Expert: Quentin Parker - 12/5/2010

Question
What does it mean, 1 Timothy 6 21, 2 Timothy 2 16, Titus 3 9
all seem to be connected on this matter. I'm just confused
exactly what it means, does it mean not to argue with
contradictions, or not to even study and be aware of them?

Answer
Hello Michael,

Thank-you for your question. Here are the verses you mentioned:

O Timothy! Guard what was committed to your trust, avoiding the profane and idle babblings and contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge— by professing it some have strayed concerning the faith. Grace be with you. Amen. (1 Timothy 6:20,21)

But shun profane and idle babblings, for they will increase to more ungodliness. (2 Timothy 2:16)

But avoid foolish disputes, genealogies, contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and useless. (Titus 3:9)

How should we understand these verses? Is it wrong to study genealogies? The Law? Well, we must first take into account what Paul says in 1 Timothy 1 that “we know that the law is good…” Romans 7:12 says: “Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good.” Paul also says in 2 Timothy 3:16,17, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” And also Paul says to Timothy: “And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth, 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.” (2 Timothy 2:24–26)  

So, clearly, the verses you brought up don't instruct us not to study these things, or that discussing and correcting error is sinful. Rather these verses warn against a specific kind of discussion: useless, profane, idle, ‘contentions’ and ‘babblings’.  Paul must mean that we ought to avoid useless discussions, things that aren’t profitable, things that will lead us astray. He doesn’t mean we ought not to study genealogies – the Scripture is full of them; or the law – Ephesians 5:17 says “Do not be foolish but know what the will of the Lord is.” - God’s will is revealed to us through His Word and especially His Law. This also does not mean that you shouldn’t study logic. In fact, this should make us want to study logic all the more so we will not be deceived and fall prey to foolishness and so that we won’t be led into contradictions. Rather these verses instruct us to remain aloof from petty quarrels and contentions and focus on good works and obeying the clear teachings of Scripture.

Spurgeon says it well, “There are hundreds of questions, which are thought by some people to be very important, but which have no practical bearing whatever, either upon the glory of God, or upon the holiness of man. We are not to go into these matters; let those who have time to waste take up these questions; as for us, we have not time enough for things that are unprofitable and vain.”

Of course, you have to remember that the decisions regarding which matters are important and which are unimportant are not made arbitrarily. We must judge these things from the emphasis and teaching of Scripture – what it tells us are important and worth looking into.

Thanks again for your question, Michael. I hope I’ve helped to shed some light on these verses.

God bless!
Quentin Parker