What is Scripture?

[McCulloch]

All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.

Assuming that there is a God who has chosen to reveal at least part of his will to humans and assuming that the Protestant Christian Bible is essentially true, then what is meant by All Scripture in the passage above? What is in? What is out? And most importantly, who gets to decide and on what basis is this decision made?

[justifyothers]

All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.

Assuming that there is a God who has chosen to reveal at least part of his will to humans and assuming that the Protestant Christian Bible is essentially true, then what is meant by All Scripture in the passage above? What is in? What is out? And most importantly, who gets to decide and on what basis is this decision made?

This is part of a letter that Paul wrote to Timothy. This is actually Paul's view on "the word". And as part of that view, he considers himself a messenger. I, however do not.

Paul seemed to take it upon himself to add to/take away from "the scriptures", depending on what suited him/his mission.

The wierd thing is that his writings were not included in "the scriptures" originally - so, he wasn't even speaking of his own stuff- he was talking about the OT. I say this because christians today include the NT in the idea of "the scriptures". But even Paul meant the OT, which was all Jewish text and traditions.

So, to answer the OP - I think that scripture's 'truthfulness' will be obvious, or not. God has no need to hide things from or deceive his people. It is open for our own interpretation and perception. We are quite capable of this.

To be more accurate , this is one of the 'pastorals that is a psuedographical work that claims to be from Paul, but the large percentage of biblical scholars think it is written as if it was from Paul.

OK - but, does being more accurate change the meaning/content of what I was saying?

Yes, it does.. since it is not what Paul's opinion was, but rather someone writing many years later, in the name of Paul, saying what they think Paul should have said.

Well, whomever the author, I still stand by this:

" I think that scripture's 'truthfulness' will be obvious, or not. God has no need to hide things from or deceive his people. It is open for our own interpretation and perception. We are quite capable of this."

[Student]

There are any number of problems with 2 Timothy 3:16.

If the author of 2 Timothy is not Paul, then the epistle lacks apostolic authority and should be excluded from the Canon.

Conversely, if the author of 2 Timothy is Paul then, the “scripture�, to which “Paul� refers, can only include the documents written up to, and including, the time when Timothy was a child. [2 Tim 3:15] This naturally precludes all the documents contained in the New Testament.

Either way, the documents contained in the New Testament cannot rely upon 2 Timothy to provide their credentials as “scripture�.