Every Scripture

2 Timothy 3:15-17

¹⁵Since childhood you have known the holy scriptures that help you to be wise in a way that leads to salvation through faith that is in Christ Jesus. ¹⁶ Every scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for showing mistakes, for correcting, and for training character, ¹⁷ so that the person who belongs to God can be equipped to do everything that is good.

I read this yesterday and thought about the times that people have used it to defend themselves when people disagree with their interpretation of Bible passages.  Please understand as you read this that I am not disparaging the scripture with anything I am about to write; however, I think the passage deserves some thought.

This is from Timothy. Traditionally, Paul wrote Timothy. Modern scholars think this may not be the case - but I don't want to debate this here. Let's imagine the traditional viewpoint is correct (or that it was written by someone who followed Paul's teachings.).  The writer, especially it if was Paul, was probably Jewish. Scripture for that person was the Torah and maybe the historical and prophetic writings of the Hebrew Scripture.

Paul, or whoever wrote this passage, was writing a letter, and yet when we read it, we think of the Gospels and the Epistles (as well as the Hebrew Bible). I wonder what the author would think if he knew his letter was being elevated to the level of Torah.

I was talking to someone once about this passage, and said, "You know, the writer of this Timothy passage wouldn't have thought of what we call the New Testament as scripture."  The person I was speaking to didn't say anything, as if I had spoken a foreign language.

I do think the passage is correct, and I do think it is true of the Gospels and Epistles, even if the author didn't know about them or consider them scripture.  My point is that we need to be informed about what we say. And I think we need to realize that nothing the author of Timothy said means that a literal interpretation of scripture is the best way to open ourselves to the teaching, correction, and traiging the scripture offers.