{"author":null,"canonical_references":[],"database_sha256":"8cfbe7284c6936871d57c02dc6aa63ebbdfd4722422d539dd9f716e46e91112e","date_end":null,"date_start":null,"edition_year":null,"id":"sermonindex-ecf-2400","native_reference":{"book_number":620,"chapter_from":3,"chapter_to":3,"system":"MyBible module coordinates (mapping unverified)","verse_from":16,"verse_to":16},"public_import_allowed":false,"record_kind":"verse-keyed-module-record","review_required":["English edition and exact text","author/work attribution","dating","verse mapping and citation kind","reuse and attribution","split author quotations and deduplicate"],"review_status":"unreviewed","source_html":"<p><b>Aphrahat the Persian Sage</b>: For if the days of a man should be as many as all the days of the world from Adam to the end of the ages and he should sit and meditate upon the holy Scriptures, he would not comprehend all the force of the depth of the words. And man cannot rise up to the wisdom of God.<br/><i>— DEMONSTRATIONS 22.26</i></p><p><b>Augustine of Hippo</b>: The Scriptures are holy, they are truthful, they are blameless.… So we have no grounds at all for blaming Scripture if we happen to deviate in any way, because we haven't understood it. When we do understand it, we are right. But when we are wrong because we haven't understood it, we leave it in the right. When we have gone wrong, we don't make out Scripture to be wrong, but it continues to stand up straight and right, so that we may return to it for correction.<br/><i>— SERMONS 23.3</i></p><p><b>Desert Fathers</b>: The hermits used to say, 'God demands this of Christians: to obey the inspired Scriptures, which contain the pattern of what they must say and do, and agree with the teaching of the orthodox bishops and teachers.'<br/><i>— The Desert Fathers, Sayings of the Early Christian Monks</i></p><p><b>Gregory of Nyssa</b>: The Scripture, \"given by inspiration of God,\" as the Apostle calls it, is the Scripture of the Holy Spirit, and its intention is the profit of men. For \"every scripture,\" he says, \"is given by inspiration of God and is profitable\"; and the profit is varied and multiform, as the Apostle says—\"for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.\" Such a boon as this, however, is not within any man's reach to lay hold of, but the Divine intention lies hid under the body of the Scripture, as it were under a veil, some legislative enactment or some historical narrative being cast over the truths that are contemplated by the mind. For this reason, then, the Apostle tells us that those who look upon the body of the Scripture have \"a veil upon their heart,\" and are not able to look upon the glory of the spiritual law, being hindered by the veil that has been cast over the face of the law-giver.<br/><i>— Against Eunomius 7</i></p><p><b>John Chrysostom</b>: \"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, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.\" All what Scripture? all that sacred writing, he means, of which I was speaking. This is said of what he was discoursing of; about which he said, \"From a child thou hast known the holy Scriptures.\" All such, then, \"is given by inspiration of God\"; therefore, he means, do not doubt; and it is \"profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.\" \"For doctrine.\" For thence we shall know, whether we ought to learn or to be ignorant of anything. And thence we may disprove what is false, thence we may be corrected and brought to a right mind, may be comforted and consoled, and if anything is deficient, we may have it added to us. \"That the man of God may be perfect.\" For this is the exhortation of the Scripture given, that the man of God may be rendered perfect by it; without this therefore he cannot be perfect. Thou hast the Scriptures, he says, in place of me. If thou wouldest learn anything, thou mayest learn it from them. And if he thus wrote to Timothy, who was filled with the Spirit, how much more to us! \"Thoroughly furnished unto all good works\"; not merely taking part in them, he means, but \"thoroughly furnished.\"<br/><i>— Homily on 2 Timothy 9</i></p><p><b>John Damascene</b>: To search the sacred Scripture is very good and most profitable for the soul. For, \"like a tree which is planted near the running waters,\" so does the soul watered by sacred Scripture also grow hearty and bear fruit in due season. This is the orthodox faith. It is adorned with its evergreen leaves, with actions pleasing to God.<br/><i>— The Orthodox Faith 4.17</i></p><p><b>Oecumenius</b>: All Scripture is God-breathed and profitable for teaching, for criticism, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.</p><p>All Scripture is God-breathed [θεόπνευστος] and profitable. Having spoken many ways of comfort, Paul now speaks of the greatest, that which comes from the reading of the Scriptures. For he is about to say something sad, namely about his own death. But if Timothy must read, how much more must we?</p><p>for teaching. Since good things teach both lessons and actions.</p><p>for criticism. Concerning the refutation of falsehoods.</p><p>for correction. To correct the brothers.</p><p>for training in righteousness. For the training and leading into righteousness. For from these things, Paul says, something perfect [ἄρτιον] comes to be. A perfect person is one who is always equal, neither leaning downwards with a saddened spirit nor rising and swelling in prosperity, but always remains the same in unequal circumstances.</p><p>equipped for every good work. Not merely participating but being equipped and complete.<br/><i>— COMMENTARY ON 2 TIMOTHY</i></p><p><b>Tertullian</b>: But since Enoch in the same Scripture has preached likewise concerning the Lord, nothing at all must be rejected by us which pertains to us; and we read that \"every Scripture suitable for edification is divinely inspired. By the Jews it may now seem to have been rejected for that (very) reason, just like all the other (portions) nearly which tell of Christ.<br/><i>— On the Apparel of Women Book I</i></p><p><b>Theodore of Mopsuestia</b>: The usefulness of Scripture lies in its detailing of what one ought to do, either to convict sinners or to clarify what correction is necessary for penitents or to teach what can bring persons to righteousness.<br/><i>— COMMENTARY ON 2 TIMOTHY</i></p>","source_html_sha256":"c19a5b71f75c534f926ba2f639027f1dcb55ec04123bf8cc46c819c305b40cb5","source_module":"ECF","source_row_id":2400,"source_url":"https://www.sermonindex.net/commentary/ecf/","text_sha256":"90c5344e831b9c6883fce6895c74f23f4a881a1fdd04de1878bef23f2405fd32","translator":null,"work":null}