Originally Posted by
kepha1 file:///C:/DOCUME~1/Owner/LOCALS~1/Temp/msoclip1/01/clip_image001.gif
I don’t doubt Paul wrote God-breathed Scripture, but I am not sure about something…maybe you can help me out. Did Paul know his letters to Timothy were God-breathed Scripture, or was Paul refering to the Old Testament Scripture? Is Paul using the term “Scripture” to refer to the Bible that would not be compiled for another 350 years? If Paul is using the term “Scripture” to encompass the Old and New Testament whether all the books existed or not, then isn’t Paul being prophetic by refering to future books (as God-breathed Scripture?)?
I can’t speak for Paul, but Peter certainly recognized Paul’s writing as Scripture (and long before any Council convened, 2 Pet. 3:14-16). Paul is not being prophetic. He simply states the fact, via the Holy Spirit, that ALL
Scripture is
theopneustos. Would not God Himself who breathed that Scripture know what Scriptures He would breathe?All
SCRIPTURE is God-breathed (
theopneustos), referring to its Divine origin.
Theopneustos refer ONLY to the Scriptures. God breathed into Adam’s nostrils the breath of life. Not the same thing. Jesus breathed on the Apostles and said “Receive the Holy Spirit.” Not the same thing.
God’s breath has catagories?
I can’t speak for Paul, but Peter certainly recognized Paul’s writing as Scripture (and long before any Council convened, 2 Pet. 3:14-16).
But you were speaking for Paul, and Peter’s recognition of Paul’s writings as scripture only confirms the criteria needed for verifying inspiration, something that you just assume. Peter represents the Church, so I fail to understand why you would refute your own position by referring to Peter confirming Paul’s writings.
Councils did not make Scripture inspired, they proved what was inspired and what wasn’t. Assuming they are inspired because they claim they are inspired is insufficient proof they are inspired. It’s circular reasoning.
This is the crux of this whole miscommunication. Scripture cannot be God-breathed because it says it is. Inspiration must be proven, not assumed. With 12 “gospels” and 30+ “books of acts” floating around at the time, all with claims to be inspired, an authority had to prove which ones were inspired and which ones merely made the claim. That authority was the Church. The Church measured Scripture against Apostolic Teaching, not Scripture against Scripture. This is the historical record that you must deny. Inspiration came first, that is not what is being contested. But inspiration of a writing is meaningless unless it is recognized by the whole Church as inspired, and the Bible was the end result of this process.
It is totally impossible for Paul to be referring to the New Testament as inspired because it did not yet exist. “All scripture” in the context of 2 Tim 3 must be referring to the Old Testament.
Paul is not being prophetic. He simply states the fact, via the Holy Spirit, that ALL
Scripture is
theopneustos. Would not God Himself who breathed that Scripture know what Scriptures He would breathe?
Again, you are evading the point. It is nonsensical for Paul to claim that future scriptures that did not yet exist as God breathed. He is referring to the Old Testament, and the fact that he exhorts Timothy to study the scriptures he learned as a child confirms what you refuse to accept. If not, then provide the evidence that Timothy, or anyone else at the time Paul wrote to Timothy, had a copy of the New Testament.
Furthermore, it says, “ALL Scripture is
theopneustos”. It does not say , “ONLY Scripture…”
Yes, God knows what scripture He would breath into. But whom did God give these God-breathed Scriptures to? Who preserved them for 300 years before they were compiled into a Bible, and who compiled them? When was the first list of books of the New Testament approved for usage for the whole Church?