Las Vegas, Nevada Church
Affiliated with the Intercontinental Church of God and the Garner Ted Armstrong Evangelistic Association

 
 
 Survey of the Letters of Paul:  2 Timothy 2:23  
  
                                                                                                                                                                                    
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2 Timothy 2:23
But foolish and unlearned questions avoid, knowing that they do gender strifes.
 
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Note:
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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 2:22–26paraphrased
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



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Las Vegas Church of God - part of The Intercontinental Church of God and The Garner Ted Armstrong Evangelistic Association - Tyler, Texas