Paul describes the honorable approach to the word of truth with the word orthotomounta  which
is a metaphor that means, “to cut straight.” It is translated “correctly handles.” It could have referred
to a carpenter cutting wood or butcher cutting meat. It is used by Theodoret around 440 AD to refer
to “a plowman who drives a straight furrow.” This word is used in the Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures in the Septuagint in Proverbs 3:6 and 11:5 in reference “to cutting a road straight.”

The alternative to “correctly handles the Word of Truth,” would have been to engage in the
“quarreling about words” as warned of in the verse before. (2:14) Paul says that this style of
teaching is worthless and ruins the listeners. Or, another bad option would be to teach with the “godless chatter” mentioned in the verse that follows (2:16). This causes people to become more
and more ungodly. Generally, Paul is warning Timothy not to be deceptive and not to twist the
Word of God to fit with a cultural or a personal preference.

Timothy’s teaching is being presented, not just to the people of Ephesus, but also before God.
Paul says that this is where Timothy’s ministry will be evaluated by the Lord himself as is seen
in 1 Corinthians 3:13-15   and in Matthew 25:23 . Paul tells Timothy to present himself as a
successful servant who does not need to be ashamed when he stands before his master. This unashaved approach to the Lord is only possible if the Word of God is cut straight by maintaining
the context and allowing the Word of God to speak, instead of cutting it up into suitable portions or forcing it fit in a way that it was never intended.

Paul refers to the Word of Truth in two other places in his writing: Ephesians 1:13 and Colossians 1:5

Jewish scholars recognize that Moses gave the five books of the Law to Israel and David gave the five books of Psalms to Israel:

1. Book 1: Psalm 1-41, mostly of David
2. Book 2: Psalm 42-72,
   some by musicians Korah and Asaph
3. Book 3: Psalms 73-89,
   almost exclusively by
   Korah and Asaph
4. Book 4: Psalm 90-106,
   mostly no bylines
5. Book 5: Psalm 107-150
   mostly for festivals and pilgrimages to Jerusalem