Rightly Dividing The Word Of Truth
by Pastor Cornelius R. Stam
St. Paul wrote to Timothy, many centuries ago:
“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in right- eousness” (II Tim. 3: 16).
The
Apostle referred, of course, to the sacred Scriptures, also called The
Bible and The Word of God. All of it, he says, is “God-breathed and
profitable,” to “teach,” to “reprove,” to “correct” and to “instruct.”
But
why, then, have so many heresies and false teachings sprung up through
the years – all based upon the Bible? And why have so many thousands of
sincere people been led astray by these false teachings?
The
reason is that teachers and followers alike have failed to heed another
important statement which Paul made in this same letter prior to his
declaration that all Scripture is inspired of God and profitable. This
statement is found in Chapter 2, Verse 15:
“Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of truth.”
The
Bible can prove “profitable” to us only as we “rightly divide” it. We
must rightly divide the Word of truth for the simple reason that if we
do not do this we can pervert the truth and change it into error.
Through the centuries God has periodically altered His dealings with
mankind. Many religious rites which were commanded in Old Testament
times are positively forbidden in this present dispensation of grace.
In
Old Testament times, for example, animal sacrifices were required for
acceptance with God, and from John the Baptist through Pentecost water
baptism was required (Lev. 17:11; Mk. 1:4; Acts 2:38), but some years
after the death of Christ Paul was sent forth with “the preaching of the
cross,” and he declared that: “We have redemption through [Christ’s]
blood, the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of His grace”
(Eph. 1:7) “Being justified freely by [God’s] grace, through the
redemption that is in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 3:24).
King James Bible
The Preserved and Living Word of God
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