TEXT [Commentary]
IV. Dealing with the Opponents (2:14-26)
14 Remind everyone about these things, and command them in God’s presence to stop fighting over words. Such arguments are useless, and they can ruin those who hear them.
15 Work hard so you can present yourself to God and receive his approval. Be a good worker, one who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly explains the word of truth. 16 Avoid worthless, foolish talk that only leads to more godless behavior. 17 This kind of talk spreads like cancer,[*] as in the case of Hymenaeus and Philetus. 18 They have left the path of truth, claiming that the resurrection of the dead has already occurred; in this way, they have turned some people away from the faith.
19 But God’s truth stands firm like a foundation stone with this inscription: “The LORD knows those who are his,”[*] and “All who belong to the LORD must turn away from evil.”[*]
20 In a wealthy home some utensils are made of gold and silver, and some are made of wood and clay. The expensive utensils are used for special occasions, and the cheap ones are for everyday use. 21 If you keep yourself pure, you will be a special utensil for honorable use. Your life will be clean, and you will be ready for the Master to use you for every good work.
22 Run from anything that stimulates youthful lusts. Instead, pursue righteous living, faithfulness, love, and peace. Enjoy the companionship of those who call on the Lord with pure hearts.
23 Again I say, don’t get involved in foolish, ignorant arguments that only start fights. 24 A servant of the Lord must not quarrel but must be kind to everyone, be able to teach, and be patient with difficult people. 25 Gently instruct those who oppose the truth. Perhaps God will change those people’s hearts, and they will learn the truth. 26 Then they will come to their senses and escape from the devil’s trap. For they have been held captive by him to do whatever he wants.
NOTES
2:14 everyone. The verb has no object in the Greek text though everyone in the church is the most likely idea (cf. Titus 3:1). The command could also be focused on the false teachers in particular and anyone flirting with their teaching (cf. 2:25-26), or on the trustworthy people of 2:2. Lastly, though less likely, it could have as its object Timothy himself: “Keep these things in mind.”
God’s. Gr., theou [TG2316, ZG2536], which is supported by א C F G I. A variant reading is kuriou [TG2962, ZG3261] (Lord’s), which is supported by A D Ψ 048 1739 1881; another variant is Christou [TG5547, ZG5986] (Christ’s), found in a few minuscules (206 429 1758). The textual evidence supports the reading of the text, as does the fact that when Paul spoke of giving witness he did so “in the sight of God” (see 4:1; 1 Tim 5:21). The variants were probably created by some scribe(s) influenced by the previous verses (2:10-13), which speak of Christ Jesus and the believers’ relationship to him (Comfort 2008:673).
ruin. The noun, katastrophē [TG2692, ZG2953] speaks of a “state of being intellectually upset to a ruinous degree . . . (the opposite would be edification)” (BDAG 528).
2:15 present. This verb, paristēmi [TG3936, ZG4225], can also have the sense of “make” or “render” (BDAG 778); thus, “render yourself approved to God.” Several times it is used in the context of sacrifice (presenting an offering; e.g., Rom 12:1), but there is little to support that specific meaning in this immediate context.
receive his approval. The Greek uses a double accusative: “to present yourself (as) proven to God.” The adjective is dokimos [TG1384, ZG1511]; Paul had earlier applied the cognate noun (dokimē [TG1382, ZG1509]) to Timothy in Phil 2:22.
correctly explains. This translates orthotomeō [TG3718, ZG3982], which occurs only here and in the LXX of Prov 3:6 and 11:5. In the LXX passage it means “ ‘cut a path in a straight direction’ or ‘cut a road across country (that is forested or otherwise difficult to pass through) in a straight direction’, so that the traveler may go directly to his destination.” For these meanings and some alternatives, see Marshall 1999:749.
2:16 Avoid. Marshall (1999:750) suggests that the idea includes prohibiting their work in the congregation.
that only leads. Lit., “for they will advance to.” The subject could be the preceding “foolish talk” (which is plural in the Greek) or the talkers themselves. The latter is favored by the genitive pronouns of 2:17 (cf. Knight 1992:413). For Marshall (1999:750), the logic is that if Timothy left the talkers unchecked he would in effect encourage them, and they would make more progress.
2:17 spreads like cancer. This translates hōs gangraina [TG1044, ZG1121] nomēn hexei (cf. “gangrene”), which could also be rendered “spreads [has pasture] like gangrene.”
2:18 left the path. This word, astocheō [TG795, ZG846], means “stray (from a norm)” or “depart”; it frames 1 Timothy (see 1 Tim 1:6; 6:21).
the resurrection of the dead. The article before “resurrection” (tēn [TG3588, ZG3836]) is textually uncertain. It is not included in א F G 048 33, whose reading might then suggest only that a resurrection has already occurred. The article is included, however, in A C D Ψ 1739 1881 TR. It is bracketed in the NA/UBS text to show the editors’ doubts about its original inclusion. It is likely that scribes added the article to make it clear that the text refers to the eschatological resurrection (Comfort 2008:674).
turned some people away from the faith. Lit., “overturned (upset, ruined) the faith of some.” The same verb (anatrepō [TG396, ZG426]) is used in reference to what happened to certain households as noted in Titus 1:11.
2:19 God’s truth stands firm like a foundation stone. Lit., “the firm foundation of God stands.” The NLT converts the metaphor to a simile and makes explicit what is being compared. The Greek is open, however. It could be the truth (NLT), the church (1 Tim 3:15), God, Christ, the apostles, or some combination of these (Eph 2:19-22).
inscription. This translates sphragis [TG4973, ZG5382], meaning “seal, the impress of a signet, certification” (Rom 4:11; 1 Cor 9:2).
The Lord knows. The aorist (egnō [TG1097, ZG1182]) in this context is timeless (Porter 1989:237).
2:21 you will be ready for the Master to use you. Lit., “useful to the Master, having been made ready.” The adjective “useful” (euchrēstos [TG2173, ZG2378]) will be used again of Mark in 4:11; it is otherwise used in the NT only of Onesimus in Phlm 1:11 (cf. 2:14).
2:22 Run from . . . pursue. Greek grammar permits a potent arrangement of the words, placing the two contrasting imperatives end to end: “the youthful desires flee, pursue righteousness.”
Enjoy the companionship of those who call on the Lord with pure hearts. This line is to be understood as directly related to the preceding NLT sentence. More literally: “Pursue . . . peace with those who call on the Lord.” The Greek itself leaves unclear whether the prepositional phrase is adverbial, “along with those who call on the Lord pursue . . . peace,” or adjectival, “pursue . . . peace (specifically a peace that is) with those who call on the Lord.” But since there is no clear warrant for limiting the scope of the exhortation in this context, the adverbial understanding is to be favored.
2:23 Again I say. These words are added by the NLT, signaling that Paul is still in the vein of thought begun in 2:14.
don’t get involved in foolish, ignorant arguments that only start fights. The vocabulary used here is used elsewhere in the letters to Timothy and Titus: “foolish” (Titus 3:9); “ignorant” (parallel idea in 1 Tim 1:7); “arguments” (1 Tim 1:4; 6:4; Titus 3:9); “fights” (2:14, 24; 1 Tim 6:4; Titus 3:9; cf. 1 Tim 3:3; Titus 3:2). Such things would flesh out the “youthful lusts” of 2:22.
2:25 those who oppose the truth. This translates the participial phrase, tous antidiatithemenous. The phrase has no direct object (“the truth” is supplied by the NLT), the verb antidiatithēmi [TG475, ZG507] is rarely used (only here in the NT and seldom outside of it), and it is debated whether the voice of the participle is middle or passive. If it is passive (“those who are adversely affected”; cf. Fee 1988:265, 267), it refers to those victimized by the false teachers. Most, however, like the NLT, take it as middle, “those who are opposed to” (cf. synonyms in 3:8; 4:15; 1 Tim 1:10; 5:14; Titus 1:9). Elsewhere the opposition is to “the truth” (3:8), “everything we said” (4:15), and “the wholesome teaching” (1 Tim 1:10).
God will change those people’s hearts. The verb and noun for repentance (metanoeō [TG3340, ZG3566], metanoia [TG3341, ZG3567], “a change of mind”) occur frequently in the synoptic Gospels, Acts, and Revelation, but are relatively uncommon in Paul generally and are found only here in the letters to Timothy and Titus.
2:26 held captive by him to do whatever he wants. The verb zōgreō [TG2221, ZG2436] (capture alive) is used elsewhere in the NT only at Luke 5:10. The antecedents of the pronouns are debated, and the switch from the personal pronoun (hup’ autou [TG5259/846, ZG5679/899], “by him”) to the demonstrative (ekeinou [TG1565, ZG1697], “of that one”; NLT, “he”) suggests to some that the antecedents differ. For example, it is possible to understand the language as “having been taken alive by the devil to do the will of God.” It is also possible, though a grammatical stretch, to take the final prepositional phrase (“unto the will of that one”) as attaching back to the main verb: “They will come to their senses . . . unto the will of that one [i.e., God].” Yet, as in the NLT, the antecedent of the first pronoun (him) is most naturally the devil and the change to the demonstrative does not need to signal a switch of antecedent (Marshall 1999:768).
COMMENTARY [Text]
There are people who are never more alive than when in conflict, and there are people who cannot live with conflict. Neither represents the mature servant of the Lord, whose course Paul was charting to perfection. In the passage before us the servant will neither promote discord nor avoid dealing with it when it is on the path of truth. The mature will make their way steadily forward on the Way and, out of both love and truth, draw as many others as possible as far as they can with them.
Having encouraged Timothy to think on what he was saying and to remember Jesus Christ (2:7-8), Paul then commanded him to draw the remainder of the churches into the same teaching: “Remind everyone about these things” (2:14). Having given his charge to Timothy in two steps (1:3-18; 2:1-13), Paul now goes through two new cycles of directives that center on the immediate (2:14-26) and long-term (3:1–4:8) concerns for the larger work. This verse (2:14) therefore transitions nicely, glancing back over the preceding while turning ahead to the work at hand.
The momentary widening of perspective to take in the whole church gives way to the ongoing, narrower focus on Timothy’s own conduct, now with pointed reference to the troublemakers within the churches. Timothy was charged to “command them in God’s presence to stop fighting over words” (2:14). The word translated “command” has the meaning “to exhort with authority in matters of extraordinary importance, frequently with reference to higher powers and/or suggestion of peril” (BDAG 233). Paul meant business on this (cf. 4:1; 1 Tim 5:21); Timothy was to assert himself forcefully. And whether or not he would be taken seriously by those who would receive the warning, the invocation of God’s presence here is not pious ornamentation. The church has been given heaven’s authority (Matt 16:19; 18:18-20); the apostle was willing, if need be, to exercise the authority that had been given him (1 Cor 5:1-5; 2 Cor 10:1-11; 13:1-10). Disobeying such a charge placed the disobedient in God’s hands (4:1). Consequences are certain, whether immediate (e.g., Acts 5:5, 10; 12:23; 13:11; 1 Cor 11:30) or delayed.
This solemnity causes us to wonder what could be so bad; after all it merely says they were “fighting with words.” The same idea is expressed at 2:23, 1 Timothy 1:4, 6:4, and Titus 3:9. Since this is a standard charge against opponents in disputes over ideas, one that is found in other Greco-Roman writers as well, it would be a mistake to draw precise conclusions about what the troublemakers were doing (Johnson 2001:391). It would also be mistaken to think either that Paul was forbidding careful attention to the meanings of words—either those of Scripture or those we ourselves use—or that Paul was saying that it is wrong to engage, even to argue, with these people (cf. 2:25). The allusion is to quarreling, quibbling, wrangling over words, seizing on texts without due attention to their proper context, engaging in polemics, reveling in novel interpretations and disputed points of teaching. Whatever these people were doing, it is clear what they were not doing, namely, cherishing and promoting the “wholesome teaching” (1:13) and the Scriptures (3:10-17).
Paul hits it exactly on the head in 1 Timothy 1:3-7: They were missing love—love for the Lord and for his family, the love of the Lord who wants all people to be saved, and a loving longing for Christ’s future appearing (cf. 4:8). Into the void rushes vanity, and the result is the stuff of sin and death. The arguments and fights were, by all the standards of genuine love, “useless”—nothing good comes of it (cf. Titus 3:8-9)—“and they can ruin those who hear them” (2:14). The coughing and hacking by which they disseminate their loveless ideas spread the contagions and bring the ruinous disease to those in reach (3:5-7; 4:3-4; 1 Tim 1:19; Titus 1:11, 16). The verb translated as “hear” may have the stronger sense of “listen to” (attentively), but the idea may be simply that it is destructive merely to be in the audience of such teaching. Either they are just plausible enough to convince the unwitting or their words did not take root because of some other weakness in the listener. The sensation stirred in the wider public by The Da Vinci Code and the wild claims that accompanied the publication of the Gospel of Judas in 2006 are good illustrations of such effects. Paul’s concern here is with what happens in the churches. This sort of business must simply stop and be replaced by “wholesome teaching.”
Be an Approved Worker (2:15-18). Timothy, for his part, was called upon to “work hard so [he] can present [himself] to God and receive his approval” (2:15). Theodore Roosevelt said, “Far and away the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing.” The idea in this passage, however, is not that Timothy is to be a hard-working person but rather that he is to take pains to present himself. This isn’t about a work ethic but about what is zealously and conscientiously to be worked at. This idea of the formal presentation before God for his approval recalls the mention of “God’s presence” in 2:14 and also the combined images of Jesus’ parables in Matthew 25:14-30 (“Well done, my good and faithful servant”) and 25:31-46 (“Come, you who are blessed by my Father”); note also John 12:43 (cf. Rom 6:13; 14:10, 18); 1 Corinthians 3:5–4:5; and 2 Corinthians 5:9-15. In this context the emphasis is on Timothy’s use of Scripture, which must contrast with that of the word-fighters and set an example for others (Marshall 1999:747). The word translated “approval” relates to that which proves genuine on the basis of testing. Scripture is consistent on this point: Only that which can pass the test of trials is genuine, and only that which is genuine counts (e.g., Jas 1:2; 1 Pet 1:6-7).
In the face of the insistent pressure of the false teaching and the threat of suffering, Paul encouraged Timothy to maintain a sense of honor that looks to God rather than his contemporaries. Piling another metaphor onto the list of 2:3-6 (soldier, athlete, farmer), Timothy is to “be a good worker, one who does not need to be ashamed” (2:15). The notion of workers producing work that will be approved is generally applicable (Paul may have been thinking of his own experience in the market place as a leatherworker; see Acts 18:3), though here it might recall the earlier uses of the idea of shame (1:8, 12, 16). Such a worker is one “who correctly explains the word of truth” (2:15). Somewhat ironically, the Greek word that Paul used here, being seldom used in any Greek literature, is difficult to define (see note on 2:15). It could have the denotation of “rightly dividing the word of truth” (as in KJV) or to “correctly explain[ing]” (as in NLT) the word. The general sense is captured by the NLT, and the context indicates the concerns behind it. Alternatively we can explain the phrase as “guide the word of truth along a straight path (like a road that goes straight to its goal), without being turned aside by wordy debates or impious talk” (BDAG 722). This would not exclude the idea of right interpretation but would emphasize more the idea of avoiding the distractions and abuses of the false teachers, the pedants, and the theological pretenders. In his lectures to his students, the British preacher Charles Spurgeon had an eye on these pitfalls when he declared, “Of all I would wish to say this is the sum; my brethren, preach Christ, always and evermore. He is the whole gospel. His person, offices, and work must be our one great, all-comprehending theme . . . to have faithfully unveiled the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ will be in the final judgment accounted worthier service than to have solved the problems of the religious Sphinx, or to have cut the Gordian knot of Apocalyptic difficulty. Blessed is the ministry of which Christ is all” (1890:127, 129). Certainly no expenditure of time and sweat is too great to obtain this theme, and nothing must be allowed to turn the servant aside from faithfully proclaiming Jesus Christ (see 3:15; 1 Cor 1:18-23; 2:2; 2 Cor 2:17; 4:1-6).
Paul urged Timothy himself to avoid the sophistries of the false teachers because it only “leads to more godless behavior.” It is the corrosive effect of this talk that concerns Paul the most. The words translated “that leads to” can also be translated “they [the talkers] will make progress.” If they were in fact boasting of being “advanced,” then Paul might have been employing sarcasm. They had advanced, but in the wrong direction! The connection between this thought and the command to avoid this talk pertains to where this talking takes the people involved in it. But if by “avoid” Paul also means “prohibit,” as argued by Marshall (1999:750), then the idea could be that if these talkers are not controlled, they will wreak even more damage than they already have.
The term Paul used for “godless behavior” (asebeia [TG763, ZG813]) is related to the word that is translated “godly life” (eusebōs [TG2153, ZG2357]) at 3:12 (see the discussion there and at Titus 2:11-14). The latter is a favorite term of Paul’s in these letters to his coworkers, representing a virtue that was entirely at home in the surrounding Greco-Roman world, but which for Greek-speaking Jews and then for Christians had become aligned with the Old Testament idea of the “fear of the Lord.” It represented, then, both the idea of proper devotion shown toward God and the kind of conduct that was shaped by and consistent with that devotion. For Christians all of this is centered on Christ. Two things are involved in what Paul says about it here. First, the godless behavior was already present. That would be the base-line expectation, of course, given the reality of sin. The point here is that at best this kind of empty talk cannot cultivate godly behavior (3:5), so the weeds of sin thrive and take over; worse, their teaching actively promotes godlessness (3:1-5; 1 Tim 4:1-5; Titus 1:10-16). Second, implied in the word choice (asebeia = “godless behavior”) is Paul’s larger concern for the spread of the Good News. This is language that pagans used for what we call impiety. The form of life promoted by the talk of these teachers is discreditable even in the eyes of pagan onlookers; even they would regard this conduct as godless. The Good News was in danger of being mocked rather than adorned (cf. Titus 2:5, 8, 10).
This attempt to curb a certain kind of talk is of course not something that sits easily with modern Western society, which prides itself on free speech and the unrestricted exchange of ideas. But common experience and passages like these make clear that talk is not cheap and it is not without real effect. The metaphor is a bit hyperbolic, but it communicates something: Language creates the world. It does not merely respond to and talk about; it alters the world. At the very least, language shapes perceptions and values, and these shape conduct and larger movements, even the physical state of things. It can destroy, and it can build (e.g., Prov 12:18; 15:4; 18:21; 26:28). Words are too potent to be used flippantly or carelessly, and for our conversation—most of which we presently could not call to mind if we tried—we will give a strict accounting (Matt 12:36; Jas 3:1-12). As the preaching and teaching of the word of truth, language comes with the Spirit and grace of God, and so with the power to bring life.
Employing one of the most colorful and memorable analogies of Scripture, Paul depicted their kind of talk as a spreading cancer. A more literal translation is suggestive: “Their word will spread [have pasture] like gangrene.” Gangraina [TG1044, ZG1121] is “a disease involving severe inflammation, which if left unchecked can become a destructive ulcerous condition” (BDAG 186). As used here the analogy is probably more concerned with the spread of the disease through the community than through the individual soul. It certainly recalls contrasting descriptions of “healthy” or “wholesome teaching” (1:13; cf. 4:3; 1 Tim 1:10; 6:3; Titus 1:9, 13; 2:1-2, 8). The two named persons, Hymenaeus and Philetus, were infecting agents. Hymenaeus may be the same individual who had earlier undergone discipline for his blasphemous teaching (1 Tim 1:20). If so, and if Paul was referring to ongoing activity, then Hymenaeus had remained a menace within Ephesus, or Timothy had moved to other areas within Asia Minor, possibly in or near Troas (4:13). Hymenaeus was likely a Gentile, since the name is not at all found among Jews (Quinn and Wacker 2000:145). Philetus (a Greek name meaning “beloved”) may also have been a Gentile convert (Quinn and Wacker 2000:679). He is not otherwise known from the New Testament. Since we can see from his other letters that Paul had not been in the habit of naming his opponents (he usually refers to them as “some” or “certain ones”), these individuals were probably already somewhat famous and, perhaps, viewed as simply intransigent (Titus 3:10-11).
Hymenaeus and Philetus had “left the path of truth” (2:18). These false teachers had been Christian believers. Their theme is summarized in their claim that “the resurrection of the dead has already occurred” (2:18). First Corinthians hints at similar teachings at work in Corinth (1 Cor 15:12; cf. 1 Cor 4:8-13; 2 Thess 2:2). But what does this line mean here? This is not a claim that there is no resurrection (contrast the Sadducees; Matt 22:23; Acts 23:8). It may have been a radicalization of Paul’s own teaching about being “raised with Christ” (Rom 6:5; Gal 2:20; Eph 1:3; 2:6; 5:14; Col 2:12; 3:1-4), possibly also the denial of a bodily resurrection yet to come. In Gnosticism, a heresy of the second century and later, we can see that such ideas could lead in quite different ethical directions (cf. Irenaeus Against Heresies 1.6.3-4; 1.23-25; Rudolph 1984:253-258); by analogy the same could be true here. Such ideas could have the potential of leading adherents to consider bodily conduct to be irrelevant, and thus lead to moral license. For instance, one is free to engage in sexual immorality because it concerns only the body, which is destined to be discarded anyway (cf., e.g., 2:22; 3:4; 1 Tim 6:9; Titus 3:3). But this thinking could also lead in the opposite direction, to a type of world-denying asceticism, a greater emphasis on the denial of physical desires (1 Tim 4:3; cf. Col 2:8, 16-23). This latter development conceivably could have drawn on expectations of life in the age to come (e.g., Matt 19:10-12; 22:30) and/or their teachings on the Old Testament law (1 Tim 1:7-11). Their teaching may have also involved a radicalization or overly aggressive promotion of the social equality expressed in Galatians 3:28 on the basis of the belief that the age to come was here since the resurrection had already occurred. The effect of it appears to have been greatest on women and households (3:6; Titus 1:11; see 1 Tim 2:11-15; 6:1-2; 5:13-15). (For more discussion see Towner 1987; Johnson 2001:390-393; Marshall 1999:751-754.)
Clearly we cannot get beyond “maybe” and “could be” in these descriptions of the heresy being taught. The present context of 2 Timothy 2:8-13 implies that the false teachers’ ministries represented the kind of triumphalism and boasting characteristic of the “super apostles” of 2 Corinthians (cf. 2 Cor 11:5), as opposed to the cruciform ministry of the authentic apostle (2 Cor 4:7-15; 12:8-10). This brand of theology fails to understand the character of the present age, standing between the “appearances” of Christ, as an age of “sharing in [Christ’s] death” (Phil 3:10; cf. 2:11; 2 Cor 5:14-15; 1 Pet 4:13) through the power of Christ’s resurrection. Such triumphalism would fundamentally undercut the apostle Paul’s entire gospel of the Cross and cruciform ministry. The emphasis in 2:8-26 on Christ’s resurrection (2:8) may have been written with this distortion in mind.
At the highest level of generalization, we can say that doctrine, theology, and right belief matter. Because of this and because not all teaching belongs equally to the core of Christian faith (the Resurrection certainly belongs to that core), every generation of believers must shoulder the responsibility of thinking deeply and carefully about the “pattern of wholesome teaching” (1:13) bequeathed by the apostles. A church can thrive on style for a season; it can even drift into false teaching without external signs of trouble—for a while. But the relationship between truth and life is inviolable, and where truth is diluted or replaced with “relevance” or assimilated into error, life diminishes and eventually is extinguished. Like heart disease one need only do “what comes naturally” and “party on” to move the condition along. No alarms will sound right up to the time of the ambulance ride, unless one is making regular visits to an attentive and sharp doctor.
In the case of these churches, the loose talkers had already “turned some people away from the faith” (2:18). Such folks may have been shaken by this strike against the keystone of their faith, much like some modern believers are shaken by the popular argument that the New Testament represents only one of several viable versions of Christian faith circulating in the earliest church that are only now being “discovered” (the church having conspired to hide them). Such talk can trigger a cascade of doubts about the Bible and traditional teaching. But it is not necessary to think that Timothy’s people, those who had been charmed by the word-fighters, were themselves aware that anything serious had taken place; they may have been indignant at what they viewed as Paul’s patronizing attitude. They may have felt themselves more enlightened in their new ideas. Certainly Hymenaeus and Philetus would put their own spin on the whole affair. In our own day their spawn would contend that theirs is merely another version of faith, one more “authentic” and less “compromised.” Whatever the spin, the facts for Timothy were as Paul expressed them, and the servants of Lord have their charge (cf. Jer 23; Ezek 33–34; Acts 20:25-35).
God’s Truth Stands Firm (2:19-21). Lest Paul’s warning against the infectious spread of this talk ring pessimistic, Paul recalls us to the happy, unchangeable truth: “God’s truth stands firm like a foundation stone” (for alternative understandings of the image, see note on 2:19). Building imagery is common in the New Testament (see 1 Cor 3:10-11; Eph 2:20; Rev 21:14). Here the image is drawn from Isaiah 28:16 (cf. Rom 9:33; 10:11; 1 Pet 2:6). Though it goes without development in this context, the idea is that of a temple or house (cf. 1 Pet 2:4-7; also Johnson 2001:396-398), and the emphasis is on its invulnerability.
The unconquerable hope that Paul had declared in 2:9, “the word of God cannot be chained,” is the insistent refrain of this letter. In a way that does not negate but mysteriously intermingles with human faithfulness, there is the unalterable and irresistible power and authority of God in this work. It is just as Jesus had said, “I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it” (Matt 16:18).
If we live in a part of the world where the church has stood for generations as an institution and where threats seem to exist only on the peripheries or tend to be of the more insidious and hidden nature, such a strong assurance may seem superfluous. But it is just such complacency that is in need of a jolt (Rev 3:1-6, 14-22)! In any event, this was not the case for Paul, Timothy, and their churches. With the apostle in chains, on death row, abandoned on all sides, the future of the gospel and of his work was not certain, humanly speaking. Likewise there are regions within the modern church where war, disease, poverty, false teachings, and persecution would appear to have a less established church on the ropes. Yet appearances are deceiving!
The significance of this foundation is brought out through an inscription, words carved on the stone signifying ownership, entailing permanence, protection, and concern for holiness. This assures Timothy that the false teaching will not win the day, no matter how great its inroads (2:16-17a, 18b; cf. 3:9), and it reinforces the call to purity. The inscription reads: “The LORD knows those who are his.” The quotation is from Numbers 16:5, where the context is the rebellion of the Levite Korah and his associates (the counterparts of Timothy’s false teachers) attempting to usurp the priestly ministry (see 3:8; Jude 1:11). Within the fog of competing claims, all pretenders must know they will be unmasked and suffer Korah’s fate. No one familiar with that story should be tempted to ally themselves with the word- fighters, and all who are true of heart should be eager to prove their loyalties. The servant of 2:24 is assured that the Lord is able to reclaim his own from wandering (2:25-26). The church will be preserved, and those that are true will be validated. The sword of God’s justice will cut with exactness and perfection. As a result, any whose sense of assurance has been shaken by the work of the false teachers can regain confidence.
If the first half of the inscription emphasizes the Lord’s role (though implying the appropriate response), the second half emphasizes human responsibility: “All who belong to the LORD must turn away from evil” (2:19). The phrase “all who belong to the LORD” is more literally “everyone who names the name of the Lord.” No single Scripture matches this line as a whole. Among those usually mentioned are Leviticus 24:16; Numbers 16:26-27; Job 36:10; Psalm 6:8 (cf. Matt 7:23; Luke 13:27); 34:14; Proverbs 3:7; Isaiah 26:13; 52:11; Joel 2:32 [3:5]. The line could be taken as an invitation to the false teachers to repent. More likely it is intended as a call to those within the church to turn from evil. If the temple idea is still in mind (see above), then the concern may be to maintain the holiness of the temple (cf. 2 Cor 6:14–7:1).
In these two lines Paul was doing far more than merely mentioning a promise and a warning. In ancient visual arts, stories unfolded in successive images. When Aeneas sat at the table of Dido, before him “on the tables is a massive silver plate, and in gold are graven the doughty deeds of her sires, a long, long course of exploits traced through many a hero from the early days of the race” (Aeneid 1.640-642). Likewise the inscription on this foundation stone calls to mind the successive images of the long, sacred history of Israel that established what it means to be the people chosen by and belonging to this God. It is a serious matter, engendering unshakable confidence and fearful reverence. Both lines of the inscription find application in what follows, first indirectly through the analogy of a house (2:20-21), then through the more direct exhortations that follow (2:22-26).
The architectural imagery of the foundation stone (2:19) is continued with that of a house. Unlike the images of soldiers, athletes, farmers, and workers (2:3-7, 15), Paul expands this one by saying, “In a wealthy home some utensils are made of gold and silver, and some are made of wood and clay. The expensive utensils are used for special occasions, and the cheap ones are for everyday use” (cf. 3:17; Rom 9:21; Phlm 1:11). The imagery alludes to the fact that the church is a mixed community including within its ranks both the true and the false (Marshall 1999:759, 761). The Greek of the second line is more literally “some [or, the former] unto honor and others [or, the latter] unto dishonor.” It is unclear whether the distinction concerns the materials (e.g., gold for honor, clay for dishonor) or cuts across them (some, of gold or clay, for honor, others, again of either material, for dishonor). In any event, the distinction between materials does not appear to carry through in what follows. The primary point of their valuation depends on the use to which they are put: expensive vases for decorating as opposed to chamber pots, for example.
In light of this, Paul told Timothy to “keep himself pure” (lit., “if someone cleanses himself/herself from these”). The meaning of the Greek is uncertain. After verse 20 it appears to mean that one would get rid of the vessels “unto dishonor,” but this breaks down in what follows. With some violence to the image (the application overrunning the strict imagery), the idea appears to be one of being promoted from being a vessel of dishonor to one of honor. This cleansing is accomplished by getting rid of the associations of a vessel unto dishonor. In the present situation, this means getting rid of the practices (teachings and behaviors) of the false teachers; some suggest it is the false teachers or their teachings specifically that must be removed, though this is less likely. By being cleansed, “you will be a special utensil for honorable use.” The general point is that within God’s household one should endeavor to be the vessel “unto honor”—that is, one that will be cherished, used, and preserved (= enter glory) rather than treated with contempt and thrown out (= fall under judgment). Given the paradox of “power in weakness” that pervades this entire passage, Paul might have intended some irony in this image: The “vessel unto honor” appears to be anything but that in the present (2:9; 2 Cor 4:7)!
The picture thus drawn is a compelling one, yet it masks the considerable determination and struggle involved in the matter of keeping oneself pure. The motivations for doing so and the hidden divine action involved are therefore elaborated: “Your life will be clean” (2:21). This could also be translated, “having been consecrated” (i.e., included in that which is holy), or “having been purified” (i.e., that which defiles and makes unholy has been removed). The term hagiazō [TG37, ZG39] relates to that which disqualifies a person or thing from being in the presence of God or in his service. The passive voice of the Greek participle (see the alternative renderings) is probably used for the sovereign and gracious action of God in salvation rather than simply for the result of the self-cleansing just described (cf. 2:9-10; Titus 3:4-7).
For any who carry the feeling of stain on their lives—either through evil done by them or evil done to them—Scripture’s promises of cleansing are, for those who believe them, a source of unbelievable freedom and joyful service. Such a person will know himself or herself to be objectively qualified by God, immune from any accusation of wrongdoing (Rom 8:31-39; 1 Cor 4:1-5; cf. Isa 6:7), and subjectively emboldened, freed from an accusing conscience (1 John 3:18-24). The thought here is of no mere legal declaration of holiness that is contradicted by one’s actual living. In this context exactly the opposite is in view: This is a life marked by cleansing and holiness.
Accordingly, a person “will be ready for the Master to use” them (2:21); the master (despotēs [TG1203, ZG1305]) is the head of the household and owner of the various utensils. Continuing the literal rendering, the thought finishes thus: “having been prepared for every good work.” There is a strong emphasis on “good works” in general in the letters to Timothy and Titus in response to the moral corruptions brought by the false teachings (see 3:17; 1 Tim 5:10; Titus 1:16; 3:1). In the context of 2 Timothy the good works center on the building up of God’s church (2:16); they ultimately have an eye on the church’s mission in the wider public.
Holiness, purity, readiness, and usefulness are all values that we may or may not esteem. In this world, in fact, desire—for power, possessions, and sex (see 2:22)—rules the hearts of people until its power is broken and it becomes desire for the one who is alone truly good and the true object of human desire. Saint Augustine said, “To praise you is the desire of man, a little piece of your creation. You stir man to take pleasure in praising you, because you have made us for yourself, and our heart is restless until it rests in you” (Confessions 1.1.1). Whether we know it or not, our desires, though perverted, are finally a desire for God. Thus C. S. Lewis wrote, “Earth, if chosen instead of Heaven, will turn out to have been, all along, only a region in Hell: and earth, if put second to Heaven, to have been from the beginning a part of Heaven itself. . . . Any man who reaches heaven will find that what he abandoned (even in plucking out his right eye) has not been lost: that the kernel of what he was really seeking even in his most depraved wishes will be there, beyond expectation, waiting for him in ‘the High Countries’. In that sense it will be true for those who have completed the journey (and for no others) to say that good is everything and Heaven everywhere” (preface to The Great Divorce). Paul was writing to those in whom the power of sinful desire is broken so that, though they are not yet perfect, they can be stirred by the vision of what is properly to be longed for.
Exhortations to Purity (2:22-26). Dropping the imagery of the house and its Master, Paul turned to direct exhortations, though very much in the same line of thought: “Run from anything that stimulates youthful lusts,” that is, from youthful desires. It may be, as in the NLT, that the emphasis is on that which gives rise to the desires (“stimulates”) and that the desires in view are sexual in nature (“lusts”). In that sense it is hard not to recall the literal flight of Joseph (Gen 39:12)! Or, less happily, the failing of King David (2 Sam 11:1-27) and his son (1 Kgs 11:1-13). Then we recall the extreme measures that Jesus called forth in dealing with these desires (i.e., gouge out your eye, cut off your hand; Matt 5:27-30). Thinking of the latter, we are quick to observe that Jesus spoke figuratively. Sin is rooted not in a body part but in the heart! Then again, an American hiker provoked amazement and even admiration when to save his earthly life he cut off his own arm, which had become wedged between two boulders. Jesus spoke to those who value the life of God’s kingdom. In a society swimming in sex, our own hearts must interpose this command between our senses and every form of media, style of dress, and casual conversation. The Greek wording, however, does not require that the desires be specifically sexual in nature because epithumia [TG1939, ZG2123] refers to desires in general, whether good or bad. In this context (2:24-26) the focus may be on the imprudent, headstrong, rash, and often divisive tendencies of youth. This would amount to a call to restraint in the face of the provocation and irritations of the opponents (see also 4:1-4). We should not force between these two views a strict interpretation as to Paul’s meaning.
In the ethics of the Scriptures it is never enough merely not to do evil, as if it is righteousness merely not to hate and murder and rape. Rather, it is always a matter of actively and positively doing what is just and merciful and faithful (Matt 23:23) and loving. Thus in 1 John 3:11-24 one has not obeyed the command not to murder merely by abstaining from hitting another with a cudgel but rather only when one has given up one’s own life for that person in love. So also here, righteousness is defined even more by what is pursued than by what is run from.
Timothy is urged to pursue righteous living, faithfulness, love, and peace. In the context of conflict and opposition the emphasis may well fall on the last in the list: peace (cf. 1:2; Fee 1988:263-264). Yet each of the four words summons up a great theme of Scripture, each of them coming to a head in the life, teaching, and salvation brought to light in “the appearing of Christ Jesus, our Savior” (1:10). For this, one cannot do better than a long meditation on the four Gospels, illuminated on the one side by the Old Testament writings, which they fulfill, and on the other side by the rest of the New Testament writings, which explain them.
In the act of pursuing peace, Timothy is encouraged to “enjoy the companionship of those who call on the Lord with pure hearts” (see note on 2:22). The phrasing used here for “those who call on the Lord” (tōn epikaloumenōn ton kurion [TG1941A/2962, ZG2126/3261]; cf. “call/Lord”) is common; see, for example, Acts 2:21 (from Joel 2:32), 2:38 (where the “Lord” is identified as Jesus Christ), Romans 10:13 (again dependent on Joel 2:32), and 1 Corinthians 1:2. It is traditional wording and therefore pregnant with meaning. The phrase “with pure hearts” is identical in its Greek wording to that used in 1 Timothy 1:5, where it marks out precisely that from which the false teachers have strayed (see commentary on 2:18). That said, we can observe that just as Paul did previously in 1:9-10; 2:8; and 2:11-13, here also he is invoking potent, confessional formulations—familiar wordings—as antidotes to the toxins of the false teaching. In this context, following the use of related phrasing in 2:19 (lit., “all who name the name of the Lord”; see note on 2:19), it may be the life-shaping hope involved in this expression that is a specific response to the denial of a future resurrection and the godless living that results from that teaching (2:18; cf. 4:1-2). The same hook back to 2:19 signals that Timothy is to nurture the self-identity of the community embodied in the inscription of 2:19. He is to view himself as belonging to that assembly that calls on the Lord. Just as in 2:19, so also here this sense of identity serves both to embolden Timothy and to spur him to turn away from evil and toward appropriate behavior. In short, “Timothy, run with the right crowd, namely, the disciples of Jesus; adopt their view of things and share in their mutually strengthening fellowship.”
Verse 23 resumes the thought of 2:14, 16-18; indeed, the whole of 2:14-26 is a revolving wheel of what Timothy is to do and not to do, to be and not to be. The section begins with Paul telling Timothy not to get involved in arguments “that only start fights”; this is a suggestive metaphor, which could also be rendered “they breed fights.” To which we might add “as if breeding vipers” (Matt 3:7; 12:34; 23:33), making the church into a snake pit. The rather dismissive sounding characterizations (“foolish” and “ignorant”) suggest that Paul has detected in this stream of false teaching not only error, which might be constructively engaged and corrected (something Paul was perfectly willing to do, as in the entire letter to the Romans), but a groundlessly pretentious and disingenuous spirit that thrives on quarrels and only debauches those who partake in it.
Since this kind of dismissive rhetoric is, at least on the surface, somewhat distinctive of the letters to Timothy and Titus, and since this has contributed to the argument against Pauline authorship (Dibelius and Conzelmann 1972:2-3), an explanation is called for. One possibility is that earlier in his life Paul may have gone at it tooth-and-nail with these very teachers, as we see him do for instance in Galatians or 2 Corinthians. If so, he has by now learned from those experiences that his lifelong rivals neither understand nor care to understand “the truth.” From the apostle’s viewpoint, forged through years of experience, their arguments were logically just foolish and unlearned, and they have proven personally recalcitrant and incorrigible (Titus 3:9-11). Fresh opponents would receive the benefit of a doubt and a lively engagement, but this crowd must be controlled, quite simply. Or again, perhaps Paul had begun to adopt a strategy closer to that of Jesus, James, and Jude, engaging more heavily at the level of ethics and authority than theological argumentation (contrast Romans 1–11 with James, for example). Another possibility is that the opponents of the letters to Timothy and Titus are simply of a different flavor than those earlier groups and that a different type of response was therefore called for. Yet again, it remains possible that the counsel Paul gave here, although packaged differently for the sake of coworkers, is entirely consistent with the way we see Paul responding in his earlier defenses of the gospel and his apostleship. Either way (lest we descend into ignorant arguments), while Paul by no means advises ignoring them (2:25-26), there are necessary limits and real traps to be avoided.
Once again the wheel revolves with what not to be and what to be. Paul has been barraging Timothy with metaphors through which he is rightly to imagine himself and his place in the world: my dear son, soldier, athlete, farmer, worker, one who belongs to the Lord, special household utensil. Now comes a particularly suggestive title: a servant of the Lord. With variations, Paul refers to himself with this title (Titus 1:1), and it can apply to Christians in general (1 Cor 7:22), but especially to leaders (Phil 1:1; Col 4:12). There may be here a deliberate reminiscence about the servant of the Lord in Isaiah 42:2 (cf. Isa 50:6; 53:7; Marshall 1999:765), who “will not shout [strive] or raise his voice in public.” Without question, Jesus is a perfect model of what is meant (see especially Matt 12:18-21). The phrase has at once an authorizing (of the Lord) and moderating force as it reminds Timothy that he is to represent his Lord’s character and manner of dealings.
The servant “must not quarrel” (2:24; for the general idea, including the tricky problem of knowing when appropriate engagement becomes entanglement in a quarrel, see Titus 3:9-11). Quarreling is beneath the dignity of the King’s representative, it misrepresents and demeans the Good News, mistakenly believes that the power resides in us rather than in God’s work, empowers the lie, distracts from the truth, and entangles and discredits the messenger. In every way it is counterproductive and does not lead to the hopeful outcome of verses 25-26. In contrast the servant must “be kind to everyone, be able to teach, and be patient with difficult people.” Sandwiched between “kind” and “patient,” we see “able to teach,” which has as much to do with character as it does with knowledge and understanding. Indeed, if the teaching was not kind and patient, it would demonstrate that it was without knowledge and understanding.
Then Paul tells Timothy to “gently instruct those who oppose the truth” (2:25). The word used for “instruct” (paideuō [TG3811, ZG4084]) can mean either “to provide instruction for informed and responsible living, to educate,” or “to assist in the development of a person’s ability to make appropriate choices, practice discipline” (BDAG 749). The latter meaning is more likely here (cf. 3:16; Titus 2:12), not in the sense of church discipline (1 Tim 1:20), but in that of providing necessary correction and guidance in the interest of appropriate maturation. Extraordinary skill, sympathy, humility (Titus 3:3), self-discipline, and love are called for.
Whatever the appearances, through the faithful teaching of the truth it may yet come about that God will “change those people’s hearts” (lit., “whether God may perhaps grant them repentance,” BDAG 648). Here repentance is given (didōmi [TG1325, ZG1443]) by God (cf. Acts 5:31; 11:18). This expression certainly highlights the truth that salvation is entirely of the mercy and grace of God. In fact, the human actors are placed between God, who may grant repentance, and the devil, who takes them alive as captives in his snare. The servants’ part is entirely limited to their ambassadorial role: They must represent God, nothing more. Yet Paul does not focus on how all this finally relates to the human will, and it is unwarranted to find in this affirmation the contrary—that God causes the disbelief of the unbeliever.
The result of God’s gift of repentance is that “they will learn the truth” (2:25)—that is, God grants a repentance “unto a knowledge of the truth.” This expression occurs in 3:7 (note the contrast); 1 Timothy 2:4; 4:3; and Titus 1:1. Taken together, 2:25-26 has been a life preserver and source of hope for many a parent and true friend and for many a wearied missionary and pastor.
The whole passage concludes with a picture that is as serious as it is colorful and that will transition to 4:1-22: “Then they will come to their senses” (2:26). The verb ananēphō [TG366, ZG392], which occurs only here in the Septuagint and the Greek New Testament, means “to become sober” and was often transferred to the spiritual and ethical realm with the meaning, “come to one’s senses.” This idea reprises the vocabulary of verses 14, 16, 18, and 23. It has been repeatedly suggested that in this letter the false teaching in question was foolish and even nonsensical, and this word-picture only reinforces that sense. At the same time this indirectly affirms the reasonableness of the Good News.
Having sobered up, those who repent “escape from the devil’s trap”—lit., “they will come to their senses out of the snare of the devil.” Taking 1 Timothy into consideration, the devil’s part in this false teaching is pronounced (1 Tim 1:20; 3:6-7; 4:1; 5:14-15; 6:9). This is not mere rhetoric on Paul’s part, a way of literally “demonizing” his opponents. Behind all this, rather, is the imagery of the war that characterizes the last days (Eph 6:10-20). Note that in 4:3-4 it is precisely to that theme that he explicitly turns. The present phrase could mean, “the snare that caught the devil,” but it is more likely, “the snare that the devil laid.” These people are like animals caught in the snare and awaiting the arrival of the one who set the trap. Their doom is sealed unless, through God’s merciful granting of repentance, they regain their minds, become aware of their peril, and escape.
The last section of this chapter then reads, “For they have been held captive by him to do whatever he wants.” The Greek allows different meanings (see note on 2:26). Given the NLT’s rendering, this text indicates where freedom of the human will is not to be found—that is, human will is controlled by the devil. (Ja 1:13-15 offers a different perspective, but it also uses imagery from hunting and fishing.)
The modern world, at least in the West, tends to swing between the extremes of treating the devil as a joke or a myth, on the one hand, and treating the devil as a player in titillating horror novels and movies without rising above magic and superstition, on the other. The reality is far beyond human imagination. Certainly there are demonstrations of rank among demonic power in Scripture, but the absolute power of God is only demonstrated thereby (Matt 12:28-34; Acts 19:11-20; Rev 19:19–20:10). Being entrapped is more indiscernible than we dream, the destruction more heartbreaking than we could bear, and the salvation more immediate and effortless than any Hollywood drama could sell.
For still our ancient foe
Doth seek to work us woe;
His craft and power are great,
And armed with cruel hate,
On earth is not his equal!
And though this world, with devils filled,
Should threaten to undo us,
We will not fear, for God hath willed
His truth to triumph through us:
The Prince of Darkness grim,
We tremble not for him;
His rage we can endure,
For lo! his doom is sure—
One little word shall fell him!
“A Mighty Fortress Is Our God,” Martin Luther
Looking back over 2:14-26, we can observe that Timothy had a particular set of troublemakers before him whose teaching had a unique profile. The names and faces change, and the errors go through transmutations over time, but the course Paul charts for the mature servant of the Lord remains as a constant, unfailing guide for us today: Seek God’s approval; be a good worker, correctly guiding the word of truth; turn away from evil; keep yourself pure; pursue righteousness, faithfulness, love, and peace; be kind to everyone, able to teach, patient; and gently instruct those who oppose.
This is clear enough, but we may find ourselves incredulous: purity, kindness, gentleness? This world is a rough place, and the spoils go to the strong, to the clever, to the ruthless and devious, so it seems. The forces of evil around us in everyday life appear invincible. There seems to be nothing we can do but play by the world’s rules. In response it is easy to repeat that appearances are deceiving. In truth, the world being what it is, to do what Paul commands requires a determined faith that God’s truth stands firm like an inscribed foundation stone. Small wonder, then, that Paul had to command Timothy to be strong (2:1) and to be ready to endure suffering (see 1:8; 2:3).