The verse says that the study of the scripture produces a perfect clergyman. But it does not say that the study of the scripture alone does that. In fact, the previous verse, verse 14 say that Timothy has to start with the knowledge he learned from St. Paul orally. "Profitable" or "useful" means that it is added on to something else, namely, the Holy Tradition of the Church.
This is silly. Are you suggesting the entire series of letters from Paul to Timothy are restricted to Timothy alone? That the "man of God" can be limited to Timothy (or the clergy) alone?
Please note the "tradition" of which Paul speaks is past or present tense. The "tradition" taught by the Apostles was never hinted at as a constantly developing thing.
I fat-finger and dislexify all the time, I didn't mean to be snotty. I inserted "sic" because I was not sure what the intended grammar was, but got the general meaning.
Are you suggesting the entire series of letters from Paul to Timothy are restricted to Timothy alone? That the "man of God" can be limited to Timothy (or the clergy) alone?
The scripture in 2 Timothy 3:17 does not restrict the "perfection" to Timothy alone, -- I never claimed it did. It does however say "man of God", and given that Timothy was a bishop who St. Paul consecrated, the natural reading is that the reference is to clergy. However, like with most scripture it is possible to read it expansively and say that not only trhe clergy but laymen as well can perfect their faith formation by studying the scripture.
That reading is fine with me, and of course the Church never restricts the study of the scripture to the clergy alone. The fact remains that the passage does not prove "sola scriptura" as it in fact says the opposite: that the scripture is useful addition toward perfection, the implication being that it does not alone furnish that perfection.