Handle with Care ... What does that look like?

I am still in a cocoon about 2 Timothy 2.  If you seek to know Paul’s heart about his faith in God, he seems to distill the essence living the Christian life into his letter to Timothy; particularly so in 2 Timothy 2.  

My wife says I over-analyze, or in the least think about things that nobody else does.  I spent most of my time growing up alone, so there was time to think and nobody to disturb the process.  During my time in the Navy I was never the party animal a lot of my friends were, so again I found myself alone with plenty of time to think. Over the past few weeks my gizzard of a brain has continued grinding on 2 Timothy 2, but particularly on 2 Timothy 2:15.  Lots of people can recite the AWANA verse, but I wonder how many understand the complexity of what Paul is communicating to his son Timothy.  I say son, because in the salutation to this letter to Timothy, Paul calls Timothy his son.  So here it is in the NASB:

2 Timothy 2:15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.

        The part that is stuck in my craw is the last part, “accurately handling the word of truth.”  As someone who studies etymology (word origins), I am always curious about the real meaning of words.  In the Greek “accurately handling” is one word.  I won’t bore you with the Greek word, but I think the original meaning more accurately conveys Paul’s intent.  I will paste the definition from Strong’s for you below:

1. to cut straight, to cut straight ways
1. to proceed on straight paths, hold a straight course, equiv. to doing right
2. to make straight and smooth, to handle aright, to teach the truth directly and correctly

So what is my conundrum with this passage you ask?  I think we often handle the Scripture the same way we handle advertising jingles, flippantly and not ‘aright’.   If you have read my blog before you will remember me talking about ‘pious platitudes’.  ‘Pious platitudes’ refers to those verses from Scripture that we pull out of context and cast at other believers as if they are a magical healing balm.  Certainly that implies that we aren’t handling the Scriptures aright, but the core of the problem is a bit more subtle.  Shall I give you an example of what I mean?

I was discussing with a few friends the idea of forgiveness.  Particularly I was addressing seeking forgiveness.  Let’s say I offend you, and later realize I have offended you.  I come back to you repentant and contrite.  With a contrite heart and repentant spirit, I ask you to forgive me.  You look at me and say , “It’s okay, forget about it!”  Have you forgiven you me?  Are you embarrassed that I have come to ask forgiveness?  Are you just brushing me off because you don’t think it is that big of a deal?  Maybe you just aren’t ready to forgive me yet.  In any case, am I forgiven?  We know Paul exhorts us in Romans 12:18:  “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.”  So I have done my part in mending the relationship.  Where is this going in relation to 2 Timothy 2:15

When discussing this idea of forgiveness with a Christian friend they quoted Romans 12:18 to me, and ended with, “You’ll just have to deal with it and get over it!”  Not a Biblical concept, but I am sure this person felt that sentiment was implied in Romans 12:18- “do what you can and then get over it and let it go!”   In my mind it isn’t that simple!  If I drop my car keys in a river of molten lava, I can let them go because they are gone.  However, in the instance of asking for forgiveness and being told “it’s okay”, I feel less than complete in my endeavor.  If I hang my coat in the closet and walk away to another room, my coat is still in closet.  It didn’t disappear because I walked away.  Needless to say unresolved conflict drives me up the wall.  But, back to our discussion of 2 Timothy 2:15.

We quote Scripture to other believers and walk away thinking we have helped them, when often we have (or should have) left them in a conundrum and unencouraged.  Say you have a Christian friend who is seeking direction from God on an important life decison and you quote Proverbs 3:5-6: “Trust in the LORD with all of your, lean not unto your own understanding.  Acknowledge Him in all of your ways and He will make your path straight.”  You walk away thinking you have helped them.  However, for someone like me that only complicates things for me.

Imagine I tell you I am bored and need entertainment.  You look at me and say, “why don’t you go to Radio Shack, buy some electronic components and build your own video game console?”  Really?  How does that help?  When we throw out ‘pious platitudes’ from Scripture we often are not helpful or encouraging.  Why?  Because we quote Scripture like it is an easy thing to apply and on which to follow through.  For Proverbs 3:5-6 we have to actively and constantly “trust in LORD” and not “lean into our own understanding.”  

When tragedy strikes, our human tendency is to try to understand why it happened.  To tell me to not try to understand is to tell me to not to breath.  Are you with me so far?  We quote Scripture as if the truth it contains is very simple and easy to grasp and do, and it is not.  If you quote Proverbs 3:5-6 to a Christian friend who has had a love one die, do you think they will look at you and say, “Wow!  Why didn’t I think of that.   I am all better now!”  I don’t think so.  So what are we to do?

I have resolved when someone throws a pious platitude at me (e.g. Matthew 6:33-”But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all of these things shall be added unto you.”)  to look them in the eye and ask, “what does that look like!”  If you are going to quote a passage to encourage me, tell me how you have applied that in your life.   This thought process has certainly made me stop and think before I quote a passage to someone to encourage them.  I have decided if I don’t fully understand the passage and how to live it out, I am not going to quote it to someone in an attempt to encourage them.  To do otherwise is disingenuous and not “accurately handling the word of truth.”  Am I making any sense? Scripture is God-breathed, and inspired.  It isn’t an advertising jingle to be tossed at someone to make us feel better.  Just sayin’.