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S. Van Mierlo

Summary of the Divine
Plan

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The Message of the Kingdom

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Three Spheres

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Alphabetical Analysis

Also -

HOPE

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THE ABOVE HEAVENS

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"Practical Truth in
Ephesians"

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A Study in Pentecost

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Heavenly Places

by Charles H. Welch
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Bible
Studies

The One Great
Subject of

The
Word

RIGHT DIVISION

By Charles H.
Welch

RIGHT DIVISION

by E.W.
Bullinger

RIGHT DIVISION

by Tom Ballinger

Present Truth

The Foundations of Dispensational Truth

Introduction To Acts 28

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ACTS
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None Other Things

The One NEW MAN

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Before and After Acts 28:28

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"Written"

Dispensational Outline Of The Books Of The N.T.

75 DIFFICULT
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Gementria in Christ's
Geneaolgy

Right Division

by E.W. Bullinger

The one great requirement of the Word is grounded on the
fact that it is "the Word of truth." And this fact is so stated as to
imply that, unless the Word is thus rightly divided we shall not get
"truth"; and that we shall get its truth only in proportion to the measure
in which we divide it rightly. The Requirement is thus stated in II Tim.
2:15: "Give diligence to present thyself approved to God, a workman having
no cause to be ashamed rightly dividing the word of truth."

The word in question here orthotomounta. As this
word occurs in no Greek writer, or even elsewhere in the New Testament, we
can get little or no help from outside, and are confined to Biblical
usage.
It is used twice in the Septuagint for the Hebrew vashar,
to be right, or straight. In Prov. 3:6; 11:5, the Hebrew is Piel
,to make right (as in II Chron. 23:30; Prov. 15:21; Isa. 40:3;
45:2,13). But it is the Greek word that we have to do with here, in II
Tim. 2:15; and we cannot get away from the fact that temno means to
cut; or, from the fact that we cannot cut without dividing. To
dividebelongs to the very nature of the act of cutting.Even as applied to
directing one's way it implies that we divide off one way from others --
because we desire to follow the right way and avoid the wrong.
The only
Biblical guide we have to the usage of the word is in Prov. 3:6, "In all
thy ways acknowledge him And he shall direct thy paths." In the margin the
R.V. gives, "make straight or plain" as an alternative rendering for
"direct." But our ways can only be made straight or plain by God's causing
us to proceed on our Way aright -- i.e., by avoiding all the ways that are
wrong, and going in the one way that is right; in other words, the right
way is divided off from all the wrong ways.
What else can the word mean
in II Tim. 2:15? It matters little what others have thought or said. We
could fill a page with their names and their views, but we should learn
but little and only become confused. The duties of Priests, Furriers, and
Ploughmen have been referred to as indicating the correct meaning. But we
need not leave the Biblical usage, which associates the word with
guidance in the right way.
The scope of the verse plainly
teaches that:

Our one great study is to seek God's approval, and not
man's.
We are to show all diligence in pursuing this study.
As
workmen, our aim is to have no cause to be ashamed of our work.
In
order to gain God's approval and avert our own shame we must rightly
divide the word of truth.
To do this we must direct our studies in
theright way.
This great requirement is associated with the Word in
its special character as being the Word of truth; i.e., "the
true Word."

All this tells us that we shall not get the truth if we do
not thus rightly divide it; and that we shall get the truth only in
proportion to our "rightly dividing" it.
Other titles of the Word have
their own special requirements. As "the engrafted Word" it must be
received with meekness (Jas. 1:21). As "the Faithful Word" we must
hold it fast (Tit. 1:9). As " the Word of life" we must hold it
forth (Phil. 2:16). But, because this is "the Word of truth," its
paths must be well noted, the sign-posts must be observed, the directions
and guides which are in the Word itself must be followed. We are to "give
diligence" to this great Requirement of the Word just because it is "the
Word of truth."

Rightly dividing the Word as to its Subject
Matter

It is the common belief that every part of the Bible is to
be interpreted directly as referring to the Church of God; or as
pertaining to every person, at every stage of the world's history. This
neglect of the precept to rightly divide it is an effectual bar to the
right understanding of it, and to our enjoyment in its study. This
non-understanding of the Word is the explanation of its neglect, and this
neglect is the reason why so many who should be feeding on the spiritual
food of the Word are so ill-fed in themselves; and so ill-furnished for
every good work (II Tim. 3:17). While the Word of God is written
for all persons, and for all time, yet it is as true that
not every part of it is addressed to all persons or about
all persons in all time.

Three distinct classes of persons

Every word is "written for our learning," and
contains what all ought to know: yet, its subject-matter is written
according to the principle involved in I Cor. 10:32, and is written
concerning one or other of three distinct classes of persons:
"The
Jews,
The Gentiles,
and The Church of God."
According to the
general belief, everything that goes to make up the subject-matter of the
Word of God is about only one of these three: and, whatever may be said
about the other two (the Jews and the Gentiles), all is to be interpreted
of only the one, viz., the Church of God. This comes of that inbred
selfishness which pertains to human nature: which, doing with this as with
all beside, is ever ready to appropriate that which belongs to others. But
no greater impediment to a right understanding of the Word could possibly
be devised.
We are quite aware that, in saying this, we lay ourselves
open to the charge which has been made by some, that we are "robbing them
of their Bible." But the charge is groundless; and it arises from a total
misapprehension of what we mean, or from a perversion of what we have
said. It is necessary, therefore, for us to repeat, and to state
categorically our belief that every word from Genesis to Revelation is
written for the Church of God. There is not one word that we can do
without: not one word that we can dispense with, without loss. We deprive
no one of any portion of the Word of Truth. We protest against robbery in
this sphere, as in all others.
It is not we who rob the Church of God;
but it is they who rob the Jews and the Gentiles. We would fain restore
stolen property to the rightful owners; property which has been stolen by
the very persons who charge us with robbery! We may indeed retort in the
words of Rom. 2:21: "Thou that preachest a man should not steal, Dost thou
steal? " We are prepared to make this counter-charge, and to sustain it.
The charge against us we disclaim; while those who make it are themselves
guilty of the very offence for which they condemn us.
We hold that what
is written to and about the Jew, belongs to and must be interpreted of the
Jew. We hold that what is written of and about the Gentile; belongs to and
must be interpreted of the Gentile. We hold that what is written to and
about the Church of God, belongs to and must be interpreted of the Church
of God. Is this robbery? or, Is it justice? Is it stealing? or, Is it
restitution?
Evidence of the misappropriation (to use a milder term) is
furnished by the Bible which lies open before us. In speaking of the
page-headings of Isa. 29 and 30, in our current editions of the English
Bibles (KJV), in which the former is declared to be " Judgment upon
Jerusalem"; and the latter, "God's mercies to his church." .
What is this but not only wrongly dividing the Word of truth, but the
introduction of error, by robbing Jerusalem of her promised "mercies" and
appropriating these stolen mercies to the Church? while the "judgments"
are left for Jerusalem, just as burglars take away what is portable, and
leave behind what they do not want or cannot carry away.
We believe God
when He says that the Visions shown to Isaiah were "concerning
Judah and Jerusalem" (Isa. 1:1). True, they were written for us;
and "for our learning " (Rom. 15:4); but they are not addressed to
us, or written concerning us, but "concerning Judah and
Jerusalem."
It would be an act of dishonesty, therefore, for us thus to
appropriate, by interpreting of ourselves, that which was spoken of
Israel. In like manner, if we take, as some do, the words of the Epistle
to the Ephesians as though they were written to or concerning the Gentiles
(or the unconverted world), then we not only rob the Church of God of its
most precious heritage, but we teach the ''Universal Fatherhood of God"
instead of His Fatherhood of only those who are His children in Christ
Jesus. It will thus be seen that unless we rightly divide the
subject-matter of the Word of truth we shall not get the truth, but shall
get error instead.
Every part of the Bible is written "concerning" one
or other of these three divisions, or classes of persons. Sometimes in the
same passage or book there may be that which is concerning all three.
Sometimes a whole book may be concerning only one of these three, and the
other two be altogether excluded. We may all three learn much from
what is written of only the one; for the inspired, God-breathed Word is
"profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction,"
for all who shall read it (II Tim. 3:16). That which happened to
Israel happened unto them for ensamples; "and they are written for
our admonition " (1 Cor. 10:11). "Whatsoever was written aforetime
was written for our learning" (Rom. 15:4).
But while this is so,
and remains true; what we mean is that every Scripture is written
concerning one or other of these three classes; and is especially
addressed to that particular class. This class has therefore the
prior claim to that Scripture. The interpretation of it belongs to
that class; while the other two may apply it to themselves, and are to
learn from it. But, inasmuch as it is only an application and not
the interpretation, such application must be made only so
far as it agrees with the interpretation of those Scriptures which are
specially addressed to and relate to such class. Otherwise we shall find
ourselves using one truth to upset another truth; we shall be setting what
is true of one class in opposition to what is true of another
class.
All that we are concerned with now is the right dividing of the
subject-matter of the Bible, which is three-fold. And the great
requirement of the Word as to this is, that we should, and must, whenever
we study any portion of the Word of God, ask the question, "Concerning
whom is this written?"
Whichever of the three it may be, we must be
careful to confine and limit the interpretation of that passage to
the class whom it concerns; while we may make any application of it
to ourselves so long as it does not conflict with what is written
elsewhere concerning "the church of God."
We must not take that which
concerns the Jew and interpret it of the Church. We must not take that
which concerns the Church and interpret it of the world. We must not take
what is said concerning the Gentile and interpret it of the Church. If we
do, we shall get darkness instead of light, confusion instead of
instruction, trouble instead of peace, and error instead of
truth.