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 perfect throughly furnished unto all good works. 2 Tim. 3: 16 & 17

The King James Bible is an extraordinary book to say the very least. There is no book like it. I have heard many speak about inspiration. Artists will speak about how they were inspired by something in of this world to make something allegedly remarkable. But that is not how God inspired the writing of the Scriptures. The Scriptures have no origin in the things of this world but rather they are heavenly. They speak of God's thoughts and God's ways and not the thoughts and ways of men. Man would never be moved to write anything like the Scriptures. God moved men to write the Scriptures. They are written by God and for man with a particular usefulness to the man of God.

All Scripture is profitable for doctrine.  There is an advantage to having the Scriptures. One can profit from the wisdom and experiences contained within them. The scriptures are for the edification the building up of God's people here in this world. One may profit from the Scriptures in many ways. It is written that they are profitable for doctrine. The old Church is known for holding up the doctrine. But that doctrine belongs not to the member's of the Lord's Church but is His that builds His Church. God's doctrine is first mentioned and described as dropping like the rain (Deut. 32:2). This old world is a very sinful place and doesn't deserve to be watered or caused to bring forth any natural life. Often rain comes without man desiring it and often comes when man doesn't want it. What a dry and arid land this world would be without rain. What a horrible world this would be without the graciousness of God. His doctrine still descends as the rain and His speech shall distill as the dew. And what does His doctrine and His speech publish? It publishes the name of the Lord, and it ascribes greatness unto God. It speaks of a people that are blessed to say that God is our God. Why does the rain drop and the dew distill? It is because of grace. Why does any creature know the name of the Lord and know that God is great and has Himself a people? It is because of the good graciousness of God! Sometimes He pours His doctrine down to man. Sometimes He drops it gradually and often. The world is a far better place because we have God's teaching.

The Scriptures are profitable for teaching and for reproof. They had their origins in heaven and descended from the Father of Lights with whom is no variableness neither shadow of turning. Man lives in a time that is constantly subject to change. There is one thing that never changes and that is the word of God. Often in this world that which was not allowable yesterday is permissible today. That is not the case with the Scriptures, with the inerrant word of God. Children of God are to have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness but rather reprove them (see Eph. 5:11). How shall these unfruitful works be reproved without the inerrant standard of the Scriptures? Our Lord asked those that erred time and time the same question and that question was, Have ye not read ?(see Matt. 12:3, 5; Matt.19: 4; Matt. 22:31; Mark 12:10, 26)

The scriptures are profitable for teaching (doctrine) and reproof and for correction. How indicting the Scriptures are to a child of God. What a terror it would be if Scriptures only told us what we should not do, without telling us what we should do. It is good to know that God doesn't sanction lying and stealing nor murdering nor adultery.  But God tell us that we ought to love the Lord our God with all our heart and mind and soul and strength and love our neighbors as ourselves. Correction encourages us, informing us how we ought live and move and have our being. The Scriptures give us instruction in righteousness. God is righteous and the Scriptures have examples of God's people deviating from that which pleases God. How shall one read Jonah and desire to disobey as Jonah disobeyed God? How could one read of Lot and his wife and long to look back to the world from which they were delivered and not recall the fact that Lot's wife was fixed in time as a pillar of salt? How can one disobey God's instruction to flee for your life and escape to the mountain lest thou be consumed when they consider what happened to Lot when he failed to obey God?  Perhaps some believe that God has no mountain in this world today. Perhaps they believe that exhortation was for Lot only and not to all God's obedient children. Is there no mountain of the Lord's house where all nations flow today? Didn't The Lord tell His obedient children to seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness? Is there no such Kingdom today where God teaches us His ways and we shall walk in His paths (see Isaiah 2:2)?  Having the Scriptures and obeying them are so often two different things. If one wants instruction in righteousness, if one wants to see what is acceptable with God one should confirm everything with the Scriptures. If it doesn't harmonize with the Scriptures then that instruction is unacceptable to God and will lead to ungodliness.

The Scriptures were given so that the man of God may not have to be tossed and turned by every wind of doctrine. The Scriptures are complete and will not leave one whom is diligently searching for the truth, wanting. They are here for God's children's benefit while they live here below. Everything, that one need know, about how to live godly is contained in the Bible. But God must give one the desire to diligently seek Him. God is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him. That reward is in this world. 

There is no writing like the Scriptures. So many unnamed people fill the texts of the Bible. If man wrote these words out of his own imagination we would know the blind man's name in John chapter 9. If Man had his way we would know the woman at the well in John Chapter 4. Man glorifies man. But God has His way and we don't know those names. Those two vessels of mercy were blessed to know the name of their Saviour because He came unto them as He does all His children. The Scriptures glorify Jesus Christ. If it seems strange that there are so many unnamed people in the Scriptures, it wouldn't be wrong to insert your own name there. 9/11/05 Elder M. Hoogasian