Hasten, not Study, to Show yourself Approved

spoudazō
spoo-dad'-zo
From G4710; to use speed, that is, to make effort, be prompt or earnest: - do (give) diligence, be diligent (forward), endeavour, labour, study.

2Ti 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

This means to study the word of God for it says to rightly divide the word of truth.

Act 17:11 These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.

When people hear someone claim they have the words of truth to search the scriptures to see if they are telling the truth.

Perhaps you didn’t notice that I did not quote 2 Timothy 2:15. I quoted 2 Timothy 3:15-17. So whether or not one wants to comfort himself with the thought that study may not be required, 2 Timothy 3:15-17 actually tells us the blessings that study and practice of the God-breathed Word will bring to our lives.

If you decided in life that you wanted to be an architect, would you never crack open a textbook on the subject? Would you just wing it, building bridges and buildings on the basis of your imagination and common sense? I hope not. It just seems to me that a Christian would want to open the beautiful letter written to us about God’s plan to save us (and the story behind that plan). God is our Architect. We all need to be ready to defend ourselves (and others) against the assaults this world (and Satan) will most assuredly hurl to try and tear us away from Christ.

Our feelings and emotions are not always reliable; therefore, our first reactions to “fiery darts” can be too slow and allow a hit. In my opinion, “Ahhhh, you have no worries; you don’t need to study the Bible; you can rely on your spirit wisdom” is a fiery dart! Satan has a spirit, too, aimed especially at Christians. The Word (the foundation of Christ) is rock solid. I would rather have what the Bible has to say on any subject in my head and heart than a thousand platitudes of man.

Your argument is empty.

You just hate the idea that God preserved his word in English. Why the hatred?

The Strong's glosses repeat back what the KJV uses to translate words in some cases. Using Strong's to defend the KJV turn of phrase is almost like a circular argument. In this case, the gloss is okay if you are using the 17th century English meaning of 'study', but not the modern academic sense. (Strong's is kind of old, too, so meanings on a few words may have shifted since the 1800's. Now it has a connotation related to reading and learning. The issue is what the term means in Greek.

I remember this word from classical Greek, used by the farm worker to say to hurry up and move across the field quickly.


These were not ministers of the gospel. And I do not find a form of spoudazō in that verse.

That's good, but that doesn't mean study in 'study to show yourself approved' in 17th century English means the same thing that it does in 21st century English.

At least Balaam's donkey spoke wisdom.

Jude says to contend for the faith once delivered to the saints. The apostles did not use or endorse the KJV, or embrace KJV-onlyism.

in fact, instead of using the KJV, the New Testament authors wrote in Greek.

They wouldn't have made good ignorant country backwoods KJV-onlyist. (As someone originally from the country backwoods, I can talk about this.)

The ignorant country back-woods KJV only believers has been responsible for the largest world wide revival in history. The new versions have given us the luke-warm Laodicean Age, mega churches, ecumenicalism, the social gospel, and the prosperity gospel, among other things.

The NT believers actually believed they had the word of God. Do you? Every word?

He believed God's word, and didn't try to alter it. HeeHaw

The first century believers did not believe every word of the KJV. They didn't use that translation. For example, they referred to Passover, not 'Easter' like the KJV says in Acts.

What is the really big KJV onlyist revival you are talking about btw?

Did you realize when independent Baptists go overseas as missionaries, a lot of them use a local translation?

And wasn't self-righteous about it.

We can only know what to be diligent and zealous about if we do not study and understand Scripture.
So I would say that to study must come first.

Gonna pass on this "history" lesson
After reading this thread so far it seems it wasn't really about 2nd Tim the word "study". See this is where it stops for me. What language was the 1611 KJV (since that's what I think its really about) translated from? Who translated it? Why did they use the word "study"? If you knew this you would have said it. Other translations that use "study" didn't copy it from 1611. A handful at best use the word "Hasten" many use study, be diligent on and on. All are right. Spoudazo is this the word your talking about? Are we just picking one translation? what bible someone uses as in 1611 praise GOD. WHO wrote it? Yeah maybe pray ask Him what He meant not what some man meant. He will tell you ever time. Getting stuck here well .. God will not go against our will

See this is all silly. Hurry and Hasten are not the 1st translated words yet others included "hurry/hasten" with? Yes "study". So since this went south. Words matter every single one of them. I can know I am saved but does not mean I know Him.

Do you have the word of God?

Actually in the 17th century "Easter" represented the entire Passover/Unleavened Bread period (Pascha), not just Easter Sunday. The narrative in Acts shows that the entire period is in view. So the KJV translators were not really inaccurate. In any event this is a totally trivial issue compared to the very serious issues of Bible corruption in modern translations. And that should bother you more than such trivia.

I have received the word of God.

And the KJV is one translation of the Holy Scriptures.

Did they sacrifice lambs and goats? The calendar was different, too.

I think there's a simpler explanaton to this.
Yes, it does mean to do with diligence, be zealous, etc. But , in order to do it that way, studying has to be include to do it right.
Diligence includes study, but studying doesn't mean diligently. I could study whenever & however I wanted, but I can't be diligent UNLESS I study diligently. You see?

I believe the KJV didn't do the job well here. Let's face it, some people won't study because they did terrible in school, I saw this as a young christian & still see it today.

Commanding diligence to the church would make some study EVEN IF they didn't like doing it!
We are commanded to be zealous of good works, but how many teach/preach that correctly?
Being mature demands study of the Word, to quote it, to teach it, & put others in remembrance of it.

Let's teach the Greek words correctly, accept them correctly, & go on to maturity by including study of the Word in our diligence for our own personal spiritual advantage.

Both English and french have latin roots; and the latin (studium) implies both diligence/zeal, and study.



I think the idea that "study" just meaning farting around with a textbook is a contemporary modern concept error.

That makes you the final authority on what God has said. No thank you.

There is only one of two choices. It cannot be both.

1. One version is the preserved holy word of God, and only one.
2. We do not have available the preserved holy word of God.