Introduction
One fall, at the first church I served, I attended a men’s retreat. About 175 men from several churches in the district attended the weekend retreat for men. I don’t remember the name of the speaker for the men’s retreat but I do remember two things about him. First, he spoke without notes. However, he used a lot of quotations and they were written on strips of paper that he kept in different pockets. So, whenever he wanted to deliver a quotation, he would reach into one of his pockets and pull out the quotation, read it, and then place it back into the pocket from which he pulled it. He made about five or six quotes with each message and each quotation came from a different pocket. To this day, I have not figured out his system for remembering which pocket was next from which to draw his quotation!
The second thing I remember about the speaker is that he said, “If you have been a Christian for any length of time, there is little that is new to learn about the Christian faith. My job is simply to remind you of the things you already know.”
That is what Paul told Timothy in 2 Timothy 2:14 to “remind them of these things.” Paul wanted Timothy to remind both the believers and the false teachers of “these things” that he had been teaching. Paul wanted Timothy to understand how a worker is approved by God. Of course, he was not talking about salvation. A Christian receives God’s approval and is saved. But Paul was talking about how a Christian worker is approved by God in his service to the Lord.
Scripture
Let’s read 2 Timothy 2:14-19:
14 Remind them of these things, and charge them before God not to quarrel about words, which does no good, but only ruins the hearers. 15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth. 16 But avoid irreverent babble, for it will lead people into more and more ungodliness, 17 and their talk will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, 18 who have swerved from the truth, saying that the resurrection has already happened. They are upsetting the faith of some. 19 But God’s firm foundation stands, bearing this seal: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of the Lord depart from iniquity.” (2 Timothy 2:14-19)
Lesson
Timothy 2:14-19 shows us several ways a worker is approved by God.
Let’s use the following outline:
1. Not Quarreling About Words (2:14)
2. Rightly Handling the Word of Truth (2:15)
3. Avoiding Irreverent Babble (2:16-18)
4. Remembering God’s Firm Foundation (2:19)
I. Not Quarreling About Words (2:14)
First, a worker is approved by God by not quarreling about words.
Paul wrote in verse 14, “Remind them of these things, and charge them before God not to quarrel about words, which does no good, but only ruins the hearers.” Who is “them” that Timothy is to remind? It could be the faithful men mentioned earlier in 2 Timothy 2:2 who are teachers. Or it could be the believers that are part of the churches in Ephesus. More likely, however, it seems to me that Paul wanted Timothy to remind the false teachers “not to quarrel about words, which does no good, but only ruins the hearers.”
This is the first of three warnings in this chapter to avoid useless arguments. The second is in verse 16, where Paul wrote, “But avoid irreverent babble, for it will lead people into more and more ungodliness.” And the third is in verse 23, where Paul wrote, “Have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant controversies; you know that they breed quarrels.”
The teaching of the false teachers caused great damage. The Greek word for “ruins” (katastrophe) is where we get our English word “catastrophe,” and it occurs only one other time in the New Testament. It occurs in 2 Peter 2:6 where it refers to the catastrophic destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. By replacing truth with error, false teaching brings spiritual catastrophe to those who embrace it. The ruin can be eternal.
Small deviations from the truth have catastrophic consequences. Our culture is buying into the moral revolution. A growing number of people believe that gender identity is fluid and that people can define whether they are male or female. Many people believe that there is a wide range of sexual identities. While one can understand unbelievers believing this nonsense, it is sad to see that a growing number of professing Christians support it as well. We need Christians—and especially Christian pastors—to stand for biblical truth. They must not cave in to the cultural moment but must proclaim the truth. For, not doing so ruins its hearers.
II. Rightly Handling the Word of Truth (2:15)
Second, a worker is approved by God by rightly handling the word of truth.
Paul wrote in verse 15, “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.” The Greek for “do your best” (spoudazo) is translated in some Bibles as “be diligent” and it denotes zealous persistence in accomplishing a goal. Paul wanted Timothy to give his full attention to presenting himself “to God as one approved.” Timothy was to give maximum effort to proclaim God’s word completely, accurately, and clearly to his hearers. This was particularly necessary because Timothy had to counteract the catastrophic efforts of the false teachers. And he was to do so by “rightly handling the word of truth.” The Greek for “rightly handling” (orthotomeo) occurs only here in the New Testament, and it means “to cut straight.” Paul was alluding to tradesmen, such as carpenters or masonry or tent makers (as he was) who had to make straight cuts. Paul’s point is that precision is required in understanding and applying God’s word.
When I was a teenager, my parents wanted to build a closet in my brother’s bedroom. A friend of the family, who was a carpenter, was hired to do the work. And I was his assistant. One thing he said to me has stuck with me for half a century. If he said it once, he said it a dozen times in the week or so that it took to build that closet, “Measure twice, cut once.” His point was that if I measured incorrectly, I would cut incorrectly and the piece of timber would be wasted. That invaluable lesson is true for reading and studying and applying the word of God to my life and the lives of others. It takes time “to cut straight” when one is dealing with God’s word. But, it is very important to get a right understanding of the meaning of the text so that one does not misapply the word of God.
III. Avoiding Irreverent Babble (2:16-18)
Third, a worker is approved by God by avoiding irreverent babble.
Paul wrote in verse 16, “But avoid irreverent babble, for it will lead people into more and more ungodliness.” Paul wanted Timothy to avoid “irreverent babble,” which has been translated in other Bible versions as “godless chatter” (NIV), “worldly and empty chatter” (NASB 1995), “pointless chatter” (LEB), and “profane and vain babbling” (KJV). Irreverent babble is talk that is void of value and irreverent in substance and spirit. The reason to avoid it is that it leads people into “more and more ungodliness.” Paul wanted Timothy to lead people into more and more righteousness. This can only be done by teaching the truth of God’s word.
One commentator said, “But to all these irreligious and frivolous hairsplittings give a wide berth.” Pastors must keep their noses in the Bible. They must teach the Bible clearly and accurately. They must refute false teaching. They must point God’s people away from “irreverent babble.” This needs to be done with great skill because false teachers use Biblical words and terms but subtly change their meaning to push their false teaching in a new (and unhelpful) direction.
Paul wanted Timothy to avoid irreverent babble. He did not want him to engage in godless chatter. Why? Because, as he wrote in verses 16b-17a, “it will lead people into more and more ungodliness, and their talk will spread like gangrene.” The teaching of the false teachers, according to Paul, was like “gangrene.” The Greek word for “gangrene” (gangraina) occurs only here in the New Testament. It was a medical term in Paul’s day and it referred to a malignant sore that ate away healthy tissue. It was like cancer.
False teaching is cancer that destroys people who embrace it. Our culture is embracing gender and sexual confusion. One can understand that because non-Christians are not anchored to the Bible. But it is increasingly being embraced by churches as well. And wherever that false teaching is embraced and promoted, it destroys the people who hold to it. Oh, they may argue that God made them that way. But that is not true. We have fallen natures that God transforms when we become Christians. We spend the rest of our entire lives fighting the remaining sin in us. So, let us not embrace the cancer of false teaching that seeks to promote error, like sexual confusion.
Paul continued in verses 17b-18, “Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, who have swerved from the truth, saying that the resurrection has already happened. They are upsetting the faith of some.” Paul mentioned two false teachers: Hymenaeus and Philetus. He had previously mentioned Hymenaeus in his First Letter when he wrote, “By rejecting this, some have made shipwreck of their faith, among whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme” (1 Timothy 1:19b-20). Apparently, Philetus replaced Alexander and became Hymenaeus’ accomplice in spreading error. Hymenaeus and Philetus were denying the reality of the resurrection. They probably taught that believers rose spiritually when Jesus rose from the dead, and that was the only resurrection and it had already happened. This false teaching was similar to the contemporary Greek philosophy that matter was evil and spirit was good. This kind of false teaching naturally upset the faith of some.
I recently read a book about mental illness. Once a mental illness is properly diagnosed, and because so little is known about mental illness, it can take many months to find the right medication or combination of medications to help the person. Until that happens, the person may continue to struggle. Spiritually, the antidote for error is always the truth. People may believe in error and they will struggle in their spiritual lives. But until they come to embrace the truth, they will not experience peace and joy and liberty. That is why it is so important to sit under sound preaching and teaching. That is why it is so important to read books that are consistent with the truth rather than books that are in opposition to the truth.
IV. Remembering God’s Firm Foundation (2:19)
And fourth, a worker is approved by God by remembering God’s firm foundation.
Paul wrote in verse 19, “But God’s firm foundation stands, bearing this seal: ‘The Lord knows those who are his,’ and, ‘Let everyone who names the name of the Lord depart from iniquity.’ ” The expression “God’s firm foundation” is likely a reference to the church. The church cannot be overcome by the forces of error and darkness. We remember the words that Jesus spoke to Peter in Matthew 16:18, where he said, “And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” The church is made up of those who belong to God. The “seal” that God has set on his people, the church, signifies ownership and authenticity.
Paul used two quotations from the Old Testament that make up this “seal.” The first quotation is, “The Lord knows those who are his.” This is a paraphrase from Numbers 16:5. The text there is about Korah’s rebellion. Korah and about 250 chiefs rebelled against the leadership of Moses and Aaron. When Moses heard of this rebellion, he fell on his face and said, “The Lord knows those who are his.” Later, a sinkhole swallowed up Korah and those who were part of the rebellion, and Moses and Aaron were kept safe. The seal here signifies their ownership by the Lord.
The second quotation is, “Let everyone who names the name of the Lord depart from iniquity.” This is also part of Moses’ words in the same incident of Korah’s rebellion. It is a paraphrase from Numbers 16:26. And here the seal signifies the authenticity of Moses’ commitment to the Lord.
One commentator has rightly stated, “Both of these concepts were taught by Jesus (Matthew 7:22, 23; Luke 13:27). They present two principles regarding the Church. First, the Church consists of those who belong to God. Second, the Church consists of those who have departed from unrighteousness.”
A decreasing number of people today believe in the afterlife. Nevertheless, a majority of people still do believe in some kind of life after death. Most people believe that if one’s good works outweigh one’s bad deeds, then one will receive some kind of positive eternal reward. But Paul teaches that to receive an eternal reward one must be known by God. And the Lord knows those who are his because his Son Jesus paid the penalty for their sin. They have repented of their sin and believed in him. His righteousness has been credited to believers and the believers’ sin has been credited to Jesus. Because believers are new creations in Christ, they now live in such a way that reflects their new identity in Jesus. They depart from iniquity.
Conclusion
Therefore, having analyzed God’s approval in 2 Timothy 2:14-19, we should read, mark, and learn God’s word so that we can receive his approval.
The words in 2 Timothy 2:14-19 are primarily directed by Paul to Timothy. However, in principle, they apply to every Christian as well. Every Christian wants the approval of God. But it doesn’t just happen. It comes as the result of discipline—spiritual discipline. Kent Hughes gives several examples:
We are accustomed to thinking of Ernest Hemingway as a boozy, undisciplined genius who got through a quart of whiskey a day for the last twenty years of his life but nevertheless had the muse upon him. He was indeed an alcoholic driven by complex passions. But when it came to writing, he was the quintessence of discipline! His early writing was characterized by obsessive literary perfectionism as he labored to develop his economy of style, spending hours polishing a sentence, or searching for the mot juste—the right word. It is a well-known fact that he rewrote the conclusion to his novel A Farewell to Arms seventeen times in an effort to get it right. This is characteristic of great writers….
In our own time Winston Churchill has been rightly proclaimed the speaker of the century, and few who have heard his eloquent speeches would disagree. Still fewer would suspect he was anything but a “natural.” But the truth is, Churchill had a distracting lisp which made him the butt of many jokes and resulted in his inability to be spontaneous in public speaking. Yet he became famous for his speeches and his seemingly impromptu remarks.
Actually, Churchill wrote everything out and practiced it! He even choreographed the pauses and pretended fumblings for the right phrase. The margins of his manuscripts carried notes anticipating the “cheers,” “hear, hears,” “prolonged cheering,” and even “standing ovation.” This done, he practiced endlessly in front of mirrors, fashioning his retorts and facial expressions. F. E. Smith said, “Winston has spent the best years of his life writing impromptu speeches.” A natural? Perhaps. A naturally disciplined hard-working man!
And so it goes, whatever the area of life.
We will never get anywhere in life without discipline, be it in the arts, business, athletics, or academics. This is doubly so in spiritual matters. In other areas we may be able to claim some innate advantage. An athlete may be born with a strong body, a musician with perfect pitch, or an artist with an eye for perspective. But none of us can claim an innate spiritual advantage. In reality, we are all equally disadvantaged. None of us naturally seeks after God, none is inherently righteous, none instinctively does good (cf. Romans 3:9–18). Therefore, as children of grace, our spiritual discipline is everything—everything!
I repeat… discipline is everything!
So, discipline yourself to read, mark, and learn God’s word so that you too can receive his approval. Amen.
