2 Timothy 2:14-19
New Catholic Bible
14 A True Servant of the Lord.[a] Remind people of these things, and warn them before God[b] that they must stop arguing over words. This does no good and only causes harm to those who are listening. 15 Make every effort to present yourself before God as one who is worthy of his approval, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, but who imparts the word of truth without any alteration.
16 Avoid idle and worldly chatter, for those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly, 17 and their teaching will spread like a plague. Included among these are Hymenaeus[c] and Philetus, 18 who have gone astray from the truth. They claim that the resurrection has already taken place, and they damage the faith of some. 19 However, the foundation that God has sealed[d] remains firm, and it bears this inscription: “The Lord knows those who are his own,” and “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness.”
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- 2 Timothy 2:14 In the portrait of a true missionary, a certain number of virtues must be present: honesty, respect for and acceptance of everyone, courage in persecution, truthfulness without alteration, and rejection of faddish witticisms. The author once more condemns the errors being propagated in the region of Ephesus; they have the look not of a new religion but of a feverish and babbling emotionalism. The Greek mind had difficulty in accepting the resurrection of the body (see Acts 17:32; 1 Cor 15:22), and some avoid the problem by saying that the resurrection has already taken place at Baptism but that it is solely a case of a spiritual resurrection.
They forget above all that the faith is founded on the word of God, which provides the initiative and that believers have merely to respond. It is the quality of their faith that classifies believers in the Church, not the abundance of their opinions. Yet leaders must be very kind and not condemn any of the members of the community. - 2 Timothy 2:14 Before God: many manuscripts read: “before the Lord.”
- 2 Timothy 2:17 Hymenaeus: see 1 Tim 1:20. His punishment has not helped him.
- 2 Timothy 2:19 Foundation . . . sealed: the foundations of buildings in antiquity were sealed and adorned with inscriptions. As inscriptions Paul uses Scripture texts that complement one another: Num 16:5 (God cares for those he loves) and Num 16:26; Isa 26:13; 52:11 (these must lead upright lives).
