An Unashamed Worker

Little poison can go a long way.

Once we've ingested it, it's difficult to control, and it can cause significant damage, often leading to death. False teaching is like spiritual poison. And today on Truth for Life, Alistair Begg explores the damage it can do when it spreads throughout a congregation. We're going to turn again to 2 Timothy 2 to verse 14, and we'll read there from 14 through to verse 19. Remind them of these things and charge them before God not to quarrel about words which does no good but only ruins the hearers. 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.

But avoid irreverent babble, for it will lead people into more and more ungodliness, and their talk will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, who have swerved from the truth, saying that the resurrection has already happened. They are upsetting the faith of some. But God's firm foundation stands bearing this seal. The Lord knows those who are his, and let everyone who names the name of the Lord depart from iniquity. Amen. Father, we pray that as we turn again to the Bible, that the Spirit of God will be our teacher, that you'll grant to us the ability to think properly and to have hearts that are open to welcome your truth in a way that shapes our lives in conformity to the image of Jesus.

In whose name we pray, amen. Well those of you who were present this morning will realize that we've decided to follow on from where we were then. I felt that it would be helpful, the way in which the whole paragraph holds together is such that we might have done better if we had gone further and longer, but here we are. And having thought this morning under the heading, The Pastor and People, we look at the balance of this section under the heading, An Unashamed Worker. I would imagine that like me, you have favorite sign-offs when you write letters to people. You probably use terminology that is fairly repetitive. I know that I do.

It varies a little bit. Sometimes I end a letter simply with the phrase, grace and peace. I often end with the exhortation in two words, keep on, or alternatively, stay steady! And sometimes when I'm writing to Christian friends who are golfers, I sign off with the phraseology, keep it in the fairway. And that, of course, is a metaphor from their golf game in relationship to their own Christian and spiritual life. And I begin in that way because essentially that is what Paul is saying here to Timothy in this section. He's saying, I want you, Timothy, to avoid the ruff that lies all around you, and I want you to make sure that you keep it in the fairway. The phrase which we saw this morning, rightly handling the word of truth, means quite literally to cut something straight or to cut a straight path.

The phrase occurs only three times in the Bible, once here in the New Testament and then twice, interestingly, both times in the book of Proverbs. For example, in Proverbs 11, it reads, the righteousness of the blameless keeps his way straight, but the wicked falls by his own wickedness. And you will perhaps recall the other phraseology about where God makes our paths straight.

It's a fairly straightforward picture, that of somebody who would be plowing a field and plowing hopefully a straight furrow, or of the cutting through of a roadway, such as happens every so often when you travel south in the Carolinas, you realize a tremendous amount of endeavor went into making sure that roads were cut through forests and sometimes through large volumes of rock in order that the road might lead without any deviation at all to the desired destination. And so Paul is saying to Timothy that it is of pressing importance that he heeds this directive because although Paul has encouraged him to be an unashamed workman, Timothy is working in an environment where there are a number of workmen who have every reason to be ashamed of themselves. And so Timothy is to make sure that he is telling the truth and ensuring that that is a pattern for his people to pay attention to and to follow along with him. He has certain things that are to be affirmed, but also there is that which is to be avoided.

And you will see there that that is the verb in your English translation in verse 16, but avoid irreverent babble. Now, this is not unique to his second letter to Timothy. It is also part and parcel of his first letter. And if you turn back a couple of pages to the beginning of 1 Timothy, let me just point this out to you. His first letter to Timothy begins with this very much in mind. He says, verse 3 of chapter 1, As I urged you when I was going to Macedonia, remain at Ephesus, so that you may charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine.

All right? Again, his concern for the clarity and purity of doctrine. Now, here in verse 4, Nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies which promote speculations rather than the stewardship from God that is by faith.

That's how he begins the letter, and it's how he ends the letter. In chapter 6 of 1 Timothy, he says in verse 20, O Timothy, guard the good deposit entrusted to you. And here we go again. Avoid the irreverent babble and contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge, for by professing it some have swerved from the faith. And as we're going to see in just a moment, it is that swerving from the faith that marks these ashamed workers that are part and parcel of the context in Ephesus. It's almost as though there was a virus, a spiritual virus, a theological virus that had crept in amongst the congregation or was at least in danger of doing so, and therefore it was absolutely imperative that Timothy dealt with it properly. And as we said this morning, by derivation, it is therefore imperative that any congregation confronted by this kind of nonsense and godlessness deals with it correctly—deals with it by cutting it straight and dealing with it in a straightforward fashion.

Nothing that is vague or underhanded or obscure in any way is to mark either the proclamation of the Bible or our response to the Bible. Timothy has to see to it that he avoids being drawn into vain discussions which are often promulgated by those who fancy themselves as teachers. Again in 1 Timothy, he talks about those who are just upstarts when it comes to teaching. They've emerged within the context, they get themselves a little Bible study or a home Bible study group or whatever else it is, they often have sort of compelling personalities, and by dint of that, they're able to gather around them a group of people who then become suspect and confronted by the suspect teaching, which he refers to here, you will notice, as irreverent babbling. Avoid irreverent babbling. And in the same way as we saw this morning when he said, warned them not to quarrel about words, and then he said quite straightforwardly, because it doesn't do any good, so he says, avoid irreverent babble, because it will lead people into more and more ungodliness. And if that isn't bad enough, their talk will spread like gangrene.

That is a repulsive picture. Those of you who are from a medical background know how much gangrene is to be avoided and how devastating it is when it is confronted and how radical the response often has to be in order to deal with it. So there's nothing superficial about this, there's nothing casual about this, there shouldn't be any naivety on the part of Timothy or any subsequent Timothys when it comes to this kind of thing. This godless chatter, he says, is dangerous. It's as dangerous as blood poisoning to the body. And as I was thinking along these lines in studying this passage, I recalled years ago when I had surgery at the clinic, 2007, that there was at that time—and I don't know if it has continued to this day—but there was at that time a program within the Cleveland Clinic that encouraged, asked the patients to inquire of the doctors, Have you washed your hands?

And there were signs all around the clinic and in my room that said, When the doctor comes, ask him or her if she's washed her hands in order to prevent infection spreading. And what Paul is saying here to Timothy is, it is essential that he is scrubbed up in order that he does not succumb to the poisonous teaching which is being offered by these two poster boys, Hymenaeus and Philetus. I always think it's a dreadful thing to have ended up in the Bible in this kind of fashion.

All the sadness that goes along with it. Here they are known to us simply because of their ungodlessness, because of their irreverent babbling, because of the fact that they had such a dreadful impact upon people. And you will notice that they are the poster boys. They're not alone, because the sentence begins, Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus.

And what have they done? They've swerved from the truth, swerved from the truth. The word in Greek, astokeo, means simply to miss the mark, to go astray, to fail to hit the target. I shot an arrow in the air. It fell to earth. I know not where.

I think that's Wadsworth or somebody. But anyway, you remember it from school. And these fellows, these supposed teachers of the Bible, were now just shooting their arrows in the air, and nobody had a clue really where they were going at all. And it was just profoundly dangerous. And they are to be warned against, and Hymenaeus sadly makes it into not only the second letter but also the first letter. Some have rejected the truth. He says at the end of chapter 1, they've made shipwreck of their faith, and among whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander.

Sad, sad picture. Again, you see, these were not individuals who got up one morning and said, You know, I think what I'm going to do is swerve from the truth. They didn't get up in the morning and say, I think I will deviate from the faith. I think I'd like to impact my brothers and sisters in Jesus by producing a virulent form of spiritual poisoning.

No. No, these were individuals who failed to pay attention to the instruction that they received. And in this instance, he identifies the fact that they were off target when it came to the issue of the resurrection. They are upsetting the faith of some because they're saying that the resurrection has already happened. Well, you think for a moment and you say, but of course, they weren't saying anything other than what is true. The resurrection has already happened. So what in the world does that mean? Because the resurrection of Jesus had happened, and in one sense, we are raised with him as he is raised in Christ.

We are raised with him. So what were they saying that was so unsettling? Well, it would appear that what they were really doing was actually just over-spiritualizing things.

Again, this is the kind of thing that happens. You get in these little groups, and somebody says, you know, I think Colossians 2.12 actually means that since we were buried with him in baptism and raised with him in eunice of life, that's all the resurrection is about. It's all spiritual. It's all already happened.

It's already taken place. And it is a spiritual resurrection. They may actually go as far as to say that the resurrection of Jesus himself was a spiritual resurrection rather than a bodily resurrection, but even if they're orthodox on that, they may then seek to encourage people to believe that basically you've got it all now and there's nothing left to look forward to.

And that would be pretty unsettling, wouldn't it? Because the Bible makes it perfectly clear that as in Adam all die, so in Christ will all be made alive. And the Bible clearly teaches not simply the immortality of the soul but the resurrection of the body. We will not all sleep, says Paul in 1 Corinthians 15, but we will all be changed.

See how subtle these things are? It may even be that these fellows were interested in making the Christian faith more accessible to people who had no time for a physical bodily resurrection. So for example, like in contemporary terms, for the Hindu, the Hindu says, well, there's no resurrection as the Bible teaches. We simply believe that you go around and you come around and you keep coming around until finally perhaps you hit the jackpot. Now, if we were attempting to say, well, of course, we kind of believe that we come around as well, and you come around and we all come around, and I get around and get around round round, and I get around and we all get around, we all get around. So in trying to reach over as far as we possibly can to accommodate, we may actually give up the very central truth of the resurrection itself. No, that's not at all what we're saying.

No, the Hindu believes something vastly different from what the Christian believes. The Christian believes something that is radical, that Jesus Christ rose on the third day from the dead, and that he is alive forevermore, and that we too will be raised—and anyone who is going to say contrary to that would, of necessity, find themselves upsetting the faith of some. And that kind of teaching, as John Stott has observed, is always dishonoring to God, and it is damaging to men and women. But Paul finishes the little paragraph before he goes on to his next metaphor, not dwelling on the poisonous nature of this irreverent babbling group, but instead encouraging Timothy with the reminder that although some may be unsettled in their faith, although there may be those who are seeking to promulgate something other than the truth, Timothy needs to be convinced of the fact that the Lord knows those who are his, that his solid foundation stands sure.

Within the context of godless chatter and unsettled lives, this, of course, would be very, very important for Timothy. He's being left now. Paul is going away. He's going to be on his own.

He's going to be handling this on his own. And so Paul, with great encouragement, says, You needn't worry about this, Timothy. Whatever one, the Lord knows those who are his, emphasizing the sovereign purpose of God in salvation. God ultimately is the only one who knows those who are his, because God is the only one who sees the heart. God is the only one who actually can verify the spiritual reality that is professed by the lips of each of us. The Lord knows them that are his, highlighting on the one hand that which is invisible, and then on the other that which is visible. And let everyone who names the name of the Lord depart from iniquity. In other words, from the godward side, it is invisible.

From the manward side, it is visible. Because when Paul writes to the Ephesians, he says that we were chosen in him—he chose us in him before the foundation of the world—that we should be holy and blameless in his sight. So those whom God has chosen are those who are holy and blameless in his sight. Therefore, the visible reality of Christian profession is seen in the lives of the professors. That which is visible by way of life and lifestyle is still hidden, as it were, in the eternal counsels of God. And the metaphor here that he uses would not be lost on Timothy or any of them who knew the Old Testament, because the two phrases that he uses here in the picture is of inscriptions on a building.

Both of them come from Numbers chapter 16, and I will leave Numbers 16 to you for yourselves and on your own. But let me finish by simply making this point, that Paul is concerned because these are matters of great significance. He's concerned both for the pastor himself, namely Timothy, and the people under his care.

It is vital that both of them are committed to both moral and doctrinal purity, because moral and doctrinal purity are essential prerequisites for usefulness in the service of God, which is what he comes to in the next paragraph, when he distinguishes between the pottery that is used in a great house, that which is used for honor, and that which is used for dishonor. And so he says, Timothy, I want you to make sure that as you work amongst your people there in Ephesus, you're preparing them in such a way that they might be increasingly useful to the Lord Jesus Christ, who has saved them and called them to himself, and to that reality they have pointed in their baptisms, and that we will turn to in just a moment. But let us pause and pray together. Father, as we think about our own church family this evening, we realize how desperately we need your help in becoming the kind of congregation that does not pay scant attention to these great imperatives. Now we pray that you will come and bless us as pastors and people, not because of our deserving, but because of our need, in order that you, in abiding with us, will fashion us in such a way that it may be really obvious to us that the good work that you have begun within us you will bring to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. You hear our prayers, and let our cries come unto you.

For Jesus' sake, amen. If you're listening to Truth for Life, Alistair Begg has reminded us of the vital importance of preserving the clarity and purity of God's Word. Here at Truth for Life we have been celebrating our thirtieth anniversary all month long, but as February draws to a close, I want to thank all of you who wrote to us, shared with us your experience of learning from Alistair. We'd still love to hear from you if you have a story to share and you haven't written yet. Email us letters at truthforlife.org, or send a handwritten letter to truthforlife at P.O.

Box 398000, Cleveland, Ohio 44139. And if you'd like to go back in time and hear the very first sermon broadcast on Truth for Life, February 27, 1995, you can listen to it online at truthforlife.org slash 30 years. In fact, here's a sample of that sermon. You remember one occasion the Pharisees who were really into rules and regulations came up to Jesus and asked him, Teacher, what is the greatest commandment in the law? That's Matthew chapter 22 verse 36. And Jesus replied, love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment, and the second is like it. Love your neighbor as yourself. All the law and the prophets hang on these two commandments.

I'm pretty sure I detected a stronger Scottish accent there. That's a message titled, Who Takes First Place? It's from the series Pathway to Freedom, a study in the Ten Commandments. And here we are three decades later, and Pathway to Freedom remains one of Alistair's most requested studies. Again, you can hear the message in its entirety at truthforlife.org slash 30 years. Our mission has not wavered over the last three decades.

We are planting, we're watering, and we are thanking God for the ways he has made things grow. And for those of you who are regular listeners to Truth for Life, you can come alongside this mission, join the vital team of Truth Partners, listeners just like you who pray for this ministry, who give a set amount each month. Visit truthforlife.org slash truthpartner or call us at 888-588-7884. And while you're on our website, be sure to request a copy of the book, Honor, Loving Your Church by Building One Another Up. Today's the last day we're offering this book for a donation of any amount.

This brief book looks at what it means for a church to genuinely honor God by making his glory and authority the absolute center of the church's worship, teaching, theology, community and mission. The book is yours by request when you give a donation at truthforlife.org slash donate. And if you'd prefer to set up an automatic monthly donation, it's easy to arrange at truthforlife.org slash truthpartner. Or you can call us at 888-588-7884. I'm Bob Lapine. Thanks for studying God's word with us this week. Hope you have a great weekend and are able to take advantage of worshiping with your local church. On Monday, we'll hear a message from Alistair that will encourage any of us who have ever felt like maybe we're not good enough to be used by God. The Bible teaching of Alistair Begg is furnished by Truth for Life, where the Learning is for Living.