Rightly Dividing the Word of Truth

Did you know that there is a right way to study the Bible? Many Christians have fallen victim to so-called Bible teachers (crackpots)… and I will call them crackpots because that is just what they are. I believe that many of the modern prosperity preachers today are grounded in BAD doctrine, which is a result of the improper study of God’s Word. Their followers are their victims because they don’t take the time to verify for themselves what these false teachers write or tell them. They swallow it hook, line and sinker.


The Bible tells us in 1 Tim 5:17 Be diligent (study) to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

If you are not handling the word of God accurately, then you ought to be ashamed of yourselves. If you are going to handle it accurately, you have to be diligent, you have to work hard at it. It must be interpreted accurately and those that fail to do that have reason to be ashamed.

It’s hard work. That is why God has given teachers to the Church so that we can work hard in understanding God’s word and correctly instructing people in the scriptures through consistent, conscientious labor in the Word.

Those who are improperly teaching the saints invent theology as they speak. You should never, ever make a point at the price of a proper interpretation. Otherwise, you are the final authority and not the Word of God. We must protect the integrity of scripture by demanding a proper interpretation, otherwise it just feeds and promotes endless confusion.
The following are three areas that need to be avoided that are not always avoided in contemporary interpretation:


1. Do not make a point at the expense of a proper interpretation. Do not look for a verse to go with your message. Do not try to make the Bible fit with YOUR philosophy.

2. Don’t spiritualize or allegorize the text. This practice goes on with many well-known and popular TV preachers and other false movements, messianic movements, “churches.” It’s the invention of their own imaginations. This kind of preaching is a form of hucksterism. If you do that, you can spiritualize any text that will leave you with a fanciful conclusion. They are nothing more than a bunch of pulpit conmen (wolves in sheep’s clothing) ripping off God’s people spiritually and economically.

The correct approach is you need to go to Jesus and remember when he was walking on the road to Emmaus He said that beginning with Moses and all the prophets He explained to them the things concerning Himself and the scriptures. The word hermeuo (explain/interpret) which is where we get the word hermeneutics (the art of interpretation). He carefully interpreted the Old Testament. He used sound hermeneutics.

When we teach, we want to be sure that we don’t make severe errors.

3. Another area is superficial study.  The Bible tells us in 1 Tim 5:17 Let the elders who rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in the word and doctrine.