2 Timothy 3:16-17 (Patristic Commentary)

2 Timothy 3:16-17 (from the Vatican website): All scripture is inspired by God [θεόπνευστος] and is useful for teaching, for refutation, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that one who belongs to God may be competent, equipped for every [πᾶν] good work. (New American Bible.)

Note: For an in-depth discussion of the term θεόπνευστος see: Benjamin Breckinridge Warfield, The Inspiration and Authority of the Bible, ed. Samuel G. Craig, [Philadelphia: The Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Company, 1970], pp. 245-296.

Clement of Alexandria (c. 150-215 A.D.): 

“Thou, O Timothy,” he says, “from a child hast known the holy letters, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation, through faith that is in Christ Jesus.” For truly holy are those letters that sanctify and deify; and the writings or volumes that consist of those holy letters and syllables, the same apostle consequently calls “inspired of God, being profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished to every good work.” No one will be so impressed by the exhortations of any of the saints, as he is by the words of the Lord Himself, the lover of man.

(Clement of Alexandria, Exhortation to the Heathen, 9; trans. ANF, 2:196.) See also: ccel.org.

Basil, Bishop of Caesarea (c. 329-379 A.D.): 

All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful, composed by the Spirit for this reason, namely, that we men, each and all of us, as if in a general hospital for souls, may select the remedy for his own condition. For, it says, ‘care will make the greatest sin to cease.’ Now, the prophets teach one thing, historians another, the law something else, and the form of advice found in the proverbs something different still. But, the Book of Psalms has taken over what is profitable from all. It foretells coming events; it recalls history; it frames laws for life; it suggests what must be done; and, in general, it is the common treasury of good doctrine, carefully finding what is suitable for each one. The old wounds of souls it cures completely, and to the recently wounded it brings speedy improvements; the diseased it treats and the unharmed it preserves. On the whole, it effaces, as far as is possible, the passions, which subtly exercise dominion over souls during the lifetime of man, and it does this with a certain orderly persuasion and sweetness which produces sound thoughts.

(Basil of Caesarea, Homily 10.1 (On Psalm 1 — “A Psalm on the Lot of the Just Man”); trans. FC, 46:151-152.)

Athanasius, Patriarch of Alexandria (c. 296/8-373 A.D.):

Hence meditation on the law is necessary, my beloved, and uninterrupted converse with virtue, ‘that the saint may lack nothing, but be perfect to every good work.’ For by these things is the promise of eternal life, as Paul wrote to Timothy, calling constant meditation exercise, and saying, ‘Exercise thyself unto godliness; for bodily exercise profiteth little; but godliness is profitable for all things, since it has the promise of the present life, and of that which is eternal.’

(Athanasius of Alexandria, Festal Letters, 11.7 (For 339. Coss. Constantius Augustus II, Constans I; Præfect, Philagrius the Cappadocian, for the second time; Indict. xii; Easter-day xvii Kal. Mai, xx Pharmuthi; Æra Dioclet. 55.); trans. NPNF2, 4:535.) See also: ccel.org.

John Chrysostom, Archbishop of Constantinople (c. 349-407 A.D.): 

For this reason he writes: “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.” All what Scripture? all that sacred writing, he means, of which I was speaking. This is said of what he was discoursing of; about which he said, “From a child thou hast known the holy Scriptures.” All such, then, “is given by inspiration of God”; therefore, he means, do not doubt; and it is “profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.”

     “For doctrine.” For thence we shall know, whether we ought to learn or to be ignorant of anything. And thence we may disprove what is false, thence we may be corrected and brought to a right mind, may be comforted and consoled, and if anything is deficient, we may have it added to us.

     “That the man of God may be perfect.” For this is the exhortation of the Scripture given, that the man of God may be rendered perfect by it; without this therefore he cannot be perfect. Thou hast the Scriptures, he says, in place of me. If thou wouldest learn anything, thou mayest learn it from them. And if he thus wrote to Timothy, who was filled with the Spirit, how much more to us!

     “Thoroughly furnished unto all good works”; not merely taking part in them, he means, but “thoroughly furnished.”

(John Chrysostom, Homilies on 2 Timothy, Hom. 9 (on 2 Timothy 3:16-17); trans. NPNF1, 13:509-510.) See also: ccel.org. 

Theodoret, Bishop of Cyrrhus (c. 393-466 A.D.):

And the fact that from a child you have known the sacred writings, which are capable of instructing you for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus (v. 15). And since he had borne further witness to the extent of the power in the sacred writings, he emphasizes as well the benefit stemming from them. All Scripture is divinely-inspired and of benefit (v.16). Making a distinction, he sets the writings apart from the works of human wisdom, referring to the spiritual Scripture as divinely-inspired: the grace of the divine Spirit spoke through the inspired authors of Old and New Testaments. It follows that the Holy Spirit is God if the Spirit’s Scripture is, as the apostle says, divinely-inspired. He brings out the kinds of benefit. For teaching: what we did not know we learned from there. For censure: it censures our lawless life. For correction: it urges the backsliders to return to the straight and narrow. For training in righteousness: it drills us in the forms of virtue. So that whoever belongs to God may be well prepared, equipped for every good work (v.17). All these virtues bring about perfection and relate us to the God of all. Having thus brought out the benefit of the divinely-inspired Scripture, he bids him make it available to everyone, and instills dread by his adjuration. I adjure you, therefore, in the presence of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, who is due to judge living and dead: in view of his coming and kingdom, preach the word (4:1-2).

(Theodoret of Cyrrhus, Commentary on 2 Timothy, on 2 Timothy 3:15-4:2; trans. Theodoret of Cyrus, Commentary on the Letters of St. Paul: Volume Two, trans. Robert Charles Hill, [Brookline: Holy Cross Orthodox Press, 2001], pp. 245-246.) Preview. 

Cyril, Patriarch of Alexandria (c. 376-444 A.D.): 

Sufficient, sufficient for this [i.e. for obtaining a knowledge of the faith] are the Scriptures of the holy Fathers, [i.e., as the words following show, the inspired writers] which if any one would diligently study and vigilantly attend to, he would immediately have his mind filled with divine light. For, they did not speak of themselves, but ‘all Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable.’ [Ἅλις γάρ, ἅλις αἱ τῶν ἁγίων Πατέρων εἰς τοῦτο συγγραφαί, αἷς εἴπερ τις ἕλοιτο νουνεχῶς ὁμιλεῖν καὶ ἐγρηγορότως προσφέρεσθαι, φωτὸς ἂν τοῦ θείου τὸν οἰκεῖον εὐθὺς ἀναμεστώσειε νοῦν. Ἦσαν γὰρ οὐκ αὐτοὶ λαλοῦντες ἐν αὐτοῖς· «Πᾶσα δὲ Γραφὴ θεόπνευστος καὶ ὠφέλιμος.»]

(S. Cyrilli Alexandrini Archiep., De SS. Trinitate: Dialogus I; PG, 75:665; trans. William Goode, The Divine Rule of Faith and Practice: In Three Volumes: Vol. III: Second Edition, Revised and Enlarged, [London: John Henry Jackson, 1853], pp. 281-282.)

Cf. Cyril, Patriarch of Alexandria (c. 376-444 A.D.):

     B. And which of these originates faith?

     A. The sacred Scripture, God–breathed Scripture clearly, and being accurate has united with God his Spirit. [Β. Καὶ τίς ἂν γένοιτο τούτων ἡ πίστις; Α. Τὸ Γράμμα τὸ ἱερόν, ἡ θεόπνευστος Γραφὴ σαφῶς καὶ ἠκριβωμένως ἑνοῦσα Θεῷ τὸ Πνεῦμα αὐτοῦ…]

(S. Cyrilli Alexandrini Archiep., De SS. Trinitate: Dialogus VII; PG, 75:1092; trans. Holy Scripture: The Ground and Pillar of Our Faith, Volume III: The Writings of the Church Fathers Affirming the Reformation Principle of Sola Scriptura, eds. David T. King, William Webster, [Battle Ground: Christian Resources, Inc., 2001], p. 124.)

καὶ αὐτός ἐστιν πρὸ πάντων καὶ τὰ πάντα ἐν αὐτῷ συνέστηκεν ~ Soli Deo Gloria