Most Christians do not obey the commandment to rightly divide the word of truth because they do not know how to divide the word of truth, even though this commandment is the most important commandment regarding our salvation.
This commandment is found in II Timothy 2:15 and we are told to study God’s word and rightly divide God’s word so that we will be approved unto God. This verse warns us that we will be ashamed if we do not study and rightly divide God’s word.
II Timothy 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
We know this to be a commandment from Jesus Christ because our Apostle Paul writes in I Corinthians 14:37 that what he writes are the commandments of our Lord.
I Corinthians 14:37 If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord.
How Are We To Rightly Divide The Word of Truth?
The Bible is the word of truth. In the Bible, there are two major divisions. These major divisions are called The Prophetic Program and The Mystery Program. We are to divide these two programs. Additionally, each program has its own separate gospel. We are to divide these two separate gospels.
The Prophetic Program - God’s Plan and Purpose for the Earth
The Prophetic Program’s theme is Christ’s reign on the earth – Jeremiah 23:5, Luke 1:30-33.
Jeremiah 23:5 Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth.
Luke 1:30-33
30 And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.
31 And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus.
32 He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:
33 And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.
The Prophetic Program was revealed from the foundation of the world – Luke 1:69-70, Acts 3:21.
Luke 1:69-70
69 And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David;
70 As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began.
Acts 3:21 Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.
The Prophetic Program is the blessing for the nation of Israel – Genesis 12:1-3, Matthew 10:5-6.
Genesis 12:1-3
1 Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee:
2 And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:
3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.
Matthew 10:5-6
5 These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not:
6 But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
The Prophetic Program is an earthly hope – Job 19:25-26, Matthew 5:5.
Job 19:25-26
25 For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth:
26 And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God.
Matthew 5:5 Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.
The Mystery Program – God’s Plan and Purpose for the Heavens
The Mystery Program’s theme is Christ’s reign in the heavens – Ephesians 1:19-21, Colossians 3:1-4.
Ephesians 1:19-21
19 And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,
20 Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,
21 Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:
Colossians 3:1-4
1 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.
2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.
4 When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.
The Mystery Program has been kept secret since the world began – Romans 16:25, Colossians 1:25-27.
Romans 16:25 Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began.
Colossians 1:25-27
25 Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God;
26 Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints:
27 To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
The Mystery Program is the blessing for the body of Christ – Ephesians 1:22-23 and I Corinthians 12:12-13.
Ephesians 1:22-23
22 And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church,
23 Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.
I Corinthians 12:12-13
12 For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.
13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.
This Mystery Program gives us a heavenly hope – Ephesians 1:3, Ephesians 2:6, Colossians 1:5.
Ephesians 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.
Ephesians 2:6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.
Colossians 1:5 For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel.
The gospel of the Prophetic Program is called the gospel of the kingdom. This gospel of the kingdom is the promise of an eternal earthly kingdom for the nation of Israel. Jesus Christ preached this gospel, as did Peter and the eleven. This gospel is found in Luke 1:30-33.
Luke 1:30-33
30 And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.
31 And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus.
32 He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:
33 And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.
The requirement for salvation through the gospel of the kingdom was by belief in Jesus as their Lord and Messiah. They believed that Jesus was the Son of God and would establish His earthly kingdom and be their King.
John 1:12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.
John 3:18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
John 20:31 But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.
The gospel of the Mystery Program is called the gospel of the grace of God. Only our Apostle Paul preached this gospel. This gospel is recorded in I Corinthians 15:1-4. It is through the belief of this gospel that we have salvation and our promised home in heaven.
I Corinthians 15:1-4
1 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;
2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.
3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;
4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures.
We are told in Ephesians 1:13-14 that we are sealed by the Holy Spirit until the day of redemption when we have heard the word of truth, the gospel of our salvation, and have believed.
Ephesians 1:13-14
13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise,
14 Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.
The word of truth rightly divided gives us knowledge of God’s plan for the new earth and the new heavens. We can see that God does have a plan for the nation of Israel on the new earth. We can see that those who are saved under the gospel of the kingdom will inherit the new earth.
Likewise, God has a plan for the new heavens. His plan involves the new heavens being an eternal abode for the body of Christ. Those saved by believing the gospel of the grace of God will become members of the body of Christ and inherit the new heavens.
Isaiah prophesied of the new heavens and the new earth, as did Peter and John.
Isaiah 66:22 For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith the Lord, so shall your seed and your name remain.
II Peter 3:13 Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.
Revelation 21:1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.
We are told in II Corinthians 4:3-4 how Satan hides the gospel and causes souls to be lost. Satan hides the gospel by blinding our minds to the gospel. Light allows us to see. If light is not directed upon the gospel of the grace of God, then how will we be able to see our gospel?
II Corinthians 4:3-4
3 But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:
4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
For Satan to accomplish his goal of having us live eternally with Him in hell, he has to blind us to the word of truth rightly divided. This means that Satan blinds us to the existence of the Prophetic Program and its gospel of the kingdom and the Mystery Program and its gospel of the grace of God. Once Satan has accomplished this, then the rest is easy.
Now, Satan can take the gospel of the kingdom and combine it with the gospel of the grace of God, blending these two gospels to make it appear as if it is just one gospel. Then Satan lets everyone create their own gospel with their own plan of salvation from these blended gospels.
You would probably agree that 100% of Christians will say that the only way to salvation is through Jesus Christ. However, wouldn’t you also agree that these same people have diverse beliefs regarding how salvation is achieved? The multitude of beliefs about how salvation is achieved is the direct result of not rightly dividing the word of truth.
Rightly dividing the word of truth gives us not only the knowledge of how we are saved but also the knowledge that we can never lose our salvation. By rightly dividing the word of truth, we can have full confidence that once we believe the gospel of the grace of God, the Holy Spirit will seal us until the day of redemption.