Friday, March 22, 2024

Robert Sungenis on 2 Timothy 3:16

  

The liberals have exploited the absence of the copulative verb in 2Ti 3:16 to make the verse teach that only some portions of Scripture are inspired. The Greek seems to allow such since it reads: πασα γραφη θεοπνευστος και ωφελιμος (“all Scripture inspired and profitable”) instead of πασα γραφη εστιν θεοπνευστος και ωφελιμος (“all Scripture is inspired and profitable”). However, there are two grammatical reasons why the verse cannot be interpreted to limit inspiration. First, Greek does not eliminate the copulative to remove its connecting value but to emphasize it. Hence if a Greek reader sees a sentence without a copulative verb but knows that the sentence would normally take a copulative verb, this is a sign to him that the copulative is being emphasized, which in English may be expressed with italics or capital letters, e.g., “All Scripture IS inspired by God and profitable . . . “ An example of this fact is noted in Ep 2:8: “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, for it is the gift of God” (τη γαρ χαριτι εστε σεσωσμενοι δια της πιστεως και τουτο ουκ εξ ημων θεου το δωρον). the phrase “for it is the gift of God” is without the copulative εστιν (“is”) before θεου το δωρον (“the gift of God”). Also, there is no copulative between τουτο (“that”) and ουκ εξ ημων (“not of yourselves”). Second, to the clause, “All Scripture is inspired by God” Paul adds another nominative adjective ωφελιμος (“profitable”) to the first nominative adjective θεοπνευστος (“inspired by God”), so that it reads, “All Scripture is inspired and profitable”). In Greek grammar, the addition of ωφελιμος (“profitable”) requires that a copulative is implied, otherwise the meaning would be, “All Scripture inspired and profitable,” which in English could mean that whatever Scripture is, only some of it is profitable.” (Robert Sungenis, Supersessionism is Irrevocable: Facing the Ambiguities, Compromises, and Heresies in Recent Catholic Documents Regarding the “Old Covenant” [State Lina, Pa.: Catholic Apologetics International Publishing, Inc., 2024], 95-96 n. 107)