“Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” 2 Timothy 2:15
In the second chapter of Paul’s second letter to Timothy, he uses several images to instruct believers. With each image, there is a lesson the Holy Spirit is making: the soldier must not become entangled; the farmer must be patient, and so on. But the image we want to consider is that of a workman. The workman must rightly divide the Word of truth if he is going to be approved.
Many dear saints have memorized the verse in a translation that includes the word “divide,” but a more practical and updated translation of the word can be found in the English Standard Version: “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the Word of truth.” The idea is that we ought to know how to handle the Word of truth so that we can handle it responsibly and with discernment.
Regardless of the translation, the exhortation to Timothy is that he was “neither to mutilate, nor twist, nor torture, nor break in pieces the Word of God, nor keep on the outside of it, as those do who never touch the soul of a text, but rightly to divide it, as one taught of God to teach others.”1 Whether you prefer the translation “rightly dividing,” “cutting in a straight line,” or “rightly handling,” the point is clear: correctly using the Word of truth takes work, effort, purpose, and discernment.
Rightly Dividing
One of the interesting truths that must be inferred from this exhortation to Timothy is that if the believer is exhorted to rightly handle the Word, then it must be easy (at least possible) to mishandle the Word or to wrongly divide the Word. Throughout history, heresy has been promulgated by well-presented arguments, loving attitudes, and the use (well, misuse) of Scripture. It seems as if that is stating the obvious, but it should cause believers to be on their guard, recognizing that a careful study of the Bible is essential to prevent one from being misled or, worse, misleading others! A believers cannot let his guard down when studying the Word, presenting the Word, or hearing the Word.
This phrase speaks of one of the most important principles in properly understanding the Bible: we must “rightly divide” it. That is, we must recognize the distinctions it makes. Let’s consider some of the most fundamental distinctions we need to recognize.
1. Recognize that God has dealt with man differently throughout history. This concept is often called “dispensationalism”—a big word with even larger significance. It simply means that God has worked in different ways at different times. God dealt differently with Adam and Eve, Noah, Moses and the Israelites, etc. Is that not evident? Do we worship God in the same manner the Israelites did? Of course not! Does God deal with us in the same way? Will He, for instance, ever flood the whole earth again? No, in each of these periods, man is given a deposit of truth and a test associated with how he will handle that truth. Much more could be written, but it goes beyond the purpose of this little article.
2. Recognize a distinction between the church and Israel. Even a casual student of the Bible will recognize that Israel has a unique and special place in history. He will also recognize that something changed after the resurrection of the Lord Jesus; a new body was formed, a body very different from Israel. While casual students may recognize this, a careful student must distinguish between that which is biblical, but wholly relegated to Israel, and that which is for the body of Christ (the Church) today. Much confusion is caused if a Bible teacher or student ascribes to the Church that which is Israel’s (or vice versa). Such confusion leads to a wrong understanding of what lies in the future for the children of God and also leads to a wrong understanding of the roles and responsibilities for believers today. In general, the Church is a heavenly body with spiritual blessings and an eternal focus. Israel is an earthly nation with physical blessings and a temporal focus. A wrong understanding of this concept can also lead a student or teacher to spiritualize God’s plans and promises to Israel or to import Jewish concepts (altars, incense, garments, etc.) into the Church.
3. Recognize that there are two times when the Lord will come to the Earth. In Old Testament prophecy, there are numerous verses that speak of a Messiah who will come with meekness and humiliation (e.g., Ps. 22). These scriptures present a Messiah who will be forsaken by God and rejected by man. But there are also scriptures that foretell a victorious Messiah who will come to restore Israel, reclaim the throne of David, and judge the Gentile nations. Failing to discern the difference between the first and second advents of the Son of God has led many to miss the first because they were looking for the second. Sadly, it will also cause many to experience the second advent without having embraced the first. Eternity is at stake when we wrongly handle the Word of truth.
4. Recognize that the believer has two natures. Born-again believers receive a new nature at the time of their new birth. God, in His perfect wisdom, allows the old nature to remain until that day when “we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as he is” (1 Jn. 3:2).
5. Recognize the difference between truths that pertain to the believer’s position and those that pertain to his practice. A believer’s position is the result of the finished work of Christ on the cross. It is perfect upon his new birth since it is solely the result of the work of God. His practice, however, is entirely different. Truths pertaining to the believer’s practice are often presented following truths about his position and involve exhortations on how believer’s ought to behave. Consider this example in Colossians: “If you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth” (Col. 3:1-2). The verse starts with the believer’s position in Christ (“raised with Christ”) and then tells us of the practice that ought to follow from that position. Mixing the truths relating to a believer’s position with those related to his practice can cause much heartache and confusion.
6. Recognize the difference between “faith unto salvation” and “service unto rewards.” Salvation is a free gift offered by God to sinners; rewards are given by God to believers for their faithful service to Him while here on earth. Many a misguided soul has confused the two and preached a “gospel” that leads straight to eternal judgment.
In Conclusion
There are other areas of truth that require a careful handling, but these examples should suffice to give the reader a basic understanding of the necessity of heeding the Holy Spirit’s instruction to Timothy, thereby enabling each and every believer to be a worker who need not be ashamed, but one who is approved to God. endnote 1 C. H. Spurgeon, Sermon #1217.