Daily Manna, Year Two · Day 146 · May 26
A Workman Unashamed
“Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”
What did Timothy hear when this was read out in front of him? The KJV's Study is that Bible's ordinary word for hurrying at something, and it has no desk in it. Do thy diligence to come shortly unto me, Paul writes two chapters later, using it of a journey. Peter has give diligence to make your calling and election sure. Ephesians has Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit. The instruction is about effort spent.
The effort has a job attached: a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. Rightly dividing is 1611 English for handling a thing straight, and other Bibles render it as handling accurately, so no argument here should rest on the picture of cutting. What the job involves can be read off either side of the verse. Before it: charging them before the Lord that they strive not about words to no profit, but to the subverting of the hearers. After it: shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness. Two verses on there are names, Hymenaeus and Philetus, whose word will eat as doth a canker. Their teaching is on record: who concerning the truth have erred, saying that the resurrection is past already; and overthrow the faith of some.
The workman in this verse stands between people arguing over words for sport and people whose teaching has quietly gutted someone else's faith, and his qualification is that he can handle the text straight in front of God without embarrassment. What have you said about a passage this month that you could not have shown anyone in the passage?
Daily Manna runs on a two-year cycle. The year one reading for day 146 is Great and Mighty Things (Jeremiah 33:3).