The Inspiration of Scripture
What rendering does the American Standard Revised Version give of 2 Tim. 3:14-17, and what is considered the correct rendering of the text? L. G. M. "But abide thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; and that from a babe thou hast known the Sacred Writings which are able to make thee wise, unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. Every scripture inspired of God is also profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for instruction which is in righteousness: that the man of God may be complete, furnished completely unto every good work." For the margin, the Revised Version gives in verse 15, "Every scripture is inspired of God, and profitable," etc. The difference lies in the differences between Greek texts. Scholars have argued over it a great deal as to which is the preferable one, but it is yet unsettled. If we will take the whole scripture quoted, there can be no trouble about it at all. The Inspired Writings are defined by verse 15, "that from a child thou hast known the Holy Scriptures,"—"the Sacred Writings." "The Sacred Writings" must be the Inspired Writings, and the Sacred Writings that Timothy had known from a child were what are now known as the Old Testament. These are the Scriptures inspired of God, or God-breathed. If we take the Common Version, "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God," we must limit that by what is said in the verse before. "Scripture" simply means "writing," and we would not say that all writing is inspired of God, unqualifiedly. That is not what the apostle meant to say. There were many writings, even in the apostle's day, that were not of God, simply writings of the world, idolatrous writings, very erroneous and bad writings. These were not inspired of God. The apostle has under consideration simply the Holy Scriptures of the Old Testament as they came to him and as they have come to us. All these Scriptures are inspired of God in the originals, and every scripture so inspired is profitable for all the things which the apostle declares. We have no objection to either rendering. Either, if rightly understood, has the same force, as regard the Scriptures of truth.