Practical Application

All Scripture is inspired by God and beneficial for teaching, for rebuke, for correction, for training in righteousness;  2 Timothy 3:16  NASB

Teaching/ rebuke/ correction/ training – Paul tells us the purpose of “inspired Scripture.”  He’s quite deliberate about it, but did you notice what is strikingly absent?  Let’s see.

Scripture is useful for “teaching.”  Didaskalía, that is, the recounting of God’s saving acts, the practical application of Mosaic instruction, and the recognition of the message of the kingdom of God.

Rebuke adds another dimension.  Scripture is useful to bring about an awareness of sin.  This, of course, is a thoroughly religious idea since “sin” is essentially the rejection of a divine commander.  Rebuke lies within the context of an Hebraic worldview, not a Hellenistic one.

Correction (epanórthōsis) is about restoration.  It’s not “correction” as punishment but rather “correction” as change in direction.  The purpose of Scripture is to bring about a reestablished relationship with God

Finally, training (paideía).  We might have translated this as “discipline,” that is, training in how to live with God as the center.  What does that amount to?  Moses, of course.  Gentiles who are coming into the faith need to know what God’s instructions are, and as James notes in Acts 15, every assembly gives them the instructions they need.

So, what’s missing?  Doctrine!  What’s missing is the formality of statements of faith, of doctrinal confirmation, or creedal assent.  Paul doesn’t even mention “what I must believe to be saved” lists.  His idea of Scripture’s purpose is practical, not theoretical.  Know what God did, admit your sins, seek restoration, live accordingly.

But we’ve read this verse, and others like it, as if they are the foundation of our cognitive assent to a belief system.  We think the purpose of Scripture is to get agreement to doctrine, to provide a secure and certain textual proof of our beliefs.  In fact, for most modern believers, Paul’s view is antiquated and far too Jewish to be true.  All we want is cognitive approval.  All that Mosaic instruction and those Jewish stories are just old history, no longer applicable.  We’ve got Jesus.  We don’t need the Law.

And yet Paul’s view seems to do nothing more than endorse the Jewish worldview.  God acts to save us.  God’s saving grace reminds us of our need.  God sets us on the path to reconciliation.  We learn His ways.  Practical history, event oriented.  With this in mind, does your faith depend on your creed?  I’m not so sure.

Topical Index:  Scripture, doctrine, 2 Timothy 3:16

I MUST REALLY BE GETTING OLD!

I meant to leave a link to the first study of “An Educated Faith” for FREE on my birthday, but I left in the note to ME to add it.  So sorry.  Here it is  CLICK