Lessons

Handling the Word of God Accurately . The lesson on February 22, 2009 was focused on the spirit of Right Division which comes from 2 Timothy 2:15 “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” Although some things today appear to be outrageous, how can the Christian take a position on any issue that claims to be out of the Bible or received from God? How do we ensure that we do the right thing right? The principles of right division give the Bible student a compass and a rudder to study scripture and protect from error… by navigating through the Bible knowing what pertains to whom, and when. All scripture is profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness therefore, the Christian is lacking nothing to study and be approved unto God (2 Tim 2:15; 3:16,17). When you study the Bible, you must compare scripture with scripture (Phil 1:10) to arrive at the scriptures interpretation of what is being said. If you don’t then you may take the word of God out of context and arrive at your own interpretation full of error (2 Peter 1:20). It was Miles Coverdale, who gave us our first complete translation of the Bible, who had in the fly-leaf of his Bible the following words concerning the laws of interpretation: “It shall greatly help you to understand Scripture, if you mark not only what is spoken, or written, but of whom, and to whom, with what words, at what time, where, to what intent, with what circumstance, considering what goes before, and what follows”. We don’t want to be spiritual babies because we may start with the milk of the word, but the Lord has asked us to grow up and to be able to discuss the meat of scripture. Hebrews 5:12-14 says “For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.”