Context
2 Timothy 3:16 should be read within the flow of its chapter and the larger argument of 2 Timothy.
Common Interpretations
Notice what these passages claim. The claim in 2 Timothy 3:16 is about origin — God breathed out the Scriptures. The claim in 2 Peter 1:21 is about the mechanism — the Holy Spirit carried men along as they wrote. Neither passage makes a claim about English translations produced 1,500 to 2,000 years later by committees working under political, institutional, and theological pressures. Inerrancy applies to the autographs — the original manuscripts as God inspired them. This does not leave us without confidence. It means we must be honest about what we are holding in our hands when we pick up any English Bible: a translation, not the autograph. A faithful representation in most respects — but a human work nonetheless, subject to the limitations and, in some cases, the agendas of those who produced it.
Current Position
No defined position is stated here yet beyond the common interpretations above. As related study develops, this section will be updated where the text warrants a clearer conclusion.
Deeper Study
No deeper study linked yet.