All right, as we come to the Word of God this morning, we are continuing our way through
the second letter to Timothy.
So if you have your Bible with you, you can open it up to 2 Timothy, and we are in chapter
2.
Last Sunday, we covered the first seven verses here of chapter 2.
Next Sunday, we're going to work on verse 8 to 13, and we're going to jump ahead this
Sunday and look at verses 14 to 19.
So let me read these verses for us this morning.
Paul writes to Timothy,
Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David.
This is my gospel, for which I am suffering, even to the point of being chained like a criminal.
But God's Word is not chained.
Therefore, I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they too may obtain the
salvation that is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.
Here is a trustworthy saying.
If we died with Him, we will also live with Him.
If we endure, we will also reign with Him.
If we disown Him, He will also disown us.
If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot disown Himself.
Keep reminding God's people of these things.
Warn them before God against quarreling about words.
It is of no value and only ruins those who listen.
Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved.
A worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.
Avoid godless chatter, because those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly.
Their teaching will spread like gangrene.
Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, who have departed from the truth.
They say that the resurrection has already taken place.
And they destroy the faith of some.
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.
Father in heaven, please open our eyes to see what you have said here and give us ears to hear.
Fill our hearts with faith and help us to respond as you desire.
Pray in Jesus' name. Amen.
We're just going to work through these few verses, 14 to 19, from the top.
Starting in verse 14.
Paul urges Timothy to keep reminding the people in his church of the truths of the gospel.
Specifically, the ones that are laid out here in verses 8 to 13.
And we're going to look at those next Sunday.
But keep reminding God's people of these things.
The job of a faithful teacher and preacher
is to keep on saying the same things over and over again.
It's to tell and to teach what most of us already know.
These things.
This gospel.
These words of God.
Spoken through the prophets.
Through Jesus.
And through His apostles.
There's a lot of other things going on in our world
that we could be talking about on a Sunday morning.
Some of the false teachers
who Paul spoke of in the first letter to Timothy.
They had gone off into speaking and teaching about other things.
But Timothy, you keep on reminding God's people of these things.
Of this gospel.
Next he says,
Warn them.
That is, the people in the church.
Warn them before God
against quarreling
about words.
It is of no value
and only ruins those who listen.
Now I know that we've heard this a lot
in this journey through the pastoral epistles.
These letters to Timothy and Titus.
But Paul repeats himself, I think,
because this is a really big issue.
It can be so tempting to argue over things.
And to get into squabbles,
disputes.
Here specifically,
are it quarreling about words?
That word words,
it can be used more broadly as well
to refer to matters,
subjects,
issues.
And it's so easy to get sucked into this sort of behavior.
Most of us want to understand the issues.
We want to come to some sort of an opinion on the issues.
And then we want to offer that carefully formed opinion to others.
And that's all good.
But then what happens when others don't agree?
Are we going to fight over it?
Trying to convince them?
Are we going to belittle them
and their view?
Paul's basically saying,
don't go there, Timothy.
Quarreling,
arguing about things
is of no value.
It only ruins
those who listen.
No value.
What does that mean?
It's a waste of time.
It's a waste of energy.
It's a waste of breath.
Zero good
comes from it.
That's what no value
means.
In fact,
even worse,
he says,
arguing about these things
ruins
those who listen.
That word in the original language
is actually the Greek word
katastrophe,
from which we get
our English word
catastrophe.
The point is,
it utterly spoils,
utterly damages,
utterly wrecks
those who listen.
And we kind of know this,
don't we?
Fighting over things
hurts
relationships.
Sometimes in those
kinds of debates
and things,
we're so worried about
winning the argument
that are we really
representing things well?
Are we really
speaking the truth?
Do we have
legit sources
that we're
drawing from
as we share things?
And there can be
hearsay that enters
into the mix
and gossip
and slander
and misinformation.
And it really can
skew people's
understanding of things
or of other people
and do a lot of damage
and a lot of hurt.
And so what's
Timothy supposed to do?
He's supposed to warn
the people in his church
against this kind
of behavior.
In verse 15,
Paul says,
do your best
to present yourself
to God
as one approved.
A worker who does not
need to be ashamed
and who correctly
handles the word
of truth.
And so Paul gives
Timothy something
to aim for
as he goes about
his life and ministry
there in Ephesus.
First and foremost,
he says,
aim for God's approval.
You want to be approved
in his sight.
Work and teach
and preach
to win his approval.
As you live before him,
you don't want to have
any need to be ashamed
for the things
that you said
or the things
that you did.
And very specifically
here in this passage
as it relates
to Timothy,
you will meet
with God's approval
by being one
who correctly
handles
the word of truth.
Now this is
an interesting metaphor
to translate here.
If we were to do it
just straight,
literal,
it would be
to be one
who cuts
straight
the word of truth.
And it's often
this phrase
used with reference
to like a physical path.
Meaning to,
you know,
to clear everything out,
to cut a straight path
whether it's through
the forest
or through the hill
or whatever,
through some brush.
Instead of going
around the tree,
cut it down,
go straight through.
So that's
the physical image
that Paul is
using here.
and he's using it
about how Timothy
should teach
the word of God.
Cut straight
the word of truth
which probably means
something like
in your teaching,
Timothy,
don't be turned aside
to these other debates
and these other arguments
and issues
and controversies.
Stay on course.
Stay on target.
Teach the word of truth.
You have a goal here
and it's to get
this good deposit
that I've entrusted
to you
to your people.
Passed on to them.
So teach it.
Preach it straight.
Stay focused
on that goal
even if there are
challenging circumstances
going on
which we know there are
or challenging people
in the way
which we'll hear about
in a moment.
And so this is how
you're to present yourself
to God
as a worker
who meets his approval
and who does not
need to be ashamed.
Teach the word of truth
and shoot straight.
don't just tell the people
what they want to hear
in order to win
their approval
but tell them
this word of truth
that we've received
from God
in order to get
his approval.
These are good words
for those of us
who teach in the church.
They help us understand
what our aim should be.
It's not to entertain.
It's not to scratch
the itching ears
or to tell people
what they want to hear.
it's to pass on
this good deposit
this gospel
that we've received
from God
to put the words
of God
before people.
I think though
that these words
are also helpful
for all of us
as we aim to speak
about Jesus
to others.
Those who don't know Christ
those who don't believe
maybe our unsaved
co-workers
neighbors
friends
family
and sometimes
we can get
all tied up
by this
thought
that we have
to be so careful
in the way
that we speak
about Jesus
that we don't
offend anybody
that we don't
rub anybody
the wrong way
but that's just
people pleasing
that's trying
to win the approval
of men
of man
Jesus wants us
to shoot straight
with people
about him
we have
the truth
from God
cut it straight
tell the people
the good news
ask the question
that cuts to the heart
and tell of the hope
that we have in Jesus
look for the approval
of the Lord Jesus
himself
on that day
that's coming
in all your speaking
and sharing
with others
about Jesus
verse 16
he says
avoid godless chatter
chatter
because those
who indulge in it
will become more
and more ungodly
their teaching
will spread like
gangrene
among them
are Hymenaeus
and Philetus
who have departed
from the truth
they say
that the resurrection
has already
taken place
and they destroy
the faith
of some
so avoid
godless chatter
he says
what is godless
chatter
the ESV
translates this
as irreverent
babble
and there's really
two ideas
in this phrase
first
Paul seems
to be characterizing
the kind of talk
or the kind of teaching
as a kind
that is empty
or worthless
now probably
the people doing
these kinds of teaching
or talk
see it as being
valuable
but Paul
characterizes it
as just chatter
it's just babble
it has no
value
and the second
idea
that's in this phrase
is that it's
godless chatter
or as some
translations say
irreverent
chatter
and this word
can mean
a couple of things
it could be
that the talk
or the teaching
is devoid of God
that it really
doesn't have anything
to do with spiritual
things
it's worldly
secular
or
it could also mean
even stronger than that
that it's profane
that it's irreverent
that it mocks
or makes light
of spiritual things
it jokes about
serious spiritual truths
or it just
dishonors God
by misrepresenting
him
and his word
and verse 17
to 18
is kind of
this living example
of this
that's right before
Timothy
Paul gives the example
of Hymenaeus
and Philetus
he says
their teaching
will spread
like gangrene
among them
are Hymenaeus
and Philetus
who have departed
from the truth
Paul names
two men here
and Timothy
knows these men
and they're
the example
of what he means
by this irreverent
chatter
the only other
mention of
Hymenaeus
in the Bible
actually was in
Paul's first letter
he talked about
how he had handed
over
Hymenaeus
and Alexander
to Satan
to be taught
not to blaspheme
and so definitely
we're probably
in the irreverent
side of things
when it comes to
the way that
they're talking
or teaching
Philetus
on the other hand
this is the only
time he's mentioned
in the whole Bible
so we really
don't know much
about these two
other than
what Paul says
in these two spots
but Paul says
that their words
have spread
like gangrene
according to
one scholar
the disease
that's described
here involves
severe inflammation
which if left
unchecked
could become
a destructive
ulcerous
condition
and so the
emphasis here
seems to be
on the slow
eating away
of the flesh
rather than
a rapidly
spreading
infection
so their
talk
the things
that they're
saying
it's slowly
spreading
and it's
doing damage
amongst the
churches
Paul says
that these
two have
departed
from the
truth
some of the
things that
they're advocating
are falsehood
and Paul gives
an example
right here
in the letter
in verse 18
he says
they say
that the
resurrection
has already
taken place
so these
are not
men that
are straight
up denying
Jesus
and saying
there is
no God
well they're
saying yes
we believe
in Jesus
but
here's some
other stuff
that we also
believe
they're adding
some things
on
where they
got this
idea that
the resurrection
had taken
place
we don't
know
the
resurrection
that's the
great event
that all of
us believers
are looking
forward to
that's the
moment that
Paul describes
in his first
letter to the
Corinthians
where the
trumpet will
sound
and all who
are dead
but belong
to Jesus
will be
resurrected
to new
life
and a new
body
never to die
again
and never to
become corrupt
again
Paul says
these guys
are claiming
that that's
already happened
and we have
to wonder
was it
were they
just saying
that well
no it's
just a
spiritual
reality
that somehow
it just
happened
already
inside of
us
or were
they actually
claiming that
they weren't
going to
die
we don't
again we
don't know
the details
here
but Paul
makes it
so clear
in the way
that he
says this
that this
is a
bunch
of
baloney
the
resurrection
that we're
waiting for
hasn't
happened
yet
and sadly
some were
buying into
these things
Paul says
they destroy
the faith
of some
with this
teaching
again a
very strong
word
destroy
the faith
of some
so this
is the
effect of
this
godless
chatter
this profane
chatter
it
doesn't
indeed
have
an
emptiness
to it
because
it's
not
true
but it
also
has
an
irreverence
to it
in that
it
proclaims
this
false
idea
as if
it
were
spiritual
truth
from
god
it
makes
a
mockery
of
the
real
thing
that
we're
hoping
in
the
resurrection
by
saying
oh
it's
already
happened
it's
already
here
and so
in this
case
with
these
two
men
it's
kind
of
this
wonky
blend
some
of
the
truth
of
Christ
but
then
adding
on
these
other
things
and
declaring
those
things
to be
true
without
any
real
basis
and
it's
having
a
terrible
effect
on
the
people
who
hear
and
are
listening
to
these
things
some
people
are
getting
sucked
into
it
and
it's
hurting
the
credibility
of the
message
about
Christ
it's
distorting
things
it's
confusing
things
Paul
says
avoid
that
kind
of
talk
and
those
kind
of
teachers
who
would
be
the
modern
day
equivalent
of
these
guys
I
think
the
key
marker
here
seems
to be
people
that
are
proclaiming
Jesus
plus
something
else
maybe
it's
Jesus
plus
the
earth
is
flat
or
Jesus
plus
you
need
to
have
had
this
special
kind
of
experience
or
go
through
this
rite
or
ritual
or
Jesus
plus
getting
back
to
the
teachings
of
certain
rabbis
or
Jesus
plus
some
other
speculative
historical
digging
that we've
done
that shows
that every
prophecy
in the
Bible
has already
been
fulfilled
there's
a lot
of
different
ways
that people
do
the
Jesus
plus
good
news
and
often
times
with these
kind
of
teachers
you can
kind
of
sense
that
something
is
off
because
Jesus
seems
to be
the
name
that's
used
to
really
draw
people's
attention
but then
very quickly
the focus
the main
message
goes away
from Jesus
to these
other things
these side
things
the Bible
becomes more
of a springboard
or a starting
place
and it
gets us
hooked in
and then we
go over
to here
and we
talk about
this other
thing that's
not in
the Bible
or maybe
the Bible
is part
of it
but then
it's
interpreted
in some
way
that's
wonky
I mean
you'd
have to
not even
be really
reading it
in context
and thinking
about it
to kind
of twist
it and
get it
to say
that
I went
to a
global
missions
conference
one time
and I
remember
hearing
this
very
charismatic
and
interesting
speaker
but it
seemed
that he
was more
interested
in God's
redemption
of creation
and
environmentalism
than God's
redemption
of you
and me
he was
almost
trying to
turn
conservation
and
environmentalism
into a
form of
missionary
work
and it
was like
he was
trying to
recruit
for that
like we
need to
go out
there
we need
to get
the good
news
out there
for
creation
we need
to help
God
in his
redemption
of this
and stand
up
to
industry
or different
things like
this
again
Jesus
but then
this main
thing is
really over
here for
them
another
example
of this
in
just this
week
I don't
know how
many of
you got
one of
these
in your
mailbox
I think
they did
a mail
drop
here in
Davidson
and
everybody
with a
residential
mailbox
subscribed
to
getting
the flyers
got one
of these
the great
controversy
will
two
former
rivals
unite
and you
got the
American
flag
at the
top
the
white
house
and the
flag of
the
catholic
church
I think
that is
on there
and if
you were
like me
you probably
wonder what
on earth
is this
what is
this book
and it's
published by
amazing
facts
ministries
dot com
you flip
through it
it's full
of bible
verses
could be
some really
good stuff
maybe
but if you
dig deeper
into it
what do
you find
that it
was written
by
Ellen G
White
she was
a follower
of a man
named
William
Miller
and William
Miller
was a
preacher
who predicted
that Christ
would return
in 1843
or 1844
and then
when his
prediction
didn't come
true
most of
the followers
of William
Miller
disbanded
but there
was one
17 year
old girl
named
Ellen
who had
her first
of
supposedly
2000
visions
from God
and she
later married
a guy
named James
White
and they
began studying
the teachings
of Joseph
Bates
who promoted
strict
Sabbath
keeping
for all
Christians
like I'm
talking
Saturday
at
sundown
Sabbath
keeping
and
or would
it be
Friday to
Saturday
and they
went all
over the
place
telling
this is
what we
got to
do
we got
to
keep
the
Sabbath
just
like
they
did
in
the
Old
Testament
suddenly
that was
the main
message
and man
she
wrote
60
books
they
traveled
all over
the place
telling
about
what God
had
supposedly
told her
in
these
visions
nearly
10,000
pages
of
prophetic
material
she
wrote
and
the
Seventh
Day
Adventists
were
born
and
back
then
she
was
considered
to be
a true
prophetess
of God
by the
Seventh
Day
Adventists
as
recently
ago
as
1995
the
Seventh
Day
Adventists
had a
general
conference
and this
was what
they
stated
at their
conference
they
said
we
consider
the
biblical
canon
closed
what
that
means
is
we
consider
that
this
is
complete
all
the
books
of
the
Bible
are
in
here
and
we
don't
think
God
is
adding
new
ones
or
revealing
new
stuff
it's
all
in
here
we
consider
the
biblical
canon
closed
however
we
also
believe
as
did
Ellen G.
White's
contemporaries
that
her
writings
carry
divine
authority
both
for
godly
living
and
for
doctrine
therefore
we
recommend
that
as
a
church
we
seek
the
power
of
the
Holy
Spirit
to
apply
to
our
lives
more
fully
the
inspired
counsel
contained
in
the
writings
of
Ellen G.
White
that
was
their
statement
in
95
she
also
preached
the
gospel
of
health
and
certain
dietary
restrictions
about
consuming
meat
which
she
called
flesh
food
and
how
it's
injurious
to
your
health
and
even
to
your
soul
to
eat
meat
and
there
were
elements
of
law
keeping
that
crept
in
and
doctrines
of
soul
sleep
and
annihilationism
that
hell
is
not
forever
even
to
the
point
of
saying
that
our
sins
were
put
onto
Satan
as
the
scapegoat
rather
than
onto
Jesus
and
so
what
do
we
do
with
this
we
throw
it
in
the
fire
pit
he
says
avoid
this
kind
of
irreverent
chatter
this
false
teaching
it's
empty
there's
no
value
in
it
they've
departed
from
the
truth
and
sometimes
it's a
challenge
to
discern
because
that
Jesus
message
is
there
but
then
it's
that
plus
it's
that
Jesus
plus
this
other
stuff
and
so
look
at
what
Paul
says
next
he
gives
Timothy
a
couple
words
of
encouragement
in the
midst
of
this
to
help
him
know
how
to
know
who's
who
verse
19
he
says
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
so
these
are
two
helpful
things
in
the
midst
of
all
this
two
truths
that
can
help
us
discern
and
navigate
and
avoid
who
we
should
truth
number
one
is
that
even
though
sometimes
we
can
be
deceived
God
cannot
the
Lord
Jesus
knows
those
who
are
his
sheep
and
he
knows
who
are
the
wolves
pretending
to be
sheep
ultimately
we
can't
rest
just
in
our
own
wisdom
our
own
discernment
but
we
can
rest
in
Christ
nobody
is
going
to
pull
a
fast
one
on
him
he
knows
who
belongs
to
him
and
he
is
able
to
look
after
us
and
to
protect
us
and
he
knows
those
who
are
pretending
and
how
to
deal
with
them
and
so
Timothy
look
to
the
Lord
look
to
his
knowledge
when
you're
unsure
or
in
doubt
about
who's
who
and
the
second
truth
he
says
everyone
who
confesses
the
name
of
the
Lord
must
turn
away
from
wickedness
everyone
who
confesses
the
name
of
the
Lord
must
turn
away
from
wickedness
genuine
faith
true
repentance
shows
itself
in a
changed
life
it
shows
itself
in us
turning
away
from
wickedness
and
embracing
what's
right
and
what's
good
in
its
place
the
same
simple
faith
in
Jesus
that
we
have
at
the
start
that
saves
us
will
also
through
the
rest
of
our
lives
say
yes
Lord
to
what
he
has
commanded
us
to
do
and
how
he
has
asked
us
to
live
this
doesn't
mean
that
we
live
perfectly
or
that
we're
never
tempted
that
we
never
fall
into
sin
or
temptation
again
but
it
means
that
on
the
whole
we're
continually
turning
away
from
wickedness
and
to
what's
right
everyone
who
confesses
the
name
of
the
Lord
must
turn
away
from
wickedness
this
is
to be
a
foundational
truth
he
says
and
it's
a
helpful
one
there's
no
such
thing
as
a
true
believer
who
deliberately
lives
a
wicked
life
on
the
whole
for
the
rest
of
their
life
you
will
know
them
by
their
fruit
said
Jesus
and
we
do
have
to
be
careful
with
this
because
sometimes
even
as
true
believers
we
struggle
we
wrestle
maybe
we
drift
away
a
little
bit
or
get
off
track
but
if
that
faith
was
true
when
we
first
believed
then
we
must
and
we
will
turn
away
from
wickedness
and
turn
back
to
the
Lord
we
must
and
we
will
aim
to
live
righteously
we
must
and
we
will
come
back
when
we
drift
away
it's
a
really
helpful
truth
that
God
has
given
us
a
foundational
truth
for
the
church
and
it's
here
to
help
Timothy
know
how
to
think
about
who's
who
especially
for those
who are
claiming the name of Jesus
and teaching this
but then look at their lives
are they living in obedience to his commands
if a teacher
if a teacher isn't on the whole
living a righteous life
in obedience to God and to Christ
don't listen to them
avoid them
and we need to be careful here
I think the temptation is to
to think that
we've got good discernment
you know I could listen to this stuff
I could dig into this stuff
I could really
you know
learn from it
and sift out the bad
and keep the good
I don't think Paul would have us
or Jesus would have us do that
if Timothy
Paul's own partner in the ministry
needed to avoid
this kind of talk
this godless chatter
because those who indulge in it
will become more and more ungodly
then how much more
should we
we need to go back to the Bible
we need to read it carefully
we need to meditate
on the words of God
that are in here
and if someone on YouTube
or Facebook
or TV
is preaching something
other than what's in here
avoid them
so these are Paul's instructions
to Timothy
in this portion of the letter
as Timothy seeks to minister
in Ephesus
and I've already applied
some of these things
to us today
but let me just recap quickly
some of how these other things
apply here
one application of these words
is for those of us
who teach in the church
those of us who lead
we are to keep reminding
God's people
of the gospel
of the truths about Jesus
the resurrected
descendant of David
we are to warn
those who are arguing
and quarreling
we are to do our very best
to seek God's approval
in the way that we're teaching
and teach the word straight
but for those of us
who don't teach in the church
what's there for us
I think we've touched on it
a little bit
but we are to expect
to be reminded
of the gospel
again and again
the truth of Christ
we are to refrain
from the arguing
and the fighting
over things
we are to
when we're talking about Jesus
with those who don't know him
to shoot straight
and to seek the Lord's approval
and not to
to please
the people that we're talking to
and we're to avoid
this empty and irreverent talk
or teaching
joking
about spiritual things
that's
that's not appropriate
and anything that smacks of
Jesus
plus
this other stuff
we're to avoid it
and the final thing
for all of us
everyone
who confesses
the name of the Lord
must turn away
from wickedness
and pursue righteousness
Christ
in us
leads us
to change
toward the good
and we must
surrender ourselves
to his work
in us
we must make
every effort
to do that
which is good
and right
and pleasing to him
allowing him
to produce
his good fruit
in our lives
we're going to
continue on
with this
portion
in a couple weeks
and see just how
this was meant
to work itself out
in Timothy's life
because Paul has
even more specific
instructions
for him
but we'll leave it here
for today
let's pray
Father in heaven
thank you for these words
and we thank you
that you are at work
in us
and among us
and we pray
that these words
would do their work
and achieve the goal
that you intended
for them
that we would be
made wise
to some of the tactics
of the evil one
and his desire
to distract us
or to pull us
away from you
and I pray
that we would be
like you encouraged
Timothy to be
that we would be
those who seek
to please you
in everything we do
Lord
cause these words
to be deeply rooted
in us
and lead us
in the change
that they call
we ask
for your glory
Amen