2nd Timothy 2:15 instructs us to rightly divide God's word. Is the Bible confusing because people do not know how to rightly divide?

2015-09-05T15:54:14-04:00

This is how I see the way to rightly divide the Bible:
Being well versed doesn't mean knowing how to rightly divide. I could teach you have to be water baptized after accepting Jesus as your savior, I could then teach you don't have to be water baptized, I could then teach you can be saved, lose it and go to hell, I could then teach you have eternal salvation and never lose it, etc and back each one up with scriptures. There are literal and spiritual truths in the Old testament that apply to us today, Jesus hung the ordinances of the law on the cross, and we live under grace rather than law now. The Old testament was mainly written literally to apply to the jews, and for our School Master. It holds both literal and spiritual truths for us, but it literally focused on the nation of Israel and God dealing with them. The four Gospels give an account of Jesus coming to his own people ( Israelites) and being rejected: Joh 1:11 He came unto his own, and his own received him not.
The Book of Acts is a transition Book where God through Jesus Christ's sacrifice, offers salvation to everyone, Jew, greek, roman, etc:
Act 2:21 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.
The Books of Romans through Philemon were written to the churches on how to conduct themselves. The Church at Rome and other churches:
Rom 1:7 To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Co 1:2 Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours:
2Co 1:1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, unto the church of God which is at Corinth, with all the saints which are in all Achaia:
Gal 1:2 And all the brethren which are with me, unto the churches of Galatia:
Eph 1:1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus:
Php 1:1 Paul and Timotheus, the servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus which are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons:
Col 1:2 To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ which are at Colosse: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
1Th 1:1 Paul, and Silvanus, and Timotheus, unto the church of the Thessalonians which is in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.
2Th 1:1 Paul, and Silvanus, and Timotheus, unto the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:
Now these scriptures clearly show that Paul was writing to the Church. We saved people are the Church. Paul is also the Apostle called to be the Apostle to the gentiles ( US)
:Rom 11:13 For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office:
Rom 11:14 If by any means I may provoke to emulation them which are my flesh, and might save some of them.
Rom 15:16 That I should be the minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministering the gospel of God, that the offering up of the Gentiles might be acceptable, being sanctified by the Holy Ghost.
1Ti 2:7 Whereunto I am ordained a preacher, and an apostle, (I speak the truth in Christ, and lie not;) a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and verity.
2Ti 1:11 Whereunto I am appointed a preacher, and an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles.
They even made a distinction between who was the Apostle over who:
Gal 2:7 But contrariwise, when they saw that the gospel of the uncircumcision was committed unto me, as the gospel of the circumcision was unto Peter;
These Books deal literally with the Church, then Paul wrote the Books of 1st and 2nd Timothy , Titus, and Philemon to give us further instructions on how we choose Bishops, ( Pastours) deacons, how to treat each other etc.
Now during this time period and the Books Romans through Philemon deal with the Church and Christians today. Whosoever will. Now God is not through dealing with the Jew yet although he has temporary put them aside as far as being his chosen people:
Rom 11:1 I say then, Hath God cast away his people? God forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.
Rom 11:2 God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew. Wot ye not what the scripture saith of Elias? how he maketh intercession to God against Israel, saying,
Rom 11:3 Lord, they have killed thy prophets, and digged down thine altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my life.
Rom 11:4 But what saith the answer of God unto him? I have reserved to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal.
Rom 11:5 Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace.
Rom 11:6 And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.
Rom 11:7 What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded
Rom 11:8 (According as it is written, God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear;) unto this day.
Rom 11:9 And David saith, Let their table be made a snare, and a trap, and a stumblingblock, and a recompence unto them:
Rom 11:10 Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see, and bow down their back alway.
Rom 11:11 I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy.
Rom 11:12 Now if the fall of them be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fulness?
Rom 11:13 For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office:
Rom 11:14 If by any means I may provoke to emulation them which are my flesh, and might save some of them.
Rom 11:15 For if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead?
Rom 11:16 For if the firstfruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches.
Rom 11:17 And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert graffed in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree;
Rom 11:18 Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee.
Rom 11:19 Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be graffed in.
Rom 11:20 Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear:
Rom 11:21 For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee.
Rom 11:22 Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off.
Rom 11:23 And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be graffed in: for God is able to graff them in again.
Rom 11:24 For if thou wert cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and wert graffed contrary to nature into a good olive tree: how much more shall these, which be the natural branches, be graffed into their own olive tree?
Rom 11:25 For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.
Rom 11:26 And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:
Rom 11:27 For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.
Rom 11:28 As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers' sakes.
Rom 11:29 For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.
Rom 11:30 For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief:
Rom 11:31 Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy.
Rom 11:32 For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.
Rom 11:33 O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!
Rom 11:34 For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor?
Rom 11:35 Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again?
Rom 11:36 For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.
Now the Books that are left ( Hebrews through Revelations) have spiritual and some literal truths which apply to us, but the literal application primarily focuses on how God will deal with man during the Great tribulation period, 1,000 year Millennium, final battle, judgment day, new Heaven and new earth. There is spiritual truth in the whole Bible for us, but not the whole Bible is meant for us to take literally. If that was the case , we would still be sacrificing animals, observing the Sabbath day ( Saturday), feasts, Holy days etc. Now once Jesus comes and reigns on this earth ( Right now you get saved by grace through faith:Eph 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Eph 2:9 Not of works, lest any man should boast. ) You won't be saved by grace through faith. Faith is :Heb 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
Jesus will be here physically reigning; you can see him, touch him, talk to him. You will have to accept him still as your Saviour, but it will be believing him plus your works. It's not faith, you don't see faith, you will see jesus. So salvation at that time will be believing in Jesus and doing his works:Rev 12:17 And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.
If people would learn how to rightly divide the Bible, there is no contradictions what so ever. The Book of 2nd Timothy tells us how to study:2Ti 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
You have to study and divide the Bible rightly. Apply literal scriptures to whom God is literally dealing with at that time. All the Bible has either a literal or spiritual truth to us today, but not all of it literally applies to us today. Are you supposed to build an Ark? No. Are you supposed to kill an animal and sprinkle the blood on the horns? No. Are you supposed to kill a lamb and put the blood on the posts of your door? No.
This is the way through my studies that I have come to the conclusion is a good way to rightly divide the scriptures and get a better grasp on the Word of God. Does anyone have a good method of rightly dividing?

SPC Nathan Freeman , LTC Stephen Ford

Response by LTC Stephen F. made Sep 5 at 2015 3:57 PM

2015-09-05T15:57:07-04:00

The Holy Spirit of God is the One who helps us to rightly divide and understand God's Word Cpl James Waycasie. Without the illumination of the Holy Spirit the words of the Bible are foolishness.
I have read through various Bibles over twenty times in the past 28 years. Each time I read He reveals deeper truths in passages I have read and studied before. AS we go through life, the Words of the Loving God impact us over and over again as He is conforming us into His image.