All Scripture is GOD–BREATHED (theo–pneustos: theo: God, pneustos: breath or blow) 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.” (2 Tim. 3:16-17) Most translations say “All Scripture is GIVEN BY INSPIRATION OF GOD” that’s good and I think it’s done that way because people forget that the Word of God is “…LIVING and POWERFUL, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner (kritikos: tracing out and passing judgment) of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” (Heb. 4:12)
The Word of God, the bible, is WAY MORE than words printed on a page! God’s Word is “LIVING” (zaō: having vital (very important) power in itself) when we are reading the Word, God is BREATHING that vital power into our lives, instructing and correcting us so we stay on the right path. God’s Word can do all this because it’s POWERFUL (energēs: full-of-energy). So, when we open our Bibles and read God is BREATHING His LIVING POWERFUL Word into our lives.
Remember when Jesus was tempted by Satan, three times, in response to Satan’s attack “Jesus answered and said, ‘It is written…’” then quoted a scripture. The devil was defeated by the WORD OF GOD.
Just to show how America feels about the bible:
- 26% believe – the Bible is the actual word of God and should be taken literally, word for word.
- 34% reads – the Bible once a week or more
- 16% reads – the Bible most days during the week American Bible Society’s State of the Bible 2021
“…search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which TESTIFY OF ME.” (John 5:39)
-Bill Stockham