RIGHTLY DIVIDING THE WORD OF TRUTH

When studying the Bible, it is important that you determine whether verses are descriptive or prescriptive ... 

Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. (2 Timothy 2:15)

Passages typically fit into one of two categories: a recounting of an event or a call for obedience. If a verse is 'describing' something that has or will take place ... but is interpreted as 'prescribing' something, errant thinking and/or behavior are the result.

For example, biblical references concerning the 'gift of tongues' have been widely misinterpreted by today's charismatic church because they did not 'rightly divide the word of truth'. 

The book of Acts gives us several instances of people speaking in tongues, such as ... All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. (Acts 2:4)

Many mistakenly assume this to be a 'prescriptive' verse, but it is a 'description' of what happened and should not be seen as an order to make it happen. The Bible certainly commands us to be 'filled with the Spirit' (Ephesians 5:18) ... but nowhere does it say that a 'secret prayer language' accompanies that filling, and neither does it mandate 'speaking in tongues' for everyone.

As a general rule, much of what occurs in the book of Acts is descriptive, while the Epistles (letters to the churches) are prescriptive ... i.e. 'history' versus 'instruction'.

So ... when a passage is simply describing something with no positive or negative connotations attached to it, don't consider it to be a commandment. Only when Scripture specifically 'prescribes' something are you to take it as a directive. 

Pray for discernment, pilgrim.