This section has four verses:
2 Timothy 2:14-17
14 Of these things put them in remembrance, charging
them before the Lord that they strive not about
words to no profit, but to the subverting [undermining]
of the hearers.
15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a
workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly
dividing the word of truth.
16 But shun profane and vain babblings: for they
will increase unto more ungodliness.
17 And their word will eat as doth a canker: of whom
is Hymenaeus [Hi may
nay us] and Philetus [Phi-le-tus]
We will begin with the Barclay Commentary.
THE DANGER OF WORDS
2 Timothy 2:14 ...paraphrased
Remind your people of these things; and charge them
before the Lord not to engage in battles of words –
a thing of no use at all, and a thing which can only
result in the undoing of those who listen to it.
ONCE again, Paul returns to the inadequacy of words.
We must remember that the Pastoral Epistles were
written against a background of those Gnostics who
produced their long words and their fantastic
theories, and who tried to make Christianity into an
obscure philosophy instead of an adventure of faith.
There is both fascination and danger in words. They
can become a substitute for actions. There are
people who are more concerned to talk than to act.
If the world’s problems could have been solved by
discussion, they would have been solved long ago.
But words cannot replace deeds. As Charles Kingsley
wrote in ‘A Farewell’:
Be good, sweet maid, and let who will be clever;
Do noble things, not dream them, all day long.
As Philip James Bailey wrote in Festus:
We live in deeds, not years; in thoughts, not
breaths;
In feelings, not in figures on a dial.
We should count time by heart-throbs. He most lives
Who thinks most – feels the noblest – acts the best.
The eighteenth-century man of letters Dr Johnson was
one of the great talkers of all time; the founder of
Methodism, John Wesley, was one of the great men of
action of all time. They knew each other, and
Johnson had only one complaint about Wesley: ‘John
Wesley’s conversation is good, but he is never at
leisure. He is always obliged to go at a certain
hour. This is very disagreeable to a man who loves
to fold his legs and have his talk out, as I do.’
But the fact remains that Wesley, the man of action,
wrote his name across England in a way in which
Johnson, the man of talk, never did.
It is not even true that talk and discussion fully
solve intellectual problems. One of the most
significant things Jesus ever said was: ‘Anyone who
resolves to do the will of God will know whether the
teaching is from God’ (John 7:17). Often,
understanding comes not by talking but by doing. In
the old Latin phrase, solvitur ambulando, the thing
will solve itself as you go on. It often happens
that the best way to understand the deep things of
Christianity is to embark on the unmistakable duties
of the Christian life.
Quoted verse:
John 7:17
If any man will do his will, he shall know of the
doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak
of myself.
There remains one further thing to be said. Too much
talk and too much discussion can have two dangerous
effects.
First, they may give the impression that
Christianity is nothing but a collection of
questions for discussion and problems for solution.
The discussion group is a characteristic phenomenon
of our age. As the writer G. K. Chesterton once
said: ‘We have asked all the questions which can be
asked. It is time we stopped looking for questions,
and started looking for answers.’ In any society,
the discussion group must be balanced by the action
group.
Second, discussion can be invigorating for those
whose approach to the Christian faith is
intellectual, for those who have a background of
knowledge and of culture, for those who have a real
knowledge of, or interest in, theology. But it
sometimes happens that people with uncomplicated
views find themselves in a group which is tossing
heresies about and putting forward unanswerable
questions; and their faith, far from being helped,
is disturbed. It may well be that that is what Paul
means when he says that wordy battles can undo those
who listen to them. The normal word used for
building a person up in the Christian faith, for
edification, is the same as is used for literally
building a house; the word which Paul uses here for
ruin (katastrophe)
is what might well be used for the demolition of a
house. And it may well happen that clever, subtle,
speculative, intellectually reckless discussion may
have the effect of demolishing, and not building up,
the faith of some of those who happen to become
involved in it. As in all things, there is a time to
discuss and a time to be silent.
~Barclay commentary
Now to the other commentaries. We will begin with
the general and go to the specific.
From the F. B. Meyer:
The workman, 2 Timothy 2:14-18 : The one anxiety
with us all should be to stand approved before God.
As the r.v. margin suggests, we must hold a straight
course in the word of truth. Our testimony should
resemble an undeviating furrow. Let us construct in
our life something which will be a permanent
addition to the well-being of the world, so that at
the last the Master may say that He is satisfied. ~F. B. Meyer
Now to the Matthew Henry main:
Having thus encouraged Timothy to suffer, he comes
in the next place to direct him in his work.
He must make it his business to edify those who were
under his charge, to put them in remembrance of
those things which they did already know; for this
is the work of ministers; not to tell people that
which they never knew before, but to put them in
mind of that which they do know, charging them that
they strive not about words. Observe, Those that are
disposed to strive commonly strive about matters of
very small moment. Strifes of words are very
destructive to the things of God. That they strive
not about words to no profit. If people did but
consider of what little use most of the
controversies in religion are, they would not be so
zealous in their strifes of words, to the subverting
of the hearers, to the drawing of them away from the
great things of God, and occasioning unchristian
heats and animosities, by which truth is often in
danger of being lost. Observe, People are very prone
to strive about words, and such strifes never answer
any other ends than to shake some and subvert
others; they are not only useless, but they are very
hurtful, and therefore ministers are to charge the
people that they do not strive about words, and they
are most likely to be regarded when they charge them
before the Lord, that is, in his name and from his
word; when they produce their warrant for what they
say. ~Matthew Henry Main
The last of the general commentaries is the Matthew
Henry Concise which speaks to verse 14-21:
Those disposed to strive, commonly
strive about matters of small moment. But strifes of
words destroy the things of God. The apostle
mentions some who erred. They did not deny the
resurrection, but they corrupted that true doctrine.
Yet nothing can be so foolish or erroneous, but it
will overturn the temporary faith of some
professors. This foundation has two writings on it.
One speaks our comfort. None can overthrow the faith
of any whom God hath chosen. The other speaks our
duty. Those who would have the comfort of the
privilege, must make conscience of the duty Christ
gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from
all iniquity, Titus 2:14 The church of Christ is
like a dwelling: some furniture is of great value;
some of smaller value, and put to meaner uses. Some
professors of religion are like vessels of wood and
earth. When the vessels of dishonour are cast out to
be destroyed, the others will be filled with all the
fulness of God. We must see to it that we are holy
vessels. Every one in the church whom God approves,
will be devoted to his Master's service, and thus
fitted for his use.
~Matthew Henry Concise
Quoted verse:
Titus 2:14
Who gave himself for us, that he
might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto
himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.
Now to the specific commentaries.
This verse is primarily in four parts:
1] Of these things put them in remembrance.
2] Charging them before the Lord.
3] That they strive not about words to no profit.
4] But to the subverting of the hearers.
1] Of these things put them in remembrance.
Of these things put them in
remembrance - These great principles in
regard to the kingdom of Christ. They would be as
useful to others as they were for Timothy, to whom
they were specially addressed.
~Barnes Notes
Of these things put them in
remembrance - Meaning either his hearers, or
those to whom he was to commit the things he had
heard of the apostle, and who must expect to suffer
afflictions, and endure hardships, for the sake of
Christ, and his Gospel; wherefore to remind them of
the above sayings might be of use and comfort to
them. This clause is wanting in the Arabic version.
~John Gill
Quotes on Remembrance that can be applied to this
first part of the verse:
"It is a full time job being honest one moment at a
time, remembering to love, to honor, to respect. It
is a practice, a discipline, worthy of every
moment."
"Remembering is painful, it's difficult, but it can
be inspiring and it can give wisdom."
"The process of learning requires not only hearing
and applying but also forgetting and then
remembering again."
2] Charging them before the Lord.
Charging them before the Lord
- In the presence of the Lord, implying that it was
a very important matter; see 1 Timothy 1:18.
~Barnes Notes
Quoted verse:
1 Timothy 1:18 [See
Lesson]
This charge I commit unto thee, son Timothy,
according to the prophecies which went before on
thee, that thou by them mightest war a good warfare;
Charging them before the Lord
- the omniscient God, as in his sight, as they will
answer it to him another day; see 1 Timothy 5:21.
~John Gill
Quoted verse:
1 Timothy 5:21 [See
Lesson]
I charge thee before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ,
and the elect angels, that thou observe these things
without preferring one before another, doing nothing
by partiality.
Quotes on Responsibility and Discipline that can be
applied to this second part of the verse:
"You must take personal responsibility. You cannot
change the circumstances, the seasons, or the wind,
but you can change yourself. That is something you
have charge of."
"You cannot escape the responsibility of tomorrow by
evading it today." ~Abraham Lincoln
"If you take responsibility for yourself you will
develop a hunger to accomplish your dreams."
"We all have dreams. But in order to make dreams
come into reality, it takes an awful lot of
determination, dedication, self-discipline, and
effort." ~Jesse Owens
"With self-discipline most anything is possible."
~Theodore Roosevelt
"I think self-discipline is something, it's like a
muscle. The more you exercise it, the stronger it
gets."
3] That they strive not about words to no profit.
That they strive not about
words to no profit; - see the lessons at 1
Timothy 1:6 and 1 Timothy 6:4.
~Barnes Notes
Quoted verses
1 Timothy 1:6 [See
Lesson]
From which some having swerved have turned aside
unto vain jangling;
1 Timothy 6:3-5
[See
Verse 3 Lesson] [See
Verse 4 Lesson] [See
Verse 5 Lesson]
3 If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to
wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus
Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to
godliness;
4 He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about
questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy,
strife, railings, evil surmisings,
5 Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and
destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is
godliness: from such withdraw thyself.
That they strive not about
words - Words, not things, have been a most
fruitful source of contention in the Christian
world; and among religious people, the principal
cause of animosity has arisen from the different
manner of apprehending the same term, while, in
essence, both meant the same thing. All preachers
and divines should be very careful, both in speaking
and writing, to explain the terms they use, and
never employ them in any sense but that in which
they have explained them.
~Adam Clarke
That they strive not about
words - it became them to strive and contend
for the form of sound words, for the wholesome words
or doctrines of our Lord Jesus, but not about mere
words, and especially such as were.
~John Gill
To no profit - to no
advantage to truth, nor to themselves nor others;
were not to edification, to spiritual edification,
to godly edifying, which is in faith.
~John Gill
Quotes on the futility of argument that can be applied to this third part
of the verse:
"I never make the mistake of arguing with people for
whose opinions I have no respect."
"Nothing is as frustrating as arguing with someone
who knows what he's talking about."
"Arguing is like being in a giant car heading
towards a brick wall and everyone's arguing over
where they're going to sit."
4] But to the subverting of the hearers.
But to the subverting of the
hearers - Turning them away from the
simplicity of faith. It is rare, indeed, that a
religious controversy does not produce this effect,
and this is commonly the case, where, as often
happens, the matter in dispute is of little
importance. ~Barnes Notes
But to the subverting of the
hearers - the confounding of their minds,
misleading their judgments, and overthrowing their
faith; and therefore were not only unprofitable, but
hurtful and pernicious, and by all means to be
avoided. ~John Gill
Quotes on that can be applied to this fourth part
of the verse:
"When people undermine your dreams, predict your
doom or criticize you, remember they are telling you
their story, not yours."
"I have no right, by anything I do or say, to demean
a human being in his own eyes. What matters is not
what I think of him; it is what he thinks of
himself. To undermine a man's self-respect is a sin.
Note: So is undermining his salvation process."
“My effort should never be to undermine another's
faith but to make him a better follower of his own
faith”
Recap: |