The key that unlocks the truths of Godβs Word is in understandingΒ a consistent method of Bible study that God Himself emphasizes in 2 Timothy 2:15: βStudy to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, RIGHTLY DIVIDING the Word of truth.β In this lesson, we will explore together the proof, importance, location, and identification of these divisions in Scripture.
Understanding Divisions Exist in Scripture
Recognizing divisions in Scripture is the key to understanding the Bible. The Bible is βThe Word of Truth;β but unless it is rightly divided, we will not get accurate βtruthβ from its pages, and we will only get βtruthβ in direct proportion to how well we rightly divide it.
βDividingβ means to cut straight. To cut something naturally divides or separates it from what it was attached to. We can picture cutting a loaf of bread into several sections. What we divided off was certainly part of the whole loaf, but it can best serve the one who uses it if it is divided into various sizes and sections.
So it is with Scripture. God emphasizes the need to divide Scripture in 2 Timothy 2:15 if it is to best serve the purpose that He intends. So doing does NOT make any portion of Scripture less a part of the whole Bible, it simply makes it more useful. Since God is the one telling us to divide Scripture, He does not intend for us to use it as a whole, without divisions. God never intended for us to attempt to use His Word as one uninterrupted set of instructions for man without recognizing how divisions in His Word affect His instructions. The Scriptures are not a hodge-podge of stories, or information randomly put together. Nor is it like a novel with one continuous flow about the same people. Instead, Godβs Word is divided into sections about different people, under different programs of divine instruction, at different times.
There is great order in Godβs Word if we recognize key divisions. Those who fail to recognize these divisions cannot help being inconsistent in what they choose to obey and confused about what God expects of them. Each division in Scripture has important distinctions from the rest, which greatly affect our understanding and application.
However, as described in 2 Timothy 2:15, if we fail to rightly divide Godβs Word, weβll have reason to be ashamed. Weβll be βashamedβ before Him for our ignorance, wrong application, foolish practices, wasted efforts, stubbornness, and perhaps much more. Our goal as students of Scripture must be to be found βapprovedβ of Him in how we handle this precious Book Heβs entrusted to our care. To please God in this way will require each of us to become a βworkmanβ (one who expends some effort to understand Godβs Word) and to βstudyβ (or be diligent and consistent in this approach) βto show [ourselves] approved unto God.β
The Bible gives these divisions a unique name; theyβre called βdispensations.β Our English Bible uses the word βdispensationβ four times: 1 Corinthians 9:17, Ephesians 1:10 and 3:2, and Colossians 1:25. Elsewhere in our New Testament, the same basic Greek word is translated βstewardβ in the Authorized King James Version. Literally the word βdispensationβ means house management, an administration, or a steward, describing the way one would direct the affairs of his house. The word βstewardβ refers to a manager or administrator who was responsible for a household (i.e. Joseph in Genesis).
In our modern experience, we can comprehend the idea of a hospital administrator being responsible for how the hospital will be operated. We can also relate to a pharmacy dispensing or giving out prescriptions to different individuals. The pharmacy dispenses only as directed by the doctor, and it is governed by clear and ever updated regulations. Those receiving the prescriptions specifically intended for them are expected to carefully follow their directions without attempting to combine them with what was intended for someone else.
God has a very similar meaning for these words (dispensation and steward) as He uses them in Scripture. They reveal how God has managed the household of mankind in different ways throughout history, based on the specific instructions He dispensed to specific individuals or groups. 2 Timothy 2:15 is emphasizing that weβll not need to be ashamed before God when weβre able to discern these divisions and instructions in His Word. source
[β¦] You know, arrests are often made on the basis of such forensic evidence, arrests that often lead to convictions. May I ask, if you were arrested for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you? Does your life exemplify the good works that God has described in detail in His rightly divided Word? [β¦]