The Powerful Word

Read

2 Timothy 3:16-17 "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."

Think

Recent data reveals a surprising statistic: merely 20 percent of the surveyed population believes that the Bible is the literal Word of God. This number has halved since 1980, and even among self-identified Christ followers, belief in the Bible as God's Word is held by only 40 percent. More and more people are viewing the Bible as simply a collection of fables, legends, history, and moral precepts recorded by man.

However, for believers in Christ, believing in the Bible as God's inspired Word is critical to how we live our lives. "All Scripture is God-breathed," proclaims 2 Timothy 3:16. Just as God breathed life into Adam (Genesis 2:7) and spoke the heavens into existence (Psalm 33:6), so did he breathe life and truth into his Word.

There is a term called "verbal plenary inspiration." This is not only a difficult phrase to say, but it describes the concept of God directly guiding human authors to produce the Bible. The words in Scripture are not merely man’s ideas, they are God’s truth. We must remember the intention behind this inspiration as outlined in today’s verse. It is for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness. The goal of reading God’s Word is not to gain intellectual superiority, but to equip us for good works and to reveal God's nature to us. The Bible is God's love letter to us, and when we study the Bible, the Bible will study us, revealing areas in our lives that need refinement to make us more like Christ!

Apply

Consider your view of the Bible. Do you see it as God's literal Word or more like a collection of fables and moral lessons? Reflect on why you hold this belief. If you have questions, take time to find answers. Spend time this week actively seeking God's wisdom through his Word. Use it to guide your decisions, actions, and interactions with others.

Pray

Lord, thank you for your Word, which guides and corrects me, training me in righteousness. Help me to approach it not simply as a text but as your divinely inspired message. As I continue to read and seek you, transform and equip me for every good work. In Jesus' name. Amen.