Mishandling The Word Introduction: Let s begin with reading some scripture verses. II Cor. 2:17 For we are not, like so many, peddlers of God's word, but as men of sincerity, as commissioned by God, in the sight of God we speak in Christ. Comment: Note that it is not rare, but many are peddlers of the word they are users, manipulators, handlers, but mishandlers of God s word. We have to always be aware of this and guard ourselves against using the word in a bad way or being lead astray from the truth by others that are doing so. 4:2 But we have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways. We refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God's word, but by the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to everyone's conscience in the sight of God. Comment: This translation calls it tampering. People can tamper with medicine, with food, with all sorts of things and it can be devastating, even lethal. And the exact same thing can be done with the Bible. And tampering is disgraceful and underhanded. Evil. So, this has to heighten our senses to this possibility in our own exposure to the word and be very very careful in handling the word ourselves, lest we be found to be tampering. II Peter 3:15-16 count the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you according to the wisdom given him, as he does in all his letters when he speaks in them of these matters. There are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures.
Comment: Notice it does not have to be just the hard to understand passages any passages can be manipulated, twisted, perverted, etc. And lest someone think this is a minor matter, think again. Peter says destroy themselves in so doing. Don t for a minute think that God doesn t care about what you believe, as long as you are a good person in behavior. Wrong! Galatians 1:6-10 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed. For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ. Comment: The gospel message of the bible can be distorted, misrepresented, hijacked and co-opted, adulterated, perverted, twisted, and whatever other language like that you think might apply. And should we be surprised by all this, when we witness Satan doing the same thing. Satan misused Scripture to tempt Jesus in the wilderness. Remember? He said jump off the temple, for it is written and he quotes scripture. And quotes it accurately. More on this in a few minutes. Mishandlings Of Scripture Prejudicial study - maybe the most common flaw the Jews of Jesus day saw in the OT what they wanted to see about nature of the Messiah and kingdom. And so they prejudically heard whatever Jesus said. Today, we can be guilty so easily of
the very same thing. We read the scriptures with tinted glasses of our preconceived notions, our previous learning, our previous leanings. This is mishandling the word of God. God s word must be read objectively as humanly possible. Filtering Through Traditions Some of the statements Jesus made but I say unto you were in the OT they just disregarded them by their traditions they either voided the word or taught their traditions as law. It is corban is one such example. Well, thats the way we have always done it. Or believed. Be careful of trying to get the bible to fit your practices. You just might succeed. Getting Over Your Head - Remember how Peter said people take hard to understand things Paul writes and twist them? You don t want to try and force passages into an understanding. Like a 1st grader reading a high school text book its going to be trouble. Nothing wrong with reading a difficult passage, but be very careful. A lawyer approach - scrutinizing the word, disregarding the need for application. The bible must meet your approval to be accepted. James 1:21-25 says we must not be hearers only, but not doers. Listen to these verses and see if it does not sound like this II Tim. 2:14, 18, 23 and 3:7, Titus 3:9. Knowing whats right and being right are not the same thing. Interpreting only with aid of outside sources - I recall a man years ago telling me what something means with the Greek only. Be careful of any argument or conclusion based only on Greek or even a commentary. The bible is its own best interpreter. Knowing Greek meanings or scholarly commentaries should be supplementary.
Letting another do your thinking for you. Acts 17:10-11 The brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived they went into the Jewish synagogue. Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so. These good folks searched the scriptures to check up on the preacher and Luke says it is a commendable thing. Our of context applications I Tim. 2:9-10 likewise also that women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire, but with what is proper for women who profess godliness with good works. This is not forbidding women wearing jewelry or nice clothes, but showing where emphasis must be. Partial information applications or limited information conclusions This is isolating passages. Faith only is example of this. Women not to teach - I Tim. 2:12. Judge not in Matt. 7:1 is offset by judge righteous judgement - John 7:24. We must be able to harmonize ALL the bible says. The word cannot be broken. If a difficult interpretation conflicts with easy to understand passage elsewhere, then drop it for the time being Misapplication This was satan s misuse of psalm 91:11-12. The reference to God sending angels to deliver someone from harm, was not to be applied to putting the Lord to the test. This is also like the previous point. The passage the Devil quotes must be harmonized with the one that says do not put the Lord to the test. People often apply Jesus remarks about the destruction of Jerusalem to the end of time. The same thing is done in the book of Revelation. Failure to properly respect OT and NT differences and binding. Instrument music, tithing, and the like, borrowed from the OT is not recognizing
that within the bible are two testaments and the old one has vanished in its binding force. Circumcision is not required, certain foods are not off limits, animal sacrifices are no more. Rightly Handling The Word II Tim. 2:15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth. Rightly handling or dividing the word is a necessity of we are going to avoid shame in the presence of God, but rather be found approved. Some folks in wielding the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God, are just slashing themselves and others around them with their lack of ability to wield it. We must accurately, and precisely handle the word of truth making proper and fitting applications to life s situations and it is going to require effort diligent effort and a lot of it to be able to do so. Barnes - Rightly dividing the word of truth. The word here rendered "rightly dividing," occurs nowhere else in the New Testament. It means, properly, to cut straight, to divide right; and the allusion here may be to a steward who makes a proper distribution to each one under his care of such things as his office and their necessities require. Some have supposed that there is an allusion here to the Jewish priest cutting or dividing the sacrifice into proper parts; others, that the allusion is to the Scribes dividing the law into sections; others, to a carver distributing food to the guests at a feast. Robinson (Lexicon) renders it, "rightly proceeding as to the word of truth;" that is, rightfully and skillfully teaching the word of truth.
It is amazing how folks claiming to be Christians can differ so much in their following the bible. And some use the bible a lot. one thing is for certain, it is not God s fault. Do not blame God and His integrity in writing a book that can be misunderstood and mishandled. Handling truth includes 1. Love for truth - II Thess. 2:9-12 The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false, in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness. 2. Desire to obey the truth - John 7:17 If anyone's will is to do God's will, he will know whether the teaching is from God or whether I am speaking on my own authority. 3. Obedience to truth - Heb. 5:12-14 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil. 4. Mental industry - study to show yourself approved be diligent to be approved. Conclusion: Mishandling of the word is ruining men s souls. Don t let the next person be you.