Rightly dividing the word of God. #1

[Beckworth]

In 2 Timothy 2:19, The scriptures talk about “rightly dividing the word of truth. Many misunderstandings arise from not knowing how to divide the Bible.
The first division we need to understand is the distinction between the Old Testament and the New Testament. In the Old Testament we learn all about God. There are many references to Jesus but usually in prophecy.
(1) we must remember that Jesus had not yet come to earth in the Old Testament. There was no church, there were no Christians. Jesus had not yet died on the cross.
(2) the Old Testament is a history of the beginning of the world, it’s first family’s and a history of the Jewish people.
(3) one of the most important things to understand about the Old Testament is that the Jews during that time were under a special law that was designed especially for them.
In the Bible there are 3 different laws under which people lived at different times. Very much like this country has been under 3 different laws. In the beginning of this country, we were under the law of England. Then we were under the Articles of Confederation after our independence from England. Now we are under the Constitution of the United States of America. Likewise, in the beginning of the Bible, the people of God were under what we call the “Patriarical Law”. That was the law of the “fathers”. God spoke directly from heaven and talked to the people like he did in the garden of Eden. He told them what to do. There was no written law at this time.
—-The second law was called “ the law of Moses” because Moses was the lawgiver. This was the first written law given to God's People. It was given on Mount Sinai in the form of the 10 commandments and God added many more laws in the books of Leviticus-Deuteronomy.
—-The 3rd and final law is the Law of Christ. Given to all mankind in the gospel of the New Testament.
In the next post we will discuss how understanding these divisions impacts what we believe and why we believe it.

 

[JaumeJ]

It is curious there is a distinction for some between what man have categorized as the Old Testament writings and the New Testament writings..

It is even more curious in view of the reality of the first assemblies of God only having the writings of the OT for study, and that was more than sufficient for them. Actually, it seems some people are so stuck on separating the two that they have no idea of what people learn from the OT about Jesus-Yeshua, their own forefathers spiritually, and the prophesies fulfilled by the foretold arrival of Jesus the first advent.

I cannot separte the writings for they fit perfectly together making a wonderful Foundation, Jesus, of the faith of millions.

Give credit to all of the Holy Scriptures; please do not work to destoy them by intellectual fragmentation.

 

[Roughsoul1991]

It is curious there is a distinction for some between what man have categorized as the Old Testament writings and the New Testament writings..

It is even more curious in view of the reality of the first assemblies of God only having the writings of the OT for study, and that was more than sufficient for them. Actually, it seems some people are so stuck on separating the two that they have no idea of what people learn from the OT about Jesus-Yeshua, their own forefathers spiritually, and the prophesies fulfilled by the foretold arrival of Jesus the first advent.

I cannot separte the writings for they fit perfectly together making a wonderful Foundation, Jesus, of the faith of millions.

Give credit to all of the Holy Scriptures; please do not work to destoy them by intellectual fragmentation.

I get what your saying but in reality there is a distinction. If someone commits a certain sin, I will not be stoning them. Everything has context.

 

[Journeyman]

I get what your saying but in reality there is a distinction. If someone commits a certain sin, I will not be stoning them. Everything has context.

Stone them with the Rock of your salvation. They might repent and get saved.

O come, let us sing unto the LORD: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation. Psa.95:1

and that Rock was Christ 1Cor.4:10

 

[Nehemiah6]

In 2 Timothy 2:19, The scriptures talk about “rightly dividing the word of truth. Many misunderstandings arise from not knowing how to divide the Bible.

That verse may have more to do with rightly handling and interpreting the Word, which of course means understanding the difference between the Old Testament and the New, and not confusing the Old Covenant with the New Covenant.

Within the Bible there are also various covenants and dispensations, and people should be aware of the differences. At the same time, there is a perfect unity of all Scripture.

 

[JaumeJ]

I get what your saying but in reality there is a distinction. If someone commits a certain sin, I will not be stoning them. Everything has context.

 

[JaumeJ]

I get what your saying but in reality there is a distinction. If someone commits a certain sin, I will not be stoning them. Everything has context.

When we are guided by the Holy Spirit and there were many in the OT, we understand and see the law without the veil of Moses. Jesus pointed out to the Pharisees that they lack applying three pinciples when reading and teahing the law, those being, justice, mercy andd faith.

With those three principles you would not stone anyone before, during or after Jesus-Yeshua's advent…..

 

[Roughsoul1991]

When we are guided by the Holy Spirit and there were many in the OT, we understand and see the law without the veil of Moses. Jesus pointed out to the Pharisees that they lack applying three pinciples when reading and teahing the law, those being, justice, mercy andd faith.

With those three principles you would not stone anyone before, during or after Jesus-Yeshua's advent…..

Sounds good in all but ultimately that wasn't what the law read. If the individual was guilty then the punishment was the justice. To say they shouldn't of stoned anyone went against the law.

Even parts about killing women and children was commanded by God. Without context I hope we dont include that in our doctrines.

 

[MattforJesus]

It is curious there is a distinction for some between what man have categorized as the Old Testament writings and the New Testament writings..

It is even more curious in view of the reality of the first assemblies of God only having the writings of the OT for study, and that was more than sufficient for them. Actually, it seems some people are so stuck on separating the two that they have no idea of what people learn from the OT about Jesus-Yeshua, their own forefathers spiritually, and the prophesies fulfilled by the foretold arrival of Jesus the first advent.

I cannot separte the writings for they fit perfectly together making a wonderful Foundation, Jesus, of the faith of millions.

Give credit to all of the Holy Scriptures; please do not work to destoy them by intellectual fragmentation.

That is true, we cannot separate them, and they are both together in one book, and if it was not important and not a benefit concerning the Old Testament it would not be in the Bible, for God is not vain having us study things that are not beneficial to us.

For the Old Testament testifies of the New Testament, and proves the New Testament is true by telling us beforehand that it would come about, and Jesus quoted from the Old Testament to prove He is telling the truth about Himself, and the New Testament.

And the Old Testament tells us of God, and His ways, and how important it is to follow Him, which Solomon said here is the whole duty of people to fear God and keep His commandments, and tells us of creation, and about the fall and how we need salvation, and goes in to depth of how it is to be holy, and wise, and love, and the fear of the LORD is to hate evil, and arrogance, by the book of Proverbs, and Psalms, and tells us of Jesus coming, and tells us the whole history of mankind even the New Jerusalem which would be a new earth and heaven.

Which God said He identifies Himself as the one true God by showing the end from the beginning, which He showed us the whole history of mankind, and said no other person or religion will be able to do that.

The Old Testament proves that the God of Israel is the true God, and all others gods fake, and sets the stage for the New Testament so people will believe the New Testament is true for the Old Testament already told us, and proved God is real and what He requires of us.

If we did not have the Old Testament testifying of the New Testament, how many people would believe the New Testament.

The Old Testament is very important, and the New Testament is a continuing of the Old Testament like the compound names of Jehovah that revealed a new character of Himself that was a blessing to mankind, and Jesus is another compound name of Jehovah that provides the greatest blessing, and the end result of the blessing of Jehovah to mankind.

For Jesus is the name above all names, not only in this world, but in the world to come.

 

[Blik]

In 2 Timothy 2:19, The scriptures talk about “rightly dividing the word of truth. Many misunderstandings arise from not knowing how to divide the Bible.
The first division we need to understand is the distinction between the Old Testament and the New Testament. In the Old Testament we learn all about God. There are many references to Jesus but usually in prophecy.
(1) we must remember that Jesus had not yet come to earth in the Old Testament. There was no church, there were no Christians. Jesus had not yet died on the cross.
(2) the Old Testament is a history of the beginning of the world, it’s first family’s and a history of the Jewish people.
(3) one of the most important things to understand about the Old Testament is that the Jews during that time were under a special law that was designed especially for them.
In the Bible there are 3 different laws under which people lived at different times. Very much like this country has been under 3 different laws. In the beginning of this country, we were under the law of England. Then we were under the Articles of Confederation after our independence from England. Now we are under the Constitution of the United States of America. Likewise, in the beginning of the Bible, the people of God were under what we call the “Patriarical Law”. That was the law of the “fathers”. God spoke directly from heaven and talked to the people like he did in the garden of Eden. He told them what to do. There was no written law at this time.
—-The second law was called “ the law of Moses” because Moses was the lawgiver. This was the first written law given to God's People. It was given on Mount Sinai in the form of the 10 commandments and God added many more laws in the books of Leviticus-Deuteronomy.
—-The 3rd and final law is the Law of Christ. Given to all mankind in the gospel of the New Testament.
In the next post we will discuss how understanding these divisions impacts what we believe and why we believe it.

There is a LOT I don't grasp about dividing God's word, but here are some things I have gleaned from years of study.

First, God didn't divide His word into two parts, man did. I don't think God wants us to divide time as separated by the human Christ. I think Christ that was divine was part of the essence of God and existed (as we read in John 1) always as God does. I think the sacrifice of Christ, what Christ did to save us, was symbolized in the sacrificial system and partially saved saints, it was completed when it was done in our kind of time rather than eternal time.

To back this up, read in Matthew 27: 52 and the tombs broke open. The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. 53 They came out of the tombs after Jesus’ resurrection and Matthew 27: 52 and the tombs broke open. The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. 53 They came out of the tombs after Jesus’ resurrection and[e] went into the holy city and appeared to many people.

If the saints were not saved in sleep then Moses could never walk the streets, he would be in hell.

Also, if you read in Isaiah 1 you will find that God hated the sacrifice of animals as they were doing, yet God told them to do this. If it wasn't done in the way God told them, and as God told them to do but as a copy of pagans or to feed Him, he hated it. The people were copying pagans sacrifice to feed gods instead of repenting of sin and symbolizing Christ's sacrifice. Please don't make me do this study for you, look it up yourself. Study the sacrificial system and the first chapter of Isaiah. And of course they didn't know about Christ as we do, they were obeying on blind faith when they obeyed.

If you know these facts about God's ways you are rightly dividing.

 

[Blik]

That verse may have more to do with rightly handling and interpreting the Word, which of course means understanding the difference between the Old Testament and the New, and not confusing the Old Covenant with the New Covenant.

Within the Bible there are also various covenants and dispensations, and people should be aware of the differences. At the same time, there is a perfect unity of all Scripture.

The deep problem with today's thinking is in not seeing God in scripture. The same God gave the old covenant and the new covenant, the same God gave the sacrificial system before Christ and after Christ. God did not change at all and when you think so you are messing up. We are told of a change, but we need to know what DIDN'T change. That is rightly dividing.

 

[posthuman]

Actually, it seems some people are so stuck on separating the two that they have no idea of what people learn from the OT about Jesus-Yeshua, their own forefathers spiritually, and the prophesies fulfilled by the foretold arrival of Jesus the first advent.

they often think the only place Christ is found in the law & prophets and songs is in a scattered few direct prophecies -- but every page speaks of Him!

 

[Tinkerbell725]

God likes to rightly divide everything.

Good/evil
Adam/Eve
Man/woman
Hot/cold

Why does God hate luke warm? Because He is a merciful but firm God. And besides there is no such thing as in between good and evil. Or in between man and woman.

When you dont rightly divide the Word, false doctrines, debates, and confusion come up. They say dispensationalism is a false doctrine but they can't deny that it is evident in the Bible.

 

[garee]

I get what your saying but in reality there is a distinction. If someone commits a certain sin, I will not be stoning them. Everything has context.

Yes even the lively stones are used as a metaphor in parable aid us in rightly dividing the word of God.(walk by faith the unseen.) In that way without parables Christ spoke not to everyone .And in secret reveal the meaning to his children

Therefore parables are one of gospel keys that unlocks the understanding. This is in both testaments.

The unseen understanding of faith it must be compared (bring two things alongside or each other) . to the same teaching of faith in others parables from either testament .Its all one book of prophecy written by one author.

It does not take away from the historical accuracy. But if we would try and compare the literal historical to the historical rather than faith to faith . Then it would take away the unseen understanding. It would seem that through parables he teaches us how to walk by faith, hearing his understanding. Or what he calls giving us ears to hear the gospel . Our first love we return to if we fall.

 

[Nehemiah6]

The deep problem with today's thinking is in not seeing God in scripture.

How did you arrive at this conclusion? Everyone here who is a genuine Christian sees God in Scripture from Genesis to Revelation.

 

[Nehemiah6]

We are told of a change, but we need to know what DIDN'T change. That is rightly dividing.

God did not change but that does not mean that God did not change His covenant. Indeed, He plainly told us why He changed that covenant. Israel miserably failed to obey God -- "because they continued not in my covenant".

HEBREWS 8
7 For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second.
8 For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah:
9 Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord.

YOUR MAIN PROBLEM IS THAT YOU DO NOT REALLY BELIEVE GOD.

 

[Roughsoul1991]

Yes even the lively stones are used as a metaphor in parable aid us in rightly dividing the word of God.(walk by faith the unseen.) In that way without parables Christ spoke not to everyone .And in secret reveal the meaning to his children

Therefore parables are one of gospel keys that unlocks the understanding. This is in both testaments.

The unseen understanding of faith it must be compared (bring two things alongside or each other) . to the same teaching of faith in others parables from either testament .Its all one book of prophecy written by one author.

It does not take away from the historical accuracy. But if we would try and compare the literal historical to the historical rather than faith to faith . Then it would take away the unseen understanding. It would seem that through parables he teaches us how to walk by faith, hearing his understanding. Or what he calls giving us ears to hear the gospel . Our first love we return to if we fall.

Its all one book of prophecy written by one author

.

Somewhat true but not exactly.
The Bible is filled with many kinds or types of language. It has Law, History, Wisdom, Poetry, song, Gospel, Epistles, Prophecy, and Apocalyptic Literature.

God inspired but many authors.

Of course everything has its place, context, and can be used to educate in it's own way. But if people confuse law with prophecy or history with poetry then you will have poor theology. Or confuse with completed prophecies vs yet to come. Or confuse the historical context of who God was speaking to as in was God speaking to you to destroy the kingdoms in the promise land or Joshua.

So I get it, it sounds nice in Sunday school to say what you said but it isnt as accurate.

 

[Dino246]

Yes even the lively stones are used as a metaphor in parable aid us in rightly dividing the word of God.(walk by faith the unseen.) In that way without parables Christ spoke not to everyone .And in secret reveal the meaning to his children

Therefore parables are one of gospel keys that unlocks the understanding. This is in both testaments.

The unseen understanding of faith it must be compared (bring two things alongside or each other) . to the same teaching of faith in others parables from either testament .Its all one book of prophecy written by one author.

It does not take away from the historical accuracy. But if we would try and compare the literal historical to the historical rather than faith to faith . Then it would take away the unseen understanding. It would seem that through parables he teaches us how to walk by faith, hearing his understanding. Or what he calls giving us ears to hear the gospel . Our first love we return to if we fall.

Here's a good example of the failure of your method of interpreting Scripture.

When a stone is being thrown at someone to kill them, it is not a metaphor of "lively stones"; sometimes a stone is just a stone.

 

[Diakonos]

Stone them with the Rock of your salvation. They might repent and get saved.

O come, let us sing unto the LORD: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation. Psa.95:1

and that Rock was Christ 1Cor.4:10

"From there is the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel" (Gen 49:24)
"You continued looking until a stone was cut out without hands, and it struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay and crushed them." (Dan 2:34)
"What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, attained righteousness, even the righteousness which is by faith; but Israel, pursuing a law of righteousness, did not arrive at that law.
Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as though it were by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone, just as it is written, “BEHOLD, I LAY IN ZION A STONE OF STUMBLING AND A ROCK OF OFFENSE,
AND HE WHO BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED.” (Rom 9:30-33)
" Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
Be acceptable in Your sight,
O LORD, my rock and my Redeemer." (Ps 19:14)

.....its just the tip of the iceberg, but a very cool study

 

[Blik]

How did you arrive at this conclusion? Everyone here who is a genuine Christian sees God in Scripture from Genesis to Revelation.

No, everyone here is NOT seeing or accepting God, they are accepting the doctrines of the church.

Scripture tells us God is eternal and never changes. Every single scripture agrees with every other scripture, if we do not think so then it is our understanding, not God. If the new covenant changed God then scripture would not be agreeing. The old covenant taught God's ways through such as cutting foreskin to teach they belonged to God. The order to cut foreskin changed but the SAME message was delivered through the Holy Spirit. When we divide correctly, we see the sameness as well as the change.

God is your creator, you are God's own creation. You are to listen to Him not just read His word but let that word be your guide.