2 Timothy 3:16

Three Words

The classic location for the doctrine of the inspiration of the Bible is in 2 Timothy 3:16.  It reads:

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

The first part provides the doctrine, which says:  “All scripture is given by inspiration of God.”  Those eight words translate three Greek words:  Pasa graphe theopneustos.  Pasa is an adjective that means “all” and modifies the noun graphe, which means “writing” or “scripture.”  For instance, the latter’s verb form, grapho, means, “I am writing.”  BDAG says the verb means “to inscribe characters on a surface.”  The noun refers to the characters inscribed on the surface of a writing material.

The Meaning of the Words

Graphe in a specific way refers to sacred scripture, depending on the context.  It is a technical word for scripture.  The Apostle Paul employs that technical usage in 2 Timothy 3:16.

Theopneustos is another adjective modifying graphe.  It means literally, “God breathed.”  The KJV translators translated that one adjective, “is given by inspiration of God.”

Some people use “is” as a reason to say that theopneustos functions like a present tense verb.  They use the present tense to say that inspiration continues in a translation.  Even the original Authorised Version printed “is” in italics to say it was not in the original text.  The translators are communicating that they supplied the word “is.”  No one should treat it like it is part of the original text.

Putting together the first three Greek words of 2 Timothy 3:16, “God breathed the characters inscribed on a surface.”  It was not the men inspired.  It was the writings inspired.  God breathed out writings.  What ended on the writing surface came from God.

Inspiration, Preservation, and Translation

God also preserved those words He breathed in the original manuscripts.  The words He preserved  are still the ones God breathed.  They remain inspired.

When someone translates God’s inspired words into another language are those inspired?  God did not breath out those words.  However, if they are translated in an accurate way, a faithful manner, into the host language, those words have God’s breath in them.

The New Testament treats Greek words that translate well the Hebrew words of the Old Testament like they are the words of God.  Jesus treats His Greek words of His translation of the Old Testament as if they are the Words of God.  However, that doesn’t mean that God breaths out a translation.  The former and the latter are two different actions or events.

False Views and the True One

It is important that a version of scripture translate the original language words in an accurate manner.  The King James Version translators made an accurate translation of the original language text, both Old and New Testaments.  God’s breath is in the translation.  In that way we can call it inspired.  However, God did not breath out English words.  He did not breath out new English words later after breathing out Hebrew and Greek ones.

Part of why it is important to get inspiration and translation right is because of two false views.  One is double inspiration.  This says that God inspired the King James translation like He did the original manuscripts.  Two is English preservation, where God apparently lost the original language words, so He preserved His words anew in the English language.  Again, both those views are false.

2 Timothy 3:16 instructs people in the doctrine of inspiration.  The only time that inspiration occurred was when holy men wrote the original manuscripts.  God inspired every one of their words and all of them.