From: George Goolde (goolde@mtnempire.net)
Date: Sat Dec 11 1999 - 22:07:52 EST
<x-flowed>It occurred to me that my previous answer was to brief and not
explicit. Jim West must be rubbing off on me <G>!
My understanding of 2 Tim 2:15, when compared with 2 Tim 2:2 which, I
believe, casts this responsibility down from Timothy alone to all who would
follow as disciples, is that every believer is responsible to interpret the
Word of God for him/herself. This cutting a straight line through the Word
of truth requires diligence, as this verse plainly asserts, and results in
the approval of God. "Dokimos" here indicates that the believer is put to
the test with the result that he is found to be suitable for the intended
purpose.
I did not say Greek was necessary, but that it was helpful in achieving the
above requirement by assisting the believer to cut a straight line through
the word of truth. If a believer knows a little Greek - make that
correctly knows a little Greek - it will help him a little. If he
correctly knows a lot of Greek it will help him a lot.
To *rely* on commentaries is to pass the buck in the matter of interpreting
the Word of God for yourself. I would understand that to be disobeying 2
Tim 2:15.
OTOH, commentaries are very helpful in checking your own interpretation to
see if you can answer the challenges they put forward.
George
George A. Goolde
Professor, Bible and Theology
Southern California Bible College & Seminary
El Cajon, California
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