October 12, 2022

Passage Read: 2 Timothy 1-2
Meditation Verse: 2:19

Thought

Any of us who call ourselves Christian should be separating ourselves from unrighteousness. I cannot be a Christian and be unconcerned about righteous and unrighteous behavior. I have to know what God defines as righteous and what He calls unrighteousness, because I have to flee unrighteousness and practice righteousness, if I call myself Christian. How I act reflects back on Jesus, and Jesus is a holy God who walked the earth without sin. I must not drag His name through the mud.

Application

Paul twice mentions avoiding useless debates and arguments. Quarreling about words is one kind of useless argument, and foolish and unintelligent questions produce more quarrels. Pointless quarreling is of no benefit to anyone. Quarrels that cannot be clearly resolved by Scripture are to be avoided. But at the same time, there are things clearly revealed in Scripture that men refuse to believe. Unbelief that prompts debate is different from arguments about words or foolishness. Unbelief needs to be rebuked and corrected, if the unbeliever is willing. But the fool who merely wants to argue needs to be avoided. So Paul says the man of God must be patient, able to teach, meek, gentle when he approaches someone in error, in hopes of delivering the one who questions.