Rightly Dividing the Word of Truth in 2 Timothy 2:15 and its Theological Implication for the Contemporary Church
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Date
2018-01
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Johnny Jes Limited
Abstract
The church is divided into two: the part that has correct understanding of what theology means and the part that gets ‘threatened’ at the mere mention of theology and feels theology has not gotten a space in the church. The objectives of this paper were to examine the importance of rightly dividing the word of truth ὀθοτομοῦντα τὸν λόγον τῆς ἀληθείας, and to reestablish its theological implication for contemporary church. Exegetical, historical and sociological methods were used. The paper found out that rightly dividing ὀρθοτομοῦντα as used by Paul in 2 Timothy 2:15 has a verbal function which is to participate in the action of the main verb ‘be diligent’, Σπούδασον and rightly dividing, Ὀρθοτομοῦντα is the participle. Hence, the idea being brought out is: as we diligently seek to be approved of God we must rightly divide the Word of Truth. Therefore rightly dividing Ὀρθοτομοῦντα should be understood as the gnomic kind, which states a general timeless fact or principle. As a direct command: it must be binding on the church as any other command in the Scripture.
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Theology, be diligent, Church, word of truth