Rightly dividing the Word!

I was in bed enjoying a sound sleep when I became consciously aware of my dream. I do not remember the details of the whole dream but I do remember this! God had called out a Bible verse to me. He had called out 2 Timothy 2:15 “Study to show yourself approved to God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” (2 Timothy 2:15) I knew that God was telling me this for a purpose.

As I have thought about this over the past two days; it has come to me again, this time in conversation with my cousin Mike. He was telling me about a radio program that he had listened to and the preacher was talking on and on about theologies and doctrines. He was also speaking of prophecies and the end times. The thought came back to me about the study of God’s word! It became clear to me with this second time that I was to speak about the verse and to write about it.


I am not a theologian, nor do I have a desire to be. Theologians can be so heavenly minded that they are of no earthly good! We are all called to study God’s word and to rightly divide it! To me; that means that we are to preach and teach the word so that it leads to Christ! I have heard theologians debate the most intrinsic points of the Bible. I have also had them tell me that application of the word is not what they are about. For them, the joy is in the discovery, not the practice.

That thought terrifies me! I have seen both pastors and lay teachers teach theology based lessons that are so detailed that one gets lost in the minutia. The same can be said of doctrinal sermons and lessons. If we begin to disseminate any agenda into the sharing of the word; then we are not rightly dividing it! There is only one valid interpretation of God’s word and that is the one that the Holy Spirit intended when He inspired it in the hearts of men! If we are going to teach and preach the Bible, then do so. Be true to the Word! Don’t muddy the waters with minute details of theology or doctrine. Seek the truth from the Holy Spirit and let Him show you the deeper truth of the Word of God! John 16:13 tells us “But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.”

When we set out to study God’s word, we need to be pure in our motives for doing so. If or desire is to have a deeper understanding of the Word and to learn how we can apply it to our lives; that is good. However; if we study for the sake of study and we burden people with the minor details we have learned, then we are not rightly dividing it. We must keep our hearts and our purpose pure before God. He has given us a great charge! We must hold fast to that truth!

In Christ,
John