2 TIMOTHY 3:16

2 TIMOTHY 3:16

Virgil Warren, PhD

πᾶσα γραφὴ θεόπνευστος καὶ ὠφέλιμος

pāsa graphē theopneustos kai ōphelimos

Variables in the English wording of this verse

      1.  all vs. every

      2.  scripture vs. writing

      3.  commas vs. no commas [restrictive vs. non-restrictive adjective “God-breathed”]

      4.  placement of is

      5.  and vs. also

Two wordings seem to fit the context, which shows Paul's evident concern to encourage Timothy in a good thing:

      (1) “All/every scripture [is] God-breathed and profitable . . .”

      (2) “All/every scripture,                       God-breathed,    [is] also profitable. . . .”

                                                        (being) God-breathed

                                              (because it is) God-breathed          [NONRESTRICTIVE]

All scripture lacks an article on scripture, implying perhaps that Paul is talking about the kind of thing scripture is rather than about scripture as an identity, the implication that would be given by the presence of an article.

            As far as words and grammar are concerned, it is possible to translate the verse as a restrictive statement: (3) “All/every scripture [that is] God-breathed (is) also profitable . . .” We have not used that option because it is not likely that Paul would be implying that some scripture might not be God-breathed. In the restrictive format, it would be possible for Paul to say, (4) “Every writing [that is] God-breathed (is) also profitable . . . ,” but in the preceding verses he has already mentioned “the holy writings/scriptures.” He is talking about what would have been viewed as “holy” by Lois, Eunice, and himself; so he does not have in mind the broad sweep of anything that might be called writings.

Observations

1.    It is easiest to eliminate writing because the context is talking about the holy writings/scriptures rather than every writing there is.

2.    Omitting the commas would make God-breathed a restrictive expression, which would fit with writing; but since that is eliminated, we do not take a restrictive meaning for scripture. Though grammatically possible, the idea is foreign to the setting here: Paul is not contrasting within scripture but between scripture and no scripture, so to speak.

3.    Placing is before God-breathed is most natural because it allows and to have its most normal value, especially since it stands between grammatically equal and conceptually parallel entries.

4.    Taking #2 and #3 in combination, we conclude that God-breathed is non-restrictive (hence, commas) with is placed afterwards or that it is a predicate adjective parallel to profitable with is ahead of it.

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