Reminds me of a classic sci-fi novel, A Canticle for Leibowitz by Walter M. Miller Jr.That would exclude casual letters to family, grocery lists, etc. I thought I was being pretty clear that only "when he wrote in the capacity as an Apostle with a message from the Lord" would his letters be of an inspired nature.
The holy relic read:
"Pound pastrami, can kraut, six bagels --- bring home for Emma"
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God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways,
Hebrews 1:1 NASB95
Not everything God spoke became Scripture (but even that which was not recorded is inspired), it emanates from God.
Question for Deacon –
Originally Posted by franklinmonroe
If the words of Scripture were not inspired (just suppose), wouldn't the Scriptures still be "profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness"? Would the Proverbs suddenly become unreliable statements, for example?
A few of us noted that it isn’t the author that was inspired but the text.
You can no more separate the text from inspiration than you can separate yourself from your humanity.
If it is the ‘word of God’ it is ‘breathed out’ by God. Inspiration is inherent in Scripture, it’s inseparable.
For this reason we also constantly thank God that when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but for what it really is, the word of God, which also performs its work in you who believe.
1 Thessalonians 2:13 NASB95
For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
Hebrews 4:12 NASB95
To answer your quesiton plainly,
there are different sources of knowledge, some of it with wisdom remarkably similar to our Scriptures.
These documents can be also be "profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness" but they are not necessarily trustworthy.
Scripture by the very nature of it’s source has something man’s knowledge lacks, authority. It was breathed-out by the Creator.
Paul, a bond-servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the faith of those chosen of God and the knowledge of the truth which is according to godliness,
in the hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised long ages ago,
but at the proper time manifested, even His word, in the proclamation with which I was entrusted according to the commandment of God our Savior,
Titus 1:1-3 NASB95
In the same way God, desiring even more to show to the heirs of the promise the unchangeableness of His purpose, interposed with an oath, so that by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have taken refuge would have strong encouragement to take hold of the hope set before us.
This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and one which enters within the veil,
Hebrews 6:17-19 NASB95
But two additional aspects come to mind when I think of Scripture: enduring and effectual.
Both are activated by believers faith.
For indeed we have had good news preached to us, just as they also; but the word they heard did not profit them, because it was not united by faith in those who heard.
Hebrews 4:2 NASB95
Rob