Results 1 - 4 of 4
|
|
|||||
Results from: Answered Bible Questions, Answers, Unanswered Bible Questions, Notes Ordered by Verse | ||||||
Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
1 | What To Shut Your Mind Against | 2 Tim 2:23 | kalos | 169861 | ||
What To Shut Your Mind Against Tim Moran: This is in reply to the question in your post, ID# 169466. Yes, there is another topic that is just crying out for attention. The question is: What do the following verses mean? (In this question I do not accuse anyone of anything. I merely raise the question.) 2 Timothy 2:23 The Amplified Bible But refuse (SHUT YOUR MIND AGAINST, have nothing to do with) trifling (ill-informed, unedifying, stupid) controversies over ignorant questionings, for you know that they foster strife and breed quarrels. (Emphasis added.) 1 Timothy 6:4 The Amplified Bible He is puffed up with pride and stupefied with conceit, [although he is] woefully ignorant. He has a morbid fondness for controversy and disputes and strife about words, which result in (produce) envy and jealousy, quarrels and dissension, abuse and insults and slander, and base suspicions, Titus 3:9 The Amplified Bible But avoid stupid and foolish controversies and genealogies and dissensions and wrangling about the Law, for they are unprofitable and futile. Grace to you, Kalos :-) |
||||||
2 | What To Shut Your Mind Against | 2 Tim 2:23 | mark d seyler | 170122 | ||
Hi Kalos, 2 Timothy 2:23 "But refuse (paraiteomai - decline, avoid) the foolish (moros - meaning mentally dull or stupid) and uninstructed (apaideutos - untrained or uneducated, Roberston: undisciplined) questionings, knowing that they generate quarrels." (LITV) Vincent says this: Rev. ignorant is better; but the meaning at bottom is undisciplined: questions of an untrained mind, carried away with novelties: questions which do not proceed from any trained habit of thinking. So I would say that this meanse we are to ignore, and not answer, questions which we deem to be of this variety. Putting this in context, this is in contrast to the previous verse, which instructs us to "pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace, with the ones calling on the Lord out of a pure heart." So we join with those calling on the Lord out of a pure heart, ignoring those who ask ignorant and undisciplined questions, because (vs. 24) the slaves of the Lord are not to quarrel. We are, however, to gentle, patient, "apt to teach" (instructive). I would summerize this portion of Scripture to be saying that we are to join with those who are true in the faith, and not let ourselves become sidetracked into agruments, and fighting, but to continue gently and patiently teaching, even those who oppose us, in hopes that God will rescue them also. In context of the letter of Paul writing to Timothy, this comes as a personal, individual instruction, which we all do well to heed, and especially those who have been placed in the body as pastors and teachers, or other church leadership. Of neccessity, since we are not given a list of which questions are considered "foolish and ignorant", this requires a judgment on the part of the hearer. Considering that the heart of the questioner is in question (as this person is contrasted with the one who calls on the Lord out of a pure heart), we are not capable of judging this, and require a gift of discernment from the Holy Spirit. Without that discernment, we cannot always really know if someone actually has an issue with knowing who Cain married, or if they are just trying to muddy the water. So perhaps the best thing to do is answer or not, according to whether you (or I) believe the Holy Spirit is leading us. And if we choose to not answer, we are to ignore the question. I do not see where this gives place for us to give commentary on the question itself, or on the one asking it. We simply ignore it. If we choose to answer, we should be careful to not get dragged into an argument, but hopeful to bring someone to Christ. What if we disagree with another? Say I have chosen to ignore a question, but someone else has chosen to answer? Should I fault them for answering? Would my faulting them risk my being in disagreement with God, if perhaps God has led them to answer? Would I be better to "call" them on it, and inform them that I don't think they are doing the right thing? Or would I be better to pray for them, that they would be fruitful, and bring another to the Lord, or if they are barking up the wrong tree, for the Holy Spirit to give them understanding? So here is one of three. I will look at the other two passages you have asked about as I have time. Love in Christ, Mark |
||||||
3 | What To Shut Your Mind Against | 2 Tim 2:23 | kalos | 170159 | ||
Mark: You ask: "What if we disagree with another? Say I have chosen to ignore a question, but someone else has chosen to answer? Should I fault them for answering? I reply: No, neither you nor I should fault them for answering. You ask: Would my faulting them risk my being in disagreement with God, if perhaps God has led them to answer? I reply: I suppose that whenever we presume to know the will of God for another person, we risk being wrong, being in disagreement with God. You ask: Would I be better to "call" them on it, and inform them that I don't think they are doing the right thing? Or would I be better to pray for them, that they would be fruitful, and bring another to the Lord, or if they are barking up the wrong tree, for the Holy Spirit to give them understanding? I reply: It is always good to pray for another person, that they would be fruitful, etc. But I don't see this as an either/or situation. It could be a both/and situation. Without accusing anyone of anything, why can't I both remind people that we should avoid foolish controversies and at the same time pray for the good of the person who chooses to answer a question? These are my answers to your specific questions. What is my overall view of entertaining questions that might prove to be divisive or lead to contention? It's what I've already said in my earliest posts in this thread. Grace to you, Kalos |
||||||
4 | What To Shut Your Mind Against | 2 Tim 2:23 | mark d seyler | 170172 | ||
Hi Kalos, Thank you for some very sound answers! :-) One of the more difficult things I have had to learn is to keep my opinions to myself, and let God be the judge. But I will always benefit from Scriptural remainders! Love in Christ, Mark |
||||||