The Gospel of John and Baptismal Regeneration

In this post, I defended the Latter-day Saint belief that, when Jesus spoke of being born of "water and the Spirit," the water was a reference to baptism. I just came across this informative comment by C.H. Dodd in his book on the Gospel of John, which sheds further light on the phrase "water and the Spirit" being a reference to water baptism and confirmation, notwithstanding these terms not being stated explicitly:

The evangelist appears to have deliberately exercised reserve about the Christian sacraments in writing for a pubic which included pagans whom he wished to influence towards the Christian faith. So he would not say plainly that initiation into the higher order of life is by way of baptism accompanied by the gift of the Spirit. Indeed, he may well have felt that to put it in that way would risk misleading such readers as he had in view. But he could bring in the idea of Baptism allusively. He was already had much to say about John the Baptist. In particular, he has recorded that John was sent to baptise εν υδατι (i.26, 31, 33—the threefold repetition of εν υδατι is impressive) and that he declared Jesus to be ο βαπτιζων εν πενυματι αγιω on the ground that he had himself seen the Spirit descending and remaining on Him (i.33). Thus the association of ideas, υδωρ-πνευμα, is established, although so far it is an association of contrast. Now in iii.22, after the discourse which contains the saying about birth from water and Spirit, we are told that Jesus was baptizing, and that the fact was reported to John the Baptist, who was simultaneously engaged in baptizing at another place (iii.26). The implication is that the two are regarded as competing practitioners of the same ritual, viz., baptism in water. But the reader is not to forget that Jesus is ο βαπτιζων εν πνευματι αγιω. The implication is that the water-baptism administered by Jesus (and therefore also the water0baptism of the church, though this is not brought to the surface) is also baptism εν πνευματι. This is quite intelligible in the context of Johannine thought. The opening of the eyes of the blind by Jesus (partly through an act of ‘washing’, i.e., baptism) is also spiritual enlightenment (ix. 5-7) and we are to learn that the ‘living water’ which proceeds from Christ is the Spirit (vii. 38-39). (C.H. Dodd, The Interpretation of the Fourth Gospel [Cambridge University Press, 1958], 309-10).

Further Proof Sola Scriptura is a Dividing Line

On this blog, I have discussed the Protestant doctrine of Sola Scriptura quite a bit, interacting with the key texts apologists have forwarded in favour of this doctrine. It is an important dividing line between Latter-day Saints and Protestants as it informs, in part, the rejection, often a priori, of Latter-day Saint claims by Protestants. Of course, let me state that disproving sola scriptura is not evidence in favour of Latter-day Saint claims (such would simply be question-begging if one were to claim such), but the fact that Protestant apologists ultimately have to rely on eisegesis and/or just accept uncritically the doctrine speaks volumes of its truthfulness (or lack thereof).

This has been exemplified in a recent exchange I am engaged in with a fundamentalist Baptist; in response to my comment that part of his rejection of the Book of Mormon was his a priori (and uncritical) acceptance of the formal sufficiency of the Bible, he wrote, "The doctrine of Sola-Scriptura is not even relevant to this issue" only then to claim (without any substantiation) " Christ and the Bible were sufficient before Joseph Smith and they continue to be sufficient now so follow HIM!." Translation: I don't have to provide evidence for Sola Scriptura! Accept my ipse dixit!!!!!

C.H. Dodd, Origen, and Raymond Brown on John 4:24

Commenting on John 4:24, New Testament scholar, C.H. Dodd wrote:

It should be observed that to translate 'God is a spirit' is the most gross perversion of the meaning. 'A spirit' implies one of the class of πνευματα, and as we have seen, there is no trace in the Fourth Gospel of the vulgar conception of a multitude of πνευματα. (C.H. Dodd, The Interpretation of the Fourth Gospel [Cambridge: 1958], 225 n. 1)

On the absurdities of understanding John 4:24 as teaching the ontological nature of God, Origen wrote:

Many writers have made various affirmations about God and His ουσια. Some have said that He is of a corporeal nature, fine and aether-like; some that he is of incorporeal nature; others that He is beyond ουσια in dignity and power. It is therefore worth our while to see whether we have in the Scriptures starting-points (αφορμας) for making any statement about the ουσια of God. Here [1 John i.2] it is said that πνευμα is, as it were, His ουσια. For he said, πνευμα ο θεος. In the Law He is said to be fire, for it is written, ο θεος ημων πυρ καταναλισκον (Deut. iv.24, Heb. xii. 29), and in John to be light, for he says, ο θεος πως εστι, και σκοτια εω αυτω ουκ εστιν ουδεμια (1 John i.5). if we are to take these statements at their face value, without concerning ourselves with anything beyond the verbal expression, it is time for us to say that God is σωμα; but what absurdities would follow if we said so, few realise. (Origen, Commentary on John xiii.21-23, as cited by Dodd, ibid., 225-26).

Note: Origen in this passage understood it unwise to appeal to John 4:24 "at face value" to support God not being embodied, notwithstanding his use of such a verse in On First Principles to support God not having a body. Origen is not a witness for divine embodiment, but only a witness that early Christians, including those who would use John 4:24 as evidence that the Father does not have a body, would not go "beyond what is written" about this text (Origen is, sadly, very complex, in comparison to other early Christian authors).

This is mirrored by the comments of Raymond Brown in his magisterial 2-volume commentary on John's Gospel:

[This verse is] not an essential definition of God, but a description of God's dealing with men; it means that God is Spirit toward men because He gives the Spirit (xiv 16) which begets them anew. There are two other such descriptions in the Johannine writings: "God is light" (1 John i 5), and "God is love" ( 1 John iv 8 ). These too refer to the God who acts; God gives the world His Son, the light of the world (iii 19, viii 12, ix 5) as a sign of His love (iii 16). (The Gospel According to John (i-xii), vol. 29 of the Anchor Bible [Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, 1966], 167.)

Is Isaiah 44:24 in conflict with Latter-day Saint Theology?

Thus saith the Lord, thy redeemer, and he that formed thee from the womb, I am the Lord that maketh all things, that stretcheth forth the heavens alone; that spreadeth abroad the earth by myself. (Isa 44:24)

This verse has been used by a number of critics of Latter-day Saint theology, arguing that God, and God alone, was involved in creation, contrary to the Book of Abraham that has “the gods,” under the jurisdiction of the Father, involved in creation (see chapters 4 and 5 of the Book of Abraham). However, there are problems for our Trinitarian opponents who sometimes use this verse against Latter-day Saint theology and Scripture.

Firstly, one should compare Isa 44:24 with Heb 1:1-2:

God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom he also made the world.

In this pericope, it is the singular person of the Father who is the creator, with Jesus as an intermediary (cf. 1 Cor 8:4-6). Absolutising both these passages, the Isaiah text forces us to conclude that the person of the Father alone was the creator, which, of course, is antithetical to Trinitarian sensibilities.

[God] alone spreadeth out the heavens, and treadeth upon the waves of the sea. (Job 9:8)

In this passage, it is Yahweh alone who “trampled upon the waves of the sea” (NRSV). Interestingly, however, there is a difference between the Masoretic Text and the LXX. The LXX renders this portion of the verse as καὶ περιπατῶν ὡς ἐπ᾽ ἐδάφους ἐπὶ θαλάσσης, which Brenton renders in his translation as "and walks on the sea as on firm ground." Therefore, the LXX states that Yahweh alone has the authority to walk upon the seas. One should compare the LXX rendition of Job 9:8 with Matt 14:29:

[Jesus] said, "Come." So Peter got out of the boat, started walking on the water, and came toward Jesus.

Absolutising LXX Job 9:8 in the way that critics of LDS theology absolutise Isa 44:24, one must conclude that Yahweh alone can walk on the water, and taking it to its “logical” conclusion, Peter is Yahweh(!) Of course, that is eisegesis, just as it is eisegesis (not to mention anachronistic!) to claim that Isa 44:24 is a strictly “Trinitarian” text.

Ultimately, Isa 44:24 is better understood that the authority and source of creation derives from God (the Father) and all those who played a role in creation were under His jurisdiction, including the person of Jesus (see 1 Cor 8:4-6, as an example). This was the interpretation of the earliest Christian commentators, including Origen (185-254):

Thus, if all things were made, as in this passage also [John 1:3], through the Logos, then they were not made by the Logos, but by a stronger and greater than He [the Father]. (Origen, Commentary on the Gospel of John [Ante-Nicene Fathers 9:328]; comments in square brackets added for clarification)

We can further substantiate this by examining another text from the book of Isaiah:

I, I am the Lord, and besides me there is no saviour. (Isa 43:11)

In this verse, God is said to be there only מושׁיע (“Saviour”). Notwithstanding, there are other figures who are referred to as being a מושׁיע:

And when the children of Israel cried unto the Lord, the Lord raised up a deliverer (מושׁיע) to the children of Israel, who delivered them, Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother. (Judg 3:9)

And the Lord gave Israel a saviour (מושׁיע), so that they went out from under the hand of the Syrians: and the children of Israel dwelt in their tents, as before time. (2 Kgs 13:5)

In these verses, Isa 43:11 notwithstanding, Yahweh Himself commissions other “saviours” (מושׁיע). Absolutising Isa 43:11 in the way that our Trinitarian critics absolutise Isa 44:24, one would have to conclude that it is explicitly contradicted by the two aforementioned texts. However, if one understands that Yahweh is the ultimate source of being a saviour but can commission others to be “saviours” such as Othniel, there is no issue.

Ultimately, Isa 44:24 is properly understood, not speaking as the “number” of persons involved in the creation, but that the Father alone is the source of its causality and does not preclude other divinities having had a role as an intermediary in the creation, as one finds in the Book of Abraham and Latter-day Saint theology.

The Chair of Moses versus Sola Scriptura

Then spake Jesus to the multitude, and to his disciples, saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat: All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not. (Matt 23:1-3)

Catholic apologist, Dave Armstrong, has an excellent paper critiquing the arguments by James White's desperate attempt to downplay the potency of Matt 23:1-3 against the Protestant doctrine of Sola Scriptura. The paper is entitled, "Chair of Moses: Refuting James White's Claims of Sola Scriptura."

Did Jesus Believe that Scripture is Inerrant?

Kyle Roberts has an interesting article in response to Robert Bowman entitled, "Did Jesus Believe that Scripture is Inerrant?" It discusses key texts such as Matt 5:17-18, showing that the Evangelical case for their understanding of "inerrancy" (á la The Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy) to be based on eisegesis. The article can be found here.

Further Examples of Craig Ledbetter’s Lack of Intellectual Integrity

In a series on the topic of “cults,” Craig Ledbetter, pastor of Ballincollig Baptist Church, produced two lectures and documents on The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. As with his (pathetic) attempts to support sola scriptura (see here and here), Ledbetter shows his lack of intellectual integrity and honesty all throughout. It appears he spent the best part of an evening googling “anti-Mormonism” and copying-and-pasting information without checking sources. Regardless, here are just three claims he makes which reflect his lack of knowledge on “Mormonism” (at least he is consistent—he is just as grossly ignorant of the Bible as he is of the Latter-day Saint faith) found in this document:

Not one city has ever been found, not one river or sea, not one artefact

False. The River of Laman and its Valley of Lemuel, the burial site Nahom, and the garden spot Bountiful in the Arabian Peninsula have all been found and verified. These are all non-biblical sites, and in the case of the River of Laman and Bountiful, continue to be mocked as impossible by many critics of the Book of Mormon. In the case of Nahom, altars have been found attesting to its name pre-dating the Book of Mormon (it is referenced in the passive voice in 1 Nephi 16:34) as well as its function as a burial spot. Furthermore, the seal of Mulek, the son of Zedekiah has been recently discovered, too. While Ledbetter is clearly unaware of such, the evidence for Book of Mormon historicity continues to grow in leaps and bounds. As for the New World, readers should pick up a copy of John L’ Sorenson’s volume, Mormon’s Codex: An Ancient American Books (Deseret and the Neal A. Maxwell Institute, 2013) and Brant Gardner’s book examining the text as history, Traditions of the Fathers: The Book of Mormon as History (Greg Kofford Books, 2015). A good summary of the evidences from various aspects of the book can be seen in Echoes and Evidences of the Book of Mormon, ed. Parry et al (FARMS, 2002). This also refutes the lie by Ledbetter than Mormon scholars are “admitting” that the Book of Mormon is not historical.

Joseph Smith’s murder while he was in jail at the time is referred to as the proof that HE had saved the world, like Jesus – BY HIS OWN BLOOD!

This is a lie. Latter-day Saints attach no salvific importance to the (1) blood and/or (2) death of the prophet Joseph Smith. I openly challenge Ledbetter to support this false claim.

In 1828, eight years after he says he had been told by God himself to join no church, Joseph Smith applied for membership in a local Methodist church.

This only shows Ledbetter’s lack of intellectual abilities and research skills. Joseph Smith never joined the Methodist faith in 1828, so this is another non sequitur. Joseph did join a debating club hosted by the Methodists, but membership of the Methodist faith was not a pre-requisite to joining the club.

Anti-Mormons such as the Tanners are forced to rely on an article penned by Joshua McKune in a newspaper called the Amboy journal from April 30, 1879, 35(!) years after the death of Joseph Smith and 51(!) years after the purported events! A later issue of the same publication is dated June 11, 1879, from Michael Morse, a brother-in-law and critic of Joseph Smith's. To say that this is utter hearsay is to put it nicely, especially as this was during the height of anti-Mormon sentiment over the polygamy issue. There is no credible evidence (e.g., primary historical sources) supporting this claim.

These are just representative examples of the lies Ledbetter told his congregants against the LDS faith (others would include the claim LDS theology teaches God had sex with Mary and his yellow journalism about Jesus and Satan being “brothers”). Such a lack of honesty and intellectual integrity is to be found among the members of Ledbetter's church (see here for my exchange with Barry Keating, one of his congregants).

Craig Ledbetter had the opportunity to accurately portray the theology, history, and Scriptures of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and offer an informed critique thereof. He failed on all counts. Furthermore, he failed miserably to support his own epistemology (sola scriptura) and other theological presuppositions in his presentations without resorting to eisegesis.The man heretical theology is as bogus as his false claims against the Latter-day Saint faith, and falls under the condemnations of  Gal 1:6-9 and Rev 21:8.

Samson and the contingent nature of prophecy

[M]any of the prophecies in the Bible are, either implicitly or explicitly, contingent upon other circumstances. Furthermore, applying the all-or-nothing hermeneutic of Kramer, one will have to dismiss, not just Micah, but other prophets and even angels of God! For instance, in one biblical account we read:

There was a certain man of Zorah, of the tribe of the Danites, whose name was Manoah. His wife was barren, having borne no children. And the angel of the Lord appeared to the woman and said to her, ‘Although you are barren, having borne no children, you shall conceive and bear a son. Now be careful not to drink wine or strong drink, or to eat anything unclean, for you shall conceive and bear a son. No razor is to come on his head, for the boy shall be a nazirite to God from birth. It is he who shall begin to deliver Israel from the hand of the Philistines.’ Then the woman came and told her husband, ‘A man of God came to me, and his appearance was like that of an angel* of God, most awe-inspiring; I did not ask him where he came from, and he did not tell me his name; but he said to me, ‘You shall conceive and bear a son. So then drink no wine or strong drink, and eat nothing unclean, for the boy shall be a nazirite to God from birth to the day of his death’” (Judges 13:2-7, New Revised Standard Version).

Notice how the angel of the Lord prophecies, without any conditions attached, that Samson would be a Nazarite, free his people from bondage, and would refrain from alcoholic beverages and unclean foods. And yet not a single one of these were fulfilled, as we read subsequently in the Book of Judges. What are we to make of this? Obviously prophecies are, by their nature, contingent upon historical events and individuals [as discussed in the article]

Patristic Authors on the Father alone being Autotheos

This document, produced by a Reformed Protestant, is a collection of 20 early Patristic authors who affirmed that only the person of the Father was "autotheos" (God in-and-of-Himself, basically), spanning the entire Patristic era, such as Justin Martyr, Origen, Tertullian, Athanasius, Augustine, and John of Damascus. This is of great importance for studying the development of Trinitarian theologies and other theological areas, such as the Filioque clause.

What is also significant is that this mirrors LDS theology, wherein the Son and Spirit derive their divinity from their mutual participation with the person of the Father (see D&C 93, for example), as well as New Testament (e.g., Heb 1:3).

Update:

The URL no longer works; for that reason, I have saved the document here:

https://sites.google.com/site/irishlds87/autotheos_patristics

Answering a challenge from a defender of Sola Scriptura

A Protestant apologist wrote the following against those who oppose the formal doctrine of Protestantism:

Advocates of sola scriptura also point out that their opponents have to rely on their own fallible interpretations, even if they don't want to. In order to reach the conclusion that an organization such as the Roman Catholic Church has the authority to infallibly interpret the Bible for us, we must interpret for ourselves the evidence that leads to that conclusion, including what the Bible teaches. Does a Catholic want to claim that Matthew 16 and the teachings of the church fathers prove that the papacy is a true doctrine? How does he make such an argument without using his own judgment to interpret Matthew 16 and to decide which church father teachings are accurate and which aren't? Personal, fallible interpretation is impossible to avoid.

While all of these arguments in defense of sola scriptura are valid, there's another approach that can be taken, which doesn't seem to be used much. It's true that groups such as Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy have disagreements among themselves, just as there are disagreements among those who adhere to sola scriptura. In that sense, we're all on equal footing. But there's another sense in which adherents of sola scriptura are actually at an advantage.

While this article is focused on Roman Catholic opposition to sola scriptura, allow me to offer a response from a Latter-day Saint who openly rejects sola scriptura as a man-made tradition.

From an LDS framework, while it is true that Latter-day Saints can, and do, disagree with one another on a host of issues, we don’t have the same disagreements amongst Protestants on key theological issues; consider the following lists of doctrines Protestants disagree with one another over, both historically and in modern times, and results in some of the denominationalism thereof:

·       Baptismal regeneration
·       Mode of baptism
·       Infant Baptism
·       Eternal Security
·       Nature of the Eucharist (e.g., consubstantiation vs. spiritual presence view vs. purely symbolic view)
·       The nature of sola fide
·       The nature of “saving faith”
·       The intent of the atonement (limited vs. universal vs. hypothetical universal views)
·       Nature of predestination
·       Whether God is active or passive in reprobation (supralapsarian vs. infra/sublapsarian perspectives)
·       If God’s saving grace can be resisted
·       Whether repentance is necessary for salvation
·       Nature of justification
·       Nature of sanctification
·       Nature of “righteousness” in justification
·       Whether Christ has one will or two wills
·       The nature and limits of sola scriptura itself

One could go on, but these are not minor issues such as whether stringed instruments should be used in worship services, but issues that are of soteriological importance or some other great theological importance (e.g., Christological). Furthermore, there are many issues, within the realm of morality, that are also debated amongst Protestants due to the paucity of any explicit material in the Bible (sometimes, pure silence due to their being modern issues), such as homosexual adoption; transsexual issues; contraception; abortion on demand; masturbation; surrogate motherhood; euthanasia, etc. Again, these are not “minor issues,” and examples could be multiplied.

Unlike Protestants who rely on a passive source (Scripture has to be interpreted; Scripture does not actively interpret itself and give us the proper exegesis thereof), Latter-day Saints have an active authority alongside Scripture (which is broader than the Bible [Book of Mormon; Doctrine and Covenants; Pearl of Great Price]), something that has happened throughout its history, even in esoteric issues (e.g., the debate between Brigham Young and Orson Pratt on the question of whether the person of God should be the recipient of worship or his attributes—the church authoritatively declared the former to be orthodox, the latter heterodox).

This is similar to the Council of Jerusalem, recorded in Acts 15 that dogmatically declared circumcision to not be a prerequisite for Gentile converts coming into the Church, in spite of the Old Testament’s silence about the then-future abrogation of circumcision under the New Covenant. This is something that Protestantism lacks, and as a result, will always be splintered, as key theological debates will forever remain unresolved, but for the Latter-day Saint, there is a source that can, when moved by the Holy Spirit, declare authoritatively on issues of morality and/or theology.

Matthew 4 and Satan being an External Person

There is so much exegetical evidence against the Christadelphian view of Satan not having ontological existence that their leading defenders have to come up with the most strained, imaginative readings of the biblical texts (see Thomas Farrar’s carefully researched papers responding to the arguments of Duncan Heaster, Jonathan Burke, and other CD authors). One of the best texts against their “no supernatural Devil” position can be seen in Matt 4:1-11 (cf. Mark 1:12-13; Luke 4:1-13) where Christ is tempted by the devil in the wilderness.

The popular Christadelphian view is that the devil here is an external personification of the internal struggle of Jesus. Some Christadelphian authors have tied this into the yetzer hara, "the evil inclination” in Second Temple and Rabbinical literature, notwithstanding the fact that such sources also held to the ontological existence of supernatural evil (Satan and demons). For a book-length treatment, see Ishay Rosen-Zvi, Demonic Desires: Yetzer Hara and the Problem of Evil.

And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. (Matt 4:3)

In this verse, "the tempter" (ο πειραζων) is said to have "come" to Jesus; the verb used here is προσερχομαι which means "to come to." It indicates one person coming to another person, showing that the "tempter" is external to the person of Jesus. This verb is used again in the temptation scene in v.11, "then the devil (ο διαβολος) leaveth him, and, behold, angels came (προσερχομαι) and ministered unto him." In Christadelphian theology, (good) angels have ontological existence, and this verse clearly teaches that angels (personal beings external to Jesus) came to him and ministered to Christ after the devil left Jesus. Only by utilising an inconsistent hermeneutic can one claim that the tempter/devil metaphorically approaches Jesus, but that the angels in v.11 literally approach Jesus.

The external nature of this devil/tempter can also be seen in the fact that he urges Jesus to give him "worship" (προσκυνεω) in v.9. The popular Christadelphian reading forces them to argue that Jesus is tempted by his "evil inclination" to give himself worship! Needless to say, προσκυνεω is rarely used in the whole of Koine Greek literature to have such a reflexive sense!

The only exegetically-valid reading of this scene in the Gospels is that the authors of Scripture accepted the belief in a supernatural, external evil being called "Satan." This flies in the face of the Birmingham Amended Statement of Faith that lists the following as a doctrine to be rejected: "That the devil is a supernatural personal being."

Revelation 3:5 versus Eternal Security

He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment, and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels. (Rev 3:5)

This verse is a very strong text against the various theologies of "eternal security," as it shows that the names of those contained in the book of life (i.e., those who will be saved) is not static, but that one's name can be "blotted out" (εξαλιφω [alt. "to erase"]) therefrom (i.e., the loss of one's justification). Contingent upon remaining in the book of life (read: in a saved state), one must persevere to the end (cf. Phil 2:12), or, as the Greek of this verse reads, one must be ο νικων ("the conquering one").

James 4:5 vs. Extreme KJV-onlyism

In James 4:5, we read the following:

Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The Spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy?

The problem this verse poses against KJV-onlyism is that there is no text in the Old Testament that matches this quotation.

The Greek text from The Trinitarian Bible Society Greek New Testament (based on the Byzantine text) of this quotation is Πρὸς φθόνον ἐπιποθεῖ τὸ πνεῦμα ὃ κατῴκησεν ἐν ἡμῖν. There is no equivalent from the Old Testament texts employed by the KJV authors, nor is it found in the LXX (the existence of which some KJV-onlyists deny!)

This refutes the more extreme forms of KJV-onlyism as it shows that the biblical authors themselves used sources no longer extant and not part of the sources used by the KJV translators.

Other examples of texts from the KJV itself refuting this preposterous position include Jer 38:6:

Then took they Jeremiah, and cast him into the dungeon of Malchiah the son of Hammelech, that was in the court of the prison: and they let down Jeremiah with cords. And in the dungeon there was no water, but mire: so Jeremiah sunk in the mire.

From reading the KJV, one can be excused for thinking that Hammelech is a proper name of Malchiah’s father. However, this is an error by the KJV translators as they incorrectly transliterated the underlying Hebrew instead of translating it. The Hebrew is הַמֶּלֶךְ which means “the king.” It is not a proper name. To be fair, this is not an error unique to the KJV. The Geneva Bible, for instance, also transliterated instead of translated this term. However, this is another verse in the KJV that (1) contains a clear mistake and (2) can be improved upon.

There are some other verses in the KJV that can be improved upon based on recent Greek grammatical discoveries, such as Granville Sharp’s sixth canon, which shows that the term θεος (“God” in Greek) is to be predicated upon Jesus in Titus 2:13 and 2 Pet 1:1 (the KJV rendition of these verses are very ambiguous, with the texts distinguishing “God” from “Jesus”). For a book-length discussion of this rule, whose (re)discovery post-dates the completion of the KJV, see Daniel Wallace, Granville Sharp’s Canon and its Kin: Semantics and Significance (Peter Lang, 2009).

A lot more can be said about this utterly inane, anti-intellectual position (e.g., how the KJV translators themselves did not privilege their translation in the way KJV-onlyists do), but such should show that KJV-onlyism is an anti-biblical position to hold, one that the KJV itself refutes.

Who is a “man of God”?

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.