Transcript

During this time together in God’s Word we’ll be looking at the importance of 2 Timothy 2:15 in interpreting Scripture. Thank you for joining us.

Van Morris tells the following story: Two old friends met one day after many years. One attended college and now was very successful. The other had not attended college and never had much ambition, yet he still seemed to be doing well.

Curious as to why, the college graduate asked his friend, “How has everything been going with you?”

The less-educated, less ambitious man replied, “Well, one day, I opened my Bible at random, and dropped my finger on a page. The word under my finger was oil. So, I invested in oil, and boy, did the oil wells gush.

“Then I tried the same method again, and my finger stopped on the word gold. So, I invested in gold, & those mines really produced. Now, I’m as rich as Rockefeller.”

The successful friend was so impressed that he rushed to his hotel, grabbed a Gideon Bible, flipped it open, and dropped his finger on a page. When he opened his eyes, he saw that his finger rested on the words, “Chapter Eleven.”

Sadly people actually do use God’s Word this way and people actually make life decisions in this manner.

It’s like the true story of a young lady who told the story of her “call” to missionary work. After praying a long time for guidance, she opened her Bible at random one day, to see if she might find a verse which would indicate the Lord’s will for her life.

As her Bible fell open, her eye lit upon Matthew 10:5,6: “Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not: But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”

She related that as she read those words she realized immediately that she was to be a Jewish missionary!

Now no doubt the Lord used this young lady in her work for Him, but to misuse God’s Word in such a manner is not honoring to God. God’s Word should not be used in a superstitious manner.

Verses and truths and promises from God’s Word have a context and should be read, studied, interpreted, and applied in light of their context, and importantly in light of the program under which they’re found.

Thomas Guthrie: “The Bible is an armory of heavenly weapons, a laboratory of infallible medicines, a mine of exhaustless wealth. It is a guidebook for every road, a chart for every sea, a balm for every wound. Rob us of our Bible and our sky has lost its sun.”

We each have an individual responsibility to know God’s Word for ourselves. Don’t take my word for it during these videos. Anytime we hear God’s Word taught, we need to check it for ourselves to make sure it’s right. We are called to be like the Bereans in Acts 17:11:

“These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the Word with all readiness of mind, and searched the Scriptures daily, whether those things were so.”

This is why this ministry is called the Berean Bible Society, because we stand on this principle of the spirit of the Bereans, that each believer needs to search the Scriptures for themselves to understand it and to know and grow in the truth.

Nothing could be more vitally important than to read, study and understand your Bible. And the Bible is meant to be understood and God wants us to understand it.

Paul prayed for believers that God would “enlighten the eyes of their understanding” in Ephesians 1:18 and that they would attain to “the full assurance of understanding” in Colossians 2:2.

But in order for us to gain the full assurance of understanding of the Bible, it must be read, studied, interpreted, learned and applied in the right manner.

The Bible is by far the best-selling Book in the world today. It’s by far the best-selling book every year. No other Book even comes close year in and year out.

The sales of the Bible aren’t recorded in weekly best-sellers lists and it’s been said that if it was, it’d be a very rare week when any other book would surpass it.

Taking into account the dozens of English translations, the over 2,000 translations of the Bible in other languages, world sales of the Bible are more than 100 million every year. It is the number one best selling book in all of history.

Estimates are that at least 6 billion Bibles have been printed, sold, and distributed since the year 1815.

Now you would think that with this many Bibles in the world today that more would know Christ as their personal Savior and that there would be a united stand for the truth of the gospel.

There are many reasons why, but the key reason why there is confusion about salvation and in the Church as a whole and division about the interpretation of the Bible, is because of a failure in the Church to rightly divide God’s Word.

2 Timothy 2:15 reads: “Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of truth.”

The Greek word for the phrase “rightly dividing” here is orthotomeo. It means simply “to cut straight.” And in reference to God’s Word it means to cut straight, so as to rightly divide truths on one side, from truths on the other.

One of the sharpest and clearest divisions in Scripture is between Law and Grace. On one side of this division, under Law in the past, it was required and would have been wrong to fail to bring animal sacrifices for sin.

While on the other side, today under Grace, it would be wrong to bring them.

This is rightly dividing. And as we seek to rightly divide, we find that the most important division in Scripture is not between the Old Testament and the New, but rather between the Prophecy program and the Mystery program of today.

This simply means that there is a difference between God’s dealings with the nation Israel who had an earthly hope and calling, and God’s dealings with the Church, the Body of Christ, who have a heavenly hope and calling.

God has established “cuts” in His Word and we need to honor and recognize these divisions in our understanding of the Bible.

Consider these things: Exodus 31:15 says that people who break the Sabbath day should be killed. Leviticus 11:7,8 says it is wrong to eat ham. Leviticus 4:27,28 says people should offer animal sacrifices when they commit sin.

Mark 16:17,18 says believers can speak in tongues, handle poisonous snakes, drink poison and not die, and they can heal the sick.

Matthew 10:5,6 says Christians should only preach to Jews. Acts 2:38 says the Holy Spirit is received by water baptism. Acts 2:44,45 says Christians should sell their property and have everything common. 1 John 1:9 says you must confess your sins to receive the forgiveness of sins.

Any Bible teacher could come along and require their hearers to obey these words. After all, it is the Word of God, and it is our authority.

Bible teachers can be Biblically correct, but dispensationally wrong. In other words, you can rightly divide the Word of truth, and you can wrongly divide it as well. You can wrongly try to apply truths and promises meant for another time and another people.

There are truths in God’s Word intended for our direct obedience, and there are truths not intended for our direct obedience.

We understand that with Noah. When God commanded Noah to build the ark, we know that this is not something we are required to obey today. But it’s a good thing Noah did.

Some promises, instruction and commands are not for us in the Bible.

It’s been rightly said that “Every promise in God’s Word is true, but not every promise is meant for you.” We must rightly divide the Word to properly understand it.

The Bible says what it means and means what it says, to whom it was written. And we need to rightly divide the Word to know and understand what’s written to us directly.

Rightly dividing the Word does not mean that we reject part of the Bible or that we pick and choose what we like or dislike.

It means to understand Scripture in light of its context and in light of who it was written to. It means to recognize that while all the Bible is for us, for our learning and profit and edification, the Bible is not all written directly to us or about us.

Some parts of the Bible God addressed to someone else, the nation Israel. And others He wrote specifically to us, to Gentiles, or the nations, under Grace.

There are principles, truths, examples, and lessons to be learned and applied throughout all Scripture, but it’s not all written specifically to us or for us to live by.

The Bible is like mail that God addressed to the people He was speaking to at any given time. And rightly dividing the Word of truth means to check the address.

For example, James 1:1 says “James, a servant of God and the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad.” Is this you? No!

The book of James was written to Israel in the past, to the Jews who had been dispersed from Jerusalem and Israel as a result of the persecution at that time, and it also pertains to His plans for future scattered Israel after the Church is caught away to heaven.

But the Book of James is for our learning and profit. And like many truths from other dispensations it has principles which are horizontal and are true at all times and true across the dispensations. And in James we find this. For example:

“The trying of your faith worketh patience” (1:3). “The tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity” (3:6). “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He shall lift you up” (4:10). etc. These things are true for all, and at any time. They are horizontal truths.

But James is not addressed to us. And James has vertical truths which are just true for that program and for Israel, and are not for us today, such as:

“The prayer of faith shall save the sick” (5:15), “ask of God…and it shall be given him” (1:5), and “by works a man is justified, and not by faith only” (2:24).

These things are for Israel under their kingdom/law/faith+works program. They’ll be true for the Tribulation and the Kingdom.

But when we turn to the epistles of Paul he tells us, “I am appointed a preacher, and an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles” (2 Tim. 1:11).

Paul is the “apostle of the Gentiles” (Rom. 11:13), and when Paul is writing or teaching in God’s Word he’s teaching, not Israel under the law, but instead the Gentiles, or the nations, under grace. And that’s us!

The key to understanding Scripture is to recognize that the letters of Paul are our mail, and that they provide the Church, the Body of Christ, of today with our marching orders that we are to live by directly in this present age of Grace.

Paul’s epistles are our writings to be fully lived by and applied by the Church the Body of Christ in this present age.

As C. I. Scofield rightly said, “In Paul’s writings alone, we find the doctrine, position, walk, and destiny of the Church.”

The truth of salvation by grace through faith alone comes from Paul’s writings. In contrast to James, Paul says, “But to him that worketh not, but believeth on Him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness” (Rom. 4:5).

Paul says salvation is by faith alone today, not by faith plus works as James says. Bible teachers do some interesting gymnastics with interpreting what James says and what Paul says. But you don’t need to if you just rightly divide the Word.

They both say what they mean and mean what they say to whom they are writing. For Israel and salvation under God’s dealing with them under the law, it is true: “by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.”

For the Body of Christ and salvation under God’s dealings with us under grace, it is true, that “to him that worketh not, but believeth on Him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.”

Salvation by grace through faith alone in Christ’s finished work comes from Paul’s writings. And this carries over also to truth directly applicable for our walk, position and future hope that it all comes from Paul’s letters.

Paul’s writings are written directly to us, the nations, in this dispensation of Grace.

And with this basis of understanding, then we go to the rest of Scripture and take the literal interpretation of it, and interpret it in light of the teaching in the epistles of Paul.

And then we can draw application and principles from all of the Bible and apply them to our life as they coincide with Paul’s writings and teachings for today.

A man once asked his wife what she’d like for her birthday. She replied, “I’d love to be six again.” On the morning of her birthday, he got her up bright and early and off they went to a local theme park. And what a day they had!

He put her on every ride in the park: the Death Slide, the Screaming Loop, the Wall of Fear, everything there was. Five hours later she staggered out of the theme park, her head reeling and her stomach upside down.

Right to a McDonald’s they went, where her husband ordered her a Big Mac with extra fries and a large chocolate shake. Then it was off to a movie—the latest Star Wars epic, and hot dogs, popcorn, Pepsi Cola and M&M’s. It was an adventure!

Finally she wobbled home with her husband and collapsed into bed. He leaned over and lovingly asked, “Well, dear, what was it like being six again?” One eye opened, and she said, “I meant my dress size.” Not exactly what she had in mind! And when it comes to God’s Word, many misunderstand what God has in mind for us.

Many allow tradition or philosophy to blind them, many read preconceived ideas into Scripture, many spiritualize what’s clearly taught and said, but mainly because God’s Word is not rightly divided, it is often misinterpreted and misunderstood.

1 Corinthians 14:37 says this, “If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord.”

Many have the idea that when Christ ascended off of the Mount of Olives to heaven, He stopped speaking. But nothing could be farther from the truth!

You need to keep following the revelation of Scripture and not stop short with the end of Christ’s earthly ministry or the Holy Spirit’s coming at Pentecost. There were new and different things revealed by Christ after His ascension to heaven and after Pentecost.

Paul says that the things he wrote to the Corinthians, and to the Body of Christ, were the “commandments of the Lord”! Similarly in his epistle to the Thessalonians, Paul says, “For ye know what commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus” (I Thes. 4:2).

After Christ ascended to heaven and after Pentecost, Israel continued in her rebellion and rejected the Holy Spirit’s ministry, and Israel was then temporarily set aside by God.

Then God raised up a new apostle, and gave Him a message which had never before been revealed. And Christ spoke again! He spoke again from heaven to deliver to the Apostle Paul a new revelation concerning His heavenly ministry to the Church, the Body of Christ. And to Paul was given the commands of Christ for the Body of Christ today.

In Paul’s epistles we have the will of God for our Christian lives during the dispensation of grace. In Paul’s letters we find the doctrines of grace that the Church is built upon and is to live by and share with the world.

Notice that Paul’s words as revealed to Him by Christ, are spoken of as “commandments.” This is not a take it or leave it word. When a commandment is given, God expects us to obey and conform our wills to His will.

In past dispensations, other commands were given which were valid at the time given, but are not for today, and are not for our obedience.

Take food for example (a topic close to my heart), the Bible commands man to eat only vegetables and fruit, then it allows for eating meat with fruit and veggies, then it commands only certain foods to be eaten, then it commands that all food can be eaten.

It is impossible to obey all of these different commands at the same time. And there are other issues in Scripture like this, chief among them is how to be saved. So it’s imperative to determine which commands God would have us obey today.

And the answer is that Paul’s letters are our writings for today, they are the commands of Christ which are valid for today under grace.

The commands of Christ given to and through the Apostle Paul are what we must obey today. And Paul says we can eat all things! Another benefit being under grace!

While there is nothing wrong with red letter editions of the Bible as they are beneficial for seeing when our Lord spoke during His earthly ministry, many people get the impression that the words in red in the Bible are the most important.

Now they are the words of Christ and they are important. They are the words of God our Savior, and to minimize the importance of the Gospels is wrong.

That is our Savior. There is so much there we learn about our Lord, in His care and compassion and kindness and love, and in seeing His Deity, Humanity, and Majesty through His life, and seeing His sacrificial death and resurrection.

But those words in His earthly ministry are the commands of Christ to Israel regarding His kingdom of heaven on earth, and preparing Israel to go through the coming Trib.

Neither of these things apply to us, the Body of Christ. We will not go through the Tribulation, any of it. We will be delivered from it by the Rapture. And our hope is heaven above, and not the kingdom on the earth. That’s Israel’s hope.

The Gospels are words uttered to a different people, under a different program, with a different gospel and a different hope, living under a different rule of life.

Later from heaven, after Israel’s fall and setting aside, Christ spoke again to and through the Apostle Paul, and He made Paul His mouthpiece to reveal His new message to the world and how Christ is carrying out a heavenly ministry today, as the Head of the Body of Christ, and the God of all grace in giving all an opportunity to be saved.

Paul is God’s divinely ordained spokesman, and in his letters we find the very words of Christ to us, and thus all of Paul’s epistles should be red letter edition!

They are the words, the very mind, will, heart and commands of Christ, for the Church, the Body of Christ. They are our instruction from Christ Himself for us today.

The earthly ministry of Christ to Israel and the heavenly ministry of Christ to the Body of Christ, are of equal importance, but they’re not the same.

And if we desire to walk well-pleasing to the Lord in the disp. of grace, we must follow the heavenly ministry of Christ and the instructions of Christ found in Paul’s epistles.

God’s Word from the resurrected, glorified, ascended, exalted Christ revealed through the Apostle Paul is our authority to live by for today.

And to submit to the authority of Christ over our life for today, is to submit to the commandments of Christ as revealed through the Apostle Paul.

Paul’s letters are Christ’s manual of grace for how He would have His Church believe and behave today under grace. Understanding this is key to understanding your Bible.

There is a story about a teenage boy who was deeply interested in scientific subjects, especially astronomy. So his father bought him a very expensive telescope.

Since the young man had studied the principles of optics, he found the instrument to be most intriguing. He took it apart, examined the lenses, and made detailed calculations on the distance of its point of focus.

The youth became so absorbed in gaining a technical knowledge of the telescope itself that he never got around to looking at the stars. He knew a lot about that fine instrument, but he missed seeing the wonders of the heavens.

As believers, just to know all the facts and figures contained in the Bible is not the end for which God has given us this Book. The purpose is that we might see the wonders of God’s grace, and know Christ, grow in Him, be like Him, and follow Him.