Right Division of the Word 7
By Pastor Raphael Adegoke
15 Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of truth. (2 Timothy 2:15).
Blessed be the name of the Lord who has translated us out of the kingdom of darkness and has brought us into the kingdom of the marvelous light of His dear Son. May we receive the grace to stay rooted in that Kingdom! Fortnight ago, our emphasis was Knowledge, but today we shall be focusing on Purpose .
It is often said, Where purpose is not known, abuse is inevitable. This is as well one of the basic truths of biblical interpretation. I am so sure that a man who has never come across a refrigerator and has not got access to any manual will likely take it for a wardrobe or a cupboard. Even though it can serve as both wardrobe and cupboard, yet it is not designed for that purpose Meanwhile, we dont determine the use of a thing, but its inventor.
Behind every written or spoken word is a purpose. This is possibly one of the reasons God doesnt joke with His Word, but honours it above all His name (Psalm 138:2)..None if His Words will ever return void (Isaiah 55:11) . He is not a jester. Infact, the Bible accounts that everyone will give an account of every idle word he speaks. But I say unto you, That every idle [careless] word that men [people] shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. (Matthew 12:36).
While a word can mean different things to different people; often based on their perceptions and perspectives, yet for the original meaning to be understood, the mind of the original speaker must be sought. If not, there will be misunderstanding, misinterpretation, and misrepresentation.
One of the aspects of biblical interpretation that we often fail to consider, and which ought to be one of the foremost things to be considered is “Purpose”. This will really help us not to wrongly apply the scripture. Meanwhile, God is never to be blamed for the robbery of the benefits of right interpretation of the Bible.
While good interpretation is reflected in sound appropriation, yet it must be understood that direct interpretation and application may cause more harm than good. For instance, what directly applies to the Corinthian Church may not directly apply to the Ephesian Church. What directly applies to Galatian Church may not directly apply to the Philippian Church, even though the some message can be appropriated. So, right division of the Word therefore will require detailed investigation of the heart (purpose) of the speaker or writer. This is foundational to every holistic division of the Word of God.
Pastor Raphael Adegoke is a Pastor in Christ Apostolic Church (Nigeria & Overseas) and a Lecturer in Christ Apostolic Church Theological Seminary.
