3:2

they were entrusted with: That is, the Jews. (See Glossary, “Jew.”) Moses wrote at De 29:29: “The things revealed belong to us [Israelites] and to our descendants forever.” At Ps 147:19, 20, God is said to declare “his word . . . to Israel,” something he had not done “with any other nation.” Jesus alluded to the Jews’ being entrusted with God’s word of salvation and true worship when he said: “Salvation begins with the Jews.” (Joh 4:22; see study note.) Paul here confirms that Jehovah had entrusted the Jews with writing the Hebrew-Aramaic portion of the inspired Scriptures. Also, the books of the Christian Greek Scriptures were composed by the Jewish disciples of Jesus. So the Jews were custodians of Scriptural knowledge, and they were responsible for composing the books of the entire Bible canon.​—See study notes on Lu Title and 24:44.

sacred pronouncements: This expression occurs only four times in the Christian Greek Scriptures, and it translates the plural form of the Greek word loʹgi·on (meaning “little word”), a diminutive of loʹgos (word). Originally, loʹgi·on meant only a brief sacred statement, but in time it came to signify any divine communication. Paul here referred to the entire Hebrew Scriptures and apparently also to the part of the Christian Greek Scriptures written up to that time. The writing of this body of inspired Scriptures was entrusted to the Jews, who wrote “as they were moved by holy spirit.” (2Pe 1:20, 21) In the Septuagint, the word loʹgi·on is often used to render Hebrew expressions that refer to God’s pronouncements, such as at Ps 12:6 (11:6, LXX): “The sayings of Jehovah are pure.”