Profitable

All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable. (2 Timothy 3:16, KJV).

My Musings – Just a short snippet from a well-known passage, but packs an abundance of wisdom.

All – every member or individual component of. Of What?

Scripture – A sacred religious text. Not just any religious text, but the sixty-six books in the Old and New Testaments. There may be other religious texts out there that may be informative, at least to some degree, but they are not authoritative. Why is that?

Given By Inspiration of God – The word inspiration comes from the Latin inspiratus (to breathe into, inspire), which in English means the drawing of air into the lungs or breathed in. However, a more literal translation from the Greek would be “God-breathed.”  That is to say it proceeds from God or is breathed-out by God. So, perhaps, a better word than inspiration might be expiration, the exhalation of breath. So, the Word is breathed out by (expiration) God and was breathed in (inspiration) by the “authors” of the various books. Note that the word authors has the same root as authoritative. Authoritative because, while the writings reflected the personalities and style of the human writers (the were doing more that taking word-for-word dictation), the message intended by God. No other writings have this authority. Why does this matter?

Profitable – Useful, producing good or helpful results or effects. The rest of the above passage goes on to list (not exhaustive) some of these advantages, including teaching (sharing of knowledge and experience), rebuking (express sharp, stern disapproval), correcting (make or put right) and training (acquisition of knowledge, skills, and competencies). Aren’t other writings besides the Scriptures profitable?

Righteousness – The quality of being morally right or justifiable. Only the sixty-six books of the Bible reveals the means to be morally right and justified in the eyes of God. Other writings can profitable in improving certain behaviors that might meet the world’s standards of “righteousness,” but not God’s.

My Advice – Now it is up to us to breathe in what the Scriptures have to say.