A Commission to Compassion

I know a man who really struggled with a desire to be right. More than right, he wanted to be respected and thought highly of. This man loved Jesus Christ very much, and would never consider purposely disobeying the Lord. He loved God’s Word with a passion, and wanted others to love it as well. He studied and studied the Bible, and was very convinced of his doctrinal positions; so convinced, in fact, that he was perfectly willing to tell anyone who disagreed with him how wrong they were. If only they knew what he knew about the Bible, none of the problems in the church would be around!

He wasn’t overtly obnoxious (often), but after awhile people weren’t very excited to talk to him about the Bible. How can you have a discussion with someone who knows everything and is willing to tell you bluntly where you’re wrong? He shrugged it off for awhile, thinking that if they weren’t as interested in the Lord as he was, then it was their fault and not his. Doctrine was king, and everything else played second fiddle. He enrolled in seminary to learn Greek and Hebrew to gain even more knowledge of God’s Word, thinking that he would be able to prove his doctrinal positions even more forcefully with more knowledge.

Then one day an interesting thing happened. He got a letter from the seminary he was attending. Every student got a letter like it after completing a certain number of courses, but his was different. Instead of a form-letter that said, “Keep up the good work,” it said that his zeal for Christ was commendable, but he was academically arrogant and insensitive to other students. He wasn’t exhibiting a Christ-like attitude, and needed to change if he was going to continue at seminary. It was a gut-punch, but it changed this man’s life. He found out the hard way that a heart of compassion is as much a quality of a disciple of Jesus as a yearning for truth.

That man is me. I called my mentor and cried on the phone with him, because I was heartbroken. He calmed me down and gave me a few simple things to change my demeanor and the perception people had of me[1], and I worked and worked to get that flaw out of my character. Several months after that incident I studied this passage in 2 Timothy for a sermon, and finally realized where I had gone wrong. God’s Word, which I love with everything in me, tells us in this passage that being “right” and going to war to defend a minor doctrinal position is all wrong. More important, Paul will teach us, is our attitude toward those we disagree with. Is our interest in ourselves, or in others? Where are our eyes fixed? Today we will learn that a callous heart says “It’s all about me!” while a compassionate heart says, “It’s all about them.”

1. A Callous Heart: It’s all about me (2:14-21)! In the first part of our passage, Paul gives us the application of verses 11-13. He uses the “trustworthy statement” found there as a warning to Timothy, his opponents, and the entire church at Ephesus about their attitude toward each other. What we will find in these verses is a sad description of what a callous heart looks like. A callous heart resides in the chest of a person who is worried only about themselves, and Paul teaches us that truth loud and clear in verse 14:

Remind them of these things, and solemnly charge them in the presence of God not to wrangle about words, which is useless and leads to the ruin of the hearers. (2 Timothy 2:14)

I notice immediately that Paul wants Timothy to keep bringing verses 11-13 up to his congregation[2], especially those who are causing division. If we remember back to the previous verses, Paul uses an early church hymn to bring forward the truth that we are safe in secure in Jesus’ arms while at the same time being evaluated by Him for our faithfulness. At the end of verse 12 we have a warning against “denying” Jesus, and this is our first example of what “denying Jesus” looks like.

Paul commands Timothy to tell the church not to “wrangle about words.” We are not supposed to fight and bicker over little things! The phrase “which is useless” is literally translated “over nothing useful,” which tells us about the content of the debate. This isn’t a discussion of weighty and important matters; rather, Timothy’s opponents wanted to argue over minor issues and worthless topics. Further, that kind of arguing and bickering doesn’t help anyone that listens to or participates in it. The very end of verse 14 tells us that instead it leads to ruin or destruction for participants as well as bystanders.

We can already see the priorities of a callous heart. A verbal war never starts between humble people who are willing to admit their error or their ignorance! Rather, when someone is all wrapped up in themselves and being “right” they will fight over the smallest point just to prove how smart they are. These are the people who want to fight over whether to call the place where we gather together on Sunday mornings a “sanctuary” or a “worship hall.”[3] They would rather tear some innocent bystander down to prove their point.

Verse 15 continues this discussion of focus in our Christian walk. I have seen this verse used many, many times in church. It is normally preached as a command to be a good student of the Bible, but let’s look at it closely to see what Paul is trying to teach us:

Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth. (2 Timothy 2:15)

The key to understanding the intent of this verse is unlocking the Greek word translated “accurately handling.”[4] It is only found here in the New Testament, and Greek writers in Paul’s day didn’t use it either. How, then, can we find out what Paul meant when he used it? Thankfully, there are two other uses of this word that we know of, and we can look them both up in our Bible! The Greek translation of the Old Testament, called the Septuagint, uses the word that is translated “accurately handling” in our passage twice in Proverbs:

In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight. (Proverbs 3:6) (emphasis mine)

The righteousness of the blameless will smooth his way, But the wicked will fall by his own wickedness. (Proverbs 11:5) (emphasis mine)

Both uses have the idea of “make a straight path,”[5] and that forms the core of Paul’s use here. The “word of truth” is another way that Paul describes the gospel that he preached[6], and Paul commands Timothy here to provide a “straight path” for it in people’s lives. Paul builds us an image of those who pave the road into someone’s heart and remove any obstacles to the gospel reaching them (including our actions and attitude), much as a city would pave the road leading into their town before the king or another important person visited.

This attitude is in stark contrast to the word-warriors in verse 14, who would put up all kinds of roadblocks in people’s lives to being able to hear and accept the offer of eternal life in Jesus Christ. It has been said that many people’s objection to faith in Christ has nothing to do with Jesus, but rather with Christians and their actions on His behalf.

I saw a sad but often-heard reminder of this truth on a bumper sticker a few months ago. It said, “Dear Jesus, please protect me from your followers.” It seems Christians put up a huge roadblock in the path of this misguided and hurting person. Maybe in their zeal to be right they forgot the old adage that “people don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” A callous person puts themselves before others, forcing them to admit that we are right before we can accept them into our lives.

But avoid worldly and empty chatter, for it will lead to further ungodliness, and their talk will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, men who have gone astray from the truth saying that the resurrection has already taken place, and they upset the faith of some. (2 Timothy 2:16-18)

“Worldly” and “empty” chatter next come under Paul’s gaze. We can really see what Paul thought of these guy’s deep doctrinal debates! Rather than talking about important and weighty issues, they would rather spend time talking about how many angels can dance on the head of a pin.[7] They would rather have a fight over a meaningless nuance than talk about the important things before them.

When I look at this verse I first think that the timing of the resurrection isn’t exactly what I would call a trivial issue. However, Paul words it in a very emphatic way in the text[8], leading me to think that the problem was a quibbling over exactly the order of the resurrection and its timing in God’s eyes. In their vehement arguing these men had upset the faith of some members of the congregation. Even debates that seem important at first can become meaningless and hurtful if we take them to extremes!

I notice as well that Paul says that this kind of needless war spreads “like gangrene.” What a horrible picture! Gangrene[9] is a disease caused by the loss of blood flow (usually to an extremity) that results many times from an infection. The infection causes a loss of nourishment to the region, which then causes that tissue to die. Gangrene is a deadly infection, and can overwhelm an entire body and cause death. What a horrible (but very apt!) picture of the problems in the church!

2. A Choice to Make (2:19-21). Having called out the worst offenders in the church and pointed out the problem of having a callous heart, Paul gives us an example of this kind of attitude from the Old Testament. He then follows it up with an admonition that it is our choice whether we would like to share in the fighting and bickering that comes from a callous heart, or whether we would like to serve Jesus with our demeanor as well as our knowledge.

Nevertheless, the firm foundation of God stands, having this seal, “The Lord knows those who are His,” and, “Everyone who names the name of the Lord is to abstain from wickedness.” (2 Timothy 2:19)

Paul tells Timothy that he can see which side each person is on by looking at the “seal” upon the foundation of God. How can Timothy tell “the real McCoy” from some blowhard who wants to have things his way? By looking at the seal! This word referred to a ring that a wealthy person would use to imprint a wax seal put on a letter or package. If a person got a package from the king with his wax seal on it, they knew it was the real deal. Likewise, Paul tells us what God’s seal looks like. He begins with a quote of Numbers 16:5; that story is not exactly an uplifting and encouraging one, but it drives his point home well.

Numbers 16:1-40 is known as “Korah’s Rebellion.” In that episode Korah takes some of his henchmen and 250 men of the tribe of Levi and confronts Moses. He accuses Moses of trying to set himself up as the leader of the people and put himself in charge over them (which God had already done!).[10] Korah tried to take Moses’ place and set himself up as the authority. We see as well the heart of his cronies in verses 12-14:

Then Moses sent a summons to Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab; but they said, “We will not come up. “Is it not enough that you have brought us up out of a land flowing with milk and honey to have us die in the wilderness, but you would also lord it over us? “Indeed, you have not brought us into a land flowing with milk and honey, nor have you given us an inheritance of fields and vineyards. Would you put out the eyes of these men? We will not come up!” (Numbers 16:12-14)

Do you notice how self-centered these “leaders” are? I notice that they refer to themselves at least seven times in these three verses! By way of stark contrast, look at the priority of Moses and Aaron when God almost consumes the whole nation:

Then the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, “Separate yourselves from among this congregation, that I may consume them instantly.” But they [Moses and Aaron] fell on their faces and said, “O God, God of the spirits of all flesh, when one man sins, will You be angry with the entire congregation?” (Numbers 16:20-22)

Their heart is centered in the care of the people! Moses and Aaron aren’t worried about themselves; they are worried about the ones who have been deceived by Korah and his followers. As the story continues, Moses separates the people from these rebels, and God shows everyone who His appointed leader is by opening the ground and swallowing up Korah and his followers.

The contrast is crystal-clear between Korah and Moses. Korah had a callous heart focused on himself and his rights, while Moses had a heart for his people. Since Paul goes on to say that everyone who calls upon the Lord must stay away from wickedness, which one do you think he has in mind for us?

Now in a large house there are not only gold and silver vessels, but also vessels of wood and of earthenware, and some to honor and some to dishonor. Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from these things, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work. (2 Timothy 2:20-21)

Paul next uses an analogy of “vessels” or “instruments” in a home to lay the responsibility to choose which side to take squarely on our shoulders. In a modern context, there are several items in each of our homes that are made of ceramic. We have a nice set of dishes that we were given as a wedding gift, and we tend to only bring them out when company is over. It is the “good china,” the stuff that the kids are not allowed to use. On the other hand, the toilet bowls in our bathrooms are also made out of pretty much identical ceramic! In Paul’s words, one is made for “honor” and the other “dishonor.”

Very importantly, in verse 21 I notice that Paul says “if anyone cleanses himself from these things,” he will be a vessel for honor. In other words, if we choose to be clean and have a compassionate heart, then we will be the fine china instead of the toilet bowl! Going back to the examples of Moses and Korah, which one would you like to be? Would you like to be Moses, the sometimes-misunderstood but ultimately blessed leader of God’s people, or would you rather be the calloused and self-centered Korah? Modern America tells us to “look out for number one,” but a callous heart got Korah and those who followed him a fiery judgment.

3. A Compassionate Heart: It’s all about them (2:22-26)! In the last five verses of our passage Paul gets down to the “brass tacks” of being a person with a heart of compassion. If we don’t want to end up like Korah and lead people astray, how do we do it? What do we need in our lives to have a heart of compassion? It’s not enough to just tell ourselves to stop arguing with people over pointless things! We have to replace that attitude with the attitude of a servant of Christ; in other words, we have to have a heart of compassion for people. A compassionate heart, Paul will teach us, is a matter of personal choice.

Now flee from youthful lusts and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. But refuse foolish and ignorant speculations, knowing that they produce quarrels. (2 Timothy 2:22-23)

I’m a man, so when I think of “youthful lusts” my mind has a tendency to head right into the gutter! In context, however, I think Paul has in mind another youthful shortcoming that I have struggled mightily with: arrogance. Timothy’s opponents wanted to fight over nothing special. Paul calls this kind of attitude a shortcoming of youth. Those of us who are a ways past our teenage years can remember how much we “knew” when we were, say, sixteen. We had it all figured out way back then! However, as we get older we realize that perhaps we aren’t as smart as we thought we were, and soften a little in our attitude. Paul is commanding this young man to mature a little and put away his tendency to want to give these guys what-for!

Not only are we called to put away that attitude, but we are called to pursue four virtues: righteousness, faith, love, and peace. I notice the last one especially. We are called to pursue peace, not fights and quarrels. We’re called to avoid what Hymanaeus and Philetus were into, namely speculation and untaught arguing. The only result of that kind of attitude is a fight! And Paul makes very clear that we are called to these qualities as a team. The word “pure” is the noun form of the word translated “cleanses” in verse 21; when we seek to cleanse ourselves from a calloused heart we can do a much better job when we band together as a team.

The “big picture” in our passage emerges in verses 24-26. A calloused heart cares only for itself. It screams “Give me my rights!” and “What’s in it for me?” A compassionate heart, Paul tells us, asks, “How can I help?” and “What do you need?”

The Lord’s bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged, with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will. (2 Timothy 2:24-26)

Look at all of the amazing character qualities in the heart of compassion:

· Kindness: Paul says that a compassionate heart is “kind to all.” That includes the jerk who cuts you off mid-sentence to tell you his opinion and the lady who just wants to gossip about the Jones’.

· Able to teach: Any professional teacher will tell you that teaching is an art and not a science! Every group, and even every individual, must be approached differently. A compassionate heart looks at a person and asks the question, “What truth does this person need in their life, and how can I help them grasp that truth?”

· Patient when wronged: We can’t expect the opposition to see our heart and respond immediately. They will continue to step on our feelings, ride over our attempts to help them, and squash our efforts at peace. We must be patient and not expect them to change immediately.

· Correcting with gentleness: When a calloused heart corrects it does so roughly and without any thought of how it will impact the person who hears. I hear this from people sometimes who say, “Hey, the truth sometimes hurts. The truth is the truth, and sugar-coating the facts will only hurt them in the long run.” Paul tells us here that the Lord’s servant must have gentleness when they correct. As Mary Poppins taught me when I was a kid, a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down.

The end of verse 25 explains the heart of compassion in no uncertain terms. Who is at the center of Paul’s reasoning? Timothy’s opposition! These men who oppose Timothy know Jesus as their Savior, and also have a zeal for truth. However, we see now that they have been ensnared by the devil. In trying to be right, they have fallen into his trap of arrogance and bickering (much like “that certain guy I know” once did). Paul gives us the picture of compassion, though, in his heart to see them repent and come to know the truth.

The emphasis here is on them seeing the error of their ways and changing their actions and attitudes. He wants them free of Satan’s influence! What an amazing difference. The “big picture” here is clear:

· A compassionate servant of Christ looks at the needs and abilities of others, and not at themselves. The focus of compassion is on the hurt and the need of the person attacking us.

· The only way to have a compassionate heart is to combine the qualities Paul listed in v. 22. We must be kind, patient, and gentle as we teach the way of truth.

· It is our choice whether to have a compassionate heart or a calloused one. If we want to serve Jesus with our lives, we have to put ourselves where we belong, and that means a position of humility and compassion, even for those difficult people in our lives.

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[1] We named the rule we made up, “Shut up, John. Shut up.” I had to be able to answer a few basic questions before I was allowed to speak up in class:

· Did I really want to know the answer to a question? (Many times I was just trying to prove a point)

· Was the question on-topic? (no tangents allowed)

· Would the question benefit other students, or was it just for me?

· Did the question need to be asked in class? (sometimes I could ask a professor later)

· Was the question gracious?

If I could answer all questions with a “yes,” I could ask it in class. Otherwise I was to refer to the rule and “Shut up, John, shut up.” I spent an entire semester silent in class!

[2] The present imperative ὑπομίμνῃσκε is iterative (see Daniel B. Wallace. Greek Grammar Beyond the Basics - Exegetical Syntax of the New Testament [Grand Rapids, MI; Zondervan, 1996], 520-21), describing an event that is repeated frequently. Timothy is to bring the “trustworthy statement” to mind as often as the church needs it.

[3] Technically the “sanctuary” in the Old Testament was the initial designation of the tabernacle (see Exodus 25:8 and following); it came to be applied to the Temple as well (called “a house for the sanctuary” in 1 Chronicles 28:10). Paul uses the analogy in 1 Corinthians 3:16 in describing either the church as a body (not a building) or the bodies of believers individually, meaning that it is perhaps more technically correct to avoid the term “sanctuary” for the worship hall. (It’s also “churchese” and foreign to those who haven’t grown up in church) However, the point Paul is making here is that the difference is insignificant and not worth fighting over.

[4] The difficulty with this process is that the word (ὀρθοτομέω) is found only here in the New Testament, and only found twice outside of it. We must be careful to listen to Paul’s command in verse 14 and not go to war over a word!

[5] A complete discussion of the translation of this word is well beyond the scope of a footnote. Please see my exegetical notes on 2 Timothy as well as my paper entitled “2 Timothy 2:14-19-Our Conduct and Attitude Matter” for a thorough discussion (available by request). It is worth noting here, though, that two of the major Greek lexicons in use today (Arndt, William, Frederick W. Danker and Walter Bauer. A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature. 3rd ed. [Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000], and Kittel, Gerhard, Geoffrey William Bromiley and Gerhard Friedrich, eds. Theological Dictionary of the New Testament. [Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1964-c1976]) agree with my assessment.

[6] See Ephesians 1:13 (where “the word of truth” is expressly defined as “the gospel of your salvation”) as well as Colossians 1:5.

[7] Whether or not this debate is ancient or more modern, it is nonetheless silly and pointless. It may well have begun as a lampoon by Isaac D’Israeli (father of French president Benjamin) of Thomas Aquinas and other medieval scholastics’ tendency to make torturous logical arguments. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/How_many_angels_can_stand_on_the_head_of_a_pin%3F (accessed 7/23/07) for more.

[8] The text uses a perfect participle (γεγονέναι), which could have shown the idea of “has already happened” all by itself. However, Paul puts the word “already” (ἤδη) before it, making it much more emphatic. I think that this was a purposeful decision that reflects the type of wars over useless things the opposition was engaged in. The resurrection is a sure thing, but it is not an entirely past-time event either.

[9] See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gangrene (accessed 7/25/07) for pictures and additional information.

[10] My first question is why Korah thought it was a good idea to go and complain to all of his friends before coming to Moses. The pillar of fire and pillar of smoke should have been enough evidence to quell any opposition! However, with his eyes on himself it appears Korah gave no thought to the ramifications of his actions, leading hundreds of people to their death in his failed coup.