Rightly Dividing The Word Of Truth
Written by: Delbert Magusara Haim
February 10, 2013
This passage is a very interesting truth in the bible. It contains the key of understanding the creation of God and even God himself. Many Christians use KJV Bible because of this passage that quietly revealing the exact usage of terms. The phrase “rightly dividing the word of truth” is nowhere in any Bible translation that with the same terminology.
NASB says,
ESV says,
NIV says,
Though all of them are having similarity of phrase, but in application I think there is something that differ more in them.
We all know that all of these Bible translators are just men and are flesh creatures of God, so we can’t just choose any of them and judge the right one among the others. Concerning the performance quality of a translator that we are going to use as an evidence of proof that this one is right, again we cannot do this way for still he is a flesh and is subject to corruption.
So how can we find the right one that we can use it in perfect understanding? Actually the term that differs here is only the word “DIVIDING” and “HANDLING”.
In Strong’s definition:
Handling – expressed as handle, operate, touch
Dividing – expressed as divide, dissect, cut
But still we don’t know yet who is expressing the right term. What we need is to know first the difference between these two terms. And as per Greek Strong’s definition of terms, the result is “dividing”- is just next to “handling”. Logically, we can handle something without dividing, but we can’t divide without touching. So they are both correct but not in the same place of application. The same as, the one is reading while other is studying with the common subject “the word of truth”.
Wherefore we will try to dig deeper about the word of truth of where these two different terminologies implied. And what must be the reason behind that we should only handle them or divide them?
Quoted below are the few passages that each of them has something to be handled or divided.
In Corinthians it says:
· Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers
· what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness?
· what communion hath light with darkness?
· And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols?
· Wherefore come out from among them
· be ye separate
· and touch not the unclean thing
In Ephesians it says:
· That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him
In 2 Timothy it says:
· For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him
· If we suffer, we shall also reign with him
· if we deny him, he also will deny us
· If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself
· strive not about words to no profit, but to the subverting of the hearers
In James it says;
· let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: 20 For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God
· lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word
· be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only
· whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed
· If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain
Now, what can you conclude concerning them? Are we going to cut/divide the bible, scriptures, and passages to have a right division of truth? Do we need to divide days, months, and years to have a right division of time? Do we need to separate men, women and children to have a right division of fellowship? Or to just handle them as it is written.
The answer is No! For it is about the division of truth and lie, heaven and earth, clean and unclean, life and death, good works and evil works. In short, it’s about the division between flesh and spirit.
Since the beginning of Genesis up to Revelation God always talks about two things in his creatures; the heaven and the earth.
Thus the method of dividing truth is not by comparing physical earth with spiritual earth, or by men with men but by spiritual things with spiritual.
For earthly things cannot be compared with spiritual things but must be divided. In this sense, the term “handling” is not the right expression concerning “the word of truth” – for it contains division that divide, cut, separate from the other one.
Here are also few passages that contain major doctrines with division concerning two things of God.
Now, which one is more fit unto them, the “handling” or the “dividing”?
Therefore:
It is “rightly dividing” as more concise implication of the word of truth between flesh and spirit.
February 10, 2013
- Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 2 Timothy 2:15
This passage is a very interesting truth in the bible. It contains the key of understanding the creation of God and even God himself. Many Christians use KJV Bible because of this passage that quietly revealing the exact usage of terms. The phrase “rightly dividing the word of truth” is nowhere in any Bible translation that with the same terminology.
NASB says,
- Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.
ESV says,
- 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.
NIV says,
- Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.
Though all of them are having similarity of phrase, but in application I think there is something that differ more in them.
We all know that all of these Bible translators are just men and are flesh creatures of God, so we can’t just choose any of them and judge the right one among the others. Concerning the performance quality of a translator that we are going to use as an evidence of proof that this one is right, again we cannot do this way for still he is a flesh and is subject to corruption.
So how can we find the right one that we can use it in perfect understanding? Actually the term that differs here is only the word “DIVIDING” and “HANDLING”.
In Strong’s definition:
Handling – expressed as handle, operate, touch
Dividing – expressed as divide, dissect, cut
But still we don’t know yet who is expressing the right term. What we need is to know first the difference between these two terms. And as per Greek Strong’s definition of terms, the result is “dividing”- is just next to “handling”. Logically, we can handle something without dividing, but we can’t divide without touching. So they are both correct but not in the same place of application. The same as, the one is reading while other is studying with the common subject “the word of truth”.
Wherefore we will try to dig deeper about the word of truth of where these two different terminologies implied. And what must be the reason behind that we should only handle them or divide them?
Quoted below are the few passages that each of them has something to be handled or divided.
In Corinthians it says:
- By the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left, 2 Corinthians 6:7
- Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? 15 And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? 16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, 2Co 6:14
· Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers
· what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness?
· what communion hath light with darkness?
· And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols?
· Wherefore come out from among them
· be ye separate
· and touch not the unclean thing
In Ephesians it says:
- In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Ephesians 1:13
- That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him: 11 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: 12 That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ. Eph 1:10
· That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him
In 2 Timothy it says:
- Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 2 Timothy 2:15
- It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him: 12 If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us: 13 If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself. 14 Of these things put them in remembrance, charging them before the Lord that they strive not about words to no profit, but to the subverting of the hearers. 2Ti 2:11
· For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him
· If we suffer, we shall also reign with him
· if we deny him, he also will deny us
· If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself
· strive not about words to no profit, but to the subverting of the hearers
In James it says;
- Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures. James 1:18
- Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: 20 For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God. 21 Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls. 22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. 23 For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: 24 For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. 25 But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed. 26 If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain. Jas 1:19
· let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: 20 For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God
· lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word
· be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only
· whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed
· If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain
Now, what can you conclude concerning them? Are we going to cut/divide the bible, scriptures, and passages to have a right division of truth? Do we need to divide days, months, and years to have a right division of time? Do we need to separate men, women and children to have a right division of fellowship? Or to just handle them as it is written.
The answer is No! For it is about the division of truth and lie, heaven and earth, clean and unclean, life and death, good works and evil works. In short, it’s about the division between flesh and spirit.
Since the beginning of Genesis up to Revelation God always talks about two things in his creatures; the heaven and the earth.
- In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. Gen 1:1
- And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. Revelation 21:1
Thus the method of dividing truth is not by comparing physical earth with spiritual earth, or by men with men but by spiritual things with spiritual.
- Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 1 Corinthians 2:13
- For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise. 2 Corinthians 10:12
For earthly things cannot be compared with spiritual things but must be divided. In this sense, the term “handling” is not the right expression concerning “the word of truth” – for it contains division that divide, cut, separate from the other one.
Here are also few passages that contain major doctrines with division concerning two things of God.
- In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. Gen 1:1
- And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit. 1 Corinthians 15:45
- But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. 1 Corinthians 2:14
- It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. 1 Corinthians 15:44
Now, which one is more fit unto them, the “handling” or the “dividing”?
Therefore:
It is “rightly dividing” as more concise implication of the word of truth between flesh and spirit.