Rightly Dividing the Word of Truth

Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. ~ II Timothy 2:15 KJV

Recently, I had the opportunity to share a few things I believe the Bible is trying to teach me about my walk with God and my home.  When I shared these thoughts, I had someone who felt that I wasn't seeing the Scripture the same way as she.  When she began to share with me her thoughts, I could see that she was taking a lot of scripture out of context.  As I began to share with her that I felt she was taking these scriptures out of context, she began to say that the Bible was written by certain authors that told their opinions of the time they lived and that while what MOST of what they wrote was inspired by God, the rest was inspired by their culture.

I beg to differ.  At that point, I didn't feel the need to debate with her.  The Bible is clear on many things, the infallibility of the Word being one of them. 

ALL scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.  ~ II Timothy 3:16-17 (emphasis mine)

The Bible doesn't say that some of the scripture was given by inspiration, or that most of the scripture is given by inspiration, but it say ALL!  So everything in the Word of God was given to these prophets and men of God by the Holy Spirit to be penned down for us today.  Why?  "That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works."

That means when Paul wrote "Wives submit yourselves unto your own husband" or when he wrote "But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God. " ~I Corinthians 11:3  That GOD inspired him to pen those words.  That those words came straight from the Holy Spirit and Paul obeyed God and wrote them down.  The reason was not because the ladies in those days were rebellious (even though many of them may have been) but because God's will for the home was for the man to be the head and for the wife to follow her husband and allow GOD to correct him if he failed. 

You see, the feminist society today has crept into our churches and made women believe that because we are joint heirs with Christ (as far as WHO we are in Christ if we are saved) that we no longer have to submit, be subjection to, and obey our husbands in every thing as the church is to be subjection in every thing.  This is wrong thinking.  The Bible speaks about the role of the wife and the head of the wife in many verse in the New Testament!  The New Covenant! 

So my point is this, before you take scripture out of context because you don't like what it is saying, take time to pray and ask God how you may need to change.  Study other scripture and compare scripture with scripture.  Don't take one verse from one chapter about something totally different and say it negates the role of the home.

Study the Word of God and search out what it means!  Don't just go by your feelings, because they will lead you wrong.  The Word of God is clear and it will change us if we let it.!

Desire the sincere milk of the Word.....

        As Christians, when we get to the point where everything someone does or says offends us, we become less effective in the work of Christ. Our goal as Christians is not to find what wrong with everyone and everything and fix it.

        It is to shine the light of Christ, share the truth of God's Word, and let God do the work in their hearts and lives. We don't need to get wrapped up in the drama of the world, but keep our eyes on Jesus and be a witness. When we allow ourselves to get offended so easily, it shows our need for more spiritual growth.

       I Peter 2:1-3 says, Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, ² As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: ³ If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.

Let's break these verses down a little and try to understand them a little more.

laying aside - to put away, cast off, lay apart

Malice - ill-will, desire to injure, wickedness, evil, naughtiness, trouble

guile - craft, deceit, trick, wile, entice, entrap

hypocrisies - acting under a feigned (insincere) part, condemnation, dissimulation (concealment of one's thoughts, feelings, or character; it's a form of deception in which one conceals the truth, telling half truths)

envies - envy, jealousy

evil speakings - backbiting, defamation (the communication of a false statement that harms the reputation of an individual person)

So verse one is telling us that as Christians these things should not be in our lives.  We should lay them aside, cast them off.  We shouldn't be wishing ill-will on someone, enticing them to do evil, being deceitful whether totally or telling half truths.  We shouldn't be envious or jealous and backbite or gossip about others.  These are things that are not Christ-like and we are told to be like Christ. 

Now verse two:

As new born babes desire (intensely crave, earnestly desire, greatly long for) the sincere (unmixed, unadulterated, pure, guileless, undeceitful) milk (truth of God's Word) of the Word that ye may grow (grow up, increase, become greater)  thereby.

The Bible tells us that in order to grow, we MUST lay aside those things that hinder us, and desire God's truth for our lives. 

No one likes to see or hear the truth about themselves, not even myself.  However, how many of us who are parents have to sit down and have a heart to heart with our children every now and then?  Sure we do!  God is having a heart to heart with us in those verses.  He's saying, "Listen children, you need to grow up!  The only way it's going to happen is to lay aside these things that hinder you and allow me to work through my Word."

Are you ready for the new year?  Are you ready to allow God to change your heart through His Word?  Will you let Him?