By Pr Ben Odongo
2Timothy 3:15-16 “And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.”
The word ‘wise’ is from the Greek word ‘sophizō’, which originates from the word ‘sophia,’ and it is translated as ‘skillful.’
Accordingly, this text can be interpreted to mean that, the scriptures are able to make one skillful.
Skillful in the subject of salvation, and salvation is faith in what Christ has done.
All scripture is given by the inspiration of God; originally interpreted as ‘divinely breathed by God’.
What is the inspiration?
Scripture here is from the Greek word ‘graphē’ which means ‘writing’.
Subsequently, we can interpret ‘All scripture is given by the inspiration of God’, to mean that, the inspiration for the documentation of scripture is God.
Though God inspired the documentation, He is not behind all activities documented. For instance, He is not behind Adam’s fall to temptation or the serpent deceiving Eve. This is the reason scripture must be explained.
The profitability of scripture will come from thorough teaching and explanation, which will then bring reproof. Reproof is evidence, the persuasion or conviction about the subject of salvation.
Salvation
In understanding salvation, one must understand that it is not a thing, but a person. A person you cannot lose.
Once a person has believed in the Gospel, God has put His signature upon Him.
You are in Christ after you have believed, not after you started behaving well. Therefore, salvation is a result of Christ in you that is the Spirit of God.
That same spirit in you is your guarantor, guarantee and the collateral for your salvation. This is the guarantee that you are eternally saved (John 10:28-30).
The Spirit of God in you is the seal that guarantees you for rapture. Rapture is not a flight but a changing of your body: immortality swallowing up mortality.
This is the reality of the believers in Christ, and what separates us from the unbelievers.
If the unbelievers could access what we have, then there would be no need for us to be born again, but the reason we are saved is because we have rights and privileges exclusive to sons.
Ephesians 1:1-3
Unbelievers have no access to this blessing, for it is in the heavenly places. “Blessed be the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.” In Christ we have received the blessing that:
– We are chosen.
– We are blameless before God in Christ Jesus: no spot, no wrinkle, blemish, scar or shame.
– We are not an afterthought or mistake.
The plan
God purposed to birth us as sons in Christ Jesus (Titus1:1-2).
For before the world began, it was His plan that you would be a son in Christ. The death of Jesus was not an afterthought or emergency plan, it was a plan.
The plan was for Jesus to die that we would become sons through His resurrection.
The subject in 2 Timothy 3-16 is two words, ‘in Christ’. Our study is to arrive at Christ, so also the scriptures are taught in light of Christ because our knowing is in Him.
The testimony or witness of the scripture is Christ, both collectively and individually. For it reveals one character, His.
John 5:39: “Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.”
Jesus’ teaching was the interpretation of Moses and the prophets, still it was all concerning Himself.
His theology was consistent. He revealed the realities of Himself, that He would suffer, die, be buried and resurrect. This is the entirety of the Gospel.
His study never brought accusation, rather it revealed Himself. Therefore, in rightly dividing the word of truth, we seek Christ as our substance not accusations.
What to know
Consistent theology is to bring persuasion. Persuasion that the teaching of His death, burial and resurrection is all we will ever need to survive.
That it is our lifeline and source of livelihood, then we become fearless. Your persuasion becomes your driving force, causes you to drop carefulness and take on aggressive evangelism and discipleship.
For we must remember that our involvement in the great commission is compulsory. It is our intent for revelation, and God’s will for our lives.
In 1Corrithians 1:30 and 2:6, the wisdom spoken of here is the wisdom of salvation.
It is different from wisdom for daily problems. Hence, you can have the wisdom of salvation and be a fool in the daily affairs of life.
The wisdom of God is in His word, and He has shown His wisdom by putting it in ‘foolish’ things.
Mystery is God’s wisdom and He has explained it in Christ.
