Yes, all Scripture is inspired and profitable, but it is not all written directly to us.
Les Feldick teaches that all Scripture from Genesis through Revelation is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness. But the key to understanding the Bible is to recognize to whom each portion was originally written or spoken, because God dealt with Israel under the Old Testament program and deals with us today on resurrection ground.
2 Timothy 3:16-17 — This verse explicitly states that all Scripture is inspired by God and profitable, which is the foundation of Les's answer.
The Bible teaches that all Scripture is inspired by God and profitable. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 says, "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works." This verse uses the phrase "all Scripture," which Les points out means Genesis through Revelation. The Bible also teaches that no Scripture is of any private interpretation. 2 Peter 1:20-21 says, "Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost." Peter reveals that God wants us to search the Scriptures and compare Scripture with Scripture, not build a doctrine on isolated verses.
Les Feldick teaches that while all Scripture is inspired and profitable for us, it is not all addressed directly to us. He emphasizes that the confusion comes when people blend the entire Bible together and try to apply things God said to Israel directly to us today. Les uses the example of James to illustrate this: a difficult passage in James 3 or 4 is better understood when you go back to James 1:1 and see to whom it was written. Les stresses that Scripture is a progressive revelation. God didn't unload everything at once, and He reveals truths at different times. We must discern what is said to whom and when. He also teaches that while the things God hated in the Old Testament are still hated by Him today, we deal with God on different circumstances—we are now on resurrection ground.
Les teaches that the whole secret to understanding the Bible is to always remember to whom a particular portion is writing or speaking. He says, "don't try to get confused with what God said to Israel and bring it in necessarily as apropos today." This does not mean God has changed—He still hates the same things—but He deals with us on such far different circumstances. We are now on resurrection ground.
Les maintains that Scripture is a progressive revelation. God doesn't unload everything in Genesis or even in the Old Testament. He doesn't even tell everything during Christ's earthly ministry. As He sees fit, He reveals certain truths, and it is up to us to discern what and when they are. For example, the apostles' doctrine in Acts 2 included none of the revelations given to Paul later.
Les explains that Peter says no Scripture is a private interpretation. This means you cannot build a doctrine on one verse here and one verse there—you can build anything when you do that. Instead, it is our prerogative to use all the Scripture from Genesis through Revelation and see that it all fits. Seemingly contradictions arise, but when you study them, they fade away—they are not contradictory at all.
Les points to 2 Timothy 3:16 where the apostle writes that 'all Scripture'—and that means Genesis through Revelation—is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness. He explains that this is why all of it is good for every one of us, but it does not mean every part is directed to us. Paul's letters, for instance, bring out many doctrines you won't find anywhere else in Scripture.
Why the Gospel Changes After the Cross — Romans 3 Explained
Now what we're doing in this last few weeks, we're coming back now, and we are starting with the first advent or Christ's earthly ministry. That's the way I like to put it. His earthly ministry. Those three years. And then we're going to keep going now and we'll be covering the crucifixion, of course, and then we'll come into the book of Acts, and then we're going to go into Paul's epistle, and th…
Comparing Scripture With Scripture
Les teaches that no Scripture is of private interpretation and that we must compare Scripture with Scripture rather than isolating single verses.
Using All Scripture
Les teaches that we cannot build a doctrine on isolated verses; we must use all Scripture from Genesis through Revelation so that it all fits.
To Whom Is It Written?
Les teaches the whole secret to understanding the Bible is to remember to whom each portion was written, and that we deal with God on different circumstances today than Israel did.
Progressive Revelation
Les explains that Scripture is progressive revelation: God doesn't unload everything at once, so we must discern what and when truths are revealed.
Nebuchadnezzar's Dream That Predicted Every World Empire — Daniel 2
We, as I've said so often before, we're just an informal Bible study, and we don't try to twist people's arms out of one way of thinking into ours or anything like that, but we just like to open the Scriptures and help people to see what they really say. You know, so many of us have been hidebound by tradition, and if there's any word in the Scripture that is condemned, it's tradition.
All Scripture Is Profitable
Les points to 2 Timothy 3:16 as the basis that all Scripture is inspired and profitable, even though it is not all addressed directly to us.
Paul's Letters and All Scripture
Les says all Scripture is good for everyone, but he emphasizes spending time in Paul's epistles because they bring out doctrines found nowhere else.
2 Timothy 3:16-17: All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.
This is the key verse Les uses to affirm that all Scripture is inspired and profitable.
2 Peter 1:20-21: Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.
This verse supports the need to compare Scripture with Scripture rather than isolating verses.
James 1:1: James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting.
Les cites this verse as the key to understanding the setting and audience of the book of James.
Yes, all Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for us, but that does not mean every part is addressed directly to us. Les Feldick teaches that we must understand to whom each portion was written and that God deals with us on different circumstances than He did with Israel.
Les teaches that the whole secret to understanding the Bible is to remember to whom a particular portion is writing or speaking. Knowing the audience prevents wrongly applying passages meant for Israel to the church today.
Les explains that no Scripture is a private interpretation, so you cannot build a doctrine on one verse here and one verse there. Instead, we are to use all the Scripture from Genesis through Revelation and see that it all fits.
Watch the Teaching: Why the Gospel Changes After the Cross — Romans 3 Explained