All scripture, inspired of God, is profitable to teach, to reprove, to correct, to instruct in justice,

“But since Enoch in the same Scripture has preached likewise concerning the Lord, nothing at all must be rejected by us which pertains to us; and we read that "every Scripture suitable for edification is divinely inspired. By the Jews it may now seem to have been rejected for that (very) reason, just like all the other (portions) nearly which tell of Christ.”

“The Scripture is "given by inspiration of God," as the apostle says. The Scripture is of the Holy Spirit, and its intention is the profit of men. For "every Scripture," he says, "is given by inspiration of God and is profitable. "The profit is varied and multiform, as the apostle says—"for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness." Such a gift as this, however, is not within any man's reach to lay hold of. Rather, the divine intention lies hidden under the body of the Scripture, as it were under a veil, some legislative enactment or some historical narrative being cast over the truths that are contemplated by the mind.”

“"All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works." All what Scripture? all that sacred writing, he means, of which I was speaking. This is said of what he was discoursing of; about which he said, "From a child thou hast known the holy Scriptures." All such, then, "is given by inspiration of God"; therefore, he means, do not doubt; and it is "profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works." "For doctrine." For thence we shall know, whether we ought to learn or to be ignorant of anything. And thence we may disprove what is false, thence we may be corrected and brought to a right mind, may be comforted and consoled, and if anything is deficient, we may have it added to us. "That the man of God may be perfect." For this is the exhortation of the Scripture given, that the man of God may be rendered perfect by it; without this therefore he cannot be perfect. Thou hast the Scriptures, he says, in place of me. If thou wouldest learn anything, thou mayest learn it from them. And if he thus wrote to Timothy, who was filled with the Spirit, how much more to us! "Thoroughly furnished unto all good works"; not merely taking part in them, he means, but "thoroughly furnished."”

“The Scriptures are holy, they are truthful, they are blameless.… So we have no grounds at all for blaming Scripture if we happen to deviate in any way, because we haven't understood it. When we do understand it, we are right. But when we are wrong because we haven't understood it, we leave it in the right. When we have gone wrong, we don't make out Scripture to be wrong, but it continues to stand up straight and right, so that we may return to it for correction.”

“To search the sacred Scripture is very good and most profitable for the soul. For, "like a tree which is planted near the running waters," so does the soul watered by sacred Scripture also grow hearty and bear fruit in due season. This is the orthodox faith. It is adorned with its evergreen leaves, with actions pleasing to God.”

“Above, he set before Timothy as an example the persecutions which he himself had suffered. And lest he should seem to have passed through such sufferings alone, he shows that they are common to the saints. And first he teaches how the saints suffer here the defects of punishment; second, how the wicked advance through the defect of guilt, at the place "but evil men." He says therefore: I have endured persecutions, and not only I, but all. "Piously" is taken in two ways: sometimes for the virtue of piety toward divine worship, above in the same place, "having a form of piety"; sometimes for mercy toward one's neighbor, 1 Tim. 4:8: "piety is profitable unto all things." Therefore all who wish to live piously in Christ, etc., that is, wish to observe the worship of the Christian religion. Tit. 2:12: "that we should live soberly, and justly, and piously in this world, etc." And such will suffer persecution, and especially in the primitive Church, when Christ was attacked on every side by Jews and Gentiles. And therefore John 16:2: "the hour comes that whoever kills you will think that he offers a service to God." Matt. 24:9: "you shall be hated by all nations for my name's sake." Likewise all who wish piously, etc., that is, wish through the faith of Christ to keep mercy toward their neighbor, it is necessary that they suffer persecution, and if not from without, yet from within, namely when they suffer with the defects of their neighbors, whose faults and punishments they see. 2 Cor. 11:29: "who is scandalized, and I am not burned? etc." 2 Pet. 2:8: "dwelling among them, who from day to day tormented the just soul with unjust deeds." Ps. 118:158: "I saw the transgressors, and I pined away, etc." Likewise there are other persecutions, which cannot be lacking to all the saints, namely of the flesh, the world, and the Devil: because, as is found in Gal. 5:17, "the flesh lusts against the spirit." Rom. 7:24: "unhappy man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death?" Ps. 33:2: "many are the tribulations of the just." Then when he says "but evil men," he shows that the wicked fall into worse evils, namely of guilt. He says "evil" in themselves, namely insofar as they cling to sins. Matt. 21:41: "he will destroy the evil men evilly, etc." And "seducers," namely to the harm of their neighbors, insofar as they lead them away from the way of truth, which is common. Rom., last chapter: "by sweet words and blessings they seduce the hearts of the innocent." But these, not content with the evils which they have done, will advance to the worse. Apoc., last chapter: "he who is filthy, let him be filthy still." But against this, above in the same place: "they shall proceed no further." It must be said that those who advance to the worse are permitted by God, or thus: that they advance to the worse from the intention of their malice, which is always toward evil; but according to divine providence they are prevented, lest they be able to fulfill what they began. Now the wicked advance to the worse in themselves, insofar as they err concerning the truth. Matt. 22:29: "you err, not knowing the Scriptures, nor the power of God." Likewise they err in deed, and in this way all the wicked err. Prov. 14:22: "all who work evil err." Likewise in their neighbors, because they are seducers, whence he says "sending into error," namely by persuading that they can come to the kingdom of heaven through prosperity, against that which is above, 3:12: "those who wish piously, etc." And Is. 3:12: "my people, they who call you blessed, they themselves deceive you." Then when he says "but you," he warns him to remain in his instruction. And he exhorts him in three ways: namely on the part of the teacher, on the part of Timothy himself, and on the part of the things which he received. He says therefore: "you have followed my doctrine, etc.," as above 3:10: "therefore remain in these things"; Ecclus. 10:4: "if the spirit of one who has power rises up against you, do not leave your place." 1 Cor. 15:58: "be steadfast and immovable." He says therefore "what you have learned, and what has been entrusted to you," because every Christian learns the things that are of faith; and this is saving doctrine. John 6:45: "everyone who has heard from my Father, and has learned, comes to me, etc." But especially the teachings of the faith are entrusted to prelates, insofar as they must dispense them to others. Gal. 2:7: "when they had seen that the Gospel of the uncircumcision was entrusted to me." And why is it necessary to remain? Because I had it from a teacher of knowledge, who could not err. 2 Cor. 13:3: "Christ speaks in me." And therefore remain firmly in these things, knowing from whom you learned, namely from Paul, who learned not from man, nor through man, etc., Gal. 2. Second, from his own condition. For it is shameful for a man nourished in good from boyhood to fail in old age. Ecclus. 26:27: "he who passes from justice to sin, God has prepared him for the sword." But Timothy was thus nourished. Prov. 22:6: "a young man according to his way, even when he is old he will not depart from it." Whence he says "and because from infancy you have known the sacred letters," which are the letters of the Old Testament, which he learned from infancy, because he was the son of a Jewish woman, Acts 16:1. Whence his mother had him instructed in them. Which is against the Manichean, because the apostle here names the Old Testament "sacred letters," which cannot be understood of the New Testament, because from his infancy he had not been taught the letters of the New Testament. Third, from the part of the things which he received, and this is the third reason. For if someone has some knowledge in which there is no usefulness, he abandons it, and passes to another. But if the knowledge is very useful, it is foolish to let it go. And first he makes the argument; second he makes it clear, at the place "all Scripture." He says therefore: I say that you have received the sacred letters, which are not to be despised, because they are useful. Is. 48:17: "I am the Lord your God, teaching you useful things." Whence he adds, saying "which can instruct you." John 6:69: "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life." John 5:39: "search the Scriptures, in which you think you have eternal life; they are the ones that bear witness of me." And these letters can instruct you unto salvation; but only through the faith which is in Christ Jesus. Rom. 10:4: "for the end of the law is Christ, unto justice to every one that believes." Heb. 11:6: "for without faith it is impossible to please God." But he makes the argument clear, saying "all." Where he shows that the sacred letters are the way to salvation. And he sets down three things. For he commends the Scriptures by reason of their principle, by reason of their useful effect, and by reason of their final fruit and advancement. For if you consider its principle, it has a privilege above all others, because the others were handed down through human reason, but sacred Scripture is divine; therefore he says "Scripture divinely inspired." 2 Pet. 1:21: "for prophecy was not brought at any time by the will of man, but the holy men of God spoke, inspired by the Holy Spirit." Job 32:7: "the inspiration of the Almighty gives understanding." But you will say: how is not every other Scripture also divinely inspired, since according to Ambrose, every truth, by whomever it is spoken, is from the Holy Spirit? It must be said that God works something in two ways: namely immediately, as his own work, like miracles; and something through the mediation of lower causes, as natural works, Job 10:8: "your hands, Lord, made me, etc.," which nevertheless come about by the operation of nature. And thus in man he instructs the intellect both immediately through the sacred letters, and mediately through other writings. The effect of this Scripture is twofold: namely because it teaches to know the truth, and persuades to work justice. John 14:26: "but the Paraclete, the Holy Spirit, will teach," namely the things to be known, "and will suggest" the things to be done. And therefore it is useful for knowing the truth, and it is useful for directing in action. For there is a speculative reason, and there is also a practical reason. And in each of the two, two things are necessary: namely that it know the truth, and that it refute error. For this work is the work of the wise man, namely not to lie, and to refute the one who lies. As to the first he says "it is useful for teaching," namely the truth. Ps. 118:66: "teach me goodness and discipline and knowledge." As to the second he adds "for reproving." Tit. 1:9: "that you may be able to exhort in sound doctrine, and to reprove those who contradict." Likewise as to the practical, two things are necessary: namely that it lead back from evil, and induce to good. Ps. 33:15: "turn away from evil, and do good." As to the first he says "for correcting," which is to correct from evil. Matt. 18:15: "if your brother sins against you, go, and correct him between you and him alone." Job 5:17: "blessed is the man who is corrected by the Lord." As to the second he says "for instructing in justice." And sacred Scripture does all these things. Is. 8:11: "with a strong hand he instructed me, etc." So then the effect of sacred Scripture is fourfold: namely to teach the truth, to refute falsity — as regards the speculative; to snatch away from evil, and to lead to good — as regards the practical. Its last effect is that it leads men to the perfect. For it does not make good in just any way, but it perfects. Heb. 6:1: "let us be carried on to perfection." And therefore he says "that the man of God may be perfect," because a man cannot be perfect, unless he be a man of God. For that is perfect to which nothing is lacking. Then therefore a man is perfect, when he is instructed, that is, prepared, unto every good work, not only unto those things which are of the necessity of salvation, but also unto those which are of supererogation. Gal., last chapter: "but doing good, let us not fail."”

“That the man of God may be perfect,.... By the man of God may be meant everyone that in a special relation belongs to God; who is chosen by God the Father, redeemed by the Son, and called by the Spirit; but more especially a minister of the Gospel; for as it was usual to call a prophet under the Old Testament by this name, it seems to be transferred from thence to a minister of the New Testament, see Ti1 6:11 and the design of the Scriptures and the end of writing them are, that both preachers of the word, and hearers of it, might have a perfect knowledge of the will of God; that the former might be a complete minister of the Gospel, and that nothing might be wanting for the information of the latter: thoroughly furnished unto all good works, or "every good work"; particularly to the work of the ministry, which is a good one; and to every part and branch of it, a thorough furniture for which lies in the holy Scriptures; from whence, as scribes well instructed in the kingdom of heaven, do Gospel ministers bring forth things new and old, both for delight and profit: though this may be also applied to all good works in common, which the Scriptures point unto, give directions about, as well as show where strength is to be had to perform them. Next: 2 Timothy Chapter 4”

“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God - This sentence is not well translated; the original πασα γραφη θεοκνευστος ωφιλιμος προς διδασκαλιαν, κ. τ. λ. should be rendered: Every writing Divinely inspired is profitable for doctrine, etc. The particle και, and, is omitted by almost all the versions and many of the fathers, and certainly does not agree well with the text. The apostle is here, beyond all controversy, speaking of the writings of the Old Testament, which, because they came by Divine inspiration, he terms the Holy Scriptures, Ti2 3:15; and it is of them alone that this passage is to be understood; and although all the New Testament came by as direct an inspiration as the Old, yet, as it was not collected at that time, not indeed complete, the apostle could have no reference to it. The doctrine of the inspiration of the sacred writings has been a subject of much discussion, and even controversy, among Christians. There are two principal opinions on the subject: 1. That every thought and word were inspired by God, and that the writer did nothing but merely write as the Spirit dictated. 2. That God gave the whole matter, leaving the inspired writers to their own language; and hence the great variety of style and different modes of expression. But as I have treated this subject at large in my Introduction to the Four Gospels and Acts of the Apostles, I must refer the reader to that work. Is profitable for doctrine - To teach the will of God, and to point out Jesus Christ till he should come. For reproof - To convince men of the truth; and to confound those who should deny it, particularly the Jews. For correction - Προς επανορθωσιν· For restoring things to their proper uses and places, correcting false notions and mistaken views. Instruction in righteousness - Προς παιδειαν την εν δικαιοσυνῃ. For communicating all initiatory religious knowledge; for schooling mankind. All this is perfectly true of the Jewish Scriptures; and let faith in Christ Jesus be added, see Ti2 3:15, and then all that is spoken in the following verse will be literally accomplished.”

“All scripture divinely inspired is profitable to teach, to reprove, to correct, or admonish, to instruct others in justice, and in the ways of virtue, that thus he who is a man of God, a minister of the gospel, may be perfect and instructed unto every good work. But when our adversaries of the pretended reformation, undertake from these four verses to shew, first, that every ignorant man or woman is hereby warranted to read and put what construction his or her private spirit, or private judgment, suggests upon all places of the holy Scriptures; and secondly, that the Scriptures alone contain all truths which a Christian is bound to believe; or at least, that the Scriptures teach him all things necessary to salvation, without regard to the interpretation and authority of the Catholic Church: I may at least say (without examining at present any other pretended grounds of these assertions) that these consequences are very remote from the text and sense of St. Paul in this place. As to the first, does this follow; the Scriptures must be read by Timothy, a priest, a bishop, a man of God, a minister of the gospel, whose office it is to instruct and convert others, therefore they are proper to be read and expounded by every ignorant man or woman? Does not St. Paul say elsewhere, (2 Corinthians ii. 17.) that many adulterate and corrupt the word of God? does not St. Peter tell us also, (2 Peter iii. 16.) that in St. Paul’s epistles are some things….which the unlearned and unstable wrest, as also the other scriptures, to their own perdition? See the preface to the Gospel of St. John, where reasons are brought for which it was requisite that the Church should put some restraint to the abuse which the ignorant made of reading the Scriptures in vulgar tongues. As to the second consequence, does it follow: every Scripture divinely inspired is profitable for St. Timothy, for a priest, a bishop, a man of God, a minister and preacher of the gospel, to teach and instruct, and conduce to bring both him and others to salvation; therefore they contain all things that a Christian need to believe? &c. Is not every Christian bound to believe that the books in the canon of the New and Old Testament are of divine authority, as in particular these two epistles of St. Paul to Timothy? Where does the Scripture assure us of this? But of this elsewhere. (Witham) — Every part of divine Scripture is certainly profitable for all these ends. But if we would have the whole rule of Christian faith and practice, we must not be content with those Scriptures which Timothy knew from his infancy, (that is, with the Old Testament alone) nor yet with the New Testament, without taking along with it the traditions of the apostles and the interpretation of the Church, to which the apostles delivered both the book and the true meaning of it. (Challoner)”

“All scripture--Greek, "Every Scripture," that is, Scripture in its every part. However, English Version is sustained, though the Greek article be wanting, by the technical use of the term "Scripture" being so well known as not to need the article (compare Greek, Eph 3:15; Eph 2:21). The Greek is never used of writings in general, but only of the sacred Scriptures. The position of the two Greek adjectives closely united by "and," forbids our taking the one as an epithet, the other as predicated and translated as ALFORD and ELLICOTT. "Every Scripture given by inspiration of God is also profitable." Vulgate and the best manuscripts, favor English Version. Clearly the adjectives are so closely connected that as surely as one is a predicate, the other must be so too. ALFORD admits his translation to be harsh, though legitimate. It is better with English Version to take it in a construction legitimate, and at the same time not harsh. The Greek, "God-inspired," is found nowhere else. Most of the New Testament books were written when Paul wrote this his latest Epistle: so he includes in the clause "All Scripture is God-inspired," not only the Old Testament, in which alone Timothy was taught when a child (Ti2 3:15), but the New Testament books according as they were recognized in the churches which had men gifted with "discerning of spirits," and so able to distinguish really inspired utterances, persons, and so their writings from spurious. Paul means, "All Scripture is God-inspired and therefore useful"; because we see no utility in any words or portion of it, it does not follow it is not God-inspired. It is useful, because God-inspired; not God-inspired, because useful. One reason for the article not being before the Greek, "Scripture," may be that, if it had, it might be supposed that it limited the sense to the hiera grammata, "Holy Scriptures" (Ti2 3:15) of the Old Testament, whereas here the assertion is more general: "all Scripture" (compare Greek, Pe2 1:20). The translation, "all Scripture that is God-inspired is also useful," would imply that there is some Scripture which is not God-inspired. But this would exclude the appropriated sense of the word "Scripture"; and who would need to be told that "all divine Scripture is useful ('profitable')?" Heb 4:13 would, in ALFORD'S view, have to be rendered, "All naked things are also open to the eyes of Him," &c.: so also Ti1 4:4, which would be absurd [TREGELLES, Remarks on the Prophetic Visions of the Book of Daniel]. Knapp well defines inspiration, "An extraordinary divine agency upon teachers while giving instruction, whether oral or written, by which they were taught how and what they should speak or write" (compare Sa2 23:1; Act 4:25; Pe2 1:21). The inspiration gives the divine sanction to all the words of Scripture, though those words be the utterances of the individual writer, and only in special cases revealed directly by God (Co1 2:13). Inspiration is here predicated of the writings, "all Scripture," not of the persons. The question is not how God has done it; it is as to the word, not the men who wrote it. What we must believe is that He has done it, and that all the sacred writings are every where inspired, though not all alike matter of special revelation: and that even the very words are stamped with divine sanction, as Jesus used them (for example in the temptation and Joh 10:34-35), for deciding all questions of doctrine and practice. There are degrees of revelation in Scripture, but not of inspiration. The sacred writers did not even always know the full significancy of their own God-inspired words (Pe1 1:10-12). Verbal inspiration does not mean mechanical dictation, but all "Scripture is (so) inspired by God," that everything in it, its narratives, prophecies, citations, the whole--ideas, phrases, and words--are such as He saw fit to be there. The present condition of the text is no ground for concluding against the original text being inspired, but is a reason why we should use all critical diligence to restore the original inspired text. Again, inspiration may be accompanied by revelation or not, but it is as much needed for writing known doctrines or facts authoritatively, as for communicating new truths [TREGELLES]. The omission here of the substantive verb is,' I think, designed to mark that, not only the Scripture then existing, but what was still to be written till the canon should be completed, is included as God-inspired. The Old Testament law was the schoolmaster to bring us to Christ; so it is appropriately said to be "able to make wise unto salvation through faith in Jesus Christ": the term wisdom being appropriated to a knowledge of the relations between the Old and New Testaments, and opposed to the pretended wisdom of the false teachers (Ti1 1:7-8). doctrine--Greek, "teaching," that is, teaching the ignorant dogmatic truths which they cannot otherwise know. He so uses the Old Testament, Rom 1:17. reproof--"refutation," convicting the erring of their error. Including polemical divinity. As an example of this use of the Old Testament, compare Gal 3:6, Gal 3:13, Gal 3:16. "Doctrine and reproof" comprehend the speculative parts of divinity. Next follow the practical: Scripture is profitable for: (1) correction (Greek, "setting one right"; compare an example, Co1 10:1-10) and instruction (Greek, "disciplining," as a father does his child, see on Ti2 2:25; Eph 6:4; Heb 12:5, Heb 12:11, or "training" by instruction, warning, example, kindnesses, promises, and chastisements; compare an example, Co1 5:13). Thus the whole science of theology is complete in Scripture. Since Paul is speaking of Scripture in general and in the notion of it, the only general reason why, in order to perfecting the godly (Ti2 3:17), it should extend to every department of revealed truth, must be that it was intended to be the complete and sufficient rule in all things touching perfection. See Article VI, Common Prayer Book. in--Greek, "instruction which is in righteousness," as contrasted with the "instruction" in worldly rudiments (Col 2:20, Col 2:22).”