“and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 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 3:15–17, ESV)
God Breathed
The Bible is what makes one wise unto salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.
Family Matters
The Bible does not supply every detail, but it seems that the matriarchs of the family were the predominant spiritual formation overseers in Timothy's life. Timothy's family was not the quintessential Jewish family because his father was a Greek and Paul does not attribute any spiritual training or instruction to him. It was Timothy's mother and grandmother that made sure he was regularly taught the scripture. He had benefited from their sincere faith, their commitment to the scriptures, and their consistent guidance. Timothy grew up seeing the evidence of grace in his mother and his grandmother during those crucial formative years. Timothy was familiar with God's story of rescue, and when he heard the good news concerning Jesus, there was fertile ground for the gospel to take root.
The B-I-B-L-E
The Bible has its origin in God, and it is profitable for teaching, reproof, correction, and training in righteousness. The Bible is one of the ways that God reveals himself, equips his followers, and moves them to maturity. The wisdom for salvation is contained within the Bible. The Bible is living.
““For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.””
God breathed into man, and he became a living creature. God breathed out Scripture, and it too is alive. The Bible reads the reader. The Bible perceives thoughts and the motives of the heart. God has not hidden; he has revealed himself. The apex of his revelation is Jesus, but he has also given us the sacred writings which can make one wise unto salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. It is useful for teaching. The danger facing the church today is the same danger facing Timothy, people teaching something that the Bible does not teach. Many who claim to be Christian are merely religious and superstitious. They invent new teaching and proclaim new revelation. They lead people into error with a meager amount of scripture mixed with pop psychology that is substantiated by emotions and feelings and call it faith. The Bible is our rule for faith and practice. Scripture must be the grounds for reprimand. Scripture must be the corrective source. The Bible trains one for righteousness. The follower of Jesus must make their home in the living words– Jesus and the Bible.
““So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples,””
The Bible completes the individual and equips them for every good work. There is no such thing as a disciple that does not make their home in the word. Jesus measures love by obedience, but one cannot obey if they have no idea what Jesus commands. The word is what we live by and many people who call themselves Christian suffer from the self-deception that they can create their own faith through works and feelings. It is only the sacred writings that make one wise unto salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.