Note 332 — SERMON III.[330]

That θεόπνευστος is the predicate, seems sufficiently obvious. So Athanasius, in the passage above quoted. So Gregory of Nyssa: διὰ τοῦτο πᾶσα γραφὴ θεόπνευστος λέγεται, διὰ τὸ τῆς θείας ἐμπνεύσεως εἶναι διδασκαλίαν. (Contr. Eunom. Orat. VI. ii. 605.) Amphilochius, Bishop of Iconium, quotes the place in the same way.—Basil also, saying—Πᾶσα γραφὴ θεόπνευστος καὶ ὠφέλιμος, διὰ τοῦτο συγγραφεῖσα παρὰ τοῦ Πνεύματος, (Hom. in Psalm. I. i. 90,)—clearly adopts the construction assumed in the text.—Ambrose (De Spir. Sancto, lib. II. c. 16. ii. 688,) says,—"In Scriptura Divina, θεόπνευστος omnis ex hoc dicitur, quod Deus inspiret quæ locutus est Spiritus." (The above are from Lee on Inspiration, which see, pp. 260, 493, 599.)—Tertullian (quoted by Tisch.) says, "Legimus omnem Scripturam ædificationi habilem, divinitus inspirari."—A few modern scholars have suggested that θέοπν. may be an epithet, not a predicate. The doctrine will remain the same either way; for the meaning of the place can only be, "Every Scripture, being inspired, is also profitable," &c. This is Origen's view: but his criticism is not in point, inasmuch as he read the text differently, (omitting the καί.) Lee aptly compares the construction of πᾶν κτίσμα Θεοῦ καλὸν, καὶ οὐδὲν ἀπόβλητον. (1 Tim. iv. 4.)