Correction

2 Timothy 3:16-17 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.

General comments on verses 16 and 17:

The fact and purpose of inspiration is to profit the man of God in giving him all he needs to know, believe, and do. The Bible tells us what to believe and how to live. Doctrine (belief), Reproof (direct blame or censure), Correction (making accurate the inaccurate), Instruction (informing the understanding, conveying knowledge) – what is right and wrong to believe (doctrine, reproof), what is right and wrong to do (correction, instruction in righteousness), all four to know. Cf. Matthew 7:15-16 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits... Both their forecast and fruit is false.

The Bible is inspired, preserved, and sufficient. If the Bible were the only book you had, you are able to find every truth you need for salvation and for living the Christian life.

Correction indicates there is a standard, and that a standard is needed.

We see a standard in the shorter word “correct.” As a noun, it means free from error; accurate; an acknowledged or accepted standard.

Let God be true, but every man a liar, Romans 3:4.

Every word of God is pure, Proverbs 30:5.

We live in an age when men generally – and even professed Christians – are more concerned about correcting the Bible than about the Bible correcting them. A serious problem with the status of Bible reading in the United States – after the lack of Bible reading – is that we live in a time and with a state of mind such that if you don’t like what you read in the Bible today, you can buy a new version tomorrow. Additionally “everyday” Christians have been flooded with the kind of research that was once mostly limited to higher and lower critics in the dusty musty halls of academia. Notes and brackets cast doubt on the text. Those who don’t know the difference between majuscules and magistrates, minuscules and miniscules, or uncials and uncles, think they have become the arbiters of the text of the Bible. On the alleged authority of the scholarship somewhere behind the notes in their Bibles, these readers often choose what they like and reject what they don’t like.

Correction begins with wrong and brings it to right.

As a verb, “correct” means to point out or mark the errors in, to remove the errors or faults from. The noun “correction” refers to the act of pointing out and removing errors from, substituting the right for what is wrong. Webster says “the act of bringing back from error or deviation to a just standard.” It is used in Proverbs in connection with the training of children (Proverbs 22:15; 23:13; 29:17) and more broadly of wrongdoers.

Proverbs 15:10 Correction is grievous unto him that forsaketh the way: and he that hateth reproof shall die. Cf. Proverbs 7:22.

Often, we tend to think of correction as only the pointing out of what is wrong. We may think of a teacher “correcting” her students’ answers by marking them wrong. It must begin there, but should not end there.

Ephesians 4 excellently illustrates this principle – put off and put on. Don’t do this, but rather do that. 4:14-15 (not tossed about, but grow in truth and love); 22-24 (put off old man, put on new man); 25 (put away lying, speak the truth); 28 (steal no more, but labour); 29 (no corrupt communication, communication that is good); 31-32 (put away this, and do this instead).

Proverbs 3:12 for whom the Lord loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.

If all have sinned, we need correction.

If the Bible is true, we need correction.

If there is a God, we need correction.