the Week of Proper 22 / Ordinary 27
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Read the Bible
2 Timothy 3:15
Bible Study Resources
Concordances:
- Nave'sDictionaries:
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- InternationalDevotionals:
- DailyContextual Overview
Bible Verse Review
from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
from: 2 Timothy 1:5, 1 Samuel 2:18, 2 Chronicles 34:3, Psalms 71:17, Proverbs 8:17, Proverbs 22:6, Ecclesiastes 12:1, Luke 1:15, Luke 2:40
the holy: Daniel 10:21, Matthew 22:29, Luke 24:27, Luke 24:32, Luke 24:45, Acts 17:2, Romans 1:2, Romans 16:26, 1 Corinthians 15:3, 1 Corinthians 15:4, 2 Peter 1:20, 2 Peter 1:21, 2 Peter 3:16
which: Psalms 19:7, John 5:39, John 5:40, Acts 10:43, Acts 13:29, Acts 13:38, Acts 13:39, 1 Peter 1:10-12, 1 John 5:11, 1 John 5:12, Revelation 19:10
Reciprocal: Genesis 18:19 - command Exodus 35:29 - the Lord Numbers 3:15 - General Deuteronomy 4:6 - this is your Deuteronomy 17:19 - General Deuteronomy 31:12 - men 1 Samuel 1:28 - he worshipped 1 Kings 18:12 - from my youth Psalms 34:11 - Come Psalms 49:3 - mouth Psalms 71:5 - my trust Psalms 111:10 - a good understanding Psalms 119:9 - by taking Psalms 119:24 - my counsellors Psalms 119:99 - for thy Psalms 119:130 - it giveth Psalms 147:19 - showeth Proverbs 1:2 - General Proverbs 2:7 - layeth Proverbs 4:4 - He Proverbs 14:8 - wisdom Proverbs 18:15 - General Proverbs 22:20 - General Proverbs 28:26 - but Proverbs 31:1 - his Proverbs 31:28 - children Song of Solomon 8:2 - who Isaiah 8:20 - the law Jeremiah 8:9 - lo Daniel 9:2 - understood Matthew 19:15 - General Matthew 20:2 - he sent Mark 10:14 - Suffer Mark 12:24 - Do Luke 11:36 - the whole Luke 16:29 - have John 15:16 - that your John 20:30 - General Acts 8:28 - and sitting Acts 16:1 - which Acts 16:2 - was Acts 17:11 - and searched Romans 2:18 - being instructed Romans 3:2 - because Romans 16:19 - yet 1 Corinthians 1:30 - wisdom Galatians 3:8 - the scripture Ephesians 1:13 - the gospel Ephesians 6:4 - but Colossians 2:3 - In whom Colossians 3:16 - the word 2 Thessalonians 2:13 - belief 1 Timothy 5:10 - if she have brought 2 Timothy 1:3 - whom 2 Timothy 3:14 - knowing James 1:21 - which 1 Peter 1:5 - through
Cross-References
Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden'?"
Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden'?"
Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which Yahweh God had made. And he said to the woman, "Indeed, has God said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden'?"
Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, "Indeed, has God said, 'You shall not eat from any tree of the garden'?"
And the serpent was suttiller then euery beast of the fielde which ye lord God hadde made, and he sayde vnto the woman: yea, hath God saide, ye shall not eate of euery tree of the garden?
The snake was the most clever of all the wild animals that the Lord God had made. The snake spoke to the woman and said, "Woman, did God really tell you that you must not eat from any tree in the garden?"
Now the serpent was more subtle than any other wild creature that the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God say, 'You shall not eat of any tree of the garden'?"
But and the serpent was feller than alle lyuynge beestis of erthe, whiche the Lord God hadde maad. Which serpent seide to the womman, Why comaundide God to you, that ye schulden not ete of ech tre of paradis?
Now the serpent was more subtill then any beast of the field, which the LORD God had made, and he said vnto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of euery tree of the garden?
Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?
Gill's Notes on the Bible
And that from a child thou hast known the holy Scriptures,.... And therefore must know that the doctrines he had learned were agreeable to them; and so is another reason why he should continue in them. The Jews very early learned their children the holy Scripture. Philo the Jew says w, εκ πρωτης ηλικιας "from their very infancy"; a phrase pretty much the same with this here used. It is a maxim with the Jews x, that when a child was five years of age, it was proper to teach him the Scriptures. Timothy's mother being a Jewess, trained him up early in the knowledge of these writings, with which he became very conversant, and under divine influence and assistance, arrived to a large understanding of them; and it is a practice that highly becomes Christian parents; it is one part of the nurture and admonition of the Lord they should bring up their children in: the wise man's advice in
Proverbs 22:6 is very good. From hence the apostle takes occasion to enter into a commendation of the sacred writings; and here, from the nature and character of them, calls them the
holy Scriptures; to distinguish them from profane writings; and that because the author of them is the Holy Spirit of God; and even the amanuenses of him, and the penmen of them, were holy men of God; the matter of them is holy, both law and Gospel; and the end of writing them is to promote holiness; the precepts, promises, and doctrines contained in them are calculated for that purpose; and even the account they give of the sins and failings of others, are for the admonition of men: and next these Scriptures are commended from the efficacy of them:
which are able to make thee wise unto salvation. Men are not wise of themselves; they are naturally without an understanding of spiritual things; and the things of the Spirit of God cannot be known by natural men, because they are spiritually discerned; particularly they are not wise in the business of salvation, of which either they are insensible themselves, and negligent; or foolishly build their hopes of it upon their civility, morality, legal righteousness, or an outward profession of religion: but the Scriptures are able to make men wise and knowing in this respect; for the Gospel is one part of the Scriptures, which is the Gospel of salvation, and shows unto men the way of salvation. The Scriptures testify largely of Christ, the Saviour; and give an ample account both of him, who is the able, willing, suitable, complete, and only Saviour, and of the salvation which is wrought by him; and describe the persons who do, and shall enjoy it: not that the bare reading of the Scriptures, or the hearing of them expounded, are able to make men wise in this way; but these, when accompanied with the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Christ, are; when he who endited the Scriptures removes the veil from their eyes, opens their understandings, and gives them light and knowledge in them: and then may persons be said to be wise unto salvation, when they not only have a scheme of it in their heads, but are in their hearts sensible of their need of it, and know that there is salvation in no other but in Christ; and when they look to him for it, to his righteousness for justification, to his blood for peace, pardon, and cleansing, to his sacrifice for atonement, and to his fulness of grace for a continual supply, and to him for eternal life and glory; when they rejoice in him and his salvation, and give him all the glory of it: the apostle adds,
through faith which is in Christ Jesus: wisdom to salvation lies not in the knowledge of the law the Jew boasted of; nor in the works of it, at least not in a trust and confidence in them for salvation; for by them there is no justification before God, nor acceptance with him, nor salvation: but true wisdom to salvation lies in faith, which is a spiritual knowledge of Christ, and a holy confidence in him; and that salvation which the Scriptures make men wise unto, is received and enjoyed through that faith, which has Christ for its author and object; which comes from him, and centres in him, and is a looking to him for eternal life.
w De Legat. ad Caium, p. 1022. x Pirke Abot, c. 5. sect. 21.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible
And that from a child thou hast known the holy Scriptures - That is, the Old Testament; for the New Testament was not then written; see the notes at John 5:39. The mother of Timothy was a pious Hebrewess, and regarded it as one of the duties of her religion to train her son in the careful knowledge of the word of God. This was regarded by the Hebrews as an important duty of religion, and there is reason to believe that it was commonly faithfully performed. The Jewish writings abound with lessons on this subject. Rabbi Judah says, “The boy of five years of age ought to apply to the study of the sacred Scriptures.” Rabbi Solomon, on Deuteronomy 11:19, says, “When the boy begins to talk, his father ought to converse with him in the sacred language, and to teach him the law; if he does not do that, he seems to bury him.” See numerous instances referred to in Wetstein, in loc. The expression used by Paul - “from a child” (ἀπὸ βρέφους apo brephous) - does not make it certain at precisely what age Timothy was first instructed in the Scriptures, though it would denote an “early” age. The word used - βρέφος brephos - denotes:
(1)A babe unborn, Luke 1:41, Luke 1:44;
(2)An infant, babe, suckling.
In the New Testament, it is rendered “babe and babes,” Luke 1:41, Luke 1:44; Luke 2:12, Luk 2:16; 1 Peter 2:2; “infants,” Luke 8:15; and “young children,” Acts 7:19. It does not elsewhere occur, and its current use would make it probable that Timothy had been taught the Scriptures as soon as he was capable of learning anything. Dr. Doddridge correctly renders it here “from infancy.” It may be remarked then,
(1) That it is proper to teach the Bible to children at as early a period of life as possible.
(2) That there is reason to hope that such instruction will not be forgotten, but will have a salutary influence on their future lives. The piety of Timothy is traced by the apostle to the fact that he had been early taught to read the Scriptures, and a great proportion of those who are in the church have been early made acquainted with the Bible.
(3) It is proper to teach the “Old” Testament to children - since this was all that Timothy had, and this was made the means of his salvation.
(4) We may see the utility of Sunday schools. The great, and almost the sole object of such schools is to teach the Bible, and from the view which Paul had of the advantage to Timothy of having been early made acquainted with the Bible, there can be no doubt that if Sunday-schools had then been in existence, he would have been their hearty patron and friend.
Which are able to make thee wise unto salvation - So to instruct you in the way of salvation, that you may find the path to life. Hence, learn:
(1) That the plan of salvation may be learned from the Old Testament. It is not as clearly revealed there as it is in the New, but “it is there;” and if a man had only the Old Testament, he might find the way to be saved. The Jew, then, has no excuse if he is not saved.
(2) The Scriptures have “power.” They are “able to make one wise to salvation.” They are not a cold, tame, dead thing. There is no book that has so much “power” as the Bible; none that is so efficient in moving the hearts, and consciences, and intellects of mankind. There is no book that has moved so many minds; none that has produced so deep and permanent effects on the world.
(3) To find the way of salvation, is the best kind of wisdom; and none are wise who do not make that the great object of life.
Through faith which is in Christ Jesus; - see the Mark 16:16 note; Romans 1:17 note. Paul knew of no salvation, except through the Lord Jesus. He says, therefore, that the study of the Scriptures, valuable as they were, would not save the soul unless there was faith in the Redeemer; and it is implied, also, that the proper effect of a careful study of the “Old” Testament, would be to lead one to put his trust in the Messiah.
Clarke's Notes on the Bible
Verse 15. From a child thou hast known the Holy Scriptures — The early religious education of Timothy has been already sufficiently noticed; see 2 Timothy 1:5, and the preface to the first epistle. St. Paul introduces this circumstance again here for the confirmation of Timothy's faith. He had learned the doctrines of Christianity from a genuine apostle; and, as Christianity is founded on the law and the prophets, Timothy was able to compare its doctrines with all that had been typified and predicted, and consequently was assured that the Christian religion was true.
Able to make thee wise unto salvation — The apostle is here evidently speaking of the Jewish Scriptures; and he tells us that they are able to make us wise unto salvation provided we have faith in Jesus Christ. This is the simple use of the Old Testament. No soul of man can be made wise unto salvation by it, but as he refers all to Christ Jesus. The Jews are unsaved though they know these Scriptures, because they believe not in Christ; for Christ is the end of the law for the justification of all that believe.
