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Or, once more, let the Apostle show the hollowness even of martyrdom, where
"charity" is lacking:
"And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be
burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing" (I Cor. 13: 3).
Inspired Scripture is most certainly profitable, but only if it be accepted in faith and
acknowledged in life.
Ophelimos occurs four times in the N.T., always in the pastoral epistles.
Ophelimos ("Profitable").
"For bodily exercise is profitable for a little; but godliness is profitable unto all
things" (I Tim. 4: 8).
"These things (i.e. that believers should maintain good works) are good and profitable
unto men" (Titus 3: 8).
"All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable" (II Tim. 3: 16).
The Apostle condemns the doctrine of the false teachers, not saying that their
teaching is "uninspired", but that it is "unprofitable" (Titus 3: 9); "useful for nothing"
(II Tim. 2: 14); "vain" (I Tim. 6: 20), in utter contrast with inspired scripture which is
"sound" or "healthful" (I Tim. 1: 10; II Tim. 1: 13) and profitable indeed.
There is nothing vague about the "profitableness" of Scripture, and the Apostle
proceeds at once to specify the four ways in which it is peculiarly profitable to "the man
of God".
First and foremost he places "Doctrine". It is only necessary to read through the
pastoral epistles to perceive how anxious the Apostle was that Timothy should know and
hold fast the doctrine that he had received. He is warned against anything "contrary to
sound doctrine" (I Tim. 1: 10); is exhorted to give attention to "the reading . . . . . to
doctrine" (I Tim.4: 13); to keep a vigilant look out for "teaching that is otherwise",
heterodidaskaleo, but to maintain "the doctrine that is according to godliness"
(I Tim. 6: 3). So when he would call Timothy's attention to his past life, he opens with,
"Thou hast fully followed my doctrine" (II Tim. 3: 10).
If here, in II Tim. 3: 16, we translate didaskalia, "teaching", we shall be quite true,
providing that we realize that the meaning of the Apostle is the teaching of the person,
and not the conferring upon him of a gift of teaching. As Alford, with a play upon words,
puts it:
"It is not Timothy's ability as a teacher, but his stability as a Christian which is here in
question."
Doctrine is perhaps positive truth; the very stuff with which the teacher builds up the
believer. It will be remembered, however, that, at times, the Apostle combined