would most certainly teach her boy some of the Proverbs? and that Timothy's

father, being a Greek, and living in Galatia, would most certainly have read

the Greek version of the Old Testament, known as the Septuagint?  We cannot

tell, but this we do know,

that Timothy needed no explanation of the term `right division'.  We can

dismiss all attempts by commentators to discredit this fact and feel

perfectly safe in doing so, because we shall be `comparing spiritual things

with spiritual'.  In the Bible used by Timothy occurs the following verse:

Pasais hodois sou gnorize auten, hina orthotome tas hodous sou

(Paroimai 3:6).

`In all thy ways acquaint thyself with it (fem. ref. to sophia wisdom,

in verse 5) in order that it may rightly divide thy paths' (Prov. 3:6).

We find the same word in Proverbs 11:5, where it is again used of a

`way'.  These are the only occurrences in the LXX.  We are not now concerned

with the differences here observable between the A.V. and the LXX but are

desirous that all shall see that the words used by Paul in 2 Timothy 2:15 and

known by Timothy are identical.

Orthotomeo, `To rightly divide'.

Temno, `to cut', does not occur in the New Testament but several

combinations of the word are found.

`Sharper', Tomoteros.  `Sharper than a two-edged sword' (Heb.

`Sharply', Apotomos.

`Rebuke them sharply' (Tit. 1 13).

Peritemno and peritome refer to circumcision, and there is no

need to stress the literal meaning of either the Greek or the English.

The word finds its place in our own language, and in such surgical

expressions as anatomy, tracheotomy, and phlebotomy, the primary

meaning of cutting is retained unaltered.

With this evidence before him, the reader will need no refutation of

the many suggestions put forward as translations, such as `handling aright

the Word of Truth'.  Again, there is no possibility of mistaking what was to

be rightly divided.  It was not the believer's conduct or service or anything

to do with himself, but the `Word of Truth'.  Just as Timothy was

subsequently exhorted to `preach' the Word, so is he here commanded to

`divide' the Word aright.  What this principle involves when put into

operation cannot be detailed here.  Besides a number of volumes and smaller

booklets, thirty-seven volumes of The Berean Expositor have been published,

and they all have been subject to this one great principle.  Right division

distinguishes dispensations.  It does not confound Kingdom with Church,

Gentile with Jew, Mystery with Gospel, Earth with Heaven.  It is beyond us,

however, to attempt even a summary of its bearings, for there is no item of

Scriptural teaching to which the principle does not apply.

Moreover, let us repeat that what is here to be `rightly divided' is,

and remains, the Word of Truth.  No `higher critical' cutting up of the

Scriptures is countenanced by this Word, and indeed we have only to read on

to find in 2 Timothy 3:16 one of the most emphatic statements concerning the

inspiration of the Scriptures that the New Testament contains.  We can,

however, easily rob the Word of its `truth' if we fail to `rightly divide'

it.  We can confound law and grace, to our undoing; we can preach Moses where

we ought to preach Christ.  We can be concerned with `earthly things', to our