All Scripture really is God-breathed
“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Tim 3:16-17).
Most conservative Christians accept the teaching that all of Scripture is inspired by God and the ensuing implication that the Bible is inerrant and infallible. But these same Christians frequently don’t uphold the implication that the entire Bible is thus coherent, that is, that it all fits together. Let me explain.
Some believers recognize that Scripture is composed of many different literary genres and covers a large and varied period of history. These observations are accurate. Because of these realities, they carefully look at the literary genre and period of history in which each book and chapter of the Bible occurs and seek to interpret accordingly. This is good.
Often, however, believers stop at this point, develop their application from their study and are satisfied that they have studied Scripture well. In doing this, they — often unwittingly — piecemeal the Bible into individual sections that have little to nothing to do with each other. They thus treat the doctrine of inspiration as equaling “Scripture is inerrant” and don’t include the idea that all of Scripture coherently fits together as God’s plan for the universe revealed to men.
Immediate, epochal and canonical contexts[1]
When people do the work of exegesis described above, they are examining the immediate context of a passage.[2] This is a good, necessary and large portion of exegesis. But it does not equal exegesis. To fully exegete and interpret a text you must also consider its epochal and canonical contexts.
- Epochal context
An epoch is a season or time period. Looking at a passage’s epochal context simply means asking: “Where does this passage fall in the unfolding story of God’s plan?” How you answer this question affects how you interpret a passage. The largest epochs in Scripture and pre and post incarnation of Christ. Does a passage look ahead the coming of God’s Messiah? Or does it look back on this event, come in light of this event and look ahead to His second coming?
- Canonical context
Examining a passage’s canonical context means asking: “What is the meaning of the text in light of the whole canon of Scripture?” This question is critical and is the most often neglected question in Scripture interpretation. My entire <!– /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:”"; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:”Times New Roman”; mso-fareast-font-family:”Times New Roman”;} a:link, span.MsoHyperlink {color:blue; text-decoration:underline; text-underline:single;} a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed {color:purple; text-decoration:underline; text-underline:single;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} –> previous post is built on the value of answering this question in Scripture interpretation.
If we don’t know what a passage means in light of all of Scripture, specifically in light of God’s plan of redemption in Christ, we cannot rightly interpret or apply any of Scripture.
In summary, we must think of Scripture as a patchwork quilt, not as several quilts piled on top of each other. Viewing Scripture as a patchwork quilt aligns with the idea that all Scripture is God-breathed. It upholds the idea of the coherence of all of Scripture as a part of the doctrine of inspiration.
Apply the Bible like a Christian, not a Pharisee
Part of interpreting Scripture in light of the whole canon and in light of Christ in particular (Luke 24) is applying the text in light of these realities. This is what I did in my first post on Numbers 12. When it comes to application we must always be asking two questions:
- What does this text mean in light of Christ?
- How does this text apply to me in light of Christ?
What a believer is doing in Scripture application is seeking to grow in Christlikeness. You are not trying to grow in morality apart from Christ. This is what the Pharisees tried to do and Paul blasted the Galatian believers for trying to do this (Gal 3:1-5). Instead, Scripture application is seeking to walk in the Spirit (Gal 5:16). It deals with putting off the flesh and putting on Christ (Rom 13:14).
Because of the reality of the fall and sinful men, Scripture application must either flow through Christ or be an act of self-reliance. There is no other option. God has revealed Christ as His Messiah and said salvation is found in no one other than Christ (Acts 4:12). John 15 teaches that unless we abide in Christ we will not bear fruit and that apart from Christ we can do nothing.
Every passage of Scripture should reveal to us and remind us of our shortcomings before God. We are not perfectly righteous. We do not always walk not in the counsel of the wicked, or stand not in the way of sinners or sit not in the seat of scoffers (Ps 1). We have all transgressed at least one part of the law, and are thus guilty of it all (Js 2:10).
Every passage of Scripture should also thus point us to the sufficiency of Christ. Every passage should remind us that we are justified through faith in Christ as His righteousness is credited to our account (Rom 4). And every passage asking believers to do something, should remind us that it is in full reliance upon Christ that we can respond with obedience. We must fix our eyes on Christ and run with perseverance the race marked out for us (Heb 12:1-3).
Deuteronomy 28
The example of Deuteronomy 28 will illustrate my point. Verses 1-14 of Deut. 28 teach that if you keep God’s commands, you will be blessed. In contrast, verses 15-68 say if you do not keep all of God’s law, you will be cursed.
When interpreting and preaching this passage, you could urge people to obey God’s commands. You could remind them that all who do not keep God’s commands will be cursed, while all those who keep the law will be blessed. And you would be right to exhort in this way. But you would be wrong to assume that your hearers fall in the category of blessed and to lead them to think the same.
Instead, you must illustrate to them that they are cursed and explain way. You must tell them that they are among the cursed because they have not perfectly kept God’s law. Like Israel, they have transgressed God’s law, are under God’s wrath and deserve to be cursed. Then, and only then, can you show them the truth that Christ became a curse for sinners by dying on a cross (Gal 3:10-14) and that who believe in Him are no longer cursed. Then, and only then, can you offer them a message of hope. This hope is based on Christ’s work, not man’s work.
Interpreting the Bible in this way takes the pre-incarnation epoch of Christ into account, as well as the whole canon and storyline of Scripture. Interpreting the Bible in this way reads the text in light of Christ (Luke 24). Finally, interpreting the Bible in this way upholds the idea that all of Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
[1]For more on these categories, see Dr. Stephen Wellum’s article “Scripture’s story centers on Christ” in the Spring 2008 issue of the TIE, the Southern Seminary magazine.
[2]Included in examining the immediate context of a passage would be looking at other books the same author, as well as the historical background of a text. This would particularly be important when preaching a message on a particular passage or when launching a sermon series in a certain book.