2 Timothy 2.23-Paul Commands Timothy to Continue Avoiding Foolish, Ignorant Pointless Debates Because They Produce Quarrels
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Tuesday June 9, 2015
Second Timothy: Second Timothy 2:23-Paul Commands Timothy to Continue Avoiding Foolish, Ignorant Pointless Debates Because They Produce Quarrels
Lesson # 56
2 Timothy 2:22 Now flee from youthful lusts and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. 23 But refuse foolish and ignorant speculations, knowing that they produce quarrels. (NASB95)
“But refuse foolish and ignorant speculations” stands in contrast with the previous command in Second Timothy 2:22.
“Refuse” is the second person singular present middle imperative form of the verb paraiteomai (παραιτέομαι), which means “to avoid” since it pertains to keeping oneself away from something or someone and refraining from getting involved in a particular practice.
Here it means that Timothy was to avoid getting involved with the foolish pointless arguments about the Law which reflect a failure to receive proper training with regards to the Law.
Timothy was to refrain from getting involved with these people in the sense that he was to stay away from getting involved in their foolish pointless arguments about the Mosaic Law with these people and which arguments reflected a lack of formal training in the Law.
The present imperative form of the verb paraiteomai is a “customary present imperative” whose force is for Timothy to simply continue avoiding these foolish and ignorant pointless debates about the Mosaic Law and implies that Timothy was already performing this task when he received this letter from Paul.
The middle voice of the verb paraiteomai is an indirect middle which indicates that Timothy was for his own benefit spiritually avoid these foolish and ignorant pointless debates about the Law.
“Foolish and ignorant speculations” is composed of the following: (1) adjective mōros (μωρός), “foolish” (2) conjunction kai (καί), “and” (3) adjective apaideutos (ἀπαίδευτος), “ignorant” (4) noun zētēsis (ζήτησις), “speculations.”
The noun zētēsis means “pointless debates” which were related to the Old Testament and Mosaic Law since the false doctrine that Timothy was dealing with in Ephesus originated from the Judaizers and was being adhered to by certain apostate pastors in that city.
The adjective mōros is describing these pointless debates, as stupid or foolish since they are lacking in judgment and discretion.
The adjective apaideutos is describing these pointless debates, as demonstrating a lack of formal training or instruction in the Mosaic Law or Old Testament since we are speaking in the context of the teaching of the Judaizers which the apostate pastors in Ephesus were adhering to.
The conjunction kai is used to connect together the adjectives mōros and apaideutos in order to form the figure of hendiadys.
Here in Second Timothy 2:23, both of these adjectives are related to each other with apaideutos defining specifically what Paul means by the adjective mōros.
So the idea is that Timothy was to continue making it his habit of rejecting “foolish, yes ignorant pointless debates” about the Law or we can say “foolish pointless debates, yes which are ignorant.”
“Knowing” is the verb oida (οἶδα), which means “to know for certain, to know without a doubt” since it pertains to having knowledge of something to the extent of having no doubt about the matter.
This verb implies that Timothy had full knowledge of what these foolish and ignorant pointless debates about the Mosaic Law produced.
Timothy knew for certain that they produced quarrels because he had seen these quarrels or heated arguments firsthand.
The participle form of the verb is a causal participle which presents the basis or the reason for the previous command for Timothy to continue making it his habit of avoiding foolish, yes ignorant pointless arguments about the Law.
“Quarrels” is the noun machē (μάχη), which means “quarrels, altercations” since it pertains to heated or emotional verbal fights or contentions, emphasizing strained or severed relations which may persist beyond the contention.
Second Timothy 2:23 But continue making it your habit of avoiding foolish, yes ignorant pointless debates because you know for certain that they do produce quarrels. (My translation)
The command in verse 23 stands in contrast with the previous command in verse 22 indicating that Paul is presenting a contrast between Timothy exemplifying the Christian virtues mentioned in verse 22 and the ungodly behavior of the apostate teachers in Ephesus mentioned here in verse 23.
“Pointless debates” were related to the Old Testament and Mosaic Law since the false doctrine that Timothy was dealing with in Ephesus originated from the Judaizers and was being adhered to by certain apostate pastors in that city.
Therefore, this indicates that these individuals would express forceful differences of opinion or contend with each other in words without necessarily having a presumed goal or seeking a solution when talking about the Mosaic Law or Old Testament.
It refers to pointless debates that they would have with regards to the Law and indicates that they were not involved in a true and sincere search for the truth.
So as a result of adhering to the teaching of the Judaizers, these apostate pastors in Ephesus were involved in argumentative debates and dialogues, which were pointless, useless and of no instructional value whatsoever for the Christian community.
Paul describes these “pointless debates” about the Law as “foolish” in the sense that these debates were lacking in judgment and discretion.
He also describes them emphatically as “ignorant” in the sense that these debates demonstrated a lack of sound formal training or instruction in the Mosaic Law or Old Testament.
It is describing their pointless debates as reflecting a lack of sound formal training or instruction in the Word of God.
Paul commands Timothy to avoid these foolish, yes ignorant pointless debates about the Law which means that he was to avoid getting involved with such behavior.
Timothy was to refrain from getting involved with these people in the sense that he was to stay away from getting involved in their foolish pointless arguments about the Mosaic Law and which arguments reflected a lack of formal training in the Law.
Of course, these arguments about the Law were the direct result of their misuse and misunderstanding about the purpose and use of the Law which was reflected in their teaching which amounted to false doctrine.
Timothy was already obeying this command in Second Timothy 2:23 as he was with all of these commands in this epistle.
This is indicated by Paul’s statement in Second Timothy 1:5, in which he tells Timothy that he clung to the memory of his sincere faith.
In fact Paul says that he was convinced of this.
It is for his own benefit that Timothy continue obeying this command since failure to do so would result in his losing fellowship with God and he will also receive divine discipline if he continues to get involved with such behavior.
If he doesn’t repent of such behavior by confessing his sins and obeying Paul’s Spirit inspired apostolic teaching, he will be under discipline from God.
Consequently, his testimony before the non-Christian community would be ruined and he would no longer be effective in ministry to the Christian community since he will be out of fellowship with God as a result of getting involved with these foolish and ignorant pointless arguments about the Law.
After issuing this command to Timothy in Second Timothy 2:23, the apostle Paul presents the reason why his young delegate, disciple and friend should obey it.
Timothy knew firsthand that these foolish and ignorant pointless debates about the Law which the Judaizers and apostate pastors in Ephesus got involved in produced quarrels or heated arguments.
He knew firsthand that they produced intense, emotional and bitter verbal confrontations between the apostate pastors in Ephesus.
Now, we must clarify something about this command that Paul issues Timothy in Second Timothy 2:23, namely that a pastor-teacher must not avoid all arguments or controversies but rather he is to avoid those which do not deserve his time and energy.
Pastors can never escape arguments which are important or of a critical nature spiritually since if they are faithfully teaching the Word of God they will be controversial and provoke arguments.
The reason this is the case is that the Word of God by its very nature is controversial since it is Spirit inspired which opposes the sin nature and Satan’s cosmic system.
Therefore, the pastor should never get involved in arguments that are about non-essentials but only essentials and even then he must conduct himself with gentleness when involved in such debates or arguments.
Paul mentions these “pointless debates” to Timothy in First Timothy 1:4 and 6:4 and to Titus in Titus 3:9 and in every instance Paul reminds these men to avoid them.
Both Timothy and Titus were confronted with similar situations.
Titus was stationed on the island of Crete whereas Timothy was located in Ephesus and both men were having problems dealing with the false doctrine of the Judaizers.
They were also both dealing with apostate teachers in the Christian community who were adhering to the legalistic teaching of the Judaizers.
In fact, First Timothy chapter one, First Timothy 6:3-5 and Titus 3:9 give us a greater understanding with regards to these apostate pastors and their teaching and where it originated.