2 Timothy 2.25a-Timothy Must Administer Church Discipline to the Apostate Pastors in Ephesus with Gentleness
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Tuesday June 16, 2015
Second Timothy: Second Timothy 2:25a-Timothy Must Administer Church Discipline to the Apostate Pastors in Ephesus with Gentleness
Lesson # 59
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. 24 The Lord’s bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged. 25 with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth. (NASB95)
“Correcting” is the accusative masculine singular present active participle form of the verb paideuō (παιδεύω), which pertains to providing instruction to someone in order to remove errors in their thought and behavior.
The verb speaks of training someone in accordance with proper rules of conduct.
Here the word’s subject is the pastor-teacher who Paul describes in Second Timothy 2:24 as “the Lord’s slave.”
The verb’s object are those who are in opposition to the pastor-teacher.
Therefore, here in Second Timothy 2:25, the verb paideuō means “to correct” indicating that the pastor-teacher must be someone who can “correct” those who stand in opposition to his teaching or certain doctrines which he communicates to the church.
He is “to correct” them in the sense that he is to train them in accordance with the godly standards of the gospel or the apostolic teaching with the view to producing godly conduct in these individuals.
The word conveys the idea of disciplining someone who is in error in a particular area.
Here it speaks of the pastor-teacher “disciplining” those who are in opposition to his teaching or oppose his teaching in a particular area.
This word paideuō is functioning as a predicate accusative meaning it is making an assertion about the Lord’s slave, namely that he is to correct with gentleness those in opposition.
The participle form of this verb paideuō is a participle of purpose which expresses the reason why the Lord’s slave must be characterized as gentle with everyone, a skillful teacher and patient.
It indicates that the Lord’s slave must be characterized as gentle with everyone, a skillful teacher and patient “in order to” correct or “for the purpose of” correcting those in opposition with gentleness.
So Paul’s intention in desiring the Lord’s slave to be gentle, a skillful teacher and patient is for him to be able to correct those who are in opposition with gentleness.
“With gentleness” is indicating that gentleness is the manner in which the Lord’s slave who is gentle, a skillful teacher and patient corrects those who are in opposition.
“Those who are in opposition” is the articular accusative masculine plural present middle participle form of the verb antidiatithemai (ἀντιδιατίθεμαι), which is used of the apostate pastors in Ephesus and those who adhere to their teaching.
Therefore, it speaks of these individuals “opposing” Paul’s apostolic teaching by the way they think and the way they conduct themselves.
It expresses the idea that these individuals oppose the godly standards communicated in the gospel by the way they think and by the way they conduct themselves in life.
The middle voice of the verb antidiatithemai is an indirect middle which indicates that these apostate Christians in Ephesus “in their own self-interests” oppose the apostolic teaching.
Second Timothy 2:22 Now you continue making it your habit of avoiding youthful lusts. Instead continue making it your habit of zealously practicing so as to exemplify divine-righteousness, Christian doctrine, divine-love, peace along with those who make it their habit of calling upon the Lord from a pure heart. 23 But continue making it your habit of avoiding foolish, yes ignorant pointless debates because you know for certain that they do produce quarrels. 24 However, in the interests of the Lord’s slave, he must never, as an eternal spiritual truth, be characterized as contentious but rather to be characterized as gentle for the benefit of each and every person, a skillful teacher, patient. 25 The purpose of which is to be characterized as correcting with gentleness those who in their own selfish-interests are in opposition. Perhaps, God (the Father) will grant them repentance resulting in knowing experientially the truth. (Author’s translation)
The apostle Paul in Second Timothy 2:25 presents to Timothy the purpose of the Lord’s slave being characterized as gentle, a skillful teacher and patient rather than being characterized as contentious.
The Lord’s slave is the communicator of the gospel and specifically, Paul is speaking about pastor-teachers like Timothy.
This is indicated by the fact that Paul is speaking in the context of addressing Timothy’s responsibility as a communicator of the gospel.
So the pastor-teacher is to be characterized as correcting with gentleness those who in their own selfish-interests are in opposition.
These individuals Paul speaks of that are in opposition is a reference to the apostate pastors in Ephesus and those Christians who were adhering to their false doctrine rather than his apostolic teaching.
This interpretation is indicated by the fact that Paul and Timothy would have no spiritual authority over a non-Christian and thus would not have authority to correct them and their behavior but only those who were Christians.
They would communicate to the non-Christian the gospel for their salvation rather than attempt to correct their attitude and behavior.
Then after accepting Christ as Savior, they would address their behavior since only a Christian has the Spirit and the capacity to live the Christian way of life which is a supernatural way of life which demands as supernatural means of execution.
So Paul is speaking here in Second Timothy 2:25 of Timothy administering church discipline to these individuals.
Furthermore, with the exception of Romans 1:28, 3:20 and 10:2, the noun epignōsis which appears in Second Timothy 2:25 is always used in relation to the believer and not the unbeliever.
Lastly, in Second Timothy 2:17-18 identified two of these apostate pastor-teachers in Ephesus as Hymenaeus and Philetus.
Second Timothy 2:17 Furthermore, their teaching will, as a certainty possess the characteristic of spreading like a cancerous disease, among whom are Hymenaeus as well as Philetus. 18 Those of such character who have committed apostasy with regards to the truth by communicating the resurrection has already taken place. Consequently, they are existing in the state of regularly overturning that which some believe. (Author’s translation)
When Paul speaks of the Lord’s slave “correcting” with gentleness these apostate Christians in Second Timothy 2:25, he is speaking of Timothy and other faithful pastors training these apostate Christians in accordance with the godly standards of the gospel or the apostolic teaching.
The purpose of which is to produce godly conduct in these individuals.
Paul is speaking of “disciplining” those who are in opposition to his teaching or oppose his teaching in a particular area.
The manner in which this discipline is to be administered to these apostate Christians in Ephesus was gentleness in contrast with harshness.
Paul is thus addressing the manner in which Timothy was to administer church discipline to these apostate pastors in Ephesus.
Church discipline is taught in Matthew 18:15-18, Romans 16:17-18; 1 Corinthians 5; 2 Corinthians 2:6-11; Galatians 6:1-3; 2 Thessalonians 3:6-16; 2 Timothy 2:23-26; Titus 3:10; 2 John 9-11.
The purpose of this discipline is to deliver the offender from sinful patterns of behavior and not to drive him or her away from the fellowship of the church.
It must be done with an attitude of humility, gentleness and patience, always looking to ourselves that we too might not be tempted (Galatians 6:1-2; 2 Timothy 2:24-25) and must be done impartially (1 Timothy 5:21).
The discipline of the church is first patterned after the fact that the Lord Himself disciplines His children (Heb. 12:6) and, as a father delegates part of the discipline of the children to the mother, so the Lord has delegated the discipline of the church family to the church itself (1 Cor. 5:12-13; 2 Cor. 2:6).
Discipline is further based on the holy character of God (1 Pet. 1:16; Heb. 12:11).
The pattern of God’s holiness—His desire for the church to be holy, set apart unto Him—is an important reason for the necessity of church discipline.
The church is therefore to clean out the leaven of malice and wickedness from its ranks (1 Cor. 5:6-8).
A failure to exercise discipline in the church evidences a lack of awareness of and concern for the holiness of God.
There are several purposes for administering church discipline: (1) To bring glory to God and enhance the testimony of the flock. (2) To restore, heal, and build up sinning believers (Matt. 18:15; 2 Thess. 3:14-15; Heb. 12:10-13; Gal. 6:1-2; Jam. 5:20). (3) To produce a healthy faith, one sound in doctrine (Tit. 1:13; 1 Tim. 1:19-20). (4) To win a soul to Christ, if the sinning person is only a professing Christian (2 Tim. 2:24-26). (5) To silence false teachers and their influence in the church (Tit. 1:10-11). (6) To set an example for the rest of the body and promote godly fear (1 Tim. 5:20). (7) To protect the church against the destructive consequences that occur when churches fail to carry out church discipline.
Those who are disciplined are to be warned and must be appealed to in love (1 Thessalonians 5:14-15; 1 Timothy 5:1-2; Ephesians 4:15; 2 Timothy 4:2).
This discipline, is not restricted to church leaders, but may be done by any person in the body with another if that person is influenced by the Spirit and governed by Him (1 Thessalonians 5:14).