By Dean Kelly

Dean Kelly is minister at Highland Home Church of Christ.

God has not left humanity on their own with no guidance. Instead, He has provided His holy word, the Bible as a guidebook. It is important to note that the Bible is inspired by God. Paul notes in 2 Timothy 3:16, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God…” Inspiration is translated from the Greek word “theopneustos”. The first part of this word means God. The last part means to breathe. Literally the word means God breathed.” This includes both the Old and New Testaments. Peter speaks of Paul’s writings as on a par with other scriptures in 2 Peter 3:15-16.

It is important to understand that we must properly handle, or as some translations say, rightly divide, the word of God. Note Paul’s instructions to the young preacher Timothy, “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” (2 Timothy 2:15 ESV). Paul states it in the negative, “But we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness nor handling the word of God deceitfully…” (2 Corinthians 4:2 NKJV). The ESV says, “We refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God’s word.” 

To be able to handle the word of God properly or rightly we must be heavily involved in it. The writer of Hebrews says this, “But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil” (Hebrews 5:15 ESV). The word of God is compared to a sword (Hebrews 4:12; Ephesians 6:17). It takes a great deal of work and practice to become efficient in the use of a sword. The same is true with the word of God. 

Next week we will examine the concept of inspiration more closely, and the basic facts of how we can handle the word of God properly, rightly dividing it.

We can only come to the feet of the cross if we do so by abiding in His word, and so that the truth can set us free (John 8:31-32).

Dean Kelly is minister at Highland Home Church of Christ.