All Scripture is God-breathed

2 Timothy 3:1-16

Key Verse 3:16-17

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

This passage teaches us the two purposes of the Bible, that is, God gave us the Bible to make us wise for salvation, and second, God gave us the Bible to not only save us, but also to equip us to do every good work. 

1. In verses 1-9, Paul describes the people of the last days. What gives us a hint that some of them will seem to be good Christians? But what is true of them?

 

** 1) A form of godliness they put on.

2) They always learn [the Scriptures]. 

** 1) They deny the power of godliness. This explains the reason why they are powerless to be godly and to do what is godly.

** They never grow up in the likeness of Jesus. They are still swayed by all kinds of sin problems. 

2. In verse 8 Paul says, “as far as the faith is concerned, [they] are rejected.”  What does Paul mean by “rejected”? (15; Matthew 7:16) 

** It means they remain "unsaved". They remain lost. They are still under the power of sin and Satan. 

Paul's idea is that if one truly believes in Jesus, Jesus will help that person to be changed, and bear good fruit. Let us remember that Jesus came to resolve the sin problem once for all. Without Jesus it is impossible for one to have one's sin problems resolved for good.

3. What do the following expressions teach us about how to be accepted rather than rejected? 

1) "Having a form of godliness but denying its power" (5)

2) "Always learning but never able to acknowledge the truth" (7)

3) "But they will not get very far because...their folly will be clear to everyone" (9)

** 1) Instead of denying, we must affirm the power of godliness. The power refers to the power which God bestows upon those who genuinely repent and turn to God in and through Jesus. This power helps man to put to death the misdeeds of the body. It also helps man to overcome the world. It sets man free from the bondage to the power of sin and Satan. It empowers man to do what is good!

2) Instead of habitually studying the Bible and forgetting, we must ensure that our Bible studies  result in knowing Jesus personally and thereby believing and receiving Him as the Lord and Savior, for this power (of godliness) is available to those who not just learn the truth but acknowledge it. Here, "the truth" refers to Jesus Christ and all the truths Jesus embraces. In fact in John 14:6, Jesus himself declared that he is "the" Truth. Then Jesus said in John 8:31, 32, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."

3) We should not envy those who live as their own men, for they won't go that far. Rather, we must be thankful for the way of salvation, that is, to die to oneself (as well as one's own selfish desires), and live by faith in Jesus, for Jesus, and through Jesus alone.

4. In verses 10-12, Paul describes the person who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus. Why do people persecute godly men? (Matthew 13:21; John 7:7) What good things do hardships bring about for a godly man? (1 Peter 1:6,7; Romans 5:3-6)

** They persecute a godly man because the word of God which a godly man serves reveals that they are evil, thus calling them to repent, but instead of repenting, in order to justify their evil lifestyle, they end up persecuting a godly man.

** It builds up godly character within a godly man. 

5. In verse 13, Paul distinguishes evil men from imposters. How are they different? What does "[they] will go from bad to worse" suggest about the power of evil that works in a man?  On what point do people deceive or become deceived?  What will keep man from deceiving or being deceived?

** Evil men refer to those who are evil and do not hide that they are evil. 

Importers refer to those who are evil, but on the outside they hide their evil, and instead pretend that they are godly. 

** Evil which is committed by a man, becomes sin within him. This sin starts bearing fruit. 

Read James 1:15-16 Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death. Don't be deceived, my dear brothers.

** Satan is a dealer in sin. He always deceives people into sinning. Having been deceived by the devil, a sinner always goes out and deceives many to commit sins. 

** We need to go by what the Bible says. In the case of Jesus, Jesus overcame the devil's temptations (to sin against God) by relying on God's word.

6. Read verses 14-15.  Why do you think Paul encourages Timothy to continue in what he has learned and become convinced of? What does the Holy Scriptures teach us about the way of salvation?

** Because it makes man to be wise for salvation. One does not secure God's wisdom overnight. Wisdom refers to the ability to make the right choice between two opposite courses of action such as arrogance versus humility, promiscuity versus faithfulness. And one gains wisdom through God's enlightenment which comes from continued feeding of God's word. 

** It shows us that one is saved by faith in Jesus Christ.

Consider what Paul says in verses 16-17. What does this passage teach about how to help people grow in the Lord?

** 1) It is through feeding on God's word that one can grow up. 

2) Because it is God-breathed, we need to rely on God's Holy Spirit in order to feed on and serve God's word.

3) We need to let God's word work (such as teach, rebuke, correct, or train in righteousness). 

4) We need to serve all Scripture, for it contains all kinds of spiritual nutrients which make us to grow and become effective in every conceivable way, empowering man to do every good work. 

The end