The body of Christ which is His church needs revival and the only way to have revival is with God’s people studying His word!

In 2 Timothy 2:15, the Apostle Paul urges us to “study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” The Greek term used here for “rightly dividing” means to “cut straight” or “accurately handle.” This is a critical aspect of our study of the Bible, as not all Scripture is directed to us, and we must identify what is written to us and what is for us.

As Gentiles, we are not the primary audience for much of the Old Testament, as it was written by and for the Jewish people (only seven Gentiles are saved in the Old Testament). Therefore, it is essential to identify the context in which a verse was written and determine how to apply it to our lives today.

All of Scripture is for us, and we must study the Old and New Testaments, but not all of Scripture is directed to us for our salvation and our doctrine.

For example, look at what the apostle Peter writes at the end of his amazing ministry. These are the last words that the great apostle would write, and he admonishes his readers to go to the apostle Paul’s letters for things regarding salvation and doctrine. He doesn’t tell his readers to go back to the Sermon on the Mount, the four gospels, or the Old Testament (which, of course, are all just as important as any other part of the Bible and should be studied because they are the building blocks of what we have today, the gospel of the grace of God).

Look at what Peter writes in 2 Peter 3:15–16:

‘And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things (what things? Salvation); in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.’

Additionally, we must be careful to distinguish between law and grace, Israel and the Body of Christ, the gospel of the kingdom, and the gospel of grace, Peter and Paul, because there is a vast difference between them all. The same God, but how God dealt with mankind from Adam to the apostle Paul changed significantly. And once you can make the distinctions, the Bible just opens up like a fountain, the Bible becomes enjoyable and you will never want to put it down.

Rightly dividing the word of God enables us to avoid confusion and misinterpretation of Scripture. It allows us to understand and apply God’s message to us accurately, leading to spiritual growth and maturity. By studying the Bible in its proper context and rightly dividing the word of truth, we can gain a more profound and accurate understanding of God’s plan and purpose for our lives.

So let us take heed to Paul’s exhortation and make the effort to accurately handle the word of truth. May we study diligently, seek guidance from the Holy Spirit, and continually grow in our knowledge and understanding of God’s word.