God-Breathed

Reflecting on the different ways Scripture is used.

“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 Timothy 3:16-17)

Did you know the Bible is the best-selling book of all time? According to the Guinness Book of World Records, there have been roughly 5 to 7 billion copies of the Bible printed. And yet, no book is the subject of more ridicule, more criticism, and more hatred. But there’s a reason why the Bible is the best-selling book of all time.

Holy Scripture is not like any other book. It’s not one book among many. It’s not even as if it sells hundreds of thousands of copies one year then is forgotten the next. The Bible is the book, the Word of God. It wasn’t written by mere men, “men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:21).

More than anything, however, the Bible is so unique because it is God-breathed. By “God-breathed,” Scripture means it is the very words from God Himself. The Greek word used for “God-breathed” is theopneustos, which points to Scripture’s divine inspiration.

A Ligonier Ministries devotional says:

The Word of God written is identical to God’s speech. It is exactly what He intended us to have as the revelation of His will and how to please Him. At the same time, this does not take away from the Bible’s human character. God breathed out His Word, but He did so through the instrumentality of His prophets and Apostles.

The practicalities of God’s breath on the Bible is found in the four qualities named in the above verse: teaching, reproof, correction, and training for righteousness. The Bible as God’s voice directly to us doesn’t hold much weight if we don’t comprehend what it means practically.

Teaching

Perhaps this is a “duh” point, but it’s still a true: the Bible is used to teach. We learn many things in Scripture, but the most important thing is learning about God. And not just learning about God, but knowing God. We teach the Bible so God’s people can know their God. The Bible is taught in conferences, events, small groups, Sunday school, sermons, and so much more.

There are many who teach the Bible but do so with ill intent or for their own agenda. The Bible calls such people false teachers. Not just anyone should teach God’s Word, but those who are well-equipped and have godly character. In fact, Scripture gives a laundry listof qualifications for those who teach. Teaching Scripture is not something to be taken lightly or to do flippantly. It must be with reverence, with fear of the Lord, with focus on the glory of God.

Moreover, though there are parts of the Bible that appear, on face value, to contradict other passages, it is simply untrue. Point is, the Bible can be taught with clarity, with efficiency, and is sufficient for a godly life. God communicates to us through His Word, and He’s given us preachers and teachers to help.

Reproof

The Bible is used for reproof, that is, to show us our sin, in simple terms. Though we are in Christ, beloved children of God, we still remain sinners because we still reside in our fleshly bodies. As such, we still sin. And Scripture is the source God uses, through the power of the Holy Spirit, to reprove us.

Sinclair Ferguson said this:

If we’re going to be healthy Christians, we’re going to need God’s treatment of our lives, some spiritual surgery, perhaps, dealing with the malignancies in our lives. So God’s Word is like a surgeon’s scalpel, whether He holds it in His hand or operates it by some providential means. And that’s the kind of healing that causes pain before it brings cure. So, God’s Word can hurt in order to heal.

Ferguson has a way with words. “God’s Word can hurt in order to heal.” That’s what reproof is—hurts in order to heal. We need that “spiritual surgery” in our lives because we’re always messing up, always sinning, always failing. Thank God for the righteousness of Christ.

Correction

The Bible is used to correct, as we all need correcting. The Greek word used for correction is epanórthōsis, which, in this context, refers to the ability of Scripture to make straight our spiritual deformities.

The Word of God is used to spiritually heal the people of God. Correction, though similar to reproof, speaks more to making incorrect things correct. To making crooked sticks straight. Correction might make us wince a little, but it’s an important piece.

Training in Righteousness

The Bible is used, most importantly, to train us in righteousness. We see this not only in the sinless life of Jesus, as our perfect righteousness, but in the imperatives given to us.

The more we’re in our Bibles—and in them genuinely—the more godly we ought to become. To be sure, it’s possible to read our Bibles and not grow in godliness, but that’s because we are reading our Bibles incorrectly or not sincerely. When we stick our noses in the Bible and pray for guidance—and correction and reproof—then God will use that to make us more godly.

Friend, the Bible is a beautiful book. And it’s beautiful, ultimately, because it’s God’s direct word to us, His people (and the rest of the world).