I was out with a friend the other day, and he mentioned an interesting phrase he came across in 2 Timothy 2:15, “rightly dividing the word of truth.” The whole verse reads, “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” The phrase in question means to understand, correctly interpret and teach the Scriptures with the help of the Holy Spirit. The Greek word for “rightly dividing” implies guiding the truth along a straight path, expounding it soundly, and shaping it rightly. In the ESV translation, this word is rendered as “rightly handling the word of truth.”
Paul writing his young protégé Timothy such instruction in 2 Timothy should not surprise us since this letter presents Paul’s final words to a beloved kingdom laborer. We should all live life in such a way that we can say, like Paul, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:7). In context, 2 Timothy 2:15, Paul is instructing us on how to teach the truth of God’s Word. He also describes how not to do it. We are not to be like false teachers. Paul writes, “But avoid irreverent babble, for it will lead people into more and more ungodliness” (2 Timothy 2:16). The false teacher may seek people’s approval, but the true teacher seeks God’s approval. Why? Because he does not want to be ashamed before God.
Living by the word and teaching it rightly may not win us any popularity contests. The Bible can be intrusive. However, it instructs on how to know God and make Him known, leading us into God’s preferred destiny for us. I am reminded of Proverbs 3:7, “Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil. Also, Proverbs 16:2 says, “All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the spirit.” I would rather be a fool in the eyes of man than a fool in the eyes of God. I certainly don’t want to be the proverbial blind man leading the blind.
Regarding the phrase “rightly dividing,” false teachers may twist meanings for their own purposes. This is not so for those who “rightly handle the word of truth.” The true teacher must have nothing to do with godless or empty talk. Such discussions only lead people away from God.
I met with a person once who sought to teach God’s Word. I proceeded to provide some help on how to rightly study and apply the Bible. The person’s response, “I don’t have time for that!” I responded, “Then, please don’t teach God’s Word.”
Paul warns us, “For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions” (2 Timothy 4:3). In other words, false teaching increases because people want to hear what pleases them rather than what is true. “Itching ears” addresses a harmful curiosity to hear anything new and sensational running from one teacher to another. We need to be rooted in the truth because unquestionably accepting as truth whatever is said – or printed – leads only to following fables and falsities down a destructive path.
The good news is we have Scripture. We know how to study the Bible; if not, we can learn how to do so rightly (hermeneutic principles). We, believers, have the Holy Spirit to help us read, understand, and apply God’s Word to our lives. I am glad my friend mentioned the phrase “rightly dividing the word of truth.” I pray we are found “rightly handling the word of truth” in our lives. Such living glorifies God, blesses us, and benefits others. Soli Deo Gloria (Glory to God Alone)!