Creator, Father, King #83

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.

ALTHOUGH HE DIED IN 1616, William Shakespeare is still widely regarded as the greatest playwright and poet who ever lived. His plays, poems, and sonnets have had an enormous influence on language, literature, and the creative arts in the western hemisphere. In fact, “The Bard” is even credited with introducing as many as 1,700 words and phrases to the English language.

While it’s unclear whether Shakespeare coined them all, he often receives the credit since his published works are the first examples of the terms being used. Below are five examples:

• Swagger (Henry V)
• Good riddance (The Merchant of Venice)
• Vanish into thin air (Othello)
• Lonely (Coriolanus)
• For goodness’ sake (Henry VIII)

Fifteen hundred years before Shakespeare, the apostle Paul might have enjoyed a little term-coining fun, too. The original Greek text of today’s verse features a word that, to date, has not been found in any other ancient Greek text (biblical or secular) before Paul wrote the letter of 2 Timothy (c. AD 64–67).

The word is theopneustos. It literally means “God-breathed,” and it goes a long way in helping us understand critical truths about the Bible.

What’s It Mean?

For all Scripture to be “breathed out by God” means God inspired it through the direction of his Spirit. Remember the powerful words of 2 Peter 1:21: “No prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit” (ESV). In other words, the Holy Spirit guided all forty (or so) biblical authors as they wrote Scripture’s sixty-six books over an approximately 1,300- to 1,500-year period.

Because God inspired them, here’s what’s true of every word of Scripture:

• They have divine authority over us. (Luke 11:28; James 1:25)
• They are inerrant. (Psalm 119:160; Proverbs 30:5)
• They are infallible (i.e., incapable of containing error) because God is their source. (Titus 1:2; Hebrews 6:18)
• They are pure. (Psalm 12:6)
• They are eternal. (1 Peter 1:24-25)
• They are sufficient for our life, salvation, and obedience to God. (2 Timothy 3:15)
• They provide us great spiritual wisdom. (Psalm 19:7)
• They work powerfully in us to produce spiritual fruit. (Isaiah 55:11; Hebrews 4:12)

Amazing!

So props to Shakespeare for Macbeth, King Lear, and the rest. But that’s all much ado about nothing (heh, heh) when compared to God’s inspired Word!

Now What?

Memorize 2 Timothy 3:16 and look up the biblical references listed above.

Did You Know?

Shakespeare, along with other shareholders, commissioned the Globe Theatre in London to perform in.