Part XII
NO NEED TO LOOK ANYWHERE ELSE
In II Timothy 3:14-17 Paul points Timothy to the Scriptures. This is exactly where he had directed the Ephesian elders as he departed from Asia. "And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and the word of his grace, which is able to build you up . . ."(Acts 20:32). Thus we see the all-sufficiency of Scripture. It was all that the elders needed, although they did not avail themselves to it. Paul said that it was able!
Paul also wrote the Ephesians a letter, after his departure from them, emphasizing the place that the Scriptures had in spiritual warfare. "Take . . . the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God" (Ephesians 6:17). The sword of the Spirit is the Spirit's sword! Let Him wield it!
Paul had told Timothy earlier, that the word of God was sufficient for the most constraining situations. "Wherein I suffer trouble, as an evil doer, even unto bonds; but the word of God is not bound" (II Timothy 2:9).
THE SOURCE OF PROFIT
In the dark situation that Timothy found himself in, what an encouragement the reminder of these things must have been to him. With only the foundation remaining (II Timothy 2:19) one could easily give up hope. "What's the use?" "The battle's just not worth it!"
But Paul points Timothy to the place of eternal profit: "all Scripture . . . is profitable" (II Timothy 3:16). And what was it profitable for?
Doctrine: "instruction" (Strong's #1319), it is also translated as "learning" and "teaching."
Reproof: "proof, conviction" (Strong's #1650), it is also translated as "evidence" and "tell" (take special note of "tell" in Matthew 18:15). The idea here is to "bring an issue home."
Correction: "straightening up again" (Strong's #1882).
Instruction: "tutorage or training; by implication disciplinary correction," it is also translated as "chastening," "chastisement" and "nurture."
ADULT SONSHIP
Note carefully Paul's usage of the phrase "the man of God" in verse 17. He did not say "the child of God," but "the man of God." This term "man of God" is not a clerical term. Paul is NOT talking about clergymen. The word "man" here stands in contrast with the word "child."
A transition has taken place! Members of Christ's body had now been placed into full adult sonship, they are no longer children, but now had the position of full grown sons. This is the glorious doctrine of adoption. This means that the temporary gifts given to the body of Christ, were now being laid aside. Apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers, were only temporary – "till" (Ephesians 4:13). And one of the characteristics of this "till" time was "that we henceforth be no more children."
THE SOURCE OF ALL MINISTRY
Members of Christ's body were able, by the word of God, to be "throughly furnished" to "all good works" Everything that needed to be accomplished, would now be done so through the word of God. Throughly furnished means "to finish out, to equip fully" (Strong's #1822). The word of God is all the equipment that the body of Christ needs.
Our brother Duane Gallintine has some wonderful observations concerning this truth, in his article He Gave Gifts Unto Men :
"After the full deposit of grace truth was given to Paul, that particular revelation called THE MYSTERY, God finalizes the edification process through Scripture. Those men who were once the 'gifts unto men' were diminishing. Second Timothy 3:16,17 reveals that the four-fold ministry of the gifted men had been replaced with Scriptures that do the very same thing. God replacing their four-fold ministry of doctrine, reproof, correction and instruction in righteousness with His Word of Truth found in a Book. No longer men as 'gifts' unto the Body of Christ, but God's full complete Word in the Bible.
"With the Epistle of Second Timothy being the last book in the Bible to be written while Paul was near his execution, God had used His internal 'gift system' to copy, collect, and collate all which is Scripture. The Body of Christ, the church of the living God, was the pillar and the ground of the truth (1 Timothy 3:15). God's design was to have all Scripture resident within the Body of Christ before Paul died with his Second Epistle to Timothy concluding the deposit of Truth. We have sixty-six books of Scripture found in a one volume book. These are the Writings that God breathed, called Scripture (2 Timothy 3:16,17; Romans 16:25,26; 1 Corinthians 14:37; Colossians 4:16)
"Since the death of Paul the Apostle, God's edifying process for giving doctrine, reproof, correction and instruction in righteousness to the saints has been through the Bible; NOT a man in a ministry, for that is not the means as stated in 2 Timothy 3:16. Through the Word of Truth found in a BOOK studied 'rightly divided' we grow up IN CHRIST and become workmen of God (Ephesians 4:15; 2 Timothy 2:15)." (Duane Gallintine He Gave Gifts Unto Men 1992).
Clyde Pilkington
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