Comments on: Advice from the Apostle: Cutting Straight the Word of Truth (2 Tim. 2:15–16) http://www.biblicalfoundations.org/blog/the-church/advice-from-the-apostle-cutting-straight-the-word-of-truth-2-tim-215%e2%80%9316 ALERT: Dr. Köstenberger’s blogs are now becoming available in Spanish. We will continue to add new posts as soon as they can be translated. Click on “Espanol” above Mon, 26 Apr 2010 02:55:50 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: alastair.adversaria » A Critic of my Understanding of Liturgical Exegesis http://www.biblicalfoundations.org/blog/the-church/advice-from-the-apostle-cutting-straight-the-word-of-truth-2-tim-215%e2%80%9316/comment-page-1#comment-2354 alastair.adversaria » A Critic of my Understanding of Liturgical Exegesis Fri, 20 Oct 2006 22:32:27 +0000 http://www.biblicalfoundations.org/?p=66#comment-2354 [...] What about ‘rightly dividing the word of truth’? Is this really a reference to grammatical parsing? I think that N.T. Wright’s reading in his For Everyone commentary is an example of a more likely reading (and one that he is certainly not alone in arguing for), although I believe that he is stretching it if he believes that Paul had the illustration that he uses in mind: In particular, he wants preachers and teachers to ‘carve out a straight path for the word of truth’. Some translations say things like ‘rightly dividing the word’, and it’s possible Paul means something like that (in other words, ‘being able to show how the sentences work, what each part means, and how they all relate to each other’). But it’s more likely that the picture he has in mind is of a pioneer hacking out a path through the jungle so that people can walk safely through. Part of the job of the teacher is to do what Paul himself is doing in this passage: to see where there are brambles, creepers and dead trees blocking the path where the word should be following to people’s hearts and minds, and to shift them out of the way. [...] [...] What about ‘rightly dividing the word of truth’? Is this really a reference to grammatical parsing? I think that N.T. Wright’s reading in his For Everyone commentary is an example of a more likely reading (and one that he is certainly not alone in arguing for), although I believe that he is stretching it if he believes that Paul had the illustration that he uses in mind: In particular, he wants preachers and teachers to ‘carve out a straight path for the word of truth’. Some translations say things like ‘rightly dividing the word’, and it’s possible Paul means something like that (in other words, ‘being able to show how the sentences work, what each part means, and how they all relate to each other’). But it’s more likely that the picture he has in mind is of a pioneer hacking out a path through the jungle so that people can walk safely through. Part of the job of the teacher is to do what Paul himself is doing in this passage: to see where there are brambles, creepers and dead trees blocking the path where the word should be following to people’s hearts and minds, and to shift them out of the way. [...]

]]> By: Suzanne McCarthy http://www.biblicalfoundations.org/blog/the-church/advice-from-the-apostle-cutting-straight-the-word-of-truth-2-tim-215%e2%80%9316/comment-page-1#comment-1775 Suzanne McCarthy Sun, 03 Sep 2006 16:21:22 +0000 http://www.biblicalfoundations.org/?p=66#comment-1775 Andreas, You are right to mention the Roman roads but the word dates back to military campaigns recorded in Thucydides and Herodotus. In translations of these texts, orthotomeo is sometimes interpreted as actually building a road, and sometimes interpreted as cutting directly across country through the woods without a road. In any case, it is a direct route. I prefer to think of it as building a road, since the approved, the qualifed and recognized workman, is mentioned in Timothy. I have written extensively on orthotomeo and so much appreciate Bruce Waltke's additional comments, that Proverbs 3:6 refers to making the path smooth. Many other verses and the LXX reflect this quality, that the word will make a smooth path 'and thou shalt not dash thy foot.' How important this is and it is part of the Lev. 19 commands to not put a stumbling block in front of the blind. Timothy is exorted to make a straight and level path so others will not stumble. Conversely, we may also think of making a highway for our God, of clearing the way for the Lord and declaring His name. This is one of the truly overlooked great metaphors in the NT. I would add to your recommendation that there is no substitute for thorough training in the scriptures, that there is no substitute for a classical and intense training in the Biblical languages, living the language of the classical and Hellenistic world. Even better if a few people can do this before they have their theology decided in their head. I trained in classical and then Hellenistic Greek and Hebrew and finally came to study the New Testmanent as an adult. Few people have gone this route and always I find that I come from the original languages into the English rather than the other way around. On a lighter note, I believe that Tyndale got his idea of 'rightly dividing the word of truth' from Luther's translation, teilen, to share out the word, to divide it in order to have others partake. What do you think? I grew up with the absurd dispensationalist teaching on this word orthotomeo, but could only have a twinkle in my eye, since as a woman I was never able to talk about Biblical teaching in public. Remember also that as Paul sat at the feet of Gamaliel, so Mary sat at Jesus' feet and learned of Him. Andreas,

You are right to mention the Roman roads but the word dates back to military campaigns recorded in Thucydides and Herodotus. In translations of these texts, orthotomeo is sometimes interpreted as actually building a road, and sometimes interpreted as cutting directly across country through the woods without a road. In any case, it is a direct route. I prefer to think of it as building a road, since the approved, the qualifed and recognized workman, is mentioned in Timothy.

I have written extensively on orthotomeo and so much appreciate Bruce Waltke’s additional comments, that Proverbs 3:6 refers to making the path smooth. Many other verses and the LXX reflect this quality, that the word will make a smooth path ‘and thou shalt not dash thy foot.’ How important this is and it is part of the Lev. 19 commands to not put a stumbling block in front of the blind.

Timothy is exorted to make a straight and level path so others will not stumble.

Conversely, we may also think of making a highway for our God, of clearing the way for the Lord and declaring His name. This is one of the truly overlooked great metaphors in the NT.

I would add to your recommendation that there is no substitute for thorough training in the scriptures, that there is no substitute for a classical and intense training in the Biblical languages, living the language of the classical and Hellenistic world. Even better if a few people can do this before they have their theology decided in their head. I trained in classical and then Hellenistic Greek and Hebrew and finally came to study the New Testmanent as an adult. Few people have gone this route and always I find that I come from the original languages into the English rather than the other way around.

On a lighter note, I believe that Tyndale got his idea of ‘rightly dividing the word of truth’ from Luther’s translation, teilen, to share out the word, to divide it in order to have others partake. What do you think?

I grew up with the absurd dispensationalist teaching on this word orthotomeo, but could only have a twinkle in my eye, since as a woman I was never able to talk about Biblical teaching in public.

Remember also that as Paul sat at the feet of Gamaliel, so Mary sat at Jesus’ feet and learned of Him.

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