere. You can still do that if you want, but in the words of a mentor of mine (named Mike Hines), “If you don’t read it, it doesn’t matter.”
Instead, we must read the Bible, meditate upon it, listen to what God tells us about it, and take action based on what it tells us. After all, if we expect to take on our mission from God with the right tools, His word must get into us, woven into the very fabric of our lives.
If you could pass on to other generations no legacy except your investment in the Bible and living out what it tells you, I think that you’d be off to a spectacular start. And, in doing so, you’d be passing along the testimony of many people in the Bible whose legacies include proclamations of what God did for them.
From Sunday School lesson prepared for April 6, 2025
References:
- 1717 Bible Studies, 2 Timothy, © 2025 Christian Standard Media.
- Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
- The College Press NIV Commentary – 1, 2 Timothy & Titus, by C. Michael Moss. © 1994 College Press Publishing Co.
Those Who Sin Differently 