Pastor William E. Wenstrom Jr. WENSTROM BIBLE MINISTRIES Marion, Iowa 2015 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries EXEGESIS AND EXPOSITION OF SECOND TIMOTHY 2:13-14
Pastor William E. Wenstrom Jr.
WENSTROM BIBLE MINISTRIES
Marion, Iowa 2015 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries
EXEGESIS AND EXPOSITION OF SECOND TIMOTHY 2:13-14
2015 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries
1
Exegesis and Exposition of Second Timothy 2:13-14
Second Timothy 2:13
The Lord is Faithful Even If the Christian is Unfaithful
2 Timothy 2:13 If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny
Himself. (NASB95
“If we are faithless, He remains faithful” is composed of the following: (1)
conditional particle ei (εἰ), “if” (2) first person plural present active indicative form
of the verb apisteō (ἀπιστέω), “we are faithless” (3) nominative masculine
singular form of the demonstrative pronoun ekeinos (ἐκεῖνος), “He” (4) nominative
masculine singular form of the adjective pistos (πιστός), “faithful” (5) third person
singular present active indicative form of the verb menō (μένω), “remains.”
Once again, the apostle Paul is employing the figure of asyndeton meaning he is
not using a connective word between his previous first class conditional statement
in Second Timothy 2:12 and the one to follow here in Second Timothy 2:13. Paul
employs this figure in order to emphasize the solemn nature of the first class
conditional statement here in verse 13. The apostle Paul employs the figure of
asyndeton because he wants Timothy and the Ephesian Christian community and
all Christians to be assured and confident that the Lord would never disown them
for unfaithfulness. So the figure is emphasizing that all Christians possess eternal
security.
The conditional particle ei introduces a protasis of a first class condition that
indicates the assumption of truth for the sake of argument. It is employed with the
indicative form of the verb apisteō, “we are faithless” to explicitly convey a
protasis of a first class condition that indicates the assumption of truth for the sake
of argument. The idea behind the first class condition is not “since” but rather, “if-
and let us assume that it is true for the sake of argument that, then...” Here the
protasis is “if and let assume that it is true for the sake argument that we are
unfaithful.” The apodosis is “He remains faithful.” The relationship between the
protasis and the apodosis is cause-effect. The cause is the Christian being
unfaithful. The effect is Jesus Christ remaining faithful. Paul then employs as
causal clause to explain the effect and says that the Lord can never deny Himself.
The verb apisteō is composed of the verb pisteuo, “to believe,” which is
negated by the alpha privative, thus the word literally means, “to disbelieve, to
distrust.” The word does not appear in the canonical writings of the Septuagint
(LXX) but it does appear six times in the Apocrypha. The verb appears eight times
in the Greek New Testament (Mark 16:11, 16; Luke 24:11, 41; Acts 28:24;
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Romans 3:3; 2 Timothy 2:13; 1 Peter 2:7). In every instance, except 2 Timothy
2:13, the word is used in relation to the disbelief in the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
The New Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon lists the following meanings for the
verb apisteō: (1) To betray a trust, be unfaithful (2) To have no belief, disbelieve.1
The Analytical Greek Lexicon Revised: (1) To refuse belief, be incredulous,
disbelieve (2) to prove false, violate one’s faith, be unfaithful.2
Louw and Nida list the following meanings: (1) To believe that something is
not true – ‘to not believe, to disbelieve, to not think to be true’ (page 371) (2) To
refuse to put one’s trust or reliance in something or someone – ‘to not believe (in),
to refuse to believe, to not trust in, unbelief’ (page 378). (3) To not believe in the
good news about Jesus Christ and hence not become a follower – ‘to not be a
believer, to be a non-Christian, to be an infidel, not believing, to be a pagan’ (page
379).3
The Exegetical Dictionary of the New Testament gives the word a two-fold
definition: (1) Be unfaithful (2) Fail to believe.4
Analytical lexicon of the Greek New Testament (1) not believe, refuse to
believe, be distrustful (LU 24.11); (2) as acting disloyally be unfaithful, prove false
(RO 3.3; 2T 2.13)5
BDAG lists the following meanings: ① disbelieve, refuse to believe, intr. ⓐ
gener. (POxy 471, 4 [II A.D.]; Jos., Ant. 2, 58); Mk 16:11; Lk 24:41. ἠπίστουν
refused to believe Ac 28:24. ἀ. τινι someone (Jos., Ant. 2, 330) Lk 24:11.—SIG
1168, 24 (w. verb for ‘sneer’); 30; 31; Philo, Mos. 1, 212; 2, 261 show the
transition to usage ⓑ in description of response to a deity or divine activity or to
reports about divine activity (Iambl., Vi. Pyth. 28, 148 περὶ θεῶν μηδὲν θαυμαστὸν
ἀπιστεῖν. Herm. Wr. 9, 10; Wsd 1:2; 10:7; 18:13; 2 Macc 8:13; Jos., Ant. 2, 270) ὁ
ἀπιστήσας one who gives no credence (to the message) Mk 16:16; οἱ ἀπιστοῦντες
the unbelievers (Iambl., Vi. Pyth. 28, 139) 1 Pt 2:7; IEph 18:1. ② not believe in
1 page 57 2 pages 39-40 3 Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament Based on Semantic Domains, volume 1 4 volume 1, page 121 5 Friberg, T., Friberg, B., & Miller, N. F. (2000). Analytical lexicon of the Greek New Testament (Vol. 4, p. 64). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books.
intr. intr. = intransitive
gener. gener. = generally
POxy POxy = Oxyrhynchus Papyri—List 4
Jos. Jos. = Josephus. This abbr. used when follow by title; I A.D.—Lists 5 Jos. Jos. = Josephus. This abbr. used when follow by title; I A.D.—Lists 5
SIG SIG = Sylloge Inscriptionum Graecarum3; superscript omitted in text—List 3
Philo Philo = P. of Alexandria, I B.C.–I A.D.—List 5 Iambl Iambl , phil., III–IV A.D.—List 5
Vi. Vi. = Vita, Vitae
Herm. Wr. Herm. Wr. = Hermetic Writings—List 5 Jos. Jos. = Josephus. This abbr. used when follow by title; I A.D.—Lists 5
Iambl Iambl , phil., III–IV A.D.—List 5
Vi. Vi. = Vita, Vitae IEph IEph = Ignatius to the Ephesians—List 1
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someone, trans. οἵτινες τὸν οὕτως ἀναστάντα ἀπιστοῦσι who do not believe in the
one who thus rose AcPlCor 2:25 (cp. Just., A I, 33, 2 [J 14:29]; Ath. 12, 3
ἀπιστούμεθα θεοσεβεῖν). In reciprocity-shame-oriented Mediterranean societies
negative attitudes and responses in the face of divine beneficence merit strong
rebuke. ③ be unfaithful of one lacking a sense of obligation (X., An. 2, 6, 19 of
disloyal soldiers) of relation of humans to God or Jesus Ro 3:3; 2 Ti 2:13.—DELG
s.v. πείθομαι. M-M. TW.6
In Second Timothy 2:13, the verb apisteō means “unfaithful” and is used in
relation to the Christian and thus speaks of the unfaithfulness of the Christian
which is manifested by a lack of faith in the gospel, i.e. the Word of God which in
turn results in disobedience to the gospel.
The first person plural form of this verb apisteō is a reference to all Christians
without exception. If any Christian is unfaithful in life and leaves this earth in a
state of being unfaithful to the Lord, the Lord remains faithful to them. The first
person plural could be taken as a reference to just Paul and Timothy. However, this
epistle is not only directed at Timothy but also the entire Christian community in
Ephesus and throughout the Roman Empire. The first person plural should be taken
as being used in a distributive sense meaning if “any of us” is unfaithful, Jesus
Christ remains faithful to us.
The present tense of the verb apisteō is a customary present or stative present
used to signal an ongoing state. This would indicate the Christian existing in a state
of unfaithfulness in life or after completing their lives on earth. The present tense
emphasizes the state of a Christian’s unfaithfulness to the Lord. It expresses the
idea of completing their life on earth in a state of unfaithfulness to the Lord.
The active voice is stative as well expressing the idea of a Christian as the
subject existing in the state of being unfaithful in their life. It expresses the idea of
completing their life on earth in a state of unfaithfulness to the Lord.
The indicative mood of the verb is a conditional indicative meaning it is
employed with the conditional particle ei in order to form a protasis of a first class
condition.
In classical Greek the Septuagint, and the Greek New Testament, ekeinos
functioned as a demonstrative pronoun meaning, “the person there, that person,” or
trans. trans. = transitive
AcPlCor AcPlCor = Acts of Paul: correspondence with Corinthians (a.k.a. Third Corinthians), text according to PBodmer X—List 1 cp. cp. = compare, freq. in ref. to citation fr. ancient texts
Just Just , II A.D.—List 5
Ath. Ath. = Athenagoras, II A.D.—List 5 X. X. = Xenophon, V–IV B.C.—List 5
DELG DELG = PChantraine, Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue grecque—List 6
s.v. s.v. = sub voce (under the word, look up the word) M-M M-M = JMoulton/GMilligan, Vocabulary of Greek Testament—Lists 4, 6
TW TW = Theologisches Wörterbuch zum NT; tr. GBromiley, Theological Dictionary of the NT—List 6 6 Arndt, W., Danker, F. W., & Bauer, W. (2000). A Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament and other early Christian literature (3rd ed., p. 103). Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
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“thing.” It was generally used with reference to what had been immediately
mentioned before by the writer. When houtos and ekeinos refer to two things
mentioned before, then ekeinos belongs to the more remote, in time, place or
thought and houtos to the more immediate.
Ekeinos is frequently the predicate to houtos or houde. It is also used to denote
well-known persons and for things one cannot remember or must not mention by
name. The word is employed with a simple demonstrative force to it. It is used
after a relative in apodosi and almost pleonastically. In Aeolic and Attic Greek, the
substantive with ekeinos has the article and it may precede or follow the
substantive but in the Poets, the article is omitted.
Ekeinos appears in the dative feminine form as an adverb. The word is used of
place meaning, “at that place, in that neighborhood.” It is used of manner meaning,
“in that manner,” and is used with prepositions as well. Ekeinos is used
substantively in the Greek New Testament in contrast with houtos or personal
pronouns such as humin or autos.
The Analytical Greek Lexicon Revised: (1) A demonstrative pronoun, used
with reference to a thing previously mentioned or implied, or already familiar; that,
this, he. (2) In contrast with houtos, referring to the former of two things
previously mentioned.7
The New Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon: (1) Demonstrative pronoun, that
man, woman or thing (2) Properly of persons, things, times, places somewhat
remote from the speaker (3) Used absolutely in antithesis referring to the more
remote subject (4) Of noted persons, in a bad sense, that notorious man; in a good
sense, of the Lord Jesus; of the Holy Spirit, with an apposition added (5) Referring
to a noun immediately preceding, he, she, it (6) Equivalent to an emphatic (7)
Resumptive (8) Joined with nouns, and then the noun with the article either
precedes or follows it (9) In contrasts used to distinguish accurately from others the
things or the persons spoken of (10) Of time, that that time which has been spoken
of; said of that which the writer either cannot or will not define more precisely and
yet wishes to be connected with the time of events just narrated; at that time under
consideration (11) As an adverb, by that way.8
A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian
Literature-Third Edition defines the word “pertaining to an entity mentioned or
understood and viewed as relatively remote in the discourse setting, that person,
that thing, that.”9
Louw and Nida define the word “a reference to an entity regarded as relatively
absent in terms of the discourse setting—‘that, that one’.”10
7 pages 123-124 8 pages 194-195 9 Pages 301-302 10 Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament Based on Semantic Domains, 92.30
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Dan Wallace commenting on ekeinos, “A demonstrative pronoun is a pointer,
singling out an object in a special way. The three demonstrative pronouns used in
the NT are houtos, ekeinos, and ode. (This last one is rare, occurring only ten
times.) houtos regularly refers to the near object (“this”), while ekeinos regularly
refers to the far object (“that”). There are exceptions to this rule in that both
demonstratives sometimes function like personal pronouns. As well, they
sometimes ‘violate’ the general rules of concord that pronouns normally follow.
Such exceptions are often freighted with exegetical significance. The near-far
distinctions of houtos and ekeinos can refer either to that which is near/far in the
(1) context, (2) in the writer’s mind, or (3) in space or time of the writer or
audience. Sometimes these realms are in conflict: What might be the nearest
antecedent contextually might not be the nearest antecedent in the author’s mind,
etc. A little imagination is sometimes needed to see the reason for the pronoun.
Although technically houtos and ekeinos are demonstrative pronouns, sometimes
their demonstrative force is diminished. In such cases, they act as third person
personal pronouns with a simple anaphoric force. This usage is especially frequent
in John, occurring more with ekeinos than with houtos.”11
In Second Timothy 2:13, the demonstrative pronoun ekeinos means “He”
referring to the Lord Jesus Christ who is not referred to explicitly but only
implicitly in this hymn in Second Timothy 2:11-13. However, the Lord is referred
to explicitly in Second Timothy 2:10. This demonstrative pronoun is used here in
Second Timothy 2:13 in a remote sense since it is pointing back the expression
Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ, “Christ, who is Jesus” which appears in Second Timothy 2:10.
Therefore, the word is employed here by Paul in Second Timothy 2:13 to point
back to a remote antecedent. He wouldn’t use this word if the Lord was referred to
explicitly in Second Timothy 2:11-13.
This demonstrative pronoun ekeinos is functioning as a nominative subject
meaning it is performing the action of the verb menō, “remains” whose predicate
nominative is the adjective pistos (πιστός), “faithful.” This indicates of course that
the Lord Jesus Christ is performing the action of remaining faithful to the Christian
despite the Christian’s unfaithfulness to Him.
The verb menō intransitively means, “to remain in a place, to tarry,” as opposed
to go away. It also meant, “to stay overnight,” and then in the Hellenistic period,
the word meant, “to stay overnight, to dwell.” The verb at times meant, “to stay
alive,” or figuratively, “to remain in a sphere.” The verb menō could also mean, “to
stand against opposition, to hold out, to stand fast,” as opposed to wavering, or
fleeing. It was used metaphorically meaning, “to keep an agreement, to remain in a
particular sphere of life, to make a stand against difficult circumstances, and
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changes in general.” The word was used of that which remains valid in law, such
as a will. It was used of the gods or that inspired by them as having continuing
existence. The word was seldom used transitively with the sense of “waiting for,”
or “expecting someone or something.” It was used of the “eternal” God and the
stars that are “fixed,” as compared to the planets, which orbit.
Liddell and Scott list the following meanings for the word in classical Greek:
(1) Stand fast, in battle (2) Stay at home, stay where one is (3) Lodge, stay (4) Stay
away, be absent from (5) To be a shirker (6) Stay, tarry (7) Loiter, be idle (8) Of
things, to be lasting, remain, stand (9) Fixed (10) Having no proper motion (11)
Permanent (12) Remain in one’s possession (13) Remain contented with (14)
Abide by an opinion or conviction (15) Observes (16) Transitive of persons, await,
expect (17) Wait for.12
The verb menō appears 79 times in the Septuagint and has basically the same
meanings as in classical Greek. It is used to translate 15 Hebrew terms in the
Septuagint. As in classical Greek, the verb is used metaphorically meaning,
“sphere, quality, remain” in a vow is to validate the vow and to make it
meaningful. It is used with reference to God, people and things. The verb is used of
the “immutability” of God, which does not imply that God cannot be moved to
action such as through prayer, but rather it denotes is loyalty, and faithfulness to
His people. God’s Word and His love are eternal expressing the believer’s eternal
relationship to God. Daniel 6:26 says He is a God who endures and Isaiah 40:8
states that His Word stands forever. Thus, He is superior to false gods. Isaiah 14:24
states that God’s counsel remains forever. The new heavens and the new earth will
endure forever according to Isaiah 66:22.
The verb menō appears 118 times in the Greek New Testament. The word
appears forty times in the Gospel of John and 24 in the Johannine epistles. In the
Greek New Testament, verb meno can have the following meanings: (1) Literally,
to stay, dwell (Mt. 10:11; Mk. 6:10; Lk. 1:56; 8:27; 9:4; 10:7; 19:5; 24:29; Jn.
1:38, 39; 2:12; 4:40; 7:9; 10:40; 11:6; 14:25; Acts 9:43; 16:15; 18:3, 20; 20:15;
21:7, 8; 28:16, 30; 2 Tim. 4:20; 1 Jn. 2:19). (2) Literally, to remain, to remain in
(Mt. 26:38; Mk. 14:34; Jn. 8:35; 9:41; 19:31; Acts 5:4; 27:31, 41; Rev. 17:10). (3)
Literally, to rest (Jn. 1:32, 33; 3:36). (4) Literally, to wait for, to await (Acts 20:5,
23). (5) Figuratively, to reside, indwell the soul (Jn. 5:38; 14:10, 17; 15:7, 11; 1 Jn.
2:14, 24). (6) Figuratively, to remain alive (Jn. 21:22, 23; 1 Cor. 15:6; Phlp. 1:25).
(7) Figuratively, to abide, to remain (on the vine); to be in fellowship with, to
experience intimacy with” (Jn. 6:56; 15:4, 5, 6, 7; 1 Jn. 2:6, 10, 28; 3:6, 24; 4:13,
16). (8) Figuratively, to stand firm in (Jn. 8:31). (9) Figuratively, to remain in a
certain condition or sphere (Jn. 12:24, 46; 1Cor. 7:8, 11, 20, 24, 40; 2 Cor. 3:14; 1
12 Greek-English Lexicon, New Edition, page 1103
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Jn. 3:14). (10) Figuratively, to remain forever, to live forever, to be permanent, to
endure (Jn. 6:27; 12:34; 15:16; Rm. 9:11; 1 Cor. 3:14; 2 Cor. 3:11; 9:9; 2 Tim.
2:15; Heb. 7:3, 24; 10:34; 12:27; 13:14; 1 Pet. 1:23, 25; 1 Jn. 2:17; 1 Jn. 2:27; 3:9;
4:15; 2 Jn. 2). (11) Figuratively, to live in, to be active in (Jn. 15:9, 10; 1 Cor.
13:13; 1 Tim. 2:13; 2 Tim. 3:14; 1 Jn. 3:15, 17; 4:12; 2 Jn. 9). (12) Figuratively, to
continue (Heb. 13:1).
Vine’s Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words, “Meno, used (a) of place, e. g.,
Matt 10:11, metaphorically 1 John 2:19, is said of God, 1 John 4:15; Christ, John
6:56; 15:4, etc.; the Holy Spirit, John 1:32-33; 14:17; believers, John 6:56; 15:4; 1
John 4:15, etc.; the Word of God, 1 John 2:14; the truth, 2 John 2, etc.; (b) of time;
it is said of believers, John 21:22-23; Phil 1:25; 1 John 2:17; Christ, John 12:34;
Heb 7:24; the Word of God, 1 Peter 1:23; sin, John 9:41; cities, Matt 11:23; Heb
13:14; bonds and afflictions, Acts 20:23; (c) of qualities; faith, hope, love, 1 Cor
13:13; Christ's love, John 15:10; afflictions, Acts 20:23; brotherly love, Heb 13:1;
the love of God, 1 John 3:17; the truth, 2 John 2. The RV usually translates it by
‘abide,’ but ‘continue’ in 1 Tim 2:15; in the following, the RV substitutes ‘to
abide’ for the KJV, ‘to continue,’ John 2:12; 8:31; 15:9; 2 Tim 3:14; Heb 7:24;
13:14; 1 John 2:24. Cf. the noun mone, below.”
A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian
Literature-Third Edition: (1) remain, stay, intr. (a) a pers. or thing remains where
he, she, or it is. α. of a location stay, oft. in the special sense live, dwell, lodge
(Horapollo 2, 49 μ. alternating w. οἰκέω) w. ἐν and the dat. (Ps.-Demosth. 43, 75 μ.
ἐν τοῖς οἴκοις; Vi. Aesopi G 12 p. 259, 6 P.) ἐν οἰκίᾳ Lk 8:27; ἐν αὐτῇ τῇ οἰκίᾳ Lk
10:7; J 8:35a; ἐν τ. οἴκῳ σου Lk 19:5. ἐν τῷ πλοίῳ remain in the ship Ac 27:31. μ.
ἐν τῇ Γαλιλαίᾳ J 7:9.—Ac 9:43; 20:15 v.l.; 2 Ti 4:20. κατὰ πόλιν remain in the city
MPol 5:1 (Just., A I, 67, 3). W. an adv. of place ἐκεῖ Mt 10:11; Mk 6:10; Lk 9:4; J
2:12; 10:40; 11:54 (s. διατρίβω); Hs 9, 11, 7. ὧδε Mt 26:38; Mk 14:34; Hs 9, 11, 1.
ποῦ μένεις; where do you live? J 1:38; cp. vs. 39 (Sb 2639 ποῦ μένι Θερμοῦθις;
Pel.-Leg. 7, 27; Nicetas Eugen. 1, 230 H. ποῦ μένεις;). W. acc. of time (Demetr.:
722 Fgm. 1, 11 Jac.; JosAs 20:8; Jos., Ant. 1, 299) J 1:39b; 4:40b; 11:6; Ac 21:7;
D 11:5; 12:2. W. time-indications of a different kind ἕως ἂν ἐξέλθητε Mt 10:11. ὡς
μῆνας τρεῖς Lk 1:56. εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα J 8:35b. ἐπὶ πλείονα χρόνον Ac 18:20. W. prep.
παρά τινι μ. stay with someone (Cebes 9, 2; Jos., Ant. 20, 54) J 1:39b; 4:40a; Ac
18:3 (live with is also prob.: Lucian, Timon 10); 21:7, 8. παρʼ ὑμῖν μένων when I
was (staying) with you J 14:25. πρός τινα with someone Ac 18:3 D; D 12:2. ἐπί
τινα remain on someone J 1:32f. σύν τινι with someone (4 Macc 18:9) Lk 1:56;
24:29b. Also μ. μετά τινος (Gen 24:55) Lk 24:29a; Hs 9, 11, 1; 3; 6; 7. καθʼ ἑαυτόν
live by oneself, in one’s own quarters Ac 28:16 (of what is called in Lat. custodia
libera; s. BAFCS III 276, 364f; 384f). Of a corpse μ. ἐπὶ τοῦ σταυροῦ stay
(hanging) on the cross J 19:31. Of a branch: ἐν τῇ ἀμπέλῳ remain on the vine, i.e.
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not be cut off 15:4b. Of stones μ. ἐν τῇ ὁδῷ stay on the road Hv 3, 2, 9. Of stones
that remain in the divine structure, and are not removed Hs 9, 13, 4; 9. Also in
imagery τὸ κάλυμμα ἐπὶ τῇ ἀναγνώσει τῆς παλαιᾶς διαθήκης μένει the veil remains
unlifted at the reading of the OT (and hinders the right understanding of it) 2 Cor
3:14. Abs. Ac 16:15. β. in transf. sense, of someone who does not leave a certain
realm or sphere: remain, continue, abide (Pla., Ep. 10, 358c μένε ἐν τοῖς ἤθεσιν,
οἷσπερ καὶ νῦν μένεις; Alex. Aphr., An. II 1 p. 2, 15 μ. ἐν ταῖς ἀπορίαις=remain
overcome by doubts; Jos., Ant. 4, 185; TestJos. 1:3 ἐν τ. ἀληθείᾳ; Just., D. 8, 3 ἐν
… τῷ τῆς φιλοσωφίας τρόπῳ) ἐν ἁγνείᾳ IPol 5:2; cp. IEph 10:3. ἐν τῇ διδαχῇ τοῦ
Χριστοῦ remain in the teaching of Christ 2J 9a; cp. vs. 9b (2 Macc 8:1 μ. ἐν τῷ
Ἰουδαϊσμῷ). ἐν πίστει καὶ ἀγάπῃ 1 Ti 2:15. μένε ἐν οἷς ἔμαθες continue in what
you have learned 2 Ti 3:14. ἐν τῷ λόγῳ τῷ ἐμῷ J 8:31. μείνατε ἐν τῇ ἀγάπῃ τῇ ἐμῇ
continue in my love 15:9f; cp. 1J 4:16. ἐν τῷ φωτί 2:10. ἐν τῷ θανάτῳ 3:14. ἐν τῇ
σκοτίᾳ J 12:46. Without ἐν AcPlCor 2:36. The phrase μ. ἔν τινι is a favorite of J to
denote an inward, enduring personal communion. So of God in his relation to
Christ ὁ πατὴρ ἐν ἐμοὶ μένων the Father, who abides in me J 14:10. Of Christians
in their relation to Christ J 6:56; 15:4ac, 5–7; 1J 2:6, 24c. Of Christ relating to
Christians J 15:4a, 5 (Goodsp., Probs. 112–15). Of Christians relating to God 1J
2:24c, 27f; 3:6, 24a; 4:13. Of God relating to Christians 1J 3:24; 4:12f, 15.—Vice
versa, of someth. that remains in someone; likew. in Johannine usage: of the word
of God 1J 2:14. Of the words of Christ J 15:7b; cp. 1J 2:24ab. Of the anointing fr.
heaven vs. 27. Of the love of God 1J 3:17. Of the seed of God 3:9. Of truth 2J 2.
The possession is shown to be permanent by the expr. ἔχειν τι μένον ἐν ἑαυτῷ have
someth. continually, permanently 1J 3:15; the word of God J 5:38. Instead of μ. ἔν
τινι also μ. παρά τινι remain with someone: of the Spirit of truth J 14:17. Also of
the wrath of God, μένει ἐπʼ αὐτόν it remains upon him 3:36.—GPercorara, De
verbo ‘manere’ ap. Jo.: Div. Thomas Piac. 40, ’37, 159–71. (b) a pers. or thing
continues in the same state (ParJer 7:37 ἔμεινε διδάσκων; ApcSed 11:13 ἀκίνητοι
μένετε; Just., D. 90, and Lucian, Laps. 16 ἐν τῇ τάξει μ.) 1 Cor 7:20, 24. μένει
ἱερε ς εἰς τὸ διηνεκές he remains a priest forever Hb 7:3. αὐτὸς μόνος μένει it
remains alone J 12:24. μενέτω γαμος 1 Cor 7:11. ἀσάλευτος Ac 27:41. πιστός 2
Ti 2:13. ἀόρατος Dg 6:4. (μ ε ί νατε νικηταί μεί ν α τ ε Ox 1602, 30f is a misreading;
difft. AcPl Ha 8, 22 BMM recto 28=HTR 31, 79 n. 2, ln. 10; s. CSchmidt mg. on
AcPl Ha 8, 22 μ ε γ α ς ἐπ ίκειται πιρασμός; Borger GGA 137). ἀσκανδάλιστος
μείνῃ ἡ … ἐκκλησία AcPlCor 1:16. μ. μετά τινος remain in fellowship w. someone
1J 2:19. Of one who has divorced his wife remain by himself, remain unmarried
Hm 4, 1, 6; 10; 4, 4, 2. οὐχὶ μένον σοὶ ἔμενεν; was it (the piece of ground) not
yours, as long as it remained (unsold)? Ac 5:4 (cp. 1 Macc 15:7 and s.
OHoltzmann, ZKG 14, 1893, 327–36).—W. adv. (Just., A I, 29, 3, D. 58, 3
βεβαίως) οὕτως μ. remain as one is (i.e., unmarried) 1 Cor 7:40. ἁγνῶς 2:3. μ. ὡς
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ἐγώ remain as I am 1 Cor 7:8. (2) to continue to exist, remain, last, persist,
continue to live, intr. (a) of pers. (Ps 9:8 ὁ κύριος εἰς τ. αἰῶνα μ.; 101:13; Da 6:27;
Just., D. 128, 4 γγελοι … ἀεὶ μένοντες) ὁ Χριστὸς μ. εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα Christ remains
(here) forever J 12:34; cp. Hb 7:24; 1J 2:17. Of God AcPl Ha 2, 28; 9, 11. Pregnant
remain (alive), be alive (Epict. 3, 24, 97; Diog. L. 7, 174; Achilles Tat. 8, 10.
μένειν ἐν τῷ ζῆν Plut., Mor. 1042d; Eccl 7:15; Just., A I, 63, 17) J 21:22f; 1 Cor
15:6; Phil 1:25; Rv 17:10. (b) of things (Maximus Tyr. 4, 8b and Polyaenus 7, 34:
γῆ μένει; Socrat., Ep. 31 =33 ; Hierocles 15, 454 ὁ πόνος παρῆλθεν, τὸ καλὸν
μένει; Just., A I, 18, 2 αἴσθησις … μένει; Ath. 19, 2 μένει σύστασις) of a city
ἔμεινεν ἂν μέχρι τῆς σήμερον it would have lasted until today Mt 11:23. μένουσα
πόλις a permanent city Hb 13:14.—ἡ φιλαδελφία μενέτω continue 13:1 (JCambier,
Salesianum 11, ’49, 62–96).—J 9:41; 15:16. εἰ τὸ ἔργον μενεῖ if the work survives
1 Cor 3:14. ὕπαρξις Hb 10:34. δικαιοσύνη 2 Cor 9:9 (Ps 111:9). ἡ κατʼ ἐκλογὴν
πρόθεσις τοῦ θεοῦ Ro 9:11 (of God’s counsel Ps 32:11). λόγος θεοῦ endure 1 Pt
1:23 (Just., D. 61, 2; cp. 1 Esdr 4:38 ἡ ἀλήθεια μένει). τ. ῥῆμα κυρίου μένει εἰς τ.
αἰῶνα vs. 25 (Is 40:8). ἡ βρῶσις ἡ μένουσα εἰς ζωὴν αἰώνιον J 6:27. τὴν δύναμιν
σου τὴν μένουσαν Rv 11:7 v.l. ζώσης φωνῆς καὶ μενούσης Papias (2:4). τὸ μένον
what is permanent (Philo, Leg. All. 3, 100.—Opp. τὸ καταργούμενον) 2 Cor 3:11.
μένει πίστις, ἐλπὶς, ἀγάπη 1 Cor 13:13 (WMarxsen, D. ‘Bleiben’ im 1 Cor 13:13,
OCullmann Festschr., ’72, 223–29; on the eschatology cp. En 97:6–10 and s. the
lit. on ἀγάπη 1a.—For the contrast πίπτει vs. 8 —μένει cp. Pla., Crat. 44, 440a εἰ
μεταπίπτει πάντα χρήματα καὶ μηδὲν μένει). Opp. σαλευόμενα Hb 12:27. (3) wait
for, await, trans. (a) of pers.: wait for someone who is arriving (Hom.; Thu. 4, 124,
4; X., An. 4, 4, 20; Pla., Leg. 8, 833c; Polyb. 4, 8, 4; Tob 2:2 BA; 2 Macc 7:30;
TestJob 11:1; Jos., Ant. 13, 19) τινά w. the place indicated ἔμενον ἡμᾶς ἐν Τρῳάδι
they were waiting for us in Troas Ac 20:5. (b) of things, such as dangers or
misfortunes that await or threaten someone (Trag.; Kaibel 654, 9 κἀμὲ μένει τὸ
θανεῖν; SibOr 4, 114 v.l. σὲ) θλίψεις με μένουσιν Ac 20:23.—Of the 118 passages
in which μένω occurs in the NT, 67 are found in the Johannine writings (40 in the
gosp.; 24 in 1J; 3 in 2J).—JHeise, Bleiben: Menein in d. Johan. Schr., ’67;
FHauck, TW IV 578–93: μένω and related words.—B. 836. DELG. M-M. TW.”13
The Analytical Greek Lexicon Revised: (1) To stay (2) To continue (3) To
dwell, lodge, sojourn (4) To remain (5) To rest, settle (6) To last, endure (7) To
survive (8) To be existent (9) To continue unchanged (10) To be permanent (11)
To persevere, be constant, be steadfast (12) To abide, to be in close and settled
union (13) To indwell (14) Transitively, to wait for.14
The New Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon: (1) Intransitively in reference to
place (2) To sojourn, tarry; tropically, not to depart, not to leave, to continue to be
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present (3) To be held, or kept, continually (4) To time; to continue to be, not to
perish, to last, endure; of persons, to survive, live; to remain to him, be still in his
possession (5) To state or condition; to remain as one is, not to become another or
different (6) Transitively, to wait for, await one.15
Louw and Nida list the following meanings: (1) To remain in the same place
over a period of time – ‘to remain, stay’ (85.55). (2) To remain in a place and or
state, with expectancy concerning a future event – ‘to await, to wait for’ (85.60).
(3) To continue to exist – ‘to remain, to continue, to continue to exist, to still be in
existence’ (13.89). (4) To continue in an activity or state – ‘to continue, to remain
in, keep on’ (68.11).16
The verb menō in Second Timothy 2:13 means “to remain” in the sense of
continuing in a particular state. The nominative subject of this word is the
demonstrative pronoun ekeinos. It is also employed with the adjective pistos
(πιστός), “faithful” which functions a predicate nominative. Therefore, the verb
menō expresses the idea of the Lord Jesus Christ “remaining faithful” to the
Christian despite their unfaithfulness to Him in the sense that He continues in a
state of being faithful to the Christian despite their unfaithfulness.
The present tense of the verb menō is a customary present or stative present
used to signal an ongoing state. This would indicate the Lord Jesus Christ
continues to exist in a state of remaining faithful to the Christian despite the
Christian’s unfaithfulness to Him.
The active voice is stative as well expressing the idea of Jesus Christ as the
subject continuing to exist in a state of being faithful to the Christian despite the
Christian being unfaithful to Him.
The indicative mood is declarative presenting this Pauline assertion as a non-
contingent or unqualified statement.
The adjective pistos basically means, “faithful, reliable, trustworthy.” In
classical literature, the word was used to describe persons who were “reliable,
loyal.” The word was also used of things that were “trustworthy, certain, genuine.”
It was also used substantively in the phrase to piston, “the faithful one.” The term
denotes a “pledge, security.” The adjective pistos was used of those who stood in a
contractual agreement and were described as “trustworthy, faithful.”
Liddell and Scott: (1) Of persons, faithful, trusty; trustworthy, worthy of credit;
genuine (2) Of things, trustworthy, sure; deserving belief, credible (3) As
substantive, pledge, security, warrant.17
In the Septuagint, the adjective pistos appears 69 times and is used to describe
God as “faithful” (Dt. 7:9; cf. Is. 49:7). The Lord is described as a rock because
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His faithfulness is immutable. Therefore, He keeps His covenants with those who
trust Him such as with David (Ps. 89:28 [LXX 88:28]). At the same time, God
chooses “faithful” men to execute His will such as Samuel (1 S. 2:35; 3:20 LXX 1
K. 2:35; 3:20 ). Abraham is described in Nehemiah 9:8 as possessing a “faithful”
heart in his relationship with the Lord. In non-canonical portions of the LXX, the
prophecies of Isaiah are described as “reliable” (Sir. 48:22). Those who testify of
God are described as pistos (Is. 8:2).
The adjective pistos appears 67 times in the Greek New Testament. Often the
word in the Greek New Testament means, “faithful” and is used to describe
believers (e.g. Moses, Abraham, Antipas, Onesimus, Paul and Silvanus) in their
relationship with the Lord (Mt. 24:45; 25:21, 23; Lk. 12:42; 16:10, 11, 12; 19:17;
Acts 16:15; 1 C. 4:2; 4:17; Gal. 3:9; Eph. 1:1; 6:21; Col. 1:2, 7; 4:7, 9; 1 Tm. 1:12;
3:11; 2 Tm. 2:2; Heb. 3:2, 5; 1 Pet. 5:12; Rev. 2:10, 13; 17:14). Our Lord uses the
word where He tells Thomas to be “believing” in His resurrection from the dead
(Jn. 20:27).
The adjective pistos means “faithful” when used to describe God and Christ (1
C. 1:9; 10:13; 1 Thess. 5:24; 2 Thess. 3:3; 2 Tim. 2:13; Heb. 2:17; 10:23; 1 Pet.
4:19; 1 Jn. 1:9; Rev. 1:5; 3:14; 19:11). It is used many times to describe the
Scriptures as “true, trustworthy, and dependable” (1 Tim. 1:15; 3:1; 4:9; 2 Tim.
2:11; Tit. 1:9; 3:8; Rev. 21:5; 22:6).
Several times in the Greek New Testament the word is used as a substantive to
describe those who have trusted Christ for salvation and thus should be translated
“believer, believers” (Acts 10:45; 16:1; 2 C. 6:15; 1 Tim. 4:3; 10, 12; 5:16; 6:2;
Tit. 1:6; 1 Pet. 1:21). The word is used of God in 2 Cor. 1:18 of God who is
described by Paul as “trustworthy.” The adjective is employed as an adverb in 3 Jn.
5 and means, “faithfully.”
Vine's Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words, “Pistos, a verbal adjective,
akin to peitho (see FAITH), is used in two senses, (a) passive, ‘faithful, to be
trusted, reliable,’ said of God, e. g., 1 Cor 1:9; 10:13; 2 Cor 1:18 (KJV, ‘true’); 2
Tim 2:13; Heb 10:23; 11:11; 1 Peter 4:19; 1 John 1:9; of Christ, e. g., 2 Thess 3:3;
Heb 2:17; 3:2; Rev 1:5; 3:14; 19:11; of the words of God, e. g., Acts 13:34, ‘sure’;
1 Tim 1:15; 3:1 (KJV, ‘true’); 4:9; 2:11; 1:9; 3:8; 21:5; 22:6; of servants of the
Lord, Matt 24:45; 25:21,23; Acts 16:15; 1 Cor 4:2,17; 7:25; Eph 6:21; Col 1:7;
4:7,9; 1 Tim 1:12; 3:11; 2 Tim 2:2; Heb 3:5; 1 Peter 5:12; 3 John 5; Rev 2:13;
17:14; of believers, Eph 1:1; Col 1:2; (b) active, signifying ‘believing, trusting,
relying,’ e. g., Acts 16:1 (feminine); 2 Cor 6:15; Gal 3:9 seems best taken in this
respect, as the context lays stress upon Abraham's ‘faith’ in God, rather than upon
his ‘faithfulness.’ In John 20:27 the context requires the active sense, as the Lord is
reproaching Thomas for his want of ‘faith.’ See No. 2. With regard to believers,
they are spoken of sometimes in the active sense, sometimes in the passive, i. e.,
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sometimes as believers, sometimes as ‘faithful.’ See Lightfoot on Galatians, p.
155. Note: In 3 John 5 the RV has ‘thou doest a faithful work,’ for KJV, ‘thou
doest faithfully.’ The lit. rendering is ‘thou doest (poieo) a faithful thing,
whatsoever thou workest (ergazo).’ That would not do as a translation. To do a
‘faithful’ work is to do what is worthy of a ‘faithful’ man. The KJV gives a
meaning but is not exact as a translation. Westcott suggests ‘thou makest sure
(piston) whatsoever thou workest’ (i. e., it will not lose its reward). The change
between poieo, ‘to do,’ and ergazo, ‘to work,’ must be maintained. Cf. Matt 26:10
(ergazo and ergon).
A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian
Literature-Third Edition: (1) pertaining to being worthy of belief or trust,
trustworthy, faithful, dependable, inspiring trust/faith (2) pertaining to being
trusting, trusting, cherishing faith/trust.18
The Analytical Greek Lexicon Revised: (1) Faithful, true, trusty (2) Put in trust
(3) True, veracious (4) Credible, sure, certain, indubitable (5) Believing, yielding
belief and confidence (6) Christian believer (7) In a true hearted manner, right-
mindedly.19
The New Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon: (1) Trusty, faithful; of persons who
show themselves faithful in the transaction of business, the execution of
commands, or the discharge of official duties (2) Easily persuaded; believing,
confiding, trusting; one who is convinced that Jesus is the Messiah and the author
of salvation.20
Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament Based on Semantic Domains lists
the following meanings: (1) Pertaining to trusting – ‘one who trusts in, trusting’
(31.86). (2) Pertaining to being trusted – ‘faithful, trustworthy, dependable,
reliable’ (31.87). (3) Pertaining to being sure, with the implication of being fully
trustworthy- ‘sure’ (71.17).
Analytical Lexicon of the Greek New Testament: (1) active; (a) of persons
trusting, believing, full of faith, confiding (JN 20.27); (b) absolutely, as an
adjective believing (in Christ) (AC 16.1); as a substantive believer (2C 6.15); οἱ
πιστοί literally the believers, i.e. Christians (1T 4.3); πιστή female believer,
Christian woman (1T 5.16); (2) passive; (a) of persons trustworthy, faithful,
dependable (CO 4.7), opposite δικος (dishonest); (b) of God trustworthy, faithful
(HE 10.23); (c) of things, especially of what one says sure, reliable, trustworthy
(1T 1.15).21
In Second Timothy 2:13, the adjective pistos means “faithful” and refers to the
exercise of the Lord Jesus Christ’s divine attribute of faithfulness to the Christian. 18 Page 821 19 page 314 20 page 514 21 Page 314
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Webster’s New Universal Unabridged Dictionary defines the adjective
“faithful,” “strict or thorough in the performance of duty; true to one’s word,
promises, vows; steady in allegiance or affection; loyal; reliable, trusted, or
believed; adhering or true to fact or an original.”
They also state, “faithful implies long-continued and steadfast fidelity to
whatever one is bound to by a pledge, duty or obligation.
If we paraphrase these definitions, we could say that the Lord Jesus Christ
continues to remain faithful to the Christian despite the Christian’s unfaithfulness
to Him because He is true to His promise in His Word to forgive the sins of those
who express faith in Him. He is steady in allegiance to His promise of the
forgiveness of sins.
In Second Timothy 2:13, the adjective pistos is functioning as a predicate
nominative and is making an assertion about the Lord Jesus Christ. This is a
convertible proposition where the subject (“He”-Lord Jesus Christ) is
interchangeable with the predicate nominative pistos, “faithful.” This means that
both words have an identical referent meaning we could say not only that the
“Lord Jesus Christ is faithful,” but also that “faithful is the Lord Jesus Christ.”
The adjective pistos, “faithful” is a positive adjective which focuses on the
properties of a noun in terms of kind, not degree. In a sense, it infers an absolute
notion. As a predicate nominative the adjective makes an assertion about the Lord
Jesus Christ who is the object of the assertion. We have what is called an
anarthrous adjective noun construction, which is composed of an anarthrous
adjective followed by a noun. The adjective pistos is in the anarthrous first
predicate position to the subject “He,” (Lord Jesus Christ). Here in Second
Timothy 2:13 the anarthrous adjective pistos is predicate and is making an
assertion about the Lord Jesus Christ, namely that He remains faithful to the
Christian even if they are unfaithful to Him.
The Lord Can Never Deny Himself
2 Timothy 2:13 If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny
Himself. (NASB95
“For He cannot deny Himself” is composed of the following: (1) aorist middle
infinitive form of the verb arneomai (ἀρνέομαι), “He deny” (2) conjunction gar
(γάρ), “for” (3) accusative third person masculine singular form of the reflexive
pronoun heautou (ἑαυτοῦ) “Himself” (4) emphatic negative adverb ou (οὔ), “not”
(5) third person singular present middle indicative form of the verb dunamai
(δύναμαι), “can.”
The conjunction gar is functioning as a marker of cause meaning it is
introducing a statement which presents the reason for Paul’s previous assertion that
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the Lord Jesus Christ continues to remain faithful to the Christian even if the
Christian is unfaithful to Him.
The verb dunamai means to have power by virtue of inherent ability or
resources and has the following meanings: (1) To be able, to be capable of (2) To
be able, with specific reference to the subjective spiritual or moral attitude which
either makes able or not; to will or not to will. (3) To be equal to, to count as, to
signify. Words deriving from the stem duna- all have the basic meaning of “being
able,” of “capacity” in virtue of an ability. The noun dunamis suggests the inherent
capacity of someone or something to carry something out, whether it be physical,
spiritual, military or political. It indicates the power to act which given as of right
to anyone by virtue of the position he holds.
The Septuagint uses dunamai to translate more than a dozen Hebrew words
associated with ability or capacity (or lack of it) to perform a task. It is especially
used for yakhol. In numerous instances dunamai is used in a negative sense to
show the contrast between the limits or loss of human power over personal fate (cf.
Ex. 8:18; Le. 26:37; Is. 24:20; Da. 2:26; 5:8) and the omnipotence of Yahweh.
The verb dunamai is used to translate the following Hebrew terms: (1) Gibbor,
“warrior” (Hos. 10:13). (2) Yakhol, “be able” (Gn. 29:8; Neh. 6:3); “overpower”
(Ob. 7). (3) Yekhi, “be able” (Dn. 2:10, 47; 3:29-Aramaic). (4) Yasaph, “add,
increase”; hiphil: “do again” (Is. 24:20). (5) Kehal, “be able” (Dn. 5:8-Aramaic).
(6) Kul, “lay hold of”; hiphil: “hold” (1 K. 8:64; Jer. 2:13). (7) Kalah, “end”; piel:
“finish” (Neh. 4:2-Sixtine Edition only). (8) Matsa, “find” (Jb. 32:3). (9) `atsa,
“refrain” (2 Ch. 20:37).
The verb dunamai appears extensively in the Greek New Testament. As in the
Septuagint, the New Testament uses dunamai to express ability and capacity to
accomplish something in deed, attitude or thought.
Louw and Nida define the word, “to be able to do or to experience
something”.22
The New Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon lists the following meanings for the
verb: (1) To be able, have power (2) To be able to do something (3) To be able,
capable, strong, powerful.23
The Analytical Greek Lexicon Revised defines the word, “to be able, either
intrinsically and absolutely, which is the ordinary signification; or, for specific
reasons” (page 107).
Vine’s Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words, “Dunamai, ‘to be able, to have
power,’ whether by virtue of one's own ability and resources, e. g., (Rom. 15:14);
or through a state of mind, or through favorable circumstances, e. g., (1 Thes. 2:6);
22 Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament Based on Semantic Domains74.5 23 pages 158-159
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or by permission of law or custom, e. g., (Acts 24:8,11); or simply ‘to be able,
powerful,’ (Matt. 3:9; 2 Tim. 3:15), etc.”
The Analytical Greek Lexicon Revised lists the following meanings, “of
capacity or ability be able, be capable of, can, have power to; with an infinitive
supplied or implied of what one is able to do”.24
A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian
Literature-Third Edition defines the verb “to possess capability (whether because
of personal or external factors) for experiencing or doing something can, am able,
be capable”.25
In Second Timothy 2:13, the verb dunamai means, “to have the capacity, to be
able to do something.” The verb’s meaning is emphatically negated by the
emphatic negative adverb ou which is used to deny the reality of an alleged fact
and is the clear cut, point-blank negative, and objective, final. It emphatically
negates the idea that the Lord Jesus Christ could ever deny Himself.
The present tense of the verb dunamai is a “gnomic” present used to make a
statement of a general, timeless fact indicating that the Lord Jesus Christ can
absolutely never “as an eternal spiritual truth” deny Himself.
The present tense of this verb is also a customary present signaling an ongoing
state indicating that the Lord Jesus Christ absolutely never “exists in the state of”
being able to deny Himself.
The middle voice of the verb is a direct middle where the subject acts on
himself or herself. Here it speaks of the Lord Jesus Christ acting upon Himself by
denying Himself through not remaining faithful to the Christian when the Christian
is unfaithful to Him.
The indicative mood is declarative presenting this assertion as a non-contingent
or unqualified statement.
In Second Timothy 2:13, the verb arneomai means “to be untrue to oneself”
since it pertains to behaving or conducting oneself in a manner which is untrue to
oneself or untrue to the principles or standards one lives by. Here it is used of
course of the Lord Jesus Christ conducting Himself in a manner toward the
unfaithful Christian which is untrue to Himself and specifically untrue to the
principles or standards He lives by.
The aorist tense of the verb arneomai is an ingressive aorist which is used to
stress the beginning of an action or the entrance into a particular state. Here it is
used of the Lord Jesus Christ entering into the state of being untrue to Himself or
entering into the state of not living by His holy standards when dealing with an
unfaithful Christian.
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The middle voice of this verb is a redundant middle which means that it is used
in a reflexive manner with a reflexive pronoun. This use of the middle is to
emphasize with the reader the total and complete impossibility of the Lord Jesus
Christ ever not being true to Himself or in other words, acting inconsistent with
His perfect holy standards.
The infinitive form of the verb arneomai is a complementary infinitive meaning
it is completing the thought of the verb dunamai and defines specifically for the
reader what the Lord Jesus Christ is never able to do.
The reflexive pronoun heautou refers to the Lord Jesus Christ. It is used to
highlight the participation of the subject, in the verbal action, as indirect object. Its
force is frequently to indicate that the subject is also the object of the action of the
verb or in other words, it reflects back on the subject. Therefore, the reflexive
personal pronoun heautou means “Himself” and emphasizes the action of Jesus
Christ never being able to be untrue to Himself.
Heautou functions as an accusative direct object meaning that it is receiving the
action of the verb arneomai indicating that the total impossibility of the Lord Jesus
Christ acts upon Himself in the sense that He acts untrue to Himself or inconsistent
with His perfect holy standards.
Translation of Second Timothy 2:13
Second Timothy 2:13 If and let us assume that it is true for the sake of
argument that any of us is unfaithful, He continues to remain faithful because
He is, as an eternal spiritual truth never able to be untrue to Himself.
(Author’s translation)
Exposition of Second Timothy 2:13
The apostle Paul is emphatically reassuring Timothy and the Ephesian Christian
community and all Christians that the Lord Jesus Christ would never disown them
for unfaithfulness. Here in verse 13 Paul employs another first class conditional
statement in order to persuade and encourage his readers. Here he is reassuring his
readers that they have eternal security if they become unfaithful. In the protasis, he
speaks of the Christian being unfaithful which is manifested by a lack of faith in
the gospel, i.e. the Word of God which in turn results in disobedience to the gospel.
It also speaks of the Christian failing to fulfill their responsibilities to the Lord
which is manifested by unbelief in His Word which results in disobedience to His
Word. Consequently as a result of their lack of faith and obedience to the Word of
God they fail to fulfill their responsibilities to God to love Him with their entire
being. Also, they fail to fulfill their responsibility to their fellow human being to
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love their fellow human being as themselves. In relation to their fellow Christian,
their unbelief in the Word of God and resultant disobedience to it results in their
failing to fulfill their responsibility to love their fellow Christian as Christ loves
them. This unbelief and disobedience also results in the Christian failing to be a
good steward with their time, talent, treasure and truth which were given to them
by the Lord as trusts in serving Him.
In the apodosis, the apostle Paul teaches that despite their unfaithfulness to the
Lord Jesus Christ, He continues in a state of being faithful which refers to the
exercise of the Lord Jesus Christ’s divine attribute of faithfulness to the Christian.
Webster’s New Universal Unabridged Dictionary defines the adjective
“faithful,” “strict or thorough in the performance of duty; true to one’s word,
promises, vows; steady in allegiance or affection; loyal; reliable, trusted, or
believed; adhering or true to fact or an original.” They also state, “faithful implies
long-continued and steadfast fidelity to whatever one is bound to by a pledge, duty
or obligation. If we paraphrase these definitions, we could say that the Lord Jesus
Christ continues to remain faithful to the Christian despite the Christian’s
unfaithfulness to Him because He is true to His promise in His Word to forgive the
sins of those who express faith in Him. He is steady in allegiance to His promise of
the forgiveness of sins.
Faithfulness is one of the attributes of God as related to moral beings (Deut.
7:9; 32:4; Lam. 3:23; Isa. 49:7; Hos. 11:12; Ps. 25:10; 33:4; 89:1-8; 91:4; 96:13;
98:3; 100:5; 119:75; 1 Cor. 1:9; 10:13; 2 Cor. 1:18; 1 Thess. 5:23; 2 Thess. 3:3; 1 2
Tim. 2:13; Jn. 1:9; Heb. 10:23; 1 Pet. 4:19; Rev. 19:11). It is one of the relative
attributes of God meaning that it is related to God’s relationship to men.
Faithfulness characterizes God’s loyalty to His covenant people Israel and the
Church.
Faithfulness is one of the relative attributes of God. There are two kinds of
attributes: (1) Absolute or intrinsic: those attributes that God possesses of Himself
such as life and love. (2) Relative: those attributes related to His creation and
especially men and angels.
For example, by nature God is truth but when God relates that truth to man,
God’s truth becomes faithfulness. Love is one of God’s intrinsic or absolute
attributes but when His love is directed towards sinners, it becomes grace and
mercy and compassion.
What does Paul in Second Timothy 2:13 mean when he states that the Lord
Jesus Christ remains faithful to the Christian despite the Christian being unfaithful
to Him or in other words, to what is the Lord faithful? The answer is that the Lord
is faithful to His promise to save us through faith in Him (John 3:16-18, 36; 6:29;
7:37-38; 11:25-26; cf. 1 Cor. 10:13; 2 Cor. 1:18-20; 1 Thess. 4:23-24; 2 Thess. 3:3;
Heb. 10:23; 1 Pet. 4:19). He is also faithful to His promises found in the Old
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Testament, which speak of the forgiveness of sins. The promise of the forgiveness
of sins is of course rooted in the Old Testament (Is. 43:25; 53:11; Ps. 103:12-13;
Ezek. 36:24-26; Jer. 31:34; Mic. 7:18-20). The Lord is faithful to His promises in
the Old Testament to forgive sins. This is what Paul is referring to here in Second
Timothy 2:13.
Some argue that Paul is saying here in Second Timothy 2:13 that if a Christian
is unfaithful, the Lord remains faithful to His promise to punish them. However,
Paul always speaks of God’s faithfulness in the context of salvation and never
punishment. Some argue that here in Second Timothy 2:13 that Paul is speaking of
the Lord remaining faithful to His promise to punish for unfaithfulness because he
teaches in Second Timothy 2:12 that if the Christian denies Christ, Christ will deny
the Christian. However, Paul is speaking in the context of rewards in verse 12
since he mentions in the first statement in verse 12 that if the Christian is faithful
they will be rewarded. Thus, the second statement in verse 12 is stating that if the
Christian refuses to follow the Lord, the Lord will refuse to reward them. The Lord
will discipline the Christian for unfaithfulness and if they don’t repent, they will
lose rewards at the Bema Seat (1 Cor. 3:11-15). The Christian was not saved based
upon their own merits but rather on the merits of Jesus Christ and His death on the
cross. Thus, it is impossible for the Lord to disown the Christian for their
unfaithfulness and thus cause them to lose their salvation since they were not saved
on their own merits in the first place.
Knight writes “Paul does not mention God’s faithfulness as a basis for the
certainty that the faithless will be punished, but as the basis for the assurance of the
gospel promises (2 Cor. 1:18–20), for safety in temptation (1 Cor. 10:13), for
protection from the evil one (2 Thes. 3:3), and for the sanctification and
preservation of God’s people (1 Thes. 5:24; cf. also Heb. 10:23; 11:11; 1 Pet. 4:19;
1 Jn. 1:9 [note πιστός]; Rev. 1:5; 3:14; 19:11). This understanding is also
suggested here by μένει, ‘he remains,’ which with πιστός implies that Christ
continues as the faithful one in his relationship to Christians. Though they change
and become unfaithful (to him, understood), he does not change but has remained
faithful (to them, understood). The Pauline and NT usage also suggests that
Christ’s remaining faithful here also includes his continuing adherence to the
divine promises to his people even in the midst of their unfaithfulness. This
understanding of the apodosis entails that the protasis most likely refers to
temporary unfaithfulness and not to unbelief. This fourth line of the saying is
demonstrated in Christ’s faithfulness to Peter even though Peter was so unfaithful
that he denied Jesus (Jn. 21:15ff.; Lk. 22:31–32).”26
26 Knight, G. W. (1992). The Pastoral Epistles: a commentary on the Greek text (p. 407). Grand Rapids, MI; Carlisle, England: W.B. Eerdmans; Paternoster Press.
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So Paul’s reassurance in Second Timothy 2:13 that the Lord will remain faithful
to the Christian even if they are unfaithful to Him is significant since there was
great apostasy in the church in Asia as evidenced by the fact that the majority of
Christians in this province had abandoned Paul upon his arrest and imprisonment.
First Timothy makes clear that there was great apostasy among pastors in Ephesus.
So Paul is teaching that despite the apostasy in the church, the Lord will remain
faithful to His promises to save and forgive them because He always keeps His
promises.
The voluntary substitutionary spiritual and physical death of Jesus Christ on the
cross paid the penalty for every sin in human history-past, present and future and is
the basis for the forgiveness of sins (1 John 2:12). The Lord in the institution of the
Lord’s Table speaks of this promise of the forgiveness of sins, which is based upon
His voluntary substitutionary spiritual death on the cross, which is denoted by the
phrase “My blood.” (Matt. 26:28) Therefore, the promise of the forgiveness of sins
is related to this substitutionary spiritual and physical deaths of the Lord Jesus
Christ (Eph. 1:7; Col. 1:14; 1 John 1:7). The Lord Jesus Christ remains faithful to
the unfaithful Christian to His promise to forgive sin, and which forgiveness of
sins was based upon His death on the cross.
The apostles proclaimed that this promise of the forgiveness of sins is
appropriated through faith in the Lord Jesus because in Him is the fulfillment of all
the promises that were made through the Old Testament prophets (Acts 2:14-41;
10:33-44; 13:16-39; 26:1-18; 2 Cor. 1:18-20). It is through faith alone in Jesus
Christ alone that an individual receives the forgiveness of sins. This forgiveness of
sins is based entirely upon the merits of the Lord Jesus and His finished work on
the cross and for Christ’s sake the Christian’s sins forgiven (Rom. 4:1-17; 11:6;
Gal. 2:16; 3:5-9; Eph. 2:1-9; Titus 3:5-7). The believer is no longer under
judgment because of his faith in Jesus Christ which took place at their conversion
which resulted in their being declared justified by the Father (John 3:18; 5:24). The
believer is no longer under condemnation because of his union with Christ through
the baptism of the Spirit (Rom. 8:1; Col. 2:13-14). God remembers the believer’s
sins no more because of the merits of His Son Jesus Christ’s death on the cross (Ps.
51:1-9; Heb. 8:12; 10:17).
The New Covenant to Israel is mentioned by our Lord in instituting the
Communion Service in Luke 22:20 and by Paul in 1 Corinthians 11:25. Although
the church is not Israel, she still benefits from the promise of forgiveness of sins
which is offered in the New Covenant. A Gentile benefits from the promise of the
forgiveness of sins in the New Covenant when they exercise faith in Jesus Christ as
Savior. Paul’s teaching in Romans makes clear that both Jew and Gentile sinners
can receive the forgiveness of their sins and the gift of righteousness when they
exercise faith in Jesus Christ. Salvation is of the Jews not only in the sense that the
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Savior Jesus Christ is a Jew but also the promise of salvation and the forgiveness
of sins is rooted in the New Covenant promises to Israel.
The church age believer is restored to fellowship with God when he confesses
his sins to the Father because the Father is faithful to His covenant and His promise
to provide for the forgiveness of sins, which is based upon His Son’s death on the
cross. The believer’s sins are forgiven positionally because God is faithful to His
promise to forgive the sins of those who express faith in His Son Jesus Christ.
In Christ all the promises of the Old Testament prophets are fulfilled including
the forgiveness of sins. The believer experiences, that which is true of himself
positionally when he confesses his personal sins to the Father. God is faithful to
His covenant and promise to forgive the believer’s sins because He was propitiated
meaning He is totally and completely satisfied with His Son’s death on the cross as
the payment for every sin in human history-past, present and future (1 John 2:1-2).
So the believer who confesses their personal sins to the Father is in a sense
reminding the Father of His covenant promise to forgive sins (1 John 1:9). This is
of course is from the human perspective since God does not need to be reminded.
The Father is true to His promise to forgive the sins of those who express faith in
His Son. His steadfast fidelity to His promise in His Word to forgive sins obligates
the Father to forgive the believer his sins when he confesses them since the
believer has met the requirements of the agreement at the moment of salvation
when he expressed faith alone in Christ alone.
Then, in Second Timothy 2:13, the apostle Paul states that the reason why the
Lord Jesus Christ will remain faithful to the Christian even if they are unfaithful to
Him is that the Lord is, as an eternal spiritual truth never able to be untrue to
Himself. Paul is teaching emphatically that the Lord will never disown the
Christian for their unfaithful because He is never able to be untrue to Himself and
specifically, He can never be untrue to the principles or standards He lives by
because of His holy character and nature. Paul is teaching that the Lord Jesus
Christ could never into the state of being untrue to Himself or entering into the
state of not living by His holy standards when dealing with an unfaithful Christian.
He is emphasizing with the reader the total and complete impossibility of the Lord
Jesus Christ ever not being true to Himself or in other words, acting inconsistent
with His perfect holy standards.
If the Lord disowned an unfaithful Christian, He would be untrue to Himself
and specifically He would not be acting consistent with His promises to the
Christian. The Lord promised that the Christian will receive the forgiveness of sins
when they exercise faith in Him for eternal salvation. Unfaithfulness is due to sin.
So if the Lord disown the Christian because of unfaithfulness which is due to sin,
then He would be acting contrary to His promise to give them the forgiveness of
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sins when they trusted in Him as Savior at the moment of their conversion, i.e.
justification.
Eternal security is one of the most important results of justification. To be
justified by God through faith alone in Christ alone means that God can never
condemn the sinner for his or her sins if the sinner has exercised faith in His Son
Jesus Christ. It means that a believer can never lose his or her salvation because of
any sin since God, who is a perfect judge, rendered a perfect decision when he
declared righteous the person, who exercised faith in His Son Jesus Christ! Thus,
Paul declares the following: Romans 8:1 Therefore, there is now, as an eternal
spiritual truth, never any condemnation, none whatsoever for the benefit of
those in union with Christ who is Jesus. (Author’s translation)
There is absolutely never any condemnation whatsoever for the Christian
because of a legal decision rendered by the Father the moment they exercised faith
in His Son Jesus Christ as their Savior. The Father is a perfect judge and once He
renders a decision, it can never be rescinded. It is a once and for all, final decision.
He never makes a mistake. He saves the Christian based upon the merits of His
Son and His Son’s deaths (spiritual and physical) on the Cross. The Christian has
no merit with God. The object of his faith, Jesus Christ has all the merit with God
the Father. Therefore, the Christian’s salvation and the fact that he avoids eternal
condemnation is based upon the merits of the Person of Christ and what He did at
the Cross for sinners. If the Father disowned the Christian for unfaithfulness
resulting in the loss of salvation, He would be acting contrary to His perfect justice
and righteousness and promise to justify the sinner when they exercise faith in His
Son Jesus Christ.
One of the foundational doctrines of the Christian faith is that of the doctrine of
justification. This doctrine has given assurance to believers throughout the
centuries and has changed the course of human history. By way of definition,
justification is a judicial act of God whereby He declares a person to be righteous
as a result of crediting or imputing to that person His righteousness the moment
they exercised faith in His Son Jesus Christ. Consequently, God accepts that
person and enters that person into a relationship with Himself since they now
possess His righteousness.
The mechanics of justification are as follows: (1) God condemns the sinner,
which qualifies them to receive His grace. (2) The sinner believes in Jesus Christ
as His Savior. (3) God imputes or credits Christ’s righteousness to the believer. (4)
God declares that person as righteous as a result of acknowledging His Son’s
righteousness in that person.
Justification is God declaring a person to be righteous as a result of
acknowledging or recognizing His righteousness in that person, and which
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righteousness He imputed to that person as a result of their faith in His Son, Jesus
Christ.
Justification causes no one to be righteous but rather is the recognition and
declaration by God that one is righteous as He is. It is a once and for all
declaration, which never changes and never can be rescinded since God is a perfect
Judge who because He is immutable, always makes perfect decisions.
To be justified by God through faith alone in Christ alone means that God can
never condemn us for our sins. It means that a believer can never lose his salvation
because of any sin since God, who is a perfect judge, rendered a perfect decision
when he declared righteous the person, who exercised faith in His Son Jesus
Christ!
Romans 3:19 Now we know that whatever the Law says, it speaks to those
who are under the Law, so that every mouth may be closed and all the world
may become accountable to God. 20 Because by the works of the Law no flesh
will be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin.
21 But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested,
being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, 22 even the righteousness of
God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no
distinction; 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 being
justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ
Jesus; 25 whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through
faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance
of God He passed over the sins previously committed; 26 for the
demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, so that He
would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. (NASB95)
Romans 5:1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with
God through our Lord Jesus Christ. (NASB95)
Romans 5:9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we
shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. (NASB95)
Titus 3:1 Continue to make it your habit of reminding them to make it
their habit of voluntarily subjecting themselves to governmental rulers, or in
other words, governmental authorities by making it their habit of being
obedient, to be ready for any kind of act which is divine good in quality and
character. 2 They are to be characterized as slandering absolutely no one, to
be characterized as peaceable, magnanimous with the result that together they
show every consideration for each and every member of the human race. 3
For, we ourselves also, at one time, were existing in the state of being foolish
ones, disobedient ones, deceived ones, those enslaved to various lusts as well as
pleasures, continually spending our lives in malice as well as envy, hateful
ones, hating one another. 4 But when the kindness, yes the love for mankind
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originating from the Savior who is our God was manifested, 5 He saved us, by
no means on the basis of meritorious actions as constituting its source. In
other words, on the basis of human self-righteousness which we ourselves
have done. But rather on the basis of His mercy as constituting the standard,
by means of a washing produced by regeneration, specifically, a renovation
produced by the Spirit who is holy, 6 whom He poured out upon us in full
measure through Jesus who is the Christ, our Savior. 7 The divine purpose
was accomplished so that we became heirs in order that we can confidently
expect to experience eternal life because we have been justified by this His
grace. (Author’s translation)
So here in Second Timothy 2:13, the apostle Paul is teaching the eternal
security of the Christian. The subject of eternal security is extremely important and
essential for the believer in the Lord Jesus Christ to understand if he is to glorify
God and grow to spiritual maturity. By way of definition, the term “eternal
security” refers to the fact that the believer’s eternal salvation is guaranteed and
can never be lost due to sin or forfeited due to sin on the part of the believer since
the believer’s eternal salvation is non-meritorious and is based solely upon God
and what He accomplished through the death, resurrection and session of the Lord
Jesus Christ. This study deals with the different approaches or “rationales”
pertaining to the subject of eternal security and is designed to give the believer
assurance that his relationship with the Triune God is secure and can never be lost.
So what is assurance? It is freedom from doubt. Assurance is a sense of
certainty that something is true that it will occur or that all is okay. Webster’s New
Universal Unabridged Dictionary lists the following definitions for assurance: (1) a
positive declaration intended to give confidence. (2) Pledge, guaranty, surety. (3)
Full confidence; freedom from doubt, certainty. (4) Freedom from timidity; self-
confidence; self-possession; firmness; courage.
Therefore, paraphrasing this definition, the purpose of this study is designed to
give the believer confidence that his relationship with God is secure and can never
be lost due to any failure on his part.
The believer’s salvation is based upon the Rock, namely, the Lord Jesus Christ
and not upon himself. The Person of Christ and His finished work on the cross are
the basis for the believer’s salvation and the same holds true for the believer after
salvation. The Scriptures describe the believer’s salvation and subsequent spiritual
life as being built upon the Rock, the Lord Jesus Christ Himself (Deut. 32:4). The
believer’s salvation is secure because it is not built upon the work of man but the
work of God that was accomplished through the Person and Work of Christ Jesus.
Therefore, the believer’s salvation is built upon an eternal foundation (Prov.
10:25).
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All three members of the Trinity work together in concert to keep the believer
eternally secure after he has exercised faith in Christ for salvation.
Romans 8:33 Who will bring a charge against God's elect? God is the one
who justifies; 34 who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died,
yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also
intercedes for us. (NASB95)
There are two reasons stated in Romans 8:34 that relate the eternal security of
the believer to the work of God the Son: (1) Christ as our Redeemer and Substitute
(2) Christ as our Intercessor at the right hand of the Father.
Christ’s death on the cross as a substitute for the entire human race destroyed
the barrier, which separated man from God because it satisfied the perfect holiness
of God, which said that sin must be judged. Christ was judged in our place as our
Substitute (Rom. 5:6-8). God is now free to justify any member of the human race
who exercises faith in His Son for salvation. God is free to impute His perfect
righteousness to any member of the human race who exercises faith alone in Christ
alone (Rom. 4). Once the believer receives the righteousness of God at salvation,
God the Father is free to declare the believer justified, thus making the believer
eternally secure (Rom. 3:22-28; 5:1, 8). The book of Hebrews teaches that Christ’s
death on the cross is the only sacrifice acceptable to the perfect righteousness of
the Father, which stands for all of eternity (Heb. 9:11-14, 26-28; 10:12-14).
The second reason stated in Romans 8:34 that relates the eternal security of the
believer to God the Son is that of His intercessory ministry at the right hand of the
Father during the church age. Paul’s second argument in Romans 8:34 concerns the
resurrection, ascension and present session of the Lord Jesus Christ at the right
hand of the Father. The Lord Jesus Christ sits at the right hand of the Father as
sovereign ruler of the cosmos. He also intercedes for the believer as the believer’s
defense attorney when Satan accuses him before the Father (Rev. 12:10 cf. Heb.
7:25).
Our eternal security is also protected by God the Father whose perfect
righteousness was satisfied by the spiritual death on the cross of the perfect
humanity of Christ. God is responsible for bringing our salvation to pass and not
us. Nothing can frustrate God the Father’s eternal and sovereign purpose, not even
our sins…no matter how gross. Since the Father’s righteousness was satisfied by
the death of His Son on the cross, the Father is now free to impute His
righteousness and consequently justify us when we believed in His Son Jesus
Christ for salvation (Eph. 1:3-6).
The Father keeps us eternally secure for the sake of His Son and what He did
for us at the Cross. God the Father loves the believer with an eternal, immutable,
sacrificial, unconditional love because of our relationship with His Son and
nothing can separate the believer from that divine love (Rm. 8:39; Jo. 17:11). The
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fact that the Father disciplines us proves that we are still sons when we sin. The
Father does not disown us when we sin but rather disciplines us in order to get us
to acknowledge our sin and thus recover our fellowship with Him (Heb. 12:5-11).
Sin does not change our eternal relationship with God, but rather sin adversely
affects our fellowship with God in time. “Fellowship” is based upon the believer’s
“eternal relationship” with God. However, “fellowship” is “dynamic” and can be
lost due to sin whereas the believer’s “eternal relationship” is “static” and can
never be lost due to sin. For example, I am a member of the Wenstrom family.
When I was a child and disobeyed my parents, I lost fellowship with them and was
disciplined by them but I was not disowned and remained a Wenstrom even though
I disobeyed my parents and so it is in the family of God. Sin affects our intimacy
with God or cuts off our fellowship with Him in time. It adversely affects our
ability to serve Him and if left unchecked will result in loss of rewards at the Bema
Seat Evaluation of the church age believer (cf. 1 Cor. 3:11-15).
No one is stronger than God the Father. No one can defeat His sovereign
purpose to save us and protect us for all of eternity (1 Pet. 1:3-5; Jude 24). At the
moment of justification, the omnipotence of God the Holy Spirit places a person
who exercises faith alone in Christ alone for salvation in an eternal union with
Jesus Christ, which identifies the believer with Christ in His death and resurrection
positionally. “Positional” refers to what God has down for us and how He views
us. He has crucified us with Christ and we have died and been buried with Christ
through the baptism of the Spirit (Rom. 6) and we have been raised and seated with
Christ (Eph. 2:1-6). Therefore, the baptism of the Spirit provides the believer with
eternal security. It makes the believer a permanent member of the Body of Christ.
If a believer could lose his salvation then this would maim the body of Christ (1
Cor. 12:12-13).
Furthermore, the believer is also eternally secure because of the work of God
the Holy Spirit in regeneration, which makes him a new spiritual species, meaning
that the believer now has a new nature or Christ nature. This new Christ nature can
never sin and provides the believer with an alternative to living according to the
old Adamic sin nature (2 Cor. 5:17; Titus 3:5-7). Also, God the Holy Spirit
permanently indwells our body at the moment of salvation (Rom. 8:11; 1 Cor.
3:16; 6:1-10). This too provides the believer with eternal security. The sealing
ministry of God the Holy Spirit also provides the believer with the eternal security
(1 Cor. 1:21-22a; Eph. 1:13; 2 Co. 1:22; Eph. 4:30). The permanent indwelling
presence of the Spirit guarantees the believer that he will receive a resurrection
body in the future. The indwelling of the Spirit guarantees that we have eternal
security and will receive the future blessing of a resurrection body.
The subject of eternal security can also be approached from that of the love of
God. We have eternal security as believers since God is love. To say that you can
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lose your salvation is an attack on the love of God. It is in effect saying that God
does not love. The believer’s salvation is as strong as the love of God.
The Bible teaches that God is love (1 Jn. 4:16), which is a part of His divine
essence, which is composed of the following attributes: (1) Sovereignty (2)
Righteousness (3) Justice (4) Love (5) Eternal life (6) Omnipotence (7)
Omniscience (8) Omnipresence (9) Immutability (10) Veracity.
The Scriptures describe three elements concerning the character and nature of
God. God is spirit meaning that He is invisible (John 4:23-27). God is light, which
is a figure for the holiness of God and the holiness of God is simply the harmony
of all His attributes and God’s love is one of those attributes (1 John 1:5). God is
love (1 John 4:7-21). God is love itself. Love is an attribute of God and thus
originates with Him. The love of God is of the very essence of God. God’s
character and nature, His Person is love (2 Cor. 13:11). The Lord Jesus Christ is
the love of God incarnate since He is the God-Man who has explained the
character and nature of God, and thus has explained the love of God since love is
an attribute of God (cf. Jn. 1:18). The love of God was manifested perfectly to the
entire human race through the Father’s sacrifice of His Son at the cross of Calvary
and the Son’s willingness to be that sacrifice. God manifested His attribute of love
by raising us up while we were under real spiritual death and seating us with Christ
at His right hand at the moment of salvation through the baptism of the Holy Spirit
(Eph. 2:1-10).
God’s love is sacrificial (1 John 3:16). God’s love is impersonal meaning that
God does not need an attractive object to love since He simply loves from His own
nature (Rom. 5:8). Therefore, since God’s love is impersonal, He doesn’t stop
loving us when we become unattractive to Him when we sin. God’s love is
immutable meaning that is never changes (Mic. 7:18-20). Since God’s love is
immutable that means that God doesn’t stop loving us when we commit sin after
salvation. God’s love is eternal meaning it has not beginning and no end (John
17:24). God’s love is unconditional and faithful (Rom. 8:38-39). Therefore, since
God’s love is unconditional that means that God still loves us when we sin after
salvation and doesn’t disown us when we do.
The Bible teaches that the entire human race is the object of God’s
“impersonal” love and all believers are the objects of His “personal” love. Before
conversion, the believer was the object of God’s “impersonal” love meaning that
he was obnoxious and unattractive to God since he was enslaved to the cosmic
system of Satan and his old Adamic sin nature and under real spiritual death. At
conversion or justification, the believer became the object of God’s “personal”
love meaning that the believer is attractive to God since God imputed His
righteousness to the believer at the moment he exercised faith alone in Christ alone
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and is now a child of God and a partaker of the divine nature (1 John 3:1; 2 Pet.
1:2-4).
God loves the unbeliever from His own integrity because the unbeliever does
not possess His perfect righteousness, which would make them worthy of God’s
personal love, thus God’s love towards the unbeliever is impersonal. God’s
impersonal love was expressed towards the believer when He sent His Son into the
world to die for the believer’s sins and also at conversion when He raised and
seated the believer with Christ even though the believer was living under real
spiritual death and enslaved to the cosmic system of Satan.
All church age believers are the objects of God’s personal love and the
beneficiaries of this personal love. The Greek adjective agapetos, “beloved”
expresses this fact and which should be translated “divinely loved ones.” (Eph.
5:1-2) The imputation of divine righteousness at the moment of salvation
transforms the believer into an object of God’s personal love (Rom. 4:3).
The fact that we are beneficiaries of God’s divine-love before salvation and
objects of His personal love after conversion is designed to not only bless us but
also to assure that we are eternally secure and encourage us when we go through
adversity in life and also serves to challenge us to advance to maturity and execute
the plan of God.
When approaching the subject of eternal security, we can look at it from an
exegetical standpoint in the original languages. The use of the perfect tense in a
number of New Testament passages would further point to the believer’s security.
The meaning of the perfect tense in Greek combined with the context and the
analogy of Scripture forms another argument for the security of the believer. The
perfect tense refers to action or an event which, completed in the past, has results
existing in the present time (i.e., in relation to the time of the speaker). It looks at
the present state of affairs.
The following passages that use the perfect tense stress the saved state of the
believer who has trusted in the Savior. The force of the perfect tense is simply that
it describes an event that completed in the past (we are speaking of the perfect
indicative here), has results existing in the present time (i.e., in relation to the time
of the speaker). The perfect tense is used for “indicating not the past action as such
but the present ‘state of affairs’ resulting from the past action.”
John 5:24, “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes
Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has
passed out of death into life.” (NASB95)
The phrase “has passed” is the perfect tense of the verb metabaino, “to pass
over from one place to another.” In John 5:24 it means “to pass over from the state
of spiritual death to the state of possessing eternal life.” This is called gnomic
perfect used to speak of a generic or proverbial occurrence. It expresses a general
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timeless fact. The perfect tense of the verb metabaino denotes that if any individual
who believes in Jesus Christ for salvation will as a general timeless dogmatic
statement of fact have passed out of the state of spiritual death and into eternal life.
Romans 5:2 through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith
into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God.
(NASB95) The phrase “we stand” is the perfect active indicative form of the verb histemi.
This is an intensive perfect used to emphasize the results or present state produced
by a past action. The intensive perfect of the verb histemi in Romans 5:2 expresses
the fact that the believer is eternally secure as a result of his decision in the past to
make the non-meritorious decision to believe in the Lord Jesus for salvation. The
intensive perfect denotes that the believer’s past act of believing in Christ for
salvation has eternal ramifications…or in other words results that go on
forever….the believer has eternal security.
1 Corinthians 1:2 to the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who
have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, saints by calling, with all who in every
place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours.
(NASB95) The phrase “who have been sanctified” is the perfect passive participle form of
the verb hagiazo. The verb hagiazo means “to make holy, to sanctify, to
consecrate, to set apart.” The NT uses the verb hagiazo to signify an act whereby
people or things are set apart for the exclusive use of God and are His special
possession. When used of persons, hagiazo means, “to consecrate, dedicate, to
sanctify.”
The church age believer is consecrated, dedicated, sanctified and set apart for
the exclusive use of God. The Baptism of the Spirit is the act of God, which makes
the church age believer set apart for God. This again is an intensive perfect
emphasizing the present results of a past action. The believer’s faith in Christ at the
moment of hearing the Gospel has produced the present result of being forever set
apart for the exclusive purpose of God.
Ephesians 2:8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that
not of yourselves, it is the gift of God. (NASB95) The phrase “you have been saved” is what we call in the Greek an intensive
perfect periphrastic construction, which is used to express the believer’s eternal
security in emphatic terms. This intensive perfect periphrastic construction is
composed of two words: (1) second person plural present active indicative form of
the copulative verb eimi. (2) Nominative masculine plural perfect middle participle
form of the verb sozo.
The anarthrous periphrastic participle sozo is employed with the verb of being
eimi to form a finite verbal idea. This participle is called periphrastic because it is
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a round-about way of saying what could be expressed by a single verb. The
participle is almost always nominative case and usually follows the verb. This
mode of expression, common to all languages, is extensively employed in Greek.
It occurs in all the voices and tenses, though rare in the aorist. The perfect tense of
the periphrastic participle is intensive emphasizing the present results of a past
action. The intensive perfect denotes the fact that the believer has been saved in the
past at the moment of salvation, which has results that go on forever into eternity.
The intensive perfect periphrastic participle construction states in emphatic
terms that the believer has been saved in the past at the moment he exercised faith
alone in Christ alone and the results of this decision in the past continue into the
present and go on forever into eternity. So Paul is saying that the Ephesians that
they have eternal security. They have been saved in the past with results that go on
forever into eternity.
The eternal security of the believer can be approached from the standpoint of
the believer’s position in Christ, which was accomplished through the Baptism of
the Spirit. At the moment of conversion or justification, the omnipotence of God
the Holy Spirit places the church age believer in an eternal union with Christ, thus
identifying the believer with Christ and making them a permanent member of the
royal family of God, a new spiritual species and eternally secure (Rom. 6:3-5; 1
Cor. 12:13; Gal. 3:26-28; Eph. 4:5; Col. 2:11-13; 1 Pet. 3:21). At the moment of
justification, the believer has been permanently identified positionally with Christ
in His death and resurrection. Spirit baptism joins the believer into union with
Christ. This becomes the new spiritual position of the believer.
There are many references in the Word of God to the Baptism of the Spirit and
its resultant positional truth. Our union with Christ is a guarantee of glory (Col.
3:3-4). The baptism of the Spirit takes place exclusively during the dispensation of
the church age and is accomplished at the moment of salvation when the
omnipotence of the Spirit places the believer in an eternal union with Christ, thus
identifying the believer positionally with Christ in His death, resurrection and
session. This is called in theology, “positional truth.” Our position in Christ means
that the Father looks at us now as He looks at His Son and that we share the same
life as the Son. Our position in Christ means that God the Father considers the
believer to have been crucified with Christ (Gal. 2:20) died (Rom. 6:8) and buried
with Christ (Rom. 6:4) as well as raised and seated with Christ at His right hand
(Eph. 2:6). The baptism of the Spirit results in making the believer a permanent
member of the royal family of God, a new spiritual species and eternally secure
(Rom. 6:3-5; 1 Cor. 12:13; Gal. 3:26-28; Eph. 4:5; Col. 2:11-13; 1 Pet. 3:21).
Ephesians 2:4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with
which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us
alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved) 6 and raised us up
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with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus 7 so
that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in
kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. (NASB95)
Ephesians 2:6 not only teaches that God raised us up with Christ but He also
seated us with Christ at His right hand, which is a position of power and authority
and rulership and victory. The believer is now positionally higher than angels
because he has been seated with Christ meaning that the believer has a higher and
superior rank than the angels because he is seated with Christ (Heb. 1 and 2). God
wants all of us to concentrate upon our position in Christ rather than our
circumstance and problems here on earth (Col. 3:2).
The eternal security of the believer can be approached from the standpoint of
the believer’s position in Christ, which was accomplished through the Baptism of
the Spirit. At the moment of justification, the omnipotence of God the Holy Spirit
places the church age believer in a eternal union with Christ, thus identifying the
believer with Christ and making them a permanent member of the royal family of
God, a new spiritual species and eternally secure (Rom. 6:3-5; 1 Cor. 12:13; Gal.
3:26-28; Eph. 4:5; Col. 2:11-13; 1 Pet. 3:21). At the moment of conversion, the
believer has been permanently identified positionally with Christ in His death and
resurrection. Spirit baptism joins the believer into union with Christ. This becomes
the new spiritual position of the believer.
There are many references in the Word of God to the Baptism of the Spirit and
its resultant positional truth. Our union with Christ is a guarantee of glory (Col.
3:3-4). The baptism of the Spirit takes place exclusively during the dispensation of
the church age and is accomplished at the moment of salvation when the
omnipotence of the Spirit places the believer in an eternal union with Christ, thus
identifying the believer positionally with Christ in His death, resurrection and
session. This is called in theology, “positional truth.” Our position in Christ means
that the Father looks at us now as He looks at His Son and that we share the same
life as the Son. Our position in Christ means that God the Father considers the
believer to have been crucified with Christ (Gal. 2:20) died (Rom. 6:8) and buried
with Christ (Rom. 6:4) as well as raised and seated with Christ at His right hand
(Eph. 2:6). The baptism of the Spirit results in making the believer a permanent
member of the royal family of God, a new spiritual species and eternally secure
(Rom. 6:3-5; 1 Cor. 12:13; Gal. 3:26-28; Eph. 4:5; Col. 2:11-13; 1 Pet. 3:21).
Ephesians 2:6 not only teaches that God raised us up with Christ but He also
seated us with Christ at His right hand, which is a position of power and authority
and rulership and victory. The believer is now positionally higher than angels
because he has been seated with Christ meaning that the believer has a higher and
superior rank than the angels because he is seated with Christ (Heb. 1 and 2). God
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wants all of us to concentrate upon our position in Christ rather than our
circumstance and problems here on earth (Col. 3:2).
Another approach to eternal security is that of the a fortiori rationale or logical
rationale. Webster’s Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary defines a fortiori: With
greater reason or more convincing force-used in drawing a conclusion that is
inferred to be even more certain than another.
The a fortiori principle is indicating in the Greek New Testament by the phrase
pollo mallon, “much more.” Pollo is a dative neuter singular adjective from polus,
“much.” It is used here with the comparative adverb mallon as dative of degree of
difference. Mallon means “more, to a greater degree,” and denotes an increase,
greater quantity, a larger measure, a higher degree. Mallon strengthens the word
with which it occurs. Together these two words form the a fortiori principle. A
fortiori is a Latin phrase meaning “with stronger reason.” It is an idiom of greater
degree.
A fortiori has two parts: (1) The greater (2) The lesser. What requires a greater
degree of effort is used as the basis for showing what requires less effort. It is a
conclusion compared with some other conclusion or recognized fact, as inferred to
be even more certain or inescapable than the two conclusions it combines. A
fortiori uses an inferential conclusion as being more conclusive than another
reasoned conclusion.
A fortiori is a system of argumentation or debate, which takes an accepted fact
and by a comparison produces an inescapable fact and confident conclusion. It is
an argument that says if God can do the greater than He can do the lesser. The
greater: God saved you and made you a son of God. The lesser: Now, that you are
a son, He will keep you saved. Christ died while we were sinners…unbelievers,
how much more will be saved from the wrath of God, which is to come after we
have been saved (Rom. 5:6-11; 15-21). Logically, God did the most for us when
we were His enemies and will do much more for us now that we are His sons. A
fortiori states that if God can do something that is extremely difficult, it only
makes sense that He can do something much easier like keep us saved.
Another approach to the subject of eternal security is that of the
anthropomorphic rationale.
John 10:28 “and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and
no one will snatch them out of My hand. 29 My Father, who has given {them}
to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch {them} out of the
Father's hand.” (NASB95)
An anthropomorphism is ascribing to God a human characteristic that He does
not possess. Here in John 10:28-29 we have the Lord Jesus Christ ascribing a
human hand to God that He does not possess but He does this in order to appeal to
His audience’s human frame of reference so that He might communicate a spiritual
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truth, a dogmatic statement of Bible doctrine. The hand represents the omnipotence
of God. No one is stronger than God and the Lord employs this anthropomorphism
in order to communicate this spiritual truth to His audience. Therefore, when the
Lord says that no one can snatch a believer out of His hand and His Father’s hand,
He is saying that no one is strong enough to separate the believer from His grasp or
that of His Father, thus the believer is eternally securing.
Every believer at the moment of justification or conversion becomes a member
of the royal family of God through regeneration and the baptism of the Spirit. At
the moment the believer exercised faith alone in Christ alone he became a child of
God (Jn. 1:12-13). At the moment of salvation the believer became a son of God.
We are all sons of God through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ at the moment of
salvation. Never before in human history have believers been called “sons of
God.” The title “sons of God” was only used in the Old Testament for the angels
(Gen. 6:2, 4; Job 1:6; 2:1; 38:7) and never was applied to believers.
At no time in history have believers been given the privilege of calling God,
Father, yet church age believers have this distinct privilege to call God, Father
because they are sons of God. Because the church age believer is a son of God, he
cannot be removed from the royal family of God. Once in the family always in the
family. Success or failure on the part of the church age believer to execute the plan
of God does not determine whether we remain or not in the family of God (Gal.
3:26-28).
Galatians 3:26 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 27
For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with
Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man,
there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. (NASB95)
The word for “sons” is the noun huios. It is used to convey the Father-son
relationship that the believer now has been entered into through faith alone in
Christ alone. The Scriptures also state the believer at the moment of salvation has
been adopted (Roman style) into the royal family of God (Gal. 4:4-7). This makes
them an heir of God (Rom. 8:14-23). The act of adoption is the conclusion of any
action by which any person, usually a son, is brought into a new family
relationship where he now has new privileges and responsibilities as a member of
the family, and at the same time loses all previous rights and is divested of the
previous duties of his former family relationship.
The church age believer has been removed from the cosmic system as a child of
the devil and has been placed as an adult son into the royal family of God, of
which the Lord Jesus Christ is the Head. At the moment of salvation the church
age believer is adopted Roman style into the royal family of God through the
Baptism of the Spirit thus making him an heir of God and spiritual aristocracy.
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The Greek word for “adoption” is the huiothesia, “adoption, placing as a son.”
It is a cognate of the noun huios. It is not so much a word of relationship but of
position. In regeneration a Christian receives the new nature as a child of God. In
adoption he receives the position of a son of God at the moment of salvation
through the baptism of the Spirit. Every Christian obtains the place of a child and
the right to be called a son the moment he believes in Jesus Christ for salvation
(Gal. 3:25-26; 4:6; 1 Jn. 3:1-2).
The New Testament Scriptures teach that the Church has been adopted into the
royal family of God as adult sons thus conferring upon them all the privileges and
responsibilities that go along with this new relationship with God. The apostle Paul
used the Roman style adoption analogy in his epistles to communicate to members
of the churches throughout the Roman Empire their new relationship with God the
Father which was acquired at the moment of faith in Christ.
As a Roman citizen the apostle would naturally know of the Roman custom but
in the cosmopolitan city of Tarsus and again on his travels, he would become
equally familiar with the corresponding customs of other nations. He employed the
Roman style adoption analogy to teach the spiritual adoption of church age
believers much in the same manner that our Lord did in His parables.
Paul utilized the Roman style adoption illustration to teach church age believers
that God the Father’s grace policy places them into the relation of sons to Himself
and communicates to them the experience of sonship by applying the Word of God
and thus, influenced, empowered and guided by means of the Spirit of God. The
adoption of the Church Age believer means: (1) Privileges as an adult son of God
(2) Responsibility to grow to spiritual maturity.
The adoption of the believer means that he has obtained an eternal inheritance
as a result of becoming an heir of God and joint-heir with Christ (Rom. 8:14-17;
Eph. 1:13-14). The Indwelling of the Spirit gives the guarantee of the believer’s
adoption (Gal. 4:6). The Filling of the Spirit enables the believer to experience his
adoption. The full manifestation of the believer’s sonship awaits the resurrection of
the Church or the Rapture which is called the “redemption of the body” (Rom.
8:23; 1 Thess. 4:14-17; Eph. 1:14; 1 John 3:2).
God does “not” disown family members for sin but rather He disciplines them
(Hebrews 12:5-11; Rev. 3:19). Therefore, the believer is eternally secure because
he has become a member of the royal family of God.
One of the great analogies found in Scripture, which teach the eternal security
of the believer is that of the Body of Christ Metaphor. The New Testament
Scriptures emphatically declare that every person who trusts in the Lord Jesus
Christ for salvation has been made a member of the Body of Christ. Every church
age believer is a member of the body of Christ through the Baptism of the Spirit
(Rom. 12:5; 1 Cor. 12:12-13, 27; Eph. 3:4-6). The Church is called the body of
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Christ on earth. But in heaven, the Church will be called the “Bride of Christ”
(Rev. 19:7).
The body of Christ is being formed here in the church age. The body is not
complete until the last member of the Church has been born. Just as a bride would
look funny without a nose or an arm so would the church be without all its
members. God the Father would not give His Son a bride without a nose or an arm.
The Body of Christ will become the Bride of Christ at the Rapture or Resurrection
of the Church. Therefore, each believer holds an important function in the body of
Christ (1 Cor. 12:12-27; Rom. 12:4-5; Col. 1:18).
We are intimately related to the Lord Jesus Christ and in need of Him just as the
foot needs the head of the physical body to function. We are all in need of each
other just as our physical bodies need the proper function of each member (1 Cor.
12:12-27). This means that we are not to function independently of the Lord or
each other in the body of Christ, the church. We are all members of the Body of
Christ through the Baptism of the Spirit and if we could lose our salvation by
committing any act of sin then the Body of Christ would be deformed. Arms and
legs would be missing on the body of Christ. God the Father will see to it that His
Son Jesus Christ has a perfect Bride and that she is not deformed.
Another approach to eternal security is that of the essence of God rationale.
Essence means “inner nature, true substance, a person’s qualities or attributes,” and
implies being or existence.
Some of these qualities of a person are visible and some are invisible. God's
essence is made up of attributes, which are essential characteristics of the Trinity
and without these qualities, God would not be who He is-God. We can only
understand God's essence through His attributes (Rom. 1:18-25).
God is one in essence, three in Person. The Scriptures teach that God is 3 co-
equal, co-infinite and co-eternal Persons with the same identical essence or
attributes (Gen. 1:26; Isa. 6:3, 8; 48:16; John 10:30 cf. Psa. 110:1; 2 Cor. 13:14; 1
Pet. 1:2).
The following are some of the attributes of God: (1) Sovereignty (Father: Matt.
6:10; Eph. 1:11; Son: Matt. 28:18; John 5:21; Spirit: 1 Cor. 12:11) (2)
Righteousness (Father: John 17:25; Son: 1 John 2:1; Spirit: Psa. 51:11) (3) Justice
(Father: Psa. 89:14; Rom. 3:24-26; Son: 2 Tim. 4:8; 1 Pet. 3:18; Spirit: Neh.
9:20a; John 16:8-11) (4) Eternal life (Father: John 1:1; 5:26; Son: John 1:1; 1 John
5:11; Spirit: Heb. 9:14) (5) Omnipotence (Father: Mark 14:36 and Luke 1:37; Son:
Col. 1:16-17; Heb. 1:3; Spirit: Rom. 15:13) (6) Omniscience (Father: Matt. 6:8;
Son: John 2:25; 18:4; Spirit: Isa. 11:2) (7) Omnipresence (Father: Eph. 4:6; Son:
Matt. 28:18; Eph. 1:22-23; Spirit: Psa. 139:7) (8) Immutability (Father: Heb. 6:17;
Jam. 1:17; Son: Heb. 13:8; Spirit: John 14:16; 1 John 5:7) (9) Veracity (Father:
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John 7:28; Son: John 1:14; 14:6; Spirit: John 14:17; 1 John 5:7) (10) Love (Father:
John 3:16; Son: Rom. 5:8; 1 John 3:16a; Spirit: Rom. 5:5; 15:30).
All the invisible attributes of God are always present in Him, but not all are
revealed to man at the same time. We understand the personality of God from the
Scriptures, which reveal the manifestations of His attributes.
God the Father designs, God the Son executes, God the Holy Spirit empowers.
These are all activates of His personality. When God speaks of Himself with the
first person personal pronoun “I,” He is revealing to us that He is conscious of
Himself and eternally Himself. God thinks, makes decisions and feels. God has
attributes, but God is a personality and is not a thing or a force. God knows that He
is beyond comparison (Is. 45:5).
God has absolute self-respect. God the Father totally respects and loves God the
Son and God the Holy Spirit. Christ totally respects and loves God the Father and
God the Holy Spirit. God the Holy Spirit totally respects and loves God the Father
and God the Son. Each one has complete self-confidence and loves them self. This
is not arrogance because His perfect personality is beyond our imperfection. If we
have total love for self that is arrogance but if God has total love for Himself, it is
perfection. If God did not love Himself, there would be no reason for us to love
Him. When we learn doctrine and share His thinking, we come to share His own
high opinion of Himself. God wills not only that all men to be saved but after
conversion He will to keep the believer saved (John 1:12-13; 6:37, 40; 10:27-30).
God’s omnipotence cannot function unless He makes a sovereign decision to
exercise it. Here we have the will of both the Father and the Son is to protect the
believer after salvation. The will of God is the salvation of everyone person. The
person, who fulfills the will of God at salvation, has the promise of eternal life.
What is the condition for salvation? Faith alone in Christ alone. If we could lose
our salvation by any act of sin, then God would be contradicting His sovereign
decision to save us in the first place when we exercised faith alone in Christ alone.
God’s righteousness and His justice are also directly related to the believer’s
eternal security. What the righteousness of God demands, the justice of God
executes. What the righteousness of God rejects, the justice of God condemns.
What the righteousness of God accepts, the justice of God blesses.
Now, the righteousness of God demanded that the sins of the world be judged.
The Father sent the Son into the world with His consent in order to be our
Substitute. The righteousness of God was satisfied at the cross when the justice of
God judged Jesus Christ on the cross as the payment for the sins of the world. This
act of righteousness of God freed the justice of God to bless anyone who exercises
faith in Jesus Christ for salvation. At justification, the righteousness of God
demands that a person exercise faith alone in Christ alone for salvation.
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God’s righteousness accepted His impeccable Son, but rejects us as sinners.
When we exercise faith alone in His impeccable Son, God will honor that faith in
His Son and will accept us. The righteousness of God demands faith alone in
Christ alone for salvation, therefore, the justice of God accepts anyone who
exercises faith alone in Christ alone. God makes a decision to save us at
justification. He cannot go back on that decision and change it because of any sin
after salvation. Why? Because His righteousness and justice already dealt with our
sins after salvation, at the cross.
If we could lose our salvation, then God made a bad decision. But God is
perfect; we know He can never make a bad decision. Therefore, we know that
when God declared us justified at the moment of conversion, that this was a perfect
decision because it was made by a perfect judge. It can never change because of
any sin that we commit after salvation because the righteousness and justice of
God took care of that sin at the cross.
Our eternal security is directly related to the love of God. God’s love is
unconditional and because it is unconditional, God can never stop loving us
because of any sin we committed after salvation. He does not disown us but
disciplines us as sons. God’s love is immutable meaning that it will never
change….He will always love us. It is eternal meaning that His love for us has no
beginning and no end. God’s love does not need an attractive object.
` God has the capacity to love obnoxious sinners because His love is based upon
His own perfect integrity and not upon the attractiveness of an object. God loved
us with this love before salvation and now that we are saved we possess something
that God loves personally and that is His righteousness. Divine love is attracted to
divine righteousness and this righteousness is in the believer. So the believer could
never lose His salvation because the believer is the object of divine love. If we
could lose our salvation, then God would cease loving His own righteousness (Rm.
8:38-39).
The believer’s eternal security is directly related to the fact that He possesses
eternal life. Eternal life is the life of God. It is uncreated. It has no beginning and
no end. It is infinite life. We cannot lose our salvation because eternal life was
imputed to us at the moment of salvation. This was a perfect decision and God
cannot change it so because of this perfect decision to give us eternal life, we have
eternal security (John 5:24; 1 John 5:11-13).
God is also omnipresent meaning that He is everywhere present. He is not
confined to time, matter and space. In fact, He transcends time, matter and space.
God will always be with us. The righteousness and the life of God cannot be
separated from the omnipresence of God or any other attribute of God for that
matter. Because God is omnipresence it means that He can never leave or forsake
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the believer. We also have eternal security because God is always present with us.
This means He will never desert or forsake (Heb. 13:5; Matt. 28:19-20).
God is also omniscient meaning that He has knowledge of everything that takes
place in human history and has known about it from eternity past. He is never
shocked by any sin we commit whether before or after salvation because He is
omniscient. Also, God’s omniscient took into account every sin we would commit
in our lives both before and after salvation.
In the divine decree, God took in account every sin that would be committed in
human history and He decreed simultaneously that Jesus Christ would be receive
the penalty for those sins as a Substitute for the entire human race. God’s
omniscience already took into account the fact that we would sin after salvation
and therefore, Christ was judged for those sins.
Furthermore, because God is omniscient, He knew that we would need the
provision of rebound in order to recover our fellowship with Him in time. God is
also omnipotent meaning that God has all power. Because God is omnipotent, He
keeps us saved. There is no human being or angel that is stronger than God. Our
salvation is protected by God’s omnipotence (1 Pet. 1:3-5).
God is immutable meaning that He never changes. Because God is immutable,
He will always love us, He will always be righteous and just with us. God will
always be omniscient, omnipotent and omnipresent because He is immutable. He
will always be truth and honest with us because He is immutable. He will always
keep His promises because He never changes. He will never cease to be who He is.
He will never cease to be perfect. He will always be faithful and keep us saved,
even when we sin because He is immutable (Mal. 3:6; Heb. 13:8).
God is veracity meaning that He is perfect absolute truth. Because God is truth,
He can never lie to us. God will always keep His promises to us because He is
truth. The promise of eternal life and salvation is through faith alone in Christ
alone. If you could lose your salvation because of any sin, then God would be a
liar. He would cease to be truth. God’s Word says that the promise of eternal life is
by faith alone in Christ alone and He promises us that He does not deal with us
according to our sins because those sins were paid for at the cross (Tit. 1:1-2).
Our eternal security is directly related to the faithfulness of God. Faithfulness is
one of the relative attributes of God related to angels and men. We have eternal
security because God is faithful. If we are unfaithful to God after salvation, He still
remains faithful to us (2 Tim. 2:11-13; Deut. 7:9; 1 Thess. 5:24; 2 Thess. 3:3; 1
John 1:9).
We have eternal security because of the grace of God. The Greek noun charis,
“grace, undeserved kindness or favor toward another.” It is all that God is free to
do for mankind on the basis of the saving work of Jesus Christ on the Cross (Rom.
3:24-26; Eph. 2:8-9; Titus 3:4-7).
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Charis is for the undeserving which encompasses all of mankind (Rom. 3:10,
23) It excludes any human merit in salvation (Eph. 2:8-9; Titus 3:5) Charis gives
the Creator all the credit and the creature none. It is the genius of God. It is the
policy of God's justice in blessing undeserving mankind and is the sole basis for
the forgiveness of sins. The grace of God is extended to every member of the
human race because of this act of justice by God through Christ (Titus 2:11). The
message of God's saving act in Christ is described as the “gospel of the grace of
God” (Acts 20:24), and the “word of His grace” (Acts 20:32; cf. 14:3).
By His grace, God justifies the undeserving and unworthy through faith in His
Son Jesus Christ (Rom. 3:24). Jesus Christ was full of “grace and truth” (John
1:14). The believer receives the grace of God through Him (John 1:16). It is by the
grace of God that Jesus Christ died a substitutionary spiritual death for all mankind
(Heb. 2:9). Therefore, the throne in which Christ sits is a “throne of grace” (Heb.
4:16). Grace is no longer grace if we are saved on the basis of human works (Rom.
11:6). Grace and faith are inseparable (1 Tim. 1:14). They complement one another
(Rom. 4:16; Eph. 2:8). Grace, faith and salvation are all the gift of God and totally
exclude all human works and ability (Eph. 2:8-9). By means of faith, we accept the
grace of God. Grace says that God has done all the work through Christ (John
19:30). All we have to do is receive what God has already provided for us. The
believer is to live by the same principle of grace after salvation (Col. 2:6; Rom.
6:4).
Grace is the Christian's sphere of existence (Rom. 1:7; 1 Cor. 1:3; Col. 1:2).
The believer who rejects this principle is said to be “fallen from grace,” (Gal. 5:1-
5). God in His grace disciplines the believer who remains out of fellowship for any
extended period of time in order to get him back in fellowship with Himself (Heb.
12:5-12). Therefore, since God has dealt graciously with the believer, the believer
is in turn commanded to be gracious with all members of the human race, both
believers and unbelievers (Eph. 4:32; Col. 3:13; 4:6; 1 Thess. 3:12).
The believer is commanded to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord
Jesus Christ” (2 Pet. 3:18). Grace is divine provision before, during and after
salvation. The Word of God and the Spirit of God are to grace provisions for the
believer that enable him to do the will of the Father.
Grace does not mean that God ignores or overlooks sin but rather grace means
that has dealt perfectly with our sins at the cross. The impeccable humanity of
Christ in hypostatic union was a gift to the entire human race. He came for the
purpose of dying for the sin of the world. God in His grace policy dealt with the
sins of the entire world completely and perfectly at the cross when He judged His
Son as our Substitute.
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Grace means that God loves us even when we sin and treats us in a manner that
we don’t deserve. Therefore, we can never lose our salvation by committing sin
because of God’s grace policy.
Our salvation is a gift according to Ephesians 2:8-9 and the gifts and the calling
of God are irrevocable according to Romans 11:29. Therefore, since salvation is a
gift and the gifts of God are irrevocable, the believer can never lose his salvation.
We also have eternal security because of the finished work of Christ on the
cross, which did the following: (1) Defeated Satan at the Cross (2) Fulfilled the
Mosaic Law (3) Provided the means of salvation for mankind.
The finished work of Christ refers to the doctrines of: (1) Redemption (Eph.
1:7; 1 Pet. 1:18-19) (2) Unlimited Atonement (2 Cor. 5:14-15; 1 Tim. 4:10) (3)
Expiation (Col. 2:14) (4) Regeneration (John 3:1-18) (5) Imputation (1 Cor. 1:30; 2
Cor. 5:21) (6) Justification (Rom. 4:1-5; Gal. 2:16) (7) Propitiation (Rom. 3:22-26;
1 John 2:2) (8) Position in Christ (1 Cor. 15:22b; 2 Cor. 5:17) (9) Strategic Victory
over Satan (Col. 2:15; Heb. 2:14; 1 John 3:8) (10) Reconciliation (2 Cor. 5:18;
Eph. 2:14-16; Col. 1:20-21).
The work of our Lord is finished because there is nothing that can be added to it
(John 19:30). We have eternal security because of Christ’s perfect work on the
cross. If we could lose our salvation because of any sin after salvation, then
Christ’s work on the cross was not perfect and He in effect did not die for every sin
on the cross, which is blasphemous.
John 19:30 Therefore when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It
is finished.” And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit. (NASB95)
“It is finished” is the third person singular perfect passive indicative form of
the verb teleo, which is tetelestai. The verb teleo can “to bring an activity to a
successful conclusion, to complete, finish, conclude, accomplish.” The verb teleo
John 19:30 means that Christ’s work of salvation that the Father sent Him into the
world to perform on behalf of fallen mankind has been accomplished.
Christ accomplished the work the Father sent Him into the world to perform,
which was to defeat and destroy His works, provide salvation for all mankind, to
fulfill the righteous demands of the Mosaic Law.
The perfect tense is significant here in John 19:30 because it brings out the
eternal security of the believer. The perfect may be used to emphasize the results or
present state produced by a past action. This is called an intensive perfect. An
intensive perfect emphasizes the existing results of a past action. It is the tense of
the finished product. When special attention is directed to the results of the action,
stress upon the existing fact is intensified.
The intensive perfect is the emphatic method in the Greek of presenting a fact
or condition. It is a strong way of saying a thing is. The intensive perfect
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emphasizes the resultant state or condition as a result of what Christ accomplished
at the cross of Calvary by means of His voluntary substitutionary spiritual death.
The intensive perfect of teleo in John 19:30 means that the work of Christ on
the cross is accomplished finished with results that continue into the present and on
into eternity. Christ’s voluntary substitutionary spiritual and physical deaths on the
cross defeated Satan, fulfilled the righteous demands of the Mosaic Law and
provided salvation for all mankind and the intensive perfect tense says that has
been accomplished in the past, with results that continue into the present and on
into eternity.
Therefore, there is no sin that we could commit after salvation that could cause
us to lose our salvation since the intensive perfect tense of the verb teleo in John
19:30 says that these sins have been completely paid for in the past at the cross and
the results of this payment continue into the present and on into eternity. So we
could say that “it has been finished with results that go on forever into
eternity.”
Our last approach to the doctrine of eternal security deals with the fact that our
salvation is based upon the merit of Christ and His death on the Cross. We were
saved based upon the merits of the impeccable humanity of Christ in hypostatic
union. He is the only one in both heaven and on earth that has merit with God.
There is no angel in heaven that has merit with God otherwise God would have
sent an angel to die for the sins of the world rather than His Son (Rev. 5:1-2) and
of course there is no man on earth that has merit with God (Rom. 3:10, 23). If we
were saved based upon the merits of Christ and we are, then there is absolutely no
sin that we could commit that could cause us to lose our salvation since we got
saved based upon Christ’s merits in the first place. Yet though the entire human
race has no merit with God, the Lord Jesus Christ does since He is impeccable. The
Lord Jesus Christ was found to be without sin in His humanity (John 8:46a; 2 Cor.
5:21; Heb. 7:26; 1 Pet. 2:22; 1 John 3:5). So our so great salvation is based upon
the merits of the impeccable Jesus Christ and the merits of His death on the Cross.
Second Timothy 2:14
Timothy Must Remember Paul’s Trustworthy Statement
2 Timothy 2:14 Remind them of these things, and solemnly charge them in
the presence of God not to wrangle about words, which is useless and leads to
the ruin of the hearers. (NASB95)
“Remind them of these things” is composed of the following: (1) accusative
neuter plural form of the immediate demonstrative pronoun houtos (οὗτος), “these
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things” (2) second person singular present active imperative form of the verb
hupomimnēskomai (ὑπομιμνῄσκομαι), “Remind.”
The apostle Paul is once again employing the figure of asyndeton meaning he is
not using a connective word between his previous al statement in Second Timothy
2:13 and his command to Timothy here in Second Timothy 2:14. Paul employs this
figure in order to emphasize the solemn nature of this command here in Second
Timothy 2:14 which is directly tied to his statements in Second Timothy 2:11-13.
The verb hupomimnēskomai can have two meanings: (1) remember for oneself,
to recollect for oneself (Luke 22:61); (2) to remind someone of something, to put
something in the mind of another (John 14:26; Titus 3:1; 2 Pet. 1:12; 3 John 10;
Jude 5). Here in Second Timothy 2:14, the verb hupomimnēskomai means “to
remember, to recollect for oneself” indicating that Paul is commanding Timothy to
remember his statements in Second Timothy 2:11-13.
The second person singular form of this verb refers of course to Timothy. The
active voice of the verb indicates Timothy as the subject is to obey this command.
The present imperative form of the verb hupomimnēskomai is a “customary present
imperative” whose force is for Timothy to simply continue making it his habit of
bringing into his remembrance Paul’s statements in Second Timothy 2:11-13
which constitute a hymn in the apostolic church. It is a command for action to be
continued, action that may or may not have already been going on. It is often a
character building command to the effect of “make this your habit,” “train yourself
in this, discipline yourself.” This is the use of the present imperative in general
precepts. Therefore, the present imperative of hupomimnēskomai means, “to
continue making it your habit (Timothy) of” bringing into his remembrance Paul’s
statements in Second Timothy 2:11-13.
The immediate demonstrative pronoun houtos refers to Paul’s teaching in
Second Timothy 2:11-13. Therefore, the word is anaphoric meaning it is pointing
back to Paul’s statements in the immediate preceding context.
This word houtos functions as an accusative direct object meaning that it is
receiving the action of the imperative form of the verb hupomimnēskomai
indicating that Timothy as the subject of this imperative is to perform the action of
teaching all that Paul commanded and taught in Second Timothy 2:11-13.
Timothy Was Not To Argue Over Words
2 Timothy 2:14 Remind them of these things, and solemnly charge them in
the presence of God not to wrangle about words, which is useless and leads to
the ruin of the hearers. (NASB95)
“And solemnly charge them in the presence of God not to wrangle about
words” is composed of the following: (1) first person singular present middle
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indicative form of the verb diamarturomai (διαμαρτύρομαι), “I solemnly charge”
(3) preposition enopion (ἐνώπιον), “in the presence of” (4) articular genitive
masculine singular form of the noun kurios (κύριος), “the Lord” (5) negative
particle mē (μή), “not” (6) present active infinitive form of the verb logomacheō
(λογομαχέω), “to wrangle about words.”
Once again, we have the apostle Paul employing the figure of asyndeton
meaning he is not using a connective word between his previous command and the
one to follow. The purpose of this figure is to emphasize with Timothy the solemn
nature of this second command which is also directly tied to Paul’s trustworthy
statement in Second Timothy 2:11-13.
The verb diamarturomai is a compound word composed of the verb
marturomai, “witness, affirm” whose meaning is intensified by the preposition dia,
thus the word means “to charge to witness, invoke as a witness.” It was used in
classical Greek with reference to gods and men and was synonymous with
marturomai. It could have the meaning “to declare emphatically” with reference to
facts or truths or in the sense of a summons, admonition or warning (Liddell-Scott,
page 403). The term had a general sense of “to protest solemnly” against someone
or something, especially that which is false (ibid.).
Diamarturomai occurs 24 times in the Septuagint where, except for three
instances, is used to translate the Hebrew verb ʿûḏ, which means “to warn” or “to
call to witness.” (Deuteronomy 4:26) It carries the idea of a “solemn warning,” i.e.
a certainty verified by witnesses. (cf. LXX 4 Kings 17:13, 15; cf. 2 Chronicles
24:19; Nehemiah 9:26).
The verb appears 15 times in the New Testament, 10 of which are in Luke
writings (Luke 16:28; Acts 2:40; 8:25; 10:42; 18:5; 20:21, 23, 24; 23:11; 28:23),
one in Hebrews 2:6 and the rest of the occurrences of the word are in Paul’s
writings (1 Thessalonians 4:6; 1 Timothy 5:21; 2 Timothy 2:14; 4:1).
BDAG, “Gener. to state something in such a way that the auditor is to be
impressed with its seriousness. (1) to make a solemn declaration about the truth of
someth. testify of, bear witness to (orig. under oath) (X., Hell. 3, 2, 13) τινί τι (Ezk
16:2 διαμάρτυραι τῇ Ἰερουσαλὴμ τὰς ἀνομίας αὐτῆς.—En 104:11 διαμαρτυρέομαί
τινί τι; cp. Jos., Ant. 9, 167) of repentance to Judeans and Hellenes Ac 20:21. τὶ the
gospel vs. 24; God’s kingdom 28:23; my cause in Jerusalem 23:11. Abs. 8:25; 1 Th
4:6. W. λέγων foll. Ac 20:23; Hb 2:6. W. ὅτι foll. (PSI 422, 7 III b.c. ) Ac 10:42.
W. acc. and inf. foll. Ac 18:5. (2) to exhort with authority in matters of
extraordinary importance, freq. w. ref. to higher powers and/or suggestion of peril,
solemnly urge, exhort, warn (X., Cyr. 7, 1, 17; Polyb. 3, 110, 4; Diod S 18, 62, 2;
Plut., Cim. 489 [16, 9]; Jos., Ant. 6, 39 al.; Ex 19:10, 21; 1 Km 8:9; 2 Ch 24:19 al.)
w. dat. of pers. addressed warn δ. αὐτοῖς Lk 16:28 (w. ἵνα μή foll.). W. ἐνώπιον τ.
θεοῦ charge 1 Ti 5:21 (ἵνα); 2 Ti 2:14 (μή w. inf. as Polyb. 1, 33, 5; Plut., Crass.
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533 16, 6 ). Abs. Ac 2:40. W. two constr. mixed: δ. ἐνώπιον θεοῦ καὶ Ἰ. Χ. καὶ
τὴν ἐπιφάνειαν αὐτοῦ I charge you before God and J. Chr., and by his appearing 2
Ti 4:1. διαμαρτυρομένου ταῦτα Παύλου while Paul was earnestly entreating (God)
for this (release from his bonds) AcPl Ha 3, 12 (cp. X., Cyr. 7, 1, 9).—
DMacDowell, The Law in Classical Athens, ’78, 212–19.—DELG s.v. μάρτυς. M-
M. TW.”27
Louw and Nida list the following meanings for the word: (1) to make a serious
declaration on the basis of presumed personal knowledge-‘to declare, to assert, to
testify’ (33.223) (2) to be emphatic in stating an opinion or desire-‘to insist”
(33.319) (3) to admonish or instruct with regard to some future happening or
action, with the implication of personal knowledge or experience-‘to warn”
(33.425).
Analytical Lexicon of the Greek New Testament: (1) solemnly witness, bear
witness (to), testify (about) (AC 20.24); (2) as giving a solemn warning admonish,
earnestly ask, strongly tell (1T 5.21); (3) strongly urge, insist (AC 2.40).
In Second Timothy 2:14, the verb diamarturomai means “to solemnly charge”
with the implication of imposing on someone a duty or responsibility. Here it is
used with Paul as its subject and its object is the prohibition which follows it for
Timothy to not wrangle about words. It denotes that Paul is “solemnly charging”
Timothy to not wrangle about words with the implication that the apostle is
imposing this upon Timothy as his duty and responsibility as Paul’s delegate to the
Ephesian Christian community.
The verb diamarturomai also implies that Timothy represents the Lord Jesus
Christ. It emphasizes how important that Timothy carry out this prohibition since
the testimony of the church before the unsaved is at stake and thus the cause of
Christ. Also the spiritual growth of the church is at stake because failure to obey
this prohibition will hinder the spiritual growth of not only Timothy but the
Ephesian Christian community.
The present tense of the verb diamarturomai is an instantaneous present or
aoristic or punctiliar present used to indicate that an action is completed at the
moment of speaking. It is used normally with the verb of speaking or saying and
denotes that the act itself is completed at the moment of speaking. Thus, the
present tense of diamarturomai denotes that Paul’s solemn charge to Timothy to
not wrangle about words is completed at the moment he wrote it.
The middle voice of the verb is an intensive middle focusing attention on Paul’s
as the subject and is emphasizing his apostolic authority with Timothy.
The participle form of this verb diamarturomai is functioning as a substantive
participle.
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Next, we have a textual problem to address here in this prohibition found in
Second Timothy 2:14. The NET Bible has a note on this textual problem.
NET Bible “Most witnesses (A D Ψ 048 1739 1881 sy) have κυρίου (kuriou,
“Lord”) instead of θεοῦ (theou, “God”) here, while a few have Χριστοῦ (Christou,
“Christ”; 206 {429 1758}). θεοῦ, however, is well supported by א C F G I 614 629
630 1175 al. Internally, the Pastorals never elsewhere use the expression ἐνώπιον
κυρίου (enōpion kuriou, “before the Lord”), but consistently use ἐνώπιον θεοῦ
(“before God”; cf. 1 Tim 2:3; 5:4, 21; 6:13; 2 Tim 4:1). But this fact could be
argued both ways: The author’s style may be in view, or scribes may have adjusted
the wording to conform it to the Pastorals’ universal expression. Further, only
twice in the NT (Jas 4:10 [v.l. θεοῦ]; Rev 11:4 [v.l. θεοῦ]) is the expression
ἐνώπιον κυρίου found. That such an expression is not found in the corpus
Paulinum seems to be sufficient impetus for scribes to change the wording here.
Thus, although the external evidence is somewhat on the side of θεοῦ, the internal
evidence is on the side of κυρίου. A decision is difficult, but κυρίου is the
preferred reading.”28
One must also ask the all important question, namely what reading best explains
the origin of the others? It would appear that the reading ἐνώπιον κυρίου would be
the reading that best explains the reading ἐνώπιον θεοῦ since this appears
elsewhere in the Pastorals. Thus, some scribes believed ἐνώπιον κυρίου was in
error because Paul uses ἐνώπιον θεοῦ elsewhere in the Pastorals. We can’t say the
same thing about ἐνώπιον θεοῦ since it doesn’t explain the appearance of the
reading ἐνώπιον κυρίου.
So if ἐνώπιον κυρίου is the original, then which member of the Trinity is being
referred to in this prepositional phrase? The last time the noun kurios appeared in
Second Timothy was in Second Timothy 2:7. As we noted in our study of Second
Timothy 2:7, there is some disagreement with regards to the referent of the noun
kurios. Some argue that the word is a reference to the Father, others to the Son,
Jesus Christ. So far the word has appeared four times already up to this point in
Second Timothy and in each instance (1:2, 8, 16, 18), except for one (1:18), the
Lord Jesus Christ is the referent. The word is used of the Father in Second Timothy
1:18 and the Lord Jesus Christ. The first time the word is used in this verse, it was
used of the Son and the second time, it is used of the Father. Thus, the Father
would be the nearest antecedent of this word kurios in Second Timothy 2:7. The
Holy Spirit could also be the referent in Second Timothy 2:7 since John 14:26 and
16:13-15 teach that the Father sends the Holy Spirit in the name of the Lord Jesus
Christ to indwell believers so as to give believers understanding of the Lord Jesus
Christ’s teaching. Paul mentions the Spirit in Second Timothy 1:7. In this verse, he
al alii, a Latin phrase meaning “others,” referring to manuscripts 28 Biblical Studies Press. (2006). The NET Bible First Edition; Bible. English. NET Bible.; The NET Bible. Biblical Studies Press.
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reminds Timothy that the Father by no means gave the Christian a Spirit who
produces cowardice but rather power, divine-love and self-discipline. In Second
Timothy 1:14, Paul commands Timothy to guard the gospel (“excellent deposit”)
by means of the Holy Spirit’s power who lives in him. Paul’s statements in Second
Timothy 2:1-6 were inspired like the rest of Scripture by the Holy Spirit and were
designed to empower Timothy to execute the Father’s will for his life. They were
designed to produce love for God and men in him as well as self-discipline. These
statements were also designed to enable Timothy to guard the excellent deposit, i.e.
the gospel. Therefore, even though the noun kurios was last used of the Father in
Second Timothy 1:18, Paul’s statements in Second Timothy chapter one coupled
with the purpose of Paul’s statements in Second Timothy 2:1-6 would indicate that
the noun is being used of the Holy Spirit in Second Timothy 2:7.
However, even though the Holy Spirit is the referent of the noun kurios the last
time it appeared in Second Timothy 2:7, the Spirit is not in view here in Second
Timothy 2:14. This is indicated by the improper preposition enopion which is
composed of the preposition en and opion generally means, “before, in the sight or
presence” either in terms of space, sight, relationships, time or rank. It can also
pertain to value judgment meaning “in the opinion” or “in the judgment of.”
Therefore, we can see that this preposition pertains to judgment and specifically
the judgment of Timothy’s actions in relation to this prohibition to not wrangle
about words. Therefore, this preposition is a reminder to Timothy that he will be
held accountable to the member of the Trinity who is identified by the noun kurios.
The Scriptures teach that every church age believer will appear at the Bema Seat
which will be conducted by Jesus Christ and not the Father or the Spirit.
The articular construction of the noun kurios indicates that there are many lords
in Paul’s day but only Jesus Christ is the greatest of these lords since they are all
under Jesus Christ’s authority. This too is another indication that kurios is a
reference to Jesus Christ. The articular construction of this word means that Jesus
Christ is in a class by Himself.
Therefore, here in Second Timothy 2:14, the noun kurios refers to Jesus Christ
and is the object of the improper preposition enopion which pertains to judgment
of an individual. Therefore, this prepositional phrase emphasizes with Timothy that
he will held accountable by Jesus Christ at the Bema Seat if he fails to faithfully
obey Paul’s Spirit inspired prohibition to not wrangle about words. It also
emphasizes that this prohibition ultimately originates with Jesus Christ who is
observing Timothy’s actions to testify to his faithfulness or unfaithfulness, which
will be determined by his observance of this prohibition or failure to do so.
The verb logomacheō means “to argue about words” since it pertains to
disputing or quarrelling about the meaning or use of words or splitting hairs about
words. The word’s meaning is negated by the negative particle mē, which means
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“not” which denies any idea of Timothy arguing with others about the meaning of
words. These two words form a prohibition which forbids Timothy from arguing
with others about the meaning or usage of words.
The infinitive form of this verb logomacheō is a complementary infinitive
which means that the word is completing the thought of the verb diamarturomai
and identifies for Timothy specifically what Paul is solemnly charging him to do or
not to do.
The present tense of the verb is a gnomic present, which is used to describe
something that is true “any” time and “does” take place. With the negative particle
mē, it indicates that Paul is prohibiting Timothy from “at any time” arguing about
the meaning of words or their usage.
The present tense of this verb is also a customary or stative present used to
signal an ongoing state. Therefore it indicates that Paul is forbidding Timothy from
existing in the state of arguing about the meaning of words or their usage.
The active voice is a stative active voice which means that the subject exists in
the state indicated by the verb which mean that Paul is prohibiting Timothy from at
any time existing in the state of arguing about the meaning of words or their usage.
Wrangling About Words is Useless
2 Timothy 2:14 Remind them of these things, and solemnly charge them in
the presence of God not to wrangle about words, which is useless and leads to
the ruin of the hearers. (NASB95)
“Which is useless” is composed of the following: (1) preposition epi (ἐπί) (2)
accusative neuter singular form of the adjective oudeis (οὐδείς) (3) accusative
neuter singular form of the adjective chrēsimos (χρήσιμος) and altogether they are
translated “useless” by the NASB95.
The adjective chrēsimos means “useful” since it pertains to value or having a
valid use or function. The word’s meaning is emphatically negated by the adjective
oudeis which emphatically negates the idea that arguing about words is useful or a
benefit to anyone or has a valid function. The adjective chrēsimos is the object of
the preposition epi which functions as a marker of purpose indicating that Timothy
was not to argue about words “for absolutely no useful purpose.”
The Ruin of the Hearers
2 Timothy 2:14 Remind them of these things, and solemnly charge them in
the presence of God not to wrangle about words, which is useless and leads to
the ruin of the hearers. (NASB95)
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“And leads to the ruin of the hearers” is composed of the following: (1)
preposition epi (ἐπί), “to” (2) dative feminine singular form of the noun
katastrophē (καταστροφή), “the ruin” (3) articular genitive masculine plural
present active participle form of the verb akouō (ἀκούω), “of the hearers.”
The noun katastrophē is used in classical Greek as early as the fifth century
B.C. as a general term for “destruction” or “ruin.” It is used in the Septuagint to
refer to physical destruction of cities (Gen. 19:29) and people (2 Chron. 22:27) and
prosperity (Job 15:21) as well as the wicked (Job 21:17; Prov. 1:18). The word
occurs only twice in the Greek New Testament (2 Timothy 2:14; 2 Peter. 2:6).
Here in Second Timothy 2:14, the word is used in the context of Timothy
avoiding semantic arguments which “causes the destruction” spiritually of those
who hear these arguments. The word speaks of doing serious harm to another with
the implication of misleading someone. Thus, the word speaks of arguing about
words with another person so that this argument causes serious harm to the person
listening in the sense that it leads them astray. So Paul is speaking of someone
listening to these semantic arguments which will only harm spiritually the
Christian as well as the non-Christian because these arguments lead them astray
from what they need to hear spiritually. In the case of the non-Christian these
arguments lead them astray from what they need to hear, namely the gospel for
their eternal salvation. These arguments lead the non-Christian astray from hearing
the gospel for their salvation so that they might receive the forgiveness of sins and
be delivered from eternal condemnation. In the case of the Christian, it leads them
astray from hearing what they need to hear, namely the gospel again. These
arguments lead the Christian astray because it leads them away from hearing that
they have been identified with Christ in His crucifixion, death, burial, resurrection
and session. They lead the Christian astray from hearing that they need to
appropriate by faith their identification with Christ. They appropriate this
identification with Christ by considering themselves dead to the sin nature and
alive to God so as to experience victory over sin and Satan. So these semantic
arguments destroy those who hear because they lead the hearers away from what
really matters, namely they need to hear about the death and resurrection of Jesus
Christ and how it applies to them and how it benefits them.
The noun katastrophē is in the dative case and is the object of the preposition
epi which this time functions as a marker of cause indicating that Timothy was to
avoid arguing about words for absolutely no useful purpose “because” it causes the
destruction of those who hear such arguments.
The verb akouō means “to hear” in the sense of exercising the faculty of
hearing. This word refers to those who “hear” individuals arguing about words in
the sense of exercising their faculty of hearing while listening to those who argue
about the meaning and usage of words.
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The participle form of this verb is functioning as a substantive participle which
is indicated by its articular construction in the sense that the article is functioning
as a substantiver meaning it is converting this verb into a substantive.
The present tense of this verb akouō is a customary present or stative present
expressing the idea of someone existing in the state of hearing the arguments of
individuals about the meaning and usage of words. The active voice is also stative
expressing the same idea as the present tense.
The genitive case of this participle is functioning as a functions as a subjective
genitive meaning that it functions semantically as the subject of the verbal idea
implicit in the head noun which of course is the noun katastrophē. This word can
be therefore converted into its verbal form which would be katastrephō. Therefore,
Paul prohibiting Timothy from arguing about words with people for absolutely no
purpose because those who hear will be destroyed spiritually by such arguments.
Translation of Second Timothy 2:14
Second Timothy 2:14 Continue to make it your habit of bringing into
remembrance these things. I solemnly charge in the presence of the Lord not
to at any time argue about words for absolutely no useful purpose because
those who hear are destroyed. (Author’s translation)
Exposition of Second Timothy 2:14
The apostle Paul solemnly issues another command to Timothy. This command
in Second Timothy 2:14 is directly tied to his statements in Second Timothy 2:11-
13 since Paul is commanding Timothy to remember these statements in Second
Timothy 2:11-13 which constitute a hymn in the apostolic church. Paul’s describes
these statements in Second Timothy 2:11-13 as a “trustworthy statement.” In
Second Timothy 2:14, the apostle Paul wants Timothy to understand the eternal
implications of remaining faithful to the gospel in face of persecution and
underserved suffering. In other words, he is emphasizing with Timothy how
important it was for him to adhere to his trustworthy statement in Second Timothy
2:11-13.
“These things” refers to Paul’s statements in Second Timothy 2:11-13 which
constituted a hymn in the apostolic church. Paul describes it as a “trustworthy
statement.” It thus refers to the Christian’s identification with Jesus Christ in His
death and resurrection since it is mentioned in Second Timothy 2:11. It also refers
to the rewards that the faithful Christian will receive at the Bema Seat from the
Lord if they persevere since this is mentioned in the first conditional statement in
Second Timothy 2:12. It also refers to the fact that the Lord will refuse unfaithful
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Christians rewards at the Bema if they refuse to follow Him since this is mentioned
in the second conditional statement in Second Timothy 2:12. Lastly, “these
things” refers to the fact that if the Christian is unfaithful, the Lord will continue to
remain faithful to them because He can never be untrue to Himself. Specifically,
the Lord always keeps His promises and in particular the promise of the
forgiveness of sins.
We have an interpretive problem with this command in Second Timothy 2:14.
Is Paul commanding Timothy to remind the Ephesian Christian community of his
statements in Second Timothy 2:11-13? Or, is he commanding Timothy to
remember these things himself? All the English translations and most expositors
with the exception of Luke Timothy Johnson29
interpret this word
hupomimnēskomai as Paul commanding Timothy to remind the Ephesian church of
his statements in Second Timothy 2:11-13. However, the problem with this
interpretation is that it would require the dative third person masculine plural form
of the intensive personal pronoun autos (αὐτός), “them.” The word would be
functioning as a dative indirect object meaning it is receiving the direct object of
the verb hupomimnēskomai. However, autos does not appear here in Second
Timothy 2:14. The English translations and interpreters all view this word as being
implied by Paul even though it is omitted. Thus, they view Paul using the figure of
ellipsis at this point in Second Timothy 2:14.
In the active voice, this verb hupomimnēskomai can mean “to remind someone
of something” but it can also mean “to remember.” Most translations and
expositors view this word in the active voice as only having the meaning of
“reminding someone of something” or “to put another in mind of something.”
However, in classical literature, this word is also used with an active sense
meaning “I recall” or “I remember” (Plato, Phaedrus 241A; Herodotus, Persian
War, 7:171). The word is used in an active sense for remembering or recalling in
Wisdom 18:22. So it is in keeping with the usage of hupomimnēskomai in other
bodies of literature and not unprecedented if we interpet this verb as meaning “to
remember, to recall” referring to Timothy remembering Paul’s teaching in Second
Timothy 2:11-13.
Now, if we interpret the verb hupomimnēskomai to mean that Paul is
commanding Timothy to remember his statements in Second Timothy 2:11-13, we
don’t’ need to interpret Paul as using this figure of ellipsis. Interpreting the verb
this way also fits the context since Paul’s teaching in Second Timothy 2:1-13 has
been designed to encourage Timothy to continue fulfilling his duties in
communicating and exemplifying the gospel. To interpret this verb as meaning that
Paul is commanding Timothy to remind the Ephesian church of his statements in
29 Johnson, Luke Timothy, The First and Second Letters to Timothy: A New Translation with Introduction and Commentary; see pages 383, 389-390; The Anchor Yale Bible; Yale University Press, New Haven and London, 2001.29
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Second Timothy 2:11-13 does not fit the context since Paul has been speaking to
Timothy exclusively in the preceding context and continues to do so throughout
the rest of the chapter. To interpret that autos is implied here in this command in
verse 14 despite the fact that there is no indication from the immediate preceding
statements in verses 1-13 or in the ones to follow that Paul is commanding
Timothy to remind the Ephesians of his statements in verses 11-13 is eisegesis.
Therefore, the verb hupomimnēskomai means “to remember” indicating that
Paul is commanding Timothy to continue to make it his habit of bringing to his
remembrance the apostle’s teaching in Second Timothy 2:11-13 and which
teaching was designed to encourage and exhort Timothy to remain faithful to the
gospel. Thus, this word denotes that Timothy was to bring to his remembrance his
identification with Jesus Christ in His death and resurrection which is mentioned in
Second Timothy 2:11. The verb hupomimnēskomai also indicates that Timothy was
to bring to his remembrance that he will receive rewards at the Bema Seat from the
Lord if he perseveres in communicating and exemplifying the gospel which is
mentioned in the first conditional statement in Second Timothy 2:12. This verb
also indicates that Timothy was also to bring to remembrance that the Lord will
refuse him rewards at the Bema if he refuses to follow the Lord which is
mentioned in the second conditional statement in Second Timothy 2:12. Lastly,
this verb hupomimnēskomai also denotes that Timothy was to bring to his
remembrance that if he is unfaithful, the Lord will continue to remain faithful to
him because He can never be untrue to Himself. Specifically, the Lord always
keeps His promises and in particular the promise of the forgiveness of sins.
As we noted, the present imperative form of the verb hupomimnēskomai is a
“customary present imperative” whose force is for Timothy to simply continue
making it his habit of bringing into his remembrance Paul’s statements in Second
Timothy 2:11-13 which constitute a hymn in the apostolic church. The present
imperative of the verb hupomimnēskomai is not an ingressive-progressive
imperative implying that Timothy was not doing this and Paul wanted him to begin
again to do this since Paul’s statements up to this point in Second Timothy imply
Timothy was already obeying this command in Second Timothy 2:14. If you recall,
in Second Timothy 1:5, the apostle Paul tells Timothy that he clung to the memory
of his sincere faith. In fact Paul says that he was convinced of this.
Now, some have argued that Paul’s statement in Second Timothy 1:6 indicates
that Timothy had lost his enthusiasm in exercising his spiritual gift but there is
nothing in Second Timothy which would indicate this taking place. Rather, since
the apostle in Second Timothy 1:5 acknowledges that Timothy possessed a sincere
faith in his apostolic teaching and identified his background with Timothy’s in
Second Timothy 1:3-5, it is clear that Timothy was not in apostasy or wavering. So
Paul’s statements in Second Timothy 1:6 do not imply that Timothy was no longer
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on fire for the Lord but rather it means he was to make his habit of exercising the
spiritual gift of pastor-teacher which the Spirit bestowed upon him at the moment
of his conversion. Thus, instead of suppressing this gift Timothy was to exercise
this gift with enthusiasm and zeal and thus to permit the Spirit’s power to work
mightily through his ministry. Paul wants to remind Timothy to exercise with the
zeal or enthusiasm the spiritual gift that he received from God at the moment of his
conversion.
Also some have argued that the mention of cowardice in Second Timothy 1:7
would seem to indicate that Timothy was acting like a coward. However, again
there is nothing which would indicate this in the immediate context or within the
epistle itself. Rather verse 5 affirms Timothy’s faithful to Paul’s apostolic teaching.
Therefore, Paul is simply reminding Timothy in verse 7 that the Holy Spirit
permanently indwells him so as to give him the power, the love and discipline he
will need to endure these things and remain faithful to his calling. The apostle is
again encouraging his young delegate, disciple and friend to persevere in his
ministry by appropriating the ministry of the Spirit who is available to him because
He indwells Timothy permanently. So therefore, Paul is reminding Timothy in
Second Timothy 1:7 that he has the capacity to continue exercising his spiritual gift
with the enthusiasm despite persecution and various trials and tribulations because
he possesses permanently the indwelling of the Spirit. Timothy need not concern
himself with trying to produce these attributes himself but rather when he obeys
the Word of God, the Spirit who indwells him will produce the power, love and
self-discipline he needs to remain faithful to his calling. Thus, Paul exhorting
Timothy to continue to depend upon the Spirit’s presence in his life. He is to do
this by continuing to obey the Spirit inspired commands and prohibitions in Paul’s
apostolic teaching, which is the gospel.
Therefore, here in Second Timothy 2:14, the present imperative form of the
verb hupomimnēskomai is not saying that Timothy was to begin to bring into
remembrance Paul’s teaching in Second Timothy 2:11-14. Rather it is saying that
he was to continue to remain faithful in doing so. The warnings that Paul issues
Timothy throughout this epistle do not imply that Timothy was starting to fall
away from the gospel or was no longer faithful but rather they were to protect him
from falling into apostasy and unfaithfulness. Undoubtedly Timothy already knew
of this teaching in Second Timothy 2:11-13 because of Paul teaching him these
things in the past.
So this first command is addressing Timothy’s own walk with God or in other
words, the apostle is addressing his spiritual life. Paul is not addressing the conduct
or attitudes of the Ephesian Christian community. There is nothing in the context
which would indicate this. Of course, this is not to say that the Ephesian Christian
community could not benefit from this first command since they would benefit
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spiritually by remembering Paul’s statements in Second Timothy 2:11-13 because
these statement would apply to them as well. However, in context, Paul is speaking
directly to Timothy with this first command. He is not speaking of Timothy’s
responsibility of communicating Paul’s apostolic teaching to the Ephesian
Christian community but rather he is speaking of Timothy’s own walk with the
Lord. The purpose of this first command here in Second Timothy 2:14 is to exhort
and encourage Timothy to continue to remain faithful in his own walk with the
Lord. In other words, its purpose is to protect Timothy from going into apostasy.
He does not want Timothy to end up in apostasy like the majority of Christians in
Asia and in particular Hermogenes and Phygelus (cf. 2 Timothy 1:15). Another
purpose for this first command is to protect Timothy from the Judaizers and those
apostate pastors in Ephesus who were adhering to the false teaching of the
Judaizers which is indicated by the content of the second command here in Second
Timothy 2:14.
After issuing the command in Second Timothy 2:14 for Timothy to continue
making it his habit of bringing into remembrance his trustworthy statement in
Second Timothy 2:11-13, the apostle Paul then issues a solemn prohibition. He
solemnly charges in the presence of the Lord not to at any time argue about words
for absolutely no useful purpose. The reason for this prohibition is that those hear
such arguments will be destroyed spiritually by them.
In this prohibition, Paul is exercising his apostolic authority and it contains a
degree of formality because he mentions the Lord Jesus Christ as his witness
emphasizing with Timothy that it is imperative that he is faithful in obeying this
prohibition. Paul is emphasizing with Timothy that he will held accountable in the
matter. He is reminding Timothy that he will have to give an account of his service
in Ephesus and in particular with regards to this prohibition to not wrangle about
words.
“In the presence of the Lord” emphasizes with Timothy that he will held
accountable by Jesus Christ at the Bema Seat if he fails to faithfully obey Paul’s
Spirit inspired prohibition to not wrangle about words. It also emphasizes that this
prohibition ultimately originates with Jesus Christ who is observing Timothy’s
actions to testify to his faithfulness or unfaithfulness, which will be determined by
his observance of this prohibition or failure to do so.
Paul tells Timothy that these pointless arguments about words and their
meaning and usage in the Old Testament can destroy those who hear such
arguments. He is speaking of someone listening to these semantic arguments which
will only harm spiritually the Christian as well as the non-Christian because these
arguments lead them astray from what they need to hear spiritually. In the case of
the non-Christian these arguments lead them astray from what they need to hear,
namely the gospel for their eternal salvation. These arguments lead the non-
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Christian astray from hearing the gospel for their salvation so that they might
receive the forgiveness of sins and be delivered from eternal condemnation. In the
case of the Christian, it leads them astray from hearing what they need to hear,
namely the gospel again. These arguments lead the Christian astray because it
leads them away from hearing that they have been identified with Christ in His
crucifixion, death, burial, resurrection and session. They lead the Christian astray
from hearing that they need to appropriate by faith their identification with Christ.
They appropriate this identification with Christ by considering themselves dead to
the sin nature and alive to God so as to experience victory over sin and Satan. So
these semantic arguments destroy those who hear because they lead the hearers
away from what really matters, namely they need to hear about the death and
resurrection of Jesus Christ and how it applies to them and how it benefits them.
Keener writes “Many professional speakers gave nitpicky attention to irrelevant
twists and turns of phrase; some philosophers believed that one could do no better
than examine the logic of words; many Jewish teachers, seeking to be faithful to
the letter of the law, did the same (emphasizing even the slightest variations in
spelling or possible revocalizations). But others criticized this method.”30
In Second Timothy 2:23-26 the apostle Paul issues Timothy a similar warning
as the one here in Second Timothy 2:14.
Second Timothy 2:23 But refuse foolish and ignorant speculations,
knowing that they produce quarrels. 24 The Lord’s bond-servant must not be
quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged, 25 with
gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant
them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth, 26 and they may come
to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive
by him to do his will. (NASB95)
So Paul in Second Timothy 2:14 forbids Timothy from arguing with others
about the meaning or usage of words. Paul issues Timothy similar prohibitions in
First Timothy 1:3-6. In First Timothy 1:4, Paul orders Timothy to rebuke certain
apostate pastors in Ephesus from getting involved in “pointless arguments” and
“useless genealogies.” He says in verse 6 that these apostate pastors who were
teaching false doctrine had turned aside to “pointless talk.” In verse 7, he makes
clear that these pastors were listening to the Judaizers since he mentions that like
the Judaizers they sought to be teachers of the Law. Therefore, when the apostle
Paul is prohibiting Timothy from arguing about words for absolutely no useful
purpose since it will only destroy those who hear such arguments, we know he is
referring to these apostate pastors in Ephesus who were adhering to the teaching of
the Judaizers. We know that this because the arguments about words which Paul
30 Keener, C. S. (1993). The IVP Bible background commentary: New Testament (2 Ti 2:14). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.
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mentions in Second Timothy 2:14 serve absolutely no useful purpose and the
apostate pastors in Ephesus who were obeying the teaching of the Judaizers were
involved in pointless arguments.
First Timothy 1:3 As I urgently requested you to stay on in Ephesus when I
myself was about to depart for Macedonia in order that you may command
certain individuals not to teach at any time, false doctrine 4 nor, at any time
be occupied with myths as well as useless genealogies because the nature of
which, as an eternal spiritual truth, promotes pointless arguments rather than
the administration of God’s household, which is through faithfulness. 5
However, the result, which this command produces is, as an eternal spiritual
truth, divine-love from a pure heart as well as a conscience that is divine good
in quality and character and in addition a sincere faith. 6 Certain individuals,
because they have deviated away from these things, have turned aside to
pointless talk 7 by desiring unsuccessfully to be teachers of the Law, even
though they do not understand either the things which they are making a
habit of communicating or the things concerning which they make a habit of
confidently asserting for the benefit of only themselves. (Author’s translation)
In 1 Timothy 1:3, Paul reveals that when leaving Macedonia, he urged Timothy
to stay on in Ephesus to command certain Ephesian believers to not teach false
doctrines. The purpose is further described in verse 4 indicating that Paul wanted
these Ephesian believers who taught false doctrines to also not occupy themselves
with myths and interminable genealogies. It implies clearly that Paul has delegated
authority to Timothy to rebuke and hold these false teachers accountable since this
word indicates that the false teachers in Ephesus are under Paul’s apostolic
authority and are thus Christians. The fact that Paul is commanding these
unidentified individuals to stop teaching false doctrine clearly implies that they are
believers since Paul would not have authority over a non-believer. It also indicates
that they were pastors since Acts 20:28 records Paul predicting to the pastors in
Ephesus that some of them would become apostates.
“Certain individuals” refers to unidentified Christian pastor-teachers who
taught false doctrines in fulfillment of Paul’s prophesy recorded in Acts 20:28. It
means that there was more than one pastor in Ephesus who was teaching false
doctrines. However, it does not mean that all the pastors were doing so.
“Not to teach at any time, false doctrine” speaks of the act of teaching that
which is contrary to the apostolic teaching of Paul. It does not refer to the style of
teaching or manner of teaching but the content of teaching. It describes the content
of the teaching of these pastors in Ephesus as fundamentally and essentially
different than Paul’s apostolic teaching. This prohibition denies any idea of these
Christian pastors in Ephesus teaching heretical doctrines.
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Verse 4 further describes the purpose for Paul urgently requesting that Timothy
stay on in Ephesus. In this verse, Paul states that not only did he not want these
Ephesian pastors at any time to teach false doctrine but also not to occupy
themselves with myths and interminable genealogies. He goes on to state that these
myths and interminable genealogies merely promote speculation rather than help
them fulfill their responsibilities of administrating God’s household. So this verse
begins a description of the content of what these pastors in Ephesus taught who
had strayed from Paul’s teaching. This verse is connecting Paul’s prohibition that
certain Ephesian pastors were not to teach at any time, false or heretical doctrine
with the prohibition for these same pastors to not pay attention to myths and
useless genealogies. It makes clear that Paul does not want these unidentified
pastors in Ephesus to at any time “occupy their minds” with myths.
“Myths” describes the content of the teaching of these unidentified pastors in
Ephesus as falsehood in contrast to Paul’s gospel, which is absolute truth since it is
inspired by the Holy Spirit as well as rooted in historical events (crucifixion, death
and resurrection of Christ) and an historical individual (Jesus of Nazareth). It has
nothing to do with Gnosticism since the phrase “teachers of the Law” and Titus
1:14 describing these myths as Jewish indicate that the myths and genealogies
mentioned by Paul in 1 Timothy 1:4 were Jewish in nature.
“Useless genealogies” refers to a listing of descendants of a particular
individual. Specifically, it refers to the genealogies in the Old Testament. Paul was
not against the study of the genealogies of the Bible since they can teach us quite a
bit about God’s creation, His desire to redeem mankind, and His sovereign control
over history. The apostle was against the misuse of genealogies.
Though it is true that the Old Testament genealogies were important with
respect to the claims of Jesus of Nazareth as the promised Jewish Messiah and
taught the sovereignty of God over the human race, they did not promote the
administration of God’s household by these pastors. They would not help these
pastors to fulfill their responsibilities.
The causal clause “because the nature of which, as an eternal spiritual
truth, promote pointless arguments rather than the administration of God’s
household” refers to these unidentified individuals in Ephesus fulfilling their
stewardship as pastor-teachers. Specifically, it refers to the administration of God’s
household, which is the church. It refers to leading the church in Ephesus.
First Timothy 1:5 records Paul writing to Timothy that the goal of his and
Timothy’s instruction is love from a pure heart, a good conscience and a sincere
faith. Then, in First Timothy 1:6, Paul points out to Timothy and the Ephesian
church that because some pastors in Ephesus have deviated from practicing divine-
love from a pure heart, a good conscience and a sincere faith, they turned aside to
pointless talk.
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“Certain individuals” refers to a particular group of unidentified pastors in
Ephesus. The causal clause “because they have deviated away from these
things, turned aside to pointless talk” means that the reason why these pastors
turned aside to pointless talk was because they deviated from practicing God’s love
in the power of the Spirit from a pure heart, a good conscience and a sincere faith.
Therefore, the reason why these unidentified pastors in Ephesus were teaching
false doctrine and were occupied with Jewish myths and genealogies was that they
themselves were not obeying the command to love one another. The reason why
they were failing to administrate the household of God by teaching the church to
love one another from a pure heart, a good conscience and a sincere faith is that
they themselves were not doing so. They were out of fellowship with God
themselves and as a result they were not fulfilling their responsibilities to teach the
Christians in Ephesus to love one another from a pure heart, a good conscience and
a sincere faith. The fact that they did not obey the Lord’s command to love one
another is reflected by the fact that they were not fulfilling their responsibilities to
teach the church in Ephesus to love one another from a pure heart, a good
conscience and a sincere faith. Furthermore, they were out of fellowship and not
exercising love towards their fellow Christians. Thus, they were not fulfilling their
responsibilities to the Lord to administrate the church at Ephesus by teaching the
command to love one another because they were no longer operating in faith.
So because these unidentified pastors in Ephesus strayed from obeying the
command to love one another, which stems from a pure heart, a good conscience
and a sincere faith, they turned aside to fruitless discussion, which in verse 4, Paul
describes as “pointless arguments.”
Then, in verse 7 Paul further describes these unidentified pastors in Ephesus
who were teaching false doctrine because they were occupied with Jewish myths
and useless genealogies. Thus, they were failing to fulfill their duties of
administrating the church in Ephesus by communicating Paul’s apostolic teaching.
In this verse, he identifies this particular group of pastors as wanting to be teachers
of the Law but yet they don’t understand what they are saying or the things they
confidently affirm. This further indicates quite clearly that these pastors had fallen
victim to the Judaizers who dogged Paul throughout his ministry. Therefore, the
heresy in the Ephesian church was of a Jewish nature.
This verse is connected to verse 6 in the sense that it describes how this
“certain individuals” mentioned in that verse were turning aside to pointless talk.
As we noted these individuals were pastors in Ephesus who Paul describes in
verses 3 and 4 as teaching false doctrine because they were occupied with myths
and useless genealogies that were Jewish in nature. Thus, they were victims of the
Judaizers.
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In verse 6, Paul describes why these pastors turned aside from Paul’s gospel to
pointless talk, namely they deviated from obeying the command to love their
fellow Christ as Christ loves and were not fulfilling their responsibilities to
administrate the household of God by teaching this command to their
congregations.
Now in verse 7, Paul describes how or the means by which they turned aside to
pointless talk, namely, by desiring to be teachers of the Mosaic Law. So the
expression “by desiring unsuccessfully to be teachers of the Law” is participial
clause that expresses the means by which these unidentified pastors in Ephesus
were turning aside from teaching the command to love one another to pointless
talk.
“Even though they do not understand either the things which they are
making a habit of communicating or the things concerning which they make a
habit of confidently asserting for the benefit of only themselves” is a concessive
clause that implies that these unidentified pastors in Ephesus lacked understanding
or were simply ignorant of the true purpose of the Mosaic Law even though they
desired to be teachers of it. This implication is indicated by Paul’s statements in
verses 8-10, which deal with one of the usages of the Mosaic Law.
Paul’s purpose for urgently requesting that Timothy prohibit these pastors from
doing these things was love. If they obeyed this prohibition and again fulfilled their
responsibilities to administrate the household of God, they would communicate
Paul’s gospel and teach the command to love one another.
So by attempting to be teachers of the Mosaic Law and not communicators of
the gospel and sound doctrine, there were disputes and arguments taking place
among believers in Ephesus. On the other hand, if they had remained faithful, no
such thing would have occurred unless their audiences rejected the apostolic
teaching in the first place. These individuals were not faithful because of a spiritual
problem that they had, namely they were out of fellowship with God and had
rejected Paul’s apostolic teaching themselves.
We not only can compare the prohibition in Second Timothy 2:14 with Paul’s
statements in First Timothy 1:3-7 but also we can compare it with Paul’s
statements in First Timothy 4:7, First Timothy 6:3-5 and Titus 3:9. All these
passages mention the argumentative nature of the apostate pastors in Ephesus who
were led astray by the Judaizers.
1 Timothy 4:7 But you yourself continue making it your habit of rejecting
worldly myths, yes, old wives’ tales at that. Rather, continue making it your
habit of disciplining yourself for the purpose of godliness. (Author’s
translation)
“But you yourself continue making it your habit of rejecting worldly
myths, yes, old wives’ tales at that” stands in contrast with 1 Timothy 4:6, which
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reminds Timothy of his responsibility to regularly instruct the Ephesian Christian
community with regards to Paul’s teaching pertaining to marriage and food in
order to protect them from the demonically inspired teaching of the Judaizers. In 1
Timothy 4:7, Paul issues Timothy a command to continue rejecting worldly myths,
which are nothing but old wives’ tales and this is followed by a command for
Timothy to continue training himself for godliness. The contrast between Paul’s
statement in verse 6 with that of the first command in 1 Timothy 4:7. The second
command in 1 Timothy 4:7 stands in contrast with the first one. Therefore, the
contrast is between Timothy fulfilling his responsibilities with respect to the gospel
and not doing so because of being occupied with irreverent, silly myths or in other
words he is to avoid the false doctrine of the Judaizers.
“Myths” describes the teaching of the Judaizers from the perspective that it is
unhistorical and not based upon truth or fact. The gospel is absolute truth since it is
inspired by the Holy Spirit as well as rooted in historical events (crucifixion, death
and resurrection of Christ) and an historical individual (Jesus of Nazareth).
“Worldly” is the adjective bebelos describes these myths as being directly
related to Satan’s cosmic system and are not related in any way whatsoever to the
gospel and God’s plan for the Christian church. It describes these myths has having
no godly purpose whatsoever.
“Old wives’ tales” is the adjective graodes, which describes these myths as
being like the types of stories told by gossipy old women that are speculative and
non-historical and not truth and thus lack any value to the Christian.
“You yourself continue making it your habit of rejecting” is the verb
paraiteomai means “to reject” the myths of the Judaizers. The verb denotes that
Timothy was to refuse to accept or consider these myths of the Judaizers. It also
indicates that he was to refuse to listen to the false teachings being taught. This
verb also denotes that Paul wants Timothy to refute these myths as well which is
indicated by Paul’s urgent request in 1 Timothy 1:3-5 that Timothy prohibit certain
pastors in Ephesus from being occupied with these myths that are based upon an
erroneous interpretation of the genealogies of Genesis. It is also indicated by Paul’s
exhortation in 1 Timothy 1:18-19 that Timothy continue being engaged in spiritual
combat by exercising faith in the gospel.
In 1 Timothy 6:3-10, Paul issues a final indictment against the false teachers in
Ephesus. This pericope is the third time in this epistle that Paul has discussed those
teaching false doctrine and it is his final indictment of them. The first time Paul
discuss the false teachers in Ephesus was in 1 Timothy 1:3-7. The second was
found in 1 Timothy 4:1-5. Here in 1 Timothy 6:3-10, he issues a final indictment of
those teaching false doctrine whether they are the Judaizers or those pastors
following their legalistic teaching. In 1 Timothy 6:3-4a, the apostle Paul describes
or identifies the actions and attitude of the false, apostate teachers in Ephesus.
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Then, in 1 Timothy 6:4b-5a, he describes the various sins that their heretical
teaching is producing among believers in Ephesus. Lastly, in 1 Timothy 6:5b, he
presents the motivation of the false teachers, which is financial gain.
First Timothy 6:3 If and let us assume that it is true for the sake of
argument that someone does teach false doctrine, in other words, they do not
agree with sound words, namely that which originates from our Lord who is
Jesus who is the Christ, specifically, that teaching which is for the purpose of
godliness. And we agree that there are some who do teach false doctrine. 4
Then, they are arrogant. Consequently, they understand absolutely nothing.
But rather he possesses a sick obsession with pointless debates, yes in fact
pointless arguments about words from which he does cause envy, dissension,
slanders, evil suspicions. 5 Men incessantly arguing, who are corrupt with
regards to their mind as well as defrauded of the truth who are presuming a
counterfeit form of godliness is a means of gaining wealth. 6 However,
combined with contentment, godliness is, as an eternal spiritual truth a means
of superior gain. (Author’s translation)
The apostle Paul in 1 Timothy 6:3 employs a protasis of a first class condition
to present a final indictment against those who teach false doctrine in Ephesus.
Then in 1 Timothy 6:4a, he presents the apodasis inferring from the protasis that
these false teachers are arrogant and understand nothing.
“Then, they are arrogant” is the apodasis, which is presenting the inference
from the protasis. The inference from this protasis is that these men are arrogant. It
emphasizes the present state of arrogance of the apostate pastors in Ephesus who
were teaching false doctrine.
“Consequently, they understand absolutely nothing” is a result clause that
indicates that these apostate pastors who were teaching false doctrine were in a
state of ignorance as a result of their arrogance. It means that they do not
intellectually comprehend the will of the Father because they expressed unbelief in
Paul’s apostolic teaching. By rejecting Paul’s apostolic teaching in favor of
teaching false doctrine which originates from the Judaizers and ultimately the
kingdom of darkness and Satan, these apostate pastors had absolutely no
knowledge of God’s will, which is revealed by the Spirit through Paul’s gospel.
This is indicated by the fact that those teaching false doctrine are claiming they
know God’s will. They claim to know God’s will but yet they don’t because they
have rejected the means by which God has made known His will for the lives of
His children, namely, the gospel which Paul proclaimed throughout the Roman
Empire.
The apostle Paul in 1 Timothy 6:4b-5a describes that which is produced by
those teaching false doctrine in Ephesus. He teaches that these false teachers have
a sick obsession with pointless arguments about words, which causes envy,
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dissension, slanders and evil suspicions. He writes that they incessantly argue and
are corrupt in their thinking and are defrauded of the truth.
“He possesses a sick obsession” is the verb noseo, which is a play on words. In
1 Timothy 6:3, Paul described his teaching as “sound words.” The word “sound”
is hugiaino, which means “healthy, sound” and describes Paul’s teaching as free
from error and falsehood in direct contrast to the heretical doctrine of the apostate
pastors and Judaizers. This verb describes those teaching false doctrine as mentally
and spiritually ill. It describes these false teachers in Ephesus as possessing an
unhealthy obsession with controversial issues and arguments in the sense that they
possess a persistent and disturbing preoccupation with controversial issues and
arguments.
“Pointless debates” is the noun zetesis, which denotes that rather than a true
and sincere search for the truth, the false teachers in Ephesus were involved in
argumentative debate and dialogues, which were pointless, useless and of no
instructional value whatsoever.
“Pointless arguments about words” is the noun logomachia, which indicates
that these false teachers in Ephesus possessed an unhealthy obsession with not only
pointless debates but also “pointless arguments about words.” This word is telling
us more about the previous noun zetesis, “pointless debates” in the sense that it is
giving us more information about this previous noun. It is telling us that these
pointless debates were pointless arguments about words!
“Envy” is the noun phthonos, which speaks of acting upon one’s jealousy. It
expresses the envy which makes one man grudge another something which he
himself desires, but does not possess. To envy is to feel resentful, spiteful, and
unhappy because someone else possesses or has achieved, what one wishes oneself
to possess, or to have achieved. Therefore, envy originates from jealousy.
“Dissension” is the noun eris, which manifests itself in quarreling, disputing, or
controversy and is a point advanced or maintained in a debate or argument. It
refers to a perverse and stubborn tendency to quarrel and dispute with people,
sometimes deteriorating into bitter violent conflict or dissension. The word speaks
of the dissension that arises within an individual due to jealousy and is an
expression of envy for another. The noun eris emphasizes a struggle for superiority
rather than the incongruity or incompatibility of the persons or things involved.
The word describes arguing about words because of pride and not truth and
originates from envy, ambition, competition and the desire for prestige, and status
in life.
“Slanders” is the noun blasphemia, which refers to the act of defaming
someone’s character as a result of bitterness towards them. Therefore, Paul is
teaching that the false teacher’s unhealthy obsession with pointless arguments
about words causes not only envy and dissension but also slanders.
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“Evil suspicions” refers to the opinions of the false teacher which is based on
scant evidence and is evil in character or contrary to the character and nature of
God and His will. It describes these suspicions as contrary to the character and
nature of God and His will as revealed by the Spirit in the Word of God.
“Men incessantly arguing” is the direct result of the false teacher’s unhealthy
obsession with pointless arguments about words.
“Who are corrupt with regards to their mind” refers to the particular manner
or way of thinking. It denotes an attitude, practical reasoning or intellect that
enables a person to arrive at a conclusion regarding a matter. As a consequence of
rejecting Paul’s apostolic teaching, i.e. the gospel the intellect of these apostate
pastors in Ephesus was not functioning according to God’s standards. It was an
incompetent intellect in relation to the knowledge of God and His will. By
possessing an unhealthy obsession with pointless arguments about words, these
apostate pastors who were teaching false doctrine were corrupting their intellect. In
other words, they were destroying their ability to arrive at a conclusion regarding
the will of God. They were corrupting their ability to think according to God’s
standards and possess divine viewpoint.
The intellectual capacity of the false teachers to comprehend the will and ways
of God has been adversely affected in that they are no longer thinking according to
the will of the Father as a result of rejecting the gospel and thinking according to
the lies of Satan’s cosmic system. They are morally degenerate in that they are no
longer thinking according to the will of God, which is revealed by the Spirit in the
Word of God, and specifically the gospel, which Paul taught.
“Defrauded of the truth” is the verb apostereo, which conveys the idea that
these false teachers have been defrauded of the truth of the gospel by deception.
The participial clause that follows, namely, νομιζόντων πορισμὸν εἶναι τὴν
εὐσέβειαν, “who suppose that godliness is a means of gain” presents the means by
which they were deceived. They were deceived by Satan and their sin nature that
godliness was a means of financial gain.
Titus 3:9 However, for your own benefit continue to make it your habit of
avoiding foolish pointless debates, genealogies, dissensions as well as quarrels
about the Law because they are, as an eternal spiritual truth characterized as
being unprofitable, yes, useless. (Author’s translation)
“Pointless arguments” indicates that the Judaizers and those apostate teachers
who adhered to their legalistic teaching never were in a true and sincere search for
the truth but were involved in argumentative debates and dialogues, which were of
no instructional value whatsoever.
“Genealogies” refers to the genealogies in the Old Testament. Paul was not
against the study of the genealogies of the Bible since they can teach us quite a bit
about God’s creation, His desire to redeem mankind, and His sovereign control
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over history. The apostle was against the misuse of genealogies. Though it is true
that the Old Testament genealogies were important with respect to the claims of
Jesus of Nazareth as the promised Jewish Messiah and taught the sovereignty of
God over the human race, they did not promote the administration of God’s
household by these pastors. They would not help these pastors to fulfill their
responsibilities.
“Dissensions” would manifest itself in quarreling, disputing, or controversy and
is a point advanced or maintained in a debate or argument about the Mosaic Law.
It refers to a perverse and stubborn tendency to quarrel and dispute with people
over the Law sometimes deteriorating into bitter violent conflict or dissension. It
speaks of the dissension that arises within an individual due to jealousy and is an
expression of envy for another. It emphasizes a struggle for superiority rather than
the incongruity or incompatibility of the persons or things involved. It describes
arguing about the Law because of pride and not truth and originates from envy,
ambition, competition and the desire for prestige, and status in life.
“Quarrels” pertains to heated or emotional verbal fight or contention with
regards to the Mosaic Law. It emphasizes strained or severed relations between
people which may persist beyond the contention. It speaks of an intense, emotional
and bitter verbal confrontation between individuals of differing views over the
various aspects of the Mosaic Law.
“Foolish” pertains to thoughts or words which are devoid of understanding and
lacking judgment or discretion. It is describing these pointless debates,
genealogies, dissensions and quarrels about the Law as stupid or foolish since they
are lacking in judgment and discretion. It is in the emphatic position of this
prohibition for emphasis meaning that Paul is emphasizing this word to express his
negative attitude towards these pointless debates, genealogies, dissensions and
quarrels about the Law. It expresses his disgust for these things.
“Because they are, as an eternal spiritual truth characterized as being
unprofitable, yes, useless” presents the reason for the prohibition. This prohibition
is important because getting involved with foolish pointless debates, genealogies,
dissensions as well as quarrels about the Law with the apostate pastors on the
island of Crete would be unprofitable, yes useless for Titus and the Cretan
Christian community. It would result in disunity and hurt their testimony, not to
mention it would hinder their spiritual growth.
This prohibition in Titus 3:9 reveals the Jewish nature of the heresy on the
island of Crete. The apostle’s statements in Titus 1:10 also indicate this as well.
The apostate pastor-teachers on the island of Crete who adhered to the legalistic
teaching of the Judaizers were guilty of becoming involved in foolish pointless
arguments, genealogies, dissensions as well as quarrels regarding the Mosaic Law.
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One of the characteristics of the apostate teachers and Judaizers was that they
fought over Mosaic Law and specifically what commands and prohibitions should
be obeyed by the Christian and which should not. Their contentious behavior is
mentioned by Paul with Timothy in 1 Timothy 1:4-11 and with Titus in Titus 1:10-
14.
Titus 1:10 For many are rebellious, empty talkers as well as deceivers,
especially those from the circumcision 11 who must be silenced who because
of their evil and sinful character are upsetting whole families by habitually
teaching things which are improper for dishonest gain. 12 A certain one from
them, their own prophet said, “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy
gluttons.” 13 This testimony is true. For this reason, begin the process of
severely rebuking them and continue to do so in order that they would be
sound with regards to the Christian faith 14 so that they would not be
occupied with Jewish myths as well as commandments originating from men
who cause themselves to reject the truth. (Author’s translation)
“Many” refers to unidentified Jews and Gentile men who were exclusively
Christians who rejected the gospel message as communicated by the apostles. They
were located on the island of Crete as indicated by Paul’s statements in verse 12.
They were exclusively Christians as indicated by Paul’s statements in verse 13 in
which he orders Titus to severely reprove these individuals so that they may be
sound in the Christian faith. Only Christians can be sound in the faith. It was
important that the candidate for the office of overseer on the island of Crete meet
the doctrinal qualifications listed in verse 9 because there were apostate Christian
pastors on the island of Crete who were rebellious to the gospel and were empty
talkers and deceivers.
That these were not only Jewish but also Gentile is indicated by the expression
μάλιστα οἱ ἐκ τῆς περιτομῆς, “especially those of the circumcision,” which implies
there were Gentiles rebelling as well. That these men were Christians exclusively
is indicated by the fact that Paul orders Titus in verse 13 to severely reprove these
individuals so that they may be sound in the Christian faith. This clearly indicates
that he is speaking of apostate pastors in the church since Paul had no authority
over non-Christians but only Christians. Again, only Christians can be sound in the
faith and never non-Christians. Furthermore, in 1 Timothy 1:6-11, Paul instructed
Timothy to confront certain apostate Christian pastors in Ephesus to stop teaching
and misapplying the law and to teach the gospel.
Some might argue that Paul was ordering Titus to reprove Christians in general
on the island of Crete. However, this ignores the context since in verse 10 he is
describing individuals who oppose his apostolic teaching and thus the gospel
message. Then, in verse 11 he is telling Titus that he must silence these men who
were upsetting families and teaching things for the sake of sordid gain. Then, in
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verse 12 he quotes a Cretan prophet who characterized the Cretan people as always
liars, evil beasts and lazy gluttons. In verse 13, Paul affirms this characterization.
Then, he says that for this reason, Titus must severely rebuke “them” so that they
may be sound in the Christian faith. “Them” in context must be a reference to these
apostate Cretan teachers who were Christians but adhered to the teaching of the
Judaizers.
Therefore, in Titus 1:10, Paul is describing apostate Christian pastors from
Crete who were adhering to the teaching of the Judaizers just as he did in 1
Timothy 1:6-11. This is again indicated again by the fact that he orders Titus to
reprove these men so that they may be sound in the Christian faith.
Thus, it appears that Paul was reminding Titus to appoint elders in every city on
the island of Crete because there was great apostasy among many of the pastors on
the island. This would indicate that the Cretan church was not as young a church as
some expositors in the past have believed since there were apostate pastors on
Crete already as indicated by Paul’s statements in verses 10-13. It would take time
to identify those who were qualified to be elders and then to fall into apostasy.
“Rebellious” thus refers to apostate Christian pastors who were both Jew and
Gentile and describes these individuals in context as rebellious to the gospel
message and the teaching of the apostles in the sense that they refused to submit to
the gospel message as communicated by the apostles. Thus, they rejected the
apostolic authority of the apostles.
“Empty talkers” describes these apostate Gentile and Jewish Christian pastors
as using words which had no meaning, and were without substance. It describes
their teaching as lacking content and thus cannot produce any significant spiritual
results, i.e. growth to Christ-likeness. It denotes that the teaching of these
unidentified men was empty in the sense that it had absolutely no value spiritually.
They were speakers whose message had no content which could never produce
godly results since it is opposed to the gospel message taught by the apostles.
“Deceivers” describes these apostate Gentile and Jewish Christian pastors as
individuals who mislead people with regards to the truth or cause people to not
believe the truth or to cause them to no longer believe the truth. It describes them
as leading others astray from the truth by imposing a false idea or belief that causes
ignorance, bewilderment or helplessness. It refers to them as individuals who
deceived people by leading them away from the truth. It speaks of these
individuals as leading the unsaved away from faith in Jesus Christ so they cannot
receive eternal salvation. They also lead Christians away from the truth so that they
cannot grow to spiritual maturity.
“Especially those from the circumcision” singles out the apostate Jewish
Christian pastors indicating that when Paul says that many in Crete were
rebellious, empty talkers and deceivers, he is singling out these apostate pastors as
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being primarily from the Jewish race. Paul mentions “Jewish myths” in verse 14,
which is a further indication that the individuals he is describing here in verse 10
were adhering to the Judaizers’ teaching.
“The circumcision” is a designation for those who belong to the Jewish race
indicating that they are the biological descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
By implication it refers to those Jewish Christian pastors who adhered to the
doctrine of the Judaizers since throughout Acts and Paul’s writings they opposed
Paul’s apostolic teaching and thus rejected his authority.
The phrase only here in Pastorals. Ὁι ἐκ περιτομῆς, Acts 10:45; 11:2; Rom.
4:12; Gal. 2:12; Col. 4:11. There can be no doubt of the presence of Jews in Crete.
Tacitus (Hist. v. 2) even makes the absurd statement that the Jews were Cretan
exiles; and that from their residence in the vicinity of the Cretan Mount Ida they
were called Idaei, whence Judaei. There appears to have been some confusion
between the Palestinians and the Philistines — the Cherethim or Cherethites, who,
in Ezek. 25:16; Zeph. 2:5 are called in LXX Κρῆτες. Jews were in the island in
considerable numbers between the death of Alexander and the final destruction of
Jerusalem. In 1 Macc. 15:23 the Cretan city of Gortyna is mentioned among the
places to which letters were written by Lucius, the Roman consul, on behalf of the
Jews, when Simon Maccabaeus renewed the treaty which his brother Judas had
made with Rome. Josephus (Ant. xvii. 12, 1; Bell. Jud. ii. 7, 1) says that Herod’s
pseudo-son Alexander imposed on the Cretan Jews on his way to Italy. Philo (Leg.
ad Cai. § 36) makes the Jewish envoys say to Caligula that all the principal islands
of the Mediterranean, including Crete, were full of Jews.
What are these Jewish myths and commandments originating from men? These
Jewish myths refer to the false doctrine taught by the Judaizers. Interestingly, in 1
Timothy 1:4, these myths are mentioned along with “endless genealogies.” Then,
in Titus 3:9, Paul does not mention these myths but rather “genealogies.” Within
Judaism, genealogies played the key role of establishing a person’s bloodline and
link to a particular family and tribe. Rights by birth determined in this way
allowed, for example, entrance into the priesthood. These genealogies could also
refer to the accounts of people in the early parts of Genesis. This usage opens up
the possibility that Paul is identifying the practice among the Judaizers of
speculating on stories about the early biblical characters as well as actual
genealogical lists such as occur there or in other more speculative noncanonical
Jewish writings (e.g. Jubilees). Speculation fitting roughly into this category was
known to have been practiced in Jewish communities. The reference in Titus 3:9 to
the disputes about the Law helps to locate the source of this practice within the
repository of Jewish literature. Thus, it appears likely that these Jewish myths are
related to the stories related to the genealogies taken from those provided in the
Old Testament.
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Jewish “myths” would especially be haggadot, stories amplifying or explaining
biblical narratives. Pharisees and others who tried to expound and apply biblical
law for their own times were forced to surround it with case law, detailing how the
Old Testament rules addressed specific situations; Paul apparently dismisses such
legal traditions here.31
In Titus 1:14, “the commandments originating from men” harkens back to
Isaiah 29:13.
Isaiah 29:13 Then the Lord said, “Because this people draw near with their
words And honor Me with their lip service, but they remove their hearts far
from Me, and their reverence for Me consists of tradition learned by rote.”
(NASB95)
Isaiah 29: The sovereign master says, “These people say they are loyal to
me; they say wonderful things about me, but they are not really loyal to me.
Their worship consists of nothing but man-made ritual.” (NET)
Isaiah 29:13 The Lord says: “These people come near to me with their
mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their
worship of me is based on merely human rules they have been taught.”
(TNIV)
In Matthew 15:9 and Mark 7:7, the Lord Jesus Christ referred to Isaiah 29:13 in
order to contrast the Jewish obsession with rites of purification which were not in
the Old Testament and the teaching of the Old Testament. The Pharisees were
obsessed with traditions or doctrines which were not found in their Old Testament.
In fact, they would use their traditions in order to avoid keeping the Old Testament
rules and regulations such as honoring one’s father and mother. The apostle Paul
adopted the idea of Isaiah 29:13 in dealing with the situation the Colossian church
was facing (Colossians 2:22).
Here in Titus 1:14, “the commandments originating from men” also alludes
to Isaiah 29:13 but in reference to the dietary restrictions of the Mosaic Law, which
were not applicable during the church age (cf. Mark 7:15; Luke 11:39-41;
Colossians 2:29-23; 1 Timothy 4:1-5). This is indicated by Paul’s statement in
Titus 1:15.
Titus 1:15 To the pure, all things are pure; but to those who are defiled and
unbelieving, nothing is pure, but both their mind and their conscience are
defiled. (NASB95)
The Judaizers’ obsession with dietary regulations of the Mosaic Law were
described here by Paul as “the commandments originating from men” even
though God did give Israel dietary regulations since the Lord Jesus Christ in Mark
7:14-23 taught that there were no longer any dietary regulations for God’s people.
31 Keener, C. S. (1993). The IVP Bible background commentary: New Testament (Tt 1:14). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.
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Thus, the dietary regulations of the Mosaic Law were nothing but the regulations
of men since God no longer commanded adherence to these regulations of the
Mosaic Law. The gospel declares that the one who trusts in Jesus Christ as his or
her Savior has died to the Law (cf. Romans 7:1-6). Thus, these dietary regulations
are not applicable to the Christian.
In Titus 1:14 Paul says that these Judaizers rejected the truth, which refers to
the apostolic teaching of the gospel. In relation to non-Christians, i.e. who have not
yet been justified through faith in Christ, the gospel is the good news and God’s
victorious proclamation of God’s love in delivering the entire human race from sin,
Satan, his cosmic system and eternal condemnation and has reconciled them to
Himself through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. This reconciliation with
God and deliverance and victory over sin, Satan and the cosmic system that God
accomplished through His Son’s crucifixion, burial, death, resurrection and session
is received as a gift and appropriated through faith in Christ (John 3:16-18; Acts
16:31; Romans 5:1-2).
By continuing to teach adherence to the dietary regulations of the Mosaic Law,
they were rejecting the apostolic teaching of the gospel in that they contradicted
the gospel which says that the Christian has died to the Law. Thus the Christian
has died to the dietary regulations of the Law through their identification with
Christ in His death on the cross, which freed them from these regulations.
The apostle Paul does not identify if these men were believers or non-believers
when he describes them here in Titus 1:14 as rejecting the truth. There is nothing
in the context which would indicate their relationship to Jesus Christ. However,
more than likely when Paul says that they rejected the truth, he is referring to both
Christians and non-Christians since the Judaizers were composed of both
Christians and non-Christians. Furthermore, a Christian can reject the truth of the
gospel by adhering to the dietary regulations of the Mosaic Law when the gospel
declares he has died to the Law through his identification with Christ in His death.
The non-Christian rejects the truth of the gospel of course by not exercising faith in
Jesus Christ as their Savior. You cannot be saved by adherence to the Law. Thus
you can not live by adherence to the Law.