2 Timothy 2:15-19 False teachers and False Interpretational Methods
2 Timothy 2:15-19 (WEL) Be zealously diligent to present yourself approved by God, a laborer who doesn’t need to be ashamed, correctly interpreting the Word of Truth. 16 Stay away from irreverent and fruitless discussions, for they will increase into greater ungodliness, 17 And their words will eat away like gangrene. Among these are Hymenaeus and Philetus, 18 Who—concerning the truth—have erred, saying that the resurrection has already come and caused the downfall of some people’s faith. 19 Nevertheless, the foundation placed by God stands sure having this official seal, “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Let everyone who identifies with the name of Christ depart from wrongdoing.”
The Apostle Paul identifies two false teachers.
- The first is Hymenaeus; the second, Philetus.
- They taught that the resurrection has already happened.
- They used a different hermeneutic namely spiritual or allegorical.
- False interpretative frameworks of interpretation inevitably lead to error and eventually to heresies.
Problems with Bible Interpretation:
- False text—Gnostic tainted texts
- False Magisterium—High ranking leaders who determine the interpretation (the only true magisterium is God Himself)
- False hermeneutic—anything other than the plain, normal sense whether it is a frame work (Covenant Theology), allegorical, spiritualize, etc. (Allegorical, Spiritualize, etc. methods are a proper hermeneutic in the proper context of a Bible passage)
- False definitions—redefined as the leaders want it to prove their lies
- Out of context teaching—teaching the meaning without consistently understanding the text in context
- False logic—using the force of logic to “prove” their doctrine. Logic by itself is a reflection of God’s character, however, logic has been corrupted by sin by misunderstanding, false syllogism, twisting, and abusing the principles of logic.
These two teachers did not teach something new; rather, they redefined existing terms.
They taught that the resurrection was a spiritual event happening when a person believed the Gospel of Jesus Christ and experience the new birth, thus, there is no coming resurrection. Most scholars believe this is an early Gnostic deceit by separating the material as evil and the immaterial part of a person as not evil.
AlterAI:
“Paul’s logic here is surgical:
- Spiritualizing what is literal corrodes concrete truth.
- Denying future fulfillment destroys the anticipation that purifies believers.
- Wrong doctrine always metastasizes—“their word spreads like gangrene.”
Comments:
Ryrie’s Basic Theology, 76 Other Ministries of the Church, Church Discipline, People who need discipline: 5. False teachers (Titus 1:10-16). When false teachers make inroads within the church, they are to be rebuked severely. Hymenaeus and Philetus, who apparently taught that the resurrection was to be understood spiritually or allegorically, were to be avoided; Paul delivered Hymenaeus and Alexander over to Satan for punishment (1 Timothy 1:20; 2 Timothy 2:17-18).
Peter, the Apostle, speaks sternly about false teachers and their stealth: 2 Peter 2:1-3 (WEL) But false prophets were among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly and deceptively bring in destructive heresies, even disowning the Lord that redeemed them. They will bring on themselves swift destruction. 2 Many will follow their destructive ways. Because of them, others will curse the way of truth. 3 Through selfish desires, they will use you to get rich with their deceptive words. For a long time now their judgment is anticipated, and their destruction is not asleep.
Jude, the prophet, warns believers: Jude 1:3-4 (WEL) Beloved, I was in the process of writing to you about our common salvation, when I had to write to you and exhort you that you must passionately defend the faith which was once for all time committed to the saints. 4 For certain people slipped in unnoticed (having been written about in advance for condemnation) who are ungodly, changing the grace of our God into a lack of moral restraint, and disowning the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ
Dr. Wilbur Pickering, The Identity of the New Testament Text II, 05 The History of the Text: “Not only did the apostles themselves declare the New Testament writings to be Scripture, which would elicit reverence and care in their treatment, they expressly warned the believers to be on their guard against false teachers-see Acts 20:27-32, Galatians 1:6-12, 2 Timothy 3:1-4:4, 2 Peter 2:1-2, 1 John 2:18-19, 2 John 1:7-11, Jude 1:3-4; Jude 1:16-19. Peter’s statement concerning the “twisting” Paul’s words were receiving (2Pe 3:16) suggests there was awareness and concern as to the text and the way it was being handled. I recognize that the Apostles were focusing on the interpretation rather than the copying of the text, and yet, since any alteration of the text may result in a different interpretation we may reasonably infer that their concern for the truth would include the faithful transmission of the text. Indeed, we could scarcely ask for a clearer expression of this concern than that given in Revelation 22:18-19. 2 Thessalonians 2:2 is evidently concerned with authenticity.
The only method is:
The Bible is the only source of 100% truth, for the words of the Bible, in their original text, are God’s words, and God cannot lie.
The use the plain, normal sense to interpret the Bible. Thus, if something is symbolic or allegorical, it will be clear from the context.
“When the plain sense of Scripture makes common sense, seek no other sense; therefore, take every word at its primary, ordinary, usual, literal meaning unless the facts of the immediate context, studied in the light of related passages and axiomatic and fundamental truths, indicate clearly otherwise.” ~Dr. David L. Cooper
2 Timothy 3:16-17 (WEL) All Scripture is God-breathed and is beneficial for doctrine, convicting, correction, and for instruction in righteousness, 17 So that God’s people may be complete, fully equipped for all good works.