2 TIMOTHY 3:16-17 : Proof For Sola Scriptura?
By Bro. Nathan
" All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work." (2 Tim. 3:16-17) NKJV
Sa ating recent article sa ating Sola Scriptura series ay diniscuss natin ang about sa Sola Scriptura at nagbigay ng introduction regarding the particular na doctrine. in this part ay ididiscuss natin ang mga common na prooftextes na ginagamit ng protestants in support of Sola Scriptura at ngayon ay ipapaliwanag natin ang verses in order to have a much more clearer understanding of those verses. idiscuss natin first ang 2 Tim. 3:16-17 at tingnan natin kung may sinasabi ba ito about sa formal sufficiency. but first, alamin muna natin kung ano ba ang formal sufficiency at ang difference nito sa material sufficiency. Catholic scholar and apologist Robert Sugensis wrote :
[T]here is a difference between material and formal sufficiency? Simply put, it is the difference between a big enough pile of bricks to build a house and having a house made of bricks. Material sufficiency means that all the bricks necessary to build doctrine is there in Scripture. However, it also teaches that since the meaning of Scripture is not always clear and that sometimes a doctrine is implied rather than explicit, other things besides Scripture have been handed to us from the apostles: things like Sacred Tradition (which is the mortar that holds the bricks together in the right order and position) and the Magisterium or teaching authority of the Church (which is the trowel in the hand of the Master Builder). Taken together, these three things--Sacred Scripture, Sacred Tradition, and the Magisterium--are formally sufficient for knowing the revealed truth of God.
In contrast, those who hold to Bible-only revelation hold the notion that Scripture alone is formally sufficient and therefore does not need Sacred Tradition or the Magisterium to elucidate its meaning. The idea of the formal sufficiency of Scripture has been asserted in various ways, but all the attempts to do so depend on a confusion. Typically, there is the persistent idea [despite the overwhelming biblical problems with sola scriptura] that the "word of God" refers simply and solely to Scripture. Thus, in argument after argument, those who hold to the formal sufficiency of Scripture warn darkly that setting Scripture in the context of Sacred Tradition will inevitably put Scripture under the Church. The fear, in fact, is that to admit the revelatory nature of Sacred Tradition will necessarily subjugate Scripture to merely human agendas. For despite the biblical evidence that Tradition can sometimes be authoritative revelation, there remains the lingering notion that, when all is said and done. Scripture alone is the basis of the Church in the same way, for example the Constitution of the basis of the United States of America. In short, the foundation of the Church is the word and the word is the Bible. Any appeal to Tradition is therefore seen as an attempt to move the House of God off its foundations. (Mark Shea, "What is the Relationship Between Scripture and Tradition" in Robert A. Sungenis, ed. Not By Scripture Alone: A Catholic Critique of the Protestant Doctrine of Sola Scriptura [2d ed.; Catholic Apologetics International Publishing, 2013], 155-91, here, pp. 165-66; comment in square bracket added for clarification)
To further understand kung paano nagkakaiba ang dalawa, let's boil it down together sa isang simpleng analogy :
Formal Sufficiency : Mayroon akong kumpletong natayong bahay
Material Sufficiency : Mayroon sakin ang lahat ng materials para makapagtayo ng isang bahay.
And now tingnan natin kung consistent ba ang ginagamit ng Protestant groups na proof text for formal sufficiency. first the greek reads :
πᾶσα γραφὴ θεόπνευστος καὶ ὠφέλιμος πρὸς διδασκαλίαν, πρὸς ἐλεγμόν, πρὸς ἐπανόρθωσιν, πρὸς παιδείαν τὴν ἐν δικαιοσύνῃ, ἵνα ἄρτιος ᾖ ὁ τοῦ θεοῦ ἄνθρωπος, πρὸς πᾶν ἔργον ἀγαθὸν ἐξηρτισμένος. (NA28)
1. Ang verse na ito doesnt tell us anything about suffciency but about ito sa qualities ng scriptures. sa verse ay ginamit ni Apostle Paul ang greek word na ωφελιμος (ōphelimos) at ang word na ito in the context na iaapply ito sa scriptures—tells us na ang scriptures ay mapapakinabangan (profitable) at useful for teaching. ang greek word na ωφελιμος does not show na sapat na ang isang bagay kundi pinapakita nito ang qualities ng isang bagay. kung winiwish ni Paul na ang scriptures ay sufficient sa kanyang epistles, may mga greek words na nagpapakita ng concept ng formal sufficiency kagaya ng αυταρκεια (autarkeia) na ginagamit sa context ng "sapat na" kagaya sa 1 Tim. 6:6 na sinasabi : " But godliness with contentment is great gain [αυταρκεια]." (1 Tim. 6:6) or even ang greek word na ικανος (ikanos) which is used in the same way kagaya ng sa 2 Tim. 2:2 which reads : " And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able (ικανος) to teach others also. " (2 Tim. 2:2). ang ωφελιμος ay always used in the context ng something na mapapakinabangan kagaya ng sinasabi sa Exegetical Dictionary Of The Greek New Testament which defines the word as the following :
ωφελιμος ophelimos useful, advantageous.
This noun occurs 4 times in the NT, all in parenetic contexts in the Pastorals. According to 1 Tim 4:8 (bis) “bodily training is useful only for some things, while godliness is of value in every way” (πρὸς ὀλίγον ἐστὶν ὠφέλιμος . . .προς παντα ωφελιμος) . . .The context suggests that the idea of “training, physical fitness” is to be appropriated for the realm of piety, alluding to the ascetic goals of the adversaries in vv. 1ff . . . 2 Tim 3:16: πασα γραφη . . . και ωφελιμος προς διδασκαλιαν . . .”useful/profitable for teaching . . .” Titus 3:8: “good deeds” (καλα εργα) are expected of Church members, since they are καλα και ωφελιμα τοις ανθρωποις, “good and profitable for people.” (Exegetical Dictionary of the New Testament, eds. Horst Balz and Gerhard Schneider [Grand Rapids, Michigan : Eerdmans, 1993])
2. Sinasabi sa v. 15 ng 2 Tim. 3 na "and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus." (v. 15 NKJV) na kung saan ay nirerecall ni Apostle Paul ang childhood ni Timothy sa kanyang pagbabasa ng Septugaint or ang Greek Translation ng Old Testament—na kung saan ang scriptures na ito ang available sa 1st Century church ay wala pa sa kanila ang books na nacocontain sa Bible canon natin ngayon. nirecall ito ni Paul para i-pointout kay Timothy ang pagiging profitable nito sa kanilang pagtuturo. thus sa v. 16 says so.
3. Ang equiped na "man of God" sa v. 17 does not say na sapat na ang scriptures for teaching. ang ilang Protestant groups say na sinasabi ng verse na ito na ang Scriptures ang tanging kailangan ng man of God para mangaral. but again, statement na it ay merely eisegetical. dito ay ginamit ni Paul ang greek word na ἄρτιος (artios) at ἐξαρτίζω (exartizo). ang ἄρτιος means " to being well fitted for some function, complete, capable, proficient=able to meet all demands 2 Ti 3:17" at ang ἐξαρτίζω naman means "to bring someth. to an end, finish, complete" or in the context ng 2 Tim. 3:17—"to make ready for service, equip, furnish" (BDAG : A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature). ang mga ito can also mean "altogether"o kaya fully" dahil sa sentence structure nito sa context. so in context ay sinasabi ni Paul kung ano ang man na kanyang ine-expect at then pinapaliwanag ang bunga ng capability ng person na yaon.
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