2 Timothy 3:16 Meaning of All Scripture Is God Breathed

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

Explanation and Commentary of 2 Timothy 3:16

Paul is explaining to his protege, Timothy, whom he has left in Ephesus to oversee the churches there as Paul’s apostolic delegate, that he should continue in what he has learned from the “Holy Scriptures” (2 Tim 3:15). He admonishes that they are able to make Timothy and all others “wise for salvation.”

Here he makes a powerful and definitive statement about the nature of the written Word of God, “Scripture.” God has breathed it out by his Holy Spirit into the prophetic minds of the authors of both the Old and the New Testament.

There is hardly any element of the Christian life that is not addressed by the Bible, and that can even be approached apart from knowledge of the Scriptures. A “man of God” will indeed be incomplete without a true knowledge of the Bible, and a heart to obey it.

Breaking Down the Key Parts of 2 Timothy 3:16

#1 “All Scripture…”
There have been movements to ignore what this or that section of the Bible says. Some have said, only the “red letter” words of Jesus are to be taken seriously. Others have wanted to ignore the Old Testament. Some, have simply decided to reinterpret any part that they don’t like from a cultural perspective. But if one will take any of the Bible, one must take all of it.

#2 “…is breathed out by God…”
“For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit” (2 Pt 1:21). The Bible was written by approximately forty human authors, but only one Spirit, the Spirit of God.

#3 “…and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,”
The Bible is profitable for all these things for the one who reads it, and the one who leads others. When seeking to minister to other people, all should be done according to Scripture. To go outside of this is to commit errors. Much of today’s Church is derelict in teaching the Scriptures and helping Christians to live according to them. It has weakened the Bride of Christ.

#4 “that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”
God’s people, both sheep and shepherds, are to love the “whole counsel of God” (Acts 20:27). We are called to serve God and do the “works prepared in advance for us” (Eph 2:10). Without a love for the Bible, we will be inadequately equipped for the tasks we are called to do.

Bible Study on 2 Timothy 3:16

Expert Overview of 2 Timothy

Biblical Translations of 2 Timothy 3:16

NIV
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.

NLT
All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.

ESV
All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.

KJV
All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.

NKJV
All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.