Bible Matters 467:  Rightly Dividing the Truth

God tells you twelve times in the Bible that out of the mouth of two or three witnesses you shall know the truth!   Twelve is number of divine authority.   You first get the truth by comparing the testimonies of the eight witnesses and then ignore the vain babbling of one witness testimony that stands alone.  That authority is coming directly from God!   God’s word is truth from the mouth of two or three witnesses.  (See Deuteronomy 17:6; Deuteronomy 19:15; 1 Kings 21:10; 1 Kings 21:13; Matthew 18:16; John 8:17-18; 1 Corinthians 14:29; 2 Corinthians 13:1; Hebrews 6:18; Hebrews 10:28; 1 Timothy 5:19; Revelations 11:3)

2 Timothy 2:15-16 KJV – Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.  But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness.

1 Timothy 5:19 – Against an elder receive not an accusation, but before two or three witnesses.

What does that mean…..

No witness spoke on God requiring a tithe of some amount for the New Testament church.

No witness spoke on God sending you to hell is you drank alcohol.   Multiple witnesses spoke out against drunkenness and your desire to live one’s life by being sober (Luke 21:34; Romans 13:13; 1 Peter 1:13; 1 Peter 4:7; 1 Peter 5:8; 1 Thessalonians 5:6-8; Titus 2:2,3,6; Titus 1:8-9; Titus 2:2)

1 Peter 4:7 – But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.

Titus 2:2 – That the aged men be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience.

Only one witness Paul said women should not speak in church in Corinthians and Timothy …. Ignore that vain babbling as God wants woman to preach in church. (See 1 Corinthians 14:34; 1 Timothy 2:12)

1 Timothy 2:12 – But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence.

Only one witness Paul in 1 Thessalonians spoke on what people refer to as the Rapture…. The idea of a rapture as it is defined in dispensational premillennialism is not found in historic Christianity and is a relatively recent doctrine originating from the 1830s. The term is used frequently among fundamentalist theologians in the United States. The origin of the term extends from the First Epistle to the Thessalonians in the Bible, which uses the Greek word harpazo (Ancient Greek: ἁρπάζω), meaning “to snatch away” or “to seize”…The rapture is an idea developed from one witness, one testimony which is considered vain babbling and is not considered the truth in God’s word.   The rapture isn’t truth and is not going to happen.

1 Thessalonians 4:17 – Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

Only one witness, John, spoke on the Word becoming flesh, the Word being before Abraham and the God, the Word and the Holy Ghost as one.   Rightly dividing the word is telling you the truth that Jesus was not around since the beginning when God made heaven and earth, Jesus is not God, Jesus is not equal to God as they are not one as in the Trinity.

John 1:1 – In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

John 1:14 – And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth.

John 8:58 – Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.

1 John 5:7 – For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.

Oly one witness spoke of divorce.  God dislikes divorce. (See Matthew 19:4-6,8,9; Mark 10:5-12; Luke 16:18; Romans 7:2,3; 1 Corinthians 7:10-15)

Luke 16:18 – Whosoever putteth away his wife, and marrieth another, committeth adultery: and whosoever marrieth her that is put away from her husband committeth adultery.

1 Corinthians 7:10-15 – And unto the married I command, yet not I, but the Lord, Let not the wife depart from her husband:  But and if she depart, let her remain unmarried, or be reconciled to her husband: and let not the husband put away his wife.  But to the rest speak I, not the Lord: If any brother hath a wife that believeth not, and she be pleased to dwell with him, let him not put her away.  And the woman which hath an husband that believeth not, and if he be pleased to dwell with her, let her not leave him.  For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband: else were your children unclean; but now are they holy.  But if the unbelieving depart, let him depart. A brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases : but God hath called us to peace.

Multiple witnesses say you will be judged by God. (See Matthew 7:21; Luke 18:13; Acts 17:30-31; Hebrews 13:3; 1 Corinthians 5:13; Romans 1:32; Romans 2:2,3,5,6,10; Romans 3:4,6; Romans 3:18-19; Psalm 43:1; Thessalonians 1:5; 1 Peter 4:17; 2 Peter 2:4; Jude 1:15; Revelation 14:7; Revelation 16:7,9; Revelation 20:12)

Romans 3:4,6 – God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged.  God forbid: for then how shall God judge the world?

Revelation 20:12 – And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.

Rightly dividing the word of God changes the landscape for man’s derived doctrine from one witness babbling testimonies.  Rightly dividing the truth destroys the sectarianism of religions by making up truth from one witness testimonies!   God does not judge you by works of religion.     Water baptism means nothing.

God sent Jesus as a prophet to bring God’s gospel of Love.  You are to love God and love your Neighbor.  God will judge you by your good works and deeds. You will be judged by how you live your life on earth, in your service to God and neighbor.   Sin not, stay sober, judge no one, show your love of God and neighbor by good works and endure to the end.   Obey God’s gospel and God will be waiting for you.

1 Peter 4:17 – For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?

From the mouth of two or three prophets, you shall know the truth.  Come visit the truth at OneWorldChurch.net

1 Corinthians 14:29 – Let the prophets speak two or three, and let the other judge.

To God be the glory in all you do, Amen.