Rightly Dividing the Word Foundational Principles for Interpreting Scripture

1. Rightly Dividing the WordFoundational Principles for Interpreting Scripture By: Corey Wells

2. Lesson Objective • To offer the basic principles that are needed to understand Scripture in its current cultural expression so that it can be communicated properly to others.

3. Key Verse “Of these things put them in remembrance, charging them before the Lord that they strive not about words to no profit, but to the subverting of the hearers. Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” (II Timothy 2:14-15)

4. Key Definitions • “Strive not about words”- means to not focus on things that are minor to the point of strife. • “Study”- means to make diligent effort to labor or work for. • “Rightly Divide”- means to make a straight cut, to dissect correctly.

5. A. The First Principles • “Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing. For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.” (Hebrews 5:11-12)

6. a. The Word is Everlasting. • The Word of God is the only thing that does not have an ending. • “The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand forever.” (Isaiah 40:8)

7. a. The Word is Everlasting cont. • Because the Word of God is everlasting, it must become the sole authority in the life of a believer. • “And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man does not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live.” (Deuteronomy 8:3)

8. b. The Word is Pure • It is the purity of God’s Word that opens people’s eyes. • “Every word of God is pure; he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him.” (Proverbs 30:5) • “The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart, the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes.” (Psalm 19:8)

9. b. The Word is Pure cont. • The purity of the Word of God demands that we be pure. • “Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? Or who shall stand in his holy place? He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.” (Psalm 24:3-4) • “Becaust it is written, Be ye holy: for I am holy.” (I Peter 1:16)

10. c. The Word is Spirit Driven • The Bible is not a physical taskmaster. It is intended solely to bring us into a relationship with Christ. • “But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should after ward be revealed. Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.” (Galatians 3:23-24)

11. c. The Word is Spirit Driven cont. • “Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ. And be found in him, not having my own righteousness which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith.” (Philippians 3:8-9)

12. B. Interacting With the Text • It is not enough to just read the Bible for academic or intellectual purposes. • The Bible is a book of relationships and must be interacted with.

13. a. Outside Influences • If the Scripture is properly interpreted it will always align the reader with the Word. Scripture must be allowed to interpret itself. • There is a danger of allowing outside influences to alter the meaning of the text.

14. a. Outside Influences cont. • Avoid the influence that comes through apostasy. • “I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;” (II Timothy 4:1-3)

15. a. Outside Influences cont. • Avoid the influence that comes through lack of faith. • “Him that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations.” (Romans 14:1)

16. a. Outside Influences cont. • Avoid the influence of false doctrine. • I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.” (Galatians 1:6-7)

17. b. Move from Truth to Truth • The study of Scripture must always begin at what you know before moving on to deeper things. • “Whom shall he teach knowledge? And whom shall he make to understand doctrine? Them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts. For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little.”(Isaiah 28:9-10)

18. b. Move from Truth to Truth cont. • “This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men. But avoid foolish questions, and genealogies, and contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and vain.” (Titus 3:8-9)

19. c. Led by the Spirit • It is impossible to understand Scripture as a natural man. • “But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” (I Corinthians 2:14)

20. c. Led by the Spirit cont • His Spirit will lead the reader to know what the Bible is saying. • “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.” (John 16:13).

21. C. Daily Benefits • The Bible is a wealth of information that is still very much applicable to the world today. • No one person will ever exhaust the entirety of the Bible. • There are many benefits to studying His Word.

22. a. Illumination and Knowledge • Learning the Word of God is how we gain understanding. • “For the Lord giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding.” (Proverbs 2:6)

23. a. Illumination and Knowledge cont. • Regular intake of God’s Word is the only way to judge our spiritual growth. • “How sweet are thy words unto my taste! Yea sweeter than honey to my mouth! Through thy precepts I get understanding: therefore I hate every false way. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.” (Psalm 119:103-105)

24. b. Establishes Promises • Though it might tarry, God always does what He promises. • “God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?” (Numbers 23:19) • “For I am the LORD: I will speak, and the word that I shall speak shall come to pass…” (Ezekiel 12:25)

25. Obedience Brings Power • Having a knowledge of the written text does not necessarily mean that one will experience the full power of the Word of God. Power comes through obedience. • “That thou mayest love the LORD thy God, and that thou mayest obey his voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto him: for he is thy life, and the length of thy days: that thou mayest dwell in the land which the LORD sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaace, and to Jacob, to give them.” (Deuteronomy 30:20)

26. Obedience Brings Power cont. • “If ye will fear the LORD, and serve him, and obey his voice, and not rebel against the commandment of the LORD, then shall both ye and also the king that reigneth over you continue following the LORD your God: But if ye will not obey the voice of the LORD, but rebel against the commandment of the LORD, then shall the hand of the LORD be against you, as it was against your fathers.” (I Samuel 12:14-15)

27. Life Application • Although it is a great and needed thing to study Scripture for personal development, God does not intend for that to be the end of our journey. • The ultimate goal of learning Scripture must be to communicate His Word to a lost and dying world. • We must learn how to properly communicate the Word to others.

28. a. Communicate Openly • We must learn to communicate openly to people about the Word of God. • “What I tell you in darkness, that speak ye in light: and what ye hear in the ear, that preach ye upon the housetops.

29. a. Communicate Openly cont. • We should not be intimidated to tell people about this Gospel. • “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.” (Romans 1:16)

30. a. Communicate Openly cont. • Failure to communicate openly is displeasing to God • “Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.” (Matthew 8:38)

31. b. Communicate Boldly • Boldness comes when we understand who we are in Christ. • “And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel. For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.” (Ephesians 6:19-20)

32. b. Communicate Boldly cont. • Boldness comes when we become confident in what we believe. • “But before all these, they shall lay their hands on you, and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues, and into prisons, being brought before kings and rulers for my name’s sake. And it shall turn to you for a testimony. Settle it therefore in your hearts, not to meditate before what ye shall answer. For I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay or resist.” (Luke 21:12-15)

33. b. Communicate Boldly cont. • We should learn to pray for boldness. • “And now, Lord, behold their threatening: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word.” (Acts 4:29)

34. c. Communicate Unbiased • We must communicate to all people showing no favoritism or prejudices. The Gospel is for EVERYONE. • “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23) • “My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons.” (James 2:1)

35. d. Communicate Exactly • The Bible does not need man’s help in impacting lives and we must allow it to do the work it was intended for. • “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heard.” (Hebrews 4:12)

36. d. Communicate Exactly cont. • There are those that teach personal opinion rather than Biblical truth. • “But in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.” (Matthew 15:9)

37. d. Communicate Exactly cont. • We must be careful to not add or take away from what Scripture says. • “Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you.” (Deuteronomy 4:2)

38. Conclusion • The Bible is the greatest Book that has ever been written. In taking the time to properly study and explore its pages we will both grow spiritually and become faithful ministers as He grants us the ability.