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NASB | 2 Timothy 2:15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | 2 Timothy 2:15 Study and do your best to present yourself to God approved, a workman [tested by trial] who has no reason to be ashamed, accurately handling and skillfully teaching the word of truth. |
Bible Question: Doesn't it make sense to read every verse in the bible about a particular subject, paying attention to the context, before formulating a belief? I've seen whole churches base a doctrine on one verse, when the bible clearly qualifies that verse elsewhere. Therefore, most responses to scriptural questions here should surely contain other bible verses. |
Bible Answer: Greetings Zyph! I think you have hit the nail right on the head! In my exprience, the biggest problem facing people when they try to interpret a verse is a lack of context. We live in a society of instant everything, so we don't want to take the time to dig into the passage and find what the author was saying. So, when we examine a verse, we should first start with the context of the book or letter. Read the entire book - in one sitting if possible (I recommend a total of at least three readings to my students)! Outline the flow of thought! Then examine how the passage in question fits into the larger context of the book or letter. Once that is done, compare the passage with the even larger context of the entire Bible. This doesn't necessarily mean that no one will ever again disagree on how a verse or passage should be interpreted, but at least we will have made an attempt "to rightly divide the Word of Truth!" Your Brother in Christ, Tim Moran |