From the TeachingtheWord Bible Knowledgebase

Part 8 of a 13-part series. Read part 7.

In an earlier article in this series we identified the seven marks of a Scripture-driven church. In subsequent installments we are examining each one in detail.

The third mark of a Scripture-driven church is this: The people and leaders of a Scripture-driven church rightly handle the Word of God (2 Timothy 2:15), employing the four-fold use of Scripture found in 2 Timothy 3:16-17.

"Rightly Dividing"

2nd Timothy 2:15, "Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of truth," may be one of the most misunderstood and misrepresented verses in the Bible. The misunderstanding has to do with the term "rightly dividing." The word translated "rightly dividing" in that verse is the Greek word orthotomeo. In New Testament times, orthotomeo was often used as an engineering term. It was used, for example, in road building. It was a term that meant cutting a road on a straight path, so that travelers will be able to arrive at their destination directly, without deviation. It was also used in mining. The idea was to drill a straight mine shaft, so that the miners could get directly to the "mother lode."

What is Paul, by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, saying when he applies this term to the Word of God? What does he mean by "rightly dividing the Word of truth"? He means this: As you teach and preach the Word, take your hearers straight to the truth. Handle God's Word properly. Teach Scripture accurately. Don't deviate from the Word of truth. Don't be turned aside to anything else. That is what the people and leaders of a Scripture-driven church do. They rightly handle the Word of God.

Just Revering the Bible is Not Enough

Unlike many in the postmodern Evangelical church, the people and leaders of a Scripture-driven church really know what the Bible says. They don't merely revere the Bible, they read it and study it as though their lives depended upon it - and spiritually speaking, they do! In John 6:63 Jesus said, "The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life." And in response, just a few verses later, Peter said this: "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life." Jesus also makes the point negatively, in John 14:24 - "He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father's who sent Me."

Employing the Four-Fold Use of Scripture

Rightly handling the Word of God involves employing the four-fold use of Scripture that we find in 2 Timothy 3:16-17. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable: 1.) for doctrine (teaching Christians the right path to follow); 2.) for reproof (telling Christians when they've gotten off the path of sound doctrine); 3.) for correction (telling Christians how to get back onto the path of sound doctrine); and 4.) for instruction in righteousness (keeping Christians on the path of sound doctrine). The end result of employing Scripture in this four-fold way is that the man of God, and thus the church of Jesus Christ, "may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work."

Not the Latest Fad, But Loyalty to the Word

The people and leaders of a Scripture-driven church handle the Word of God carefully. They teach Scripture accurately. They operate under the principle that Scripture interprets Scripture, as we find in 2 Corinthians chapter two and elsewhere. They understand that the bright idea of the moment, the latest religious fad, the latest how-to book, or the latest pronouncement of some strong or dominant personality in the church - these things do not interpret the Word of God.

They understand that one man's opinion - or one woman's - does not stand in authority over the Word of God. Ignoring that fundamental fact about God's Word is the root of Roman Catholicism. It is how cults have gotten started in the past, and how new cults and other un-Biblical movements have begun in our day. In many respects, the Purpose-Driven Church and Emergent Church movements bear the marks of a cult, especially the way in which they typically demand loyalty to strong and domineering leaders, whose word becomes law in the church.

In contrast to these un-Biblical approaches, the people and leaders of a Scripture-driven church rightly - and humbly - handle the Word of God as we are commanded in 2 Timothy 2:15, and they employ the four-fold use of Scripture found in 2 Timothy 3:16-17. This is the third mark of a Scripture-driven church.

The fourth mark of a Scripture-driven church is that its people and leaders operate under the Bible's authority, asking the question, "Is it Biblical?" about everything the church is, says, and does. We shall examine this fourth mark in detail in our next article.

Next: Is Your Church Asking the Most Important Question About Everything It Does?

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