Once Is Enough
All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness 2 Timothy 3:16
Correction – The Greek word epanorthosis occurs only once in the New Testament, right here in this verse about the effectiveness of the Word of God. Did you notice that it is closely associated with teaching and training, but that it is distinguished from reproof? That leads us to ask, “What is the difference between “reproof” and “correction?” If they were the same, then Paul would not have employed this word just one time in order to make his point.
“Reproof” is a word about conviction. It describes the inward and outward experience of acknowledging our sin. It is the manifestation of the fact that God’s Word confronts us with the truth – and we are far from meeting the standard. Reproof is what happens when I open to a passage of Scripture and am suddenly struck by my disobedience and guilt. Reproof has but one object in mind – repentance.
On the other hand, “correction” has a different objective. Correction is about setting the right course. It comes from a combination of Greek words that literally means “to set up straight again.” Paul may be thinking of the Hebrew counterpart – the idea that aligning myself with God’s Word will almost always require some form of chastisement (Hebrew musar) because my heart is powerfully deceitful, even to me! Again and again, Proverbs exhorts the use of musar (correction – both mental and physical) in order to keep us on the straight and narrow. God employs exactly the same tactics. In order to bring our lives into alignment with His purposes, He must often apply the rod. How He does that can vary from pressing circumstances to outright punishment, but why He does that always has the same goal – holiness.
Reproof brings repentance. If God’s Word is striking conviction in your heart, drop to your knees and ask His mercy. Correction brings holiness – and usually at great cost. This is the stripping away process that God uses to remove what does not edify. This is the agony of discovering that our lives are riddled with compromise. This is the painful experience of self-denial and cross-bearing. God’s Word is designed to bring this suffering into our lives for the express purpose of conforming us to the image of the Son.
Why do we need to go through all this? Why doesn’t God make this transition easy? The answer is really our problem. God does make it easy – as easy as is absolutely necessary to bring us into full fellowship. God restrains all that could be used to correct us by using only what is minimally required. He could have knocked us flat, but He would never do so. He only brings just enough to set us straight again. Of course, He has to turn up the volume if you pretend to be deaf.
How’s your hearing today?
