Untitled article by Editor

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · September 3, 1867

FromAdvent Review and Sabbath Herald, Vol. XXX, No. 12

Is all Scripture Given by Inspiration?

By Editor

BRO. SMITH: Will you please explain 2 Tim. iii, 16, which reads, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable,” &c. An infidel says he believes those scriptures which are inspired; but when this text was read, he said, “Is,” is an added word. He understands it thus: “All scripture given by inspiration, is profitable,” &c., remarking that it is not all inspired. Please answer through the Review. Mich. S. J. W.

ANSWER. It will be noticed that the second “is,” before the word “profitable” is a supplied word, the same as the first; but if we omit them both, the sense of the passage is entirely destroyed, as the sentence is rendered incomplete. The word “is,” must therefore be supplied somewhere, to preserve the sense. The only question is, whether it should be before the expression, “given by inspiration,” or the word “profitable,” or both. The expression, “given by inspiration of God,” is from a single Greek word, θεόπνευστος, and is in the same construction exactly with the word ὠφέλιμος, profitable, both being adjectives, agreeing with the word, scripture, previously expressed. But the word “and” (kai) is expressed before the word “profitable,” and is found, says Bloomfield, in every existing manuscript. This being so, it is apparent that the word “is” cannot be omitted before the expression, “given by inspiration,” without also destroying the grammatical sense of the passage. Thus, “All scripture given by inspiration of God, and is profitable,” &c. So rendered, the first member of the sentence is evidently incomplete; and the word “is” must be supplied to make up the deficiency. The question involved is therefore simply one of language, not of theology; hence the opinion of the forty-seven learned men who gave us our present version, and have inserted the word “is,” cannot be set aside except on the most unquestionable evidence, which has never yet been presented. If it is correct to supply the word “is” before the word “profitable,” it is also correct to supply it before the expression, “given by inspiration of God.” If neither of them are correct, Paul failed to construct a proper sentence. Again, if the word “and” before “profitable,” is genuine, the word “is” must be supplied before the words, “given by inspiration.” And that the word “and” is a genuine part of the text, we have already given the authority of Bloomfield, to which we now add that of Olshausen. He says that 2 Tim. iii, 16, 17, declares the scriptures to be “all divinely inspired, and profitable for doctrine, etc. Καὶ [and] which is wanting only in the versions and in the Fathers, must on external and internal grounds be deemed genuine.” Ed.