SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 2/17/2025 10:29 AM
My Worship Time Focus:
PT-3 “False Teaching Brings Shame on
the Teachers”
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference:
2 Timothy 2:15
Message of the
verse: “Be
diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to
be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.”
I continue to look at the verse that I have named my
blogs after, 2 Timothy 2:15.
I suppose that all of us who are truly born-again believers and are walking with the Lord realize that there is a battle that goes on in our hearts each and every day. I realize that God, when He saved me gave me a new heart, a heart that wants to always follow my Lord, but there is also left in me what is called the flesh which does not want to follow the Lord, thus the battle. Now as I continue to look at this very important verse I can see that it is clear in the Word of God, both Old and New Testaments, and also looking back on church history, and even what is going on today in the time I am living in that many of the worst false teachers claim to be servants of God. As we look back when Jesus was on the earth it is clear that the majority of scribes, Pharisees, and other Jewish leaders considered themselves to be the godliest of the godly, as well as the only reliable interpreters of Scripture. Yet this is what Jesus said of them: “You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature; for he is a liar, and the father of lies” (John 8:44).
Now I want to quote from MacArthur’s commentary “Even
apart from those extremes, anyone who ignores, misrepresents, misinterprets, or
detracts from God’s truth by adding to it or taking away from it (Rev.
22:18-19) has reason to be ashamed as well as fearful. Whether consciously or not, those who corrupt
and denigrate God’s truth are the spiritual children of Satan. They are purveyors of his abominable lies and
are under God’s sovereign and certain judgment.”
Now in light of what has just been said we can say that
the mark of a faithful teacher or preacher is his accurately handling
the word of truth. MacArthur adds Handling
accurately translates a participle of orthotomeo,
which means literally to cut straight.
It is used of a craftsman cutting a straight line, of a farmer plowing a
straight furrow, or a mason setting a straight line of bricks, or of workmen
building a straight road.
Metaphorically, it was used of careful performing any task. Because Paul was a tentmaker by trade (Acts.
18:3), he may have had in mind the careful, straight cutting and sewing of the
many pieces of leather or cloth necessary to make a tent.
“Sometimes in the New Testament, the
phrase word of truth, or message of truth, refers specifically to the
gospel. Paul reminded believers in
Ephesus, ‘In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth the gospel
of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy
Spirit of promise’ (Eph. 1:13; Col. 1:5). James speaks of the Father’s
exercising His will in bringing ‘us forth by the word of truth, so that we
might be, as it were, the first fruits among His creatures’ (James 1:18). Many other references of God’s truth refer to
the full revelation of His Word in Scripture.
Jesus doubtless had his broad meaning in mind when He prayed to His
Father on our behalf, ‘Sanctify them in the truth; Thy word is truth’ (John
17:17). In any case, Paul’s point here
is the same. Every aspect of God’s truth
is to be handled accurately, as a sacred trust by those who teach it and by
those who hear it.
“The careful exegete and expositor
of God’s word of truth must be meticulous in the way he interprets and pieces
together the many individual truths found in Scripture. The first and most important principle is
that of basing doctrine and standards of living on Scripture alone (sola scriptura), a key watchword of the
Protestant Reformation.”
Looks like one more section from the
wonderful verse and I will be done with this section, a section that is and has
been very important for me to study.
Spiritual meaning for my life today:
Studying and learning from the Word of God is one of the most, if not
the most important thing I can do with my life.
My Steps of Faith for Today: “Be diligent
to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be
ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.”
2/17/2025 10:59
AM
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