Introduction

This is a study of Rightly Dividing the Word of Truth, Lesson #9 in the New Christian Series.

Our key verse is:

"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

The "word of truth" we are to "rightly divide" is the written word of God, the Holy Bible (cf. John 17:17). In order to do this we must have a thorough understanding of what is in the word of God. This comes first of all by READING the word of God regularly. It is good to follow a regular daily plan, and complete a certain number of chapters or pages every day. This will help us become familiar with the stories and characters in the Bible, and we will get an understanding of Gods dealings with man throughout history.

It is equally important to set aside time for the careful STUDY of the word of God. There is a difference between reading and study. One way to study the Bible is to select a particular subject or certain passage of scripture and try to learn everything possible about it by studying related verses. These verses can be found using study helps like the cross references in our Bibles, a Bible concordance, a topical Bible, etc. Comparing these related verses should give us a clear idea of what the Bible teaches about that subject or verse.

Paul writes to the Corinthian Church:

"Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.

Which things also we speak, not in the words which mans wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual."     I Corinthians 2:12,13

The "spiritual things" Paul is talking about is not "the words which mans wisdom teacheth." Rather it is the words "which the Holy Ghost teacheth." In other words, we teach by comparing scripture with scripture. That is the only way to learn what the Bible really teaches, and that is the method we have used throughout this course. For example, in our study of the believer’s promised resurrection body, we made a list of all the scriptures we could find about that subject. Then, we examined each verse closely, noting the context. Then we interpreted the more obscure verses in the light of the clearly understandable ones. Thus we were able to determine what the Bible teaches about our future resurrection body.

The faithful men of Berea, to whom Paul preached (Acts 17:10,11), should be an example to all believers who study the word of God with an earnest desire for the truth.

These men were commended because,

" hey received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so." Acts 17:11

Always remember that the FINAL AUTHORITY for our faith is the scriptures themselves, and the only absolutely reliable commentary on the Bible is the Bible itself. Learn to study the word of God by comparing scripture with scripture, and be careful to bathe your study in prayer.

As we undertake a sincere, in-depth study of the scriptures, we should be mindful that there are dangers. It is interesting to study about Bible history and to learn new doctrines, but that alone is not our goal. Instead, each believer should do all he can to DISCOVER the will of God for his life. Furthermore, he should strive to APPLY the things he learns to his daily life.

We read in the wisdom of the Proverbs:

"A false balance is abomination to the Lord: but a just weight is his delight."      Proverbs 11:1

We must strive for balance in our Christian life.

For example:

• What we learn from the Bible about prayer, we should put into practice as we pray.
• What we learn about holiness should help us live clean, holy lives that are unspotted by the world.
• What we learn about soul winning should be used to win others to Christ. (Remember the words of Christ: "freely ye have received, freely give" (Matthew 10: .

Let’s not spend so much time studying, that we hinder the Holy Spirit from molding our lives according to the truths we have learned.

James says it very well:

"But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.

For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass:

For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was."     James 1:22-24

James likens the Bible to a looking glass (a mirror). When we read the word of God, we see ourselves as God sees us the Bible tells us about ourselves. The Holy Spirit will bear witness to the words of scripture, and HE, who moved holy men of God to speak, will drive its words home to our hearts and minds. But WE must decide if we will believe and obey the scriptures, or reject them in unbelief. WE must decide if we will follow God or pursue our own interests. Millions of Christians around the world take great pleasure in studying the Holy Bible. However, we must maintain a balance between studying the Bible and living a life that reflects the truths we have learned.

Andrew Murray said much the same thing:

"You have Christians who devote themselves most diligently to the study of God’s word, who are delighted with every new truth they discover, or every new light in which an old truth is set before them, and who yet scarce ever meet the one Divine Word, who speaks in power within them."

J. Sidlow Baxter also touched on this:

"In our study of the Bible, also, we need to guard against becoming so engrossed in the fascination of the subject that we lose sight of the object. As we have said, in these studies we want to get hold of the big, broad meanings in the wonderful old Book: but unless the meanings get hold of us our study will have failed of its vital objective. Our Lord Jesus Himself has taught us that HE is the focal theme of all the Scriptures; and everywhere, therefore, we want to see beyond the written word, to Him who is the living Word."

Beware Of Extremes

So we see that even a good thing like studying the Bible can be taken to the extreme. As a matter of fact, there are two potential pitfalls for the student of the word of God that should be mentioned.

I.                   The First Is Intellectual Christianity.

In contrast to the noble Bereans (already mentioned), is another group to whom Paul preached, who "spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell, or to hear some new thing" (Acts 17:21). Their motive for studying was not to discover the will of God, or how to live a life more pleasing to God. Their motive was to show how well-read they were, and what great authorities they were on the Bible and all literature.

These Christians tend to overemphasize the value of knowledge to the neglect of love. They usually do little more than discuss doctrine, forgetting to live the doctrines they believe. Often they develop some pet doctrine that becomes their hobbyhorse. This is what we might call intellectual Christianity all knowledge and no love.

We never want to become such bookworms that we do nothing but sit at home all the time, studying the Bible. Paul’s admonition to the Corinthian church is still true.

"Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth."             I Corinthians 8:1

Soul winning, daily prayer, and clean holy living, each of these endeavors is just as important as study. But any one of them, pursued to the neglect of the others, will create a FALSE BALANCE. If you know the Bible well, perhaps the Lord will give you an opportunity to teach the Bible to others in a Sunday school class or home Bible study, even as Paul instructed Timothy to do.

"And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also."     II Timothy 2:2

When the Holy Spirit teaches us the Bible, He does not intend for us to become a puffed up know-it-all. He wants us to actively minister to others, and to apply what we have learned from the word of God to our daily lives as the good Samaritan did.

"And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead.

And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.

And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side.

But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him,

And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him.

And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him: and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee.

Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was a neighbor unto him that fell among the thieves?

And he said, He that showed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise."     Luke 10:30-37

The priest "SAW" the man, and the Levite "LOOKED ON HIM," but neither of them took the time to HELP him. These religious men were absorbed in conducting ceremonies, spending time in prayer and teaching the scriptures, but they had no compassion on this poor man, nor did they show him mercy. When no one was watching, they failed the test of real Christianity. Sometimes we, too, get so caught up in being religious that we forget to have compassion. Being religious costs us nothing, but being the servant of the Lord will cost us everything. It means that we put the needs of others before our own needs, even as Christ did.

"Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many." Matthew 20:28

Have you ever felt led of the Lord to witness to some soul the Lord pointed out to you, only to think you were too busy to stop RIGHT THEN and show compassion? I am sure each of us has done this very thing at one time or another, and have quenched the Spirit of God. We should be careful to take advantage of every opportunity to minister to those about us as their needs are made known to us by the Lord.

As the Bible says,

"Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thine hand to do it.

Say not unto thy neighbour, Go, and come again, and tomorrow I will give; when thou hast it by thee."     Proverbs 3:27-28

Every sincere believer wants to delve into the deeper things of God, and get hold of the meat of the word of God, that’s normal. But we must be mindful of the warning given in the book of Hebrews.

"Be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines. For it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace; not with meats, which have not profited them that have been occupied therein."     Hebrews 13:9

We know the word of God gives us a balanced diet for our spiritual growth. It provides milk (simple things), and it provides strong meat (deep things, Hebrews 5:12-14).

The main theme of Hebrews is "something better", the New Testament in contrast to the Old Testament. Hebrews 13 contains a warning that has to do with doctrine, especially regarding "meats" (those things allowed or forbidden under the Jewish law). They are warned not to be "carried about" by these relatively unimportant things (meats, the ceremonial things, the letter of the law), but to let their hearts be established with grace (spiritual things, the spirit of the law). It is not only a warning about false doctrines, but also about unusual doctrines of the word of God, it is not profitable to become "occupied" with those things. Through diligent study we can learn about the deep things of God, but we must guard against developing such a fascination for study that we neglect witnessing, ministering to others, worshipping, and praising God as we should. (It is even possible to spend so much time in the word of God that we neglect to spend time with God himself!) The most important thing in our Christian life is our relationship with our heavenly Father. The Lord does not look at the outward appearance, He looks at the inward heart motives (I Samuel 16:7). Always remember it is our hearts that are important! That will be the key factor at the Judgment Seat of Christ. Time spent studying the word of God is always time well spent, and we should try to learn all we can. But we must be careful not to become so occupied with dispensationalism, prophecy, the Great Tribulation, or the Antichrist, etc. that we forget to witness and minister to others.

• We should seek charity first, then knowledge.

Keep in mind that, "Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth" (I Corinthians 8:1). To be an expert on the Bible, but not to have charity (love in action), is to miss the whole purpose of studying the Scriptures. In I Corinthians there is a whole chapter about this kind of love (I Corinthians 13) which we need to read again and again, lest we forget the importance of charity. We must feed our minds with the strong meat of the word of God, but our hearts need to be "established with grace" (Hebrews 13:9).

In his first epistle to the young Timothy, Paul writes about some believers who had gotten off the track when they left off charity and faith in their desire to be teachers. (That is what happens to those who put an overemphasis on study.) These "teachers" Paul wrote about had become legalistic. "Desiring to be teachers of the law," they wanted to be recognized and followed as teachers. They wanted to show how much they knew, but were really only showing how little they knew (I Corinthians 8:2). Knowledge is a wonderful thing, but it only generates pride when that wonderful ingredient charity is missing.

"Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned:

From which some having swerved have turned aside unto vain jangling;

Desiring to be teachers of the law; understanding neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm."     I Timothy 1:5-7

Notice that when Paul speaks of his salvation, he recalls the grace and the love of God he experienced.

"And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus."     I Timothy 1:14

Our heart’s desire should be to develop such a deep personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ that His love will be manifested toward others in our daily lives. We must have a love for God, a love for God’s people, and a love for lost souls!

"By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another."    John 13:35

" he love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us."    Romans 5:5

"But if any man love God, the same is known of him."I Corinthians 8:3

The Second Is Emotional Christianity.

The second extreme is emotional Christianity, which overemphasizes LOVE to the neglect of KNOWLEDGE. Folks in this group usually have little systematic understanding of doctrine since they do not rightly divide the word. Therefore, they develop a definite imbalance in their Christian lives. Having little understanding of the mind of God from their study of the scriptures, they know little about the heart of God (His will). Since they do not walk in the Spirit, they walk in the flesh (Romans 8:1-4; Galatians 5:16) and become worldly Christians.

The Bible warns us:

"Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever."     I John 2:15-17

These worldly believers, spiritual walk is revealed by their dress and their music. For example, so-called "gospel rock" is popularly approved by this crowd. What is gospel rock? This is like saying there is a holy devil, the two words just do not go together. Gospel rock is nothing more than secular rock music with enough gospel words in the lyrics to give it a religious sound. It is still the same satanic music written and played by today’s popular God-rejecting, dope dealing, reprobate musicians. The only difference is the words, and even those usually present worldly thoughts and ambitions. Unfortunately, there are many worldly Christians (Revelation 3:14-19) who love that kind of slop, so they keep trying to mix the things of Satan’s world system with the things of God.

Because these believers exhibit too much love and too little knowledge, they teach heresies from the Bible. They often take scriptures out of context, and take doctrine from other dispensations to apply it to New Testament Christians. That is what happened in the Corinthian church, and that was much of the problem addressed in the book of Hebrews. Remember, love must be tempered with knowledge. However, this group places little emphasis on knowledge, except their pet doctrines. While we know that God is love, He still seems to think doctrine is quite important also.

Notice what the Bible says:

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