It has been my privilege to write for Historic Union County for over five years. This month, I am reprinting my first article to remind myself and any readers I may have of the purpose of our teaching. I also want to sincerely say thanks for reading, and I hope my teaching has been a benefit.
In 2 Timothy 2:15 the Apostle Paul charged Timothy to … “rightly divide the word of truth.”
Every Christian church quotes that passage, and yet we disagree on the interpretation of many scriptures. Sometimes these disagreements are so vast that professing Christians simply cannot get along. Proof for this statement is plentiful—all you have to do is look at all the different denominations.
Merriam-Webster defines denomination as: 4: a religious organization whose congregation are united in their adherence to its beliefs and practices.
My definition is slightly coarser: Denomination means I don’t agree with you!
One thing is for certain—we can’t all be right, but we can definitely all be wrong.
Is this division among the churches new? Is it a symptom of our time? A cursory reading of the New Testament will quickly reveal that the answer to these two questions is “no.” The Apostle Paul’s letters to the Corinthians, if nothing else, are a detailed list of the divisions within the early church.
In 1 Corinthians verses 10-13, Paul succinctly, lays out the problem and the answer for us:
10 Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.
11 For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you.
12 Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ.
13 Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul?
Is He, Is Christ divided? I think not. Not only is Christ not divided He is the key to “rightly dividing the word of truth.”
A few years ago, someone coined a popular catch phrase, which was put on a bracelet that read WWJD, or, “What Would Jesus Do?”
That’s a good question, but in order to answer it correctly (rightly) we must first know our Bible. Which begs us to ask another question. What did Jesus do? WDJD
Do we have a guidebook, an example or a set of rules for “rightly divide the word of truth?
Yes, yes and yes!
1) The Bible itself is the guidebook for rightly dividing the word of truth.
2) Jesus gives the example in Luke 24 for rightly dividing the word of truth.
3) There is only one rule for rightly dividing the word of truth, which is to look for Jesus.
When you find Jesus in any scripture then you have rightly divided the word of truth.
In order to give some context, let’s briefly look at some of the circumstances surrounding Christ’s crucifixion, leading up to the example Jesus gives in Luke 24, commonly known as “The Road to Emmaus.”
Jesus has been crucified by the Romans, at the prodding of the Jewish rulers. His disciple’s hearts are failing for fear of also being put to death. It is the third day after the crucifixion.
Some women have already been to Jesus’ tomb, and upon their return to the disciples, they report an encounter too marvelous for them to believe.
Peter and John check out the women’s report for themselves. Despite seeing the evidence of Christ’s resurrection, Peter and John’s anxiety prevents them from solving the mystery, which was revealed in the scriptures, yet hidden.
Two of Jesus’ followers find it necessary to leave Jerusalem and go to Emmaus. As they travel, Jesus, purposely disguised, comes alongside of them as they discuss the events of the past week. They dejectedly tell how that they thought Jesus was the redeemer of Israel, but how he must not have been as he has been dead for three days already.
The physician Luke records this very important part of Jesus’ conversation on the Road to Emmaus:
Luke 24:25 Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken:
26 Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory?
27 And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.
WDJD (What did Jesus do?)
Beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.
Jesus later appears to the eleven disciples and other followers, who are still in hiding and once again explains his rule for “rightly dividing the word.” See Luke 24:36- 48.
Plus he seals it with a promise of power from on high, via the Holy Ghost to all who would believe.