The Syntactic Breakdown: 2 Timothy 3:16
The entire theological debate hinges on a basic grammatical feature of Koine Greek: there is no verb "is" in the Greek sentence. It is an elliptic nominal clause where the copula verb (estin / ἐστίν) must be supplied by the translator.
| Greek Word | Transliteration | Part of Speech | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| πᾶσα | pasa | Adjective (fem. nom. sing.) | "Every" or "all" |
| γραφή | graphē | Noun (fem. nom. sing.) | "Writing" or "scripture" |
| θεόπνευστος | theopneustos | Adjective (fem. nom. sing.) | "God-breathed" / "inspired by God" |
| καί | kai | Conjunction | "And" / "also" / "even" |
| ὠφέλιμος | ōphelimos | Adjective (fem. nom. sing.) | "Profitable" / "useful" |
Two Valid Syntactical Readings
1. The Predicate Reading (Traditional Canon Approach)
πᾶσα γραφὴ [ἐστὶν] θεόπνευστος καὶ ὠφέλιμος...
Translation: "All scripture [is] inspired by God, and [is] profitable..."
2. The Attributive Reading (Discerning Approach)
πᾶσα γραφὴ θεόπνευστος [ἐστὶν] καὶ ὠφέλιμος...
Translation: "Every scripture/writing [that is] inspired by God [is] also profitable..."
By translating the clause attributively, the passage functions as an evaluative standard rather than an institutional seal: it places the responsibility directly upon the seeker to discern which writings genuinely bear the breath of God.
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