What is the meaning of right division in the Church?

Answer 1

"What is the meaning of right division in the Church?"

Read 2 Timothy 2 thru and see if you can find some examples of right division in it.

Notice the use of right division in verses 11-13. There is a difference between living with Him and reigning with Him. You also might read chapter 3 of 1 Corinthians. There are the just and the unjust, believers, but divided as to rewards. And some have no reward at all, and so are saved as by fire. Loss of reward.

In verses 17 & 18, a couple of men have said that the resurrection is past already at that time, but they had divided the Word wrongly.

And in verses 20,21 there is a division of vessels. They should not be mixed or one confused with the other. In other words, do not mix the bread in the garbage pail!

AnswerThe answer to this question really depends on what you're referring to as "right division." Based on the passage you cite in your own answer (hint hint ;) ), it includes the phrase "rightly dividing the word of truth," as translated in the King James Version and the New King James Version, among others. (The Revised Standard Version and the New International Version, among others, translate that phrase "correctly [handling] the word of truth.")

Indeed, there are to be "divisions" of a sort in the body of Christ, even though that sounds strange and unloving. There are people in churches who are there merely to "check off the box" and say they've attended. Some of these may very well be those who will cry "Lord, Lord," to whom He will respond, "Depart from me, I never knew you." (Matthew 7:23) Does that mean that Christians should shoo them off? Sometimes, yes. There are those who hold themselves back, and there are those who will drag down the entire congregation with them ... another division. 1 and 2 Corinthians mention a situation in that congregation where Paul says, in his first letter (or at least the first one we have in The Bible), to kick them out. By the time he got around to writing the second letter, though, the individual had mended his ways; there, Paul says to welcome him back with open arms.

God is love, but that doesn't imply a lack of discipline when necessary. In fact, He corrects those whom He loves.

• Job 36:10 He openeth also their ear to discipline, and commandeth that they return from iniquity. ;)