Utumishi Blog

Question: What does 2 Timothy 3:15-17 say is the purpose of Scripture? How many aims of Scripture are given in this passage? Are there five or two or basically one?

That might sound like a bit of an obscure academic question but it came up recently at a training conference and it’s actually very important. It boils down to: are we wrong to say that the key purpose of every Old Testament story and song is to lead us to Christ Jesus and an ever-increasing trust in him for salvation? Are we being naïve and simplistic and missing all the other ways we can legitimately use the Scriptures – to teach moral principles, to rebuke immorality, to give people hope in their circumstances, to train people in useful strategies for overcoming problems and making the most of their lives?

I want to argue that there is only really one purpose of Scripture given in 2 Timothy 3:15-17: to make us wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus (cf similarly John 5:39-40). All the other uses of Scripture are fit within this as different aspects of this one aim.

The key purpose is stated unambiguously in verse 15. The sacred writings (the Old Testament here) are able/powerful to make you wise for salvation in Christ alone by faith alone. Such a statement cannot be made about any other writings or philosophies. Before moving on it’s worth dwelling on the awesomely wonderful thing this is – to have a book which leads to salvation. Some might be impatient with this as a goal, wanting to find self-help tips or a moral compass or specific guidance or a manifesto for social transformation. But for those who have a right view of eternity, and heaven and hell, and our depravity and lostness and the greatness of Jesus, then this is a wonderful verse.

I am a creature of a day, passing through life as an arrow through the air. I am a spirit come from God, and returning to God: just hovering over the great gulf; till, a few moments hence, I am no more seen; I drop into an unchangeable eternity! I want to know one thing,—the way to heaven; how to land safe on that happy shore. God himself has condescended to teach me the way. For this very end He came from heaven. He hath written it down in a book. O give me that book! At any price, give me the book of God! I have it: here is knowledge enough for me. Let me be homo unius libri [a man of one book] …. I read His book; for this end, to find the way to heaven. (John Wesley, Preface to Sermons)

Then we move on to verses 16 and 17 and the first thing to note is the word ‘profitable’. When Paul uses this word elsewhere (e.g. Titus 3:10; 1 Tim. 4:8) it usually has to do with the profitableness of preaching of the gospel of grace. And he always means eternal profit – not life tips to help me now but what will profit for eternity. There may also be an echo of Jesus’ famous words “what does it profit…” which also have to do with eternity in contrast to this world.

We then move on to what could be four more aims, but perhaps it would be better to see these are just more specific applications or uses of the main statement about Scripture being able to make you wise for salvation. Each one starts (unlike the wording of v15) with a “for”. It’s worth looking carefully at the precise vocabulary here:

1. “For teaching/doctrine” – When Paul writes to Titus he uses this word to mean “the doctrine of God our Saviour” (2:10) quite apart from (but essential grounds for) the specific ethical implications. The sound doctrine is all about the grace of God appearing in Jesus, God saving us apart from works (2:11-14; 3:4-7). Another interesting place is Romans 15:1-7. Here Paul gives a worked example of how the OT is for our ‘teaching’ (same word). In this passage he reads Psalm 69 as a Psalm about Christ’s sufferings and draws the practical lessons for us who have been welcomed by this Christ. In this way the OT was “written for our teaching… that through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope” (Rom. 15:4) – i.e. they are for teaching us Christ, encouraging us in him, teaching us to live a Christ-shaped life, a life of hope, longing for him.
2. “For reproof” – The noun form is very rare in the NT but its root is ‘proof’ and the verb form means to expose or convict. So it is not simply rebuke (reproof and rebuke are distinguished a few verses later – 2 Tim. 4:2); it is proving wrong on the basis of evidence. It could be in relation either to wrong living (e.g. 1 Tim. 5:19-20) or, as in Titus 1:9 and v13, in relation to wrong teaching. And there in Titus it is by holding to sound doctrine that one will be able to reprove the false teachers (1:9). Again in Titus 2:15, ‘reproof’ is in the light of the gospel of grace and designed to bring people back to this gospel (2:11-14).
3. “For correction” – The exact word is unique in the NT but its root is ‘to make straight’, also used at Titus 1:5: “For this reason I left you in Crete, in order that you should straighten further the things that are wanting.” And how is Titus to straighten things out? By appointing faithful elder-teachers and by himself reproving false teaching while declaring and insisting on the gospel (1:13; 2:15; 3:8).
4. “For instructing/training in righteousness” – There is a very close parallel to this phrase in Titus 2:12 where it is grace (in the sense of the historic saving work of Christ) which ‘teaches’ (same word as that translated ‘instruct’ or ‘train’ in 2 Tim. 3:17) us to live ‘righteously’ (again same root word as in 2 Tim. 3:17).

Beyond word studies it’s interesting to note the ways Paul himself, in his letters, uses the Scriptures to teach, reprove, correct and train.

• The letter to the Romans could very largely be described as ‘teaching’ or ‘doctrine’. When Paul uses the OT Scriptures there (esp. in ch. 4; 8-11; 15) it is to teach about the unrighteousness of man, justification by faith in Christ, suffering in Christ, and the great plan of salvation history centred on Christ. And this is to Christians who already know these things (Rom. 15:14-15).
• Galatians could be basically described as ‘reproof’ – a stern indictment of the church that they have deserted the gospel – and there Paul uses the OT extensively, to preach justification by faith in Christ who became a curse for us, to show how Promise is more basic to the OT than Law.
• 1 Corinthians is basically ‘correction’ – they haven’t denied the gospel to the extent of the Galatians but the gospel is assumed and so there are piles of problems to be straightened out. And how does Paul straighten them? By applying the gospel of Jesus as found in the OT Scriptures – the wisdom of God (cf. 1-2), the Passover Lamb (ch. 5), the Rock in the desert (ch. 10), the sin-bearing death and new creation resurrection of Christ (ch. 15).
• Philippians could be described as a ‘training in righteousness’ letter and notice again how does Paul use the OT there? Most clearly at Phil. 2:10-11 where he stunningly shows that something said in Isaiah of the LORD was about the crucified and risen Jesus and so, in the light of that reality, we should have the same humility as the God-man our saviour and Lord.

To sum up – 2 Timothy 3:15-17 is not giving us 5 aims of Scripture but one purpose – to preach the gospel to us. Paul states that purpose in v15 then goes on to give four aspects of gospel preaching.

So please, please, please, may we hear lots and lots of Jesus-centred gospel preaching from Exodus, from Ruth, from Samuel, from Kings, from the Psalms…