The Truthfulness and Sufficiency of the Bible

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The Inspiration and Sufficiency of Scripture.

2 Timothy3:16-17

“All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.”

                  How do we determine what is true in a world of confusion and spiritual ambiguity?  Today, there are many conflicting beliefs, not just about public policy but about truth itself.  When it comes to morality and ethics, from abortion to sexuality to social issues, there are many different views held by people. As a result, we are in the midst of a civil war.  It is not a war of bullets and weapons but a conflict of our understanding of right and wrong and the basis by which we determine what is morally true. The differences in our country go far beyond political ideology but go to the very foundation of our views of morality.  In a world of conflicting opinions, how do we know what is right and wrong?

                  Verses 16-17 provide a critical statement that gives us insight into the nature of scripture and how we understand our world and form our moral compass.  In verse 16, Paul affirms that “all Scripture is inspired by God.”  The word “inspired” literally means “God-breathed.”  The air we expel from our lungs forms and communicates our words.  Our words are an expression of our soul. So, the words of Scripture originated in the breath of God. They originate from the very soul of God.  God was not a passive participant in the writing of the Bible, merely giving His blessings to what was written.  He was the source and author of the Bible.  While He used the individual writers’ writing, vocabulary, and background, He remained the ultimate source of Scripture.  Peter affirms God as the ultimate source of scripture when he writes, “No prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God” (2 Peter 1:21).  Because God is a God of truth who cannot lie (Hebrews 6:18; Titus 1:1), He cannot be associated with anything false or any distortion of what is true.  Since the Bible originated from God, it must be without error, distortion, or falsehood; otherwise, it would make God a liar.  Therefore, when Paul states that the Bible (both the Old and New Testament) originated from God, he affirms that it is absolute truth, unstained by any falsehood or distortion.

                  Because the Bible is from God, it is also wholly sufficient to instruct and teach us how to live in a right relationship with God.   In our understanding and obedience to the Bible, we are thoroughly equipped to fulfill God’s will and purpose by conforming to His moral standards.  Paul emphasizes the sufficiency of Scripture in two words.  The first is “adequate,” which refers to being fully equipped with every necessary component for a task.  The second word doubles down by stating that the man of God is equipped for every good work.  The idea is that the person has been equipped and remains equipped both in the present and future to fulfill God’s plan and purpose.  In other words, not only does the Bible provide the moral standard for those to whom Paul is writing, but it also remains the standard for us today.  While society may change and the morality of our culture may change, the moral and spiritual teaching of Scripture not only does not change.  It remains sufficient today to fulfill God’s requirements for us.

                  In the Bible, we find a basis for truth (profitable for teaching), the clarity for confronting us when we deviate from the truth (reproof), and the answers for how to realign our life to the truth (for correction) so that we live righteously before God (for training in righteousness).  Living by the Bible's teachings gives us the ethical foundation to fulfill God’s will and purpose.  If you want to know the truth, then turn to the only Book written by one who is infinite in His wisdom, unchanging in His character, and truthful in His words.   

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