Typically these arguments he refers to involve quarreling over
that which the Bible is not clear about. There are things which
the Bible says which are stated explicitly and unambiguously.
And I would argue that things that are most important are those
which the Bible states explicitly, repeatedly, and
unambiguously. But when what the Bible states in this manner
doesn't agree with one's opinion or chosen lifestyle, there is
the tendency to read into the Bible one's ideas by assigning
meaning to particular words in the Bible of which the authors of
the Bible did not intend. This is also much along the lines of
Notice that just prior to this Paul spoke of some fundamental
principles, principles which should not be denied by arguing
over the meaning of words. And yet ironically you'll find
Christians quarrelingover the precise meaning of
.
It's common to find people claiming their views are scriptural,
but mishandle the Word of truth by reading into the Bible ideas
which the Bible didn't intend. In contrast, inductive study
involves letting the Bible speak for itself. A few healthy
principles of interpretation I recommend:
4. To say anything conclusively
about a subject in the Bible one must first study it
comprehensively.
Ironically this very verse has been mishandled. For as the KJV
and NKJV translate it "rightly dividing" the word of truth,
some have misunderstood this as speaking of simply dividing
the Bible into dispensations. For example C.I. Scofield noted,
"The Word of Truth, then,
has right divisions, and it must be evident that, as one
cannot be "a workman that needeth not to be ashamed" without
observing them, so any study of that Word which ignores
those divisions must be in large measure profitless and
confusing." By taking the metaphor literally,
Scofield did not handle this verse correctly - shame on him!
For the expression to "rightly divide" simply means to handle
correctly.
While the world "rightly divide" is only used here in
the New Testament, the word is used twice in the LXX.
Pr 3:6 In all thy ways acquaint
thyself with her, that she may rightly direct
thy paths. Pr 11:5
Righteousness traces
out blameless paths: but ungodliness encounters
unjust dealing.
Avoid Godless Chatter
2Tim 2:16 Avoid godless chatter,
because those who indulge in it will become more and more
ungodly.
Godless chatter is, among other things, that which
doesn't take God into account. The example that follows in
verses17,18 is that of those who gave a religious opinion
while ignoring what God said on the matter. Ungodliness is
lifestyle which ignores God. No matter how allegedly
"virtuous" the atheist, he is inherently ungodly for not
deferring to God in the realms of ideas and behavior.
Paul had spoken previously to Timothy on this subject in his
first letter where he said,
"Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to your care.
Turn away from godless chatter and the opposing ideas of
what is falsely called knowledge, which some have professed
and in so doing have wandered from the faith." 1Tim 6:20,21 Thus
"godless chatter" is that
which is inconsistent with the content of our faith as
declared to us in the Word of God, and thus such chatter is
godless insomuch as it ignores what God has said.
Likewise he also advised Timothy,
"Have nothing to do with godless myths and
old wives’ tales; rather, train yourself to be godly."
1Tim 4:7 "godless" is
the same word as elsewhere. Here he seems to be alluding
to superstitions. And indeed in perhaps every culture you will
find Christians combining their faith with superstitions.
Don't be drawn into such things. Don't indulge in idle
speculations.
Eschatology Matters
2Tim 2:17,18 Their teaching will spread
like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, who
have wandered away from the truth. They say that the
resurrection has already taken place, and they destroy the
faith of some.
"Gangrene" is much like cancer, and so translations will often
translate this "cancer". But gangrene is more visible. In
either case the illustration is clear. And indeed the history
of Christianity has shown, even in the book of Acts, that
false teaches can spread quickly and destroy the faith of
some. For example in Acts there was the cancer of the
Circumcision which grew right out of the church of Jerusalem.
Peter, James and John simply overlooked the fact that there
was a cancer growing in their church and was spreading abroad.
But when it spread to Galatia, Paul was outraged that such a
thing had not been nipped in the butt from its inception and
so went to Jerusalem to deal with this issue personally.
Through that encounter and through his writing of the book of
Galatians (the book that also inspired the inception of the
Protestant Reformation, removing the visible church from the
cancer of Catholicism which had grown corrupt at the time),
the heresy of the Judaizers no longer posted a significant
threat for the last two millenia. Consequently I would argue
that heresy should not simply be avoided, it should be
opposed, as Paul also said,
"We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets
itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive
every thought to make it obedient to Christ." 2Cor 10:5
Now in particular here these men, Hymenaeus and Philetus,
propose that the resurrection has already taken place. This
kind of reminds one of "date setters" concerning the return of
Christ. Indeed there are those today who claim that the second
coming has already occurred. This is usually the result of
them setting a date for Christ's return. The date comes and
goes. Nothing happens so they claim that something "invisible"
actually did happen. Likewise the claim of the resurrection
have already occurred is not uncommon. Today there are those
who claim a viewpoint they refer to as
"Full Preterism" in
which
the Coming (Parousia), resurrection,
rapture, day of the Lord and day of judgement all occurred
in AD 70. I would argue they fit into the same
category as Hymenaeus and Philetus.
To be noted, Paul is making a big deal about and area of
theology referred to as "eschatology" - a theology of the end
times. Many today tend to treat issues of eschatology as
peripheral, non-essential issues. Yet, for example, if you
read Paul's two letters to the Thessalonians he makes a big
deal about such things.
"Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ
and our being gathered to him, we ask
you, brothers, not to become easily unsettled or alarmed
by some prophecy, report or letter supposed to have come
from us, saying that the day of the Lord has already come.
Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will
not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of
lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to
destruction.He will oppose and will exalt himself over
everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he
sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be
God. Don’t you remember that when I was with you I used to
tell you these things?" 2Th 2:1-5
or this:
"Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about
those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men,
who have no hope. We believe that Jesus died and rose
again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus
those who have fallen asleep in him. According to the
Lord’s own word, we tell you that we who are still alive,
who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not
precede those who have fallen asleep. For the
Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud
command, with the voice of the archangel and with the
trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise
first.After that, we who are still alive and are left will
be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the
Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever."
1Th 4:13-17
Here we see the whole of the
resurrection of the righteous includes the Rapture, which
shortly
follows
the resurrection of the righteous who had died. And in
1Cor 15 he further speaks
on the nature and timing of the resurrection, including the
Rapture.
Therefore, as divisive as it may seem, there are certain views
of eschatology which should not be tolerated. Paul says,
"I stand on trial because of
my hope in the resurrection of the dead." Acts 23:6 But if such
resurrection (including the Rapture) had already occurred, and
one missed out on it, there is no hope offered in the gospel.
Who are His?
2Tim 2:19 Nevertheless, God’s solid
foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: "The
Lord knows those who are his," and, "Everyone who confesses
the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness."
These were not quotes from scripture, but rather here Paul
endorses a couple of expressions which encapsulate a couple of
ideas foundational to the faith. But it's interesting to
consider the implication of him bringing up these two ideas in
this context of godless chatter.
"This Lord knows those
who are His" implies that it might not be obvious
from the standpoint of one's institutional allegiance. In
other words, there are those who claim to be Christians, but
their mere claim does not make one a child of God. There are
those among the Christian community - the visible Church - who
are His, namely the invisible Church - those who have actually
been born of God - the genuine believers. Korah and his
followers werer Israelites, yet Moses said to them,
"In the morning the LORD will
show who belongs to him".
Nu 16:5 What happened?
"The ground under them split apart and the
earth opened its mouth and swallowed them, with their
households and all Korah’s men and all their possessions.
They went down alive into the grave, with everything they
owned; the earth closed over them, and they perished and
were gone from the community." Nu 16:31-33 Yet such also
will be the fate of nominal Christians.
"Everyone who confesses
the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness." And
indeed,
"No one who is
born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains
in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of
God. This is how we know who the children of God are and who
the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what
is right is not a child of God; nor is anyone who does not
love his brother." 1John
3:9,10 So departing from iniquity is not a condition
for salvation, but rather a characteristic of those who have
been saved. Those who characteristically don't depart from
iniquity show they don't belong to God.
"Free Grace Theology" or Antinomianism or Keswickian theology,
however one refers to it, is the idea that departing from
wickedness is optional. "Chaferism", for example, a form of
Kewsickian theology to which Campus Crusade for Christ, or CRU
as it's known now, has historically advocated the idea that
one only need accept Christ as Savior to be be saved,
accepting Christ's Lordship being optional. Yet in fact there
is no such category among the saved who continue to live a
lifestyle of sin, according to Paul's writings and John
writings in 1John, and elsewhere. Consequently such theologies
may be likened to godless chatter.
Be Useful
2Tim 2:20-21 In a large house there are
articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and
clay; some are for noble purposes and some for ignoble. If a
man cleanses himself from the latter, he will be an
instrument for noble purposes, made holy, useful to the
Master and prepared to do any good work.
This sounds very much like
1Cor
3:12-13 "If any
man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly
stones, wood, hay or straw, his work will be shown for what
it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be
revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of
each man’s work."
The thing about wood, hay or staw that is that they're
combustible. They vanished in the fire. There are things we
may get caught up in with regards to this life, which won't
last.
"The heavens will
disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by
fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare.
Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of
people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly
lives" 2Peter
3:10,11a
"The grass withers, And its flower falls away, But the word
of the LORD endures forever." 1Peter 1:24a-25 Give
yourself over to that which will last forever. Don't get
caught up in vanity.
"What
I mean, brothers, is that the time is short. From now on
those who have wives should live as if they had none; those
who mourn, as if they did not; those who are happy, as if
they were not; those who buy something, as if it were not
theirs to keep; those who use the things of the world, as if
not engrossed in them. For this world in its present form is
passing away." 1Cor
:29-31
"We are God’s
workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which
God prepared in advance for us to do." Eph 2:10 But we must
prepare ourselves to be effective in serving the Lord.
Flee and Pursue
2Tim 2:22 Flee the evil desires of
youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace,
along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.
Have nothing to do with the lusts characteristic of the
immature - anything which is antithesis to a godly life.
"Flee sexual immorality"
1Cor 6:18a "Flee from idolatry" 1Cor 10:14b "You, O man of God, flee
these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith,
love, patience, gentleness." 1Tim
6:11
Grow up! But realize the Christian life is not simply about
abstaining from sin.
"Let
him turn away from evil and do good; Let him seek peace and
pursue it." 1Peter
3:11 It's about pursuing righteous living, applying
faith with an attitude of love, being at peace with God, with
others, and with one's own conscience. These are to be pursued
in fellowship with other Christians. The Christian life is not
intended to be lived isolated from other Christians. It is a
serious thing when Christians depart from the fellowship of
the body.
"A man who
isolates himself seeks his own desire; He rages against all
wise judgment." Pr
18:1
But, granted, Paul is referring to fellowshipping among those
who call on the Lord out of a pure heart, and such people
among the Christian community may be rare. Part of pursing
righteous living is pursing such quality believers to
fellowship with. If none exist, grow your own.
Stupid Arguments
2Tim 2:23-26 Don’t have anything to do
with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they
produce quarrels. And the Lord’s servant must not quarrel;
instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not
resentful. Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in
the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to
a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their
senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken
them captive to do his will.
So if someone wants to quarrel about such things you need only
reply,
"Sorry, the Bible
tells me I'm to have nothing to do with foolish and stupid
arguments". Granted there are ideas worthy of
debate, but all too often people bring up arguments that are
just too stupid to even comment on. And if you enter into such
debates they end up merely as quarrels as you'd be arguing
with a person who is just too irrational to see the stupidity
of their own position. So don't even bother.
A teacher should be dispassionate. Which is not to say removed
of passions, but rather one whose passions do not influence
their judgements. Truth, getting it right, is the priority,
and second to that, communicating it effectively. Teaching is
in the realm of ideas. Pride and resentfulness are
counter-productive to teaching. In fact in teaching and in
discussion with others, one person's attitude tends to invoke
the same in the other. Thus one person who approaches the
subject rationally, dispassionately, with humility, but
unaffected by insults, tends to invoke the same attitude in
the other person. In fact one of the battles in discussions
and debates is who is going to control the attitude. Those who
are losing the argument, if they are too proud to modify their
position, often end up simply belittling the other person to
see if they can win with regards to controlling that person's
emotions. So one of the challenges of teaching is to remain
dispassionate and keep it on topic.
God granting repentance indicates those who are in opposition
are not in full control. But rather they are described as
being captive to the devil. Though granted, as with all sin,
there's no doubt a degree of cooperation on their part, else
there would be no culpability on their part. But it does help,
with regards to those who oppose Biblical teaching, to
visualize such people as captives to the devil, victims of
whom you are trying to rescue. And realize that no matter how
convincing your own position may be, there are those how
simply won't be convinced because the real problem they have
is spiritual and not simply rational.