The word battle - 2 tim 2:14

[Guest]

I’ve been in debates, particularly on this forum, and some of these debates are over important matters and thus some people become confused and devastated because they have no idea what to believe. I stumbled upon this verse and I’m still trying to figure out what it means and to what degree should one refuse to ‘word battle’ logomachew.

"This one you must remind while declaring solemnly before God not to word battle over nothing useful/profitable to overturn the one who is hearing." 2 tim 2:14

The verse tells us not to war about words which are of no profit. So what does that mean? Don’t vehemently argue about frivolous things like the age of Mary and Joseph when they were married? The context seems to support the view of false teachings since Paul is talking about those who say the resurrection has already occurred in v. 18. In v. 24 Paul states that stupid and uneducated investigations result in battles mache (the same Greek word which forms the Greek word logomachew ‘word battle’ in v. 14. So here again, I’m still unsure at what level we refuse to talk about seemingly false teachings or even what is meant by logomachew (word battle). Is it a debate? What is it?

Perhaps v. 14 is not even telling us to stop engaging/refuting false teachings, but rather warning those who want to stir up debates by espousing heretical doctrines. Because after v.14 Paul tells believers in v.15 to accurately handle or set straight the word of truth. In v.17 Paul gives examples--Hymenaeus and Philetus--of those who may be involved in ‘word battling’, and certainly involved in profane and empty chatter/babblings. I think this view is more appropriate and better makes sense of the product of ‘word battlings’.

My next question is: what is the result of engaging in ‘word battles’? In the latter portion of v. 14 it states that the one who is hearing may be overturned or down turned. Some translations render overturned as: ‘ruin’ and ‘subduing’. The Greek word katastrophe (sound familiar?) or ‘overturning’ is used in only one other place in the NT, which is 2 pet 2:6 where it helps to describe the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. Both Sodom and Gomorrah were overturned (katastrophe). It seems as though Paul is telling people not to ‘word battle’ because of their direct or indirect purpose of overturning/ruining the one who is hearing--v. 14.

Just a side note—I thought it was interesting how Paul was talking about Hymenaeus and Philetus and stated their doctrine regarding the resurrection had astochos. Stochos means to aim or shoot; put an ‘a’ infront of stochos, and you gather that their ‘shot’ was off target. I thought it also interesting that Paul said that hearers of word battles will be literally ‘down turned’ v.14 and then in v. 18 Paul states that the faith of some had been literally ‘up turned’ by the false doctrine Hymenaeus and Philetus were espousing.

For anyone who cares, the Greek word ‘up turn’ or anatreptw was used when Jesus overturned the tables in John 2:15. In Titus 1:11 anatreptw is used to describe the ‘up turning’ of people through false teachings.

I guess what I’ve learned thus far is that we have to be careful in what we say regarding the truth of God because it can disrupt the faith of others in a very extreme way if it is false.

[Guest]

Benzoic- your last statement was:

I guess what I’ve learned thus far is that we have to be careful in what we say regarding the truth of God because it can disrupt the faith of others in a very extreme way if it is false.

sometimes the "truth of God" is not entirely clear. your statement has merit but only for those areas where the "truth" is abundantly clear.

most of the debates on this forum are over legitimately disputed issues; i.e one camp has perfectly good (non-heretical) reasons for believing what they believe, and vice-versa the other camp.

has my "faith" been shaken by these debates? no, but my way of looking at things has often received a good shaking. i view that as a good thing, because i want to know the truth. perhaps what i have always believed is not the truth. i have read things on this forum that i had never previously even considered (or heard of) and for that i am grateful.

TK