The Holy Spirit, Author of Scripture
Scripture Reading — 2 Timothy 3:10-17
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
These words in 2 Timothy are often used as a prooftext for the inspiration and infallibility of the Bible. As important as that argument may be, it’s not Paul’s main point here. Paul’s instruction to the young man Timothy is primarily about practical advice for godly living.
From an early age, through his Christ-following Jewish mother, Timothy had been exposed to the Old Testament Holy Scriptures. Paul encouraged Timothy to continue to read and to trust God’s Word to learn about righteous living. God’s Word can be trusted because it is not the word of fallible mortals but the word of the eternal God himself.
In God’s plan of salvation, the Holy Spirit worked in and through the authors of the Bible to reveal God’s design and purpose for us. Paul describes the Spirit’s work as “God-breathed.” Just as the Holy Spirit breathed into Adam’s nostrils, giving him life (see Genesis 2:7), so the Holy Spirit breathed into the work of the Bible’s human authors, giving the Scriptures divine life and ultimate authority for questions about faith and life.
Do you want to know how to please God in your life today? Look no further than the inspired, infallible words of the Bible. The Holy Spirit gave God’s Word to us to help us glorify God and serve him.
Holy Spirit, author of the Bible and of new life, breathe in our hearts today so that we can serve God in the world. Amen.
About the author — Kurt Selles
Kurt Selles is the director of ReFrame Ministries and serves as the Executive Editor of Today. He is a graduate of Calvin College and Seminary, and received his PhD from Vanderbilt University. Before coming to ReFrame, he served 19 years in Taiwan and China with CRC World Missions. Kurt later taught missions at Beeson Divinity School, where he also acted as the director of the school’s Global Center. Kurt and his wife, Vicki, reside in Grand Rapids and have three adult children.
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