RIGHTLY DIVIDING THE WORD OF GOD (1)*

Victor M. Eskew

 

INTRODUCTION

 

A.    The title of our lesson is:  “Rightly Dividing the Word of God.”  This title comes directly from the New Testament book of II Timothy, chapter two, verse 15.

 

Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

 

1.      Most people would say that they agree with the truth of this verse.

2.      Many, however, do not know the meaning of the words “rightly dividing.”

a.      Strong (3718):  to make a straight cut, to dissect (expound) correctly

b.      Thayer:  to cut straight, to handle aright, to teach the truth directly and correctly

c.       Vine:  rightly dealing with a thing, teaching the Scripture accurately

 

B.      If the apostle Paul exhorts us to rightly divide the Word of truth, there is an implication that he is making.  The implication is that it is possible to “wrongly divide” the Word of truth.

 

C.     There are several ways we can approach this lesson.  We are going to approach it from the standpoint of simply being a good Bible student.

 

I.                   RIGHTLY DIVIDED REGARDING THE TESTAMENTS

 

A.    The Bible contains two testaments:  the Old Testament and the New Testament.

 

B.      Most, however, do not understand how to “rightly divide” these testaments.

 

C.     Features of the Old Testament:

1.      Names:

a.      The Old Testament (II Cor. 3:14)

b.      The Old Covenant (Heb. 8:13)

c.       The First Covenant (Heb. 8:7; 9:1)

d.      The Law of God (Ezra 7:12)

e.       The Law of Moses (Josh. 8:32)

f.        The Law (Ps. 78:10)

g.      The Scriptures (Matt. 21:42)

2.      Those who revealed it to man:

a.      God (Exo. 19:3-6)

b.      The Holy Spirit (II Sam. 23:2)

c.       Angels (Acts 7:53; Gal. 3:19; Heb. 2:2).

d.      Moses (Deut. 4:44; John 1:17)

3.      Its Makeup:

a.      Tables of stone, and a law, and commandments (Exo. 24:12)

b.      The law of Moses, the prophets and the psalms (Luke 24:44)

c.       Law, testimonies, His ways, commandments, judgments, statutes, precepts, and word (Ps. 119).

4.      To whom was it given:  Israel

a.      Exodus 19:3

b.      Deuteronomy 5:1-3

c.       See Ephesians 2:11-12

5.      The purpose of the Law:

a.      To give a law, a code of conduct, to the nation of Israel (Deut. 6:17-18)

b.      To make sin exceedingly sinful (Rom. 7:13)

c.       To instruct Israel in the worship of God (Leviticus)

d.      To roll sins forward year after year (Exo. 30:10; Heb. 10:3)

e.       To prepare Israel for the coming Messiah (John 5:39; Gal. 3:24)

6.      The Law of Moses was a wonderful law as long as it was kept perfectly.  Once a Jew transgressed the law, he could not be forgiven of sins (Gal. 3:11; Heb. 10:4).  This necessitated a new covenant.  It was foretold by the prophet Jeremiah (Jer. 31:31-34).

 

Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah:  not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the Lord.

 

D.    The Law of Moses, therefore, was done away at the cross of Calvary and a new covenant, the New Testament, was made effective by the blood of Christ.

1.      Matthew 26:28

 

For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.

 

2.      The New Testament clearly reveals that the Old Law has been abolished.  Thus, the authority of the Law of Moses is no longer binding on man today.

a.      Ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ (Rom. 7:4).

b.      But now we are delivered from the law (Rom. 7:6).

c.       Which glory was to be done away (II Cor. 3:7, 11)

d.      The law was our schoolmaster, but after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster (Gal. 3:24-25).

e.       Having abolished in His flesh the law of commandments (Eph. 2:15)

f.        Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross (Col. 2:14)

g.      For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also in the law (Heb. 7:12).

h.      He is the mediator of a better covenant which was established upon better promises (Heb. 8:6).

i.        In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old (Heb. 8:13).

j.        Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away (Heb. 8:13).

 

E.      The benefits of the New Testament

1.      It is ratified by the blood of Jesus Christ, not the blood of animals.

2.      It is for all men, not just the Jews (Mark 16:15).

3.      It has better promises (Heb. 8:6).

4.      In the New Testament, there is the complete forgiveness of sins (Heb. 8:12).

 

For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.

 

F.      The Major Thought:  Since the Law of Moses has been done away, man is not to go to the Old Testament in order to substantiate any belief or practice that is engaged in today.

1.      Animal sacrifices

2.      The building of temples

3.      Burning of incense

4.      Instrumental music in worship

5.      A clergy/laity system

6.      Clean and unclean foods

7.      The Sabbath Day

8.      Engaging in the feast days:  Passover, Pentecost and the Day of Atonement

 

II.                RIGHTLY DIVIDED REGARDING BOOKS

 

A.    The books of the Bible must be rightly divided.  If not, their messages will be distorted and will be taught incorrectly.

 

B.      Every book of the Bible has what is called a background.

1.      Who wrote the book

2.      To whom the book was written

3.      The date the book was written

4.      The occasion of the writing

5.      The theme of the book

6.      Key verse of the book

7.      The purpose of the book

8.      Outline of the book

9.      General lessons of the book

10.  Criticism of the book

 

C.     If these things are not understood properly, books of the Bible will be misunderstood and improperly applied.

 

D.    Example:  Galatians

1.      In the book of Galatians Paul is writing to the churches of Galatia (Gal. 1:1-2).

2.      False teachers had infiltrated these churches.

a.      They taught the authoritative nature of the New Testament.

b.      But, they also were seeking to bind the Law of Moses on these new Christians.

c.       Paul refers to their proclamations as “another gospel” (Gal. 1:6-7) and tells the churches that those who preach such a message were to be accursed (Gal. 1:8-9).

3.      Paul addresses two major issues in this letter.

a.      The bondage of the Old Law.

b.      The freedom that is in Christ.

c.       The Key Verse:  Galatians 5:1

 

Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again in the yoke of bondage.

 

4.      Some have tried to apply the term “law” in the book of Galatians to all law.  They proclaim that Christians are free from all law and are under grace completely.

a.      From a casual reading of the book, one should be able to see that the Law of Moses is under consideration.

1)      Circumcision is mentioned in numerous passages (Gal. 2:3; 5:2, 6; 6:12-15).  Circumcision was the sign of the Old Covenant.

2)      A question in Galatians 2:14:  “…why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews?”  How did the Jews live?  They lived according to the Law of Moses.

3)      The law and its works of the law which cannot save are contrasted with “the faith” of Christ (Gal. 2:16; 3:11; 3:23-25

4)      It is called “a man’s covenant” (Gal. 3:15) and speaks of time when it was confirmed, four hundred and thirty years after the promise to Abraham (Gal. 3:17).  This is solid proof that the Law of Moses is under consideration.

5)      He said that Jesus was “made under the law” (Gal. 4:4).  Clearly, this is the Law of Moses.

6)      The Law of Moses involved the observance of “days, and months, and times, and years” (Gal. 4:10). 

7)      Paul exhorted them to “hear the law” (Gal. 4:21).  The account he uses comes from the book of Genesis.

5.      Two thoughts:

a.      If we are not under law, Paul did not know it when he wrote the book of Galatians (Gal. 6:2).

 

Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ. 

 

b.      If we are not under law, then there can be no sin for sin is the transgression of the law (I John 3:4).

 

CONCLUSION

 

A.    It appears that we have gone into a lot of depth as we have examined these subjects that are involved in rightly dividing the Word of truth, but we have only touched the surface.

 

B.      In our next lesson, we will look at the following sections:

1.      Rightly divided regarding chapters of the Bible.

2.      Rightly divided regarding verses of the Bible.

 

C.     We live in a world that does not seem to care very much about accuracy when it comes to the Word of God.

1.      Believe whatever you want to believe.

2.      You have your interpretation; I have mine.

3.      What matters is that we believe in Jesus Christ and possess a sincere heart.

 

D.    Paul was not of that persuasion.  He did not teach Timothy such thoughts.  He told the young evangelist to rightly divide the Word of truth.  This is the only way to come to a proper understanding of God’s Word for our lives.