Timothy Called to Diligence
2 Tim 2:14-19
Into the paragraph we
will look at today is a verse that has been misused more than most of the
verses we find in the New Testament. What some want to affirm by using this
verse can be found to a lesser degree elsewhere. And, that is a call to
diligence in the Christian life. What is misread is a call to all believers to
study diligently as if they were in the ministry. Not all believers are called
to that level or study.
The KJV has a very
different translation than other more modern translations. Moderns give a
different nuance to this passage because they do not understand the subtleties
of Elizabethan English. Let's read the passage and then go back for comment:
Words to Timothy
1. Remind and Charge
2 Tim 2:14 Remind them of these things, charging
them before the Lord not to strive about words to no profit, to the ruin of the
hearers.
2. Diligence
15 Be diligent to present yourself approved
to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of
truth.
3. Shun
16 But shun profane and idle babblings, for
they will increase to more ungodliness. 17And their message will
spread like cancer. Hymenaeus and Philetus are of this sort, 18 who
have strayed concerning the truth, saying that the resurrection is already
past; and they overthrow the faith of some.
4. The Solid
Foundation
19 Nevertheless the solid foundation of God
stands, having this seal: "The Lord knows those who are His," and,
"Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity."
Let's
look at the text:
1. Remind and Charge
2 Tim 2:14 Remind them of these things, charging
them before the Lord not to strive about words to no profit, to the ruin of the
hearers.
Again, Timothy is to
tell the people at Ephesus some very important things. It is uncertain as to
whether this personal command to Timothy is to be applied to what Timothy has
already been told, what he is about to be told or both. The grammar can be
taken in each of those ways.
The general thrust of
Paul's words since the beginning of this latter is to remind Timothy of
important truths and to remind him of the truths he is to teach to others.
Taken as a whole, the short letter is best understood as one full of truths
that he has learned from Paul and that he needs to pass on to others in the
same way. One of those ways is to pass them on in the presence of many
witnesses so they can know what is important and therefore pass it on to a
subsequent generation. Each generation needs to both learn and teach--to be
reminded and then to remind others. That is one way the gospel ministry can be
summarized.
With the reminder
comes a solemn charge against the tendencies of the flesh--it is to not to not
strive or argue about words. If there is a generation of churchmen who needs
this admonition, it is our own. With so many "helps" to
"study" the scriptures on our own outside of the ministry of the
church, never has a generation spawned so many pet heresies as are alive today.
So called Bible study has become "Everyone believes what is right in their
own eyes." And, with it comes the idea of "Theological
Pluralism" and a failure to be corrected by the ministry of the Word. How
does this happen? Well, people wrangle about words. Unlearned people who want
to give the appearance of knowing something misuse the scriptures to promote
their own agenda. They are often mistaken.
A man once had an
insight about the meaning of the original word for imputation. He got it be
using a work tied to Strong's concordance. He checked out the lexicon only to
discover a nuance he had never heard mentioned about the word. So, with this
newfound definition, he started to teach this new "truth" that was
not a truth at all because he looked up the Strong's number in the Hebrew and
Chaldee dictionary rather than in the Greek one. It was a simple mistake, but
it took many weeks to discover and even more for the man to lay it aside. But,
by promoting is mistaken insight, he did a lot of damage, especially to the
immature and weak. He was to go back and tell all that he told about this
"new" insight that it was indeed wrong. A couple years later he still
referenced this in conversations with people. Such is only one of the dangers
of using a concordance as the main tool for Bible study. Not all Christians are
automatically discerning and have the ability to teach and understand. Those
who do are given to the church as pastors and teachers to build up the body of
Christ to the point where they are complete lacking nothing. Not all are called
to study the Bible--and we will see some more of that in verse 15.
Verse 4 tells us more
important truths that are to be charged upon those who come to hear the Word.
The text tells us what is to be charged. It is something some proud men who
view themselves as having a super-ability to understand and teach need to be
reminded to not do--the text says, "…charging them before the Lord not to
strive about words to no profit, to the ruin of the hearers.
Those with the
creative insights do damage in churches. They argue about words bringing in
much confusion and taking disciples away to follow after themselves. The church
is not an institution where the content of the Faith as a body of truths is to
be debated back and forth. It is where a body of elders are called to preserve
the faith once delivered to the saints. They are accountable to Christ as the
over-shepherd to teach the truth. It is not up to individuals to challenge the
teachings of any church. That is a solemn trust charged upon the leadership.
So, be careful where you go and what is taught--You will be expected to submit
to it. You might be held accountable for the trouble caused to the churches and
the damage done to the body of Christ. The fact that there is liable to be some
error found in all churches does not give any individuals the right to act on
their own as an arbitrator of truth. Even folk who know and understand Reformed
doctrine should be charged to not stir up trouble where other doctrine is
believed and practiced until and unless you are asked to teach or lead.
Why is this important?
What is the end that may happen when such strife is brought into churches? The
text says to the ruin of the hearers. Think for a minute about the ancient
world and the many ruins found all over the place. What are those ruins good
for? Nothing, but to get in the way and take up space and to be a historical
curiosity--I wonder what they believed in this place. Many of the ruins found
are of buildings used as churches in the ancient world. But what is in view in this
passage is the spiritual ruin of those whose Christian life and beliefs where
disrupted by errors founded on the misuse of words.
I could name names, as
the Apostle Paul did, of people who have undermined the faith of others
including their own families through this sort of nonsense. Of course, they
have first undermined their own profession by a lack of submission to
God-ordained leaders who were legitimately in place. People, usually men, would
rather argue about words than submit to the truth as churches profess it. They
leave the damage behind as much as they take it with them. You can look at
someone's church history and see the wake of following themselves and it will
be to their own demise.
The language shows
this is an important area to God, the Spirit inspired these words, to the
Apostle, it was to be to Timothy as the leader in Ephesus and he was to remind
the people to not have any of this nonsense in their agenda. If anyone does,
don't give them your ear--but Paul has more to say about that metaphors
elsewhere.
The second word of
extreme importance is diligence. In the KJV the word is translated
"study." And the verse reads at the start, "Study to shew
yourself approved unto God…." The word is better translated,
2. Dilligence
The text in the NKJV
and other translations in the modern era read, 15 Be diligent
The command to study
in Elizabethan English would have been reminder to keep these things in mind.
Remember these things. They are of most importance and need to be the basis of
what you teach. So, don't just pass over these words being written to you, be
diligent to remember these things and give yourself to teach them, especially
to faithful men, in your ministry. These truths ought to define your
ministry--therefore be diligent with them.
Be diligent to learn
about and instruct these things as you have already been told, The goal is…to
present yourself approved to God, The task of Timothy and all who minister
after him is to diligent in the ministry in order to get God's approval. It is
not about the approval of men, though a diligent minister ought to find the
encouragement of others as a means of refreshment, but the approval of God is
why diligence is needed. I like the saying attributed to Charles Hodge that
says, "Ask yourself 10 times what God thinks of a matter before you think
once about the approval of men." That is why we labor diligently--for
God's approval. We are also told why we seek the approval of God--there is no
higher standard. Do you live to the same standard? Really? Or do you just say
that because it sounds good to your own sense of ethics--with very little
follow through. If you don't follow-through, you are no better than the
Pharisees. They knew a lot about what God expected, but they turned it into
outward obedience to 230 or so regulations. There was no heart in their
religion. They were hard-hearted people seeking to justify themselves. The only
righteousness they ever had was self-righteousness which is no righteousness at
all.
Timothy was called to
preach a more important message with a more profound effect as he sought the
approval of God in order to see lives changed unto the glory of God's name and
in line with His revealed Word.
Furthering this
metaphor Paul adds, …a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing
the word of truth.
When one handles that
Word as it is meant to be, there is no shame to be experienced by the preacher,
only by the hearers who refuse to repent and believe.
The word taught
rightly, that is what the final phrase means. The original word is the word
from which we get the word orthodox. Consider some ortho words: An orthodontist
straightens your teeth, orthopraxy is straight practice, orthodoxy is straight
believe. Things that are crocked are questionable. The preacher or teacher in
place by God's giving them to a church are those given the task of teaching
what is straight--not crooked or deviating to the side in any way. To rightly
divide the word of truth is to teach it in a straightforward and truthful way.
A way that makes the scriptures in one place harmonize with the scriptures in
another place. The scriptures are a divine unity intended to teach us glorious
truths about God and his will. The rest is empty and crooked.
The command is also
to….
3. Shun a couple of
things. Presumably, these things come about from a misuse of the Word….
16 But shun profane and idle babblings,
Idle babblings are
empty speech in which meaningless things are said. Profane ones are in
opposition to what is holy. It is a terrible thing to turn what God has spoken
as straight truth into words that detract from his being, glory, work among men
and his purposes for the world. But, there are many who are content with such
empty attempts by men of reprobate minds--as we read elsewhere. They can't
teach the truth because there is no truth in them. Look at all the nooks and
crannies of the mind and you will not find it. They will get worse…
The text continues….for
they will increase to more ungodliness.
By their fruits you
will know them. They will promote more and more that is opposed to God. One way
is by promoting schemes of living that may look good, but have no power to
change the soul. All that somes to pass is the temporary change of behavior. It
will sound good to many because it is a message aimed not at their conscience
but at their pleasure centers--you are good, you are alright, you have nothing
to worry about, there is no condemnation to come and no accountability in this
life…live as you want…be at peace and at rest….
An example of the
effects of error.
17And their message will spread like cancer.
Hymenaeus and Philetus are of this sort, 18 who have strayed
concerning the truth, saying that the resurrection is already past; and they
overthrow the faith of some.
The people in Ephesus
must have known who these two men where and what error or errors they
represent. Timothy must have as well. We know the error/sin, they taught the
resurrection had already happened. And we know the effect--their message spread
like cancer--which spreads very quickly. This error had the ability to overthrow
the faith of some. What a miserable phrase. The scriptures everywhere take
people at their profession of faith. That is why churches look for a credible
profession of faith and not an infallible one. Many will make a profession of
faith only to fall away when the Christian life requires more endurance and
more godliness than they can muster. This happens due to a lack of faith and a
lack of the Spirit's work within them. Even our confession of faith allows for
this. It is still tragic because it is one of the worst things and human can
do--profess Christ and then walk away from him.
It reminds us of ….
That remains:
4. The Solid
Foundation
19 Nevertheless the solid foundation of God
stands, having this seal: "The Lord knows those who are His," and,
"Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity."
In a summary form,
this is what God expects of those who have the solid foundation that no other
man can lay--that solid foundation of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself.
From the Godward side
of things--He know those who are his. And, God will never be mistaken. God has
known this since eternity past and brings the final salvation to pass. From the
manward side is added to this eternal reality the work of God in those he
knows--they are changed. Those who truly name the name of Christ, that is those
who believe, will find themselves departing from iniquity, which includes the
misuse of God's revelation and the wrangling about words.
Do you find yourself
departing from sin in ever-growing degree? If so, take heart that God is at
work in you. If not, you may not yet be his. Cry out to God in the simplicity
of your mind and ask him to give you what you don't deserve--his grace that brings
salvation, his mercy to withhold from you what you do deserve. And, with these
ask Him to save your soul for Jesus sake, amen. Be diligent to make your
calling and election sure.
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