 |  |
These Scriptures, said the Apostle, "are given by inspiration of God". The Revised
Version has the following translation of the first clause of II Tim. 3: 16: "Every
Scripture inspired by God is also profitable, etc." The question of inspiration is so
fundamental that we must ask the reader's patient and careful attention to this translation,
even though the nature of the enquiry necessitate references to dry grammar, and require
hard thinking.
In order to make the grammatical problem as clear as possible to the reader not too
familiar with Greek syntax, we give a few specimen passages of parallel construction,
and then show the absurdities which result by translating them as the R.V. has translated
II Tim. 3: 16.
Romans 7: 12.
He entole
|
| hagia
| kai | dikaia.
The Commandment
| is | holy
| and | just.
I Corinthians 11: 30.
Polloi
|
| astheneis
| kai
| arrhostoi.
Many
| are |
weak
| and
| sickly.
II Timothy 3: 16.
Pasa graphe
|
|
Theopneustos
| kai | ophelimos.
All Scripture
| is | given by inspiration of God | and | is profitable.
Hebrews 4: 13.
Panta de
|
| gumna
| kai | tetrachelismena.
But all things
| are | naked
| and |
opened.
To these could be added five other examples, namely, II Cor. 10: 10; I Tim. 1: 15;
2: 3; 4: 4; and 4: 9; but those set out will be sufficient. To help the reader, we draw
attention to the fact that in the second column the verb "is" or "are" has to be supplied, it
being absent in the original. Kai, the conjunction, is sometimes translated "also", as we
have found in the R.V. of II Tim. 3: 16. If it be permissible to translate pasa graphe
theopneustos kai ophelimos by "Every scripture inspired of God is also profitable", etc.
the same rule should also apply to the four examples given above. But when we do so we
get the following result!
"The commandment (being) holy is also, just."
"Many ones (being) weak are also sickly."
"All things (being) naked are also opened."
Dean Burgon's words are to the point here.
"At a period of prevailing unbelief in the INSPIRATION of Scripture, nothing but real
necessity could warrant the meddling with such a testimony on the subject as is found in
II Tim. 3: 16. We have hitherto been taught to believe that `All scripture is given by
inspiration of GOD, and is profitable', etc. The ancients* clearly so understood S. Paul's