"Study to shew thyself
approved unto god, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing
the Word of truth." II Tim. 2.15.
In another article we looked at the word translated "Study" and found that it
meant to be diligent, to work hard, to put out your full effort. We also saw
in it a sense of urgency, an admonition to make haste about our work. Today,
we are going to find out why this diligence is necessary. We are going to
examine the word orthotomunta, which is translated "rightly divided."
The literal translation of this word is straightly (ortho) cutting (tomunta).
When I first read it the image it called to mind was a master carpenter
working at his workbench in the days before power tools striving to make each
cut perfect so that the pieces would fit exactly. It's a powerful image if you
think about it, we as Christians should be diligent when presenting the Word
of truth to others that we are making a straight cut, that our presentation be
true to Biblical teaching at all times.
However, when I looked up the word in Thayer's Lexicon, I found another
definition which puts an even greater responsibility upon the child of God.
The first definition he gives is "to cut strait ways, i.e. to proceed by
straight paths." The picture here is not of a master carpenter working in his
workshop. Rather it is of an adventurer blazing a trail for others to follow.
The straight cut he is making is through the wilderness leaving behind him a
path for others to follow.
I don't know about you but I find that thought a bit scary. I would rather be
a master carpenter taking an intrinsic pride in my craftsmanship, but to be a
trailblazer, to step out and explore the unknown, to guide others on this
journey, even to leave behind a path for them to follow. That's a lot of
responsibility. If that's an overwhelming thought for you, imagine what it
must have been for Timothy. Timothy at this time was about 16 or 17 years old.
He was the pastor of a church. People were criticizing him because he was
young. His mentor Paul was in prison. There was every possibility that one day
he and his entire congregation might face execution for their beliefs. Now,
Paul is telling him, "Timothy, you stand out in front. You blaze the trail for
others to follow."
I heard Dr. Tom Morris, a philosophy professor at Notre Dame University, say
in a lecture once, "Everyone of you here is a role model for somebody else.
You may not know it, but it is true. The grade school kids look up to the
junior high kids, the junior high kids look up to the high school kids, the
high school kids look up to the college kids. It's the nature of the animal.
We all look up to somebody else."
I look at my life and see many trailblazers who prepared some of the paths I
walked down. My parents, my grandparents, those pioneers of the Pentecostal
Movement at the turn of the century, the church reformers of the middle ages,
the early church fathers, the apostles, and yes, the original pioneer, Jesus
Christ himself.
Now, I stand, as each of us stand, facing an unexplored wilderness. There is
danger here. There may be pits and quicksand. That's to be expected. My job is
to find those dangers and cut a straight path through my wilderness, to post
warning signs, and if necessary walk with others as they step out in this
direction.
Is the path you're cutting straight?