And study to present yourself approved to Elohim, a workman unashamed, rightly dividing the Word of Truth.
In this and all Food for Thoughts I recommend you read the Scripture(s) provided and the entire chapter they are from to obtain more insight.
(2 Timothy 2:15 HRB) is part of a letter from Paul to Timothy telling him the requirements and what is expected of him as a young pastor. Timothy is instructed by Paul to carefully improve himself to the best of his ability for YAHWEH’s purposes. In other words, learn from and live by the Word of YAHWEH, making every effort to live a righteous life. Even though Paul wrote this letter to Timothy for the purposes of ministry, we must all take away the same message and personify it. Why? Because every believer is responsible for ministering the Good News to others (Matthew 28:19, 20, 1 Peter 3:15), and every believer will stand before YAHWEH on judgment day to give an account of what they have done. (2 Corinthians 5:10).
Minister to others
The Word of YAHWEH is not a secret intended to be concealed or hidden in a Bible. However, instead, it should be read, studied, and hidden in your heart so that you can present the Good News of Yahshua to others to change their lives effectively. We, as believers, are living, breathing testimonies of YAHWEH that present ourselves to people (friends, family, co-workers, strangers, etc.) daily. Though people might not say anything to you, they watch and check the fruit you bear (Galatians 5:22, 23). Therefore we must allow the hidden Word we have stored in our hearts to come alive and guide us in the great commission to disciple all nations.
Present yourself approved
Every human being will have to present themselves to YAHWEH on judgment day. The Bible is clear about judgment day and warns us that our work(s) will be examined at the judgment seat of Yahshua (2 Corinthians 5:10). As BBB (Bible believing believers), we should be “a workman unashamed” before YAHWEH on that day, which means we should not be ashamed of the life we lived and have no cause for shame when our life or the work we have done for the Kingdom of YAHWEH is inspected. Both believers and nonbelievers would agree that doing a job poorly or inadequately and then having it analyzed is embarrassing. As a result, we have additional reasons to work hard for YAHWEH so that we won’t feel embarrassed and ashamed when our life or work(s) are scrutinized (Hebrews 4:13). Therefore, if we adhere to Paul’s advice, we will be able to approach the Master without embarrassment because we will have lived a holy life and carried out the task that YAHWEH assigned to us.
Divide the Word
Paul continues by saying, “rightly dividing the Word of Truth,” which indicates Timothy’s diligent work in studying the Word and righteously living is purposeful for rightly dividing scriptures. The Word divide in this scripture means to dissect, cut straight, or slice correctly. He needed to become skilled (direct and precise) at rightly handling the Word of YAHWEH just as a skilled swordsman would be when wielding a sword. There must be more than knowing a few facts or scriptures to divide the truth. There needs to be more than just knowing what you heard from a friend or pastor. We must have a clear understanding of the full context of the scriptures. This understanding comes from the Holy Spirit, who will teach us all things, as we learned in (Pt. 2). You need to know what the Bible says and doesn’t say, or you risk being misled or deceived, which can lead to death or worst misleading others (Luke 17:1, 2).
The dissecting and preparation of the Japanese delicacy fugu or blowfish is an excellent example of this scripture. The fugu fish is highly sought after and expensive due to its unique and exquisite flavor. However, the fugu is so poisonous that the slightest mistake or miscut in its preparation could be fatal and release tetrodotoxin. Tetrodotoxin poisoning is rapid and violent. If poisoned, it starts with numbness around the mouth and fingertips, then advances to a headache and stomachache. It continues with violent vomiting followed by total conscious body paralysis, then finally death. Once eaten, death is inevitable because there is currently no antidote.
Like the fugu fish, scripture, when not dissected and prepared or studied and divided correctly, can be detrimental at best and fatal at worst. Think about the enslavement, rape, and genocide of Africans in the Americas and Caribbeans. Many enslavers enforced these brutalities for years through misinterpretation and ill-use of scripture. This manipulation , twisting, and perversion of the Word of YAHWEH (2 Peter 3:16) has not stopped but has been compounded over time. Misinterpretations have ushered in and promoted homosexual ideas and practices, the forsaking of the 7th day Sabbath, the idealization of a wooden cross, preachers preaching prosperity to enlarge their wealth, and many other selfish things for personal gain.
Since everyone has their own interpretation of several scriptures, beliefs have grown quite muddled as a result of Satan the deceiver and our sinful nature. It all comes down to people interpreting the Bible in a way that suits their existing way of life or distorting it to suit their own purposes in an effort to continue living a wicked or self-centered existence. We must resist falling for the enemy’s manipulations. The appropriate method to divide the Word of Truth is through reading and studying it, praying, fasting, and depending on the Holy Spirit.
The fugu fish poison has no antidote; however, there is a cure for wrongly divided Word. We will find out next week as we review the last scripture of the three Acts: 17:11.