Christianity Oasis Forum

[cimi]

September 21
Sunday


RIGHTLY
DIVIDING
THE WORD

READ:
2 Timothy 2:14-19
______________________________________

Be diligent...rightly
dividing the Word of
truth.
__2 Timothy 2:15
______________________________________


In 1879, James Murray was hired as the editor of The Oxford English Dictionary. He had little advanced education, but he was a gifted linguist. Murray enlisted a large number of volunteers around the world to read widely and send him usages of assigned words. At Oxford, he and a small staff of scholars cataloged an edited the definitions they received.

During his lifetime, Murray was knighted and awarded an honorary doctorate from Oxford. Today, the 20-volume Oxford English Dictionary is still recognized as one of the most accurate and comprehensive dictionaries in the world.

Murray's legacy of precision and accuracy with words reminds me of what the apostle paul wrote to Timothy, a young pastor of the Ephesian church: "Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of truth" (2 Tim. 2:15). The phrase "rightly dividing" is a metaphor derived from the stonemason's craft of cutting stones straight to fit into their proper place in a building.

Precision with words is essential to an accurate interpretation of God's Word.. Let's be people who care deeply about what the Bible says and what it means. __Dennis Fisher
_____________________________________________________________

````````````````````Correctly handling the Word of truth```````````
````````````````````````Takes diligence and care;````````````````
``````````````````````So make the time to study it```````````````
```````````````````And then that truth declare. __Hess````````````
_____________________________________________________________

Rightly dividing the Word
multiplies our understanding.

***************Today's Bible Reading __ 2 Timothy 2:14-19*********

14 Remind them of these
things, charging them
before the Lord not to strive
about words to no profit, to
the ruin of the hearers. 15 Be
diligent to present yourself
approved to God, a worker
who does not need to be
ashamed, rightly dividing
the word of truth. 16 But
shun profane and idle
babblings, for they will
increase to more
ungodliness. 17 and their
message will spread like
cancer. Hymenaeus and
Philetus are of this sort,

18 who have strayed
concerning the truth, saying
that the resurrection is
already past; and they
overthrow the faith of some.

19 Nevertheless the solid
foundation of God stands,
having this seal: "The Lord
knows those who are His,
and, "Let everyone who
names the name of Christ
depart from iniquity."

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>INSIGHT<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

Paul had earlier used the metaphors of soldier, athlete, and farmer
to describe the character and responsibilities of the christian (2 Tim.
2:4-6). In regard to handling the Scriptures correctly, Paul uses the
picture of a craftsman. The Greek word translated "rightly dividing"
(v.15) is rendered "correctly handles" in the New International
Version and "handling accurately" in the New American Standard
Bible. It means literally "to cut straight." Some scholars believe
Paul was referring to the skilled mason who cuts stones straight and
accurately to fit in to their places in a building. Others believe Paul
was referring to himself as a skilled tentmaker, cutting the tough
animal skin cloth straight to make a good tent. __Sim Kay Tee