New to Me, but Not to Some

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Recently I discovered the true meaning of an ancient text which in part reads "rightly dividing the word of truth".   Like I was taught, I always took that to mean that I should be careful to understand what the text itself says and what it means. But, in the majority of cases, meaning is already obvious and straight forward; simile, metaphor or the like. It just isn't that hard when it gets right down to it.  It's mostly common sense.So why would there be an exhortation to "Rightly divide" and why use the word "divide"?  Why not just "rightly understand" for example? As I had suspected all along, there was more to it than what I was told. The answer lies in the word "divide", which means "to cut straight", or "to dissect correctly".Dissecting to me sounds like examining all the parts.  So, I am to examine all the parts of "the word" and divide them up into their proper places or categories.This in turn will give me proper understanding, much like a jumble of puzzle pieces where the picture does not come clear until they are all in their proper places.Once I began doing this, the text made sense to me more than it ever had before. Questions I had for years were now answered. Phew!!