Note 180 — CONFESSIONS OF AN INQUIRING SPIRIT.
Reading edition
It is remarkable that both parties might appeal to the same text of St. Paul,—πασα γραφη θεοπνευστος και ωφελιμος προς διδασκαλιαν, κ τ. λ. (2 Tim. iii. 16), which favours the one or the other opinion accordingly as the words are construed; and which, again, is the more probable construction, depends in great measure on the preference given to one or other of two different readings, the one having and the other omitting the conjunction copulative και.
[The English version is:—All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable, &c. And in this rendering of the original the English is countenanced by the established Version of the Dutch Reformed Church:—Alle de Schrift is van Godt ingegeven, ende is nuttigh, &c. And by Diodati:—Tutta la Scrittura è divinamente inspirata, e utile, &c. And by Martin:—Toute l'Ecriture est divinement inspirée, et profitable, &c. And by Beza:—Tota Scriptura divinitus est inspirata, et utilis, &c.
The other rendering is supported by the Vulgate:—Omnis Scriptura, divinitus inspirata, utilis est ad, &c. By Luther:—Denn alle Schrift von Gott eingegeben, ist nütse zur, &c. And by Calmet:—Toute l'Ecriture, qui est inspirée de Dieu, est utile, &c. And by the common Spanish translation:—Toda Escritura, divinamente inspirada, es util para enseñar, &c. This is also the rendering of the Syriac (Pesch.) and two Arabic Versions, and is followed by Clement of Alexandria, Origen, and most of the Fathers. See the note in Griesbach. Tertullian represents the sense thus:—Legimus, Omnem Scripturam, ædificationi habilem, divinitus inspirari. De Habit. Mul. c. iii. Origen has it several times, Θεοπνευστος ουσα, ωφελιμος εστι, and once as in the received text.—H. N. C.]