Rightly Dividing the Word (Part 2)

2 Timothy 2:15

In the first part of this series, we began to rightly divide the word of truth by looking at the word righteousness instead of the word saved. When this is done, we begin to get a better understanding of the difference of how God viewed man as righteous in different time periods of the Bible. The key thing we saw was the difference between personal righteousness that people obtained when they did by faith what God said verses the righteousness of God that can be given by faith as a result of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

In this lesson we will take these truths regarding righteousness and apply them throughout different time periods in the Bible. When we do this the divisions that we must divide between according to 2 Timothy 2:15 will become easy to identify.

Division 1 (In the Garden of Eden)

In Genesis 1:26-27 we see that when Adam and Eve were created and then placed in the Garden of Eden they were in the image of God. The image of God defined by 2 Corinthians 4:4 is Jesus Christ; therefore, Adam and Eve were righteous when they were created.

The only thing Adam and Eve were told not to partake of in the garden was the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. When they ate from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, they became sinners and lost the righteousness that they had been given in creation.

Everyone born since Adam is in his image (Genesis 5:3) and therefore a sinner (Romans 5:12) needing to be made righteous in God’s eyes once again.

Division 2 (Before the Law)

This division began with Adam’s sin and will span through the Bible until Moses was given the Law in Exodus 19. In our previous lesson we used a couple of examples from this time period to show that a man was considered righteous when he did by faith what God said. The examples were Abel (Hebrews 11:4 ; 1 John 3:12) and Noah (Hebrews 11:7).

Here we will use the example of Abraham who also lived during this period of time. In Genesis 15:6 Abraham believed God regarding the promise of a child and it was counted unto him for righteousness. Because of this Abraham was used as an example of our faith in Romans 4. You must be careful as Abraham’s righteousness is not an example of our rightness as we see in Romans 3:21-18 but his faith was an example of our faith.

Note that Abraham is also said to be justified (declared righteous by God) when he offered up Isaac upon the altar (James 2:21-24). Many use this to teach you must work for your salvation but remember by definition we are discussing personal righteousness that Abraham would have had and not the righteousness of God that is now available to us. Note that James 2:23 says the scripture was fulfilled. So, when Abraham offered up Isaac upon the altar in Genesis 22 it was the fulfillment of being counted righteous many years prior in Genesis 15:6.

Therefore, Abraham just as Abel and Noah was righteous as a result of doing by faith what God said. Note that Abraham is said to keep God’s charge, commandments, and statutes in Genesis 26:5. The Law as we know it had not been given yet, but it is clear that even if they were not recorded there was commandments and statutes given to Abraham and he followed them.

Division 3 (Under the Law)

This division starts with God giving the Law to Moses in Exodus 19 and will run until the church age starts after the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. How is someone seen as righteous during this time? When they by faith do what is found written in the Law (Deuteronomy 6:25).

Here we get a clearer picture of personal righteousness, not the phrase “our righteousness” in the above verse. It is also possible to lose this personal righteousness as we see in Ezekiel 3:19-21and 33:13-20. When a man had not been following the law and did by faith the Law, he would be righteous. Zacchaeus is a good example of this Luke 19:1-10. Your personal righteousness would also not be remembered if you forsook the law as we see in Ezekiel. This is why when we are dealing with a period of time in the Bible where you do not have the righteousness of God by being in the body of Christ, we see people losing their righteousness based upon their works.

In the next lesson we will pick up with the division of the church age and show righteousness in that divisions and the ones that follow.