Robert L. Millet on 2 Timothy 3:17:
Notice the areas of the life of
the disciple of Christ that are enriched, edified, and strengthened by serious scripture
study:
Doctrine.
The scriptures, together with the words and warnings of latter-day prophets,
contain the doctrine of the gospel those matters that are of greatest worth.
Reproof.
A careful and sincere study of the scriptures can result in the reader feeling
chastened by the Holy Spirit, who can reveal to the individual a specific
attitude or behavior that needs to be repented of. A person may be reading the
four Gospels, for example, looking carefully at the tender and ever-loving way
the Savior treated other people, especially those who were needy or
heartbroken, and feel uncomfortable or ill at ease about the way he or she
often treats people.
Correction.
Not only do the scriptures teach us what we should not do, but through
the searching of those sacred pages, God’s Holy Spirit can also make known to
His children what they should do, For example, someone may read 3 Nephi,
particularly of the ministry of the risen Lord to the Nephites, and come away
feeling the need to be more consistent and more focused in their individual
prayers. Or someone may read about the ancient tabernacle in the days of Moses
and come away sensing the need to spend more time in temple worship.
Instruction.
Let us suppose a newly called bishop of a ward finds himself, not long after
his call, facing some very serious cases of transgression among the members of
his congregation. He feels overwhelmed and, like Alma the Elder, is deeply
worried “that he should do wrong in the sight of God” (Mosiah 26:13). He picks
up his copy of the Book of Mormon and finds himself reading the instructions of
Jesus Christ to Alma concerning how priesthood leaders should deal properly and
lovingly with members of the Church who have fallen into serious sin (see
Mosiah 26:13-32). He is both comforted and instructed as he identifies
significant principles taught in that specific chapter.
The Apostle Paul’s words help us
appreciate how vital our standard works, our divine curriculum—the Bible, Book
of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, and Pearl of Great Price—are to the
formation of a Christian character. These holy words are fundamental in our
continuing quest to become perfect—that is, suited, ready, mature, and
complete—as our Exemplar Jesus Christ has called us to be (see Matthew 5:48; 3
Nephi 12:48). (Robert L. Millet, Becoming New: A Doctrinal Commentary on the
Writings of Paul [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2022], 342-43)
Stanley E. Porter on Romans 15:4:
. . . this verse offers insights
into how Paul conceives of the role of Scripture. Admittedly, this is not a
full-blown statement on the use of Scripture (he does not explicitly address
the ultimate cause or intermediate agency of revelation; note the use of the
passive voice verbs), but Paul does inadvertently acknowledge a number of
factors: the Scriptures were written previously, and hence by implication they
are addressing a different set of situations than he is facing in the present.
Paul does not simply refer to what was written, but to what was written
beforehand, acknowledging that they do not reflect the same context. The second
factor is that he asserts that the Scriptures were written for the purpose of
instruction, and, more than that, for ‘our very own’ instruction. In other
words, regardless of the function that the Scriptures may have played in ancient
Israelite life or in contemporary Jewish life, for Paul they serve the purpose
of teaching contemporary Christians. The lexeme ‘teaching’ has a broad and
unspecified semantic range, and it is not significantly modulated by its
cotext, except by noting that it is instruction that is to be ours. The third
factor is that Paul believes that the Scriptures are relevant. Whatever the
teaching may be that they convey, this teaching is ‘our very own’ teaching,
with the idea that not only are the Scriptures useful to determine what that
teaching is, but they are specifically addressed to us. The defining use of the
possessive pronoun (‘our’) indicates that Paul sees this as an attribute of the
teaching, that it is ours and for our use and benefit and relevance. The fourth
factor is that the purpose of this instruction is so that we as believers might
have hope. This hope comes about through endurance and encouragement as we see
God’s words offering instructive insights into our contemporary Christian
situation. (Stanley E. Porter, The Letter to the Romans: A Linguistic and
Literary Commentary [New Testament Monographs 37; Sheffield: Sheffield
Phoenix Press, 2015], 270)
It should be noted that these two verses are often used to support
the Protestant doctrine of Sola Scriptura (which is not a high view of scripture
merely!). For a thorough refutation, see:
Not
By Scripture Alone: A Latter-day Saint Refutation of Sola Scriptura
