All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness. 2 Timothy 3:16
Once upon a time. For English-speaking people, this phrase is universally known and filled with both meaning and feelings. Regarding meaning, the understanding of “once upon a time” is that a fictional short story (usually aimed at children) filled with a morality lesson is about to be told.
When it comes to feelings, those vary from person to person. Some remember the days of their childhood when mom or dad or some beloved relative would sit them in a chair and read them “Three Little Pigs” or “Jack and the Beanstalk.” Others remember watching these stories in animated Disney or Looney Tunes films. Usually, the feelings are warm and cherished, as they transport us back to a time when things were not so difficult.
Many of these stories we could tell to others without a book. We have heard them so often and told in so many different contexts that the mechanics of these stories will be forever in our brain.
But a fairy tale, more than any other purpose, exists to teach us something about right living. Sometimes, the lesson is dark, as it is in The Boy Who Cried Wolf. Other times, it’s unexpectedly delightful as in the Town Musicians of Bremen. But these stories exist to equip us for decent living.
Well, the Bible exists (in part) for that very reason. The famous verse above reminds us that Scripture exists because God said something that He wants all of us to know. He’s always been in the teaching business, and we are His most prized students.
Of course, we aren’t always so “prized.” Some of us are stubborn. We definitely need to be told things more than once. Maybe one of the reasons love is talked about so much in the Bible is because we find it one of the most difficult concepts to live out.
The verse above says that all Scripture is profitable (beneficial, able to assist us with) for teaching. That’s as straight forward as it can be. The Bible at times acts like a well-written textbook filled with instruction.
It also uses the word reproof. Similar to rebuke, reproof is what happens when someone or something makes you suddenly aware that you’re going about it all wrong. Imagine that you were trying to cure a rash by rubbing motor oil on the wound. Finally, you find directions on the back of a tin of medical ointment that tells you how to properly apply the salve inside to your wound. You became aware how wrong you had been doing it. That’s reproof, although probably mostly understood as a barometer for moral behaviour instead of medical application.
Then correction. Another good word here would be improvement. Once we are told that we are doing something wrong, the most helpful thing to happen next would be to be told how to do it right. If you have been a liar most of your life, it’s one thing to have someone come along and tell you that lying is a sin, but it’s another thing entirely for that same someone to show you the virtues of always being honest, even when it’s hard. The Bible makes a great resource for improving oneself.
Finally, it is profitable for training in righteousness. This might sound similar to correction, but training in righteousness would be the part of your training that has you practicing right behaviour over and over in many different situations of your life. Improvement shows you WHAT is right, training in righteousness shows you HOW to do what is right.
But here’s the part that you should take to heart; God’s Scripture is given to us predominantly in story form. It doesn’t read like an instruction manual or a textbook. It’s frequently not giving us “insert Flap 1A into Slot 2B” kind of answers. Rather, God tells us hundreds of stories filled with lessons and meaning.
Why is that?
If you recall, we all know many beloved fairy tales from long ago to the point we could pass that story on without opening a book. But how many of us can recall the pages of our fourth-grade math textbook? How many of us remember all the details of the IKEA instructions for assembling a clothing cabinet? It’s the stories that stick. And while we might not always get the meaning of that story on first read, a story that sticks with us for years and years has a way better chance of teaching us the things we need to know.
Are all the stories in the Bible true? Well, yes, but that requires some explaining. When we say that the story of Jesus being crucified is true, what we mean is that the plot of that story actually happened in history. But when we say that the story of the Prodigal Son is true, we mean that the message that God wants us to learn from that story is true.
Are there some Bible stories that aren’t clear as to whether they are historical or parabolic? Sure, but don’t let that trouble you. Remember, you are looking for the teaching, reproof, correction, and training the Bible can offer, not necessarily a historical answer to something.
So, use 2025 to reacquaint yourself with the rich, powerful, and ever-true stories of the Bible. They will lead you to a real place called happily ever after.