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2Ti 2:15 Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that need not be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

This verse went through my mind so I looked it up and thought to expand upon its meaning.

When it is fully explained it goes something like this…

Use speed, that is to make an effort or give diligence to exhibit or substantiate yourself acceptable to God, as a toiler, teacher, labourer and worker that does not need to be ashamed as you dissect or expound correctly what is said or on topics of truth.

I have said previously that a church that doesn’t pray is not a church. Without prayer, nothing can happen.

The next most important and that which is also sadly neglected is the word of truth. Week after week we have little homilies from the pulpit that are meant to titillate the ears of those listening and which are intended to impress them so that they will come back next week for more of the same.

But when it comes to the meat of the word, it is virtually none existent. This has come about because evangelicalism has focused on the ‘sermon’ as the centre of worship so most people don’t get a look in when it comes to rightly dividing the word of truth.

Rather we are taught that if we take a quick look at some bible passage with the aid of our daily notes each day we have fulfilled our duty in learning what the bible says.

However, if you read the verse in Timothy we have quite a different picture. Here we are told to make an effort or give diligence to substantiate yourself as a person who has a solid grasp of what the word of truth says and your ability to expound it.

I would hazard at a guess than most Christians don’t know the first thing about their faith beyond their salvation and some do not even know what that is all about.

I regularly engage atheists on the internet because their arguments are as weak as dishwater and because they have taken over this territory due to the fact that Christians have abandoned it.

We are told in scripture to give an account of the hope within us. It doesn’t say we have to convert as many people as we can, but evangelicalism has made that a priority so we become aggressive evangelists to achieve that aim. The end result is that we get ‘decisions’ but we don’t get disciples.

If we want to convince the world that we have the truth, we have to know it ourselves first. Only then can we tell others about it. This needs commitment, application, a brain in gear, lots of thinking and a lot more teaching by teachers rather than homilies from ‘pastors’.

Unfortunately, especially amongst Pentecostals, critical thinking is positively discouraged. Most of the time the leadership wants you to accept everything they say without question.

When that happens, you create a cult because in every cult the leadership always has the last word and once they have spoken you are expected to obey it.