SEV Biblia, Chapter 2:15
Procura con diligencia presentarte a Dios aprobado, como obrero que no tiene de qu avergonzarse, que traza bien la palabra de la verdad.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - 2 Timothy 2:15
Verse 15. Study to show thyself approved unto God] Endeavour so to cultivate and improve thy heart and mind, that thou mayest not be a reproach to him from whom thou professest to receive thy commission. Rightly dividing the word of truth.] It is generally supposed that the apostle alludes here to the care taken to divide the sacrifices under the law; the priests studied, in dividing the victim down the spine, to do it so scrupulously that one half of the spinal marrow should be found on each side the backbone. Probably nothing was much farther from the apostle's thoughts than this view, which is now commonly taken of the subject.
Indeed this scrupulously dividing does not appear to have been any original ordinance among the Jews; much stress was laid upon it in later times, but from the beginning it was not so. The word orqotomein signifies, 1. Simply to cut straight, or to rectify. 2. To walk in the right way; it is thus used by Gregory Nazianzen, who, in Orat. Apol. fugae, opposes orqotomein to kakwv odeuein, walking in a right way to walking in a bad way. Thus, kainotomein signifies to walk in a new way, and kateuqunein to walk in a straight way. See Kypke. Therefore, by rightly dividing the word of truth, we are to understand his continuing in the true doctrine, and teaching that to every person; and, according to our Lord's simile, giving each his portion of meat in due season-milk to babes, strong meat to the full grown, comfort to the disconsolate, reproof to the irregular and careless; in a word, finding out the necessities of his hearers, and preaching so as to meet those necessities.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 15. Study to show thyself approved unto God , etc.] The Alexandrian copy reads, to Christ; (see Romans 16:10). Not unto men, as pleasing them; for such who study to please men, are not the servants of Christ; and sometimes those that are approved to and by men, are disapproved of by God and Christ: but unto God, showing all fidelity and uprightness; speaking out the Gospel openly, and freely, with all sincerity, as in the sight of God; commending themselves to him, and to every man's conscience, by manifestation of the truth; and such will hear, Well done, good and faithful servant another day. A workman that needeth not to be ashamed ; the ministry of the word is a work, and it is a good work; and those that perform it aright are worthy of honour and esteem; and it requires industry, diligence, and application, and for which no man is sufficient without the grace of God; and those who are employed in it are workmen, workers together with God, and labourers in his vineyard: and such who are faithful and diligent ones, need not to be ashamed; such do not cause shame, neither in themselves nor in others, as false teachers do, who foam out their own shame, and as negligent ministers of the word, and such whose lives are not agreeable to the doctrines they preach; nor have they any reason to be ashamed, neither of the Gospel, which they preach, nor of their sufferings, which they endure for the sake of it, nor of their upright ministrations of the word; and as they are not afraid to suffer shame for the sake of Christ now, they will not be ashamed before him at his coming. rightly dividing , or cutting the word of truth ; that is, the Scriptures of truth, ( Daniel 10:21) which come from the God of truth, are concerning Christ, who is the truth, and are dictated and led into by the spirit of truth, and contain in them nothing but truth: to divide the word, is not merely to divide the text into its proper parts, though care should be taken that this be done aright; and some think that the allusion is to the verses of the Hebrew Bible, which are called yqwsp , divisions, sections, or cuttings, from the word qsp , to cut or divide, being cut or divided one from another; hence those that were employed in the law, and were conversant with the sacred writings, and exercised therein, were called trwtb yqswp , cutters, or dividers of the law f5 ; and so qwsp l[b is one that is well versed in the Bible, and knows every part of it, and readily uses it, in speaking or writing; and such an one was Timothy, ( 2 Timothy 3:15) though I rather think the apostle refers to a wrong way of dividing the Scriptures by the Jews, to which he opposes the right dividing of them. They had used not only to take away a letter out of one word, and add it to another, and so expound the text, but to remove words in it, and make that which went before to go behind, and that which was behind to go before; and this they call a sharp knife, which bwtkh qyspmw twj , cuts and divides the Scriptures f6 : but this way, which his countrymen used, the apostle would not have Timothy, and other Gospel ministers, make use of; for this is not rightly to divide, but to mangle and tear in pieces the word of truth. Moreover, to divide the word of truth, or to cut it, is to cut it open, and dissect its several parts, and search and look into the inside and bottom of it, for to find out every truth contained in it, and lay them open to others; and may be, as some have thought, an allusion to the cutting open the sacrifices, and laying the parts of them aright, and in a decent manner: to which may be added, that since ministers of the Gospel are stewards, and who, when wise and faithful, give to everyone of the household their portion of meat in due season; the metaphor may be taken from such, and from masters and governors of families, who cut up the food, and distribute it to each, according to their age and appetite; and so the ministers of the Gospel are to distribute the spiritual food of the word to babes in Christ, and to grown Christians, according to their capacities, and suitable to their cases and circumstances, dividing to everyone what is proper for him: in short, one that divides the word of truth rightly, is, as the Vulgate Latin version renders it, one that rightly handles; or, as the Syriac version, that rightly preaches the word of truth; who gives the true sense of Scripture, does not pervert and wrest it, and take from it, or add to it; who points out the truth in it, and shows unto men the way of salvation, and plainly and faithfully preaches the Gospel contained in it, without keeping back anything that is profitable, but declares the whole counsel of God. This same Greek word is used by the Septuagint in ( Proverbs 3:6 11:5) where it answers to the Hebrew word ry , which signifies to direct the way, and make it plain; and may here design a plain and open interpretation of the word of God: and to answer these several characters in the text should be the studious concern of every Gospel minister; and study is necessary thereunto; it requires great care that a man take heed to himself, and to his doctrine; and great industry, diligence, and application, and much reading, meditation, and prayer.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 14-21 - Those disposed to strive, commonly strive about matters of smal moment. But strifes of words destroy the things of God. The apostl mentions some who erred. They did not deny the resurrection, but the corrupted that true doctrine. Yet nothing can be so foolish of erroneous, but it will overturn the temporary faith of some professors This foundation has two writings on it. One speaks our comfort. Non can overthrow the faith of any whom God hath chosen. The other speak our duty. Those who would have the comfort of the privilege, must make conscience of the duty Christ gave himself for us, that he might redee us from all iniquity, Tit 2:14. The church of Christ is like dwelling: some furniture is of great value; some of smaller value, an put to meaner uses. Some professors of religion are like vessels of wood and earth. When the vessels of dishonour are cast out to be destroyed, the others will be filled with all the fulness of God. We must see to it that we are holy vessels. Every one in the church who God approves, will be devoted to his Master's service, and thus fitte for his use.
Greek Textus Receptus
σπουδασον 4704 5657 σεαυτον 4572 δοκιμον 1384 παραστησαι 3936 5658 τω 3588 θεω 2316 εργατην 2040 ανεπαισχυντον 422 ορθοτομουντα 3718 5723 τον 3588 λογον 3056 της 3588 αληθειας 225
Vincent's NT Word Studies
15. Study (spoudason). Originally, make haste. In Paul, Gal. ii. 10; Eph. iv. 3 (note); 1 Thess. ii. 17.
To shew thyself approved (seauton dokimon parasthsai).
Parasthsai, better, present. In Pastorals only here and chapter iv. 17. Often in Acts and Paul. See on Acts i. 3; Rom. xvi. 2; Eph. v. 27. Dokimon approved, only here in Pastorals, five times by Paul. See on James. i. 12. On dokimh approvedness, Rom. v. 4; and on dokimazein to approve on test, 1 Pet. i. 7.
A workman (ergathv). In Paul, 2 Cor. xi. 13; Philippians. iii. 2. In Pastorals, 1 Tim. v. 18.
That needeth not to be ashamed (anepaiscunton). N.T.o . o LXX, o Class. Lit. not made ashamed, as Philip. i. 20. A workman whose work does not disgrace him.
Rightly dividing (orqotomounta). N.T.o . o Class. In LXX, Prov. iii. 6; xi. 5; both times in the sense of directing the way. From ojrqov straight and temnein to cut. Hence, to cut straight, as paths; to hold a straight course; generally, to make straight; to handle rightly. Vulg. recte tractare. The thought is that the minister of the gospel is to present the truth rightly, not abridging it, not handling it as a charlatan (see on 2 Corinthians ii. 17), not making it a matter of wordy strife verse 14), but treating it honestly and fully, in a straightforward manner. Various homiletic fancies have been founded on the word, as, to divide the word of truth, giving to each hearer what he needs: or, to separate it into its proper parts: or, to separate it from error: or, to cut straight through it, so that its inmost contents may be laid bare. Others, again, have found in it the figure of dividing the bread, which is the office of the household steward; or of dividing the sacrificial victims; or of cutting a straight furrow with the plough.
Robertson's NT Word Studies
2:15 {Give diligence} (spoudason). First aorist active imperative of spoudazw, old word, as in #1Th 2:17; Ga 2:10. {To present} (parastesai). First aorist active infinitive of paristemi as in #Col 1:22,28. {Approved unto God} (dokimon twi qewi). Dative case qewi with dokimon, predicate accusative, old adjective (from decomai), for which see #1Co 11:19; 2Co 10:18. {A workman} (ergaten). See #2Co 11:3; Php 3:2. {That needeth not to be ashamed} (anepaiscunton). Late double compound verbal adjective (a privative, epaischun"), in Josephus and here alone. {Handling aright} (orqotomounta). Present active participle of orqotomew, late and rare compound (orqotomos), cutting straight, orqos and temnw), here only in N.T. It occurs in #Pr 3:6; 11:5 for making straight paths (hodous) with which compare #Heb 12:13 and "the Way" in #Ac 9:2. Theodoret explains it to mean ploughing a straight furrow. Parry argues that the metaphor is the stone mason cutting the stones straight since temnw and orqos are so used. Since Paul was a tent-maker and knew how to cut straight the rough camel-hair cloth, why not let that be the metaphor? Certainly plenty of exegesis is crooked enough (crazy-quilt patterns) to call for careful cutting to set it straight.
