SCRIPTURES GOD-BREATHED

By Rosco Brong
Published in the Berea Baptist Banner August 5 , 1991.

“All scripture is God-breathed, and is profitable for teaching, for reproof,

for correction, for discipline in righteousness; that the man of God may be
fit, outfitted for all good work” (II Tim. 3:16, 17, improved translation).

This text is one of many selected for special attack by modernistic

mistranslators mutilating the message of God’s written Word. As is
usually true in comparison of controverted translations of doctrinal
portions of Scripture, so here the King James version is essentially right
and most of the modern revisions are grievously and wickedly wrong.
Most abominable in contradiction of immediate context and of the
uniform teaching of Scripture is the substitution of “every Scripture” for
“all scripture.”

HOLY LETTERS

Every true Bible student knows that in the New Testament the word
“scripture” (Gr. graphe), whether singular or plural, is never used in any
other sense than of what are called in the verse preceding our text “the
holy scriptures,” literally “the holy letters” (Gr. grammata). Attempts of
modernistic mistranslators to make “scripture” in text include uninspired
writings represent either gross ignorance or deliberate deception.

With much pretense of great learning, advocates of the “every scripture”

rendering refer to a “rule” of Greek syntax that the Greek word pas in the
singular and without the definite article must be translated “every” rather
than “all.”

Every preacher ought to know enough Greek at least to be able to check

up on the frequently false claims of pseudo-scholarship.

WHEN “ALL” MEANS “ALL”

Certainly there can be a great difference in English between “all” and

“every.” Which word should be used to translate Greek pas must be
determined from context, and not merely from some supposed “rule.”
Note just a few examples of other occurrences in the New Testament of
the same word with the same syntax where pas is and ought to be
translated “all” rather than “every”:
Matt. 2:3—-”all Jerusalem,” not “every Jerusalem.”
Matt. 3:15—-”to fulfill all righteousness” not “every righteousness.”
Matt. 28:18—-”all power” (or authority), not “every power.”
Acts 2:17—-”all flesh,” not “every flesh.”
Acts 5:23—Officers found the prison shut in “all safety,” not “every
safety.”
Acts 28:31—Paul preached and taught with “all confidence,” not “every
confidence.”

DIVINELY INSPIRED

Our text, therefore, says and means exactly what the true people of God
have believed and known through the centuries: ALL scripture, as the
word is used in the New Testament, is divinely inspired, or more literally,
“God-breathed.”

Included in this scripture are all the “holy letters” which Timothy knew
from childhood, and now also the writings in what we know as the New
Testament. Peter assures us that holy men of God did not write for us
their private interpretations according to their own will, but spoke as they
were carried along by the Holy Spirit. The same apostle classifies the
inspired epistles of Paul with “the other scriptures” (II Pet. 1:20, 21;
3:15,16).

“The words of the Lord are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of
earth, purified seven times” (Ps. 12:6).

“Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in
him” (Prov. 30:5).
“Let God be true, but every man a liar” (Rom. 3:4).

PROFITABLE FOR TEACHING

God is not the author of the confusion (I Cor. 14:33) that prevails in
professed Christianity today. If all the people who claim to worship God
would only trust and obey His Word, we should not be plagued with such
a multitude of so-called Christian but contradictory denominations.

Better yet, we should be spared the sorry spectacle of

interdenominational hypocrisy dishonoring God with attempts to unionize
on the basis of believing the least truth possible.
What can a man believe? To the questions and problems of life and death
for time and eternity, only infallibly inspired scripture, the God-breathed
word, can provide final and satisfactory answers.

“The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the
Lord is sure, making wise the simple” (Ps. 19:7).

Quoting David again: “I have more understanding than all my teachers:

for thy testimonies are my meditation” (Ps. 119:99).
So profitable is the scripture for teaching!

FOR REPROOF

“Every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light,
lest his deeds should be reproved” ( John 3:20).

“The word of the Lord is unto them a reproach; they have no delight in it”
( Jer. 6:10).

Indeed, “the word of God is living, and powerful, and sharper than any
two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit,
and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and
intents of the heart” (Heb. 4:12).

For all who will be “doers of the word, and not hearers only” ( Jas. 1:22),
the scripture is proven to be profitable for reproof.

FOR CORRECTION

Not only does the scripture rebuke us for being wrong; it also tells us how
to get right. Recognizing an error is one thing; correcting it is another: the
scripture is profitable for both.

“Through thy precepts,” wrote David, “I get understanding: therefore I

hate every false way” (Ps. 119:104).

“Ye are clean,” Jesus told His disciples, “through the word which I have
spoken unto you” ( John 15:3).

Whatever may be wrong in our lives, we need not continue in error: the
God-breathed scripture is profitable for correction.

FOR DISCIPLINE
KJ translation says “for instruction in righteousness.” The word for
“instruction” or “discipline” is translated “chastening” and
“chastisement” in Hebrews 12:5- 8.

Solomon reminds us that “A reproof entereth more into a wise man than
a hundred stripes into a fool” (Prov. 17:10).

It is therefore a mark of wisdom to receive discipline from the Word of

God, that we may avoid more severe chastisement.

FIT AND FITTED OUT

The grand purpose in view of which all scripture is God-breathed and is

profitable is “that the man of God may be fit, outfitted for all good work.”
Or, in KJ translation, “that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly
furnished unto all good works.” (Singular for “work” in the Greek.)

No doubt “man of God” refers especially to preachers, but in a broader

sense every saved man ought to be a man of God and zealous of good
works (Titus 2:14).

To be fit and fitted out as a servant of God he must know and heed and
profit from the scripture received through holy men from the breath of
God.