2Timothy 2 20 But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay, some for honor and some for dishonor. 21 Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work.
22 Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. 23 But avoid foolish and ignorant disputes, knowing that they generate strife.
24 And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, 25 in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth, 26 and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will. NKJV
2Timothy 2 20 But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay, some for honor and some for dishonor. NKJV
ChristiaNet.com, a large Christian portal with eight million monthly page loads, recently asked, Are false teachers infiltrating the church today? ChristiaNet President, Bill Cooper, stated, "An overwhelming number of Christians assert that false teachers have made significant inroads in the church with unbiblical doctrine."
Out of nearly 1,300 Christians surveyed, 88% believe that the church is being swayed by those who promote a worldly belief system contrary to sound Biblical teaching. One poll taker responded, "Most of them don't even realize they are false and think they are doing God s work, pushing the peace and prosperity message instead of repentance and walking in the Spirit."
Another respondent felt that a possible cause for the prevalence of false teachers is a lack of true faith. "Christians do not take their faith seriously. Their Biblical foundation of the Christian faith is quite shallow, weak, generalized, and not grounded in the study of Scriptures.
They continued, Infiltrators are familiar with believer s weaknesses, and can easily promote a distorted theology, such as a materialistic and secular hope, or use emotion to elicit a faith response." Copyright 1996-2015 ChristiaNet. All Rights Reserved.
Matthew 7 21 Not everyone who says to Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 Many will say to Me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?
23 And then I will declare to them, I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness! NKJV
1Corinthians 3 And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ. 2 I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able; 3 for you are still carnal.
For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men? NKJV
2Timothy 2 21 Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work. NKJV
Proverbs 13 20 He who walks with wise men will be wise, But the companion of fools will be destroyed. NKJV
1Corihians 5 9 I wrote to you in my epistle not to keep company with sexually immoral people. 10 Yet I certainly did not mean with the sexually immoral people of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world.
11 But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner not even to eat with such a person. NKJV
2Timothy 2 21 Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work. NKJV
Matthew 25 14 For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them. 15 And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey.
16 Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents. 17 And likewise he who had received two gained two more also. 18 But he who had received one went and dug in the ground, and hid his lord s money. 19 After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them.
20 So he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them. 21 His lord said to him, Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.
22 He also who had received two talents came and said, Lord, you delivered to me two talents; look, I have gained two more talents besides them. 23 His lord said to him, Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.
24 Then he who had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed. 25 And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours.
26 But his lord answered and said to him, You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed. 27 So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest.
28 So take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents. 29 For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away. 30 And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. NKJV
2Timothy 2 22 Flee (pheugo ) also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. NKJV
Luke 11 24 When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he says, I will return to my house from which I came. 25 And when he comes, he finds it swept and put in order.
26 Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first. NKJV
2Timothy 2 22 Flee (pheugo ) also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love (agape), peace(eirenen) with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. NKJV
Romans 12 18 If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. NKJV
2Timothy 2 23 But avoid foolish and ignorant disputes, knowing that they generate strife. NKJV
Hebrews 4 12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. NKJV
Hebrews 5 12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food.
13 For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. 14 But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. NKJV
Matthew 24 24 For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. 25 See, I have told you beforehand. NKJV
James 1 22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; 24 for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was.
25 But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does. NKJV
2Timothy 2 24 And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, NKJV
In this Timothy passage, Paul makes clear that he is not speaking about responsible discussion of Scripture and theology, either with the unsaved or among believers. He rather forbids speculations, fruitless and unproductive debates that... produce quarrels. Such speculations not only are worthless but are ungodly.
They question Scripture, distort the truth, create doubt, weaken faith, undermine confidence in the Lord, often lead to compromise of convictions, and produce quarrels. John MacArthur, MacArthur New Testament Commentary p. 97
2Timothy 2 25 in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth, 26 and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will. NKJV
Keep On Being Strong In The Grace (2:1) Continue in the foundational truths of the faith and pass them on to others (2:1 2). Endure Hardship like a good soldier, athlete and farmer (2:3) Do not get sidetracked over minor issues (2:3 7). Remember the resurrection of Christ; it is central to our faith (2:8). Rightly divide the Word of truth (2:15)
Shun profane and idle babblings (2:16) Depart from iniquity (2:19) Stay away from quarrels; they divide the church and ruin its witness (2:14 19). Be Prepared For Every good work (2:21). Flee and pursue (2:22) Have a Discerning mind (2:23) When opposed, keep teaching with gentle love and truth and keep on praying. (2:22 26).