Thinking to Believe

One of my favorite verses in Scripture is II Timothy 2:15: “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (KJV) While reading Daniel Wallace’s presentation on the history of the English Bible I was astonished to discover that this verse–oft quoted in Bible colleges and seminaries throughout the nation–does not mean what it appears to. Wallace pointed out that the Greek work translated “study” in the KJV, spoudazo, means “be eager, do one’s best to….”<!–[if !supportFootnotes]–>[1]<!–[endif]–> While we may be tempted to think the KJV translators mistranslated this word, the reality is that their translation was accurate…in 1611. You see, in 1611 “study” meant “be eager, be diligent.” Only by extension and continued association with learning did the word come to denote what it does today. The connection between the historic and modern meaning is clear. One who is eager to learn (studious) spends a lot of effort doing so, hence studying.

While “study” was an appropriate translation in 1611, it is no longer appropriate today. Unfortunately the KJV still retains this archaic language, causing people to misunderstand some of what God intended to convey in this passage. All is not lost, however, because while “study” is an improper translation of spoudazo, the sense of the passage remains essentially the same, because an eagerness to rightly divide the word of truth will necessarily manifest itself in what we mean by “study” today.