Bible Reading: 2 Kings 12; 2 Timothy 2; Hosea 3 & 4; Psalm 119:121-144
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.
Of course Paul addressed this letter to Timothy who was a preacher of the Word of God. Yes, those who preach must study diligently, but this text also applies to all believers in Jesus. Have you ever thought that God gave us a book and he expects us to read it? But not only read it, we must study it. What do we mean when we say that we should study the Bible? Some say that reading and studying are the same thing, but that is not true. The Greek word here translated ‘study’ means to be earnest and diligent. It means to work or labor at something.
A believer can take their Bible and quickly read over a chapter or two and call that study. Compare with me two people watching a football game. One of them is a true fan and one of them is simply there and is only mildly interested in the game. One watches the game, but the true fan studies each play. At the end of the game, the casual watcher might be able to tell you the score and which team won. The one who studied the game could give you a play-by-play recap of the entire game. This person will know the names of the players and the positions they played. This person will be able to tell you what plays were run.
If we are to study the Bible we must look closely at each word and each sentence. We must carefully consider the context of the passage we are reading. If we are to study the Bible, we must compare Scripture with Scripture. This means that we do not only read the particular passage that we are studying, but we look up cross-references and compare similar passages. When a person diligently studies the Bible they will compare the Old Testament with the New.
The apostle uses an interesting explanation here. He says that an approved workman rightly divides the word of truth. This is a carpenter term that means to ‘cut it straight’. Imagine a careless carpenter who did not accurately measure his cuts before making them. When the house he is building is complete, it will not have straight lines. When someone looks at it they will know that an unskilled carpenter built it.
If we do not rightly divide the Word, the house of our lives will be crooked! God will not approve or our work and we will be ashamed. Can you see how important it is for a person to study the Bible which is the blueprint for a Godly life?
In Christ,
Rody
