Double Good

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I was listening to Anthony George from First Baptist Church in Atlanta recently. His message was titled “Is There a Standard.” One of his illustrations included the numbers 3:16. We all know what verse he was speaking about. John 3:16, "For God so loved he world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

Actually, though, he was talking about another 3:16 that is just as important to our understanding and learning of Scripture: “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness." 2 Timothy 3:16

This was one of George’s points in proclaiming that there is a standard and it’s the Bible: all Scripture is God-breathed. The Greek word is “theopneustos.” God-breathed. Scripture just isn’t inspired by God, it is God-breathed.  God exhaling the ideas and truths into those who wrote the words. He integrated His divine revelation into their human limitations.

Jon Gleason at mindrenewers.com wrote: “The concept of the breath of God has important connotations in Scripture, referring to God’s creative and life-giving power.  The Bible clearly says the Word of God is living, life-giving, and life-changing, and the connotations of theopneustos match those characteristics.

“Those who translated theopneustos for hundreds of years using the words 'inspired' or 'inspiration' weren’t just making stuff up. There was a very real basis in the connotations of the breath of God for the translational choice they made. “God breathed the Scriptures into existence, and God breathed life and vitality into the Scriptures.”

This Greek word, theopneustos only occurs once in Scripture, but what a meaning it has.

2 Timothy 3:16 is a Scripture verse that tell us all of the Bible will help us through life, guiding and directing us, so that we can live with assurance and truth. I hope whenever you read or hear someone mention John 3:16 that your mind will remember there’s another 3:16 that teaches us the words in the Bible come directly from our God as He breathes the information to the writers and the readers.

I've always liked the words my pastor says when praying after reading God's Word: "May the Lord add His blessing to the reading of His divine, inspired, inerrant and infallible Word." Indeed!

Is there a standard? Most definitely. Three sixteen. 3:16. Double good.

By His Grace . . .