Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Evening Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/ev/ev20121014.htm

THRU THE BIBLE EXPOSITION
2 Timothy: God's Directives For Church Leaders Amid Hardships
Part VII: Responding Well To False Teachers Amid Ministry Hardships, 2 Timothy 2:14-4:8
C. Responding Well To False Teachers By Godly Personal Conduct In Their Presence
(2 Timothy 2:23-26)
  1. Introduction
    1. Though church leaders and all who disciple must not fellowship with false teachers, sometimes those with false doctrine aggressively challenge God's true disciplers who hold to the truth.
    2. In such cases, the discipler needs to know how to conduct himself in a spiritually dangerous situation, dangerous because false spiritual teaching is backed by Satanic forces, 2 Timothy 2:25-26.
    3. 2 Timothy 2:23-26 gives edifying instruction for such situations (as follows):
  2. Responding Well To False Teachers By Godly Personal Conduct In Their Presence, 2 Tim. 2:23-26.
    1. In 2 Timothy 2:23 ESV, NIV, Paul warned Timothy to "reject, avoid" (paraiteomai, Arndt & Gingrich, A Grk.-Engl. Lex. of the N. T., 1967, p. 621-622) foolish, ignorant controversies as they only breed quarrels.
    2. Regarding quarrels, it is necessary (dei, U. B. S. Grk. N. T., 1966, p. 735) that the servant of God not get involved in such behavior, for that dilutes his credibility and effectiveness because it is carnality, meaning becoming quarrelsome is a spiritual trap, 2 Timothy 2:24a NIV, ESV!
    3. Instead (Ibid., alla, "but rather," a strong adversative; Ibid., Arndt & Gingrich, p. 37-38), in avoiding quarreling (2 Timothy 2:24b), the discipler is to employ the following good behavior to be used of God:
      1. First, he must be "gentle" (epios, Ibid., p. 349) to everyone, retaining godly credibility by not becoming carnally argumentative with an aggressive opponent, 2 Timothy 2:24c.
      2. Second, he must be "skillful in teaching" (didaktikos, Ibid., p. 190), focusing on explaining the facts of God's Word and keeping his train of thought clear and logical to make an impact, 2 Timothy 2:24d.
      3. Third, he must "bear evil without resentment" (anexikakos, Ibid., p. 64), not allowing himself to fall prey to a defensive attitude that only discredits himself and his discipling effort, 2 Timothy 2:24e.
      4. Fourth, he must in "humble courtesy" (prautes, Ibid., p. 705-706) "correct" (paideuo, Ibid., p. 608-609) those who "oppose for their own [errant, carnal] benefit" ( antiditithemi in the middle voice, Ibid., p. 73; brackets ours) the servant of the Lord, 2 Timothy 2:25a.
    4. With such behavior by His servant, God can interact with the false, opposing party for effective spiritual results as explained in 2 Timothy 2:25b-26:
      1. When the discipler as God's servant acts with such godly behavior before a foe of his discipling effort, his foe has cause to reconsider his own ways so that God might (mepote = "in order that," Ibid., p. 521) grant him opportunity to repent and to come to know the truth, 2 Timothy 2:25b.
      2. However, if God's servant carnally reacts to the arguing opponent by himself harshly, dogmatically, defensively and rudely becoming argumentative, he merely adds to the carnal foe's own spiritual blindness by reinforcing his position as he in turn reacts to ar guing in defensive, ungodly retaliation!
      3. It is very important, then, that God's servant react to foes who have erroneous teachings with gentle, skillful teaching, bearing evil without resentment in humble courtesy, for the foe who challenges one with true teaching is actually taken captive by Satan to do his will, 2 Timothy 2:23-25, 26.
      4. Good behavior taught in 2 Timothy 2:23-25 then gives the discipler's foe cause to rethink his behavior and view, and thus to realize his error and thus to escape the "snare, trap" (pagis , Ibid., p. 607) of the Devil who has taken him captive (zogreo, Ibid., p. 340) to do Satan's will, 2 Timothy 2:26!
      5. Thus, God's servant must realize that Satan deceives people, in turn using them to confront God's servant to get him to discredit himself and lose his effectiveness by falling into the trap of reactionary carnal behavior versus continuing to share the truth in a godly way. Good behavior counters Satan effort, and can even lead to the discipling of the one who opposes God's servant!
Lesson: If others directly oppose his true ministry, God's discipler must realize the angelic conflict is involved in the confrontation so that he not fall prey to the lure to retaliate to mistreatment by bad behavior, but to continue in gentle godliness to give the truth, looking for God to handle the opponent!

Application: May we function in such wisdom before foes of our ministry so that God can use us!