2 Timothy 3:16-17

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All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NKJV)

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.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NIV)

All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 (KJV)

All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NLT)

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 (ESV)

All Scripture is inspired by God and beneficial for teaching, for rebuke, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be fully capable, equipped for every good work.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NASB)

Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. www.lockman.org

All Scripture is God-breathed [given by divine inspiration] and is profitable for instruction, for conviction [of sin], for correction [of error and restoration to obedience], for training in righteousness [learning to live in conformity to God's will, both publicly and privately — behaving honorably with personal integrity and moral courage]; so that the man of God may be complete and proficient, outfitted and thoroughly equipped for every good work.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 (AMP)

Scripture quotations taken from the Amplified® Bible (AMP), Copyright © 2015 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. www.lockman.org

Every Scripture is God-breathed (given by His inspiration) and profitable for instruction, for reproof and conviction of sin, for correction of error and discipline in obedience, [and] for training in righteousness (in holy living, in conformity to God's will in thought, purpose, and action), So that the man of God may be complete and proficient, well fitted and thoroughly equipped for every good work.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 (AMPC)

Scripture quotations taken from the Amplified® Bible (AMPC), Copyright © 1954, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. www.lockman.org

Every part of Scripture is God-breathed and useful one way or another — showing us truth, exposing our rebellion, correcting our mistakes, training us to live God's way. Through the Word we are put together and shaped up for the tasks God has for us.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 (MSG)

Scripture quotations from The Message. Copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress. All rights reserved. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers.

New Covenant Meaning

Every Word of Scripture Has God Behind It

The Greek word theopneustos, translated "given by inspiration of God" or "God-breathed," is a compound word: theos (God) and pneustos (breathed). Paul is saying that Scripture is the breath of God in written form. The way God breathed life into Adam in Genesis 2:7, He breathed His word into the Scripture writers. This does not mean God dictated every word mechanically while the writers were passive. It means that what they wrote carried the authority and accuracy of God's own communication. Every Scripture, not just the inspiring parts, carries this weight. The book you hold is not merely ancient wisdom. It is the breath of God.

Scripture Makes You Complete, Not Just Informed

The purpose of God-breathed Scripture in verse 17 is not just to give the believer more information. It is to make the man of God complete (artios) and thoroughly equipped (exartizo) for every good work. These are words of sufficiency and readiness, not partial preparation. The Scripture does not just tell you what to do and leave the doing to your own effort. It equips you for the work. It corrects, trains, and shapes the inner person so that the works God prepared in advance (Ephesians 2:10) can actually be walked in. Scripture is a grace tool for transformation, not just a rule book for behavior.

In the New Covenant, the written word of God is inseparable from the living Word, Jesus (John 1:1), and from the Spirit who illuminates the written word to each believer (1 Corinthians 2:12-13). The same Spirit who inspired the writers now lives inside the reader. Reading Scripture in the New Covenant is not an academic exercise. It is the living God speaking through His breath-word to His Spirit-indwelt child. The four purposes Paul names (doctrine, reproof, correction, instruction in righteousness) are not a system of law compliance. They are the ways God uses His word to bring His children into the fullness of who He created them to be. Scripture is not withholding. It is equipping.

Application for Your Life

Treat Scripture as the Active Voice of God, Not a Historical Document

2 Timothy 3:16 says Scripture is profitable: it produces something. It teaches, reproves, corrects, and trains. This means when you open the Bible, you are not just reading about what God said to people in the past. You are receiving what God is saying now, through a living word that carries His breath. Come to Scripture expecting it to do something in you, not just inform you about ancient events. Ask the Holy Spirit to illuminate what you read. Engage with it as a conversation, not a lecture. The word that is God-breathed is still breathing.

Let Scripture Complete You Rather Than Just Convict You

Many people experience Scripture primarily as reproof and correction, and they stay away from it because it makes them feel bad about themselves. But Paul lists four purposes, and only one of them is reproof. The other three are teaching, correction (restoration to the right path), and training in righteousness. The goal is completion: the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped. Scripture is as much about building you up as it is about correcting you. Read it with the expectation that God is forming something in you, not just finding fault. The breath of God in His word is creative.

Prayer Based on This Verse

Father, I receive Your word as God-breathed. Every Scripture I read has Your breath behind it. I come to it not just as a reader but as someone You are speaking to. Teach me through it. Correct me where I have gotten off track. Train me in righteousness. And equip me completely for every good work You have prepared for me to walk in. Holy Spirit, illuminate the word to me as I read it. Make it living and active in my life. I do not want to just know Scripture. I want to be formed by it. Complete me through it. In Jesus name. Amen.