By: Dale Weckbacher
2 Timothy 2:15
Do
your best to present yourself to God as one approved,[b] a worker who has
no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.
(ESV)
Those employed by the government
and even those in the private sector will understand the importance of proper handling
of sensitive and important information. This
is primarily due to threats from an enemy of the state or a competitor using
this information to bring down the government or organization. While the Word of God is eternal and victorious,
it still requires rightful handling, so people are not led into deception
through wrong interpretation. This is
the main thesis of Paul’s teaching to his protégé Timothy in 2
Timothy 2:14-26. In this text, Paul
warns Timothy and the Church about mishandling the Word of God by,
1)
Quarreling about Words (2
Timothy 2:14) – Words have meaning and importance for they are how people
communicate with each other. There are
many translations of the Bible that differ in their word use. These differences in word use are beneficial
in providing different perspectives of a text.
However, it can also be a tool used by the enemy, Satan, to cause
quarrels and division in the Church. This
is not a new tactic of the Devil for he used it in the Garden of Eden to plant
doubt in the hearts of Adam and Eve (Genesis
3:1-5). Should quarrels over
different word use in translations occur, people should refer to the original
text for the inspired meaning. This does
not require one to know Greek or Hebrew for tools like the Strong’s Concordance
can provide this meaning and is even available online.
2)
Irreverent babble (2
Timothy 2:16-19) – The Bible has never been more readily available than it
is today for we no longer need to carry a bound paper version of the text but
can access it digitally using our smartphones, tablets, and computers. Just as many translations can lead to clarity
of understanding, the ease of access to the Bible can assist in one’s
meditation on scripture throughout the day.
However, the enemy can use this ease of access to create an irreverence
as the Bible becomes like the millions of other writings now digitally
available. When approaching the Word of
God in any form, it is important for the reader to begin with remembering it is
God speaking to us and begin with reverent praise and worship of God. Many cults acknowledge a belief in the Bible and
have it as one of their sources of inspiration, relegating God’s Word to
something written by a person. While
there are many good Christian books, we must never place them on an equal plane
with the Bible, the inspired Word of God.
3)
Handling the Bible with a wrong attitude (2
Timothy 2:20-26) - In addition to holding the Word of God with reference,
one must approach it with the right attitude.
Paul uses the symbolism of vessels in a house with some of gold and
silver for honorable use and some of wood and clay for dishonorable use. We would not think of putting the finest food
or drink into a cheap vessel but would place it in a vessel of gold and
silver. Likewise, when studying God’s Word,
we must remove from our hearts anything dishonorable so God’s Word can do its
transformative work in our lives. This
includes replacing youthful passions with the pursuit of righteousness, faith,
love, and peace. This also includes
having a pure heart requiring seeking forgiveness of any sin in ourselves,
forgiving those that have wronged us, as well as seeking forgiveness from those
we have wronged. We also should approach
the Word of God with expectancy (Psalm
42:1).
The Bible is the Word of
God. It is God speaking to his greatest
creation, humanity. As such it is more
than just words on a page but instructions from God who loved humanity so much
(John
3:16), He sent His only Son, Jesus, to die for their sins to restore the
broken relationship that occurred in the Garden of Eden (Genesis
3). Therefore, when approaching the
Bible, the Word of God we must not allow Satan to cause arguments or quarrels
over trivial matters regarding interpretations of Words (2
Timothy 2:14). Such quarrels do no
good and lead to division. Instead, let
us use the differing word uses in various translations of the Bible to provide
different perspectives of interpreting a text and refer to the original text for
clarity.
Viewing the Bible as God
speaking to humanity requires handling it with reverence (2
Timothy 2:16-29). This can be
difficult in our modern society where the Bible is readily available through
digital media for its ease of access can relegate it to other readily available
information. Let us, therefore, use this
ease of access to read and study God’s Word more frequently while not losing
the sense reverence for the Bible’s author.
This also involves approaching the reading and study of the Bible with
an attitude of humility so the vessel into which God pours the content of His
Word is honorable and not dishonorable.
May we also remember that the
Word of God is a sword (Ephesians
6:17), an offensive weapon that cuts.
May we not use the Bible to cut people down but to prune them of any
unrighteousness making the vessel of their soul dishonorable. The sword then becomes a powerful weapon used
to wage war upon Satan through its declaration of truth as people rightfully
handle it without quarreling over trivial matters, with reverence, and a right
attitude.
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