Thursday, September 8, 2011

2 Timothy 2:15

Copyright Ó 2011 J. Neely
2 Timothy 2:15

15 Study [spoudazo] to shew [paristemi] thyself [seautou] approved [dokimos] unto God, [theos] a workman [ergates] that needeth not to be ashamed, [anepaischuntos] rightly dividing [orthotomeo] the word [logos] of truth. [aletheia]KJV-Interlinear

15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, handling accurately the word of truth. NASB

Because God is the highest authority and sovereign in all the universe and heaven, and because God possesses an essence that demands absolute truth and righteousness, and because God is the only access we have to legitimate knowledge and wisdom, than it is essential that we learn from the foundation of His words, and not from the source of our personal imagination or invention.

God has been here from all of eternity.  We have not.  God designed everything that is.  We have not.

His Word, which comes to us through the scriptures is therefore the fundamental foundation of all truth on every level, in every subject.

In order to see life clearly, we then need a looking glass through which we may see clearly.

A simple case in point.  Without doctrine, one may presume that the concepts of evolution are true.  However the Bible clearly states that every living thing was created by God, and came out of its own kind – man to man, plants to plants, animals to animals, fish to fish, birds to birds and so forth.  There is no basis for even suspecting that all living things came out of a single source of mush.

If mush were the case, then the whole concept of the soul would be void, all law or principles of life would be arbitrary.  If man could achieve perfection from his own accord then there would be no need for God.

We know that truth extends from and is not exclusive to the content of the Bible.  The principles in math, in science, in chemistry, in physics, in engineering, in the various subjects that are objective, were all designed by God.  And these many concepts help us in the invention of all the products and goods that exist today.

But we know that these things, are temporary at best, because we have a Bible that tells us that all things will one day cease, and then be replaced in a new universe.  The nature and design details of the new universe we do not now know.  Only that it will be far better.

Concepts like math and two plus two, are easy to learn.  Concepts like philosophy and the various conclusions they represent are the source of endless debate, designed to confuse all.

Therefore, to know the truth of a given matter, you need to know doctrine.  Bible doctrine serves as an excellent filter and sorter of truth, separating out the false from the good.

And so, we have possibly the second most important verse in all of the bible.  The first being, ‘Believe in Jesus Christ and you will be saved.’

But this second verse, which you should commit to memory, is the mandate for all of your life after salvation.

Study, ‘spoudazo,’ means to be diligent, to be zealous, persistent, to concentrate, to focus on a particular objective. 

It is intended for an instructor in teaching, such that his subject matter is clear, perspicuous, unambiguous. A difficult matter made easy.

It is intended for a student in learning such that they commit themselves to a subject in order to master it, to own it, to possess it, to know it thoroughly and objectively.

These objectives do not come from wishes or hopes or emotional highs, but only from a daily study.

The word of God is the food of the soul, and food by example in the physical life, is consumed daily.

To show thyself approved, ‘paristemi,’ means to present oneself before an examination.  To stand before one who will examine, inspect, scrutinize, as a master looks over the work of an apprentice, seeking to find even the slightest flaw in the work.

Approved, ‘dokimos,’ means just that, approved, to pass an exam with the highest score possible, to be declared worthy, to pass an extensive and excruciatingly tough trial or ordeal.

God of course is the one who performs the exam, and who approves or disapproves or grades the result of your examination.  And it is He, who you must impress, not man, not angel, not even your own self.  God makes the rules and God alone determines your adherence and accomplishment.

A workman, ‘ergates,’ specifies a craftsman in any various field where the work must be done correctly and with great care, and honesty, and dedication.

Ashamed, ‘anepaischuntos,’ is a subject we studied recently, which is the embarrassment of non-preformance, when one had the opportunity but simply refused to pursue it.

Rightly dividing, ‘orthotomeo,’ means to cut straight.  To cut as a craftsman cutting a straight line, as a farmer plowing a straight row, as a mason setting a straight line of bricks.  It means to do your work correctly, to discern or differentiate between really good work as opposed to really poor work, to handle with a sacred trust.

The word of truth, is of course the content of the scriptures.

Therefore, you have a mandate to study objectively and accurately, with all due diligence and care as though you were handling something with extreme value, such that you learn, grow, and mature, for the purpose of being prepared for your ultimate examination, the exam of all exams, that will determine your entire eternal future.

That makes your attitude, your concern, your dedication to the study of doctrine extremely important, and the most important thing that you can do in your entire life, for it affects and determines your entire eternal life.

You are a student without portfolio.  You have nothing to offer God, and everything to gain. 

You cannot define your own self instructional course, you cannot learn or grow by means of osmosis, emotion, sincerity or any other self defined approach, but must advance through your spiritual growth process in accordance with Gods rules, not yours.  You cannot pick and choose what you will agree with or will not agree with, will obey or ignore.

‘Study to show yourself approved unto God, a workman that need not be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.’

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