In 2 Timothy 3:15, what are the 'sacred writings' Timothy knew from childhood?
A viewer asks Robert to explain what he meant, in his Bible commentary on 2 Timothy 3:15, by calling the holy writings Timothy knew from childhood the 'ABCs,' and whether that differs from Holy Scripture.
Answer
In that passage Paul reminds Timothy that from childhood he has known the sacred writings, because his mother Lois and grandmother Eunice taught him Scripture, the Old Testament, when he was a young child. So he is a man thoroughly steeped in scriptural knowledge. When Timothy was young, those Old Testament scriptures were like the ABCs, the elementary basics of Scripture, but now that he is a mature man, he also has the New Testament, which explains much of the Old, so to speak he now has the whole alphabet. Then in verse 16 Paul adds that all Scripture is given by inspiration of God, useful for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be fully equipped. Paul's point is basically, do not be afraid of Scripture; you learned it as a child, so use it, and do not let the Judaizers who want to intimidate you with circumcision and the Mosaic law throw you; keep studying Scripture and use it to defend the faith.