“Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.” (2 Timothy 2:15, LSB)
Paul wrote Timothy in 2 Timothy 15 that a man of God must “be diligent to present yourself approved to God”. To do that, the scripture reveals that he needs to “accurately handle the word of truth”. These words of Paul teach that one must use the Bible correctly, “accurately handling” its interpretation and application. To be faithful, you must not only read the Bible but learn to apply it accurately to your life. This isn’t necessarily easy.
When Jesus taught people how to be more faithful, there were times that they completely missed the point. When explaining being “born again” to Nicodemus, Jesus questioned, “Are you a teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand this?” (John 3:10). After Jesus told a parable, Jesus’ own disciples “did not understand what Jesus was saying” (John 10:6). In Luke 24:45, the resurrected Jesus “opened the minds” of the disciples so they could understand the meaning of the crucifixion and resurrection. These scriptures, among hundreds of others, show clearly that understanding the Bible “accurately” was crucial to being faithful.
As I pondered the scripture for today, I looked deeper into the original Greek language for “accurately handling” the Bible. The Greek word used for “accurately handling” means to “cut straight” or “straighten the way”. This got me to thinking how important it is for some things in life to be perfectly straight. For example, in woodworking they have levels and plums to determine straight lines. Carpenters use miters and fences that must be perfectly straight, best to within a thousandth of an inch or so. Those who remodel kitchens often use laser levels to project perfectly straight lines to align cupboards and countertops and backsplashes and such.
Many buildings and edifices also require straight walls, straight plumbing, and perfectly level engineering. If you build something crooked, it won’t last or will weaken the surrounding structure. Viaducts must be straight, or they could collapse. Roofs must follow a continuous angle, or they will leak. Fields need to be plowed in a straight line, or it will be difficult for machines to harvest the crops. Roads, bridges, sewers, pipelines, and a million other things of this world REQUIRE straight or level lines to function correctly.
Recently, we had to replace the insulation in a wall of our house due to finding mold. As we re-insulated, I found that the original wall was not straight. It was slightly out of whack. One stud was so bowed that I had to replace it or that section of wall would never be straight enough to look good. I cut a new stud to replace the old, then accurately placed it in the wall before putting up drywall. Now, the wall is straight, true, and well insulated.
As I think back on that work in the house, I am reminded how important it was to have that wall be straight and true as well as insulated right. A kitchen wall that is bowed will not sit plum. Pictures hung on a bulged wall will wobble. A new wall cabinet would make a defective wall stick out like a sore thumb! A wall that is not close to straight and true will lead to various problems down the road.
In the same way that many things in life require straight or level construction, scripture too must be “cut straight” (2 Timothy 2:15). It must be “accurately handled”. If your study of scripture is not “cut straight” or “accurately handled”, you will have moral and spiritual problems. It is crucial in life that you not only read your Bible but apply it accurately to your situation. As a twisted stud will completely deform a wall, a twisted view of scripture will wreck your values and undermine your spiritual life.
I have met pastors who twisted scripture to fit their ideology. I have met people who conveniently overlooked parts of the Bible that dealt with a sin hitting close to home. People often misquote scripture to support their own sinful pursuits. Paul taught Timothy this would happen when he wrote: “…the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions…” (2 Timothy 4:3, ESV). It is all too easy to manipulate your view of God and the Bible to make yourself appear religious or pious or godly.
I will finish today with a quote from the preacher, Dr. Charles Stanley. He commented on 2 Timothy 2:15 with these insights:
“If you want to have a sound, strong faith, you must be grounded in Scripture. This doesn’t happen automatically just by reading. Instead, you must be diligent to understand the Word of God through study, prayer, reflection, and meditation. The phrase that Paul used in today’s verse, “accurately handling,” means to cut a straight line such as a plowman would through a field. That is, when we read the Word of God, there’s a straight line from the truth to our lives. We aren’t turning or twisting it to suit us. Many people handle the Bible backward. They decide how they want to live and then pick verses out of context that appear to support their decisions. But that doesn’t work. Instead, we must examine the full counsel of Scripture—not just a couple of passages in isolation—and base our lives on what it says. Most people want to hear what makes them feel better about themselves. But the Bible is about transformation—through instruction, encouragement, and, when necessary, conviction. So be ready at all times to agree with the Word—even when it hurts. That’s how you’ll both strengthen and purify your faith.” (p. 342, Trusting God with Today).
Take the time to not only read scripture, but “accurately handle” it. As you study and meditate on scripture this week, ask God to clarify your view of its meaning. Plum its spiritual depths. Let God keep you on the straight and narrow road that leads to salvation (Matthew 7:13,14).
When Jesus taught people how to be more faithful, there were times that they completely missed the point. When explaining being “born again” to Nicodemus, Jesus questioned, “Are you a teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand this?” (John 3:10). After Jesus told a parable, Jesus’ own disciples “did not understand what Jesus was saying” (John 10:6). In Luke 24:45, the resurrected Jesus “opened the minds” of the disciples so they could understand the meaning of the crucifixion and resurrection. These scriptures, among hundreds of others, show clearly that understanding the Bible “accurately” was crucial to being faithful.
As I pondered the scripture for today, I looked deeper into the original Greek language for “accurately handling” the Bible. The Greek word used for “accurately handling” means to “cut straight” or “straighten the way”. This got me to thinking how important it is for some things in life to be perfectly straight. For example, in woodworking they have levels and plums to determine straight lines. Carpenters use miters and fences that must be perfectly straight, best to within a thousandth of an inch or so. Those who remodel kitchens often use laser levels to project perfectly straight lines to align cupboards and countertops and backsplashes and such.
Many buildings and edifices also require straight walls, straight plumbing, and perfectly level engineering. If you build something crooked, it won’t last or will weaken the surrounding structure. Viaducts must be straight, or they could collapse. Roofs must follow a continuous angle, or they will leak. Fields need to be plowed in a straight line, or it will be difficult for machines to harvest the crops. Roads, bridges, sewers, pipelines, and a million other things of this world REQUIRE straight or level lines to function correctly.
Recently, we had to replace the insulation in a wall of our house due to finding mold. As we re-insulated, I found that the original wall was not straight. It was slightly out of whack. One stud was so bowed that I had to replace it or that section of wall would never be straight enough to look good. I cut a new stud to replace the old, then accurately placed it in the wall before putting up drywall. Now, the wall is straight, true, and well insulated.
As I think back on that work in the house, I am reminded how important it was to have that wall be straight and true as well as insulated right. A kitchen wall that is bowed will not sit plum. Pictures hung on a bulged wall will wobble. A new wall cabinet would make a defective wall stick out like a sore thumb! A wall that is not close to straight and true will lead to various problems down the road.
In the same way that many things in life require straight or level construction, scripture too must be “cut straight” (2 Timothy 2:15). It must be “accurately handled”. If your study of scripture is not “cut straight” or “accurately handled”, you will have moral and spiritual problems. It is crucial in life that you not only read your Bible but apply it accurately to your situation. As a twisted stud will completely deform a wall, a twisted view of scripture will wreck your values and undermine your spiritual life.
I have met pastors who twisted scripture to fit their ideology. I have met people who conveniently overlooked parts of the Bible that dealt with a sin hitting close to home. People often misquote scripture to support their own sinful pursuits. Paul taught Timothy this would happen when he wrote: “…the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions…” (2 Timothy 4:3, ESV). It is all too easy to manipulate your view of God and the Bible to make yourself appear religious or pious or godly.
I will finish today with a quote from the preacher, Dr. Charles Stanley. He commented on 2 Timothy 2:15 with these insights:
“If you want to have a sound, strong faith, you must be grounded in Scripture. This doesn’t happen automatically just by reading. Instead, you must be diligent to understand the Word of God through study, prayer, reflection, and meditation. The phrase that Paul used in today’s verse, “accurately handling,” means to cut a straight line such as a plowman would through a field. That is, when we read the Word of God, there’s a straight line from the truth to our lives. We aren’t turning or twisting it to suit us. Many people handle the Bible backward. They decide how they want to live and then pick verses out of context that appear to support their decisions. But that doesn’t work. Instead, we must examine the full counsel of Scripture—not just a couple of passages in isolation—and base our lives on what it says. Most people want to hear what makes them feel better about themselves. But the Bible is about transformation—through instruction, encouragement, and, when necessary, conviction. So be ready at all times to agree with the Word—even when it hurts. That’s how you’ll both strengthen and purify your faith.” (p. 342, Trusting God with Today).
Take the time to not only read scripture, but “accurately handle” it. As you study and meditate on scripture this week, ask God to clarify your view of its meaning. Plum its spiritual depths. Let God keep you on the straight and narrow road that leads to salvation (Matthew 7:13,14).