THURSDAY June 12, 2025

Striving Over Words

Remind them of these things, charging them before the Lord not to strive about words to no profit, to the ruin of the hearers.
2 Timothy 2:14

Timothy was instructed by Paul to remind believers of everything he had taught him thus far, with a further charge. Timothy was to charge believers with not getting into arguments. Words that cause strife over God’s Word are of no profit to anyone. It can cause ruin to those listening. The word ruin means “metaphorically of extinction of a spirit of consecration to Christ.” Striving over words can cause irreparable damage; it can ruin people’s faith in Christ.

Quarrels, striving and arguing play on people’s minds. They go home thinking about everything that was said. The mind is very strong. We need to guard our minds. I find what Peter had to say was very helpful. He mentioned Paul’s epistles, saying those who twist God’s Word do so to their own destruction:

Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless; and consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation—as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you, as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures (2 Peter 3:14-16).

People take Scriptures that they do not grasp, take them out of context, and twist them to make up false doctrines. They do so at their own ruin.

Something I have always learned holds true. Obey what you do understand, be assured of it, and, as you grow in Christ, your understanding of God’s Word will increase. Do not worry about what you do not understand. Seriously, there are things in the Bible I do not fully understand, but when you and I get to heaven, we shall understand all things.

The Bible was not given to increase our knowledge but to change our lives.
~D.L. Moody~

For more from Raul Ries, please visit SomebodyLovesYou.com!