“and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 3:15).
As was the custom in the home of a Jewish parent, a child in the Biblical era began to receive instruction in the Old Testament Scriptures around the age of five. This represented the type of instruction that enabled Timothy to become “…wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.” This approach was also in keeping with the Biblical wisdom given to us in the Old Testament book of Proverbs: “Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it” (Proverbs 22:6).
While it is certainly true that many come to Christ following a misspent youth, a child who learns God’s Word from an early age has an opportunity to avoid many of the mistakes that often accompany an ungodly life. Therefore, those who seek to be God-honoring parents can draw inspiration from this portion of Scripture and teach the Scriptures to the children who have been entrusted to their care.
This reference to “…the Holy Scriptures, which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith in Christ Jesus” (GNT) is reminiscent of a conversation that Jesus once had with two of His disciples…
“And Jesus explained to them what was said about himself in all the Scriptures, beginning with the books of Moses and the writings of all the prophets” (Luke 24:27 GNT).
Jesus also referenced His presence within the Scriptures in speaking with a group of His opponents…
“You search the Scriptures because you think they give you eternal life. But the Scriptures point to me!” (John 5:39 NLT).
The New Testament book of Hebrews adds some additional insight regarding this passage…
“That is why, when Christ came into the world, he said to God… ‘Look, I have come to do your will, O God— as is written about me in the Scriptures'” (Hebrews 10:5, 7 NLT).
Thus, as one commentary observes, “Salvation is through faith which is in Christ Jesus. We should mark this well. It is not through good works, baptism, church membership, confirmation, obeying the Ten Commandments, keeping the Golden Rule, or in any other way that involves human effort or merit. Salvation is through faith in the Son of God.” (1)
(1) William MacDonald, Believer’s Bible Commentary, pg. 2123