How to Study the Bible: Part B

When Paul says in 2 Timothy 3:16 that “all Scripture is inspired by God”, what does he mean by “all Scripture”? Thomas Jefferson was known for taking the Bible and removing all the miracles. He did not believe in a supernatural intervention of God in human affairs. He liked the ethical aspects of the Bible, such as the Sermon on the Mount. The apostle Paul says that is not right. “All Scripture” is the Word of God and God does not lie. As the apostle Paul says in Titus 1:2, “This truth gives them confidence that they have eternal life, which God-who does not lie-promised them before the world began.” When Paul wrote 1 Timothy, the Scripture that was in existence was the Old Testament and portions of the New Testament. So in saying that “all Scripture is inspired by God”, he is claiming the Old Testament to be the very Word of God. The four Gospels claim to be either eyewitness accounts or well researched accounts of the life of Christ. Paul, Peter and John claim for themselves apostleship of Jesus Christ. An apostle is the term for a messenger. In the case of these men, they claim to be sent by Jesus Christ, thereby giving authority to their message. When viewed in light of their claims, we are left with one decision—either the Bible is true or it is not. Really there is no room for the one who claims to be a Christian to pick and choose parts they like. This leaves us with the task of making sense out of the whole Bible.