In 2 Timothy 3:16-17, Paul teaches,
All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.
What many today don’t recognize is Paul isn’t talking about the New Testament. He is talking about the Old. The New Testament didn’t exist when Paul was writing this letter, and wouldn’t exist for another 200+ years give or take. Therefore, it is clear that he is talking about the Old Testament.
I made a post about this right before we pulled out of our old house in Sullivan, Illinois to go on this wonderful adventure across the country to Exeter, California. We let our kids chalk the sidewalk one last time, and I attribute this post to my son, Lucas, because it was his artwork and description that inspired it. He drew three Bible stories.
The first one was of Noah’s Ark, the second was the story of the Fiery Furnace, and the third was the Crucifixion of Jesus.
I asked him about the multi colors on the crosses and he told me, “Jesus is the right answer. The criminal that gave his life to Him is green, and the other is read because he didn’t give his life to Him.”
He then went on to explain to me how the other images show us this. “Jesus saved Noah and his family from the flood because Noah trusted in him. He also saved Shadrach, Meshach, and Bennie for their trust in Him as well.”
All scripture is indeed God-breathed and indeed good for all the things Paul explained in 2 Timothy 3:16-17, but also to point us to Jesus. The whole of the Bible, its history, its proverbs, its poetry all points us to Jesus. Over and over again it shows us, why Jesus? I have heard Christians dismiss the importance of the Old Testament many times in my life and ministry, but we would be fools to do so. If we would truly do this and live only reading a small portion of God’s Word we may very well truly miss who Jesus really is.
Remember Paul didn’t have the New Testament when he spoke these words,
All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.
Meaning there is something very important about the Old Testament, and we shouldn’t be quick to dismiss it.