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words: and so do the most learned and thoughtful of the moderns. Pasa graphe, even if
it be interpreted `every scripture', can only mean every portion of those hiera grammata
of which the Apostle had been speaking in the previous verse; and therefore must needs
signify the whole of scripture. So that the expression `all scripture' expresses S. Paul's
meaning exactly, and should not have been disturbed."
[* - The Dean cites Clemens, Tertullian, Origen, Gregory Nyss, Dial (ap. Orig. 1: 808),
Basil, Chrysostom, Cyril and Theodoret.]
Bishop Middleton says:
"I do not recollect any passage in the N.T. in which two adjectives, apparently
connected by the copulative, were intended by the writer to be so unnaturally disjoined.
He who can produce such an instance, will do much toward establishing the plausibility
of a translation, which otherwise must appear, to say the least of it, to be forced and
improbable . . . . . But in fact the proposed rendering is inadmissible, being without
logical coherence and consistency. The utmost that could be pretended would be that
S. Paul's assertion is that `every portion of Scripture being inspired' (i.e. inasmuch as it
is--because it is--inspired) `is also profitable', etc. Else there could be no meaning in
the kai. But, in the name of common sense, if this be so, why have the blessed words
been meddled with?"
Dr. Henderson cites the following rule when dealing with the point:
"Such a mode of construction is at variance with a common rule of Greek syntax,--
which requires that, when two adjectives are closely joined, as theopneustos and
ophelimos (`given by inspiration of God' and `profitable') here are, if there be an ellipsis
(an omission) of the substantive verb esti (is), this verb must be supplied after the former
of the two, and regarded as repeated after the latter."
This rule is observed in the translation of the A.V., but broken in the translation of the
R.V.
Let us now turn to the actual wording of the passage. We have already spoken of the
usage of graphe, which, though it could mean anything written by anybody, is strictly
reserved in the N.T. to refer to the Holy Scripture, "THE" writings, par excellence.
Graphe therefore must be considered as equivalent to a proper name, and be treated as an
appellative. Pasa graphe therefore signifies tota Scriptura, "the whole Scripture", as
pasa Ierosoluma, "all Jerusalem" (Matt. 2: 3) and pas oikos Israel, "all the house of
Israel" (Acts 2: 36).
We find that Josephus, a contemporary of Paul, uses a similar expression to
theopneustos, saying of the complete canon of O.T. Scriptures, that the prophets "wrote
according to the pneustia that comes from God"; and Philo, another contemporary, calls
the Scriptures "theochrest oracles", that is oracles given under the dictation of God.
Theopneustos is composed of Theos, "God", and a word derived from pneo, "to
breathe". Let us acquaint ourselves a little more closely with this word pneo and its
derivatives.
Pneo: "The winds blew" (Matt. 7: 25).