God & Savior

2 Timothy 3:16-17

16All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for instruction, for conviction, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17so that the man of God may be complete, fully equipped for every good work.
2 Timothy 3:16-17
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Study notes

Verse 16

All Scripture is God-breathed and useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,

Explanation

Paul reminds Timothy that from childhood he has known the holy Scriptures, which can make him wise for salvation (3:15). Here Paul says where Scripture comes from and what it is for. The sentence continues in verse 17.

Theology

"God-breathed" describes Scripture as coming from God Himself. This verse is central to Christian teaching on the inspiration and authority of the Bible.

Original language
  • γραφὴ (graphē): a writing
    Greek · Noun, nominative, singular, feminine · Strong's G1124 · text: NA28 (as recorded in TAGNT)

    Scripture, writing.

    Source: STEP Bible (Tyndale House, Cambridge), TAGNT: Translators Amalgamated Greek New Testament, STEPBible-Data commit ed476a8, 2 Timothy 3:16, word 2

  • θεόπνευστος (theopneustos): God-breathed
    Greek · Adjective, nominative, singular, feminine · Strong's G2315 · text: NA28 (as recorded in TAGNT)

    God-breathed, inspired by God.

    Source: STEP Bible (Tyndale House, Cambridge), TAGNT: Translators Amalgamated Greek New Testament, STEPBible-Data commit ed476a8, 2 Timothy 3:16, word 3

  • ὠφέλιμος (ōphelimos): valuable
    Greek · Adjective, nominative, singular, feminine · Strong's G5624 · text: NA28 (as recorded in TAGNT)

    Useful, profitable.

    Source: STEP Bible (Tyndale House, Cambridge), TAGNT: Translators Amalgamated Greek New Testament, STEPBible-Data commit ed476a8, 2 Timothy 3:16, word 5

  • διδασκαλίαν (didaskalian): teaching
    Greek · Noun, accusative, singular, feminine · Strong's G1319 · text: NA28 (as recorded in TAGNT)

    Teaching.

    Source: STEP Bible (Tyndale House, Cambridge), TAGNT: Translators Amalgamated Greek New Testament, STEPBible-Data commit ed476a8, 2 Timothy 3:16, word 7

  • ἐλεγμόν (elegmon): rebuke
    Greek · Noun, accusative, singular, masculine · Strong's G6031 · text: NA28 (as recorded in TAGNT)

    Rebuking, showing what is wrong.

    Source: STEP Bible (Tyndale House, Cambridge), TAGNT: Translators Amalgamated Greek New Testament, STEPBible-Data commit ed476a8, 2 Timothy 3:16, word 9

  • ἐπανόρθωσιν (epanorthōsin): correcting
    Greek · Noun, accusative, singular, feminine · Strong's G1882 · text: NA28 (as recorded in TAGNT)

    Correcting, setting right.

    Source: STEP Bible (Tyndale House, Cambridge), TAGNT: Translators Amalgamated Greek New Testament, STEPBible-Data commit ed476a8, 2 Timothy 3:16, word 11

  • παιδείαν (paideian): discipline
    Greek · Noun, accusative, singular, feminine · Strong's G3809 · text: NA28 (as recorded in TAGNT)

    Training.

    Source: STEP Bible (Tyndale House, Cambridge), TAGNT: Translators Amalgamated Greek New Testament, STEPBible-Data commit ed476a8, 2 Timothy 3:16, word 13

  • δικαιοσύνῃ (dikaiosunē): righteousness
    Greek · Noun, dative, singular, feminine · Strong's G1343 · text: NA28 (as recorded in TAGNT)

    Righteousness.

    Source: STEP Bible (Tyndale House, Cambridge), TAGNT: Translators Amalgamated Greek New Testament, STEPBible-Data commit ed476a8, 2 Timothy 3:16, word 16

Cross-references
  • 2 Timothy 3:15 · Surrounding passage

    The holy Scriptures can make you wise for salvation.

  • 2 Peter 1:21 · Same theme

    Men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

  • Romans 15:4 · Same theme

    Written for our instruction.

Sources

Verse 17

so that the man of God may be complete, fully equipped for every good work.

Explanation

This finishes the sentence of verse 16. The purpose of Scripture is practical: to prepare God's servant for every good work.

Original language
  • ἄρτιος (artios): competent
    Greek · Adjective, nominative, singular, masculine · Strong's G0739 · text: NA28 (as recorded in TAGNT)

    Complete, capable.

    Source: STEP Bible (Tyndale House, Cambridge), TAGNT: Translators Amalgamated Greek New Testament, STEPBible-Data commit ed476a8, 2 Timothy 3:17, word 2

  • ἄνθρωπος (anthrōpos): a human
    Greek · Noun, nominative, singular, masculine · Strong's G0444 · text: NA28 (as recorded in TAGNT)

    Man.

    Source: STEP Bible (Tyndale House, Cambridge), TAGNT: Translators Amalgamated Greek New Testament, STEPBible-Data commit ed476a8, 2 Timothy 3:17, word 7

  • ἔργον (ergon): work
    Greek · Noun, accusative, singular, neuter · Strong's G2041 · text: NA28 (as recorded in TAGNT)

    Work.

    Source: STEP Bible (Tyndale House, Cambridge), TAGNT: Translators Amalgamated Greek New Testament, STEPBible-Data commit ed476a8, 2 Timothy 3:17, word 10

  • ἀγαθὸν (agathon): good-doer
    Greek · Adjective, accusative, singular, neuter · Strong's G0018 · text: NA28 (as recorded in TAGNT)

    Good.

    Source: STEP Bible (Tyndale House, Cambridge), TAGNT: Translators Amalgamated Greek New Testament, STEPBible-Data commit ed476a8, 2 Timothy 3:17, word 11

  • ἐξηρτισμένος (exērtismenos): to finish/furnish
    Greek · Verb, perfect, passive, participle, nominative, singular, masculine · Strong's G1822 · text: NA28 (as recorded in TAGNT)

    Fully equipped.

    Source: STEP Bible (Tyndale House, Cambridge), TAGNT: Translators Amalgamated Greek New Testament, STEPBible-Data commit ed476a8, 2 Timothy 3:17, word 12

Cross-references
  • 2 Timothy 3:16 · Surrounding passage

    All Scripture is God-breathed.

  • Ephesians 2:10 · Same theme

    Created in Christ Jesus for good works.

  • Hebrews 13:21 · Same theme

    Equip you with everything good to do His will.

Sources

Original language and places

Reference data from open datasets, shown as published by their sources. Word-by-word English is a literal guide, not a translation.

Verse 16

Original language (Greek)

Πᾶσα γραφὴ θεόπνευστος καὶ ὠφέλιμος πρὸς διδασκαλίαν, πρὸς ἐλεγμόν, πρὸς ἐπανόρθωσιν, πρὸς παιδείαν τὴν ἐν δικαιοσύνῃ,

  1. ΠᾶσαPasa“Every”
    Adjective, nominative, singular, feminine · from πᾶς · “all” · Strong's G3956
  2. γραφὴgraphē“Scripture [is]”
    Noun, nominative, singular, feminine · from γραφή · “a writing” · Strong's G1124
  3. θεόπνευστοςtheopneustos“God-breathed”
    Adjective, nominative, singular, feminine · “God-breathed” · Strong's G2315
  4. καὶkai“and”
    Conjunction · from καί · “and” · Strong's G2532
  5. ὠφέλιμοςōphelimos“profitable”
    Adjective, nominative, singular, feminine · “valuable” · Strong's G5624
  6. πρὸςpros“for”
    Preposition · from πρός · “to/with” · Strong's G4314
  7. διδασκαλίαν,didaskalian“instruction,”
    Noun, accusative, singular, feminine · from διδασκαλία · “teaching” · Strong's G1319
  8. πρὸςpros“for”
    Preposition · from πρός · “to/with” · Strong's G4314
  9. ἐλεγμόν,elegmon“conviction,”
    Noun, accusative, singular, masculine · from ἐλεγμός · “rebuke” · Strong's G6031
  10. πρὸςpros“for”
    Preposition · from πρός · “to/with” · Strong's G4314
  11. ἐπανόρθωσιν,epanorthōsin“correction,”
    Noun, accusative, singular, feminine · from ἐπανόρθωσις · “correcting” · Strong's G1882
  12. πρὸςpros“[and] for”
    Preposition · from πρός · “to/with” · Strong's G4314
  13. παιδείανpaideian“training”
    Noun, accusative, singular, feminine · from παιδεία · “discipline” · Strong's G3809
  14. τὴνtēn“<the>”
    Article, accusative, singular, feminine · from ὁ · “the/this/who” · Strong's G3588
  15. ἐνen“in”
    Preposition · “in/on/among” · Strong's G1722
  16. δικαιοσύνῃ,dikaiosunē“righteousness,”
    Noun, dative, singular, feminine · from δικαιοσύνη · “righteousness” · Strong's G1343

Verse 17

Original language (Greek)

ἵνα ἄρτιος ᾖ ὁ τοῦ θεοῦ ἄνθρωπος, πρὸς πᾶν ἔργον ἀγαθὸν ἐξηρτισμένος.

  1. ἵναina“so that”
    Conjunction · “in order that/to” · Strong's G2443
  2. ἄρτιοςartios“complete”
    Adjective, nominative, singular, masculine · “competent” · Strong's G0739
  3. ᾖē“may be”
    Verb, present, active, subjunctive, 3rd person singular · from εἰμί · “to be” · Strong's G1510
  4. ὁho“the”
    Article, nominative, singular, masculine · “the/this/who” · Strong's G3588
  5. τοῦtou“<the>”
    Article, genitive, singular, masculine · from ὁ · “the/this/who” · Strong's G3588
  6. θεοῦtheou“of God”
    Noun, genitive, singular, masculine · from θεός · “God” · Strong's G2316
  7. ἄνθρωπος,anthrōpos“man,”
    Noun, nominative, singular, masculine · from ἄνθρωπος · “a human” · Strong's G0444
  8. πρὸςpros“toward”
    Preposition · from πρός · “to/with” · Strong's G4314
  9. πᾶνpan“every”
    Adjective, accusative, singular, neuter · from πᾶς · “all” · Strong's G3956
  10. ἔργονergon“work”
    Noun, accusative, singular, neuter · “work” · Strong's G2041
  11. ἀγαθὸνagathon“good”
    Adjective, accusative, singular, neuter · from ἀγαθός · “good-doer” · Strong's G0018
  12. ἐξηρτισμένος.exērtismenos“fully equipped.”
    Verb, perfect, passive, participle, nominative, singular, masculine · from ἐξαρτίζω · “to finish/furnish” · Strong's G1822
  • Prepared by the God & Savior team. Not yet reviewed by an editor.
  • Greek words: STEP Bible (STEPBible.org), based on work at Tyndale House, Cambridge. CC BY 4.0. Source (version ed476a8)