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).  When I mention the Bible some have responded “Can't you make it say anything your want?” I tend to reply “Well yes, and using the same rules of interpretation, I can make the dictionary say the same things, and since I realized that,  I have stopped using the dictionary!”  There are a million ways to distort and twist Scripture so as to make it say what we want it to say,  and to suppress the truth, but we do this at our peril and to our own destruction (4:3; Romans 1:18; 2 Peter 3:16). Timothy of course was a preacher, and we are not all preachers, but we all have the responsibility to correctly interpret the word of truth, the Bible. So here's a question to those who read my blog, do you check out the references to make sure I am not twisting things?

Certainly I am responsible to present myself to God in the manner prescribed, but you also need to take responsibility, for there are many false teachers gone out into the World. So then both you and me are to test all things. Of course I have the greater responsibility,  and you can check this our too (1 John 4:1; James 3:1, 2). Indeed on that Day each one of us shall have to give an account of “every idle word” (Matthew 12:36), and don't want to be ashamed! And there are multiple ways I could be finish up being ashamed,  for example either on account of unfaithfulness, lack of skill, being lukewarm, negligent, or lazy (Bensons Commentary). We might also be ashamed from our lac of obedience to the Word!

There are volumes of books written on rightly dividing the Word of Truth, the Bible (2 Peter 3:16 again). The word translated “rightly dividing” means to cut straight; to set forth truthfully, without perversion or distortion.  Some common errors are, for example,  taking thing out of context (Judas went out and hung himself ... go and do likewise). Then there dismissing what the text would say to the original authors, or being overly literal, or overly allegorical in our interpretation. We are meant to take “Do not murder literally,” but not so much with “Unless you hate your mother and father, you cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:26). It's called hyperbole, and it found in all great literature.   And since “he who speaks first only seems to be right, that is until his neighbour examines him”  (Proverbs 18:17), we need to do more than listen exclusively to just one preacher (including me), no matter how good he, or she may seem! We also need to go to the Scripture to hear what it has to say, rather than go seeking confirmation of what we have already decided is true. The 2 Peter references warns that we do these things (and more) to our own destruction! Cults are often formed in this way!

Father,  we need humility too Lord, nobody has arrived (1 Corinthians 8:2). Scripture also it warns us neither to add to it,  nor to take away from it (Revelation 22:19). We can present ideas, but not treat our opinions as Your Word.  Help us to be diligent to present ourselves approved to You, not man, so that when we are called to give an account of our words, we will not be ashamed. And we will give You the glory in Jesus Name Amen