As God’s workmen, we need to cut straight the word of the truth, that is, unfold the word of God in its various parts rightly and straightly without any distortion; there’s a great need for the word of the truth to be rightly unfolder to enlighten the darkened people today. Amen!
As we live in this age of the decline of the church, as the downward trend in the degradation of the church is deepening, we need to receive the Lord’s mercy to be faithful to Him.
On one hand, we need to be inoculated by the healthy teaching in God’s word against the decline of the church.
On the other hand, we need to become inoculators in the church life today, those who speak the healthy word of God, the teaching of God’s economy, to inoculate others against any decline and degradation.
May we be those who are empowered in the grace which is in Christ Jesus to be faithful men, the inoculators of today.
In particular, we need to be teachers, soldiers, contenders, farmers, and workmen who cut straight the word of the truth.
As teachers, we are learning to shepherd the saints and teach them with the healthy teaching of God’s eternal economy.
We need to first have a good deposit of the Lord’s healthy words and minister this word to others, even train them to have a good deposit from the Lord and be competent to teach others also that they may be good stewards of the varied grace of God.
We do not only teach; we must first shepherd others by dispensing the divine life into them, in the humanity of Jesus, to cherish them, and by teaching them in the divine truths in His divinity to nourish them. Amen!
As soldiers, we serve the Lord by fighting the warfare for Christ; on the one hand, we serve the Lord and enjoy Him, and on the other hand, we fight the good fight of the faith.
May we clear away all earthly entanglements and lay hold on the eternal life, trusting in the Lord and not on our natural human life.
As soldiers, we must in particular be vigilant to fight the battle against death, the last enemy of God, by being filled with life so that we may reign in life. Amen!
As contenders, that is, as athletes, we must run the Christian race until we finish our course, fully accomplishing our ministry so that we may receive the prize – Christ as our incorruptible crown. Amen!
May we look to the Lord to be graced by Him in Christ and run the race with endurance so that we may gain Christ as our prize.
As farmers, we believers in Christ are both God’s cultivated land, His farm, and we work together with Him to sow the seed, water the plants, and care for the saints according to God so that they may grow in God’s farm.
For this, we come to God’s word and pay the price to be constituted with the Word so that we may minister the healthy and nourishing word of God to others for their nourishment so that they grow in life.
As God’s Workmen, we Cut Straight the Word of the Truth to Enlighten the Darkened People
![The opening of Your words gives light, / Imparting understanding to the simple. Psa. 119:130 To open their eyes, to turn [them] from darkness to light and [from] the authority of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me. Acts 26:18](https://i0.wp.com/www.agodman.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/The-opening-of-Your-words-gives-light-Imparting-understanding-to-the-simple-683x1024.jpg?resize=400%2C600&ssl=1 "The opening of Your words gives light, / Imparting understanding to the simple. Psa. 119:130 To open their eyes, to turn [them] from darkness to light and [from] the authority of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me. Acts 26:18")
2 Tim. 2:15 says that we are unashamed workmen, those who cut straight the word of the truth.
As inoculators in the age of the decline of the church, we need to be God’s workmen, those who cut straight the word of the truth.
Just as a carpenter has the skill to cut wood in a straight way, so we as the Lord’s workmen need to have the skill and knowledge to cut straight the word of the truth.
Why is there such a need? It is because today the church is in decline, and so many truths are lost, misunderstood and twisted.
Even more, many of the deeper truths in the Bible are presented in a warped, biased form.
If you listen to the teachings in Christianity today you will see that so many of the deeper truths are presented in a distorted and twisted way.
What we see today in Christianity in a general way is the contention of words (2 Tim. 2:14), profane and vain babblings (v. 16), and also the word that eats away like gangrene (v. 17).
Furthermore, we see foolish questionings and those arising from an untrained mind (v. 23).
All these are used often by the devil (v. 26) to further cause the church to decline, and the result is contentions (v. 23), the hearers are ruined (v. 14), ungodliness is promoted (v. 16), and people’s faith is overthrown (v. 18). Oh Lord Jesus.
Because the truth is not taught properly, because the deeper truths are not properly set forth and understood, what we see today is much confusion and decline.
There is a great need for the word of the truth to be rightly unfolded so that it may enlighten the darkened people and inoculate the believers against the poison of the enemy.
We as God’s workmen need to cut straight the word of the truth so that we can inoculate others against the poison, swallow up the death, and bring the distracted believers back to the proper track. Oh Lord!
Even in the church life today, as we enjoy the ord with the saints, there’s the danger of us skating on the surface of the truth and not being constituted with the deeper truths.
It is easy to attend the meetings, enjoy the Lord in a general way, and not be clear concerning the healthy teaching of God’s eternal economy.
Yes, in Christianity virtually all the deeper truths have been distorted and misunderstood.
But what about among us today in the church life with all the saints: are we clear concerning God’s economy and is this economy of God our main focus in our teaching?
Or do we just generally enjoy the Lord, read the Bible, and attend the meetings, having a general church life?
There’s a great need among us in the church life to be God’s workmen, those who cut straight the word of the truth (Psa. 119:130).
There’s the need for the word of the truth to be rightly unfolded in order to enlighten any darkened saints, inoculate the saints against the poison of the enemy, swallow up any death, and bring the distracted believers back to the proper track.
We need to not only read the Bible and the footnotes in the Recovery Version but also dig deeper, even spend time in the word of God to be filled with the contents of God’s eternal economy so that we may be God’s workmen today.
Then, we can cut straight the word of the truth by properly presenting the truth according to God’s eternal economy, and the Lord will have a way to heal, recover, enlighten, inoculate, and bring others back to the proper track.
May we pray much for this. May we give ourselves to the Lord to be His inoculators today, those who work together with God to cut straight the word of the truth in the church life today.
Lord Jesus, we give ourselves to You to cut straight the word of the truth as God’s workmen today. Amen, Lord, we come to You in Your word not only to enjoy You and be nourished by You but even more to be constituted with the truth, the healthy teaching of God’s economy. Amen, Lord, we want to be God’s workmen who unfold the word of God in its various parts rightly and straightly without distortion. May the word of the truth be rightly unfolded among us in the church life so that it may enlighten the darkened people! Amen, Lord, may we be those who cut straight the word of the truth to inoculate against poison and swallow up the death. May we all dig deeper into the word of God and pay the price to be constituted with the truth so that we may cut straight the word of the truth and bring the distracted saints back to the proper track. Save us, Lord, from merely skating on the surface of the truth. May we be those who know the deeper truths and be able to cut straight the word of the truth in the church life today!
Cut Straight the Word of the Truth by Properly Unfolding the Truth concerning God’s Economy
![To whom God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Col. 1:27 By which, in reading [it,] you can perceive my understanding in the mystery of Christ. Eph. 3:4 This mystery is great, but I speak with regard to Christ and the church. Eph. 5:32](https://i0.wp.com/www.agodman.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/To-whom-God-willed-to-make-known-what-are-the-riches-of-the-glory-of-this-mystery-among-the-Gentiles-1-683x1024.jpg?resize=400%2C600&ssl=1 "To whom God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Col. 1:27 By which, in reading [it,] you can perceive my understanding in the mystery of Christ. Eph. 3:4 This mystery is great, but I speak with regard to Christ and the church. Eph. 5:32")
What does it mean to cut straight the word of the truth in 2 Tim. 2:15?
Does it mean to merely be able to speak the truth in a clear way and present the teachings in a concise and precise manner? It is much more than this.
We need to know first what truth here refers to.
The truth doesn’t refer to truth in general, that is, to all the teachings in the Bible, but to the healthy teaching of God’s New Testament economy.
The truth does not refer merely to biblical doctrine; it refers to the contents and reality of God’s New Testament economy.
In other words, the truth refers to Christ and the church as the main elements of God’s New Testament economy.
God’s economy focuses on Christ as the mystery of God and the church as the mystery of Christ.
We need to learn to cut straight the word of the truth with respect to Christ and the church.
Some Brethren teachers interpret Paul’s word concerning cutting straight the word of the truth to mean dividing the Bible into various dispensations.
According to them, making sure that we properly present the truth according to the dispensations of innocence, conscience, human government, promise, law, grace, and kingdom, is to cut straight the word of the truth.
However, when Paul spoke concerning cutting straight the word of the truth he did not refer to the dispensations; rather, the truth here has a specific significance.
The specific significance of the word of the truth here refers to the contents of God’s New Testament economy.
Truth in 1 and 2 Timothy and Titus refers to the New Testament economy of God, Christ and the church.
1 Tim. 3:15 says that the church is the pillar and base of the truth; this truth is the mystery of godliness, God manifested in the flesh.
As the church, we bear and uphold the truth, the reality, concerning God’s eternal economy.
The church is the pillar supporting the truth of the eternal economy of God, and the church is also the base holding the truth.
1 Tim. 2:4 further says that God desires all men to be saved and come to the full knowledge of the truth; this truth is the healthy words of God’s New Testament economy.
![But if I delay, [I write] that you may know how one ought to conduct himself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and base of the truth. 1 Tim. 3:15 Who desires all men to be saved and to come to the full knowledge of the truth. 1 Tim. 2:4](https://i0.wp.com/www.agodman.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/But-if-I-delay-I-write-that-you-may-know-how-one-ought-to-conduct-himself-in-the-house-of-God-683x1024.jpg?resize=400%2C600&ssl=1 "But if I delay, [I write] that you may know how one ought to conduct himself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and base of the truth. 1 Tim. 3:15 Who desires all men to be saved and to come to the full knowledge of the truth. 1 Tim. 2:4")
May we be God’s workmen today who are constituted with the healthy teaching of God’s New Testament economy and cut straight the word of the truth by properly unfolding the economy of God before the saints.
May we learn to unfold without bias or distortion the reality of God’s economy revealed in the New Testament.
This is the trunk, the main line in the Bible, and when we know God’s economy, we understand all the other minor points in the Bible.
May we pray for the Lord’s mercy in this matter so that we would be faithful to Him and to the ministry so that we can cut straight the word of the truth.
May every day ask for the Lord’s mercy and enjoy His fresh new mercies and compassions.
May we be empowered daily by the grace of God so that we may be the teachers, the soldiers, the contenders, the farmers, and the workmen who cut straight the word of the truth.
By speaking the healthy teaching in God’s New Testament economy, we save both ourselves and those who hear.
As we remain in the word of God, paying attention to the healthy teaching of God’s economy, we will be able to cut straight the word of the truth by unfolding the word of God in its various parts rightly and straightly without distortion.
Lord Jesus, we want to not only be saved but also come to the full knowledge of the truth. We consecrate ourselves to You to be God’s workmen, those who learn to unfold the word of the truth concerning God’s economy. Amen, Lord, grant us a clear vision of God’s New Testament economy. We want to pay the price to be constituted with the truth and have a clear vision of what God’s economy is. Yes, Lord, make us those who are one with You to cut straight the word of the truth by unfolding the reality of the contents of the New Testament economy of God! Hallelujah, the church is the pillar and base of the truth! Amen, Lord, we give ourselves to You to be one with You to help others not only be saved but also come to the full knowledge of the truth! Bring us and bring so many saints into the full knowledge of the truth in God’s word so that we may remain on the central line of God’s economy concerning Christ and the church!
References and Hymns on this Topic
- Inspiration for this article/sharing comes from the Word of God, the enjoyment in the ministry, a sharing by the brothers in the message for this week, and portions from, Life-study of 2 Timothy, pp. 26-28, by Witness Lee, as quoted in the Holy Word for Morning Revival on, Being a Vessel unto Honor, a Fully Equipped Man of God, by being Empowered in the Grace which is in Christ Jesus to Fully Accomplish our Ministry in the Unique Ministry of God’s Economy (2024 April ITERO), week 3, Being Empowered in the Grace Which Is in Christ Jesus to Be Teachers, Soldiers, Contenders, Farmers, and Workmen.
- Similar articles on this topic:
– The Economy of God, via, New Jerusalem blog.
– Truth, Christ the reality, beyond doctrine, and The Need in a Time of Degradation, a portion from, Life Messages, Vol. 1 (#1-41), Chapter 22, by Witness Lee.
– The History of the Bible, Part 3—Interpretation, via, Bibles for America blog.
– “Who Concerning the Truth Have Misaimed”, via, A Faithful Word.
– Brother Witness Lee’s Intrinsic Burden for Conducting the Semiannual Trainings, via, Having this ministry newsletter.
– God’s Economy, Different Teaching, and the Central Line of the Bible, via, Shepherding Words.
– Workman in carpentry, a portion from, Conclusion of the New Testament, The (Msgs. 099-113), Chapter 13, by Witness Lee.
– The precious truths in the Lord’s recovery, via, Living to Him.
– Reviewing the Crucial Need to Abstain from Death and Partake of the Tree of Life, a portion via, A Faithful Word.
– Does truth really matter? More via, Holding to Truth in love.
– “Who concerning the Truth Have Misaimed” — 2 Timothy 2:18, article via, Affirmation and Critique. - Hymns on this topic:
– All the other teachings used improperly / Are the “winds of doctrine,” spoiling unity: / Blowing saints away from Christ who is the Head, / Building not the Body, tearing down instead. / Thus we must relinquish doctrines of all kinds, / Only keep the faith that oneness we may find. / In the Lord the Spirit we are one indeed; / Just to keep this oneness is our only need. (Hymns #832 stanzas 2-3)
– Oh, healthful teaching, wholesome words: / The truth of godliness! / Oh, good deposit, common faith, / And life of holiness! / Lord, make us now those faithful men / Who pass on what we’ve heard; / Make us examples of the saints / In spirit, faith, and word. (Hymns #1285 stanzas 5-6)
– Lord Jesus, You’re reality. / Your word brings light and life to me. / Renew my mind and heal my sight. / Be all my musing day and night! / Lord, in Your church we come again, / Beneath an open, crystal heav’n. / Enlightened, constituted to / Be built a pillar of the truth. (Song on, The Love of the Truth, stanzas 4-5)
About aGodMan
![For if we have grown together with [Him] in the likeness of His death, indeed we will also be [in][ the] [likeness] of His resurrection. Rom. 6:5](https://i0.wp.com/agodman.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/For-if-we-have-grown-together-with-Him-in-the-likeness-of-His-death-indeed-we-will-also.jpg?fit=178%2C100&ssl=1)
Life-study of 2 Timothy, 2nd ed., pp. 26-28, by Witness Lee
We need to be those who cut straight the word of the truth, just as carpenters cut straight the wood to work with it.
The truth is the mystery of godliness, God manifested in the flesh.
May we know the truth and unfold it without bias.
An innoculator needs to be a workman who can cut straight, rightly unfold, without distortion, the word of the truth.
This is necessary because in the decline of the church many truths may be distorted or twisted.
Amen, yes, Lord, make us those who cut straight the word of the truth without distortion. Revealing God’s New Testament economy into others to enlighten them.
Amen, Lord make us faithful workmen, to proclaim your truth. As you desire all men to be saved and come to the full knowledge of the truth.
Ameeen!!!
The inoculator is to be a workman who unfolds the word of God in its various parts rightly and straightly without distortion. He is one who cuts straight the word of the truth.
The truth refers to the contents and the reality of God’s New Testament economy.
The main elements of this truth are Christ as the mystery of God and the embodiment of God and the church as the mystery of God and the Body of Christ.
This is necessary because in the decline of the church so many truths are twisted and presented in a wrapped, biased form.
Amen Lord give us a hunger for the word and the ministry
Praise the Lord! 🙌😀🙋🏼
08/10/24 Being Empowered in the Grace, which is in Christ Jesus, to Be Teachers, Soldiers, Contenders, Farmers, and Workmen (Week 3, Day 6)
5.) To Be Faithful Workmen
In 2 Timothy 2:15, Paul says, “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, an unashamed workman, cutting straight the word of the truth.” Here, Paul charged Timothy to be a workman of God who cuts straight the word of the truth. A good workman of God is likened to a carpenter who has the skill to properly cut straight a piece of wood.
A workman of God is also likened to a surgeon who has the skill to operate on a patient’s organ with great precision. A surgeon can not be careless; he must be precise. Hence, to cut straight the word of the truth means to unfold the word of God in its various parts rightly and straightly without distortion.
Cutting straight the word of the truth can not be accomplished by casually reading the Bible. Rather, we need to study the truth in depth. A good surgeon develops the skill to operate with great precision only by studying and practicing seriously. He needs to study the human body in depth and practice doing surgery many times.
In the same way, if we are going to cut straight the word of the truth, we need to diligently spend time and energy to get into the truth. This can not be accomplished in one or two days, but a longer period of time, not on an occasional basis, but in a regular and consistent way.
First Timothy 6:3 says, “If anyone teaches different things and does not consent to healthy words, those of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the teaching which is according to godliness,” To be a good workman of God, we should focus on the words of the truth, which are healthy words, the teaching of the apostles concerning God’s New Testament economy, rather than the different teachings concerning myths and unending genealogies, which produce questionings (1Tim1:3-4; 2Tim 2:15).
First Timothy 6:4 continues to say, “He is blinded with pride, understanding nothing, but is diseased with questionings and contentions of words, out of which come envy, strife, slanders, evil suspicions,” Satan wants to distract the saints from focusing on pursuing God’s economy by:
a.) begetting contentions (2Tim 2:23)
b.) ruining the hearers (2Tim 2:14)
c.) promoting ungodliness (2Tim 2:16)
d.) overthrowing people’s faith (2Tim 2:18)
Therefore, there is the need to cut straight, to properly unfold, the word of the truth in order to:
a.) enlighten the darkened people,
b.) inoculate against the poison,
c.) swallow up the death, and
d.) bring the distracted back to the proper track.
First Timothy 2:4 says, “(God) Who desires all men to be saved and to come to the full knowledge of the truth.” God desires that we must, not only be saved, but come to the full knowledge of the truth. In his epostkes to Timothy, Paul mentioned the full knowledge of the truth four times (1 Tim. 2:4; 4:3; 2 Tim. 2:25; 3:7).
We need to see the difference between doctrines and truth. Matters regarding the Lord’s table, such as whether to serve grape juice or wine, what kind of bread to serve, and whether to pass one large cup or many small cups, are all doctrines. However, within the Lord’s table is the truth. The truth of the Lord’s table includes the Head, the Body, and Christ’s death and resurrection.
The way to conduct ourselves in the church life is not mainly to take care of doctrines but to take care of the truth. We should not come to the Lord’s table merely to have another meeting or to keep certain forms; rather, we need to know and appreciate the truth of the Lord’s table.
The way to conduct ourselves in the house of God, especially for the leading ones, is to take care of the truth, not merely to care for doctrines. Only healthy teaching issues into godliness ~ God manifested in the flesh (1Tim 6:3). Therefore, in order for the church to manifest godliness, that is, to express God in the flesh, we all must endeavor to become inoculators to ward off the different teachings that would cause the degradation of the church. We must be faithful teachers, soldiers, contenders, farmers, and workmen to preserve the church from being usurped by Satan.
We should not only be teachers, soldiers, contenders, and farmers but also workmen, carpenters, cutting straight the word of the truth. HWMR – W3d6
SCRIPTURE READING: 2Tim. 2:15; Psa. 199:130
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An economy is a system by which the goods and services of a society are distributed to its members. The economy of God is therefore the system by which God distributes His goods and services to His people, the Church. The system initially, delivers the Spirit unto salvation, facilitated through God’s people (the Church), His Word, writings such as tracks and
books, hymns perhaps, even God’s direct speaking. But there is more than this initial infusion. The economy must sustain the people, the Church. It must feed them, clothe them, house them, educate them, occupy them and grow them.
Is the economy of God simply God? No. The economy is how God is delivered to people, both new ones unto salvation, and saved ones unto maturity. We all participate. By sharing the Gospel of course, but also by praying, through fellowship, through testimonies and sharings on Lord’s
Day and most importantly, by following the Lord obediently wherever He leads.
In view of this, we can see how dependent God’s economy is on Jesus and His Spirit. Our understanding of this process helps us in our willingness to cooperate with the Spirit in our moment by moment walk. Actually, our cooperation is a function of His economy. God’s economy only operates for Him and for Truth. It is not for delivering doctrines and practices though it may inform us about them. His economy is the system
or process by which Jesus and all that He is, is woven into our being.
Is His economy the Church? Strictly speaking, no. The Church is the called out ones, not a building or a study guide or a website for that matter. However, the organization of the Church, can, through its understanding and cooperation with the Spirit, facilitate and grow God’s economy. Praise the Lord for the Spirit, the economy of God and the Church. Amen.