๐ญ ๐ง๐ถ๐บ๐ผ๐๐ต๐ ๐ฏ:๐ญ๐ฒ-๐ญ๐ณ ๐๐น๐น ๐ฆ๐ฐ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฝ๐๐๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ถ๐ ๐๐ผ๐ฑ-๐ฏ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ถ๐ ๐๐๐ฒ๐ณ๐๐น ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ต๐ถ๐ป๐ด, ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฏ๐๐ธ๐ถ๐ป๐ด, ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ป๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ถ๐ป ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ด๐ต๐๐ฒ๐ผ๐๐๐ป๐ฒ๐๐, ๐๐ผ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ฎ๐ป๐ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ผ๐ฑ ๐บ๐ฎ๐ ๐ฏ๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ผ๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ด๐ต๐น๐ ๐ฒ๐พ๐๐ถ๐ฝ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ ๐ด๐ผ๐ผ๐ฑ ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ธ.
The Word of God, the Bible, has been denigrated. It has been assigned as a noteworthy set of writings, perhaps useful in their time. It has been the subject of humiliation and abrogation, canceling any importance it could have in the lives of readers. There are, of course, passages that are both puzzling and in need of contextual explanation. There are popular misinterpretations that have been co-opted to justify even the evilest doctrines and actions.
None of that sullies its intent and overall accomplishment in the lives of people of faith. It arrests sin, does not promote it. It corrects, does not condone. The righteousness it engenders testifies to the voice that speaks through the human lives used to record its words.
Paul was describing only the part of the Bible we call the Old Testament. He had the equivalent of a modern day PhD in theology and the Tenach (with the Jewish Talmud โ rabbinic teachings) was his specialty. He had no way of knowing his letters to Timothy and the early churches would be incorporated into the canon โ the books making up the New Testament. Yet his words here apply to his own writing.
Critics of the Bible โ and they are nothing new as a group โ harp on things like details (where the oral tradition was not as concerned) and historical accuracy (erecting their own criteria). All the while, combining their reading of the text with faith and being inquisitive as to its ability to teach and correct is avoided for reasons of fear (Hebrews 4:2). If the Bible had those attributes, it would imply change and repentance. Those things are not acceptable to devoted critics.
It is the proposition of scripture that humankind NEEDS teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness โ and that, only from the hand of Almighty God. We are not righteous in ourselves, indeed so sinful that Jesus needed to die to set things right with His Father. That story is the primary one to allowing scripture to do its work โ or rather, we could say it is the first work scripture does.
The sorrow of the unrealized fruit waiting for anyone who neglects the jewel which is the Bible is great, but itโs also waiting patiently to be discovered for all. I remain eternally thankful for its work in my life.
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