Or, How to Correct Others in a Culture of Lies and Self-Love
Scripture: 2 Timothy 2:22-26
Date: August 2, 2015
Speaker: Sean Higgins
Last Lord’s Day we began to look at 2 Timothy 2:22-26. The point of the paragraph is how the Lord’s servant should fight the good fight against sin and the ancient serpent.
Like that of Paul and Timothy, we live in a day of lies and self-love. Many sins seem to multiply around us and a couple sins are receiving national media attention. As Christians, we must be able to spot the lies; the big ones should be easy. For example, one of our Washington State Senators, Patty Murray, recently said that attempts to defund Planned Parenthood and roll the clock back on women’s health will not happen on her watch. But the phrase “women’s health” is a lie. How can she call it “health” while watching little women be dismembered? Is selling the parts of those little women a forward roll? This is only one example but, sadly, Senator Murray is not a cultural edge case.
The easier responses are to 1) do nothing or 2) fight however we want. We either offer no response or an inappropriate response. But both of these are unacceptable. 2 Timothy 2:22-26 describes the necessary alternative.
We already considered that we should Cultivate the Right Character (verse 22) and we should Pick the Right Battles (verse 23). God usually uses high quality and discerning instruments. There are two more parts to correcting others correctly.
After focusing on our character and as we’re careful not to engage in foolish battles, there will come a time to fight for the truth. Here’s how.
And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness. (verses 24-25a)
There is an unmistakable attitude and approach expected here. But who are we talking about? Who needs to have this attitude? The Lord’s servant . This is a title used for leaders and teachers in the church; the qualification “able to teach” is required of elders in 1 Timothy 3. But even though it is addressed primarily to pastors, it applies to everyone who ever speaks for truth. Aimed at the shepherds, it trickles down onto the sheep.
Even though 2 Timothy is written to a church leader, and the Lord’s servant is a title for a church leader, it applies to everyone. If it didn’t apply to everyone, you can bet that as a shepherd, I would have a mob of “attack sheep” travel around with me. As soon as I got into one of these skirmishes I would take my hands off and let them go to town.
And note our position, we are a servant (δοῦλον), a slave. How much bickering would cease if we remembered that we are slaves of Someone else?! We’re not great. We have been bought and sent by Jesus. We represent Him. It is easy to forget that we are not speaking for ourselves. His message is important, but the slave is not. We take ourselves too seriously.
And there is some specific instruction for the Lord’s servant. He must not be quarrelsome . We can’t be fighty. It is wrong to always be poking other people in the eye. It does not represent our Lord appropriately. Have nothing to do with foolish controversies and let’s not be known as those who always give the opposing view, especially not in a heated way.
Instead, we are to be kind to everyone , friend and enemy alike. We’re to be kind those who agree with us and those who disagree; believers, immature believers, and unbelievers. Be kind, even to Arminians! And if we really wonder what it means to be kind, all we need to do is just think about the last time someone was unkind to us and act like that.
And—as I said especially for leaders/elders/pastors—for all who speak, be able to teach . We should know our stuff. We shouldn’t act like we don’t know the truth. Don’t throw theology out the window. We learn Scripture, prepare our answers, and work to instruct and persuade. That’s why earlier in this chapter Paul admonished Timothy, “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15). It’s why Peter exhorted his readers, “in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you” (1 Peter 3:15-16).
Then patiently enduring evil . Get ready for the attack. When we stand for something people are going to strike. The taller we stand and the louder we speak the more likely we’ll be treated poorly, to our face, in letters/emails, and behind our backs. We will face trouble and heartache when we speak truth, no matter how kind we are. It happened to Paul. He said in chapter one that he suffered for preaching and teaching the gospel (verses 8, 11-12), even to the point of being bound with chains as a criminal (2:9). In 3:12 he said “all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” And that’s how they treated Jesus. Will we—His slaves—receive better treatment? Don’t be surprised but prepare and patiently endure. Don’t get irritated, don’t be resentful, and don’t give up.
Then, and notice how long it’s taken to get here and how many other things come before, correcting opponents in gentleness . The battle is real. The opponents are real. Real correction is necessary. There is a time for setting people straight. The word “correcting” is like training children, providing instruction so that they’ll make appropriate decisions. Paul said “preach the word; … reprove, rebuke, and exhort” (4:2).
There is also a certain way to set people straight. Look back at verse 24 and the first part of 25. The emphasis is kind, patient, gentle . These three things must mark our defense of the truth or we are doing disservice to our Master. We must follow our Lord the right way. All three of these things are the opposite of pride. Proud people are not kind because they think they’re better and look down on others. Proud people aren’t patient because they thing they should get what they want when they want it. And proud people aren’t gentle because they want everyone to know how strong they are and won’t risk seeming weak. If we look back, how many of our fights are due to pride?
But Paul is clear. Are we kind in conversation? Are we patient when someone disagrees? Do we treat our enemies and opponents with gentleness? God (typically) uses kind, patient, gentle, accurate instruments.
The most ironic thing is for Christians (especially Calvinistic Christians) to get fired up and fight like we make the difference.
God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will. (verses 25b-26)
We may be the instrument God uses, but persuasion and changed minds and repentance and maturity are God-products. He alone can produce those things. And when we talk and preach and serve, God may perhaps grant them repentance . He may not. We’ve got to obey and be ready instruments either way. But the hope is that He will overcome their resistance even as we’re speaking to them.
John Calvin put it this way,
Since the conversion of a man is in the hand of God, who knows whether they who to-day appear to be unteachable shall be suddenly changed by the power of God, into other men? Thus, whoever shall consider that repentance is the gift and work of God, will cherish more earnest hope, and, encouraged by this confidence, will bestow more toil and exertion for the instruction of rebels. We should view it thus, that our duty is, to be employed in sowing and watering, and while we do this, we must look for the increase from God (1 Corinthians 3:6). Our labors and exertions are thus no advantage in themselves; and yet, through the grace of God, they are not fruitless.
Trusting the right Person—God, and in particular the Holy Spirit—is actually much more hopeful than trusting ourselves.
Notice the order. Most of the time we think that if we can convince someone of the truth they will repent. If we can show them enough proof or if we can use airtight arguments they’ll be forced to change their minds and then they’ll repent, then they’ll come to God. But Paul flips that argument on its head and says it is the other way around. The primary problem people have is not with information, either not enough information or incorrect information. The problem is a sinful, proud heart that is blind to truth. Only after God grants repentance, then they can see the truth for the first time. Spiritual, doctrinal issues start in the heart, not in the head.
Besides, the situation is way worse than we think anyway. They may escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will . We’re not dealing with neutral, morally innocent opponents. We’re dealing with slaves of satan. It is a spiritual war and his skills are superior. Do we really think we can outsmart the devil? Is the devil overwhelmed by our clever outline? Will we beat him at his game by getting mad? The fight is out of our league. (God typically) uses trusting, dependent instruments, and of course, that’s why He gets the glory.
By the way, this is why we pray. J.I. Packer wrote in Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God:
You pray for the conversion of others. In what terms, now, do you intercede for them? Do you limit yourself to asking that God will bring them to a point where they can save themselves, independently of Him? I do not think you do. I think that what you do is pray in categorical terms that God will, quite simply and decisively, save them: that He will open the eyes of their understanding, soften their hard hearts, renew their natures, and move their wills to receive the Savior. (15)
What is true is that all Christians believe in divine sovereignty, but some are not aware that they do, and mistakenly imagine and insist they they reject it…The irony of the situation, however, is that when we ask how the two sides pray, it becomes apparent that those who profess to deny God’s sovereignty really believe in it just as strongly as those who affirm it. (16-17)
Will this approach, becoming instruments such as Paul describes, really work? Yes, according to God. It is how to address the worst possible people (see the immediate following paragraph, 2 Timothy 3:1-5).
All of this is a worst case scenario. Sometimes we’re just talking with a brother in Christ, a good friend who disagrees. But don’t we suppose that if we’re required to be kind, patient, and gentle with those who are still captives of our chief enemy, that we should be kind, patient, and gentle with those on our own team who serve the same Lord?
What we believe is important. We should know and speak accurate theology. And our methodology, how we speak must be accurate, not arrogant as well. Our Lord has give us His truth, that truth includes instruction on the right attitude and approach in communicating that truth. We undermine Him when we’re arrogant. We cripple our credibility when we’re proud.
We ought not trust ourselves. We ought to humble ourselves, follow Jesus’ example, and let God work through us. He alone has the power to grant repentance, and He has chosen the means and instruments to bring about repentance as much as He has chosen whom He will grant repentance. He calls us to be instruments that are: