Part 1 - Introduction to The Key to Understanding the Bible

This Article is part of a multi-part Study Series called The Key to Understanding the Bible.
This article was guest authored by: 

The Bible is the world's most marvelous book, all because it is God's book. It is wonderful that God wrote a book, even more so that He has preserved it intact through history and even has provided for it to be translated into the languages of the nations. We have His word, preserved for us and translated into our language so that we can hold it in our hands, read it and see for ourselves just what God has said. This is all a marvelous blessing! But thee is more.

It is important to recognize that God has also provided us with a divinely prescribed method for understanding it. "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:" 2 Tim. 3:16 declares.

But if we are to gain the profit from God's word that He has placed into our hands for us, we must approach it in His way. Thus 2Tim 2:15 instructs us "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." 2 Tim. 2:15.

Clearly then our study of the word is for the purpose of showing ourselves "approved unto God" This is to be our one great goal, our objective: to have God's approval, to be workman who have no need to be ashamed before Him. But how is this objective to be reached? The answer is given with clarity: "rightly dividing the word of truth." This is the key to having God's approval on our service for Him – the key to understanding His word.

"Rightly dividing the word of truth" is a reference to the dispensational approach to the studying Bible1 and it is clear that this is the correct approach if we are to have God's approval on our lives and our service to God.

It is important to notice that Paul says, "rightly dividing the word." Then the clear implication is that there is a "wrong" way to divide it. Paul does not, as many seem to suppose, simply say that we are to make division in God's written word wherever we please. No, we are to make right divisions – making the correct, proper, distinctions. Great care is called for at this point for, remember, it is God's word we are handling.  This is not the Word of a doctrinal statement, a church creed, or tradition of human viewpoint; this is the Word of Almighty God!

As we approach it, therefore, we want to approach it in God's way, properly recognizing the distinctions He has made in it.  Just how to do this is the important question!

Since it is Paul who instructs us to rightly divide the Word, it would seem safe to ask Paul just how this should be done.  So, instead of going to Darby, Scofield, Larkin, Hodges, Calvin, Strong and the like, let's turn to Paul and see if he can help us understand just how God's Word is to be "rightly divided."

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1   Lit., cutting straight (Gk. orthotomounta). Perhaps because of the failure to appreciate the dispensational nature of Scripture in general and the immediate context of 2Tim 2:15 in particular, many modern translators and commentators unfortunately have abandoned the Greek reading and have followed the Latin Vulgate which reads, "rightly handling."