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

 

Paul used the Scriptures to teach the people about Christ. The only Scriptures he had were the Words of the Prophets, the Torah (the first five books of the Bible) and perhaps some of what we now know as the Old Testament.

 

Paul was the perfect choice for God to use to bring the Gospel at that time because he spoke several languages. The original Scriptures were written in several languages because the people who wrote them lived in various places. Paul understood them all.

 

For us to properly understand the Scriptures we must refer back to the original language of the person who wrote that Scripture. The Bible has been translated into many languages and we, of course, choose to read English. However, many times, the meaning of some words gets lost, changed, or weakened in the translation.

 

We read in the 17th Chapter of the Book of Acts about Paul and Silas preaching and teaching the Gospel to the people in Thessalonica. In the King James Translation, Verses 2 and 3 read And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three Sabbath Days reasoned with them out of the Scriptures. Opening and alleging, that Christ must needs have suffered and risen again from the dead and that this Jesus whom I preach unto you, is Christ.

 

This Passage of Scripture would be difficult to understand and perhaps misunderstood if we don’t research the original language which is Greek. The word “opening” in Greek is dianoigo and it means to open thoroughly and to expand. Given this definition, we have the picture of Paul not just reading the Scriptures to the people but thoroughly explaining them and expanding on them.

 

The word “alleging” in the Greek language is paratithemi and it means to present, to place alongside, and to set before. Paul found the Passages of Scripture pertaining to Christ and set them before the people, thoroughly explained them to them.

 

He compared all the Scriptures to each other. Then he explained what actually happened in the Life, Death, Burial, and Resurrection of Christ. With that, the Truth of the Gospel emerged right before their eyes! These people believed in the Words of the Prophets although few (if any) had a written copy of any. Also, many (if not most) of the people could not read.

 

When Paul opened, read, presented, explained, and compared the Scriptures in a language they could understand, the Truth of the Gospel of Christ became a reality to them and they were Saved! His personal testimony of meeting Jesus on the Road to Damascus and the change in his life, was the icing on the cake, so to speak.

 

This is how we are to properly teach the Gospel of Christ. Paul instructed young Timothy by saying Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of Truth. (2 Timothy 2:15)

 

 

The Word of God will………..turn the tide……….in this world!

 

Thank you, Jesus!         Doreen

 

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