How to rightly divide the Word of God. First thing to know about this is the truth about ourselves, about God, and about the Bible. In order to really understand what I am saying in this article you really need to have read the first article listed in the web site table of contents. The article titled "Help for new believers - with scriptural references". As we have already seen from scripture shown in that article, the truth about ourselves is that without God we can't receive or believe the things of God, so without Him revealing it to us it is not possible for us to correctly understand what the Bible is telling us. Anything we know about the things of God we know because He has revealed them to us. When we decided to believe what He was saying and therefore repented of our sins and gave ourselves to God as our Lord and Savour, God indwelled us with the Holy Spirit who will lead us into all truth. We learn to not automatically believe what we think or feel but to check it first to see if it agrees with what God says in His Word. We learn to put off the thoughts and feelings that do not agree with God and put on the ones that do. We learn that studying scripture does not mean we will see the truth - John 5:37-40: (NIV)
"And the Father who sent me has himself testified concerning me. You have never heard his voice nor seen his form, nor does his word dwell in you, for you do not believe the one he sent. You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life."
"But", many will say, "the Bible itself says to study the Bible in order to understand it correctly". This topic gives us an opportunity to put into practice what the Bible says. Most people use 2 Timothy 2:15 as the verse that tells us to "study". Read some different translations of that verse from Bibles that are considered acceptable by real Christians that I have provided here:
(NIV) "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. "
(NASB) "Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth."
(KJV) "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."
(NKJV) "Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."
The only version that uses the word "study" is the King James version of the translations listed. We will talk about the different translations when we talk about the Bible in the following paragraphs, but now lets deal with the word "study" that appears in the King James version. This instruction to "study" is a good example of how the Bible explains itself. It is a good example of how getting more pieces of the puzzle will make a part of the picture clearer, as well as the whole picture. I may have a piece of the puzzle that is colored a bright blue. I could guess or assume that the blue is water, or sky, or something painted blue, or a close-up of a blue flower, and on and on. But as I get more and more pieces of the puzzle together it turns out that the blue piece is part of the blue skin of a fish swimming in a fish bowl that I am seeing in the reflection of someone's silver sunglasses as they are carrying the fish bowl while riding in a car through a tunnel, and so on and so on. Our first response to the instruction to "study" usually is to think we are so supposed to figure it out like solving a math problem. We think we are supposed to search the Bible for clues and reason out the answer. To do that is to ignore what the Bible says about our ability to figure out the things of God. It says we can't figure them out. Only God can reveal them to us. So by blending what the Bible says about our ability to figure out the things of God with the Bible's instruction to study in the King James version, we know it does not mean to try to figure it out. So what does it mean when it says to "study"? The Bible says to do other things concerning the Word. It says to meditate on the Word -Joshua 1:8: (NIV)
"Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful."
This verse explains what it means to meditate. It pictures always keeping God's instructions in mind. Here "meditate" means to keep your focus on God's commands so you don't break them. It tells us to think about God's laws constantly so that we know what to do and not do. It is not an instruction to figure them out, just to know and keep in mind what they are. So now blending all these concepts we have a clearer picture of what God means by "study". It means learn what the Bible says, not figure it out. Just about the time you think you understand all that God has to say about something, God may show you something in the Bible that you never saw before that changes the meaning of what you thought you understood in the first place. This is a lesson God uses the story of Job to teach us. Also as we look at the verse from a number of acceptable translations we see that other translators chose different words to describe the meaning of the verse. So which version is the correct one. The Bible says all scripture is from God and can be trusted. When the Bible refers to scripture it is only talking about what is written in the Bible, but which Bible? So how do we be sure we are accurately interpreting the Bible? Notice that the same verse that tells us to have God renew our minds tells us something about this topic - Romans 12:2-3: (NIV)
"Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you."
It says that the result of having our minds renewed is that we will be able to test and approve what God's will is. We can trust God that, if we are sincere and whole-hearted in our efforts to seek Him for knowledge and understanding of His ways, and are humble enough to wait for Him to make clear to us what the Bible is saying, God will make clear to us what He wants us to know. Our job then is to put what He has made clear to us into action in our lives, and humbly and patiently wait for Him to make more clear to us. Do we go to someone else to find answers who say they can accurately interpret the Bible? No, nobody is God but God. Then what is the answer? If nobody knows then can I just believe what I think it says? In a way yes, but with limitations. Live by what you think it says knowing that God has shown you for the moment what He wants you to know. But be always acutely aware that you do not know it all and that God is always working in your life to increase your understanding and correct you. Keep asking Him to grow you in your understanding and correct you. And as much as possible listen to what others believe who are doing the work of "walking in the Light" (explained in the "Help for new believers - with scriptural references" page). Do not be dogmatic. Always be open to being corrected and to know more. We already know from what has been stated in "Help for new believers - with scriptural references" that we are clearly instructed to be in agreement with each other instead of divided. So knowing that, and knowing that we cannot trust ourselves or other people, and knowing that we are always in the process of growing and do not know it all (all explained guess where - "Help for new believers - with scriptural references"); we know that we are not to be dogmatic and think we know so much that we can ignore what other real Christians believe. As much as possible we must examine the scriptures to see if what other real Christians believe is true. Just because we did not see it before does not mean it is not true. God instructs us to submit to each other and to not hide things from each other, but expose the hidden things to the Light - Eph. 5:8-14: (NIV)
"For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord. Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. But everything exposed by the light becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light. This is why it is said:
'Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.' "
This submission to each other, bringing all things including the hidden things into the light, and examining the scriptures together to find out what the Bible really says, is all part of the process of "rightly dividing the Word of God". It is okay to reach the conclusion we are not sure about a lot of things. Just live by what we are confident of, and stay in fellowship if possible with the real Christians who are confident of something else, continuing to work with each other to see what the truth is. And remember what God says in 1 Corinthians 8: (NIV)
"Now about food sacrificed to idols: We know that “We all possess knowledge.” But knowledge puffs up while love builds up. Those who think they know something do not yet know as they ought to know. But whoever loves God is known by God.
So then, about eating food sacrificed to idols: We know that 'An idol is nothing at all in the world' and that 'There is no God but one'. For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as indeed there are many 'gods' and many 'lords'), yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live.
But not everyone possesses this knowledge. Some people are still so accustomed to idols that when they eat sacrificial food they think of it as having been sacrificed to a god, and since their conscience is weak, it is defiled. But food does not bring us near to God; we are no worse if we do not eat, and no better if we do.
Be careful, however, that the exercise of your rights does not become a stumbling block to the weak. For if someone with a weak conscience sees you, with all your knowledge, eating in an idol’s temple, won’t that person be emboldened to eat what is sacrificed to idols? So this weak brother or sister, for whom Christ died, is destroyed by your knowledge. When you sin against them in this way and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother or sister to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause them to fall."
The truth about God is that He is always right. He knows everything. He is completely capable of convincing you of what He wants you to know and will do it as long as you let Him. He only has what is best for you and everyone else in mind. He has a perfect game plan and shows everyone what they need to see at the right time they need to see it, so that His game plan for everyone accomplishes what it needs to accomplish for each individual and for all things, altogether, at every moment in time. God does not change.
The truth about the Bible is that God made sure the Bible was written by men in such a way that it says what He wants it to say. Through the Holy Spirit God inspired men to describe God's ways for the past, present, and future. The Old Testament has everything in it from the beginning of creation to the end. It has in it all the fundamentals of the New Testament. The Old testament was written in such a way that the Holy Spirit can use the Old Testament to reveal Christ and His teachings. In the same way that God inspired men to write the Old Testament He inspired men to put together the New Testament. The New Testament is not an addition to the Old Testament. "God" consists of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. We may not understand this "three in one" concept but it is what the Bible describes is God. Jesus Christ is God - John 1:1-17: (NIV)
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
There was a man sent from God whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.
The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John testified concerning him. He cried out, saying, "This is the one I spoke about when I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’”) Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ."
God inspired men to write articles concerning Jesus Christ, and to put together these writings, just as He did the Old Testament. All that God inspired men to write about in the New Testament has already had its foundation laid in the Old Testament. The Old Testament and the New Testament do not conflict with each other. They both describe God, His ways, and His plan from the beginning to the end of creation. We know that we can trust the New Testament as scripture because the foundation concerning what is described there was already laid in the Old Testament. And we know we can trust that the Old testament is Scripture because it is mentioned in the New Testament. Both "Testaments" include the concepts of each other in their descriptions of God, His ways, and His plans from the begriming to end of creation. If the question comes up concerning adding new writings to the Bible, or removing writings from the Bible, the answer "don't". God inspired real men, who believed in the God of the Bible, to write it, put it together, and keep it written in such a way that it always retains the same messages. Many translations have been made. Many have tried to add or take away messages. But God inspired men to make sure that, even if the words changed, the messages stayed the same. God inspired men to check what was being added or taken away to make sure that all the messages remained and were not changed. Anytime someone tried to add a message that had not been described someway in the Bible already, God inspired real men of God to reject that addition. The same thing happened when someone tried to change or remove an existing message. Using the counsel of real Christians not thinking they know it all and, instead, submitting to each other, God inspires real Christians to keep the messages in the Bible the same. A good example of this is demonstrated by a movement of some who are trying to rewrite the Bible removing all the terms that apply to gender. Most real Christians reject this idea because it changes messages already existing in the Bible. If there are any that do not reject this idea, they are guilty of not submitting to the counsel of their brothers and sisters and therefore are being led astray from God's ways. The Bible is a completed collection of God planned writings that describe what He wants us to know concerning God, His ways, and His plan. What is written there describes to us in various words the concepts God wants us to know and believe. The various words describe ideas, pictures, scenes, actions, history, etc. that the Holy Spirit opens our minds to understand. All the various ideas, pictures, scenes, actions, history etc. are descriptions that blend together to accurately show us what God wants us to know. Any translation that keeps all the same "messages", and keeps the messages the same, can be trusted. It is not the words themselves. It is the concepts and facts that the words describe that God wants us to know. I mention some good translations in the article for new believers.
The reason why "Christians" have so many divided groups arguing or rejecting each other over what they think the Bible says is because those "Christians" are not living by what the Bibles tells us when it describes the things already described in these web pages. A good example of this concerns what the Bible tells us about those who lead the church. It is mind boggling how so many people think that a church is supposed consist of a Pastor who leads everyone and everything. Even the churches that have more than one Pastor usually have a "head" Pastor leading everyone and everything. The people that believe in this read all the Bible passages telling us about a Pastor, and overseers, and shepherds, etc.. They couple these scriptures with the ones that tell us to submit to those in authority in churches. The result is a million churches that have one man deciding what God is saying for the people of that church, and the people trusting that one man. Whoops what happened to the other concepts we have been told about. The ones about not trusting any man, and that not any man can trust Himself, and that no-one knows the whole truth, and that we are to submit ourselves to each other and examine scripture together to see what it really says (1 Corinthians 8:2 (NIV) "Those who think they know something do not yet know as they ought to know." Romans 12:3-5: (NIV) "For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others."). When everything depends on what one man believes God is telling him, without, in proper humility, submitting himself to be examined by the other real Christians of his church, then we have all the divisions we have today. And a lot of these dividing issues are extreme enough to very seriously hurt, even kill, people. The Bible does say that there are church leaders, and that the people in the church are to submit to the leaders, so how do these seemingly opposing concepts work together? As with all the things that God wants us to know, the Bible explains itself on this matter. When one reads all of what the Bible describes concerning church leadership, one understands that the picture is of multiple leaders in the church in submission to each other. Pastor, elder, overseer, shepherd all describe the same leadership role. They are all leaders. In the Bible churches are described as having multiple leaders. Jesus chose several leaders of the church. Those leaders submitted themselves to each other. Those leaders made their decisions by consulting with each other. Leaders (not leader) were appointed to each church. Different types of leaders are described to build up the church and they are not described as being under the control of anyone but God. God did not want Israel to have a King. One of the leaders of a church is a "Prophet". "Prophets" give messages from God to lead and/or correct people. If there is one man who leads a church by hearing from God himself, then how can God correct him through a prophet. Let us say that a "one-man" leader is not hearing God tell him something God wants him to know. So God sends a prophet to that man to tell him what it is that he is not hearing from God. So the prophet gives the word from God to that one-man leader to correct him. Then that leader, because he thinks all he has to do is pray alone for God to show him everything, goes and prays to see if what the prophet said is really from God or not. Then that leader, who is not hearing the message from God in the first place, concludes that the prophet is not from God because he did not hear God tell that message directly to that him. Well we do not have to worry ourselves over that scenario because when you blend all that the Bible describes concerning church leadership you see that God does not leave it up to one man. God uses a group of leaders, so that even the leaders can obey God concerning all His teaching. Including those teachings about not trusting any man, and that not any man can trust Himself, and that no-one knows the whole truth, and that we are to submit ourselves to each other and examine scripture together to see what the Bible really says. Thus we can submit ourselves to those multiple leaders because they as well as our selves are living by all the teaching of the Bible. So, as I said before, this topic has brought up a good example of how to "rightly divide the Word of God". It was the blend of all that we saw in the Bible's descriptions concerning church leadership that gave us the clearer picture. None of these concepts had to be "figured out". All that had to happen was to read the Bible and let each aspect of its descriptions blend to give a clearer explanation of the topic. To accurately understand the Bible is to live by all of its concepts letting each one describe an aspect of how the whole works together.