One struggle people face when approaching God’s Word is how to “rightly divide the Word.” What does it mean to “rightly divide the Word”? Why should Christians do this? How does one complete this task? These are important questions to ask and answer because studying God’s Word is an essential duty to undertake as a believer in Christ.
What does it mean?
The phrase “rightly divide the Word” comes from 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.” Other translations read, “…correctly teaching the Word of truth” (CSB), “rightly handling the Word of truth” (ESV) or “who correctly handles the Word of truth” (NIV).
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All of these translations point to the same conclusion — Christians should be good, diligent workers when studying God’s Word. This does not mean that the work will be perfect, but Christians should not be ashamed when their work is questioned because they gave it their all. In the Weirsbe Bible Commentary, Weirsbe put it in this way: “The preacher and teacher who use the Word correctly will build their church the way God wants it to be built. But a sloppy worker will handle God’s Word deceitfully in order to make it say what he wants it to say” (2 Cor. 4:2). A sloppy worker only cares about himself and his own agenda. A preacher and teacher of God’s Word strives to teach God’s word correctly with meticulous study. What if you are not a preacher or teacher? This text still applies to you as a Christian because you study God’s Word as well. In 2 Timothy 2:15 Paul was instructing his readers to handle God’s Word with care, not like a genie’s lamp that will make their wishes come true. God’s Word should be appropriately translated from its original context.
Why?
If you are reading this article, then I would assume you know why you should “rightly divide the Word.” Nevertheless — just for fun — I will give you three simple reasons why you should commit to this practice.
1. The Bible reveals our sinfulness and our need for God. Weirsbe says in his commentary, “The Bible explains that every lost sinner is condemned now (John 3:18-21) and needs a Savior now.” As Christians “rightly divide the Word,” they will continue to see their need for a Savior.
2. The Old Testament is not exempt from telling us about why we should “rightly divide God’s Word.” Deuteronomy 32:4 reads, “He is the Rock, His works are perfect, and all His ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is He.” God has given us a book we can trust. If you believe in God as your rock and one and only God, then believe that His Word is truth, and lean on it daily.
3. The Bible is God’s holy Word, set-apart throughout all generations. In their book “What Every Christian Ought to Know,” Adrian and Steve Rogers write, “Can you imagine taking 40 different people over a period of 1,600 years from different countries and different occupations and telling them to each write independent of one another without having read what the others had written?… Yet you have this wonderful unity in the Word of God.” God’s Word has and will stand the test of time.
How?
How does someone “rightly divide the Word”?
First, a Christian must know that the Bible is not about him or her but about God. One of the biggest mistakes people make when facing the Bible is approaching the Bible with the mindset, “What can I get from the Bible?”
This does not mean that God’s Word is not applicable to your life today, but He should be the focus. Your stature when you face God’s Word should be of humility and not of greediness or self-indulgence. When you humbly come to God’s Word seeking Him, your mindset changes, and you will be renewed beyond measure.
“When we simply allow our unchallenged feelings and observations to distort or determine what the Bible means, our experiences have become the measure for what a text can mean. We must adopt an approach of interpretation that confronts this danger, for Scripture alone constitutes the standard of truth for Christians, and we must judge our values and experiences based on its precepts, not vice-versa.” (“Introduction to Biblical Interpretation,” by William W. Klein, Craig I. Bomberg and Robert L. Hubbard, Jr.)
Jen Wilkin discusses the story of Moses and how God used Moses in her book “Women of the Word” as an illustration to remind readers of God’s authority. Jen says this, “As Moses would learn during the Exodus, who he was bore no impact on the outcome of His situation. Who God is made all of the impact.” When you read the story of Moses, God is the one at work, not Moses. She continues, “We must read and study the Bible with our ears trained on hearing God’s declaration of himself.”
When we read about God’s character, we learn more about ourselves. Where God is slow to anger, I am quick to anger. Where God is sinless, I am sinful. Where God is just, I am unjust, Jen explained. When you approach the Bible be humble and have your lens set on God. God is the main character, not you.
Second, to “rightly divide the Word” you should understand its original context. As you read God’s Word, work to answer these questions.
- Who was the original author?
- Who was the author writing to?
- What is the genre of this text?
- What was the date this text was written?
- Why was the author writing to these people or this person?
- Where is Jesus in this text?
Strive to understand the small story at hand and how it fits into the overarching story of the Bible. Jen Wilkin explains the process of “exegesis” in your understanding: “Before you can hear it with your ears, hear it with theirs. Before you can understand it today, understand it back then.” Each book should be read with the entirety of the Bible in mind. Also, don’t forget to understand where it fits into the gospel story.
Third, to “rightly divide the Word” you must remember that God’s Word is working in you. 1 Thess. 2:13 states, “And we also thank God continually because, when you received the Word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as a human word, but as it actually is, the Word of God, which is indeed at work in you who believe.” Paul wrote to the Thessalonians to encourage them when they were discouraged about when the coming of Christ would occur. During this concern they were also being persecuted because of their faith.
Do any of these concerns sound familiar during 2026? Yes, they do!
The Thessalonians were discouraged because they felt they were following God’s plan for their lives, yet they did not see any outcome. Christians still feel the same way, but know that as you diligently read God’s Word, His Word is working through you.
If you truly place your faith in God and study his Word, you will see His Word actively working in your life. Weirsbe said it like this, “The Word of God within us is a great source of power in times of testing and suffering. If we appreciate the Word (the heart), appropriate the Word (the mind), and apply the Word (the will) then the whole person will be controlled by God’s Word and He will give us the victory.” What is controlling you today, is it God’s Word or is it the world’s words?
Fourth, as you “rightly divide the Word” sit under a Biblical teacher and preacher in your church that points to Jesus. A godly preacher and teacher that is well trained and called to do God’s work will point you in the direction of God’s truth.
As the author of Hebrews is giving his final exhortations in chapter 13, he encourages his readers to obey and listen to their leader in verse 17: “Have confidence in your leaders and submit to their authority, because they keep watch over you as those who must give an account. Do this so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no benefit to you.”
Of course, this does not mean that a preacher, leader, minister or teacher should dictate over his congregation, but he should be a shepherd caring for his flock. If a shepherd truly cares for his flock, he will devote his time to exegete the text and point his flock to Christ while also caring for their spiritual needs.
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