Monday, June 16, 2025

“The Scripture that Trains for Righteousness” (2 Tim. 3:16e)

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 6/16/2025 9:45 AM

 

My Worship Time                                      Focus:  “The Scripture that Trains for Righteousness”

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                 Reference:  2 Timothy 3:16e

 

            Message of the verse:  “for training in righteousness”

 

            The word training translates paideia, and this had the original meaning of bringing up in the training of a child (paidion), but it came to be used of any sort of training.  It was also rendered “correcting” in 2 Timothy 2:25) and also as “discipline’ in Eph. 6:4; Heb. 12:5, 7, 11.  Now in the context of verses 16-17, it clearly refers to training in the broader and probably more positive sense, since the negatives are covered by reproof.  It is directed at the ideas of instruction and building up.  Now until the Lord takes us to be with Himself, His Word is to continue to be used “for training in righteousness.”

 

            John MacArthur writes “As with teaching, reproof, and correction, godly believers—especially leaders in the church—are instruments through which Scripture provides training for God’s people.  After reminding Timothy that ‘everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected, if it is received with gratitude; for it is sanctified by means of the word of God and prayer’ (1 Tim. 4:4-5), Paul assured him that ‘in pointing out these things to the brethren, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, constantly nourished on the words of the faith and of the sound doctrine which you have been following’ (v. 6, emphasis added).”

 

            Now let us look at 1 Peter 1:23-35 to show us that he gives similar counsel to believers:  23 For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.24 For, "All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, 25 but the word of the Lord stands for ever." And this is the word that was preached to you” (NIV).

 

            MacArthur concludes this section by writing “And just as milk nourishes a baby in ways it does not understand, so God’s Word nourishes us in ways we often do not understand.  No matter how deep our understanding of Scripture may be, we still should be able to affirm with the psalmist, ‘As the deer pants for the water brooks, so my soul pants for Thee, O God’ (Ps. 42:1).  We should rejoice with Paul that ‘we all, with unveiled face beholding as I a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit’ (2 Cor. 3:18).”

 

            I have one more section to look over which comes from the 17th verse of 2 Timothy 3, and then will begin looking at the fourth chapter of the last book that Paul wrote, 2 Timothy.  It seems that when I am studying the last books that the authors of Scripture write that they have a great importance to them as mostly the author is about to leave this earth bound for heaven soon after they finish their last books (letters).

 

Spiritual Meaning for my Life Today:  This fairly long study of these two very important verses in the Word of God has been profitable for my life and I am thankful for the helps I get from MacArthur’s commentaries.

 

My Steps of Faith for Today:  I trust the Lord to bring revival to my heart so that I can be able to humbly serve Him each and every day.

 

6/16/2025 10:17 AM

 

           

 

           

 

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