THE RIGHT DIVISION
SCRIPTURE
7
7
OF
While we believe that the Scriptures are nothing short of miraculous in their origin, we do not believe that
laziness, indifference or misdirected zeal in the reader are thereby encouraged. Throughout the record we find
continual exhortation to meditate, ponder, learn, read, study and compare, remembering always that we are dealing
with holy things, and that spiritual matters cannot be handled with carnal instruments. We believe the principle
enjoined in 2 Timothy 2:15 to be fundamental to all true interpretation.
`RIGHTLY DIVIDING THE WORD OF TRUTH'
The word translated `rightly dividing' was in use before Paul wrote his epistle to Timothy, for it is found in the
LXX (Greek Version of the Old Testament compiled long before Christ) of Proverbs 3:6, where it is used for
`rightly dividing' a path - A.V. `Direct thy paths'. While, as we have said, all Scripture is written for us, it was not
all addressed to us or written about us, and before we consider the meaning of words or the grammatical
construction of sentences, we must see to it that we do not confuse `things that differ'.
Let us once more turn to the example of Him whom we call Master and Lord. In Luke 4:18,19 we have a
quotation from Isaiah 61, but if the reader will compare these two passages he will find that the Lord shut the book
half-way through a verse. He closed His quotation with `the acceptable year of the Lord', for He was about to add:
`This day is this Scripture fulfilled in your ears' (Luke 4:21). Such a statement could not have been made, had the
quotation been complete, for Isaiah goes on to speak of a day of vengeance. This day of vengeance is future, and
between the two statements in Isaiah lies the bulk of Luke's Gospel. We do not meet with these days until the
prophecy on the Mount is given: `For these be the days of vengeance' (Luke 21:22).
Here, therefore, the Lord `rightly divided' Isaiah's prophecy, allotting one portion to the days of His first advent,
and the other to His second coming.
The ways of God with men are differentiated into dispensations. This word, used by Paul of the present
dispensation of the grace of God to Gentiles (Eph. 3:1,2) means `the administration of a household' or, as it is
translated in Luke 16:2, `stewardship'. The church at Jerusalem was compelled to recognise the distinctive
`stewardships' or `dispensations' given to Peter and Paul (Gal. 2:6-10), and saw that the distinction involved not
only `apostleship' but `gospel'. There are some, prompted we do not doubt by a zeal for the glory of God, who
quote Galatians 1:8 against any who dare to suggest that there is more than one gospel in the Scriptures. They fail to
see that they would need to quote this verse against the Council of the Church at Jerusalem. Let us see the passages
together:
`But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached
unto you, let him be accursed' (Gal. 1:8).
` ... Fourteen years after ... I went up by revelation, and communicated unto them THAT Gospel which I preach
among the Gentiles' (Gal. 2:1,2).
` ... When they saw that the gospel OF (not merely "to") the uncircumcision was committed unto me, as the
gospel OF the circumcision was unto Peter ... they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship; that
we should go unto the heathen (Gentiles), and they unto the circumcision' (Gal. 2:7,9).
Paul's anathema is against any who preach to the Gentile Galatians any other gospel than that of the
uncircumcision, for `certain men which came down from Judaea taught the brethren, and said, Except ye be
circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved' (Acts 15:1).
The gospel of the circumcision differs from the gospel of the uncircumcision in many particulars. What would
Paul's gospel be without justification by faith, and reconciliation? Yet neither of these basic doctrines finds
expression in Peter's ministry.
When a letter is delivered to our door by the postman, we usually look at the envelope before we open it and read
the letter, for it may be addressed to another member of the family. When we open the Bible, we should also look at
the envelope, for, though all the redeemed are one family, they have different spheres, different callings, different
destinies. Some are to `inherit the earth', others are to be `seated together in heavenly places' and instructions sent
to guide the one may not always fit the other.