Ancient Text and Living Word 2 Timothy 3

“All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work” (2 Tim. 3:16-17, NASB).

One day my daughter and I are talking. She refers to the Bible as “an ancient text.” Initially, I am disturbed. I know that my daughter has been raised in a Christian home, attended church, and she reads the Bible often. I wonder where she picked up this idea that the Bible is only an ancient text. My daughter was raised in a home and attended a church where it is taught that the Bible is the word of God. The bible is a living word. At this time I do not make any comments. Sometimes it is better to say nothing and wait to see how a person will further explain what they mean by what they say.

This proves to be true with my daughter. On another day she comments that people are always using the Bible to support their agendas; especially their political view. She is concerned that people want to use the Bible to manipulate and control others. She says that people are arguing about issues that have little to do with most people’s lives. There are more important things to be concerned about; especially how people treat one another. She further comments that we do not need a Bible to know how we should treat other people. After all, people all over the world know how to treat other people. Most of these people have never seen a Bible, and most of them do not believe in God; at least they do not believe in the Christian God.

Now, I’m beginning to understand why Abra refers to the Bible as an ancient text. She has made two assertions that are supported in the Christian Bible. Let us look at these two assertions. First, she says that we do not need the Bible to know how to treat other people. So, let us look at the words of the apostle Paul recorded in the book of Romans. In Romans 1-2 Paul establishes that the Gentiles are without the Law (of Moses) and they sin. Then Paul says that the Jews have the Law and they too sin. He concludes, “all sinned and fall short of the glory of God’ (Rom. 3:23, NASB). Let’s examine what Paul says further.

In Romans 1:18-32, NASB Paul writes that the Gentiles sin in multiple ways, first because they ignored God. “For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened” (v. 21). Paul says that ignoring God is the reason for the Gentiles practicing sinful activities. The Bible at this time is not the issue. It is one’s relationship to God that matters. St the same time, the Jews have the Law, but the Law does not prevent them from sin and having the Law will not prevent the judgment of God. “For all who have sinned without the Law will also perish without the Law, and all who have sinned under the Law will be judged by the Law; for it is not the hearers of the Law who are just before God, but the doers of the Law will be justified” (Rom. 2:12-13, NASB). How does all of this relate to Abra’s statement that we don’t need the Bible to know how to treat other people? Let us continue to read what Paul has to say.

Paul writes, “For when the Gentiles who do not have the Law do instinctively the things of the Law, these, not having the Law are a law to themselves, in that they show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them, on the day when according to my gospel, God will judge the secrets of men through Christ Jesus” (Rom. 2:14-16, NASB). Thus, we conclude that Abra is right when she says that we do not need the Bible to know to treat other people.

Abra’s second assertion is that people use the Bible to manipulate and control other people. They use the Bible to persuade people to side with them on various issues. Now, we know this to be true for two reasons. The first reason is that in His life, Jesus often finds Himself in conflict with the religious leaders; the Pharisees, scribes, and the Sadducees. In the Gospels the Pharisees find fault with Jesus because He breaks their rules concerning the Sabbath Day (Matt. 9:10-13; Mark 2:23-28; Luke 14:1-6; John 5:10).

The second reason that we know that Abra tells the truth is that history informs us that slavery in America was justified by Scripture. Also, wars have been justified by people’s use and misuse of the Bible. There are people today that use the Bible to justify laws to prevent abortion in the name of the sanctity of life and at the same time these same people refuse to assist living people with their quality of life. The living is not afforded affordable insurance care. People live in tents on the streets in the rain, cold, and snow. What about the sanctity of these lives? It is the use and misuse of the Bible that Abra is referring to when she says that the Bible is an ancient text. Is Abra right? Yes, Abra is right. Let me say that the Bible is both an ancient text and at the same time it is a living word. How so?

The Scripture at the beginning of this article, 2Timothy 3:16-17, support my view. This text refers to the “Scripture.” The word scripture is translated from the Greek word graphe that is related to the word grapho meaning “to write.” Thus, in this verse Scripture is referring to writings that are accepted by the religious authorities of the Jews. So, then when we look at the Bible we can say that it is an ancient text. Now, we know that throughout the history of the church there have been debates, councils, and conferences about the meaning of what is written. The Bible has gone through many revisions and translations. Some of the translations are designed to support certain points of view held by the translators and the religious groups that they are affiliated with.

The Pharisees have their own interpretations of the Scriptures and the Law. The gospel writers and the writers of the epistles affirm that Jesus disagree with their interpretations and applications of the scriptures; especially the Law. A great amount of Jesus’ teaching is to refute the teaching of the religious leaders and to establish God’s intentions in the Law.

In the text found at the beginning of this article Paul writes that the “Scripture is inspired by God. The Greek word theopneustos comes from two words, Theos “God” and pneo “to breathe”. God breathed into the human writer the inspiration to write the Scriptures. We note here that the word pneo is related to the Greek word pneuma meaning “breath,” “wind” and “spirit.” Thus, God breathes His spirit into human beings (see Genesis 2:7, Ezekiel 37:11-14). Since the Scriptures are given by the Spirit of God they are not only written words that age over time. Rather, the Spirit gives the Scriptures life throughout all time. Just as God is eternal, so are the words that God inspire. The writer of the fourth gospel helps us to understand that the Scriptures have life throughout eternity.

John begins his Gospel with these words. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (Jn. 1:1, NASB). As we read the first chapter of John we learn that John is writing to establish that Jesus is the Word of God made flesh and this flesh dwelt among human beings. Thus Jesus is both man and God. However, for the purpose of this article let us look at the meaning of “word.” The Greek for word is logos. It means something said. It also refers to reasoning, motive, and expression. Thus, the Greek “logos” refers to the mind of God. Therefore, the Bible is an ancient document that was originally written by persons under the influence of the Holy Spirit. The words that we read in our bibles do not always agree with what the original writer intended to convey to the audience that is being written to. So, we might ask what Paul really said in the text above.

Paul is encouraging his protégé Timothy to read and study the Scripture so that he can be effective in his ministry of conveying to his audience the will of God; and particularly to establish that Jesus is the savior sent from God to offer His life as a sacrifice for sin. Paul assures Timothy that the Scriptures are credible. The Scriptures have integrity, and they have authority given by God. The Scriptures are written words. It is not the words written that have life in and of themselves. The words have life because they contain the mind of the living God. Therefore, when we use the Scriptures to manipulate and control people the Bible is only an ancient document. When a person is led by the Spirit that is in them the Scriptures come alive and we are able to discern the mind of Christ.

Like Timothy we must study the scriptures under the influence of the Holy Spirit for the purpose of making known the will and purposes of God. Only then will the Bible be a living word. Otherwise, the bible is only an ancient document.