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23 Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. 24 And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. 25 Opponents must be gently instructed, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, 26 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. ~ 2 Timothy 2:23-26
When the Apostle Paul wrote his second letter to Timothy from his dungeon in Rome, he realized that Timothy was living in a world that was about to explode in conflict. Fueling this was the threat that the Church in Ephesus was about to split apart and divide into factions over arguments and divisions which were separating believers. So, in this letter, the Apostle tells how to handle the problem, how to live in a world threatened with conflict, and how to live in a church that is threatened with controversy.
In v.23 we read, "Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels."
From the word translated "foolish" we get our word, moron. Paul references moronic controversies, foolish, trivial matters which, even when they are settled after long and loud debate, do nothing for us. These moronic ideas do not advance the cause of Christ in the least. Such trivial matters may be interesting in some limited way, but they should never be allowed to become controversies and have people divide over them. One example of this would be the age of the earth. Some believe in a literal interpretation of Genesis 1-2 and others believe in a figurative interpretation of those passages. In the end, what difference does it make? We must not divide over such.
The word "stupid" in v.23 really means unlearned, arising out of ignorance. As such, it refers to questions that can not be answered. With these topics, God has not clearly revealed enough in His word and we do not know enough to answer the questions that are being asked.
In v.24 we read, "And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful."
The word “servant” is the Greek word doulos which means “slave.” A slave has no will of his own; he was totally under the command of his master. Once, we were the slaves of sin, but now we are willingly the slaves of God. And, if we do not have this basic understanding of this life, we will see no need for a Savior.
Paul admonished Timothy to avoid the arguments that creates strife, but not to ignore the people. He must not argue or fight. He must be patient, gentle, teaching the Word of God in meekness. It is not enough just to expose error and refute it; we must also teach God's word and establish believers in the faith.
The Greek word translated "teach" in this verse is only used one other time in the New Testament, and that’s in 1 Timothy 3:2, and it means skilled in teaching. The emphasis here is on how well he communicates the Scriptures to those who want to learn.
God requires those who "teach" to be kind and not overbearing. The one who teaches must be skilled at communicating the truth in a gracious, gentle way. The final two words in v.24 means he must be ready to endure mistreatment, without resentment. Our work is unto the Lord and if we keep it that way, we have no one to be angry with, even when they treat us wrongly.
In v.25 we read, "Opponents must be gently instructed, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth."
The word translated "gently" is better translated mild, meek, or humble. And there is to be a humble spirit which says, “I’m not the issue; you can attack me, you can do whatever you want to me; I’m not the issue. The truth is the issue."
Translated repentance, the Apostle Paul uses the word metanoia, emphasizing a change of mind and heart, resulting in a change of direction. God's desire is that we all come to the knowledge of the truth. Given that we were dead in our sins and trespasses, we had no power to turn from evil and back to Him. So, repentance is a gift of God.
The motive for this correction is restoration. The only place repentance will ever come from in this world is from God. Repentance is a gift of God’s grace.
In v.26 we read, "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."
The devil's traps are always designed to destroy, to wreck, to ruin, and to hurt people. But, his initial presentation is much different. He always makes sin to appear attractive. Then, he turns the tables on us. These traps are designed to take away our joy and peace and love and purpose. The devil does this by trapping people in ways that confuse and deceive them.
The word "escape" describes a man coming out of a drunken stupor. Satan makes people drunk with his lies, and our task is to sober them up with God's word, so that He can rescue them. After they come to their senses, they are taken captive to do God’s will.
