2 Timothy 3:16 - Whooooosh!

"All Scripture is God-breathed . . . "

Several years ago a man told me that he refused to go to church if the preaching was going to be from the Old Testament because that didn't count anymore, it has no place in the Christian's life.  When Jesus came, the Old Testament died.  How very, very sad.  Apparently, this very same thing was occurring in Ephesus as Paul is encouraging Timothy to stand his ground and continue with his right teachings in the face of opposition.  The New Testament was actually being written with these letters, but the new Christians had other thoughts about the Law, Moses and the Prophets.   As Solomon wrote: "There is nothing new under the sun . . ." 


The Bible, especially the Old Testament, is NOT a collection of fairy tales, sagas, or myths.  It is not a human book, but an inspired book written by humans.  The entire Bible is the inspired word of God and must be accepted as such.  The entire Bible is the Christian's standard against which everything must be measured, and in which all false teaching will be revealed.  It is God-breathed.

Used as a verb, "to breathe" means "to inject as if by breathing; infuse"  Therefore, God "infused" His breath, His life, into the Scriptures.  His word became alive.  Think about this:  when you received Jesus into your heart as your Savior and Master, The Lord God Almighty, at that very instant, literally breathed His Holy Spirit life into your spirit.  Birth.  A new spiritual life.    The same way God breathed the spirit of life into your natural body, He breathed he breath of life into your spirit. And He did the same with His written word!!

"All Scripture is God-breathed . . ."  It is alive, active, producing new life in the Christian as he/she reads it and applies it directly to his/her life.  It has power.  It is dramatically life-changing. When we read anywhere in Scripture about the "breath of God", we are reading about the power of God.  Therefore, all Scripture is infused with the power of God to change our lives.  Why, then, do we take the Word of God so lightly? 

All Scripture is the only thing that provides us with the knowledge of how to be saved.  The Old Testament is like a blazing, neon arrow pointing the way to Jesus, while the New Testament gives us Jesus.  The Old Testament shows us that we cannot keep the Law, therefore we are doomed.   The New Testament gives us Jesus Christ, grace and salvation.  The Old Testament is a living word picture in the natural of what happens to us now in the spirit in the New Testament.  Everything is valid and applicable.   It is impossible to have one without the other.  Consider this:  how would you live your life today if you had no past to reflect on, no past  showing you where you went wrong and where you went right?  Our present and future is shaped by our past.   That is why we have both the Old and New Testament.

Don't be led astray by false doctrine and teaching.  ALL Scripture is God-breathed.

"Almighty God, giver of life, praise be your Holy Name for revealing to us your Living Word.  Refresh me with the breath of your Holy Spirit, quicken my spirit to the profound knowledge of your Holy Scriptures.  Remove all doubt that I may have concerning the validity of the entire Bible.  Show me, Oh Lord, new and marvelous things.  I ask in the precious name of Jesus.  Amen."

Supporting Scriptures:

Job 4:9; 15:30; 27:3
John 1:1
James 2:10
2 Peter 1:20,21
Rev 11:10-1