2 Timothy: Guard The GospelSample

Words are important. Here Paul contrasts the careless words spoken by false teachers with the careful way Timothy should teach God’s Word. Paul says quarrelling about words is pointless; it can’t do any good. But it can do great harm; it ‘ruins those who listen’ (v. 14). How does it do this?

Quarrelling distracts us from the gospel, especially when we spend time arguing over unimportant issues that don’t benefit us. These not only stop us focusing on our mission of making disciples, but we may also find ourselves in danger of adding to the gospel message in some way.

The false teachers in Ephesus are doing this. Hymenaeus and Philetus are teaching that all God’s future promises have already been fulfilled and all the blessings of heaven can be experienced now. For them this means freedom from suffering and a licence to either withdraw from the world completely or to become complacent about sin. In contrast, Timothy must be diligent to teach God’s Word accurately (v. 15). Unlike these false teachers who look to people for approval, he must seek approval from God alone. He must avoid false teaching so he is not vulnerable to wandering from the truth and becoming ungodly in his behaviour.

Bible teachers have a responsibility to handle God’s Word with integrity and diligence. They must know and understand the Word so they can protect the church from false teaching that pulls people away from the gospel. They must teach and apply the Word faithfully so their hearers will grow in truth and godliness.

False teaching spreads quickly and dangerously, like an infectious disease. But instead of killing body tissue or destroying limbs and muscles, false teaching destroys faith. If we want to stay spiritually healthy, we must avoid it. This means we need to listen to faithful Bible teachers and be diligent in studying God’s Word carefully ourselves so we can recognise false teaching. We need to know the truth so we can obey it.

Reflection

Pray for the Bible teachers you know to handle the Word with integrity and apply it carefully. Ask God to help you be more diligent in your personal study of his Word. What could you do to be more disciplined in personal Bible study?