2 Tim 3:16-17 is perhaps the key text Protestant apologists cite in favour of sola scriptura (see here and here for a refutation of the claim that Paul taught sola scriptura in this passage). Often, Protestants simply assume that “the man of God” is any Christian. However, the term “man of God” is much more specific, meaning an individual specifically set apart by God (be it a prophet, apostle, or an appointed ecclesiastical leader).
The Old Testament instances of the locution, "man of God," reveals this to be the case (see below). The importance of ecclesiology, not just the Bible, is therefore part of 2 Tim 3:16-17, as Paul was writing specifically to the bishop of Ephesus, Timothy, and other "men of God" of equal eminence, as seen in 1 Tim 6:11 and 2 Tim 3:14, which read respectively:
But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.
But as for you, continue in what you have learned and firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it.
While often prone to much exegetical errors, Catholic apologist, Dave Armstrong is correct when he writes the following:
If we go even deeper into the passage and reflect on the terms used, the case is strengthened all the more. For example, "profitable for teaching" (2 Tim 3:16). Does this make more sense as describing the Bible, or rather, a teacher (the "man of God") who is teaching from the Bible with authority? If we search "teach" or "taught" or "instructed" or any similar terms in the Bible, we are hard pressed to find them ever applied to a mere book. In every instance I have found so far, it is always applied as a description of a man or God teaching (at times using the Bible as an aid). Examples:
God Teaching Moses
Exodus 4:12, 15 Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak. . . . [15] And you shall speak to him and put the words in his mouth; and I will be with your mouth and with his mouth, and will teach you what you shall do.
Deuteronomy 5:31 But you, stand here by me, and I will tell you all the commandment and the statutes and the ordinances which you shall teach them, that they may do them in the land which I give them to possess.
Moses
Exodus 18:20 and you shall teach them the statutes and the decisions, and make them know the way in which they must walk and what they must do.
Deuteronomy 4:1 And now, O Israel, give heed to the statutes and the ordinances which I teach you, and do them; that you may live, and go in and take possession of the land which the LORD, the God of your fathers, gives you.
Deuteronomy 4:14 And the LORD commanded me at that time to teach you statutes and ordinances, that you might do them in the land which you are going over to possess.
Deuteronomy 6:1 Now this is the commandment, the statutes and the ordinances which the LORD your God commanded me to teach you, that you may do them in the land to which you are going over, to possess it;
Aaron
Leviticus 10:11 and you are to teach the people of Israel all the statutes which the LORD has spoken to them by Moses.
If we go even deeper into the passage and reflect on the terms used, the case is strengthened all the more. For example, "profitable for teaching" (2 Tim 3:16). Does this make more sense as describing the Bible, or rather, a teacher (the "man of God") who is teaching from the Bible with authority? If we search "teach" or "taught" or "instructed" or any similar terms in the Bible, we are hard pressed to find them ever applied to a mere book. In every instance I have found so far, it is always applied as a description of a man or God teaching (at times using the Bible as an aid). Examples:
God Teaching Moses
Exodus 4:12, 15 Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak. . . . [15] And you shall speak to him and put the words in his mouth; and I will be with your mouth and with his mouth, and will teach you what you shall do.
Deuteronomy 5:31 But you, stand here by me, and I will tell you all the commandment and the statutes and the ordinances which you shall teach them, that they may do them in the land which I give them to possess.
Moses
Exodus 18:20 and you shall teach them the statutes and the decisions, and make them know the way in which they must walk and what they must do.
Deuteronomy 4:1 And now, O Israel, give heed to the statutes and the ordinances which I teach you, and do them; that you may live, and go in and take possession of the land which the LORD, the God of your fathers, gives you.
Deuteronomy 4:14 And the LORD commanded me at that time to teach you statutes and ordinances, that you might do them in the land which you are going over to possess.
Deuteronomy 6:1 Now this is the commandment, the statutes and the ordinances which the LORD your God commanded me to teach you, that you may do them in the land to which you are going over, to possess it;
Aaron
Leviticus 10:11 and you are to teach the people of Israel all the statutes which the LORD has spoken to them by Moses.
The Levites
Deuteronomy 33:10 They shall teach Jacob thy ordinances, and Israel thy law; . . .
Ezra
Ezra 7:10 For Ezra had set his heart to study the law of the LORD, and to do it, and to teach his statutes and ordinances in Israel.
Parents Teaching Children
Deuteronomy 6:7 and you shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. (cf. 11:19)
Eleven Disciples
Matthew 28:20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you . . .
Paul and Barnabas
Acts 15:35 But Paul and Barnabas remained in Antioch, teaching and preaching the word of the Lord, with many others also.
Paul
Acts 20:20 how I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you in public and from house to house,
Timothy
1 Timothy 4:13 Till I come, attend to the public reading of scripture, to preaching, to teaching.(cf. 4:11, 16)
Elders
1 Timothy 5:17 Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching;
I can't find a single example of "the Bible taught" or some sense of teaching directly from the Bible, in Scripture itself. If anyone finds this, please let me know. Here are all the instances of "teach" in the Bible, and "taught", and "instruct[ed]", and "learn[ed]".
When I search "word / teaches" to find some connection, I come up with nothing. When I search ""taught / word" I don't get passages referring to learning directly from the Bible; rather, I find passages (again) about people teaching the Word:
Deuteronomy 33:10 They shall teach Jacob thy ordinances, and Israel thy law; . . .
Ezra
Ezra 7:10 For Ezra had set his heart to study the law of the LORD, and to do it, and to teach his statutes and ordinances in Israel.
Parents Teaching Children
Deuteronomy 6:7 and you shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. (cf. 11:19)
Eleven Disciples
Matthew 28:20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you . . .
Paul and Barnabas
Acts 15:35 But Paul and Barnabas remained in Antioch, teaching and preaching the word of the Lord, with many others also.
Paul
Acts 20:20 how I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you in public and from house to house,
Timothy
1 Timothy 4:13 Till I come, attend to the public reading of scripture, to preaching, to teaching.(cf. 4:11, 16)
Elders
1 Timothy 5:17 Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching;
I can't find a single example of "the Bible taught" or some sense of teaching directly from the Bible, in Scripture itself. If anyone finds this, please let me know. Here are all the instances of "teach" in the Bible, and "taught", and "instruct[ed]", and "learn[ed]".
The following are all the instances in the KJV OT of the locution “man of God,” something that is important for any meaningful exegesis of 2 Tim 3:16-17:
KJV Deut. 33:1 And this is the blessing, wherewith Moses the man of god blessed the children of Israel before his death.
KJV Jos. 14:6 Then the children of Judah came unto Joshua in Gilgal: and Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenezite said unto him, Thou knowest the thing that the LORD said unto Moses the man of god concerning me and thee in Kadeshbarnea.
KJV Jdg. 13:6 Then the woman came and told her husband, saying, A man of god came unto me, and his countenance was like the countenance of an angel of God, very terrible: but I asked him not whence he was, neither told he me his name:
KJV Jdg. 13:8 Then Manoah intreated the LORD, and said, O my Lord, let the man of god which thou didst send come again unto us, and teach us what we shall do unto the child that shall be born.
KJV 1 Sam. 2:27 And there came a man of god unto Eli, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Did I plainly appear unto the house of thy father, when they were in Egypt in Pharaoh's house?
KJV 1 Sam. 9:6 And he said unto him, Behold now, there is in this city a man of god, and he is an honourable man; all that he saith cometh surely to pass: now let us go thither; peradventure he can shew us our way that we should go.
KJV 1 Sam. 9:7 Then said Saul to his servant, But, behold, if we go, what shall we bring the man? for the bread is spent in our vessels, and there is not a present to bring to the man of god: what have we?
KJV 1 Sam. 9:8 And the servant answered Saul again, and said, Behold, I have here at hand the fourth part of a shekel of silver: that will I give to the man of god, to tell us our way.
KJV 1 Sam. 9:10 Then said Saul to his servant, Well said; come, let us go. So they went unto the city where the man of god was.
KJV 1 Ki. 12:22 But the word of God came unto Shemaiah the man of god, saying,
KJV 1 Ki. 13:1 And, behold, there came a man of god out of Judah by the word of the LORD unto Bethel: and Jeroboam stood by the altar to burn incense.
KJV 1 Ki. 13:4 And it came to pass, when king Jeroboam heard the saying of the man of god, which had cried against the altar in Bethel, that he put forth his hand from the altar, saying, Lay hold on him. And his hand, which he put forth against him, dried up, so that he could not pull it in again to him.
KJV 1 Ki. 13:5 The altar also was rent, and the ashes poured out from the altar, according to the sign which the man of god had given by the word of the LORD.
KJV 1 Ki. 13:6 And the king answered and said unto the man of god, Intreat now the face of the LORD thy God, and pray for me, that my hand may be restored me again. And the man of god besought the LORD, and the king's hand was restored him again, and became as it was before.
KJV 1 Ki. 13:7 And the king said unto the man of god, Come home with me, and refresh thyself, and I will give thee a reward.
KJV 1 Ki. 13:8 And the man of god said unto the king, If thou wilt give me half thine house, I will not go in with thee, neither will I eat bread nor drink water in this place:
KJV 1 Ki. 13:11 Now there dwelt an old prophet in Bethel; and his sons came and told him all the works that the man of god had done that day in Bethel: the words which he had spoken unto the king, them they told also to their father.
KJV 1 Ki. 13:12 And their father said unto them, What way went he? For his sons had seen what way the man of god went, which came from Judah.
KJV 1 Ki. 13:14 And went after the man of god, and found him sitting under an oak: and he said unto him, Art thou the man of god that camest from Judah? And he said, I am.
KJV 1 Ki. 13:21 And he cried unto the man of god that came from Judah, saying, Thus saith the LORD, Forasmuch as thou hast disobeyed the mouth of the LORD, and hast not kept the commandment which the LORD thy God commanded thee,
KJV 1 Ki. 13:26 And when the prophet that brought him back from the way heard thereof, he said, It is the man of god, who was disobedient unto the word of the LORD: therefore the LORD hath delivered him unto the lion, which hath torn him, and slain him, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake unto him.
KJV 1 Ki. 13:29 And the prophet took up the carcase of the man of god, and laid it upon the ass, and brought it back: and the old prophet came to the city, to mourn and to bury him.
KJV 1 Ki. 13:31 And it came to pass, after he had buried him, that he spake to his sons, saying, When I am dead, then bury me in the sepulchre wherein the man of god is buried; lay my bones beside his bones:
KJV 1 Ki. 17:18 And she said unto Elijah, What have I to do with thee, O thou man of god? art thou come unto me to call my sin to remembrance, and to slay my son?
KJV 1 Ki. 17:24 And the woman said to Elijah, Now by this I know that thou art a man of god, and that the word of the LORD in thy mouth is truth.
KJV 1 Ki. 20:28 And there came a man of god, and spake unto the king of Israel, and said, Thus saith the LORD, Because the Syrians have said, The LORD is God of the hills, but he is not God of the valleys, therefore will I deliver all this great multitude into thine hand, and ye shall know that I am the LORD.
KJV 2 Ki. 1:9 Then the king sent unto him a captain of fifty with his fifty. And he went up to him: and, behold, he sat on the top of an hill. And he spake unto him, Thou man of god, the king hath said, Come down.
KJV 2 Ki. 1:10 And Elijah answered and said to the captain of fifty, If I be a man of god, then let fire come down from heaven, and consume thee and thy fifty. And there came down fire from heaven, and consumed him and his fifty.
KJV 2 Ki. 1:11 Again also he sent unto him another captain of fifty with his fifty. And he answered and said unto him, O man of god, thus hath the king said, Come down quickly.
KJV 2 Ki. 1:12 And Elijah answered and said unto them, If I be a man of god, let fire come down from heaven, and consume thee and thy fifty. And the fire of God came down from heaven, and consumed him and his fifty.
KJV 2 Ki. 1:13 And he sent again a captain of the third fifty with his fifty. And the third captain of fifty went up, and came and fell on his knees before Elijah, and besought him, and said unto him, O man of god, I pray thee, let my life, and the life of these fifty thy servants, be precious in thy sight.
KJV 2 Ki. 4:7 Then she came and told the man of god. And he said, Go, sell the oil, and pay thy debt, and live thou and thy children of the rest.
KJV 2 Ki. 4:9 And she said unto her husband, Behold now, I perceive that this is an holy man of god, which passeth by us continually.
KJV 2 Ki. 4:16 And he said, About this season, according to the time of life, thou shalt embrace a son. And she said, Nay, my lord, thou man of god, do not lie unto thine handmaid.
KJV 2 Ki. 4:21 And she went up, and laid him on the bed of the man of god, and shut the door upon him, and went out.
KJV 2 Ki. 4:22 And she called unto her husband, and said, Send me, I pray thee, one of the young men, and one of the asses, that I may run to the man of god, and come again.
KJV 2 Ki. 4:25 So she went and came unto the man of god to mount Carmel. And it came to pass, when the man of god saw her afar off, that he said to Gehazi his servant, Behold, yonder is that Shunammite:
KJV 2 Ki. 4:27 And when she came to the man of god to the hill, she caught him by the feet: but Gehazi came near to thrust her away. And the man of god said, Let her alone; for her soul is vexed within her: and the LORD hath hid it from me, and hath not told me.
KJV 2 Ki. 4:40 So they poured out for the men to eat. And it came to pass, as they were eating of the pottage, that they cried out, and said, O thou man of god, there is death in the pot. And they could not eat thereof.
KJV 2 Ki. 4:42 And there came a man from Baalshalisha, and brought the man of god bread of the firstfruits, twenty loaves of barley, and full ears of corn in the husk thereof. And he said, Give unto the people, that they may eat.
KJV 2 Ki. 5:8 And it was so, when Elisha the man of god had heard that the king of Israel had rent his clothes, that he sent to the king, saying, Wherefore hast thou rent thy clothes? let him come now to me, and he shall know that there is a prophet in Israel.
KJV 2 Ki. 5:14 Then went he down, and dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according to the saying of the man of god: and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.
KJV 2 Ki. 5:15 And he returned to the man of god, he and all his company, and came, and stood before him: and he said, Behold, now I know that there is no God in all the earth, but in Israel: now therefore, I pray thee, take a blessing of thy servant.
KJV 2 Ki. 5:20 But Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of god, said, Behold, my master hath spared Naaman this Syrian, in not receiving at his hands that which he brought: but, as the LORD liveth, I will run after him, and take somewhat of him.
KJV 2 Ki. 6:6 And the man of god said, Where fell it? And he shewed him the place. And he cut down a stick, and cast it in thither; and the iron did swim.
KJV 2 Ki. 6:9 And the man of god sent unto the king of Israel, saying, Beware that thou pass not such a place; for thither the Syrians are come down.
KJV 2 Ki. 6:10 And the king of Israel sent to the place which the man of god told him and warned him of, and saved himself there, not once nor twice.
KJV 2 Ki. 6:15 And when the servant of the man of god was risen early, and gone forth, behold, an host compassed the city both with horses and chariots. And his servant said unto him, Alas, my master! how shall we do?
KJV 2 Ki. 7:2 Then a lord on whose hand the king leaned answered the man of god, and said, Behold, if the LORD would make windows in heaven, might this thing be? And he said, Behold, thou shalt see it with thine eyes, but shalt not eat thereof.
KJV 2 Ki. 7:17 And the king appointed the lord on whose hand he leaned to have the charge of the gate: and the people trode upon him in the gate, and he died, as the man of god had said, who spake when the king came down to him.
KJV 2 Ki. 7:18 And it came to pass as the man of god had spoken to the king, saying, Two measures of barley for a shekel, and a measure of fine flour for a shekel, shall be to morrow about this time in the gate of Samaria:
KJV 2 Ki. 7:19 And that lord answered the man of god, and said, Now, behold, if the LORD should make windows in heaven, might such a thing be? And he said, Behold, thou shalt see it with thine eyes, but shalt not eat thereof.
KJV 2 Ki. 8:2 And the woman arose, and did after the saying of the man of god: and she went with her household, and sojourned in the land of the Philistines seven years.
KJV 2 Ki. 8:4 And the king talked with Gehazi the servant of the man of god, saying, Tell me, I pray thee, all the great things that Elisha hath done.
KJV 2 Ki. 8:7 And Elisha came to Damascus; and Benhadad the king of Syria was sick; and it was told him, saying, The man of god is come hither.
KJV 2 Ki. 8:8 And the king said unto Hazael, Take a present in thine hand, and go, meet the man of god, and enquire of the LORD by him, saying, Shall I recover of this disease?
KJV 2 Ki. 8:11 And he settled his countenance stedfastly, until he was ashamed: and the man of god wept.
KJV 2 Ki. 13:19 And the man of god was wroth with him, and said, Thou shouldest have smitten five or six times; then hadst thou smitten Syria till thou hadst consumed it: whereas now thou shalt smite Syria but thrice.
KJV 2 Ki. 23:16 And as Josiah turned himself, he spied the sepulchres that were there in the mount, and sent, and took the bones out of the sepulchres, and burned them upon the altar, and polluted it, according to the word of the LORD which the man of god proclaimed, who proclaimed these words.
KJV 2 Ki. 23:17 Then he said, What title is that that I see? And the men of the city told him, It is the sepulchre of the man of god, which came from Judah, and proclaimed these things that thou hast done against the altar of Bethel.
KJV 1 Chr. 23:14 Now concerning Moses the man of god, his sons were named of the tribe of Levi.
KJV 2 Chr. 8:14 And he appointed, according to the order of David his father, the courses of the priests to their service, and the Levites to their charges, to praise and minister before the priests, as the duty of every day required: the porters also by their courses at every gate: for so had David the man of god commanded.
KJV 2 Chr. 11:2 But the word of the LORD came to Shemaiah the man of god, saying,
KJV 2 Chr. 25:7 But there came a man of god to him, saying, O king, let not the army of Israel go with thee; for the LORD is not with Israel, to wit, with all the children of Ephraim.
KJV 2 Chr. 25:9 And Amaziah said to the man of god, But what shall we do for the hundred talents which I have given to the army of Israel? And the man of god answered, The LORD is able to give thee much more than this.
KJV 2 Chr. 30:16 And they stood in their place after their manner, according to the law of Moses the man of god: the priests sprinkled the blood, which they received of the hand of the Levites.
KJV Ezr. 3:2 Then stood up Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and his brethren the priests, and Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and his brethren, and builded the altar of the God of Israel, to offer burnt offerings thereon, as it is written in the law of Moses the man of god.
KJV Neh. 12:24 And the chief of the Levites: Hashabiah, Sherebiah, and Jeshua the son of Kadmiel, with their brethren over against them, to praise and to give thanks, according to the commandment of David the man of god, ward over against ward.
KJV Neh. 12:36 And his brethren, Shemaiah, and Azarael, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethaneel, and Judah, Hanani, with the musical instruments of David the man of god, and Ezra the scribe before them.
KJV Ps. 90:1 <A Prayer of Moses the man of god.> Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations.
KJV Jer. 35:4 And I brought them into the house of the LORD, into the chamber of the sons of Hanan, the son of Igdaliah, a man of god, which was by the chamber of the princes, which was above the chamber of Maaseiah the son of Shallum, the keeper of the door:
KJV 1 Tim. 6:11 But thou, O man of god, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.
KJV 2 Tim. 3:17 That the man of god may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.
