2 Timothy 2:15Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
Exactly how does one “rightly divide” the word of truth? And what is the word of truth? How are we to study? What does showing myself approved unto God involve? What does not being ashamed have to do with any of this?
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Very few of the words in this verse mean what we would naturally understand them to mean. Truth is a good example. In my first session, I explained that truth means unhidden. The Greek word for truth, aletheias (αληθειας), begins with an alpha, a negative particle. You do not know what truth is until you know what it is not. The part being negated is lanthanō which means hidden. This word of truth has something to do with a word that was hidden and is to be unhidden.
The Greek word for “word” in this verse is logon (λογον). Let’s look at how this word is used in another place. This is Jesus talking.
Matthew 12:36But I say unto you, That every idle word (rema, ρημα) that men shall speak, they shall give account (logon, λογoν) thereof in the day of judgment.
You may have thought that the idle word in this verse would be the same as the word being rightly divided in 2ndTimothy. Not so. Logon is the account that they shall give thereof in the day of judgment. It is the account on the tables of their heart, that is hidden until that day when it will be unveiled.
But look at the next verse:
Matthew 12:37For by thy words (logōn, λογων) thou shalt be justified, and by thy words (logōn, λογων) thou shalt be condemned.
Where logon is the account, logōn is the content of the account. It is the content of the account by which we will be approved or disapproved; justified or condemned. When my account is unveiled on that day, I will show myself approved or disapproved. On that day I will either be ashamed or not ashamed.
Paul urges Timothy to take action today so that, on that day, he will be able to show himself approved.
On that day in the future, my account will contain what is being written therein today. Today, I am writing my story. What story will I want to tell? When my book is opened, and I read from its pages, if I write my story well, I need not be ashamed.
A workman. To write a good story, it will take work, but not my work. The good work done in me is work I do together with God. Working together is synergy, God working together with me. I do not get credit for things that God does apart from me, and I do not get credit for things I do apart from God. I do get credit for things I do with God, and everything we do together is good. We know that, it is not a mystery – Romans 8:28. I get credit for something when it is credited to my account, when it is logged into my log.
Rightly dividing is a single Greek word, orthotomeo, which means to cut straight, take a straight path; don’t stray from the path; get right on it. You have been handed the ball, now run straight to the goal line.
Study. This word is used many times in the New Testament, but it is rendered as study only this once. The word means to be diligent. In Hebrew, the word diligence means to rise early to a task. That means to get right to it; don’t wait.
When you receive something from the Lord, that something is love. As I have loved you, love one another. What you have been given, treat it like a hot potato. It was given to you, but it is not for you. It is meant for others, and it was given to you so that you would pass it on to others. It was given to you by the Spirit, and the Spirit will work with you to fulfill the righteousness of the law ( the New Commandment) as you pass it on to others. When you receive something from the Lord, it is like his teleprompter; he is telling you what to write next.
Be diligent, that you will be able to show yourself approved to God, working hand in hand with the Lord, walking the straight and narrow path, writing to your account which is hidden today, but will be unhidden on the day of the Lord. Write your story well.
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