The seventh thing that the Bible makes plain regarding the work of
the Holy Spirit in the various writers of Scripture, is that _all
Scripture, that is everything contained in all the books of the Old
and New Testament, is inspired of God_. We are distinctly taught this
in 2 Tim. 3:16, 17. Here we read, "+All Scripture+ (more exactly,
every Scripture) +is given by inspiration of God+ (more literally,
_God-breathed_), +and is profitable for doctrine+, (or teaching),
+for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness+
(rather, instruction which is in righteousness), +that the man of
God may be perfect+ (rather, complete) +thoroughly furnished+
(better, furnished completely) +unto all good works+ (rather,
every good work)." An attempt has been made to obscure the full force
of these words by a revised translation given in both the English
Revision and American Standard Version. In this revised translation,
the words are rendered as follows: "Every Scripture inspired of
God is also profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction,
for instruction which is in righteousness; that the man of God may
be complete, furnished completely unto every good work." There is
absolutely no warrant in the Greek text for changing "Every Scripture
is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, etc.,"
into "Every Scripture inspired of God _is also_ profitable for
teaching, etc." "Every" is in the Greek. There is no "_is_" in the
Greek. It must be supplied, as is often the case in translating from
Greek into English. "Is" must be supplied somewhere, either before
"given by inspiration" (or God-breathed), or else supplied after it,
in the latter case necessitating the change of "and" into "also" (a
change which is possible, but very uncommon); and there is not a single
instance in the New Testament outside of this in which two adjectives
coupled by the simplest copulative "and (kai)" are ripped apart and the
"is" placed between them and an "and" changed into "also." The other
construction, that of the Authorised Version, is not at all uncommon.
The translation of the Revisers does violence to all customary usage
of the Greek language. But we do not need to dwell upon that, for,
even accepting the changes given in the Revision, the thought is
not essentially changed; for if Paul had said what the revisers make
him say that "Every Scripture inspired of God is also profitable for
teaching, etc.," there can be no question but by "every scripture
inspired of God" he referred to every Scripture contained in the Old
Testament. Here, then, taking whichever translation you will, we
have the plain teaching that every Scripture of the Old Testament is
"God-breathed" or "inspired of God." Certainly if we can believe this
about the Old Testament there is no difficulty in believing it about
the New, and there can be no question that Paul claimed for his own
teaching an equal authority with the O. T. teaching. This we shall see
clearly under the next head. And not only did Paul so claim, but the
Apostle Peter also classes the teaching of Paul with the O. T. teaching
as being "Scripture." Peter says in 2 Pet. 3:15, 16, +"Even as our
beloved brother Paul also, according to the wisdom given unto him,
wrote unto you; (16) as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of
these things, wherein are some things hard to be understood, which the
ignorant and unstedfast wrest, as they do also the other Scriptures,
unto their own destruction."+ Here Peter clearly speaks of Paul's
epistles as being "Scripture."