This final section of Chapter 2 has five verses:
2 Timothy 2:22-26
22 Flee also youthful lusts: but follow
righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that
call on the Lord out of a pure heart.
23 But foolish and unlearned questions avoid,
knowing that they do gender strifes.
24 And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but
be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient,
25 In meekness instructing those that oppose
themselves; if God peradventure will give them
repentance to the acknowledging of the truth;
26 And that they may recover themselves out of the
snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at
his will.
We will begin with the Barclay's commentary:
ADVICE TO A CHRISTIAN LEADER
2 Timothy 2:22–26
…paraphrased
Flee from youthful passions; run in pursuit of
righteousness in the company of those who call on
the Lord from a clean conscience. Have nothing to do
with foolish and stupid arguments, for you know that
they only breed quarrels. The servant of the Lord
must not fight, rather he must be kindly to all, apt
to teach, forbearing, disciplining his opponents by
gentleness. It may be that God will enable them to
repent, so that they will come to know the truth,
and so that they will escape from the snare of the
devil, when they are captured alive by God’s servant
that they may do God’s will.
HERE is a passage of most practical advice for
Christian leaders and teachers.
Timothy is told to flee from youthful lusts. Many
commentators have made suggestions as to what these
youthful lusts are. They are far more than the
passions of the flesh. They include that impatience,
which has never learned to make haste slowly and has
still to discover that too much haste can do far
more harm than good; that self-assertion, which is
intolerant in its opinions and arrogant in its
expression of them, and which has not yet learned to
see the good in points of view other than its own;
that love of debate, which tends to argue long and
act little, and which will talk the night away and
be left with nothing but a litter of unsolved
problems; and that love of novelty, which tends to
condemn a thing simply because it is old and to
desire a thing simply because it is new, underrating
the value of experience. One thing is to be noted –
the faults of youth are the faults of idealism. It
is simply the freshness and intensity of the vision
which makes youth run into these mistakes. Such
faults are matters not for austere condemnation but
for sympathetic correction, for everyone has a
virtue hidden beneath it.
Christian teachers and leaders are to aim at
righteousness, which means giving both to other
people and to God their due; at faith, which means
loyalty and reliability which both come from trust
in God; at love, which is the utter determination
never to seek anything but the highest good of our
neighbors, no matter what they do to us, and which
has put away forever all bitterness and all desire
for vengeance; and at peace, which is the right
relationship of loving fellowship with God and with
one another. And all these things are to be sought
in the company of those who call upon the Lord.
Christians must never seek to live apart and aloof
from others. They must find their strength and their
joy in the Christian fellowship. As John Wesley
said: ‘A man must have friends or make friends; for
no one ever [goes to the
Kingdom] alone.’
Christian leaders must not get involved in senseless
controversies which are the curse of the Church. In
the modern Church, Christian arguments are usually
particularly senseless, for they are seldom about
great matters of life and doctrine and faith, but
almost always about unimportant and trivial things.
Once leaders become involved in senseless and
un-Christian controversy, they have forfeited all
right to lead.
Christian leaders must be kindly to all; even when
they have to criticize and point out a fault, it
must be done with the gentleness which never seeks
to hurt. They must be apt teachers; they must not
only know the truth but also be able to communicate
it, and they will do that not so much by talking
about it as by living in such a way that they show
Christ to others. They must be forbearing; like
their Master, if they are criticized they must not
respond with similar criticism; they must be able to
accept insult and injury, slights and humiliations,
as Jesus accepted them. There may be greater sins
than touchiness, but there is none which does
greater damage in the Christian Church. They must
discipline their opponents in gentleness; their
hands must be like the hands of a surgeon, unerring
to find the diseased spot, yet never for a moment
causing unnecessary pain. They must love people, not
browbeat them into submission to the truth.
The last sentence of this passage [verse
26] is in very complex
Greek, but it seems to be a hope that God will
awaken repentance and the desire for the truth in
people’s hearts, so that those who are trapped by
the devil may be rescued while their souls are still
alive and brought into obedience to the will of God
by the work of his servants. It is God who awakes
the repentance; it is the Christian leaders who open
the door of the Church to all who have [repentant] hearts. ~Barclay's
commentary
Now to the other commentaries. We will begin with
the general and go to the specific.
We will begin with the Matthew Henry Main and what
it has to say about verse 23:
He cautions him against contention, and, to prevent
this (2 Timothy 2:23), cautions him against foolish
and unlearned questions, that tend to no benefit,
strifes of words. Those who advanced them, and doted
upon them, thought themselves wise and learned; but
Paul calls them foolish and unlearned. The mischief
of these is that they gender strifes, that they
breed debates and quarrels among Christians and
ministers. It is very remarkable how often, and with
what seriousness, the apostle cautions Timothy
against disputes in religion, which surely was not
without some such design as this, to show that
religion consists more in believing and practicing
what God requires than in subtle disputes.
~Matthew Henry Main
Now the Matthew Henry Concise which covers verses
22-26:
The more we follow that which is good, the faster
and the further we shall flee from that which is
evil. The keeping up the communion of saints, will
take us from fellowship with unfruitful works of
darkness. See how often the apostle cautions against
disputes in religion; which surely shows that
religion consists more in believing and practicing
what God requires, than in subtle disputes. Those
are unapt to teach, who are apt to strive, and are
fierce and froward. Teaching, not persecution, is
the Scripture method of dealing with those in error.
The same God who gives the discovery of the truth,
by his grace brings us to acknowledge it, otherwise
our hearts would continue to rebel against it. There
is no “peradventure,” in respect of God's pardoning
those who do repent; but we cannot tell that he will
give repentance to those who oppose his will.
Sinners are taken in a snare, and in the worst
snare, because it is the devil's; they are slaves to
him. And if any long for deliverance, let them
remember they never can escape, except by
repentance, which is the gift of God; and we must
ask it of him by earnest, persevering prayer.
~Matthew Henry Concise
Now a couple of items from the Biblical Illustrator:
Foolish and unlearned questions avoid.
The Greek word translated “unlearned,” is better
rendered ignorant. These “questions,” which the
false teachers, with whom Timothy was so much
thrown, loved to put forward for discussion, could
hardly be termed “unlearned”—much useless learning
being often thrown away in these disputings of the
schools—
but were rather “pointless,” “stupid,” as well as
foolish. (H. D. M. Spence, M. A.)
~Biblical Illustrator
Ignorant questionings
I. Unadvised and unlearned questions are to be
avoided.
1. For the ground of them is not good: such spring
either from curiosity or ignorance.
2. The fruit therefore will be bitter; for nothing
profitable.
II The causes of sin once discerned are to be
resisted, shunned. Thou knowest that fond
reasonings, unadvised disputings, beget quarrels,
stir up strifes: therefore reject them, flee from
them.
III. Foolish questions raise contentions. It is a
wonder to see what abundance of ill fruit one branch
of fond reasoning hath produced. Like a bone cast
amongst curs, an unlearned question will cause men
to snarl, bite, and quarrel. (J. Barlow, D. D.)
~Biblical Illustrator with
edit by me
Now to the specific commentaries. The verse is
easily seen as being in two parts, separated by the
comma.
1] But foolish and unleared questions avoid.
2] Knowing that they do gender strifes.
1] But foolish and unleared
questions avoid.
But foolish and unleared questions avoid. - The
English adjective does not quite represent the force
of the Greek, but it is not easy to find a better.
‘Undisciplined,’ perhaps, comes nearest. What is
meant are the questionings which suggest themselves
to untrained, uneducated minds, and which a true
intellectual culture would lead men to avoid. What
these were we cannot definitely say.
~Popular commentary
But foolish and unlearned
questions avoid - Greek, “undisciplined”; not
tending to promote the discipline of faith and
morals (Proverbs 5:23). “Uninstructive”; in contrast
with “instructing” (2 Timothy 2:25), and “wise unto
salvation” (2 Timothy 3:15).
~Jamieson, Fausset, Brown
Quoted verses:
Proverbs 5:23
He shall die without instruction; and in the
greatness of his folly he shall go astray.
2 Timothy 2:25 [see
Lesson]
In meekness instructing those that oppose
themselves; if God peradventure will give them
repentance to the acknowledging of the truth;
2 Timothy 3:15 [see
Lesson]
And that from a child thou hast known the holy
scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto
salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
But foolish and unlearned
questions avoid - see the notes at 2 Timothy
2:16; compare the notes at 1 Timothy 1:4, 1 Timothy
1:6; 1 Timothy 4:7. The word “unlearned,” here,
means “trifling; that which does not tend to
edification; stupid.” The Greeks and the Hebrews
were greatly given to controversies of various
kinds, and many of the questions discussed pertained
to points which could not be settled, or which, if
settled, were of no importance. Such has been the
character of no small part of the disputes which
have agitated the world. Paul correctly says that
the only effect of such disputes is to engender
harsh contention. Points of real importance
can be discussed with no injury to the temper; but
people cannot safely dispute about trifles.
~Barnes Notes
Quoted verses:
2 Timothy 2:16 [see
Lesson]
But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will
increase unto more ungodliness.
1 Timothy 1:4 [see
Lesson]
Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies,
which minister questions, rather than godly edifying
which is in faith: so do.
1 Timothy 1:6 [see
Lesson]
From which some having swerved have turned aside
unto vain jangling;
1 Timothy 1:7 [see
Lesson]
Desiring to be teachers of the law; understanding
neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm.
Foolish and unlearned questions - See the notes on 1
Timothy 1:4; 1 Timothy 4:7 (note),
and Titus 3:9 (note).
~Adam Clarke
Quoted verses:
1 Timothy 1:4
[handled above]
1 Timothy 4:7 [see
Lesson]
But refuse profane and old wives' fables, and
exercise thyself rather unto godliness.
Titus 3:9
But avoid foolish questions, and genealogies, and
contentions, and strivings about the law; for they
are unprofitable and vain.
But foolish and unlearned
questions avoid - Such as have no solid
wisdom in them, and are foreign from the Gospel, the
wisdom of God in a mystery, and are not useful and
unedifying; such ought to be avoided, publicly and
privately; they should not be started in the public
ministry, nor attended to in private conversation;
as being unworthy of the notice of a minister of the
Gospel wise and learned, and useless to the church,
and to his hearers. ~John
Gill
2] Knowing that they do gender
strifes.
Knowing that they do gender
strife - Better, ‘fightings,’ in the literal
sense of the word. ~Popular
commentary
Knowing that they do gender
strife - about words, and contentions, which
break the peace of churches, and hinder the profit
of souls, and the progress of the Gospel.
~John Gill |