Rightly dividing the word of truth

King Solomon tells us in this verse:

Proverbs 25:2 "It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings is to search out a matter."

When God conceals a thing, that means it is hidden from us. The latter part of this verse tells us it is the honour of kings to search out a matter. The reason why some people say they find it hard to understand the Holy Bible is because the written word of God is a closed book for those who won’t search it out.

Daniel 2:22 "He revealeth the deep and secret things: he knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with him."

1 Corinthians 2:10 "But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God."

For those who will search out the word of God, Daniel tells us “he revealeth the deep and secret things,” which according to Paul, he revealed them unto us by his Spirit. God is the only one who can open the Holy Bible for us, and that, by his Spirit.

1 Corinthians 2:13 "Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual."

The Holy Ghost is the one who revealeth the deep and secret things of God to us. Paul tells us that the Spirit of God is our teacher, teaching us to compare spiritual things with spiritual. The next verse tells us:

1 Corinthians 2:14 "But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned."

Spiritual things must be spiritually discerned. The previous verse gives us the meaning of what spiritual discernment is, and that is, the ability to compare spiritual things with spiritual. The reason why a natural man cannot receive the things of the Spirit of God is because he has no spiritual discernment. In another example of the bible showing us what discernment is:

Genesis 27:23 "And he discerned him not, because his hands were hairy, as his brother Esau’s hands: so he blessed him."

The reason why Isaac could not tell the difference between Esau and Jacob was because Rebekah took the raiment of Esau and put them upon Jacob, making him appear hairy. He could not discern the difference. Likewise for a natural man who has no spiritual discernment, he could not tell the difference between the things which man’s wisdom teacheth and the things the Holy Ghost teacheth, but his fleshly mind is predisposed to trust in the things of man over the things of the Spirit of God, which he counts as foolishness.

John 5:39 "¶ Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me."

Jesus tells us to “search the scriptures,” and this is something that a natural man can’t and won’t do because the things of the Spirit of God is foolishness unto him. Only born again believers with the “mind of Christ” (1 Corinthians 2:16) capable of comparing spiritual things with spiritual could search the scriptures, and the Spirit of God will open the Holy Bible for them.

2 Timothy 2:15 "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."

The written word of God is called “the word of truth” in this verse. Paul tells us to rightly divide the word of truth when we study the word of God, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. To divide is to break up something into parts. That means we could take a verse and break it up, and then analyze (study) the meaning of the individual parts using information from other parts of the same Holy Bible, all the while adhering to what Peter tells us in:

2 Peter 1:20 "Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation."

Bible must interpret bible. Solomon tells us the honour of kings is to search out a matter. Jesus tells us to search the scriptures. No prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. The way to understand what is written in the word of God is to compare spiritual things with spiritual.

Isaiah 28:10 "For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little:"

Isaiah tells us that the word of God is “here a little, and there a little.” Furthermore:

Isaiah 34:16 "¶ Seek ye out of the book of the LORD, and read: no one of these shall fail, none shall want her mate: for my mouth it hath commanded, and his spirit it hath gathered them."

The words “none shall want her mate” means one part of the word of God will never fail to find a connecting scripture somewhere in the 66 books of the Holy Bible. The precepts in the word of God will be found distributed in different places in the Holy Bible, yet they are connected by words, giving an extra dimension and depth to our understanding of the word of God.

Deuteronomy 32:2 "My doctrine shall drop as the rain, my speech shall distil as the dew, as the small rain upon the tender herb, and as the showers upon the grass:"

God’s doctrine is like dews and raindrops: “here a little, and there a little,” yet they go back to a common source. When we make comparison between one part of the Holy Bible and another part of the same Holy Bible talking about the same things, that’s how we derive insight. BTW, the minimum count for making a comparison is two. So essentially, we are looking for that “two or three witnesses” whereby every word may be established:

Matthew 18:16 "But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established."

2 Corinthians 13:1 "This is the third time I am coming to you. In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established."

Since no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation, we are not to get our interpretation from the teachings of man, Strong’s Concordance included. Instead, we are to patiently search for the two or three “faithful witnesses” from the 66 books of the Holy Bible. I highly recommend the pure bible search software that I am currently using.

Proverbs 14:5 "A faithful witness will not lie: but a false witness will utter lies."

The teachings of man will lie, but the word of God will never lie to us. That’s why our doctrine must always be based on the word of God, and the word of God alone. However, the onus is on us to search out the word of truth. The Holy Ghost is also called the “Spirit of truth” in John 14:17. He is the one who will help us connect this piece of jigsaw puzzle to that piece of jigsaw puzzle, forming a picture that we could comprehend in our mind. That’s how we derive understanding of scripture. The bible also gives us a picture of that in:

John 6:35 "And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst."

Jesus is the “bread of life” and the written word of God is the “unleavened bread of sincerity and truth” according to 1 Corinthians 5:8. When you divide something, you are essentially breaking it up into parts, just like how Jesus broke the five loaves and two fishes to feed the thousands. Don't give people whole chunks of bible verses and expect them to read and understand. Break it up for them. Expound it for them using the two or three faithful witnesses. In breaking the bread of life, in rightly dividing the word of truth, the born again believer who studies to shew himself approved unto God will be able to feed many, just like Jesus, and as also evident in this verse:

Proverbs 10:21 "The lips of the righteous feed many: but fools die for want of wisdom."

Fools die for want of wisdom, because the 66 books of the Holy Bible is a closed book for them. It is a closed book for them because the things of the Spirit of God is foolishness unto them. It is not in their hearts to want to search out a matter. For born again believers, however, they will search the scripture and the Spirit of God will show them “here a little, and there a little,” so that they will be able to see the connection little by little. The bible tells us to ask God for wisdom:

James 1:5 "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him."

When the “honest and good heart” (Luke 8:15) of a born again believer yearns for the deep and secret things of God, when we open our mouth to ask God for wisdom, he will give it to us liberally, and upbraideth not. The key phrase to note in James 1:5 is “let him ask of God.” This is also evidenced by:

Jeremiah 33:3 "Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not."

Therefore, open your mouth and ask God for wisdom — not wisdom of men, but the wisdom of God. He will shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not. Ask God for wisdom. Don't ask God for salvation. It is not scriptural. Instead, ask God for wisdom and knowledge as did King Solomon:

2 Chronicles 1:10 “Give me now wisdom and knowledge, that I may go out and come in before this people: for who can judge this thy people, that is so great?”

The Spirit of God will point you to “the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6) if you ask God for wisdom and knowledge. The same Solomon also tells us in:

Proverbs 3:13-18 "Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding. 14 For the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold. 15 She is more precious than rubies: and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her. 16 Length of days is in her right hand; and in her left hand riches and honour. 17 Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace. 18 She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her: and happy is every one that retaineth her."

The tree of life is the reason why a person can live forever according to Genesis 3:22 “… lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever.” The term “live for ever” means everlasting life in John 3:16. The tree of life is “wisdom” in the book of Proverbs. Therefore, if we find wisdom, we will also find salvation.

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