BE DILIGENT: spoudason
(2SAAM): (Heb
4:11; 2 Peter 1:10,15; 3:14)
Wuest paraphrases it as "Bend
your every effort".
Be diligent
(4704)
(spoudazo
from
spoude
= earnestness,
diligence)
conveys the idea hastening to do
something with the implication of associated energy or with intense
effort and motivation. It suggest zealous concentration and diligent
effort. Spoudazo speaks of intensity of purpose followed by
intensity of effort toward the realization of that purpose.
Spoudazo is in the
aorist imperative,
a command to do this now. Don't delay. Do it effectively. Demonstrate a
zealous persistence to accomplish an objective. ''Do your utmost for His
highest'!
Study of God's Word takes effort!
Inductive Bible study
is the most difficult Bible study I have have ever done has also been by
far the most rewarding and edifying.
Spoudazo - 11v in NT - Gal. 2:10; Eph. 4:3; 1 Thess. 2:17; 2
Tim. 2:15; 4:9, 21; Tit. 3:12; Heb. 4:11; 2 Pet. 1:10, 15; 3:14. NAS
renders as - diligent(6), eager(2), make every effort(3).
Spoudazo is
used in the papyri in such senses as “do your best, take care, hurry on
the doing of something.”
Spoudazo is
marked by careful unremitting attention or persistent application. The
idea is give maximum effort, do your best, spare no effort, hurry on, be
eager! Hasten to do a thing, exert yourself, endeavour to do it. It
means not only to be willing to do with eagerness, but to follow through
and make diligent effort. Give your utmost for His highest!
In other words
spoudazo does not stop with affecting one's state of mind, but also
affects one's activity.
Spoudazo
conveys the idea of exertion. It means to be conscientious, zealous and
earnest in discharging a duty or obligation.
The verb speaks
of intensity of purpose followed by intensity of effort
toward the realization of that purpose.
To be diligent
is to exert steady, earnest, and energetic effort and suggests earnest
application to some specific object or pursuit. The idea is careful and
persevering in carrying out tasks or duties. It means to be assiduous
(marked by careful unremitting attention or persistent application).
Spoudazo basically means to make haste, and from that come the
meanings of zeal and diligence. One commentator describes it as a holy
zeal that demands full dedication.
Wuest says
that spoudazo means
"to make haste, do one’s best, take
care, desire. The idea of making haste, being eager, giving diligence,
and putting forth effort are in the word. The word speaks of intense
effort and determination." (Wuest,
K. S. Wuest's Word Studies from the Greek New Testament: Studies in the
Vocabulary of the Greek New Testament: Grand Rapids: Eerdmans)
The supreme purpose of the
diligent and selfless teacher is to please God.
For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God?” Paul asked Galatian believers. “Or
am I striving to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I
would not be a bondservant of Christ (Galatians 1:10)
Every Christian teacher and preacher should be able to say,
Just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so
we speak, not as pleasing men but God, who examines our hearts (see
notes
1Thessalonians
2:4).
His
greatest desire is to hear his Master say,
Well done, good and faithful
servant (Mt 25:21).
The most beneficial study of God’s Word requires diligence and
perseverance, but the results are worth the effort. A. B. Simpson
said...
God has hidden every precious thing in such a way that it is a reward to
the diligent, a prize to the earnest, but a disappointment to the
slothful soul. All nature is arrayed against the lounger and the idler.
The nut is hidden in its thorny case; the pearl is buried beneath the
ocean waves; the gold is imprisoned in the rocky bosom of the mountains;
the gem is found only after you crush the rock which encloses it; the
very soil gives its harvest as a reward to the laboring farmer. So truth
and God must be earnestly sought.
Steven Cole what the key is
for a saint to be diligent to rightly divide the Word...
So many Christians are haphazard and
lazy rather than diligent in their approach to God’s Word. They don’t
systematically read, study, or memorize it. If they read it at all, they
jump from passage to passage, pulling verses out of context. They aren’t
seeking to know God and how He wants them to think, to believe, and to
relate to others. Their lives and relationships are falling apart, but
they don’t search diligently to discover what God’s Word tells them
to do about these problems.
The key to being diligent in God’s
Word is to be motivated. Motivation is the key to learning. Have you
ever been on an airplane and watched the passengers as the stewardess
gives the instructions on how to use the emergency breathing apparatus?
They’re reading their newspapers or impatiently thinking, “Hurry up so
we can get going!” They’re not motivated to hear her boring
instructions. But suppose they’re airborne and the pilot comes on the
intercom and says, “Ladies and gentlemen, we’re experiencing some severe
trouble with our engines. We’re going to have to depressurize the cabin
and make an emergency landing. The stewardess is going to explain how to
use the emergency breathing apparatus.” Do you think he would have to
add, “Please give her your full attention”? People would be motivated!
So the key to being motivated to be
diligent in God’s Word is to recognize, “I live in the presence of God!
Someday soon I will give an account to Him. His Word alone contains His
wisdom on how to live in a way that pleases Him, which is the only way
to true happiness for me. So I’ve got to be diligent to search out what
the Scriptures say about knowing God and His wisdom for living.” (See
full message
2 Timothy 2:14-19 Using the Word
Properly)
PRESENT
YOURSELF: parastesai (AAN):
Present (3936)
(paristemi
from pará = near + hístemi = place, stand)
literally means to stand beside or near, to present and includes idea of
yielding, to place at the disposal of another and so to lay oneself out
for the use of another. In the
Septuagint (LXX)
paristemi was used as a technical term for priest’s placing
offering on altar. This word conveys the general idea of surrendering or
yielding up. Josephus (Ant., 4, 113) writes
"He then slew the
sacrifices, and offered (paristemi) them as burnt
offerings, that he might observe some signal of the flight of the
Hebrews."
The
aorist tense
here indicates a decisive, wholehearted act, yet in this
case it is one requiring the diligence of repetition.
Paristemi - 40v in NT
(study the uses especially in Romans) -
Matt. 26:53; Mk. 4:29; 14:47, 69, 70; 15:35, 39; Lk. 1:19; 2:22; 19:24;
Jn. 18:22; 19:26; Acts 1:3, 10; 4:10, 26; 9:39, 41; 23:2, 4, 24, 33;
24:13; 27:23f; Rom. 6:13, 16, 19; 12:1; 14:10; 16:2; 1 Co. 8:8; 2 Co.
4:14; 11:2; Eph. 5:27; Col. 1:22, 28; 2 Tim. 2:15; 4:17, 22. NAS
renders paristemi as - bystanders(5), come(1), commend(1),
help(1), present(11), presented(4), presenting(1),prove(1), provide(1),
put at My disposal(1), stand before(2), standing(2), standing beside(1),
standing nearby(1), stands(1),stands here(1), stood(2), stood before(1),
stood beside(2), took their stand(1).
It is a standing alongside of or before God, of presenting oneself for
inspection, as it were, in order to be approved by Him.
The verb paristemi
is used in a similar manner by Paul in his letter to the Romans where he
writes
"why do you judge your brother? Or you again, why do you
regard your brother with contempt? For we shall all stand
before (paristemi) the judgment seat of God."
(Ro 14:10-note)
Note that this judgment has to do with a believer’s service,
not his sins (1Co 3:11, 12, 13, 14, 15). It is a time of review and reward, and is not
to be confused with the Judgment of the Gentile nations (Mt 25:31, 32,
33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46) or
the Judgment of the Great White Throne (Rev 20:11, 12, 13, 14, 15-notes). The latter is the
final judgment of all the wicked dead.
Be diligent that you might receive
your degree...
A.U.G.
Approved
Unto
God
Steven Cole points out
that...
Present is used (2 Cor 11:2;
Ep 5:27
[note])
to speak of a bride being presented to her bridegroom. It’s a very
personal, loving act when a young woman gives herself to a young man in
marriage. In that culture (pre-women’s lib) it meant that she was giving
herself completely to him: her devotion, her time, her body, her
complete focus was now toward her husband because of his love for her
and her love for him. That’s how we should come to the Bible. It’s not
just a book of principles for how to live. It tells us of Christ’s
enduring love for His bride. As His bride, we should seek to please Him
and be available to do His will. As such, our focus should not be on
what others think of us, but on what God thinks. Too many pastors fall
into the trap of pleasing people, rather than pleasing God. While it’s
nice to be liked, my main focus is to be, “approved to God.” Our goal is
to please our heavenly Bridegroom who loved us and gave Himself for us.
When Jim Elliot, who was later
martyred in the jungles of Ecuador, was a student at Wheaton College, he
wrote in his diary, “My grades came through this week, and were, as
expected, lower than last semester. However, I make no apologies, and
admit I’ve let them drag a bit for study of the Bible, in which I seek
the degree A.U.G., ‘approved unto God’” (Shadow of the Almighty
[Zondervan], p. 43).
Come to the Bible to deepen your love
life with the Lord, to learn how you can please Him more. (See full
message
2 Timothy 2:14-19 Using the Word
Properly)
APPROVED TO GOD
: dokimon
parastesai (AAN) to theo: (Acts 2:22; Ro 14:18; 16:10; 2Co 5:9;
10:18; Gal 1:10; 1 Th 2:4)
Therefore also we have as our
ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him. (2Co 5:9)
The Steps of Those Whom He Approves
Wait on the Lord and keep His way,
And then, by Him approved,
Thy heritage shall still remain
When sinners are removed.
(Play
hymn)
Approved (1384)
(dokimos from dokime = test, proof, trial =
idea is that when you put metal through a fiery testing and it comes out
on the other side enduring it "proven", "authentic" or "genuine"
Click discussion of related word
dokimazo and the antonym =
adokimos) describes one who has stood
the test.
Vine writes that dokimos
signifies...
that which is approved by being
proved, that which stands the test (Vine,
W. Collected writings of W. E. Vine. Nashville: Thomas Nelson
or
Logos)
Wuest adds this description
that dokimos means to...
put to the test for the purpose of
being approved, and having met specifications, having the stamp of
approval placed upon one.
(Wuest,
K. S. Wuest's Word Studies from the Greek New Testament: Eerdmans
or
Logos)
A dokimos man or dokimos
character is like metal which has been cleansed of all alloy and
impurity. In James 1:12 (see below) the weaknesses of such a one have
been eradicated and he emerges strong and pure. That which is dokimos is
shown to be trustworthy and genuine.
Approved describes
anything tested and fit for service. As alluded to above, this term was
used of gold and silver which has been purified by fire of all alloy.
Dokimos is the word
describing money which is
genuine or as we would say sterling (silver) [sterling = conforming to
the highest standard]. In other words, a persons must first be "proved"
before being "approved". One so approved is assayed by the One
Who has eyes like flames of fire
(see note
Revelation 1:14) yet passes this scrutiny and
is counted as worthy.
Dokimos is a word
which motivates one to have a "God consciousness" (cp "Coram
Deo" - before the face of God!), a consciousness of His
presence and of living and acting in His sight, so as to please Him in
all things. (e.g., see the use by James below)
Sometimes it is helpful to get a
sense of the meaning of a word by observing uses of its antonym and here
Isaiah 1:22 presents us with a clear picture, where God is
speaking to faithless Israel declaring...
Your silver has become dross (Hebrew
= siyg = literally that which is turned away or skimmed off
in the refining process, the waste or impurity, the refuse after
smelting precious metal and figuratively that which is base or
worthless), Your drink diluted with water. (Comment: The
Septuagint -LXX
translates siyg with
the Greek word
adokimos)
Richards writes that
dokimos
is used in the NT in the sense of
recognition, of being officially approved and accepted.
Barclay writes that...
The Greek for one who has stood
the test is dokimos, which describes anything which has been
tested and is fit for service. For instance, it describes gold or silver
which has been purified of all alloy in the fire. It is therefore the
word for money which is genuine, or, as we would say, sterling. It is
the word used for a stone which is fit to be fitted into its place in a
building. A stone with a flaw in it was marked with a capital A,
standing for adokimastos, which means tested and found wanting.
Timothy was to be tested that he might be a fit weapon for the work of
Christ, and therefore a workman who had no need to be ashamed. (Barclay,
W: The Daily Study Bible Series. The Westminster Press
or
Logos)
The root dek-, dechomai, accept,
gives two verbal derivatives dokeo and dokao. The former means
(intrans.) to appear, have the appearance, (trans.) to think, believe,
consider right; the latter means expect. Derivatives of the former are:
(a) dokimos, trustworthy, reliable, tested, recognized, used as a
technical term for genuine, current coinage, but also applied to persons
enjoying general esteem; (b) adokimos, untested, not respected; (c)
indirectly also dokimion, test, probation; (d) from dokimos are also
derived dokimazo, test, pronounce good, establish by trial, recognize,
and apodokimazo, disapprove of, reject, blame; dokimasis and dokimasia,
investigation, testing (preparatory to installing in an office); dokime,
approved character, trial. (Brown,
Colin, Editor. New International Dictionary of NT Theology. 1986.
Zondervan)
Dokimos is used 7 times in
the NT...
Romans 14:18 (note)
For he who in this way serves Christ is acceptable to God and
approved by men. (John MacArthur comments: Dokimos (approved)
refers to acceptance after careful examination, as when a jeweler
carefully inspects a gem under a magnifying glass to determine its
genuineness and value. When we serve Christ selflessly, we prove
ourselves “to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach
in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear
as lights in the world” (see note
Philippians 2:15).
(MacArthur,
J: Romans 9-16. Chicago: Moody Press
or
Logos)
Romans 16:10 (note)
Greet Apelles, the approved in Christ. Greet those who are of the
household of Aristobulus. (Comment: O, that the "tribe" of
Apelles might increase for whatever it was he did in the way of ministry
and service, it was done in the sphere of [sufficiency of, power of,
grace of] Christ, allowing Christ to live out His supernatural life
through him. Apelles understood the vital principle Jesus taught in John
15:5 that "if you abide in Me and I abide in you shall bear much fruit
for apart from Me you can do absolutely nothing that will pass the
test." The "works" of Apelles will be tried by fire in 1 Corinthians
3:13-14 and even as pure gold will be found to pass the test of purity
in the eyes of the Refiner. May God be pleased to raise up many Apelles
in the modern church in America. Amen.)
1 Corinthians 11:19 For there
must also be factions among you, in order that those who are approved
may have become evident among you.
2 Corinthians 10:18 For not he
who commends himself is approved, but whom the Lord commends.
2 Corinthians 13:7 Now we pray
to God that you do no wrong; not that we ourselves may appear
approved, but that you may do what is right, even though we should
appear unapproved.
2 Timothy 2:15 Be diligent to
present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need
to be ashamed, handling accurately the word of truth.
James 1:12 Blessed is a man
who perseveres under trial (the test is not designed to destroy us but
to display the genuineness of our faith); for once he has been approved
(dokimos - in the context he has passed the test and his faith is
intact), he
will receive the crown of life, which the Lord has promised to those who
love Him. (Comment: The principle is simple and clear that
perseverance brings God’s approval, and His approval brings the crown of
life)
There are 6 uses of dokimos
in the
Septuagint (LXX)
(Gen 23:16; 1 Ki 10:18; 1 Chr 28:18; 29:4; 2 Chr 9:17; Zech 11:13) and
here are some representative uses...
Genesis 23:16 And Abraham
listened to Ephron; and Abraham weighed out for Ephron the silver which
he had named in the hearing of the sons of Heth, four hundred shekels of
silver, commercial standard (Lxx = "approved [dokimos] with merchants".
1 Kings 10:18 Moreover, the
king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with refined (Hebrew =
pazaz = refined; Lxx = dokimos) gold.
1 Chronicles 29:4 namely, 3,000
talents of gold, of the gold of Ophir, and 7,000 talents of refined
(Hebrew = zaqaq = purified, refined, purged; Lxx = dokimos) silver, to
overlay the walls of the buildings;
2 Chronicles 9:17 Moreover, the king
made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with pure (Hebrew = tahor =
pure, clean, genuine - used ninety times in the Old Testament, primarily
to distinguish things that were culturally pure, capable of being used
in, or taking part in the religious rituals of Israel; Lxx =
dokimos) gold.
Donald Barnhouse has the following
interesting explanation of dokimos writing that
In the
ancient world there was no banking system as we know it today, and no
paper money. All money was made from metal, heated until liquid, poured
into moulds and allowed to cool. When the coins were cooled, it was
necessary to smooth off the uneven edges. The coins were comparatively
soft and of course many people shaved them closely. In one century, more
than eighty laws were passed in Athens, to stop the practice of shaving
down the coins then in circulation. But some money changers were men of
integrity, who would accept no counterfeit money. They were men of
honour who put only genuine full weighted money into circulation. Such
men were called "dokimos" or "approved"
AS A WORKMAN: ergaten:
(Mt 13:52; 2Cor 3:6; 6:3,4; 1Ti 4:6,12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
This was Paul's warp and woof, to
be God's man, God's workman who expressed his earnest
expectation and hope this way...
that I shall not be put to shame in
anything, but that with all boldness, Christ shall even now, as always,
be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. (Php 1:20-see
note)
(And we should each seek to be imitators of Paul, just as he was of
Christ)
Workman (2040)
(ergates
from ergazomai = meaning to engage
in an activity involving considerable expenditure of effort. It is the
root of English
words like ergs, ergonomics, etc) literally describes a worker (workman)
or laborer, someone who is engaged in labor. There are also a number of
metaphorical uses in the NT (as here in 2Ti 2:15) describing one who is
engaged in the work of some spiritual activity, whether good or bad
(study the uses below, noting the repeated association that the ergates
is "worthy of his wages" - beloved the hard working farmer should be the
first to receive his share of the "wages" even now [2Ti 2:6-note]
and yet even better he is storing up wages in the "bank of heaven"
(cp 1Ti 4:8-note,
Mt 6:20-note,
cp Mt 19:21, 1Ti 6:17, 18, 19, He 10:34-note,
He 11:26-note;
1Pe 1:4-note).
Are you working for this life or the life to come?
Do not lose heart as you labor [Gal 6:9, 10], striving according to His
power which mightily works within you [Col 1:28-note,
Col 1:29-note;
He 13:20, 21-note],
for your "payday" awaits eternity and the
bema seat [word study] seat of Christ
[2Cor 5:10, 1Co 3:11, 12, 13, 14, 15], the Lord
of the harvest. Redeem the work days you have [Ep 5:16-note,
Ro 13:11-note,
Ro 13:12-note]
for the days are evil and our life is but a vapor - cp Ps 90:12-note,
Jas 1:10, 11-note,
Jas 4:14, Ps 102:3-note,
Ps 102:11-note,
Ps 103:15, 16-note,
Ps 144:4-note,
Isa 40:6, 7, 1Pe1:24, 25-note,
Job 7:6)
Only one life
Twill soon pass
Only what's done for (in) Christ will last
So teach us to
number our days,
That we may present to Thee a heart of wisdom.
-- Moses - Ps 90:12-note
Lost, yesterday,
somewhere between sunrise and sunset,
two golden hours, each set with sixty diamond minutes.
No reward offered, for they are gone for ever.
Redeem the time! God only knows
How soon our little life may close,
With all its pleasures and its woes,
Redeem the time!
— Anonymous
God set a goal, yet
gave the choice
To mortals how time may be spent,
Admonishing that worth, not length,
Values time's accomplishment.
— Mortenson
There is a tide in
the affairs of men,
Which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune;
Omitted, all the voyage of their life
Is bound in shallows and in miseries.
(Julius Caesar, 4.3.217)
Whatever your hand
finds to do,
verily, do it with all your might;
for there is no activity or planning or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol
where you are going. (Eccl 9:10)
Life is too short for us to do
everything we want to do; but it is long enough for us to do everything
God wants us to do. - Anon.
Spend your time in nothing which
you know must be repented of; in nothing on which you might not pray for
the blessing of God; in nothing which you could not review with a quiet
conscience on your dying bed; in nothing which you might not safely and
properly be found doing if death should surprise you in the act. -
Richard Baxter
Time should not be spent, it
should be invested in the kingdom of God. -John Blanchard
Time is not yours to dispose of as
you please; it is a glorious talent that men must be accountable for as
well as any other talent. - Thomas Brooks
There is nothing puts a more
serious frame into a man's spirit than to know the worth of his time.
-Thomas Brooks
We are to redeem the time because
we ourselves are redeemed.-Richard Chester
Half our life is spent trying to
find something to do with the time we have rushed through life to save.
-Will Rogers
Too busy for all
that is holy on earth beneath the sky,
Too busy to serve the Master, but—not too busy to die!—Anon.
ETERNITY will be appreciated
only in the measure that we have rightly handled TIME!-F. King
Adoniram Judson alluded to
making the most of your opportunities when he wrote that...
A life once spent is irrevocable. It
will remain to be contemplated through eternity...the same may be said
of each day. When it is once past, it is gone forever. All the marks
which we put upon it, it will exhibit forever...each day will not only
be a witness of our conduct, but will affect our everlasting
destiny....How shall we then wish to see each day marked with
usefulness...! It is too late to mend the days that are past. The future
is in our power. Let us, then, each morning, resolve to send the day
into eternity in such a garb as we shall wish it to wear forever. And at
night let us reflect that one more day is irrevocably gone, indelibly
marked.
Many years ago when the great
missionary Adoniram Judson was home on furlough, he passed through the
city of Stonington, Connecticut. A young boy playing about the wharves
at the time of Judson’s arrival was struck by the man’s appearance.
Never before had he seen such a light on any human face. He ran up the
street to a minister to ask if he knew who the stranger was. The
minister hurried back with him, but became so absorbed in conversation
with Judson that he forgot all about the impatient youngster standing
near him. Many years afterward that boy—who could never get away from
the influence of that wonderful face—became the famous preacher Henry
Clay Trumbull. In a book of memoirs he penned a chapter entitled: "What
a Boy Saw in the Face of Adoniram Judson." That lighted countenance had
changed his life. Even as flowers thrive when they bend to the light, so
shining, radiant faces come to those who constantly turn toward Christ!
Over 3000 years ago Moses prayed a prayer that is reflected in the life
of Adoniram Judson and might well be an appropriate prayer of every
saint who loves "His (Christ's)
appearing" (see note
2 Timothy 4:8) (Spurgeon's
devotional)...
So
teach
us to
number
our
days,
that we may
present
to Thee a
heart
of
wisdom
(Psalm
90:12) (Spurgeon's
note)
Ergates in the ancient world was
used especially of one who works the soil. Xenophon uses ergates to
describe one who practices an art.
Ergates is used 15 times in
the NT (no uses in the non-apocryphal Septuagint) and is rendered in the
NAS as laborer(2), laborers(6), worker(1), workers(4), workman(1),
workmen(1).
Matthew 9:37
Then He said to His disciples, "The harvest is plentiful, but the
workers are few. 38 "Therefore beseech the Lord of the
harvest to send out workers into His harvest."
Matthew 10:10 or a bag for your journey, or even two tunics, or sandals,
or a staff; for the worker is worthy of his support.
Matthew 20:1 "For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went
out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard.
Matthew 20:2 "And when he had agreed with the laborers for a
denarius for the day, he sent them into his vineyard.
Matthew 20:8 "And when evening had come, the owner of the vineyard said
to his foreman, 'Call the laborers and pay them their wages,
beginning with the last group to the first.'
Luke 10:2 And He was saying to them, "The harvest is plentiful, but the
laborers are few; therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to
send out laborers into His harvest.
Luke 10:7 "And stay in that house, eating and drinking what they give
you; for the laborer is worthy of his wages. Do not keep moving
from house to house.
Luke 13:27 and He will say, 'I tell you, I do not know where you are
from; depart from Me, all you evildoers (literally "doers of
unrighteousness" = ergates adikia).'
Acts 19:25 these he gathered together with the workmen of similar
trades, and said, "Men, you know that our prosperity depends upon this
business.
2 Corinthians 11:13 For such men are false apostles, deceitful
workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ.
Philippians 3:2-note Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware
of the false circumcision;
1 Timothy 5:18 For the Scripture says, "You shall not muzzle the ox
while he is threshing," and "The laborer is worthy of his wages."
2 Timothy 2:15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a
workman who does not need to be ashamed, handling accurately the
word of truth.
James 5:4 Behold, the pay of the laborers who mowed your fields, and
which has been withheld by you, cries out against you; and the outcry of
those who did the harvesting has reached the ears of the Lord of
Sabaoth.
The Word of Truth is the
workman’s tool for building, measuring, and repairing God’s people.
Carriers of the truth of God are to represent that truth and the God of
truth well enough that we need never apologize for ourselves. God wants
His people to be well prepared in the interpretation of God's truth. The
messenger who interprets God's truth for others is an agent of His
revelation.
It is clear from both the OT and NT, as well as from church history and
our own time, that many of the worst false teachers claim to be servants
of God. The majority of scribes, Pharisees, and other Jewish leaders of
Jesus’ day considered themselves to be the godliest of the godly, as well
as the only reliable interpreters of Scripture.
Wuest writes that
A workman
approved is a workman who has been put to the test, and meeting the
specifications, has won the approval of the one who has subjected him to
the test.
(Wuest,
K. S. Wuest's Word Studies from the Greek New Testament: Eerdmans
or
Logos)
Steven Cole
illustrates the approval every workman should strive for...
A young man once studied violin under
a world-renowned master. When his first big recital came, the crowd
cheered after each number, but the young performer seemed dissatisfied.
Even after the final number, despite the applause, the musician seemed
unhappy. As he took his bows, he was watching an elderly man in the
balcony. Finally, the elderly one smiled and nodded in approval.
Immediately, the young man beamed with joy. He was not looking for the
approval of the crowd. He was waiting for the approval of his master.
Christians should be living for God’s approval. We will be approved unto
Him as we use the Bible to grow in godliness. Are you growing as a
craftsman who uses God’s Word of truth accurately and skillfully to grow
in godliness? The misuse of the Bible will lead you to ruin. The proper
use will lead you to godliness. (2 Timothy 2:14-19
Using the Word Properly)
WHO DOES NOT NEED TO BE ASHAMED
: anepaischunton:
Not...ashamed (422)
(anepaischuntos
from a = without +
epaischúnomai = be ashamed) describes the absence of a painful
emotion caused by consciousness of guilt, shortcoming, or impropriety.
The diligent workman who handles
the Word rightly is irreprehensible (blameless)
Diligence in handling the Word now prevents one from one day having to
stand before God and experience the painful feeling arising from the
consciousness of having done something dishonorable with the Word of
Truth. Let us always seek to
Be Bereans - Acts 17:11.
I want among the
victor throng
Someday to have my name confessed;
And hear my Master say at last,
"You stand approved, you did your best!"
—Simpson
The diligent workman has no cause for shame and is not liable to be put
to shame when his work is inspected.
Application: Could I challenge
you to consider measuring all your thoughts, words and
deeds by the phrase...
"A workman who
does not need to be ashamed."
HANDLING ACCURATELY: orthotomounta (PAPMSA): (Mt
13:52; Mk 4:33; Lk 12:42; Jn 21:15, 16, 17; Acts 20:27; 1Co 2:6; 3:1,2;
2Co 4:2; 1Thes 5:14; Heb 5:11, 12, 13, 14)
See sermon by C H Spurgeon
Rightly Dividing the Word of Truth
Handling accurately (3718)
(orthotomeo
from orthós = right, standing upright, continuing in a straight
direction, figuratively = right, true, of ethically correct behavior +
témno = cut or divide) means to make a straight cut, cut straight
(of a craftsman cutting a straight line, farmer plowing a straight
furrow, mason setting a straight line of bricks, workmen building a
straight road.
Metaphorically as used here it speaks of carefully performing a task.
The
present tense
calls for us to continually rightly divide the Word of Truth. We
are to take no short cuts or vacations when it comes to handling God's
Worth in a trustworthy manner. Every time you teach or
preach God's Word of truth you must seek by the Spirit's illumination
and the enabling grace of Christ to cut the Word of Truth straight. In
marked contrast
are the false teachers who twist the Scriptures to their temporal
benefit and their and their hearers eternal detriment!
John MacArthur explains
that...
Because Paul is a tentmaker, he may
have been using an expression that tied in with his trade. When Paul
made tents, he used certain patterns. In those days tents were made from
the skins of animals in a patchwork sort of design. Every piece would
have to be cut and fit together properly. Paul was simply saying, "If
one doesn't cut the pieces right, the whole won't fit together
properly." It's the same thing with Scripture. If one doesn't interpret
correctly the different parts, the whole message won't come through
correctly. In Bible study and interpretation the Christian should cut it
straight. He should be precise... and accurate. (MacArthur,
J: The Charismatics. Zondervan)
BDAG writes that orthotomeo
is...
found elsewhere independently
of the NT only Pr 3:6; 11:5, where it is used with hodos and plainly
means ‘cut a path in a straight direction’ or ‘cut a road across country
(that is forested or otherwise difficult to pass through) in a straight
direction’, so that the traveler may go directly to his destination. (Arndt,
W., Danker, F. W., & Bauer, W. A Greek-English Lexicon of the New
Testament and Other Early Christian Literature)
NIDNTT adds that
orthotomeo is found elsewhere only at
Prov. 3:6 (In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make
your paths straight.) and Pr 11:5 (Lxx = Righteousness
traces out blameless paths: but ungodliness encounters unjust dealing.),
where it is used in connexion with (hodos = way, path) cutting a path in
a straight direction. It is connected with temno, cut. The idea is that
of cutting a path through a forest or difficult terrain so that the
traveller may go directly to his destination (Arndt, 584). The vb.
occurs only at 2 Tim. 2:15 where the RSV has: “Do your best to present
yourself to God as one approved, a workman who has no need to be
ashamed, rightly handling [orthotomounta] the word of truth.” The phrase
may be compared with Plato, Laws 7, 801E: “to proceed along the way of
legislation which has been cleared [tetmemenen hodon] by our present
discourse.” Arndt suggests that the meaning in 2 Tim. is to guide the
word of truth along a straight path, like a road that goes straight to
its goal. Other interpretations are to teach the word aright, expound it
soundly, shape rightly, and preach fearlessly (cf. Moulton-Milligan, 456
f.). (Brown,
Colin, Editor. New International Dictionary of NT Theology. 1986.
Zondervan)
The careful exegete and expositor of God’s word of truth must be
meticulous in the way he interprets and pieces together the many
individual truths found in Scripture. The first and most important
principle is that of basing doctrine and standards of living on
Scripture alone (Sola Scriptura), a key watchword of the Protestant
Reformation.
The image of orthotomeo is that of laying out a road. The teacher is to lay out a
clearly marked pathway for others to walk. This effort requires study.
Teachers are those who have been gifted by the Spirit and have devoted
their minds to God so that they might impart His wisdom to His people.
The Word of God however can be abused as well as used. It is always in
danger of being distorted by teachers who handle it casually. The only
effective way to prevent distortion of the Word of truth is diligent
preparation at the study desk.
Where teachers and learners are lax in
their study of the Scriptures, Bible classes are often filled with
godless chatter and vain babblings. Instead of becoming mature in the
faith, members and teachers become ungodly. Yet they claim success
because their teaching becomes so popular, spreading "like gangrene.''
Spurgeon commenting on
"handling accurately" writes...
“Rightly dividing, or Straight Cutting. A ploughman stands here with
his plough, and he ploughs right along from this end of the field to the
other, making a straight furrow. And so Paul would have Timothy make a
straight furrow right through the word of truth. I believe there is no
preaching that God will ever accept but that which goes decidedly
through the whole line of truth from end to end, and is always thorough,
honest, and downright. As truth is a straight line, so must our handling
of the truth be straightforward and honest, without shifts or tricks.
There are two or three furrows which I have labored hard to plough. One
is the furrow of free grace. “Salvation is of the Lord,” — he begins
it, he carries it on, he completes it. Salvation is not of man, neither
by man, but of grace alone. Grace in election, grace in redemption,
grace in effectual calling, grace in final perseverance, grace in
conferring the perfection of glory; it is all grace from beginning to
end. If we say at any time anything which is really contrary to this
distinct testimony that salvation is of grace, believe us not. This
furrow must be ploughed fairly, plainly, and beyond all mistake. Sinner,
you cannot be saved by any merit, penance, preparation, or feeling of
your own. The Lord alone must save you as a work of gratis mercy, not
because you deserve it, but because he wills to no it to magnify his
abundant love. That is the straight furrow of the Word. (click
full sermon "Rightly Dividing the Word of Truth")
Barclay comments that orthotomeo
literally means to cut rightly. It has many pictures in it. Calvin
connected it with a father dividing out the food at a meal and cutting
it up so that each member of the family received the right portion. Beza
connected it with the cutting up of sacrificial victims so that each
part was correctly apportioned to the altar or to the priest.
The Greeks themselves used the word in three different connections. They
used it for driving a straight road across country, for ploughing a
straight furrow across a field, and for the work of a mason in cutting
and squaring a stone so that it fitted into its correct place in the
structure of the building. So the man who rightly divides the word of
truth, drives a straight road through the truth and refuses to be lured
down pleasant but irrelevant bypaths; he ploughs a straight furrow
across the field of truth; he takes each section of the truth, and fits
it into its correct position, as a mason does a stone, allowing no part
to usurp an undue place and so knock the whole structure out of balance.
(Barclay,
W: The Daily Study Bible Series. The Westminster Press
or
Logos)
Let us continually seek to be like
the Psalmist who wrote...
Thy word is very
pure,
Therefore Thy servant loves it.
Psalm 119:140-
note
Spurgeon (note)
commenting on this verse writes...
Thy word is very pure. It is truth
distilled, holiness in its quintessence. In the word of God there is no
admixture of error or sin. It is pure in its sense, pure in its
language, pure in its spirit, pure in its influence, and all this to the
very highest degree -- "very pure."
"Therefore thy servant loveth it,"
which is a proof that he himself was pure in heart, for only those who
are pure love God's word because of its purity. His heart was knit to
the word because of its glorious holiness and truth. He admired it,
delighted in it, sought to practise it, and longed to come under its
purifying power.
George Horne adds...
Thy word is very pure. In the
original, "tried, purified, like gold in the furnace," absolutely
perfect, without the dross vanity and fallibility, which runs through
human writings. The more we try the promises, the surer we shall find
them. Pure gold is so fixed, Boerhaave, informs us of an ounce of it set
in the eye of a glass furnace for two months, without losing a single
grain.
John Morison writes...
Thy word is very pure;
therefore, etc. The word of God is not only "pure," free from all
base admixture, but it is a purifier; it cleanses from sin and guilt
every heart with which into comes into contact. "Now ye are clean," said
Jesus Christ to his disciples, "by the word which I have spoken unto
you": John 15:3. It is this its pure quality combined with its tendency
to purify every nature that yields to its holy influence, that endears
it to every child of God. Here it is that he finds those views of the
divine character, those promises, those precepts, those representations
of the deformity of sin, of the beauty of holiness, which lead him,
above all things, to seek conformity to the divine image. A child of God
in his best moments does not wish the word of God brought down to a
level with his own imperfect character, but desires rather that his
character may be gradually raised to a conformity to that blessed word.
Because it is altogether pure, and because it tends to convey to those
who make it their constant study a measure of its own purity, the child
of God loves it, and delights to meditate in it day and night.
Sir William Jones
(1746-1794) wrote...
Thy word is very pure. Before
I knew the word of God in spirit and in truth, for its great antiquity,
its interesting narratives, its impartial biography, its pure morality,
its sublime poetry, in a word, for its beautiful and wonderful variety,
I preferred it to all other books; but since I have entered into its
spirit, like the Psalmist, I love it above all things for its purity;
and desire, whatever else I read, it may tend to increase my knowledge
of the Bible, and strengthen my affection for its divine and holy
truths.
Graham writes the following
concerning "Thy word"...
Let us refresh our minds and our
memories with some of the Scripture adjuncts connected with "the word,"
and realize, in some degree at least, the manifold relations which it
bears both to God and our souls. It is called "the word of Christ,"
because much of it was given by him, and it all bears testimony to
him...It is called "the word of his grace," because the glorious theme
on which it loves to expatiate is grace, and especially grace as it is
seen in Christ's dying love for sinful men. It is called ololoj tou
staurou, "the word of the cross" (1 Corinthians 1:18), because in the
crucifixion of the divine Redeemer we see eternal mercy in its brightest
lustre. It is called "the word of the gospel," because it brings glad
tidings of great joy to all nations. It is called "the word of the
kingdom," because it holds out to all believers the hope of an
everlasting kingdom of righteousness and peace. It is called "the word
of salvation," because the purpose for which it was given is the
salvation of sinners. It is called "the word of truth," because, as
Chillingworth says, it has God for its author, salvation for its end,
and truth without mixture of error for its contents. And we will only
add, it is called "the word of life," because it reveals to a sinful,
perishing world the doctrines of life and immortality. -- IV. Graham, in
"A Commentary on the First Epistle of John," 1857.
THE WORD OF TRUTH: ton logon tes aletheias:
Word of Truth - What a
beautiful name for the Bible, especially in a world which is becoming
more and more the opposite, where men's words are no longer binding. How
we need to remember that Satan is a liar, the father of lies and has no
truth in him, which emphasizes our great need to be totally dependent on
the Word of Truth to counter his evil but very deceptive lies! Take a
moment and ponder each of the 5 Biblical uses of this great phrase
Word of Truth (Ps. 119:43; 2Co. 6:7; Col. 1:5; 2Ti 2:15; Jas 1:18)
Think of God's Word of Truth
as the "sun" (Son) and then consider how the planets function in
such order as they rotate around the sun. In a similar way believers
should live their entire Christian life within the orbit of God's Word
of Truth, ultimately manifest in the Logos, His precious Son, Our Lord
and King. Amen.
The following "outlines" on the
Word of Truth are adapted from Spurgeon's notes on Psalm 119:140
(see notes directly preceding)
The
crystal stream (of the Word of Truth)
(a) Flows
from under the throne.
(b) Mirrors heaven.
(c) Undefiled through the ages.
(d) Nourishes holiness as it flows.
The
enraptured pilgrim.
(a) Keeping
by its brink.
(b) Delighted with its lucid depths.
Pleased
with its mirrored revelations -- self, heaven, God.
Cleansed
and refreshed by its waters. --W.B.H
><> ><> ><>
The purity
of God's Word (of Truth)
(a) It
proceeds from a perfectly pure source: "Thy word."
(b) It reveals a purity otherwise unknown.
(c) It treats impure subjects with absolute purity.
(d) It inculcates the most perfect purity.
(e) It produces such purity in those who are subject to its power. --
The love
which its purity inspires in gracious souls.
(a) They love
it because, while it reveals their natural impurity, it shows them how
to escape from it.
(b) They love it because it conforms them to its own purity.
(c) They love it because to a pure heart the purity of the word is one
of its chief commendations. --
The
evidences of this love to the pure word.
(a) Desire to
possess it in its purity.
(b) Subjection to its spirit and teachings.
(c) Zeal for its honour and diffusion. --W.H.J.P.
Word (3056)
(logos
from
légō = to
speak with words; English = logic, logical) means something said
and describes a communication whereby the mind finds expression in
words. Although Lógos is most often translated word which
Webster defines as "something that is said, a statement, an utterance",
the Greek understanding of lógos is somewhat more complex.
Cremer explains that
lógos is used of the living, spoken word,
the word not in its outward form, but
with reference to the thought connected with the form,… in short, not
the word of language, but of conversation, of discourse; not the word as
a part of speech, but the word as part of what is uttered.
Barclay adds that
the Greek term for word is lógos;
but lógos does not only mean word; it also means reason. For
John, and for all the great thinkers who made use of this idea, these
two meanings were always closely intertwined. Whenever they used
lógos the twin ideas of the Word of God and the Reason of God were
in their minds.
(Barclay,
W: The Daily Study Bible Series. The Westminster Press
or
Logos)
In the Greek mind and as used by
secular and philosophical Greek writers, lógos did not mean
merely the name of an object but was an expression of the thought behind
that object's name. Let me illustrate this somewhat subtle nuance in the
meaning of lógos with an example from the
Septuagint (LXX)
(Greek of the Hebrew
OT) in which lógos is used in the well known phrase the Ten
Commandments.
The
Septuagint
translates this phrase using the word
lógos as “the ten (deka) words (logoi)” (Ex 34:28), this phrase giving us the familiar term Decalogue.
Clearly each of the "Ten Commandments" is not just words but words which
express a thought or concept behind those words.
This then is the essence of the
meaning of lógos and so it should not be surprising that
depending on the context lógos is translated with words such as
"saying, instruction, message, news, preaching, question, statement,
teaching, etc". This understanding of lógos also helps understand
John's repeated usage of this Greek word as a synonym for the second
Person of the Godhead, the Lord Jesus Christ (see
discussion below).
Truth (225)
(aletheia from a = without + lêthô
= that which is hidden) means containing nothing that hidden that will
cause it to self destruct. Whatever God says (is truth).
Aletheia - 98v in NT -
Matt. 22:16; Mk. 5:33; 12:14, 32; Lk. 4:25; 20:21; 22:59; Jn. 1:14, 17;
3:21; 4:23f; 5:33; 8:32, 40, 44, 45, 46; 14:6, 17; 15:26; 16:7, 13;
17:17, 19; 18:37, 38; Acts 4:27; 10:34; 26:25; Rom. 1:18, 25; 2:2, 8,
20; 3:7; 9:1; 15:8; 1 Co. 5:8; 13:6; 2 Co. 4:2; 6:7; 7:14; 11:10; 12:6;
13:8; Gal. 2:5, 14; 5:7; Eph. 1:13; 4:21, 24, 25; 5:9; 6:14; Phil. 1:18;
Col. 1:5, 6; 2Thess. 2:10, 12, 13; 1 Tim. 2:4, 7; 3:15; 4:3; 6:5; 2 Tim.
2:15, 18, 25; 3:7, 8; 4:4; Titus 1:1, 14; Heb. 10:26; Jas. 1:18; 3:14;
5:19; 1Pet. 1:22; 2 Pet. 1:12; 2:2; 1Jn. 1:6, 8; 2:4, 21; 3:18, 19; 4:6;
5:7; 2Jn. 1:1, 2, 3; 3Jn. 1:1, 3, 4, 8, 12
Truth
is the correspondence between a reality and a declaration which
professes to set it forth. Words are true when they
correspond with objective reality: Persons and things are true when they
correspond with their profession. Hence a truth is a
declaration which has corresponding reality, or a reality which is
correctly set forth. Since God is Himself the great reality, that which
correctly sets forth His nature is pre-eminently the Truth. Ultimately
Jesus is "the Truth" and He is "the Word".
Pastor Cole emphasizes that
the description of God's Holy Word as the word of truth is important
because...
Truth is accurate, objective and
knowable, not subjective and fluid. If a carpenter showed up at your
house and didn’t have a level, square, tape measure or set of plans,
you’d be a bit concerned. If you asked him about his methods and he
said, “We all have different ways of seeing things and no way is
absolutely right. Who’s to say that your house has to be plumb and
square?”—you’d be even more concerned! You want your house built
carefully and accurately according to the plans. God’s Word is not the
sort of thing where one person can see it one way and another person can
see it another way and it really doesn’t matter because no one can know
what it means. Every biblical text has a fixed meaning that is true and
never changes. Based on and stemming from that meaning, it may have a
different significance or application for different people and at
different times for the same person. But we need to use the tools of
Bible study and interpretation to discover the meaning of each text in
its biblical context. Otherwise, we’re being sloppy workmen with God’s
Word of truth. (See full message
2 Timothy 2:14-19 Using the Word
Properly)
Click the following resources
which present some guidelines to help you accurately handle the Word of
truth -
Inductive Bible study
(observation)
(Interpretation)
(Application)
(Meditate)
(Primer
on Biblical Meditation)
God’s word of truth in
Scripture is the source and measure not only of all spiritual and moral
truth but of all truth of any sort on which it speaks. Sometimes in the NT, the phrase
word of
truth, or message of truth, refers specifically to the gospel. Every
aspect of God’s truth is to be handled accurately, as a sacred trust by
those who teach it and by those who hear it.
It is clear from both the OT and NT, as well as church history and our
own time, that many of the worst false teachers claim to be servants of
God. The majority of scribes, Pharisees, and other Jewish leaders of
Jesus’ day considered themselves to be the godliest of the godly, as
well as the only reliable interpreters of Scripture. Yet Jesus described
them in (Jn 8:44). Even apart from those extremes, anyone who ignores,
misrepresents, misinterprets, or detracts from God’s truth by adding to
it or taking away from it (Re 22:18, 19-see notes
Revelation 22:18;
22:19) has reason to be ashamed as well
as fearful. Whether consciously or not, those who corrupt and denigrate
God’s truth are the spiritual children of Satan. They are purveyors of
his abominable lies and are under God’s sovereign and certain judgment.
Remember the wise words of Richard Baxter to the people of
Kidderminster:
Were you but as willing to get the knowledge of God and heavenly things
as you are to know how to work in your trade, you would have set
yourself to it before this day, and you would have spared no cost or
pains till you had got it. But you account seven years little enough to
learn your trade and will not bestow one day in seven in diligent
learning the matters of your salvation.
Matthew Henry writes that
we are to...
Study to show thyself such a one, a
workman that needs not be ashamed. Ministers (Ed note: all
believers are priests of the Lord and all have a spiritual gift and
hence all have a ministry to and for the Lord) must be workmen; they
have work to do (see note
Ephesians 2:10),
and they must take pains in it. Workmen that are unskillful, or
unfaithful, or lazy, have need to be ashamed; but those who mind their
business, and keep to their work, are workmen that need not be ashamed.
And what is their work? It is rightly to divide the word of truth. Not
to invent a new gospel, but rightly to divide the gospel that is
committed to their trust. To speak terror to those to whom terror
belongs, comfort to whom comfort; to give every one his portion in due
season, Mt. 24:45. Observe here, 1. The word which ministers preach is
the word of truth, for the author of it is the God of truth. 2. It
requires great wisdom, study, and care, to divide this word of truth
rightly; Timothy must study in order to do this well.
William Kelly gives us some
practical application of this passage writing that...
there is also a more positive and
personal call in verse 15: "Be diligent to present thyself approved to
God a workman not to be ashamed, cutting straightly the word of truth."
Example sways more than precept, and those who teach others have
especial reason to dread failure or carelessness in themselves. Further,
every pious man knows that the first of all obligations is to stand
right with God. Timothy therefore was to use diligence to present
himself approved to God in the first instance. Where this was not true,
his words might be right enough in themselves, but his work would lack
blessing, and himself be ever liable to shame. In fact his course would
be more or less hypocritical. There could be no courage before the
enemy, where the conscience was not good before God. One must seek to be
approved alike in conduct and service, approved to God if shame is to be
avoided even now. Again, what confidence can there be in drawing out and
applying the word of truth with an unwavering heart and hand? The
scripture needed might otherwise condemn oneself. A man without
conscience might speak out boldly; he that feared God must tremble in
blaming another for a wrong which he knew in himself. It is of all
importance therefore! that the workman should present himself approved
to God: otherwise his testimony cannot but be timid, feeble, and
uncertain. (2
Timothy Commentary)
Ray Pritchard has these words
regarding the importance of all believers rightly dividing the word
of truth...
Verse 15 is the key to this whole
section. If we are going to be used of God to reach others, we must be
“approved workers” who are not ashamed because we correctly handle the
word of truth. The phrase “approved workers” speaks of craftsmen who are
gifted and dedicated to doing excellent work. Let me illustrate. A
friend asked me to recommend a good auto body shop because his car had
been in a wreck. I didn’t hesitate but was glad to mention a certain
establishment in Oak Park. A quick check of the phone book shows that
there are many auto body shops in our area. I don’t know about all of
them, but I do know about some of them, and there is only one that I
would recommend. It’s a shop that our family has used on numerous
occasions, starting with the time eight or nine years ago when our van
was totally wrecked all the way to this summer when we’ve had both our
cars in the shop. The owner is a good friend of mine and I have gotten
to know him well over the years. But I do not use his shop because of
our friendship. We keep going back because of the high quality of
service. I know from experience that his people take great pride in what
they do. They are totally dedicated to doing the job and doing it right.
And (though I can’t say this for certain) I have the feeling that my
friend can be pretty tough on his own people if he thinks they aren’t
giving a full effort. As far as I am concerned, he is an “approved
worker” who does not need to be ashamed because he correctly handles the
cars that come into his shop.
Those who serve the Lord must take care in the way they handle the Word
of God. In the King James Version, the phrase reads “rightly
divide.” The Greek word means something like cutting a straight
furrow or making a straight path. We must not use the Word of God to
support a pet theory or our own ideas, but must follow the true teaching
of the Word of God, making it the straight pattern for life. This
involves knowing the Word and being able to explain it accurately to
others.
First, I must know the Word.
Second, I must apply it to my own life.
Third, I must diligently study it in order to teach it.
Fourth, I must teach it correctly so that others will understand
it.
This command applies not only to pastors and missionaries, but also to
every Christian. It certainly applies to Sunday School teachers and to
small group leaders. It applies to everyone involved in personal
discipleship. It applies to parents who must teach their children. It
applies to believers who want to win their friends to Christ.
If you are grounded in the Word, you will avoid quarrels (v. 14) because
they produce spiritual catastrophe in those who listen. You will avoid
“godless chatter” (v. 16) because it is a kind of spiritual gangrene
that destroys the soul. You will be aware of false teachers (vv. 17-18)
who have wandered away from the truth. Paul even names two false
teachers who had once been leaders in the church, but had drifted into
serious doctrinal error that was corrupting other believers. They denied
the truth of the bodily resurrection of the dead, thus robbing believers
of the hope of seeing again their departed loved ones who died in the
Lord.
All Christians are either “approved workers” or “ashamed
believers.” To be approved means that we have built our lives
on the Word of God and therefore, our ministry to others can stand the
test of time. Because we know the truth, we can teach the truth to
others and make them strong.
An “ashamed” believer is one
who is weak because he does not know the Word and therefore is tossed
back and forth, always following the latest fad. Such a person is
gullible, easily deceived, easy prey for false teachers, unstable,
unsteady in the time of crisis, and prone to follow bad advice. Such a
person will always have a negative influence on others.
How do you become an “approved worker?” The King James Version
says “study to show yourself approved.” Other translations use
phrases like “be diligent” or “make every effort” or “do your best.” The
point is, it doesn’t happen by accident. My friend who runs the auto
body shop sets high standards and holds himself to those standards. When
he hires a new worker, he takes the time to show them how to produce
high-quality work and he won’t accept less than that. If we were as
serious as that in our walk with the Lord, we would soon be “approved
workers” who correctly handle the word of truth.
Knowing the Bible is absolutely crucial for your spiritual growth. Years
ago our church was called the Madison Street Bible Church. We put the
word Bible right in our name to show that we want to be biblical in all
we say and do. That’s why the Bible is the basis for every sermon, every
program, and every class we offer. We want to grow a congregation that
is Bible-based and Bible-saturated.
So how are you doing in
your knowledge of the Word? Do you read the Bible on a daily basis? What
steps have you taken to grow deeper in the Word? If you want to be an
“approved worker” whom God can use, you must be grounded in the Word.
And remember, it doesn’t happen by accident. Make it your aim to know
God’s Word deeply so God can use you greatly.
(Read Dr Pritchard's full message
2 Timothy 2:14-16: The Life God Blesses)
(Bolding and color added for emphasis)
><> ><> ><>
WATCHING THE SIGNS (rightly
dividing the word of truth. 2 Timothy 2:15) How thankful we should be
for the wonderful highways which crisscross our nation. This is truly a
far cry from the early days of the automobile when paved roads were a
rarity, and when the best of highways could be transformed within
minutes from a ribbon of dust into a river of mud. Yet there are times
when those primitive roadways seem good to me, especially when I arrive
in a strange city on one of our superhighways and find myself surrounded
by lanes of "speeding steel" and barraged by numerous signs indicating
different routes and directions. It can be confusing! But I've found a
way to overcome this frustration : know where you are going, and the
number of the route that will take you there. Then watch for that alone!
The other signs will tend to mix you up if they are not kept in proper
relationship with that which really applies to you.
Many folks today are similarly perplexed and confused in their study of
the Scriptures, simply because they don't know how to read the "road
signs" of the Bible. They have never appreciated the admonition of Paul
to Timothy about "rightly dividing the word of truth." If we would fully
understand the Scriptures, we must know which passages are directed
primarily to us. It is true that all of Scripture is for us, for we
read: "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable
for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in
righteousness" (2 Tim. 3:16); yet every verse was not written
specifically to us. We have no right to claim for ourselves God's
special promises to Israel, nor would we foolishly appropriate their
curses.
Even as in traveling along a freeway we must determine which signs apply
to us, so, too, in the study of the Word we must always consider to whom
it was written and for what purpose. As we do this, the entire Book will
become much more meaningful to us. (Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted
by permission. All rights reserved)
Ever present, truest Friend,
Ever near Thine aid to lend,
Guide us as we search the Word,
Make it both our shield and sword!—M. M. Wells, alt.
When you study the Bible "hit or miss,"
you MISS more than you HIT!
><> ><> ><>
HANDLE WITH CARE -
In an excavation at Jerusalem, archeologist Gabriel Barkay uncovered a
small copper scroll with writing on it from the Bible. This fragment of
Scripture was brittle and tarnished with age. Barkay took it to his
laboratory and worked with unbelievable patience and delicate care to
unroll it without destroying it.
Dated around 400 BC, the scroll was a very important find because it
contained the earliest written Hebrew name for God, Yahweh (or Jehovah).
Apparently the scribe who copied it had broken with the practice of
never writing that sacred name. Always before, because of their
reverence for its holiness, Jewish scribes had felt unworthy to pen that
special name.
The Bible is God's holy, inspired, infallible Word, and we must handle
its truths with the same care Barkay gave to his discovery and the same
reverence the copyists gave to God's name. Scripture comes to us from
God's heart. Therefore, we must guard its message with integrity by
"rightly dividing the word of truth" (2Ti 2:15). We must respect its
every word. To take Scripture out of context or twist its meaning to
serve our purposes or justify our own opinions is to dishonor God's Word
and His name.
Let's always handle the Word of God with care. --D C Egner (Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted
by permission. All rights reserved)
The Bible stands, and it will forever
When the world has passed away;
By inspiration it has been given--
All its precepts I will obey. --Lillenas
Open your Bible prayerfully,
read it carefully,
and obey it joyfully.
><> ><> ><>
THE VALUE OF
READING IN CONTEXT -
A father was telling his son the Bible story about Lot. He said,
"God
was going to destroy the city of Sodom, so He warned Lot to take his
wife and flee. But when Lot's wife looked back, she turned into a pillar
of salt."
Puzzled, the boy asked,
"What happened to the flea?"
This humorous misunderstanding points out a deeper problem some of us
have with the words of the Bible. Although we believe that every word of
Scripture is inspired (2Ti 3:16), this doesn't mean we should take every word
literally regardless of its context. Some people seem to do this and
thereby miss the true meaning of many Bible passages.
The Bible is filled with images-word pictures we call similes and metaphors
(see
terms of comparison). The book of James gives us a classic example, calling the
tongue "a fire" (Jas 3:6). We know it doesn't mean that we have a literal
flame in our mouth. Jesus used figurative language too. He said, "If
your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out" (Mt 5:29-note). What He
meant, of course, is that we should take strong measures to keep
ourselves from sin.
We need to listen carefully to what God is saying in His Word so we can
put it into practice. His Word is a "lamp" for our feet and a "light"
for our path (Ps 119:105
-
Spurgeon's note).-D J De
Haan (Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted
by permission. All rights reserved)
HOW TO STUDY THE BIBLE
OBSERVATION: What does the context say?
INTERPRETATION: What does the text mean?
APPLICATION: What does
it mean to your life?
A text taken out of
context
becomes a pretext.
(Pretext = a purpose or motive
alleged or an appearance
assumed in order to cloak the real intention or state of
affairs)
><> ><> ><>
By the time D. L. Moody arrived on the evangelistic scene the biblical
literacy rate in America had plummeted. There was a time in American
history when more than 90% of the population read the Bible regularly.
Sermons were full of illustrations taken directly from the Bible.
Unlike the other evangelists before and after him, Moody devoted several
sermons to the topic of Bible study. According to him, the important
tools for effective study are a large-print Bible, concordance, and a
Bible dictionary.
Moody studied entire books, special biblical topics, as well as
important Bible characters. Intensive Bible study contributed a lasting
influence to his own life. He realized that a sermon would eventually be
forgotten, but if his audience could be stimulated into the habitual
study of God’s Word, they would experience greater spiritual maturity.
><> ><> ><>
Guy King writes the
following notes on this verse...
THE PRECIOUS
WORD
It is seen in verse 15, "the word
of truth." Those who remember the great Torrey and Alexander missions in
this country, will recall how that this verse was a kind of watchword,
what we should now call a "slogan" of their campaigns. In sending
letters people would put on the envelopes "2 Timothy 2:15"; they would
dispatch telegraphs bearing the message "Two Timothy Two Fifteen"; they
would greet one another in the street with the same words; there were
placards on the boardings, posters at the houses - everywhere was
"Timothy 2:15."
Well, here it is again: we might
very profitably adopt it as the slogan, the motto, of our own life. It
seems to me to be a most delightful summing-up of a satisfactory
Christian life, with a revelation of its secret, "the word of truth."
See here, then...
(a) The work well done - "a
workman that needeth not to be ashamed."
This is just another illustration
of the strenuousness of the Christian life, which this Second Chapter
has so urgently underlined. We have already learnt that the believer is
intended to be a soldier, an athlete, and a farmer - now he is an
artisan: he is expected to be a worker. Evidently, the Christian life is
no picnic; How will this workman become ashamed?
(i) If he do his work badly
- we ought all, and always, to put our very best into it; but do we?
How often we go to it very ill
prepared. A Sunday-school teacher, for instance, puts hardly anything
into the task of getting his Lesson ready, scarcely looks at it until
Saturday evening, has got so into the habit of slackness that he has
come to feel almost that anything will do for the children. In the day
when our Christian work is judged (1Corinthians 3:11, 12, 13, 14, 15), such a man
would stand dreadfully ashamed. He had better be thoroughly ashamed of
himself now. Look at Jeremiah 48:10,
"Cursed be he that doeth the work of
the Lord deceitfully [negligently]."
(ii) If he do it easily -
with little cost to himself, and with no sort of sacrifice.
I have heard of Christian people
refusing to take up spiritual work offered to them because it would mean
giving up some bit of selfish enjoyment, or because they are so shy and
would feel so dreadfully nervous, or because they fear they would get
very tired. Make no mistake about it that a service without sacrifice is
a shame worthy thing. The service that counts is the service that costs.
So then, how much does your Christian work cost you?
(iii) If he do it fitfully
- doing something if he feels like it, dropping it (and leaving the
church!) if anyone dares to criticise at all, taking it up again if the
inducement is powerful enough, or if the flattery is sufficiently
agreeable. What a terrible way to treat what is one of the highest
privileges of mankind.
(iv) If he do nothing at all -
a drone in the hive.
A stranger was talking with one of
the monks at the St. Bernard Hospice when one of the grand, magnificent
dogs came home. It just slinked by, its tail down, its head dejected,
its whole bearing the picture of misery. "What's the matter with that
dog?" asked the visitor. "Oh, it has found nobody to help, and it is
feeling so ashamed."
My friends, we could never have
that brave animal's excuse - lost on the bleak mountains is a multitude
of souls, needing desperately the help that we Christians alone can
give: when we come Home at the End of the Day, how terribly ashamed we
shall be, if we have never attempted to do a thing to help them. Some of
us Christians are content to remain in our arm chairs, never moving a
foot, never stirring a finger, to serve. Any such will have painful
cause to hang their heads with shame when we meet the Lord. How grand,
though, to be one of those faithful servants of His who have no need to
be ashamed.
That leads us to the thought of
(b) The Master well pleased
- "study to shew thyself approved unto God."
"Present thyself," it
means...
(i) As one He can use.
Like a workman who comes each
morning to his governor's office, to present himself for duty, ready for
orders - GOD approves of that attitude. May we thus present ourselves
every day -
"present your bodies a living
sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable (logical)
service," Ro 12:1-see note
Ro 12:1.
(ii) As one He can trust.
Alas. He cannot always trust all
His servants. In all the exquisite reality of His Humanity, we hear of
His leaning upon the sympathy and fellowship of His friends, in a time
of direst need - "tarry ye here, and watch with Me" (Matthew 26:38); but
He found He could not rely on them, they went to sleep and let Him down.
On the other side of the matter,
we shall recall that word He spoke to Elijah, in 1Kings 17:9.
"Behold, I have commanded a widow
woman there to sustain thee"
Having commanded, He knew He could
rely on her to do it. Mind you, if ever a person would have been
justified in saying that she couldn't do it, it was she. There was
nothing left in the larder, the last little scraps were about to be used
in the last bit of food, before she and her boy must give themselves
over, in that time of drought and famine, to death from starvation. How
could she possibly feed the prophet besides? Was she willing? That was
the crux of the matter; for, if she were willing, GOD would arrange for
the doing of it - however impossible it appeared.
In all questions of GOD's service,
He asks only for willing obedience - he will see to the means for doing
it. How He "approved" of that woman of Zarephath that day, seeing she
proved He could absolutely rely on her. And, on us?
A poor, ragged little fellow, who
had no one to care for him, and who had recently been converted, was
asked, "If GOD loves you, why doesn't He tell somebody to look after
you?" To which he rather sadly replied, "I expect He does tell somebody,
but somebody forgets", Is that somebody you? Has some poor, sin-stained,
needy soul crossed your path, whom GOD expected you to help, and did you
forget - or fail?
Oh, to be so in touch with GOD,
day by day, that we may almost instinctively know His mind, and do His
will, and so be "approved unto GOD."
(iii) As one He can reward.
When Life's Day is ended, and we
go into His presence on finishing our Job, may we be able to present
ourselves "approved - not ashamed," and to receive the supernal
recompense of His
"Well done, good and faithful
servant, . . enter thou into the joy of thy Lord," Matthew 25:21.
To enjoy His approval, and to
share His joy: what a rich reward for any pains and sacrifices that our
work may have involved. But such an approval will probably mean a
considerable curtailment of others-pleasing, and certainly a complete
end of self-pleasing. So we come to a last thought, which will supply
the secret of this satisfactory Christian life, which has, all this
while, been on our minds - the precious word:
(c) The Book well used -
"rightly dividing the word of
truth."
This word is placed in every
"workman's" hand: it is his Tool, which he must, by much study and
practice, learn how to use skillfully, and which he must, on no account,
allow to become blunted by misuse, or rusty from disuse. He must be, in
every sense, a Man of the Book.
What is this "rightly dividing"?
It is one word in the Greek, and means "cutting straight." All sorts of
suggestions have been made by the commentators.
Some refer it to Straight Furrows:
the Book is a very fruitful field, to receive whose full harvest the
ploughman cuts his straight furrows.
Or, may be, it is Straight Roads:
the Book is a great domain, to gain access to whose many benefits the
engineer cuts his straight roads through.
John Calvin has a delightful
suggestion. He thinks of Straight Slices: the Book is a wondrous loaf, a
Bread of Life, to enjoy whose, nourishing strength the steward cuts his
straight slices, for his own use, and for that of the whole household.
Straight furrows, shall we say, of
painstaking Study; straight roads, perhaps, of Dispensational Study;
straight slices, of Regular Study - not just lumps pulled off the loaf
from any part, not isolated texts and bits, torn from their context, to
feed some favoured theory, but the straight slices of orderly system,
the Scripture Union, perhaps, or the International Bible Reading
Association, or the Bible Reading Fellowship, or the Chapter a Day
method, or the regular Church Calendar; something like Jehoiachin's
"allowance" from Evil-merodach, in 2Kings 25:30, "a daily rate for
every day, all the days . . ."
But, perhaps, what we are
especially taught here is, not so much the importance of the "cutting",
as the value of the "straight" - to deal in a straightforward way with
the Bible, to the exclusion of all fanciful deviations and all "private
interpretation," (1Pe1:20-note)
To be "approved unto GOD"
we must "study" - or, be diligent; above all we must "study .
. . the word of truth" - "the scripture of truth," to borrow
the phrase of Daniel 10:21. Both in our personal life, and in our
spiritual work, the Bible must have prime place; and we shall soon
discover that it is not enough merely to read our daily portion,
admirable though that laudable custom is, but we must give ourselves to
diligent study making time, and taking pains. (2
Timothy 2:14-19 Three Words)