These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so. (Acts 17:11)
And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. 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 3:15-17)
Acts 17:11 and 2 Tim 3:15-17 are often abused by Protestants the formal sufficiency of the Bible (the doctrine of Sola Scriptura). For a full refutation of this doctrine, as well as an exegesis of these two passages (among others such as Rev 22:18-19; 1 Cor 4:6, etc) see:
Notwithstanding, one must be careful not to downplay the importance of Scripture one finds in these important texts, notwithstanding the abuse of these passages by Protestant apologists. Writing in 1955, Sidney Sperry offered the following insights into the profitable nature of Scripture from these passages:
On Acts 17 and the Bereans
On their arrival, according to Luke, they “went into the synagogue of the Jews.” (Acts 17:10) Paul never failed to give the Jews their opportunity to receive the gospel, and this was no exception. But the missionaries found the Jews and Greeks in Beroea to be unusually open-minded and amenable to their preaching:
These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the Scriptures daily, whether those things were so. Therefore many of them believed: also of honorable women which were Greeks, and of men, not a few. (Acts 17:11-12)
Paul had come in contact with so many persons having closed minds and lean intellects (which missionary hasn’t?) that the Beroeans must have seemed to him like beings from a better world. An open-minded man may not be the greatest of the creations of God, but he is certainly among the greatest. Luke says that not only did these people receive the word with “all readiness of mind,” but they also “searched the Scriptures daily” in order to verify for themselves the truth of what was told them. (Ibid.) No wonder the author of the Acts brands the Beroeans as “noble”! We call the attention of all Latter-day Saints, particularly the younger generation to the emphasis placed here upon the Scriptures as a basic spiritual source. The Beroeans used it to test Paul and his companions. So we ought to test the truth of the various doctrines of our day. (Sidney B. Sperry, Paul’s Life and Letters [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft Publishers, 1955], 84)
Paul’s instructions to Timothy in 2 Timothy 3:15-17
Paul warns Timothy of the perilous nature of the coming apostasy in the Church. He tells of the personal sins of men, of false teachers, of foolish women, and of men of debased minds, and reprobates so far as faith is concerned. But Timothy has known of Paul’s doctrine, of his manner of life, and of the persecutions he endured and from which the Lord delivered him; from the Apostles’ example and teachings, and from the Scriptures he has known since childhood. Timothy will be fully equipped to meet the coming dangers. The Apostle charges him strongly and solemnly to preach the word incessantly, to reprove, rebuke, exhort, watch in all things, endure afflictions, and fully carry out his ministry (3:1-4:5). (Ibid., 301-2)
