He must gently reprove those who oppose him, in the hope that God may grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth. Sermons
I. THE TRUE TEMPER OF THE MINISTER OF CHRIST. 1. Negatively. "The servant of the Lord must not strive." This does not mean that (1) he is not to contend earnestly for the faith (Jude 1:4); but (2) that he is not to fight about trifles, nor to argue with acerbity of temper, nor for mere victory. The "bond of peace" must be maintained in controversy. 2. Positively. (1) "But be gentle unto all men;" cultivating a spirit of habitual conciliation, while using arguments of the greatest cogency. (2) "Apt to teach;" showing capacity and disposition to instruct the ignorant and the obstinate. (3) "Patient;" bearing with the infirmities of weak brethren, with the irritating oppositions of adversaries, and with the reproaches of evil men generally. (4) "In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves" to the truth as it is in Jesus, thwarting or perverting the gospel. The minister must be ready to instruct such persons in a meek and humble spirit, because they may be ignorant, or ill-informed, or deeply prejudiced from the circumstances of their early training. II. THE BENEFITS THAT WILL ACCRUE FROM SUCH METHODS OF INSTRUCTION. "If God peradventure will give them repentance unto the knowledge of the truth, and they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by the Lord's servant unto the will of God." 1. A meek and gentle address may bring such errorists to repent of their sin and accept the true doctrine of faith. It is possible to repel them by our harsh reproaches. We ought rather to show them the truth without passion, and enforce it with all the kindly urgency of true affection. The necessity of repentance in such a case marks the essentially sinful character of opposition to the truth. 2. The servant of the Lord may be the means of recovering out of error as well as sin. (1) Error is the devil's snare as well as sin, for it leads downwards to sin. It acts like a stupefying drink. (2) Some errorists awake out of their intellectual intoxication, if they are wisely dealt with, and open their eyes to the blessed truth of the gospel. (3) The will of God once established in such hearts, as the guiding principle of life, completes the recovery from error. - T.C.
In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God per adventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth. (vers. 25, 26): — Consider —I. THE CHARACTERS AMONG WHOM IT WAS TO RE EXERCISED — opposers not only of God, but of themselves. They oppose — 1. Their duty. 2. Their conscience. 3. Their peace. 4. Their safety. II. ITS NATURE. It was a ministry of — 1. Instruction. 2. Meekness. III. ITS DESIGN. 1. That sinners may be led to repentance. 2. Led to an acknowledgment of the truth. 3. Recovered from the snares of the devil. (Anon.) He who cannot bear calmly and reply with dignity to contradiction, is just as little fitted for the ministry of the gospel as the physician would be for his profession who would allow himself to become moved by the abusive speech of a patient in fever delirium either to forsake the sick-bed, or to hurl back the abuse.(Van Oosterzee.) But you may reply that ministers must be Boanerges, Sons of Thunder, rattle in a congregation. True; notwithstanding, meekness is to be retained, practised. But to return an answer suitable to the objection.1. Every thin vapour, light exhalation, will not afford matter to cause a thunder-crack; so each text, subject, doth not give warrant to denounce terrors. 2. Before it thunder we apprehend a light, and then the voice striketh the organ of hearing, and the eye of the mind is to be enlightened in order ere that judgment be threatened. 3. Thunder is rare, not at every season; should the minister continually shoot the shafts of God's indignation, would not the vulgar begin to smile, laugh him to scorn? 4. After a great crack of thunder the heavens grow black and refresh the earth with sweet showers of water, and when the bolts of justice are cast among the people a preacher is to assume a doleful look, a sad countenance. These rules observed, cry aloud, Thunder and spare not l What shall I more say? In the cause of thy Master be bold, resolute; in thine own, let meekness have her perfect work. (J. Barlow, D. D.) It was written of Thoreau, the author, that "He was by nature of the opposition; there was a constitutional 'No' in him that could not be tortured into 'Yes.'"(H. O. Mackey.) I. HERE IS A SUPPOSITION LAID DOWN — THAT TRUTH IS SOMETHING REAL IN ITSELF AND OF IMPORTANCE TO MEN; something that may be found, and which we ought to seek after. Wherever the Scripture speaks of truth it always means such truth as has relation to religion. All truth, of what kind soever it be, is real. But truth in matters of religion is always of the greatest importance; as being the foundation and the support of right practice. These truths of God are like an immovable rock, the basis and foundation of that true religion which approves itself to every man's understanding by clear reason, and glorifies God by making men like unto Him through virtue and righteousness in their practice. All false religions consist in changing these truths of God into a lie (Romans 1:25).II. Such is the corrupt state and disposition of mankind, THAT SOME THERE WILL ALWAYS BE WHO WILL SET THEMSELVES TO OPPOSE THE TRUTH, Notwithstanding the native excellency and beauty of truth considered in itself; notwithstanding the strength and clearness of reason with which it is generally accompanied; notwithstanding the apparent benefit and advantage to which the knowledge of truth always brings, to mankind; yet so little sensible are men of the intrinsic excellency of things, so unattentive to the strength of the clearest reason, so apt to be imposed upon in judging concerning their own true interests; that nothing is more common than to see the plainest and most useful truths in matters of religion violently and passionately opposed. The principal causes of this opposition are — 1. Ignorance. Meaning here by ignorance not a bare want of knowledge. There is a presumptuous ignorance which despises knowledge, and this makes men oppose the truth before they understand anything of it. 2. Carelessness. They blindly, and without any consideration, follow the customs of the place where they happen to live, and the knowledge of truth seems to them to be of no great importance. They take up their religion at adventures, not from the consideration of the laws of nature or of revelation, but merely from the company they chance to be educated amongst, and thus all religions are put upon an equal foot, varying according to the accidental temper, of the persons among whom they prevail. 3. Prejudice. They have accustomed themselves to found their belief entirely in an implicit reliance upon other men, instead of building it upon the evidence of things themselves which is the foundation of truth. 4. Rut the last and greatest reason of men's setting themselves in opposition to the truth is the wickedness and corruption of their manners, the love of unrighteousness and debauchery, the desire and power of dominion, the concern they are under for the defence and support of a sect or party without having any knowledge how far they are, or are not, in the right. III. THE DIRECTION GIVEN US CONCERNING OUR OWN DUTY, THAT WE OUGHT IN MEEKNESS TO INSTRUCT THOSE WHO OPPOSE THEMSELVES AGAINST THE TRUTH. "We cannot always discern who they are that err through ignorance and through a vicious disposition. But if we would, yet meekness is at all times necessarily a fruit of the spirit, and we are commanded to be patient towards all men, towards them that oppose as well as towards them that are only ignorant of the truth. IV. A PARTICULAR REASON WITH REGARD TO THE PERSONS TO BE INSTRUCTED, WHY OUR INSTRUCTION TO THEM OUGHT ALWAYS TO BE ACCOMPANIED WITH MEEKNESS. If God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledgment of the truth. In the original it is, "Lest God peradventure should give them repentance to the acknowledgment of the truth." The meaning is, we are to instruct them with meekness, lest peradventure, by our heat and passion, we raise in them a just prejudice against us, when, by meek instruction, they might possibly have been brought to repentance, and to the acknowledgment of the truth, and so we, by our ill-behaviour become answerable for their miscarriage. For this reason we so frequently find repeated in Scripture the following admonitions, which may serve for a proper application of this whole discourse: 1 Peter 2:12; 1 Peter 3:15; 1 Corinthians 10:32; Colossians 4:5; 1 Timothy 3:7; Philippians 2:15; Philippians 4:5; Matthew 5:16. (S. Clarke, D. D.) 1. One principal end of the ministry is to bring men to repentance.2. By meek preaching God may work repentance. 3. Repentance is hopeful and yet doubtful. 4. Ministers are to preach and leave the success to the Lord. (J. Barlow, D. D.) When Dr. Swift was arguing one day with great coolness with a gentleman who had become exceedingly warm in the dispute, one of the company asked him how he could keep his temper so well. "The reason is," replied the dean, "I have truth on my side." A cobbler at Leyden, who used to attend the public dispulations held at the academy, was once asked if he understood Latin. "No," replied the mechanic, "but I know who is wrong in the argument." "How?" replied his friend. "Why, by seeing who is angry first."(Sunday School Teacher.) The medical attendant of my brother has just been expressing his surprise to see how much I am worn within this last half year; I am very sensible of it myself, and expect that I shall be much more worn if my people continue in such a grievous state. I would that my eyes were a fountain of tears to run down day and night. Would you believe it? I have been used to read the Scriptures to get from them rich discoveries of the power and grace of Christ: to learn how to minister to a loving and obedient people; I am now reading them really and literally to know how to minister to a conceited, contentious, and rebellious people. Two qualities, I am sure, are requisite, meekness and patience, yet, in some cases, I shall be constrained to rebuke with authority. I have been used to sail in the Pacific. I am now learning to navigate the Red Sea, that is full of shoals and rocks, with a very intricate passage. I trust the Lord will carry me safely through; but my former trials have been nothing to this.(C. Simeon.) Who expects to find "Bradshaw" full of Latin questions? You get it as a guide, and you want it to be as plain as possible. You have lost your way among some mountains one night, and are overtaken by some classic — who says, "I will tell you the way to get home in sixteen different languages," none of which you comprehend. I think you would reply, "I would rather be told it, sir, in one that I could understand." Or, if some profound professor should inform you that he could explain the geological strata and formation of the soil on which you were standing, I think you would say, "If you could point me to my own abode, I should be more grateful." And I think if some poor ragged girl or shepherd boy could tell you of a way by which you could escape that wood or yonder precipice and reach a hospitable shelter, such information would undoubtedly be more profitable to you. The sign-post that points the way by the side of the roads never have a quotation of poetry upon them, or sentences from Isocrates or Sophocles. There is just the word, and that is enough.(C. H. Spurgeon.) People David, Hymenaeus, Paul, Philetus, TimothyPlaces EphesusTopics TRUE, Acknowledgment, Chance, Change, Correcting, Errors, Full, Gentle, Gentleness, Gently, Grant, Guiding, Heart, Hope, Instruct, Instructing, Leading, Meekness, Opponents, Oppose, Opposing, Opposition, Peradventure, Perhaps, Repent, Repentance, Setting, Sometime, Speak, Teaching, Themselves, Tone, TruthOutline 1. Timothy is exhorted again to constancy and perseverance.17. Of Hymenaeus and Philetus. 19. The foundation of the Lord is sure. 22. He is taught whereof to beware, and what to follow after. Dictionary of Bible Themes 2 Timothy 2:25 6175 guilt, removal of 7759 preachers, qualifications 5549 speech, positive 6734 repentance, importance 6634 deliverance Library Twenty-Seventh Day. Holiness and Service. If a man therefore cleanse himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, meet for the Master's use, prepared unto every good work.'--2 Tim. ii. 21. 'A holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices. A holy nation, that ye may show forth the excellences of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvellous light.'--1 Pet. ii. 5, 9. Through the whole of Scripture we have seen that whatever God sanctifies is to be used in the service of His Holiness. His Holiness … Andrew Murray—Holy in Christ "But Ye are not in the Flesh, but in the Spirit, if So be that the Spirit of God Dwell in You. Now, if any Man In Memoriam. "Most Gladly Therefore Will I Rather Glory in My Infirmities, that the Power of Christ May Rest Upon Me. " -- 2 Cor. 12:9. The victory of the Lamb Of This, Then, Ye have Now Received, have Meditated... Introductory Note to the Epistle of Mathetes to Diognetus Epistle xxxv. To Leontius, Ex-Consul. Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners Or, a Brief Relation of the Exceeding Mercy of God in Christ, to his Poor Servant, John Bunyan The vine and the Branches To the High and Mighty Prince Charles, Prince of Wales. Concerning the Sacrament of Baptism That, Namely, Befalleth them which in Undisciplined Younger Widows... The Apostle Has Made Known to us Certain Three Unions... It Behoves those who Preside Over the Churches, Every Day but Especially on Lord's Days... Under the Shepherd's Care. Glorious Predestination The Lost Sheep, the Lost Coin, and the Prodigal Son. That the Ruler Relax not his Care for the Things that are Within in his Occupation among the Things that are Without, nor Neglect to Provide God's Faithfulness Curiosity a Temptation to Sin. Answer to Mr. W's Fifth Objection. "And the Life. " How Christ is the Life. Links 2 Timothy 2:25 NIV2 Timothy 2:25 NLT 2 Timothy 2:25 ESV 2 Timothy 2:25 NASB 2 Timothy 2:25 KJV 2 Timothy 2:25 Bible Apps 2 Timothy 2:25 Parallel 2 Timothy 2:25 Biblia Paralela 2 Timothy 2:25 Chinese Bible 2 Timothy 2:25 French Bible 2 Timothy 2:25 German Bible 2 Timothy 2:25 Commentaries Bible Hub |