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previous verse describe the whole of the written Word, so that their translation of the
next verse asserts that every one of these sacred writings is inspired. It would be
impossible to teach in one verse that the sacred writings as a whole are `holy', but at the
same time (in the following verse), only some of them are inspired.
While the translations of the A.V. and R.V. are grammatically possible, we believe the
A.V. more clearly renders what Paul is writing to Timothy, and one is glad to see that this
translation is adhered to in modern versions such as the Revised Standard Version, the
Berkeley Version, the New International Version and others.
Some translators treat theopneustos, as an adjective (Paul omits the verb `to be')
rendering the phrase "Every God-breathed Scriptures is profitable etc.", but this makes
the rest of the sentence tautological for it stands to reason that every God-breathed
Scripture must as a consequence be useful in the fullest sense. Moreover the natural
place of the adjective would be before the noun, not after it as here.
While the Greek pas can mean both `all' and `every', constructions similar to
IITim.iii.16 demand the rendering `all', otherwise we should have the following
translations of Rom. 7: 12, "the commandment (being) holy is also just"; I Cor. 11: 30,
"many (being) weak are also sickly"; Heb. 4: 13, "All things (being) naked are also
opened before the eyes of Him with Whom we have to do"; and I Tim. 4: 4, "Every
good creature of God is also not one of them to be rejected".
Such renderings are impossible and taking everything into consideration, the A.V.
translation of II Tim. 3: 16 "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God" is fully
justified. E. K. Simpson rightly comments here:
"This enthronement of the Holy Scriptures (primarily, but not exclusively, the O.T.) in
the seat of authority is so insistent and prolific of consequences that we cannot wonder
that the modern spirit of license rises in revolt against it or labours to dilute its
significance. First of all we have the declaration that the sacred graphe, the invariable
meaning of the word, whether singular or plural, in the N.T., re-echoing the hiera
grammata of the previous verse, God-breathed in quality, has the seal of divine truth
stamped upon it throughout. The imprimatur of Deity countersigns these scripts,
instrumentally the work of human minds . . . . . yet prompted by an unseen Power. That
fact sets them apart from all other writings" (The Pastoral Epistles, p.151).
The word `Scripture' means `that which is written' and if all that was written was
God-breathed, there was no room left for fallible human opinion in the original
manuscripts. Other evidences for the full inspiration of the Bible are given in the
author's God's Word Written, obtainable from The Berean Publishing Trust. The reader
will note that we do not propound any theory of inspiration, for the simple reason that it
is impossible. We reject any mechanical theory which amounts to automatic dictation.
The Word of God is a blending of the divine and the human, like the living Word, Christ
Himself Who combines Deity with humanity. The God-breathed Scriptures are a
miracle, and miracles by their very nature, are not explainable. Those who believe that
the Lord Jesus miraculously fed the 5,000 and raised Lazarus from the dead should have
no difficulty in accepting the plenary inspiration of the Word of God as asserted in