OceanSide church of Christ




Click here to see all of the YouTube videos belonging to OceanSide
(opens in a new browser)

 Previous Return to Sermons Next  Click to download Audio

RIGHTLY DIVIDING THE WORD OF GOD (2)

Victor M. Eskew

 

INTRODUCTION

 

A.    The title of our lesson is:  “Rightly Dividing the Word of God.”  This title comes directly from the New Testament book of II Timothy, chapter two, verse 15.

 

Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

 

B.      The words “rightly dividing” mean “to make a straight cut.”  In other words, Paul is telling Timothy to teach the truth correctly and accurately.

 

C.     We have already made application of this text to two areas.

1.      We are to rightly divide the testaments.

2.      We are to rightly divide the books of the Bible.

 

D.    In this lesson, we will apply this text to two more areas:  chapters and verses.

 

I.                   RIGHTLY DIVIDING REGARDING CHAPTERS

 

A.    Man, not God, is responsible for the chapter and verse divisions in our Bibles.  This division has assisted us created in our studies.  Too, all of us have our favorite chapters of the Bible.

1.      The Creation (Gen. 1)

2.      The Shepherd Psalm (Ps. 23)

3.      The Word of God (Ps. 119)

4.      The Suffering Servant (Isa. 53)

5.      The Hub of the Bible (Acts 2)

6.      The Love Chapter (I Cor. 13)

 

B.      When we study chapters, we must be very careful to examine the contents correctly.  We must rightly divide them.

 

C.     Matthew 24

1.      Many believe that this entire chapter applies to the end of the world.  They believe that the Lord presents signs of the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.

2.      Those who teach this have not rightly divided Matthew 24.

3.      Important considerations:

a.      The background:  Jesus announces the temple will be destroyed (Matt. 24:2).

 

And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things?  Verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.

 

b.      This intrigued the disciples.  When they had Jesus alone, they confronted Him with some questions (Matt. 24:3).

 

And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be?  And what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?

 

1)      There are three questions asked:

a)      When shall these things be?

b)      What shall be the sign of thy coming?

c)      What shall be the sign of the end of the world?

2)      Jesus answers the first and the last questions in the chapter and applies the second question to both answers.

c.       When shall these things be?  That is, when will the temple be destroyed?  Jesus presents the signs in Matthew 24:4-35.

1)      If these words apply to the Second Coming of Christ, some of the things Jesus said do not make sense.

a)      Then let them which be in Judea flee into the mountains (v. 16).

b)      Woe to them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days! (v. 19).

c)      Pray that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day (v. 20).

d)     NOTE:  If these words apply to the fall of Jerusalem, they make perfect sense.

-          When the Roman armies came, the Christians needed to get out of the Judea and flee into the mountains.

-          If a woman were pregnant or had a small child she was nursing, it would be more difficult for her to escape when Jerusalem was attacked.

-          To have to flee from Jerusalem in the winter would be treacherous, and on the Sabbath day the gates of the city would be closed.

2)      Jesus sets a time limit upon these things coming to pass (vs. 34).

 

Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.

 

d.      The third question is answered in Matthew 24:36-51.  Jesus tells His disciples that regarding the end of the world there shall be no signs.

1)      Notice the word “but” that begins verse 36. 

a)      This is a conjunction of contrast.  It contrasts the fall of Jerusalem with another day.

b)      But of that day and hour, that is, the second coming or the day of the end of the world, “knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.”

2)      The only thing a person could do regarding the time of the end of the world is to be ready.

a)      Matthew 24:42

 

Watch therefore; for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.

 

b)      Matthew 24:44

 

Therefore be ye also ready:  for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.

 

II.                RIGHTLY DIVIDING VERSES

 

A.    Verses must also be rightly divided. 

 

B.      There are two verses that often come to this speaker’s mind that are simple illustrations.

1.      Luke 15:10

 

Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.

 

a.      Many people use this text and say:  “The angels rejoice when a sinner repents.”

b.      This, however, is not what the verse says.  It says there is “joy in the presence of the angels over one sinner that repenteth.” 

1)      The one rejoicing is in the presence of the angels.

2)      The one who is in the presence of the angels is God the Father. 

3)      It is God who rejoices when one of His children return to Him.

2.      I Corinthians 2:9

 

But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which the Lord hath prepared for them that love him.

 

a.      There are many preachers who will take this verse and apply it to heaven at a funeral.

b.      But, this verse has absolutely nothing to do with heaven.  It has to do with the message that was hidden in the mind of God that ultimately was revealed unto man (See verse 10).

 

But God hath revealed them (the things found in verse 9) unto us by his Spirit:  for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.

 

C.     Acts 2:38

 

Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

 

1.      This verse has been hotly debated regarding two topics.

a.      The necessity of baptism for salvation

b.      The gift of the Holy Spirit

2.      Does Acts 2:38 teach baptism is essential for salvation?

a.      A simple reading of the text would cause one to answer:  “Yes.”  “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins.”

b.      Some, however, argue that the word “for” does not mean “in order to obtain” the remission of sins. 

1)      They say that it means “because of” the remission of sins. 

2)      NOTE:  The Greek word translated “for” can be interpreted “because of” and is in other passages.

3)      Thus, their argument is that one is baptized because his sins have already been forgiven.

c.       Those who make this argument need to “rightly divide” the verse. 

1)      They have not taken into account the word “and” that joins repent and be baptized. 

2)      “And” connect two things of equal rank. 

3)      If a person is baptized “because of” the remission of sins, then he also repents because of the remission of sins since it is joined with baptism. 

4)      NOTE:  One does not repent because his sins have already been forgiven. 

a)      One must die to his old way of living in order to obtain the forgiveness of sins.  In other words, one repents in order to obtain the remission of sins.

b)      If this is true, and it is, then one must also be baptized in order to obtain the remission of sins because the word “and” ties two things together of equal rank. 

c)      The phrase, “for the remission of sins,” cannot mean one thing for one of the words and another thing for the other word.

3.      What does the phrase, “gift of the Holy Spirit, mean?

a.      Does it refer to the Spirit Himself?

b.      Or, does it refer to a gift given by the Spirit?

c.       This is a discussion that could take an entire lesson to develop.

 

CONCLUSION

 

A.    Rightly dividing the Word of God is essential to correctly interpreting, understanding, and practicing the Word of God.

 

B.      We cannot simply dismiss our disagreements on the Word of God by saying:  “Well, you have your interpretation and I have mine.”  We MUST rightly divide the Word of truth in order to be a workman who is not ashamed.