A good workman is one who does his work with great care and diligence. Shoddy workmanship will bring disrepute to himself and frustration to his customer. A good craftsman is one who takes pride in his work and is keen to use his best skills to produce good work. Paul tells Timothy that in the same way, as pastor and teacher in the church, Timothy should do his best to be a good craftsman in the handling of the Word of God. How can we tell if God has approved someone as a good workman of the Word? Paul offers some helpful indicators.
Firstly, accountability to God. God’s approved workman has a deep sense of accountability to God. He knows that he has been called by God to study and preach the Word and that ultimately he has to give an account of his ministry to God. Before he presents himself to his congregation at the pulpit, he first presents himself to God. He offers himself to God to search his heart, thoughts, motives, habits, and use of time so that his conscience would be clear, and he has no reason to be ashamed before God for giving less than he is capable of.
The preacher who is accountable to God knows that “their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work” (1 Corinthians 3:13). Whether he used costly material (gold, silver, and costly stones) or whether he cut corners by using cheap material (wood, hay, and straw) would be revealed at the judgment seat of Christ. Whether he will be vindicated or ashamed will depend on how he served in the fear of God, always presenting himself to God (2 Timothy 2:15).
In God’s presence, the workman of God’s Word must learn to always pray: “May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.” (Psalm 19:14). It is this sense of accountability to God that will result in a preacher who truly teaches the Word of God and brings health and wholeness to God’s people.
Secondly, correct handling of God’s Word. The divinely approved craftsman of the Word will exhibit faithfulness and care in his handling of Scripture (2 Timothy 2:15). The Greek word translated as “correctly handles” is orthotomēo. It literally means “to cut straight”; we may think of a farmer cutting a straight line with the plough, or workers cutting a straight road to the destination, or a carpenter cutting straight edges to produce a plank.
A careful and diligent workman will proclaim the Word with accuracy and clarity. What he preaches will be faithful to the text. He will have the wisdom and skill to know the difference between what is more important and what is less, what is central and what is peripheral, what is stated in Scripture in no uncertain terms and what is left somewhat as mystery, between the secret things belonging to God and the revealed things made known clearly to us (Deuteronomy 29:29).
Like a musician who interprets and plays a musical composition with great care, conveying the spirit of the music accurately, the careful craftsman of the Word will convey the message of Scripture faithfully and precisely. Where it shouts, he would shout; where it whispers, he would whisper; where it sings, he would do likewise; where it cries, he follows suit. In this way, he leads his listeners on the straight highway of Scripture, without misleading or getting them lost in byways and blind alleys. The false teachers, on the other hand, may use distracting sideshows which lead people astray, against whom Paul warned the churches, as we shall soon see.
Not only will the faithful and competent minister of God’s Word show accuracy in his handling of Scripture, his message will also reflect clarity. He will use plain language to bring the message of the Word straight to the hearts and minds of his listeners. The message of such a minister would not “fly above the heads” of the people and be lost in obscure ideas and language but go directly into their hearts. Accuracy and clarity are characteristics of the messages of a faithful student of God’s Word.
Thirdly, the craftsman of Scripture approved by God will do his best. The Greek word spoudazō means “making every effort with haste, eagerness and zeal”. The good workman of Scripture will not spare any effort in his study and application of God’s Word. Diligent study and appropriate application of Scripture may be strenuous, but the craftsman of Scripture remembers that he is accountable to God and gives it his best shot. He is energised by his desire to know the Word and to make it known. He is filled with holy zeal as he commits himself to the Holy Spirit to illuminate his mind and heart as he digs deeply into Scripture.
The call to be a workman who need not be ashamed in the way he handles the Word of God does not apply only to teachers and preachers; the necessity and principles apply to all Christians, because all are called to let the Word of God dwell richly within us (Colossians 3:16). Every Christian must reflect the same qualities of a good workman of God’s Word—being accountable to God, handling God’s Word correctly, and sparing no effort in plumbing God’s Word.
Bible study is for everyone and it is hard work. It is tragic that many Christians fail to show the zeal and eagerness to study God’s Word. Why aren’t more of them like the believers in Berea, who studied their Bibles to check what Paul preached, even though he was an apostle? “Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true” (Acts 17:11).
We note how eagerly the Bereans heard, welcomed, and internalised (received) Paul’s message. They also ensured that what Paul preached was true by examining the Scriptures. And they did this daily. In such a church, it would be clear who the divinely approved workmen of God’s Word are. Good pulpit preaching and teaching are connected with the sound study of God’s Word both in the preacher’s study and the individual members’ homes. Christians are challenged to study God’s Word with all seriousness.
Consider this:
Rate yourself as a workman of the Word—what are your strengths and weaknesses? List down steps you can take to improve yourself as a workman of the Word who can be unashamed in the way you read, study and apply the Word.
Excerpted and adapted from Faithful to the End: A Preacher’s Exposition of 2 Timothy by Robert M. Solomon. ©2014 by Robert M. Solomon. Used by permission of Discovery House Publishers. All rights reserved.
Related Resources:
A Message for All Time: Understanding and Applying the Bible.. Many people read the Bible, but at the same time many struggle with understanding and applying its ideas and messages to everyday life. Learn how to read Scripture and grasp its truths. Take a closer look at some of the most common difficulties and equip yourself to overcome the barriers that get in the way of understanding God’s Word. Find out more here.
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