2 Timothy 2:16-19: Their Word Will Eat as Doth a Canker
2022-01-29
2 Timothy 2:16-18
So far, in the Pastoral Epistles, there is a lot of returning to the concept of things such as “profane and vain babblings.” This tells us that this is a major problem in churches, both then and now. Considering the context, profane and vain babblings come from not properly studying the Bible.
“Profane” has the connotations of being heathen-like. Strong’s numbering related it to “crossing a doorway,” which tells me these people are crossing a line, a phrase we use commonly. These are things that go beyond what is appropriate. “Vain babblings” are just a bunch of things that do not make sense.
These unscriptural teachings result in the “increase unto more ungodliness.” They eat away at the health of the church. Canker is “gangrene.” Hymenaeus and Philetus are two men that are given as examples. These were false teachers that did not understand the Scriptures, either because they were unsaved or because they studied the Scriptures poorly. The Scriptures increase our godliness. By implication, their babblings were leading people into ungodliness.
These men believed that the resurrection already happened. This clearly is babbling; the physical resurrection is something that has not happened yet. There may be a play on words here. In the resurrection, the dead are raised, never to see corruption again. However, these men introduce a new spiritual corruption into the church. The result is that many had faith that was overthrown. Teaching correct doctrine will keep the church from deception and destruction.
If the resurrection were past, this is extremely disappointing. We still get sick. There is still much misery and pain. We grow old and die. After we “die” after this so-called resurrection, then what?
Where would they possibly get this teaching? Probably from misunderstanding the teaching in Ephesians 2:5-7. Here, we can see that we are raised up with Christ and seated with Him in heaven. It is all in the past tense. This is talking about our position in Christ. There is some spiritual reality of us already in heaven, as we are united with Christ. However, to say we are physically raised from the dead is false doctrine. The resurrection of the dead is yet future, when the rapture happens.
What might be the motivation for such a teaching? Here is a possibility. Hypothetically, if the resurrection is already past, then the Adamic (sin) nature is gone. Then everything I do can’t be sinful, right? Then you get into this lawlessness because whatever you feel like doing must be not sinful. It would then “increase unto more ungodliness.” On the other hand, they might feel like they have reached sinless perfection, which is also bad. You can see how this would affect the faith of others who believed it.
2 Timothy 2:19
Regardless of these things, God’s foundation is the promises of His Word. He accomplished our salvation in Christ, and indeed we have that raised, ascended power in Him. God is our foundation; He will always uphold His promises. We see two promises here.
The Lord knows who are His. “I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine” (John 10:14). God knows everything, but here, God has a relational knowledge. Many languages have the difference between knowing facts and knowing someone personally. God knows us as His own. We will one day know Him as He knows us.
Consider these thoughts:
“For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known” (1 Corinthians 13:12)
“Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended” (Philippians 3:12-13)
“But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage?” (Galatians 4:9)
Everyone who claims to belong to Christ must depart from sin. “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid.” (Romans 6:1-2). It is contrary to Christ to continue to sin because it is against His nature and our new nature. It is like the fireman who pulled a man out of a burning building, then the next day the man starts playing with matches next to a methane tank. We may struggle with sin, but we will not be comfortable there for long because of the Spirit and the chastening hand of God.
There is discipline for sin. The church administers discipline, which we discussed in 1 Timothy 1:20. We do this because the entire church would be affected for the worse. We also love others too much to let them continue that way. God also disciplines for sin. Sometimes He uses sickness and death, like in the Corinthians’ case, who were abusing the Lord’s Supper (1 Corinthians 11:30). This was also the case for Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5:1-11). God loves His own zealously; He will discipline us when we sin (Hebrews 12:4-8). His goal is to make us like His Son.