Study up! What does “rightly dividing” the Word of Truth mean and how do you do it? (2 Timothy 2:15)

This is it! We’re diving into the Word to get geared up to make 2019 the year of MORE for each of us.

I will be sharing a short video and/or post with what God has shown me and I’ll also share it on Facebook and possibly even Instagram with the hashtag #2019MORE and also tagging myself.

And remember, we’re in this together, so I hope you’ll share about your journey to encourage others who are in this too. And be sure to use the hashtag #2019MORE and tag me so we can see each other’s posts.

So, let’s dig in to the Word together. Below, I’ve shared 2 Timothy 2:15 in the New King James Version and also in the Amplified Classic because I want you to see the power of what the Amplified does by expanding the Scripture and giving us a little glimpse of the significance of the original language.

Check it out! It’s powerful!

2 Timothy 2:15 (NKJV) Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

2 Timothy 2:15 (Amplified Classic) Study and be eager and do your utmost to present yourself to God approved (tested by trial), a workman who has no cause to be ashamed, correctly analyzing and accurately dividing [rightly handling and skillfully teaching] the Word of Truth.

Basically, it’s telling us it’s time to STUDY UP! 

The questions I shared in the free devotional were:

• • • • What’s the command and what’s the purpose of the command in this verse?
      • What plans can you put in place to obey this specific passage?
    • What does it mean to rightly divide the Word of God?

What’s the command and what’s the purpose of the command in this verse?

There is only one actual command in this passage. Be diligent. 

• Be diligent (Command)
• to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed (purpose of the command)
• rightly dividing the word of truth (Participle that expands how we are to be diligent)

Some versions use the word “Study” or “Do your best” but “Be diligent” in the Greek is the verb, “spoudazō” and it means to, “strive, be earnest, be diligent, make every effort, be eager, be zealous.”

As I thought about that word, I couldn’t help but think that’s not only what I want to do during 2019, but it’s what I want my life to look like. Yes, I want to be MORE diligent, earnest, eager, and zealous about knowing the God and making Him known in 2019… but I don’t want it to stop with 2019. My prayer is that 2019 will be the catalyst for a diligent, eager, zealous life for Christ.

How about you? What do you think about the 1 command Paul gives Timothy in 2 Timothy 2:15?

What plans can you put in place to obey this specific passage?

This seems so simple to write out but much more difficult to do because life happens, seasons change our circumstances, and, if you’re like me, we can even make excuses for why we don’t do what we know we should.

So, I’m putting some plans on paper and I’m going to look at them throughout the year as a reminder to myself.

• Go to bed earlier. (I’m a night owl and an early bird in the same skin and I’m really just getting too old for all of that. 😉 If the early bird gets the worm, then I need to start getting to bed earlier so I can get up earlier.) How about you?
• Get up earlier. (I’m starting a new job on January 2nd that will require me to get up earlier than normal, so that means I need to get up earlier than my normal early. I’m going to start setting my alarm for 5:45am. That will give me an hour with the Lord and I know I need that time with Him much more than I need more shut-eye.) What’s your plan?
• Read 2 – 3 chapters in the Old Testament and 1 chapter in the New Testament daily. (I used to do that and it was such a blessing to literally fill up with the Word before I got busy doing other things. It really only takes about 15 or so minutes depending on the length of the chapters, but I sincerely can’t justify making excuses to say I can’t read God’s Word for 15-20 minutes a day. So, that’s my plan. I may have to do the Old Testament in the morning and the New Testament in the evening in a sort of Spurgeon–ish fashion, but I can’t think of anything better than getting up with the Word and going to sleep with the Word.) How about you?
• Read supplemental study books during lunch at work a couple of times a week. (Not like legalistically, but to encourage me in the middle of the day. I haven’t worked outside the home in an office environment in a long time, so I think I’m going to need some extra encouragement along the way.) Do you do anything during lunch at work?
• Study God’s Word on my days off and during the week when possible. (There’s a huge difference between studying and reading God’s Word and we need to do both consistently. I read to fill up. I study to pour out.) What about your plans to study God’s Word?

I have a few more ideas but I want to see what my world looks like when I transition into my new full time job before I go making plans.

What are your plans?

What does it mean to rightly divide the Word of truth?

So, this is really cool! It comes from the Greek work, “orthotomeō” and it means “to cut straight, to make straight and smooth, to handle aright, to teach the truth directly and correctly”

We are to etch out a straight path to the truth of what God’s Word says. Not what we think it says… that would be a crooked path. Not what we hope it says or want it to say…that would be handling God’s Word inaccurately. But the calling to cut straight and handle aright God’s Word means that there is the possibility that we could get it wrong, handle it carelessly, and teach it inaccurately.

It’s truly a very consequential calling.

And that calling means in order to “rightly divide” the Word of truth, we need to intentionally and intently study it for the purpose that we can actually teach it accurately.

We do that by studying God’s Word. Studying the original language, the part of speech, the context, the audience, and other verses that relate to it, including first mentions, and so much more.

• Do you read AND study God’s Word? 
• Do you need some ideas about how to study God’s Word? If so, let me know in the comments and I’ll be glad to help you in your journey.

Please be sure to share your own insights from today’s devotional and how God is using His Word in your life.

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