2 Timothy 2:19 Double inscription

2 Timothy 2:19 Nevertheless, God’s solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: ‘The Lord knows those who are his,’ and, ‘Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness.’

Despite the attempts of false teachers to undermine and destroy God's Temple, Timothy is to remember that God’s solid foundation stands firm. The foundation, Paul says, is inscribed with a two part inscription. The two phrases he then gives remind us of Philippians 2:12b, 13 and other such verses that wonderfully balance the sovereignty of God and the responsibility of man. Here it is God's sovereignty that comes first - The Lord knows those who are his. God knows and loves those who are his, his elect. This is true. At the same time, it is equally so that Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness. Here the stress is on human responsibility, the responsibility to run from evil if you profess to be a Christian. There is no conflict here. Those who the Lord knows and acknowledges as his own are those who confess is name and flee from wickedness of any sort. Anyone who professes to know the Lord and yet does not flee from wickedness has reason to question whether he is known to the Lord in the way he thinks he is. He is in danger of hearing the Lord say one day those terrible words, Away from me, I never knew you.

2 Timothy 2:18 Truth Denied

2 Timothy 2:18 who have departed from the truth. They say that the resurrection has already taken place, and they destroy the faith of some.

2 Timothy 2:18 refers to Hymenaeus and Philetus, referred to in the previous verses and who are examples of the godless chatter, which if indulged in leads to greater and greater ungodliness. It spreads like gangrene. These men Paul is in no doubt have departed from the truth. One of the false things they were saying was that the resurrection has already taken place. This was believed by some and was destroying their faith, as such a notion must obviously do. On what basis such people claimed the resurrection had already passed we do not know. It is unlikely that they thought the resurrection in connection with Christ's own resurrection was the resurrection. it is more likely that they were saying that new birth is the only resurrection or that when a Christian dies he rises to a form of life and there is no more. Heresies come in all shapes and sizes. The important thing is that we take care not to deviate from the truth and that we do all we can to help those whose faith is in danger of being overthrown by such nonsense.

2 Timothy 2:17 Spiritual Gangrene

2 Timothy 2:17 Their teaching will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus,

This verse is about the godless chatterers around at this time, people who Paul says had departed from the truth. They said that the resurrection has already taken place and no doubt they taught other heresies too. The verse tells us the tendency of such heresies and names two ring leaders. The names no doubt meant something to Timothy and others in that time but they mean nothing to us. Hymenaeus is presumably the man mentioned in 1 Timothy 1:20 alongside Alexander, both of whom Paul had handed over to Satan to be taught not to blaspheme. (Alexander is presumably the one mentioned in 2 Timothy 4:14 - Alexander the metalworker did me a great deal of harm. The Lord will repay him for what he has done.) Gangrene can be described as a serious and potentially life-threatening condition that arises when a considerable mass of body tissue dies (necrosis). It may occur after an injury or infection, or when a person has problems with blood circulation. The primary cause of gangrene is apparently reduced blood supply to the affected tissues, which results in cell death. False teaching can be thought of as serious and potentially life-threatening. It arises when a part of the body of Christ turns out to be dead in sin. False teaching can arise by direct attack or a misunderstanding of the truth. False teachers fail to supply the body with the life blood it needs.

2 Timothy 2:15 Unashamed Workman

2 Timothy 2:15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.

A little further on in 2 Timothy 2, in verse 15, Paul gives Timothy another picture that helps describe the nature of the work of the pastor. This time Paul thinks of a workman and one who does not need to be ashamed of his work because he does it conscientiously. In particular he is a man who correctly handles the word of truth. The word Paul uses is only found here and was used to refer to cutting something straight. Workmen are often required to make a straight cut. Think of a carpenter sawing a piece of wood or a carpet layer cutting a piece of carpet. If the line is crooked there will be a problem. In a similar way, when a preacher seeks to explain the Word he has to do it accurately or he is going to lead people astray. The concern of the minister will not be simply to get it right, he will be doing his best to present himself to God as one approved. He wants the approval not so much of men but of the Master craftsman who taught him all he knows.