Rightly Dividing the Word of Truth

2 Timothy 2:15 NKJV Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

The phrase “rightly dividing” in 2 Timothy 2:15 (NKJV) is sometimes understood to imply that there are some things in the Bible which are no longer valid and true today. For example, Joseph Prince writes:

You need to understand how to rightly divide the Word of God. When we read the Bible, we need to follow the advice that Apostle Paul gave to his young apprentice, Timothy. Timothy was a young pastor of the church of Ephesus, and Paul told him to be “diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth”.

God wants us to be able to rightly divide the Word. He wants us to be astute in rightly dividing and clearly separating what belongs to the old covenant of law and what belongs to the new covenant of grace. He wants us to be able to distinguish what occurred before the cross from what occurred after the cross, and to understand the difference the cross made. Many believers today are living as if the cross did not make any difference!

— Destined to Reign, p. 51. Emphases original.

Notice how Joseph Prince has to rely only on the KJV or the NKJV, since no other translation would support his use of 2 Timothy 2:15. A simple comparison of English translations would demonstrate that Joseph Prince has misunderstood what the KJV and the NKJV intend to convey:

• ESV: “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.”
• NIV: “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.”
• NASB: “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.”
• CSB: “Be diligent to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who doesn’t need to be ashamed, correctly teaching the word of truth.”
• NLT: “Work hard so you can present yourself to God and receive his approval. Be a good worker, one who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly explains the word of truth.”

The Greek word for “rightly dividing” in the KJV and the NKJV is the verb orthotomeō (ὀρθοτομέω), which literally means “to cut straightly”. The idea is that of an explorer cutting a path through a plot of land which is difficult to pass through. This same Greek word is used in the Septuagint—common Greek translations of the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) which the first Christians used. The following is a passage in which orthotomeō occurs:

Proverbs 3:5–6 ESV Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
and do not lean on your own understanding.
₆ In all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make straight your paths.

In the Septuagint, the Hebrew word for “straighten” in this passage is rendered by the Greek word orthotomeō. The translators wanted to convey the idea that when we trust in the Lord, he will cut a clear path for us through life as we face decisions aplenty.

Likewise, “the word of the truth” can also be a difficult plot of land to those who are new and unlearned in it. The Apostle Paul was exhorting Timothy to exercise diligence in his calling by cutting a clear path for his congregation through the word of God, leading them to the right understanding, application and experience of the truths of God. In other words, 2 Timothy 2:15 has nothing at all to do with dividing between the Old Testament Scriptures and New Testament Scriptures.

Later on in the same book of 2 Timothy, Paul writes, “Every scripture is God-breathed, and [therefore] profitable for teaching, for conviction, for correction, for training which is in righteousness.” (3:16) Obviously, “every scripture” here includes the Old Testament Scriptures. Hence, the Old Testament Scriptures are just as authoritative, relevant, and applicable as the New Testament Scriptures to us and in our lives as Christians.