Rightly Dividing

(Where Is The Lord? - Part I)
II Timothy 2:1-19
July 2-3, 2011
Post 206

There are three ministers of the Gospel of Jesus Christ that I intimately converse with from time to time. These are personally morally stable men with a desire to serve God and encourage others to serve God. They have in various degree laid aside their potential personal successes to take up the ministry of God and live with the temporal diminishments that result, these men are not ignorant of the scripture or the personal application of it to life. These are respected men in their communities because of their real and honest application of their faith in their lives as opposed to the more common charlatans masquerading as ministers as a means to achieve personal success. Recently I have also interacted in a far less degree with a few very significant leaders regarding the topic of the present Israel issue. Yet without exception they all hear my words as so much clinical concoction of religious extremism that I have improperly drawn from the scriptures that do not mean what I interpret them to mean.
So why is it that we all believe in the same Jesus, preach from and personally apply the same scriptures, but disagree on what it means? We cannot all be correct as our views disagree, therefore; How do we rightly divide the word of truth? (II Timothy 2:15)

This concept of conflicting interpretations is a foundational issue that demands an earnest investigation while knowing this problem of interpretation disparity has existed from the beginning as the first “second hand” minister of God found herself questioning the meaning of God’s word by the alternate interpretation offered; “Hath God said?” (Genesis 3:1). Adam, like the writers of the scripture, received God’s word directly. It is we, the second hand ministers like Eve, that then have to interpret the meaning of the words we have been handed down.
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Why the disparity?
Disparity: Inequality; different in age, rank, or condition; also, difference in character or kind.
By investigation of the question we soon discover there are quite a few variables that make the surface answer quite complex:
First we have the several layers of intent as God’s word was designed to be applied spiritually, and physically, and at different times in history in different but similar scenarios of both. In each interpretation the application is somewhat different though 100% correct.
Next we have the near limitless various individual applications to believers in different needs at their same point of application, yet again still 100% correct. These variables are numerous and different but correct interpretations of the word of truth that need discretion when interacting between believers (Romans 14:4).

But the problem grows increasingly complex when we add the many variables of incorrect interpretation with their many various causes.
It is for this complexity of error that the II Timothy 2:15 verse distinguishes rightly dividing the word of truth from wrongly dividing it. This is not speaking of pagan non-believers who do not even have available the word of truth, nor is it defending the debate that it is the word of truth; the people this verse is speaking to do not question that it is. Yet this passage warns that believers, confident that it is the word of truth, are still susceptible to wrongly divide that word. What might be the consequences of this error? And perhaps a more important question; What might be the cause?
This second chapter of II Timothy gives us both answers:
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Regarding the consequences of miss-interpreting/applying scripture:

“Of these things put them in remembrance, charging them before the Lord that they strive not about words to no profit, but to the subverting of the hearers” II Timothy 2:14.

Verse 14 begins by establishing the foundation upon which to avoid the very nature of miss-interpretation. “Of these things put them in remembrance…” What things? We will cover that in the next section. Then having laid the foundation to avoid miss-division of the word of truth Paul goes on in the verse to explain the consequences:
“…charging them before the Lord that they strive not about words to no profit 5539, but to the subverting 2692 of the hearers.”

In this use the Greek word subversion is; katastrophe; from 2690; an overturn (“catastrophe”) i.e. demolition; figuratively apostasy.
This is significant as it clearly identifies that this catastrophe of the faith cannot occur unless the faith has been first set up that is then destroyed or overturned. Again this is speaking of believers whose faith has been catastrophically overturned by the striving of words to no advantage (profit).

Profit 5539 chresimos; from 5540; serviceable.
5540 chresis; employment, i.e. (specifically) sexual intercourse (as an occupation of the body):- use.

Don’t be distracted by leading words to the inapplicable side issue of a paid prostitute; that is not the meaning of the language in this application though quite entangled. Rather, it is speaking of a very intimate and personal application (thus the words employment and occupation) meaning a useable real function or act to fulfill a designated purpose in the way that sexual intercourse is the means to show love and produce offspring. The serviceable use (means of achieving the goal) is the topic; thus “advantage”.
The “overturning”; the catastrophic destruction in this application is exampled in the abuse of sexual intercourse as a woman becomes a sex slave such as a rape victim/prostitute. The resulting confusion by its corrupted use turns a beautiful function into a curse for the woman destroyed and the man doing the destroying. This is the meaning of the word used here: “Profit” meaning useful advantage.
The corruption does not destroy the function, but catastrophically destroys the actual purpose of the function by overturning the use. Now instead of producing offspring it produces money and or violence, instead of expressing love it expresses abuse and indifference. The function is not altered but the intended profit is. This results in the apostasy revealed in the definition of catastrophe: an utterly ruined faith, not by the destruction of the faith but by a foundational and utter corruption of it; the faith is not destroyed but the intended usefulness is. The end result in both cases of faith and intercourse is a fully perverted perspective of what the function is actually for; What hope remains for an uncorrupted understanding of the original intent? In their world such an idea has no meaning, ability or relevance.

After explaining in our root verse of the passage (v.15) that Timothy is not to fall to this corruption of the faith, Paul continues to describe the consequences of wrongly dividing the word of truth;
“but shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness. And their word will eat as doth a canker: of whom is Hymenae’us and Philetus; who concerning the truth have erred, saying that the resurrection is past already; and overthrow the faith of some” II Timothy 2:16-18.

Since we know this letter to Timothy was written after the resurrection of Jesus from the dead following his crucifixion, Paul is clearly not speaking of that event as THE resurrection but these men were. Same word of truth, but one to rightly and one to wrongly dividing. This resurrection is that of the believers unto eternal life, but these men had convinced some of the faith that they had somehow missed that resurrection and of course such a belief would catastrophically demolish their faith as now hopeless. This was done by these perhaps well meaning but deceived preaches as they wrongly divided the word of truth twisting it by profane and vain though intelligent sounding words resulting in destruction.
I suggest that in the very dark days ahead, this very same corrupt twisting of scripture to “prove” to believers that they missed the resurrection will be a very real threat to the faith of that day.
There will indeed be a real rapture; a resurrection of sorts, of the believers in a specific point in time proceeding a great wrath of unspeakable horrors to fall upon the earth. There will be teachers using scripture to “prove” that was THE resurrection and so if you are still here, you have no more hope of salvation and are eternally lost as is evident by the great wrath upon the earth by God himself. Although this will be explained as the real hell on earth; THIS IS NOT SO. There remains for them the great resurrection in the end and they should have all confidence of hope that if they remain faithful they will not miss it just as we did not miss it though we did not accompany Jesus in his first resurrection that Hymenae’us and Philetus wrongly preached. Note that both right and wrong uses speak with the words of truth as the topic here is the word of truth miss-used.
With the original word definitions shown, we see clearly the example of rape in the physical sense is actually a mirror of the far more horrible event of spiritual rape by the corruption of our understanding of the word of truth. Attempting to convince a long time sex slave in the prostitution trade that sex is a beautiful expression of love would be quite a task. She has unimaginable and complex corruption of understanding to overcome in the process, what hope is there for a genuine recovery? In the same way is the corruption of a prostituted faith.
But this passage also addresses this issue of restitution beginning in the very next verse;

“Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity” II Timothy 2:19.

Can you see the two fold statement of Jesus to the woman caught in adultery? This is not so much a statement of admonition but a release from captivity; Allow it to be so. Let them depart. If you identify with Christ, depart from iniquity. "Go and sin no more."

The many different confusions of corruptions of the faith are all washed away in the rock solid foundation of God with this guarantee; The Lord knows his own as opposed to those professing to be his.
Like the woman caught in adultery for reasons not explained but only now becoming evident by the growing awareness of Islam’s long practice, the Lord does not condemn these destroyed believers nor is the church to condemn them, but neither are they to expect nothing from them as suggested by the false doctrine of Unconditional Love. The love that Jesus extended is two fold; “…Neither do I condemn thee: go and sin no more” John 8:11.
And indeed in our type and shadow, we find that once rescued from the sex slave trade these women are able to overcome and recover in a miraculous way. When once they willingly offered their bodies to corruption as slaves, they now being free from bondage have no inclination to continue such conduct. Jesus' comment to the woman was not an admonition but a statement of freedom, thus the colon.
So it is with those in the corruption of faith. It may be hard to rescue them, and in the process they may actually resist aggressively giving the impression they diligently want to stay in their condition, but those convinced to the recognition of truth, God can and does grant them miraculous recovery. These in helpless bondage are not our enemies but brainwashed fearful slaves. It is incredibly easy to simply run from captivity and be free, but the programing of fear keeps them in bondage. Therefore II Timothy 2:24-26 tells us we are not to strive about such corruption as choosing sides in a battle, we are rather to teach them with patience; in meekness instructing the correction to those in error in hopes that God might grant them repentance of their error by recognizing the truth. These are not intentional enemies of God bent on evil for evil’s sake, but snared by the devil and taken captive in their understanding to do his will because they now think it is what they must do. Remember these are not the pagans we are also supposed to rescue, this is the consequence of believers wrongly dividing the word of truth.
Now in understanding we can see that Paul was not personally condemning the false teachers of Hymenae’us and Philetus but that their false teaching must be stopped. His heart was that they would recover the faith through hearing the correct presentation of the word of truth but in the meantime they were doing great damage that should not be allowed unresisted.
This very uncomfortable concept of sexual abuse fills the scriptures as physically a bi-product of being conquered by the enemy, prophetically as a consequence for national disobedience, and spiritually for the same reasons. I have already shown in several posts like 123 The Woman In The Ephah that the corruption and abuse of sex will play a huge primary role in the rise and success of the Great Whore of the 3rd phase of the 4th diverse beast, and that this physical reality will be the reflection of the spiritual reality of the faith as the word of truth is foundationally corrupted to catastrophic destruction called apostasy. Christians have long abhorred the thought of the apostate church.
Now suddenly with this understanding we should have a new heart of compassion on those corrupted while at the same time hating the corruption they are a part of. Rescue is the theme, not war.
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Now lets address the cause of such error:
These well-meaning ministers of God who cannot rightly divide the word of truth have been captured by the Devil and their faith has been raped and prostituted. They have been his slaves for years now until this way has become a lifestyle; a part of who they are and they actually now defend their perspective as their own, presenting in every way that they really do believe they are acting of their own volition. Like the prostitute on the street most are not actually there because they specifically chose it, but now are so confused they don’t know how to accept help or even know they want it, even when it is actually standing in front of them; they have been lied to and deceived constantly for many years and they honestly can’t recognize the truth. To make the confusion even greater, the word of truth is what has been used to corrupt them so hearing the words has a completely different interpretation that has no profit.

It is common to hear of these newly trafficked girls deceived by the promise of a great job in a far away land by men that "just want to help". Suddenly discovering they are in real trouble they run to the woman they are told by design can help them, but in reality she is the madam that sells them into prostitution. So which is actually worse when they are a team with a single design? Both the man and the madam are the Yin and Yang of evil.
This is exactly the scenario America now faces as seeing Israel in very real danger, we cannot help her so we ignorantly send her to the woman of Democracy that is supposed to help only to find too late she is the madam. This scenario has all been very carefully designed by Satan himself as we see mirrored in the successful practice of human trafficking.

How can these ministers not see this?
Because they have failed to apply the concept of II Timothy chapter 2 which is the full conviction that the only way to avoid the corruption is to “be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus” II Timothy 2:1.
This is not a warm and fuzzy general idea for basic betterment, it is virtually the only right answer in real life situations.
“No man that warreth entangleth 1707 himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier” II Timothy 2:4. This verse is most commonly wrongly interpreted to mean Christians should stay out of politics or remain aloof from non-religious things but this is shown wrong by Jesus prayer of John 17:15 “I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.” So what is the actual meaning of the II Timothy verse? It is speaking with the analogy of a soldier. The key word is entangled. Soldiers are people too, they have car payments and girlfriends, but they are not to entangle themselves in affairs outside of their mission. Therefore by the combination of these two verses, participation is not forbidden but entanglement is.
Entangleth 1707 empleko; from 1722 and 4120; to entwine, i.e. (figuratively) involve with.
1722 en; a primitive preposition denoting (fixed) position (in place, time or state), and (by implication) instrumentality (medially or constructively), i.e. a relationship of rest…
4120 pleko; a primitive word; to twine or braid.

The meaning comes clear that this entanglement is a significant stand by the complex combination of two values for the purpose of becoming one thing. If then the Timothy passage is speaking of the faith as a military type mission and the non-faith world as the civilian life, then to combine the mission of the faithful with the mentality of the non-faithful ways for the purpose of making a stand, is exactly the entanglement that Paul says is forbidden. Such a venture is the desire to obey the scriptural mandate to bless Israel by turning to the pagan world to add their strength to our otherwise weak endeavor of faith.
“On paper” this sounds like a good idea, but this cannot be employed because it violates the faith itself. It is wrongly dividing the word of truth.

What would cause the faithful to come to such a conclusional error?
It is the entanglement itself. But the complexity of perception comes when trying to compartmentalize cause with events; i.e. We are now speaking of the Israel situation and so we want to see the specific entanglement to avoid. The problem is that these are not compartmentalized; The entanglement began long ago in an area of life seemingly unrelated and is now presenting in an unsolvable scenario because the corruption has been well established. Like the young woman enslaved into prostitution, the corruption is now so complex and well established these well meaning ministers have been compromised and their faith corrupted though still very much faith.
As I was reminded in a recent conversation, King David in full and pure faith ended up accidentally killing a faithful priest when he tried to bless God by means unauthorized (II Samuel 6:1-12).
The key to understanding the source of the error that ends up in such catastrophe is found in the four stage testing ground of II Timothy 2:15;

“Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”

It begins with stage one: study.
But while many might study for knowledge sake, here in stage two we are specifically to study for the purpose of becoming approvable in our understanding toward God. The wording of this sentence is so perfect it is hard to explain with other words. Unto is not just old English for to but implies a presentation of action. We are not trying to make God approve of us as the word to would suggest, we are trying to conduct our faith of God in wisdom. “Study to perform your successful godly work as it is blessed by God” might be a reasonable transliteration.
Stage three says that this approvable conduct as a result of understanding, is verified in that it produces no shame in poor results. This stage indicates that what we studied must be applied in practice to see if our approvable application produces shame or not. Walk the talk is a common phrase with this meaning.
This is the proof of the tested stage four correct division of the word of truth.

The point here is that stage four proof is not found in theology or philosophy or mental exercise or even in the study that produces it, the stage four proof is found in successful application of personal example; the showing thyself approved.

In each of these three ministers there are different foundational corruptions of their faith having been entangled in godless foundational thinking. The men are not reprobate; they are sound men of faith and in nearly every area of their lives are un-reproachable. But this actually hides the foundational corruption that contaminates the faith resulting in shame as their workmanship is shown to be un-approvable. But the corruption has quietly grown for so long without carefully observing the shame, it is an entanglement from which they don’t even know they need rescue. It is this entanglement that caused King David to imitate the successful conduct of the Philistines when transporting the Arc of the covenant. It was the entanglement that blinded him to his error while trying to bless God but ended in the death of a faithful priest. David was shaken to the core because he had no understanding of the cause. His heart was pure. He meant well. He was just wrong by entanglement with pagan ways. He had wrongly divided the word of truth.

Now we can understand the hidden meaning of II Timothy 2:20-21 “But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour. If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work.”

It is not God’s desire that some are dishonorable, it is not God’s desire that some are made of wood and earth. But because of the corruption of faith these people have no way of finding the way out and so conclude that God just made them that way and expects them to endure it with patience. But Paul says "Not so!" It is man’s job to purge himself from the errors of shameful faith unapproved. A dishonorable vessel of wood or earth can become an honorable vessel of Gold if he would purge himself of the entanglements.
Clearly put; We cannot allow ourselves to believe there are areas of life where God is not needed. We cannot say; “Our official position on this event is that this event is not supposed to be about religion; it's about supporting and standing with Israel.” - post 205 “Blessing or Curse?”

Seriously, When did God go on vacation allowing us Christians to turn elsewhere for aid? I will tell you when. It began back when each of us in the privacy of our faith compromised just a little and in the compromise God drew back just a bit.
But instead of realizing the severity of such a thing, we simply added more carnal thinking to make up for it. We learned at first in small ways that for some reason God would not come through for us, so we come through for ourselves. Today we have no problem knowing that God does not answer prayer, he does not actually aid in the temporal events of the world and so we need to find “real” solutions to real problems and leave faith to areas that are not so serious. And so the frog is slowly boiled in ever increasing temperature without ever making an effort to escape.
A loved one recently responded with the sudden awareness; “The line I've been waiting for will never come will it?” While we wait for an event significant enough to recognize the corruption and therefore act, the heat is turned up so slowly that there never is an event.
Glenn Beck has been telling us for a few years that if we don’t fix it now it may soon be too late. But I am declaring that by the fact that America can no longer expect God to aid us in defending Israel, that is a line we can use to say "Wow; How far we have fallen!"
Our goose is already cooked. What America needs now is a genuine miracle of resurrection because our frog is already dead.
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But lest you think my message is hopeless (profitless) as was that of Hymenae'us and Philetus let me be quick to say it is not hopeless for the following reason:
Jesus was not physically raised from the dead so that he could then continue his work on earth as if his death was an unfortunate delay. In a very real and full meaning that ministry was over at his death.
It was so over that his own followers deeply mourned the loss and were confused as to the very point of continuing the faith. But Glory to God that ministry was not the entire mission of his coming. His death was actually a part of the mission which began the next stage of the work.
And in like manner the end of America as God's nation to extend his grace to the world is come to and end and the event will be very unpleasant, but this is needful to bring about the next stage. Very similar to Jesus physical presence constrained to one point in time transforming by his resurrection into his Spirit being everywhere at once in each of his followers, so by the death of the Nation the individuals will be metaphorically liberated to spread his grace through the world one on one. Like the early church of Jerusalem was spread through the world by persecution so we must stop being constrained by the corruption of the dying nation and be liberated to preach the gospel with boldness. Instead of a nation of Christ's army of Christian soldiers we become Christ's Gorilla's spreading his Gospel of repentance unto forgiveness.
Yes our national frog is dead and we cannot rightly help the nation of Israel as we should. The consequences of our corrupted help will be profound but that is the cost of failure. We faithful are to acknowledge the loss, but then focus on the knowledge of hope that we have not missed the resurrection. In fact the nation must die before this resurrection can occur in the cyclic process of anticipating that Great Resurrection in the end.
Should the disciples then have rejoiced at Jesus death? Of course not. and neither do I rejoice at the death of my beloved nation. I know full well that we remaining Christians will join the Jews in persecution and I honestly don't look forward to that. I grieve that my fellow Americans have so little regard for the meaning of freedom and peace, but I rejoice that God has shown in prophecy that everything is right on schedule and his story is not done.
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Has your faith been so prostituted that you are held captive by the fear of condemnation? Jesus does not condemn you: in fact he has liberated you so that you can depart from iniquity. Believe me I know how scary it is to abandon the only thing familiar, but all that you think you understand is a carefully crafted world of deception for the purpose of keeping you in bondage. There are no chains but fear binding the prostitute to the street corner she stands on, All she needs is a determination that she will no longer live in this condition.
So it is with the saint captured in iniquity. Run. Run for your life. Flea the bondage of convenient sin and find your Savior waiting just down the street. Go and sin no more, there is a whole world beyond that familiar dark street where your faith is now prostituted.
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