Scripture

2 Timothy 3:16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.

16 πᾶσα γραφὴ θεόπνευστος καὶ ὠφέλιμος πρὸς διδασκαλίαν, πρὸς ἐλεγμόν, πρὸς ἐπανόρθωσιν, πρὸς παιδείαν τὴν ἐν δικαιοσύνῃ, 17  ἵνα ἄρτιος ᾖ ὁ τοῦ θεοῦ ἄνθρωπος, πρὸς πᾶν ἔργον ἀγαθὸν ἐξηρτισμένος.

I often try to stay away from the more commonly-quoted passages when I write these little journal entries, but I can't pass this one up.  This is one of my absolute favorite passages in the New Testament.  It pretty much summarizes my approach to life and ministry.  The key to everything is Scripture.  We will get into this a bit more when we do 2 Peter 1, but the point is that Scripture has what we need to live.  It is not just that Scripture equips man for some good works, but it equips man for πᾶν ἔργον ἀγαθὸν.  All means all.

This is one of the strongest passages we have for the inspiration of Scripture.  Paul uses a word that presumably he made up for the occasion.  As far as anyone knows, the word θεόπνευστος  is a compound word where he joined Θεος and πνεω.  He made it up because it perfectly expressed how Scripture came to be.  God breathed it out.  Note that this refers to πᾶσα γραφὴ.

This has a very profound implication.  This means that the word ὁ in verse 17 is as inspired as the word θεόπνευστος in verse 16.  It means that everything in Scripture is important.  This is not to say that God dictated everything, but what we have as Scripture is what God intended for us to know.  We see in verse 16 all that it does for us.

So, to beat my drum again, we need to know what it says!  I cannot over-emphasize the importance of this.  Know your Bible.  Find a reading system and stick to it.  I am really enjoying the ten chapters approach.  Whatever you do, find some way to get through your Bible systematically.  You will not be sorry.