Deep Dive into Breathed-Out and Sufficient: Scripture’s Origin, Profit, and Purpose (2 Timothy 3:16-17)

The authority and scope of Scripture are grounded in its divine origin: it is God-breathed. This term, $theopneustos$, means that God Himself exhaled the text, establishing Him as the decisive author. Because the source is divine, all canonical writings are authoritative, guaranteeing that when Scripture speaks, God speaks, and confirming its truthfulness and inerrancy.

The purpose of this God-breathed Word is twofold. Its foundational goal is to make individuals wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. Scripture achieves this by proclaiming Christ crucified and risen, uniquely supplying the necessary knowledge for conversion.

Its ultimate goal is stated as making the "man of God"—the minister or prophetic servant—complete, equipped for every good work. This comprehensive goal underwrites the doctrine of sufficiency, ensuring that the Word provides everything necessary for faith, life, and ministry.

Scripture achieves this equipping because it is inherently profitable ($ōphelimos$) in four specific ways that move the believer from illumination to transformation. It is profitable for teaching, which informs the mind with doctrinal content; reproof, which convicts the conscience and exposes sin; correction, which restores the right path; and training in righteousness, which forms the character through disciplined obedience.

Flowing from this sufficiency, the minister’s primary duty is the proclamation of the Word. The pastor’s required duties—reproving, rebuking, exhorting, and teaching—directly mirror the four profitable functions of the Word itself, ensuring that God’s people are fully outfitted for every good work.

Reformed Theologian GPT: https://chat.openai.com/g/g-XXwzX1gnv-reformed-theologian

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