“Your problem is that you don’t know the Scriptures, and you don’t know the power of God.” (Matthew 22:29)

In Matthew 23, Jesus unleashes on the religious leaders in a manner that makes Jonathan Edwards’ famous sermon, “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God,” sound like a sweet bedtime story.  Jesus publicly exposed the Pharisees for the hypocrites they were.  But, I want to draw your attention to a statement Jesus made to them moments before in chapter 22.  He looked at the Pharisees and said, “Your problem is that you don’t know the Scriptures, and you don’t know the power of God.”  In other words, in front of a sizable crowd, Jesus told the “resident Bible professors” they didn’t know the Bible – at all.  Ouch.

“The Word of God is sharper than any two-edged sword,” the author of Hebrews wrote.  The NLT uses the phrase, “sharper than the sharpest knife.”  (4:12)  Have you ever mishandled a sharp blade?  Usually a trip to the ER and stitches follow. The Pharisees had continually mishandled the Sword of the Spirit and, in chapter 23, they would be sliced into pieces by the “Word made flesh.”

Paul exhorted Timothy to “study and be eager and do your utmost to present yourself to God approved….correctly analyzing and accurately dividing [rightly handling and skillfully teaching] the Word of Truth.” (2 Tim. 2:15, Amplified)

Eagerly study.  Correctly analyze.  Accurately divide.  Rightly handle.  Skillfully teach.  Avoid stitches.

Soli Deo Gloria, Nick