All Scripture.....

By: Martin Connolly | Date: 2025-10-17

2 Timothy 3:16-17 “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, for conviction, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, fully equipped for every good work.”

In an age, where there is a growing trend to dismiss the Scriptures, even in quarters that claim to be within Christianity, it is important to declare the truth. This is exactly what this verse does.

Paul and his view of the Old Testament

For those that dismiss the Old Testament, or Jewish Tanach, Paul is firstly referring to that section of the Bible. Therefore, in looking at God’s Word, we cannot ignore the Torah, writings and Prophets of Israel. In them is the wisdom of God. Consider Genesis which is the first book that points to Jesus as the Light and creator of all things. Every other book that follows points to Him. It brings the confirmation that all Scripture shows prophecies made have been fulfilled, with only future ones yet to be fulfilled. With this confidence, we now look at the Scripture from Paul to Timothy.

The Scripture quoted gives five encouragements:

 *  Useful for teaching

·         *  For conviction

·         * For correction

·         * For training

·        *  For equipping for every good work

 Useful for teaching

The Scripture when speaking of ‘useful’ is understood to mean ‘beneficial’. That is of benefit to those who are taught. In turn the idea of ‘teaching’ is also referring to those taught, to learn. This lays on both the teacher and the disciple, a responsibility to ensure that doctrine and the way to live is faithfully delivered and faithfully responded to. This is a challenge, in a world that wants ‘to do its own thing’. The disciples of Jesus must stand out as different. The world rejects authority and as we look across the world, we see it on the streets of nearly every country. Paul makes a very stark statement on this:

Romans 6:16 “Do you not know that if you yield yourselves to any one as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness?”

Jesus Himself made clear:

John 14:15 "If you love me, you will keep my commandments.”

Conviction

When we turn to conviction, the idea is that the Word of God will, with the work of the Holy Spirit, convict or reprove the disciple, when he or she errs. John wrote:

John 16:8 “And when He comes, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgement.”

This requires the disciple to be sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit. He leads us into all truth and points us to the work of Jesus (John 16:13). The disciple of Jesus will ever desire to walk like Him. He was obedient to His Father, even onto death (Philippians 2:8).

Correction

                   Leading on from conviction is the necessity to allow the Word of God to correct our behaviour. Th idea in Paul’s language is that the Word of God is there to improve our life or character. We are being changed from glory to glory as Paul wrote:

2 Corinthians 3:18 “But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.”

This again requires obedience, accepting conviction and in the strength of the Holy Spirit to change how we live.

Training

                   In training, we again need to understand Paul’s language. Here in Timothy, it is referring to the cultivation of a lifestyle that is moral and which includes the mind and the body. This directly calls the disciple to subject their mind to that of the Christ. Again Paul:

2 Corinthians 10:4-5 “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty by God to the pulling down of strongholds, down imaginations and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ...”

The knowledge of God is found in His Word. The disciple can make every excuse under the sun as to why they should do what they do. However, the Scriptures require us to test those excuses against the Word. In the light of the Holy Spirit, this will inevitably lead to conviction. The challenge is will we change behaviour that is harming our soul, mind and body? Paul wrote:

1 Corinthians 6:19 “Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?”

Habits that cause our bodies harm: unlawful sex, addictions, etc. need us to overcome them in the power of the Holy Spirit. There is no other way but to trust and obey, as the old chorus says.

Equipped for Service

                   Finally, what is the purpose of all this? It is to equip the disciple for ‘every good work’. The specific Scripture speaks directly to men, first and foremost. Of course, the female disciple will also be called to follow these encouragements, but Paul knows that men must rise up and take their God given authority within the body of the Christ. This he laid out in his previous letter to Timothy. God’s order has ever been the counsel of Scripture. Men and women who are called in discipleship are required to follow His Word and not the world’s ways. Isaiah in chapters 3 to 6, particularly, lays out how a rebellious people came to such a state that the prophet has to write:

Isaiah 3:12 “As for My people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them. Oh, My people, those who lead you cause you to err and destroy the way of your paths.”

2 Corinthians 9:8 "And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work."

                      Can I say with all grace and sorrow, that we see this in our own country’s ‘official church’. Their leaders have now appointed a woman to lead them. That is why, an eldership that is determined to abide with God’s Word, encourage men to rise and take their authority and be examples to others of a Godly ordered local body of the Christ. It may not be popular in the world’s eyes to believe this but the Word of God has ever declared this. Jesus said:;

John 15:18-19 “If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. However, because you are not of the world, but I have personally chosen you out of the world, the world hates you for this.”

                   We are therefore encouraged by Scripture to be different. As the end approaches this will become more and more the case – the world will set it’s face against us. Good discipline now will stand us in good staid when it gets tougher.