I did not write this, but it was sent to me by a Brother in the Lord and I agree with the letter. Please understand that English is not his main language, so there are a couple of words or some grammar that might seem strange. Read carefully, though.
I agree with what is said below.
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2 Timothy 2
14 Of these things put them in remembrance, charging them before the Lord that they strive not about words to no profit, but to the subverting of the hearers.
15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
16 But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness.
(...)
23 But foolish and unlearned questions avoid, knowing that they do gender strifes.
24 And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient,
25 In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth;
26 And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.
This here in 2 Timothy 2 is an instruction about HOW to teach. In 3 ways it is here described to NOT get entangled in discussing unprofitable, profane, vain, foolish and unlearned words. The fact that a similar thing is mentioned 3 times short after each other makes it extra important. It also says what you (if you are a teacher) should do: rightly dividing the word of truth plus the attitude description in verses 24-26..
Now it should be noticed that the objection in these verses is not so much against spending time unmasking lies. It is against conversation about unprofitable, profane, vain, foolish and unlearned words. In other words, a teacher must make sure that his teaching is USEFUL for practicing faith in real life. I know what real life and useful issues are and you know it too. They are i.e. about eternal security, health, money, marriage, natural family, obligations towards presumed fellow Believers, what to think of the "1 billion christians" and how you relate to them, how to pray right, how to deal with grievous sins in the local church, etcetera.
Now these verses give specific descriptions about what is NOT right.
- Unprofitable means NO USE. If a topic is discussed and no matter what the answer is, it is of NO USE for your life then there should be NO STRIVE about it. Instead the whole topic should be labeld as being of NO PROFIT and be forsaken.
- Profane is what is offensive to God. The first thing that comes to my mind (as an exampole) is any implied (it is virtually never explicit) presentation of the person of God where He actually is uncaring, unloving, using "right by might", unfair. I.e. to say that "bad luck" (a curse without just cause) exists in this world is PROFANE.
- Vain is somewhat akin to that and it points to discussions for the sake of having a discussion. You could call it playing a game without stakes. It is also applicable to those who try to avoid an OBVIOUS conclusion of a part of the Bible by insisting on talking further about context (as if that would change that conclusion, where it does not), cultural influences, explaining away, ignoring the obvious by emphasising unimportant details.
- Foolish and unlearned questions are questions that have no use since truth and error in the matter are obvious. People who ask foolish and unlearned questions tend to come again with THE SAME question after some time as if you had never given them an answer.
I am well aware WHY there is so much discussion in Christendom about unprofitable, profane, vain, foolish and unlearned words. The reason is that they do not WANT to discuss REAL LIFE issues, since they DARE NOT TRUST the Word of God in these matters. They WANT the game without stakes. Those are people who desire an AIR of religiousness by speaking high words about it, but in the real world they make decisions for real life for EXACTLY the same reasons any atheist "decent citizen" would make them. I will NOT play their game. When I get or take the chance to speak I will IGNORE unprofitable words, profane and vain babblings and foolish and unlearned questions. There are enough "teachers" available anyway to play THEIR game.
Now these verses also give specifics about how I SHOULD teach:
- Rightly dividing the word of truth means to make a straight cut. It means that you simply state what it is without distracting from what it just is by focusing on details that make no difference to the conclusion.
- Not strive, for words are NOT meant as a tool to go to war with your words, just because you like to go to war.
- The description that follows this is the opposite, what you should do, which is to be gentle TO ALL (including those who have no power to punish or reward you), apt (capable) to teach (to be studied yourself in what you teach about), patient and meek (because someone might repent some time later from his error or heresy).
It makes A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE if your teaching goes along with what these verses say about it. Even though I am not perfect in following these commands I am following them close enough that those I preach to are very well aware that my preaching and teaching is COMPLETELY different from almost anything else they ever heard. If you teach (i.e. here on the Debate List) then oblige yourself to obey these verses.
I agree with what is said below.
---------
2 Timothy 2
14 Of these things put them in remembrance, charging them before the Lord that they strive not about words to no profit, but to the subverting of the hearers.
15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
16 But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness.
(...)
23 But foolish and unlearned questions avoid, knowing that they do gender strifes.
24 And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient,
25 In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth;
26 And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.
This here in 2 Timothy 2 is an instruction about HOW to teach. In 3 ways it is here described to NOT get entangled in discussing unprofitable, profane, vain, foolish and unlearned words. The fact that a similar thing is mentioned 3 times short after each other makes it extra important. It also says what you (if you are a teacher) should do: rightly dividing the word of truth plus the attitude description in verses 24-26..
Now it should be noticed that the objection in these verses is not so much against spending time unmasking lies. It is against conversation about unprofitable, profane, vain, foolish and unlearned words. In other words, a teacher must make sure that his teaching is USEFUL for practicing faith in real life. I know what real life and useful issues are and you know it too. They are i.e. about eternal security, health, money, marriage, natural family, obligations towards presumed fellow Believers, what to think of the "1 billion christians" and how you relate to them, how to pray right, how to deal with grievous sins in the local church, etcetera.
Now these verses give specific descriptions about what is NOT right.
- Unprofitable means NO USE. If a topic is discussed and no matter what the answer is, it is of NO USE for your life then there should be NO STRIVE about it. Instead the whole topic should be labeld as being of NO PROFIT and be forsaken.
- Profane is what is offensive to God. The first thing that comes to my mind (as an exampole) is any implied (it is virtually never explicit) presentation of the person of God where He actually is uncaring, unloving, using "right by might", unfair. I.e. to say that "bad luck" (a curse without just cause) exists in this world is PROFANE.
- Vain is somewhat akin to that and it points to discussions for the sake of having a discussion. You could call it playing a game without stakes. It is also applicable to those who try to avoid an OBVIOUS conclusion of a part of the Bible by insisting on talking further about context (as if that would change that conclusion, where it does not), cultural influences, explaining away, ignoring the obvious by emphasising unimportant details.
- Foolish and unlearned questions are questions that have no use since truth and error in the matter are obvious. People who ask foolish and unlearned questions tend to come again with THE SAME question after some time as if you had never given them an answer.
I am well aware WHY there is so much discussion in Christendom about unprofitable, profane, vain, foolish and unlearned words. The reason is that they do not WANT to discuss REAL LIFE issues, since they DARE NOT TRUST the Word of God in these matters. They WANT the game without stakes. Those are people who desire an AIR of religiousness by speaking high words about it, but in the real world they make decisions for real life for EXACTLY the same reasons any atheist "decent citizen" would make them. I will NOT play their game. When I get or take the chance to speak I will IGNORE unprofitable words, profane and vain babblings and foolish and unlearned questions. There are enough "teachers" available anyway to play THEIR game.
Now these verses also give specifics about how I SHOULD teach:
- Rightly dividing the word of truth means to make a straight cut. It means that you simply state what it is without distracting from what it just is by focusing on details that make no difference to the conclusion.
- Not strive, for words are NOT meant as a tool to go to war with your words, just because you like to go to war.
- The description that follows this is the opposite, what you should do, which is to be gentle TO ALL (including those who have no power to punish or reward you), apt (capable) to teach (to be studied yourself in what you teach about), patient and meek (because someone might repent some time later from his error or heresy).
It makes A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE if your teaching goes along with what these verses say about it. Even though I am not perfect in following these commands I am following them close enough that those I preach to are very well aware that my preaching and teaching is COMPLETELY different from almost anything else they ever heard. If you teach (i.e. here on the Debate List) then oblige yourself to obey these verses.