Before dealing with the application of the principle of Right Division and the Gospel, some explanation of the

meaning and implications of the principle itself is called for. The use of the principle is enjoined by Paul in his last

letter to Timothy (2:15) and inasmuch as Timothy had been taught the Scriptures from a child (3:15) and, further,

seeing that Timothy had been brought up in Asia Minor and that his father was a Greek, it is certain that his Bible

would have been the Greek version known as the Septuagint. The word translated `rightly divide' is the Greek

orthotomeo, and occurs in the LXX version of Proverbs 3:6, `In all thy ways acknowledge Him and He shall RIGHTLY

DIVIDE thy paths'.

We find the same word is also used in Proverbs 11:5, where it is once again used of a path or a `way'. It is not

the believer's conduct or service or anything to do with himself that had to be `rightly divided', it was the Word of

Truth that had to be so treated.

Let us take one illustration from the ministry of the Lord Himself. In Luke 4:16-21 the Lord is described as

reading the opening words of Isaiah 61. He closes the book at the words, `to preach the acceptable year of the

Lord', and then says, `This day is this Scripture fulfilled in your ears'. Had He read on, the next words quoted

would have been, `and the day of vengeance of our God', a day which is also connected with the millennial

blessings of Israel when they become `priests of the Lord' and receive `double' for their shame. This double

prophecy was not fulfilled in the days of Christ's ministry. Over 1,900 years separate those two sentences of Isaiah,

which in our Authorised Version are separated merely by a comma. How important therefore this principle must be.

Before we leave this illustration of right division it will be of service to observe one other feature. The words

omitted in Luke 4 were not set aside; they were simply reserved for their own proper place, and are found in Luke

`For these be the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled'.

LUKE'S GOSPEL

Chapter 4:

Chapters 5 to 20.

Chapter 21:

The acceptable

The day of

year of the  ←-fulfilled

vengeance of

Lord.drawing near-Error! Reference source not found.After an interval of 1900 years.

The right division of the Word of Truth recognizes all Scripture. It does not cut out unpopular doctrine; it just

apportions all Scripture according to God's purpose.

If the Epistles are as equally inspired as the Gospels (and we believe most sincerely that they are) we cannot

believe ALL that they contain without `right division'. In the Sermon on the Mount we read `the meek shall inherit

the earth', whereas in the epistle to the Ephesians the believer is blessed `in heavenly places'. Mark 16:17 assures

us that `these signs shall follow them that believe', yet Paul is saddened at the sickness of Epaphroditus, and sends a

prescription to Timothy for his `often infirmities'. To the apostle Peter the redeemed are `a holy nation and a royal

priesthood'; to Paul, the redeemed are spoken of as `the body of Christ'. Even the Gospels themselves contain

enough to make us anticipate fuller revelation, for Christ Himself said just before His death `I have yet many things

to say unto you'. The principle of right division is most clearly seen at work in John 1:17:

`For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ'.

Here two dispensations are in view, both given by God, and both true in their own season, but we have only to

read the epistle to the Galatians to see the frightful havoc that can follow any attempt to blend the dispensation of

law with that of grace. They will not and cannot mix. While all Scripture is inspired and profitable, and its study as

a whole is incumbent upon every believer of whatsoever calling he may be, yet we have to recognize that while all

Scripture is FOR us, all Scripture is not ABOUT us.