Lots of my post on here are about an emphasis on rightly dividing the word of truth. The reason is simple. If the word of God is not rightly divided then people believe and teach heresy. And if the word of God is not rightly divided then the bible would seem to be contradicting itself. It doesn’t. If rightly divided.
If one does not rightly divide the word of truth, it will lead you to error. That is how many churches operate. They take verses (out of context) and try to apply it to them or their beliefs. And by them doing so, they twisted the scriptures and try make it apply to them when in reality it doesn’t apply to them.
Let me give you a couple examples.
Take Mark 16:16 and Mark 16:17-18.
You have one church denomination that loves to use Mark 16:16 where it says, “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned” to “prove” that baptism is required for salvation (it’s not) but they ignore the following verses in Mark 16:17-18 that reads, “And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.”
For some reason this particular church says that Mark 16:17-18 doesn’t apply to us now. That the signs do not follow us, but verse 16 does. This is not what rightly dividing the word of God means. You don’t say the the verses after the other verse doesn’t apply. This is just picking and choosing verses to “fit” your beliefs.
Now, you have another church denomination that believes Mark 16:17-18 does apply to us now.
What if I told you, that both church denominations are not rightly dividing the word of God. Jesus was addressing his disciples(and for the Jews) here in Mark 16:16-18.
Thus, these are two examples of how easy it is to subtly twist the scriptures to make it sound like it does apply to us now, in this age.
Let’s go to Matthew 5 for a more extreme example of rightly dividing the word of truth.
Has anyone ever looked lustfully? If so, then according to Jesus Christ you committed adultery with them in your heart.
Has anyone plucked out their eye because of that? Why not, that is what Jesus Christ, Himself, says to do if you have, unless you want to go to hell. “But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart. 29And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.” (Matthew 5:28-29)
Well, the good news is those verses are not doctrinally applied to us. However, we can spiritually apply this principle. But to physically pluck your eye out is not what is for YOU now. Some say, well, we know that should not be taken literally. Well, if you take Mark 16:17 literally (about “..signs shall follow them that believe..”), you must take Matthew 5:29 literally. But, both are not for us today, as is easily studied and rightly divided by the word of truth.
How do I know this?
It is because I am rightly dividing the word of truth.
What does rightly dividing the word of truth mean? It is knowing the context about what is said and who it is for. God told Noah to build an ark, not you. We know that was for him only. That is an overly easy example but it is to prove a point of rightly dividing the bible. The same rightly dividing should be applied throughout the bible. Just because Jesus Christ says something doesn’t mean it applies to YOU, doctrinally.
That is why I preach, yell, hollar, shout, or whatever, to tell others to rightly divide or you will be in a mess doctrinally when dealing with the scriptures. It will lead you to working your way to heaven and being overly emotional, tossed to and fro about every wind of doctrine, no assurance of your salvation, and just stagnant in your growth as a Christian. If you find yourself always focusing on your needs/wants, then it’s possible the wrong focus is taking place.
Lots of Christian colleges have deceived their students (and in turn pastors/teachers/etc have their congregations) to get them to focus on not rightly dividing the bible. Instead, they taught them to try correct the bible and they have not realized they themselves have been deceived. By the way, how can one say it is not the “correct” bible or how can one “correct” a bible if that person does not have one correct bible to compare it to? They can’t. Why? Because that would make THEM the authority on what’s right. When did they become the authority? That the very scriptures they use thinking they are correcting are from a corrupt lineage. Stay tune for that post. It is a fact and there have been LOTS of people deceived. Don’t think you have been deceived? I wouldn’t think that.
And for many of these reasons, that is why I believe deception should be a concerning thing for the churches because seducing spirits and doctrines of devils is in the churches now more than ever.
Which is exactly what the bible says about the latter times. In 1 Timothy 4:1, the bible reads, “Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;”
If you ask me, that is a MAJOR concern to look for.
Is that your church?
How would I know what to look for, you might ask?
Read and study the bible.
The correct bible. Don’t let someone make you think there is not a preserved word of God.
If someone is always casting doubt about the preserved word of God, I would run from them. They are self-professed bible correctors.
I wouldn’t won’t to be a bible corrector. I would say that would make them know more than God.
There is a pure and preserved word of God and it’s foundation is based on the solid Rock.
“Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” 2 Timothy 2:15
Which ironically the word “Study” in 2 Timothy 2:15 is not in many of the “newer” versions of the bible. Why? Because if one where to study they would understand the bible better. You think that is coincidental about the removal of that word? I think not.
Take care,
-Brent
