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Quarreling About Words

             Keep reminding God’s people of these things. Warn them before God against quarreling about words; it is of no value, and only ruins those who listen. Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. Avoid godless chatter, because those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly. Their teaching will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, who have departed from the truth. They say that the resurrection has already taken place, and they destroy the faith of some. Nevertheless, God’s solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness.” (II Timothy 2:14-19)

                The first step in any discussion is the definition of terms.  Karen Keil

                Yes, I’m quoting myself because today’s Bible passage has long been a problem for me. I’m a word wrangler. I argue about words. Words have meanings and those meanings are important. I wish Paul had provided some examples of what he was talking about. The closest he comes is the mention of some who were claiming that the resurrection had already taken place, though I’m not sure how that’s quarreling about words.

Isaiah 26:19, Daniel 12:2, Job 19:25-26, and Ezekiel 37 all at least hint at the idea of resurrection. The Pharisees believed in it. The Sadducees didn’t. Paul wrote I Thessalonians (which included the statement that the dead in Christ will rise first) well before he wrote II Timothy. I imagine that those teaching that the resurrection had already taken place were convincing people that there was either some secret way they could provide to fix the situation, or that all hope was lost, so the people may as well live like madmen. Paul doesn’t tell us, but either way, it wasn’t good.  Today’s equivalent may be the claim that the rapture is going to happen on (pick a date.) It’s somewhat like the claim that if we get busy and evangelize the whole world, we’ll hasten Christ’s return.

There are always matters of speculation about which we would do well to follow the adage that where Scripture remains silent, so should we. 

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