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
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The Department of Religion and African Culture, Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko, Ondo State
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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Keywords
: theology, be diligent, rightly dividing, church, word of truth