Compare Jeremiah 36:23 with 2 Timothy 3:16 on Scripture's authority. Key Passages Jeremiah 36:23 — “And as Jehudi read three or four columns, the king cut them off with a scribe’s knife and threw the pieces into the fire in the brazier, until the entire scroll was consumed in the fire.” 2 Timothy 3:16 — “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for instruction, for conviction, for correction, and for training in righteousness,” Human Defiance in Jeremiah 36 • King Jehoiakim hears the prophetic word and literally slices it apart. • The scroll’s destruction is an attempt to silence God’s voice. • No remorse appears in the court; the rejection is deliberate (Jeremiah 36:24-25). Divine Affirmation in 2 Timothy 3:16 • Paul declares every part of Scripture “God-breathed”—originating from God Himself. • Four clear functions flow from that divine origin: – Instruction: teaching what is true. – Conviction: exposing what is false or sinful. – Correction: restoring what is broken or misaligned. – Training in righteousness: shaping daily obedience. Contrast: Cutting Versus Submitting • Jehoiakim assumes authority over the text; Paul places himself under the text. • The king wields a knife; the believer wields obedience (James 1:22). • Jehoiakim’s fire consumes parchment; God’s Word remains unconsumed (Isaiah 40:8). The Indestructible Word • God immediately commands Jeremiah to rewrite the scroll—nothing is lost (Jeremiah 36:27-32). • Jesus promises that “not the smallest letter, not a stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear” (Matthew 5:18). • Peter confirms that “men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:21). Living Under Scripture’s Authority • Accept it as God-breathed, not man-made. • Allow it to instruct, convict, correct, and train without selective editing. • Trust its permanence when culture tries to burn or ignore it. • Respond with obedience, knowing “Your word, O LORD, is everlasting; it is firmly fixed in the heavens” (Psalm 119:89). |
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