As iron sharpens iron,
one person sharpens another. (Proverbs 27:17)
“When someone senses we have goodwill and respect for them, it enables them to lower their defenses and hear what we’re saying. Sincere kindness can therefore help us make progress in a disagreement.” - TGC
“How accurately has the book of Isaiah been copied over the centuries? Gavin Ortlund responds to Alex O’Connor, arguing that the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls was a remarkable confirmation of the prior Masoretic Text.” - Gavin Ortlund
“Gavin Ortlund and Joe Schmid discuss the ontological argument. Originally hosted at Unbelievable.” -YouTube
Mark Ward debates Dan Haifley on the topic of KJV readabilitiy. - YouTube
“cessationists and these kinds of (alleged) continuationists do not distinguish clearly enough between the subjective (inward) work of the Spirit and the revelatory and prophetic work of the Spirit.” - Churches Without Chests
“The debate [with Daniel Haifley of the King James Bible Research Council] will take place Monday evening, October 21, at Dayspring Bible College in Mundelein, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago.” - YouTube
“President Joe Biden opened the debate with a raspy voice and disjointed, rambling answers, reigniting Democratic concerns about his age and ability to take on former President Donald Trump.” - Politico
Related:
“A very interesting debate. Ayaan Hirsi Ali is a fascinating person, newly professing faith in Christ, after formerly advocating atheism, along with Richard Dawkins. In this debate, she takes on Dawkins and shows the moral emptiness of Dawkins’ position.” - Don Johnson
“Dinesh never really got off of the big picture into the details, so there’s a lot of vagueness….” - Gavin Ortlund
Of these things put them in remembrance, charging them before the Lord that they strive not about words to no profit, but to the subverting of the hearers. (KJV, 2 Timothy 2:14)
I’ve often heard this text used to discourage detailed debate about the meaning of Scripture passages, or even to devalue highly precise Bible study. Is this what Paul’s warning to Timothy here is about?
First, observe that whatever “striving about words” is, Paul clearly saw it as something that threatened Timothy’s ministry. Timothy is to “charge them before the Lord” not to do this. Second, the activity is doubly discouraged as lacking in value (“no profit”) and also as causing damage of some kind to hearers (“subverting”). Third, the activity apparently involved individuals in at least two roles: the “strivers” and the “hearers.”
So what activity is being forbidden here? What is meant by “strive not about words”?
Discussion