2 Timothy 2:24 - Christians Should Not Be Quarrelsome.
2 Timothy 2:24 (NIV) And the Lords
servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind
to everyone, able to teach, not resentful.
2 Tim. 2:24 (ESV) And the Lord's servant
must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone,
able to teach, patiently enduring evil,
2 Timothy 2:24 (AMP) And the servant of the
Lord must not be quarrelsome (fighting and
contending). Instead, he must be kindly to everyone and
mild-tempered [preserving the bond of peace]; he must be a
skilled and suitable teacher, patient and forbearing
and willing to suffer wrong.
INTRODUCTION
As a teacher, Timothy helped those who were
confused about the truth. Paul's advice to Timothy,
and to all who teach God's truth, is to be kind
and gentle, patiently and courteously explaining
the truth. Good teaching never promotes quarrels
or foolish arguments. Whether you are teaching
Sunday school, leading a Bible study, or preaching
in church, remember to listen to people's
questions and treat them respectfully, while avoiding
foolish debates. If you do this, those who oppose
you will be more willing to hear what you have
to say and perhaps turn from their error. [Life
Application SB]
COMMENTARY PEARL
When you hear raccoons fighting, you
don't wonder, What's that animal out there in the
dark? Their distinct, whiny screech - a possessive
"give-me-that" sound - is easily recognizable even if a
person is tucked into bed two stories above the
deck on which the raccoons are partying.
My husband and I removed anything they
might find worth fighting over - sunflower seeds
in the bird feeder and high-quality potting
soil (which they'd apparently deemed snack
worthy). It didn't matter. They still regularly Visit
the deck and make a ruckus around 11 p.m.
Destructive little critters.
Jesus's followers sometimes act like
critters. We whine at one another even if we have to
invent something to complain about. Decades ago,
the standard church joke was that every Sunday
noon meal was "Roast of Pastor." Everything from
his choice of ties to his lack of vocal
modulation during the sermon to whether or not he made
eye contact during the sermon's key point was
fair game for discussion.
We've matured, haven't we? Or have we?
Are we done with fussing and fighting? Moved
past that? Or are we like raccoons arguing over
rights to a single sunflower seed, snarling about
the rant of the day, because of or despite the
necktie?
Jesus teaches us to respect each other
and those who shepherd us. Will we? Cynthia
Ruchti
Faith Step: What guard can you set up to
prevent what the Bible calls foolish arguments?
Perhaps a simple morning prayer"Lord, keep me from
being quarrelsome today? [Mornings With Jesus 2022
Devotional by Guideposts and Zondervan]
YOUR COMMENTS
If anyone has a paraphrase, commentary or
testimony on this passage of Scripture, either
personal or otherwise, I would be interested in
hearing from you. Thanks in advance and let's keep
uplifting Jesus that all might be drawn to Him. Fred
Gibbs
LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT
https://abible.com/links/