2 Timothy 3:16-17
Stop.
Close your eyes and take a few deep breaths. Reflect on what it means to be taught and led in faith. Spend a few moments in gratitude for God’s gift of guidance.
Listen.
All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that everyone who belongs to God may be proficient, equipped for every good work. – 2 Timothy 3:16-17
Reflect.
As we begin our new sermon series “Word Of Life” this coming Sunday, we prepare to hear from our preachers about their favorite Bible passages. We have a great opportunity to also consider what scripture means for us and our lives. This passage from 2 Timothy often gets quoted when people talk about how the Bible should be used. Often, the reader focuses on the words “for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness”. This leads us to think of the Bible as a roadmap for morality.
The ELCA, the denomination to which Easter belongs, does claim the Bible as our norm for faith and life. This means that the Bible does indeed inform the way God calls us to live in this world, including our personal morality. However, the passage too often gets used as a weapon against some people so that others get to maintain a sense of superiority.
That’s why I hope you also hear two other things from this passage. First, that “all scripture is inspired by God”. God informed and inspired every word of scripture. This means we must take seriously the wider picture of God’s story in the Bible and not cherry-pick a few pieces to make others feel inferior. Second, that scripture does all these things “so that everyone who belongs to God may be proficient, equipped for every good work”. We are all called to engage with scripture, to ask questions of it, to learn from it, and to discuss it together. Scripture isn’t meant to build some up at the expense of others, but to give us what we need as we love and serve others. It’s not just for our personal development – it’s so all can flourish.
As you consider your favorite verses and how God speaks to you through them, I hope you’ll also consider how these verses call you to serve God and your neighbor faithfully and with compassion.
Pray.
God, your word speaks to me through scripture. Teach me, direct me, and encourage me for the sake of your gospel at work in the world. May I love and serve with compassion to your glory. Amen.
Carry On.
2 Timothy says scripture helps us be equipped for every good work. What does your favorite verse call you to do this week? What’s one thing you can do to serve God and your neighbor, in accordance with that verse?