In the modern world, we like to question everything. If someone suggests we do something (like go to the gym, take a course, or get some vitamins), before making a decision we try to figure out what benefit (or profit) it can bring to us and if it's worth our time and money.
If you noticed, in my blog I often recommend reading and studying the Bible. And if you, likewise, are wondering, if it will bring any benefit to you, what kind of benefit it has, and if it's worth your time, I'll try to help you. So join my weekly bible study here!
In his letter to Timothy Paul writes:
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 (2 Tim. 3:16-17)
Maybe you already know that this letter was written by a mentor to a (relatively) young minister and included very important ideas that every pastor (as well as any church member) should know.
God's breath
This verse tells us that the Scripture - the Bible as it was in the first century as well as the modern Bible - is breathed out or inspired by God. Quite literally it means God's breath. One more place in the Scriptures that mentions God's breathing describes the dawn of times. "the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature" (Gen. 2:7)
If you think about it, our inner being, our spirit is made of the same material as the Word of God! This leads me to one thought: the Scripture is vital for our soul because they spring from one source.
Profit of Scripture
Paul doesn't stop there and explains why the Scripture is so necessary for us and what benefit (or profit) it can bring.
The Scripture is profitable for teaching - and learning. Even though you could use Bible to teach kids to read, I think Paul had some different teaching in mind.
The Bible teaches us the doctrines of faith, and the basics of theology so that we know for sure what we believe in and who we follow. There's no document better fit for this purpose. The Scripture tells us the story of the Gospel, shows us the way to salvation, and describes Christ as much as it's possible.
The Scripture is profitable for reproof. The definition of this word is "an expression of blame or disapproval" which basically means that the Bible can disapprove of something we do. If we read the Bible and try to apply it to our lives, we can clearly see our sins and faults compared to God's standard. James compared the Bible to a mirror that shows us our true faces.
The Scripture is profitable for correction. God doesn't stop at reproof and neither does He say to sinners: "O-oh, you're bad. Well, deal with it!" The Bible gives us instructions on how to fix our mistakes and failures. First of all, it calls us to repentance. All the prophets and apostles of the Old and the New Testaments were talking about it. Repentance is a confession of sins and sincere remorse. It's the first step of correction.
The second step is the change of behavior. It's not enough to just find your mistake and keep making it every day. You need to substitute it with something good.
This is why Paul says that the Scripture is beneficial for training in righteousness. The change of lifestyle happens when you train every day - whether in sports or righteousness. The Bible gives us instructions on how to live a righteous lifestyle, and what to substitute our old, sinful behaviors with.
A good example of such a substitution can be found in the letter to Ephesians. Paul literally writes that we should "put off our old self... and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness" (Eph 4:22-24).
"Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor"
"Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands"
"Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up"
"Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving"
Complete Man of God
The next verse focuses on the purpose of the Scripture in our lives:
that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work (2 Tim. 3:17)
The understanding of this verse should be quite literal: if someone meets all the Bible standards and instructions, they can be called complete or perfect.
I think I wrote about the idea of being perfect quite a lot, but I want to mention it again. It's impossible to become perfect on this earth the same way as it's impossible to get rid of ourselves, or rather, our sinful nature. But I like how C.S.Lewis put it: if while on earth we point our vectors in the right direction - meaning, to perfection - in the eternity it will reach the goal.
Ready for Good Works
When I was sixteen in a teen camp one prophecy opened my eyes to my relationship with God. Turned out, He had a plan for me! He wants me to do something specific for Him! This moment marked the beginning of my conscious ministry and seeking my calling.
But the deeper I went into it, the more I understood that I'm not equipped well: my character is not perfect for ministry, and I still have to learn a lot to complete my calling the way God expects it from me.
I think this is what apostle Paul meant at the end of this verse. The purpose of the Scripture is to equip God's people "for every good work", to the works that we all are called to. To fulfill our calling, we need to strive for being complete or perfect in our Christianity. And this is why we have the Bible!
In the conclusion I'd like to say: it's your choice whether you want to read the Bible or not. But if I want to be a complete and perfect daughter of God, if I want to fully walk in my calling, if I want to be righteous and not be deceived by my sins or wrong interpretations, I need the Bible. And I'm sure that it is worth my time and effort!
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