2 Timothy 2:15 - Rightly Handling God's Word

2 Timothy 2:15
Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.

Message: Rightly Handling God's Word

Time: Paul wrote his second letter to Timothy 4 years into Timothy's ministry at the church of Ephesus. Paul wrote this letter from a dark and damp Roman prison cell, just before his beheading in AD 67. Paul wrote again to this young leader in the church at Ephesus to provide him encouragement and fortitude in the face of difficulties and trials.

What the Lord is Saying:

Martin Luther was an individual who felt like the Word of God should be in the hands of every Christian and they should be able to decide for themselves what the words meant. He translated the Bible into German. The Roman Catholics had for 1000 years, after the Canon of Scripture concluded, and before the printing press, thought that the Bible should be primarily in the hands of bishops and interpretation of the Bible was then given to the people. The year was 1450 when Guttenberg completed the printing press machine. In 1517, Luther submitted his Ninety-Five Thesis to the Church. In 1522, Luther published the German Bible and the complete Bible was translated in 1534.

However, even as each person seeks to read the Bible for themselves, there is the expectation that the Bible is interpreted correctly. Each person can't just come up with their own idea of what it means.

This is an issue that has resulted in many different denominations and different belief systems. I think of the Jehovah's Witnesses that have a very different interpretation of Jesus as not God, and was  previously Micheal the archangel and believe all mentions of God in the New Testament are meant to be translated as Jehovah. They now have their own translation. I also think of groups like Seventh Day Adventists that interpret the Sabbath as being Saturday as the day of worship. Some churches believe in an elder led congregation, some believe in a mix of elders and congregation led and others all congregation led. Some think women preachers are okay. Methodists believe in a social gospel while Lutherans do not. Mormons and Islam believe they are the only one's that can correctly interpret the Bible. I suppose each body believes this, to a point. Church of Christ believes we are a New Testament church where no music is be played by instruments in churches and baptism is a part of salvation. Baptists generally believe that a person cannot lose their salvation while a Lutheran believes a person can fall from grace. Lutherans and Methodists hold that all can receive communion and be baptized while baptists believe this is something for believers only. Baptists also believe some people are predestined to eternal damnation while Lutherans say that people are not predetermined. Some of these beliefs are misunderstandings in what the other thinks though and many times after discussing beliefs are very similar.

It is somewhat interesting to note all of the differences and that each one thinks they are right in their own eyes. My feeling though is their are primary truths, like salvation by grace alone and Jesus as God and the Trinity that need to be held by everyone and some of these beliefs are secondary in their importance. But I realize also that what is defined as primary and secondary can differ from group to group.

Paul appeals to this in today's reading from 2 Timothy 2. Paul says to Timothy in verse 2 -  The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. The idea seems to be that Paul is encouraging the further teaching of these words he is giving them, namely about Jesus and his mission on earth. We need to continue to carry this message. Then in verse 15 he says - Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth. Paul seems to be encouraging his listeners to accurately handle the word of truth. The essence of this verse is as we traverse through different situations and problems in life, we need to constantly look to God's word as the instrument in which we evaluate all of life's situations. I realize I need to think about this even as I engage in conversations with those that don't hold to the same interpretation.

Promise: God the Holy Spirit indwells all believers and therefore we can look to these authors for understanding of the scripture even as many of these are hundreds of years old.

Prayer: Lord, I am thankful for the access that I have to all of the different writers and theologians and interpreters of your Word. Thank you for the help that they provide me. Thank you for your Spirit teaching me continually and guiding me into truth. Help me to continue to look to Your word for all the events of my life and how I navigate through all of them.

Note: I follow the readings from the Tabletalk Magazine devotional, though I am a little behind and working through 2017 devotionals. 2017 is a study of key biblical doctrines with February being about the doctrine of revelation and the various aspects of the doctrine of Scripture that sola Scriptura seeks to preserve.