2 Timothy 2:15 (King James Version)
“Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman who needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”
2 Timothy 2:15 (New International Version)
“Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.”
All people “study” something. To study something is, in effect, to engage in relationship, to go beyond the surface aspects of something, and dive deep into its mysteries. I “study” fly fishing. If you came to my house, you would find magazines lying here and there with covers showing people holding fish or casting whippy rods on beautiful bodies of water. There is a whole shelf of books on fly fishing in my library. I study it, I think about it, I visualize it, I practice it, I teach it, and I “DO” it on a regular basis.
Christ made it clear in John 15:7, that to have the “Word” remain in “YOU” is a prerequisite for bearing fruit. To tie the two examples together, to study Scripture is to engage in relationship with Christ! To become a student of the Word of God IS to engage in deep relationship with Christ. To merely listen to the Word or to just casually read it would be like glancing at a treasure map and then setting it aside to pursue other things.
What is Paul asking Timothy to do in 2 Timothy 2:15?
What is the difference between correctly and incorrectly handling the Word of Truth?
Write out a prayer asking God to make “YOU” a great student of His Word!
Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.
Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.