Rightly Dividing?

[DaveW]

2Ti 2:15  Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 

 

Personally, I think that some here are confused as to what it means to rightly divide the word of truth.

 

In trying to fit their own definition of dividing into the context, they actually miss the point of the passage.

 

2Pe 1:20  Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. 

 

I wonder if they have any other support for their wrong form of dividing the word of truth, or if they rely simply on a false understanding of this one single verse taken in isolation?

[John81]

We've seen in countless threads that certain ones use the term "rightly divide" as their own personal weapon. Whenever they wield "rightly divide" it's in the context of "I'm right, you're wrong because I'm rightly dividing and you aren't." Their "proof" that they are wise and correct while those who disagree with them are foolish and wrong is nothing more than their wrong interpretation of and using of those two words, "rightly divide".

 

You are very right Dave in that their constant tossing around of that phrase adds nothing meaningful to the issue at hand, serves as no proof or disproof whatsoever, even while it's used to demean and belittle others.

[No Nicolaitans]

I've never seen so many "right dividers" in my life. I've never seen so many "right-dividers" who disagree either.

 

I'll be honest, there seems to be such a huge influx of people using "right dividing" these days (and I'm not just talking about here on Online Baptist), that when I see someone wielding that phrase, it throws up a red flag in my mind. As John81 said, they tend to use that as proof that they are right.

 

We have so many claiming to "rightly divide the word" today, but the Bible is pretty clear...

 

 2 Timothy 4:3-4

  3   For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;
  4   And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.

 

Either people aren't "rightly dividing" after all, or they fall into the above category.

[No Nicolaitans]

I'm going to rightly divide some scripture...

 

Colossians 2:21-22a
  21   (Touch not; taste not; handle not;
  22   Which all are to perish with the using;) 

 

See...the Bible says that if you touch, taste, and handle...you'll perish. YOU'LL GO TO HELL!

 

Therefore, I'm going to start a new church...called "The Nonsense Church", because the Bible strictly forbids the use of some of our senses here in Colossians 2. I got that from rightly dividing the word.

 

Here at The Nonsense Church, we believe in nonsense. We believe in OBeying God's clear command to touch not, taste not, and handle not. Therefore, to keep our members from perishing in hell, we will first cut off every member's fingers...so they can't touch anything. Next, we will cut out each member's tongue...so they can't taste anything. Finally, though the fingers have already been cut off...just to be safe and OBedient (because we rightly divide the word), we will cut off the remaining parts of each member's hands...so they can't handle anything. Nonsense makes the best sense here at The Nonsense Church!

 

We would love to have you be a part (or lack thereof) of our church...The Nonsense Church!

 

Anybody wanna join?  

[DaveW]

I'm going to rightly divide some scripture...

 

Colossians 2:21-22a
  21   (Touch not; taste not; handle not;
  22   Which all are to perish with the using;) 

 

See...the Bible says that if you touch, taste, and handle...you'll perish. YOU'LL GO TO HELL!

 

Therefore, I'm going to start a new church...called "The Nonsense Church", because the Bible strictly forbids the use of some of our senses here in Colossians 2. I got that from rightly dividing the word.

 

Here at The Nonsense Church, we believe in nonsense. We believe in OBeying God's clear command to touch not, taste not, and handle not. Therefore, to keep our members from perishing in hell, we will first cut off every member's fingers...so they can't touch anything. Next, we will cut out each member's tongue...so they can't taste anything. Finally, though the fingers have already been cut off...just to be safe and OBedient (because we rightly divide the word), we will cut off the remaining parts of each member's hands...so they can't handle anything. Nonsense makes the best sense here at The Nonsense Church!

 

We would love to have you be a part (or lack thereof) of our church...The Nonsense Church!

 

Anybody wanna join?  

I went to put my hand up and say "Yes me", but..............

 

[Steve Schwenke]

"Rightly Dividing the word of truth" requires STUDY and WORK. 

Failure to "rightly divide" results in false teaching, as demonstrated by the passage.  Hymenaus and Philetus were teaching post-millennialism, which Paul uses as an example of "wrong division." 

 

Isa. 28:9-13 comes to mind, along with Prov. 2:1-9

[AVBibleBeliever]

"Rightly Dividing the word of truth" requires STUDY and WORK. 

Failure to "rightly divide" results in false teaching, as demonstrated by the passage.  Hymenaus and Philetus were teaching post-millennialism, which Paul uses as an example of "wrong division." 

 

Isa. 28:9-13 comes to mind, along with Prov. 2:1-9

You are absolutely correct Steve, Study and Work is required.  Not taking what some man or group says and then going with it, claiming it is true, when the person has not done an unbiased study of it for themselves. 

 

I would take it more and say, deep study, work and meditation upon the word of God is part of presenting yourself as one approved unto God and in doing such you will rightly divide the word of Truth.

 

The first study I recommend for a man who comes to me and says he wants to know how to study the word of God is to take 2Tim 2:15 and take its parts and study the terms and phrases out. I often give them a little push by saying seek out the first use of the term "word of truth" and then in the context of that Chapter and book learn what are the different terms used to describe the word of Truth.

 

This one encouragement has led men down the road to study that will benefit them spiritually for the rest of their days upon this earth.

[John81]

Many men study and work yet wrongly divide while being certain within themselves they have rightly divided since they put so much effort into it.

 

This is why, for instance, there can be two evangelists greatly used of the Lord to help bring thousands of lost souls to salvation in Christ and yet they hold to very different views on key points of Scripture. I'm currently thinking of the partnership between Wesley and Whitefield. In thinking of them and their very different views on some matters, it's also to be noted most IFBs would disagree with both men on certain points as well. In this case we could see an IFB, say Rice for example, Wesley and Whitefield, all of which were greatly used of the Lord, all of which spent much time in the study of the Word, and all three with different views on certain aspects of Scripture, and all three certain they had rightly divided the Word.

[beameup]

There are a very large number of Christians, including many Baptists, that feel that "the Church" has replaced Israel. 

They look at the Bible as an undivided whole, and directly applicable to "the Church".  They don't do any "dividing".

[AVBibleBeliever]

There are a very large number of Christians, including many Baptists, that feel that "the Church" has replaced Israel. 

They look at the Bible as an undivided whole, and directly applicable to "the Church".  They don't do any "dividing".

Amen Brother Amen.

[MountainChristian]

Wouldn't they have to do a lot of dividing to remove Israel? My Bible is full of promises to Israel, if they took them as a whole they would keep the promises, but they divide the promises over and over until in the end Israel is left out. 

[AVBibleBeliever]

I heard a person today who was just asked to pray, a very boastful person, well anyway, they quoted a verse in Issiah and claimed it was for the church today.  This is one of church substitution of Israel types.

 

 Isa 49:16 Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of [my] hands; thy walls [are] continually before me.  It is about Zion a city also known as Jerusalem, and more intimately it is concerning Israel as his chosen nation, his servants who have forsaken him.
 

[Ukulelemike]

You know, I think much of the right dividing of the Bible is a lot easier than we make it out to be. So much of the Bible is remarkably clear, but we tend, as humans, to approach it with ideas already formed. I have found myself doing that when preparing a sermon a time or two, and the word made me have to change.

 

We also, as humans, like to take the Bible and fit it all into comfy man-made compartments and declare: 'Here is truth!' Calvinism and Arminianism are good examples-both have merit, but both contain error, neither are whole, and in some areas, they can compliment each other. But that man wants to set doctrines into their own box shows in the fact that som many will say, "Oh you aren't reformed? You're an Arminian!", or vice-versa-we MUST be one or the other, when really, noither is complete or correct on their own.

 

People argue the merits or lack of merits of, say, eternal security. I say, just get saved and live your life for the Lord, confess your sins and let the Lord worry about the keeping. Its like, so, if I can't lose my salvation, does that mean I can do as I like and go to Heaven? if I CAN lose it, how much can I get away with, and still keep it?  And I say, just live for the Lord and there won't be a prOBlem, right? As long as we understand salvation, how we are born into the household of faith, then let us live for Christ and we need to worry about it. I do, by the way, believe in eternal security of salvation, for the record.

 

None of us are perfect-we are all, even with the Spirit of God, subject to making an error or two. We need to always consider ourselves students, not masters, always seeking to learn, to discover. Not saying to be tossed with every wind of doctrine, but neother should we be afraid to look into things we disagree with, through careful scriptural study, if for no other reason than to help an erring brother But when we do, we might be surprised at what we learn ourselves.

[John81]

One of the main prOBlems is that rightly dividing simply means to study the Scriptures to come to the right understanding. Some mistakenly take the word "dividing" to mean they are to look for divisions in the Bible from which they then create all sorts of man-made theories and often crazy or dangerous doctrines.

[No Nicolaitans]

One of the main prOBlems is that rightly dividing simply means to study the Scriptures to come to the right understanding. Some mistakenly take the word "dividing" to mean they are to look for divisions in the Bible from which they then create all sorts of man-made theories and often crazy or dangerous doctrines.

 

Finally...