Wrangling Over Words, Rightly Understood

This sermon is from the Rev. Charles G. Dennison sermon archive, part of the “II Timothy” series, and was preached at Grace Orthodox Presbyterian Church in Sewickley, PA, during a worship service on Sunday, March 13, 1988.

Sermon transcript

We are in 2 Timothy, this morning, the second chapter, and we are beginning with the fourteenth verse. Hear the word of God. 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 hearer. Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman, that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. But shun provain and vain babblings, for they will increase unto more ungodliness, and their word will eat as doth a canker, of whom is Imonaeus and Philetus, who concerning the truth have erred, saying that the resurrection is past already. and overthrow the faith of some.

Nevertheless, the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal. The Lord knoweth them that are his, and let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity. But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also wood and of and some to honor and some to dishonor. If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honor, sanctified and suitable for the master’s use and prepared unto every good work.

Flee also youthful lusts, but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart, But foolish and unlearned questions avoid, knowing that they do gender strife. And the servant of the Lord must not strive, but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient in meekness instructing those that oppose themselves, if God for adventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth. and that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil who are taken captive by him at his will. would be our food, our nourishment, who would be fed by you as surely as your people were by the manna in the wilderness.

In this latter day there has come forth the living bread, and truly Jesus Christ would speak to us through the scriptures that our hearts may be sustained. O God, may we hear and live. Amen. Flight 6, 1519. The end of June. The forces have gathered. Karlstadt has come, but also the formidable John Beck. The battle is on. There appears, midway in the debate, a figure from Wittenberg. His name is Luther. Karl Stath is not doing well. Luther takes the floor. Back in Karl Stath have been arguing about grace and free will.

But now the debate shifts. The debate shifts to the authority of councils. And can they care? The debate shifts to the question of the primacy of the seat of Peter. The primacy of the Pope. And Luther reports. there is but one foundation for the Church, the Lord Jesus Christ. And upon that foundation, His Church is built.

Well, there were those there at Life’s And there were those there in that world who suggested that all that was taking place here was a wrangling about words. After the manner of that which Paul is condemning to Timothy in the second letter, he writes to him that second chapter, the 14th verse, a wrangling about words, unproductive, foolish in itself. the chief spokesman.

For those hurling this charge. Was the eminent doctor. From Rotterdam. Here. Wrangling. About. Words. Nineteen thirty three. April 11th, Trenton, New Jersey. The air is supercharged as a large body of people crammed their way into a Presbyterian church in that city. The white haired, handsome, athletic Robert E. Speer Mission’s secretary to the Presbyterian Church USA is there and everyone loves him. But there is another. A professor of New Testament from Westminster Seminary in Philadelphia by the name of J. Gresson Machen. The battle is on.

The issue is the character of the gospel, what is essential, what is not. The question is, will the missionaries of the Presbyterian Church USA preach that gospel, or will they not preach that gospel? and many with him judge that nation’s assault is merely a wrangling about words. 1988. A seminary student sits in a class He looks out a window over a campus and surveys more than the campus for his eye, as it were, is perceiving the character of an administration and faculty. The spirit of that institution is that All of these questions that you raise, sir, are merely wrangling over words, arguments about semantics. Therefore, your insistence that we hold the line with what you consider to be the gospel is out of place, and you are out of order, sir. So it is that the pastoralists of which second Timothy is one. And especially this passage which we have read this morning. Have been used or should I say of you. I say abused because. The treatment of texts that we have before us this morning from some has become the justification for setting aside the gospel in all of its implications, in all of its power.

In the hands of many, this text becomes a touchstone A touchstone for that doctrine that contends that all debate is wrong. Every controversy is an evil. Each and every argument over doctrine is an affront to the benign deity that they serve. Of course, while Many are at work silencing their opposition, diffusing debate and arguments with texts like this. At the same time, making those who wish to debate the issues, wish to press the case, look especially impious. These same are solidifying their own position beyond the gates of any debate. They claim they serve a higher ideal. The ideal found in a world where no debate takes place.

Such is the claim. Now we all acknowledge how wrong and sinful it is to be contentious and combative and argumentative for the sake of being contentious and combative and argumentative. After all, it is not a Christian virtue to be obnoxious. I do remember in my own case how obnoxious I have become. on certain occasions.

There were those bloody battles with my brothers. And even though they turned and walked away, I went after them. They couldn’t even hide in the bathroom. I was knocking on the door and screaming through it. A little more seriously were the incidences with my parents. When I proved to be especially obnoxious.

And. You know how things go at school. Instances there as well. Not only to. Fellow students. And I many times become obnoxious but. I dare say there were times when my professors wished I weren’t there. In all honesty, I can say that I have argued just for the sake of arguing.

It is possible, therefore, even in the church to become an ecclesiastical theological, doctrinal nuisance. And the Church rightly deals with such instances as that. But you see, that is precisely what this passage is not dealing with. It is not dealing with a theological and doctrinal gag rule. Implemented for the sake of silencing all opposition, a rule that implies that the worst thing in the church is the contention aggressively for the truth of the gospel.

The gospel is precisely what is at the forefront here. For Paul has been reminding Timothy, his son in the faith, and pastor now at the church at Ephesus, to be strong in that gospel, specifically in that gospel, and to entrust that gospel as a deposit with others, with faithful men, who themselves then will teach those beyond themselves. There you have wanted to. Timothy, be strong in that gift that grace that has been given to you by Christ, be strong in that gospel. Remember those things that I told you when you were ordained. Keep them in mind and entrust those things to others at the heart. of these words of Paul is that gospel, and he goes on and he explains the costliness of a stand for that gospel.

By reminding Timothy of the hardship and the suffering which he has endured for the sake of Jesus Christ, he is presently in prison in Rome. He is presently in chains, and he is being treated, according to verse nine, as a criminal. He reminds Timothy of the reason why he suffers and endures this agony, for that very gospel which he is commending to Timothy is a gospel that promises reward. Now, it’s not as some may think, it is not the reward of a better life here.

It is the reward of God’s grace in the resurrection from the dead. The reward is brought into view, then, specifically with regard to that resurrection, and it is that resurrection now that Paul is pressing upon Timothy. That resurrection is at the heart of the gospel.

Lose the resurrection, you have nothing. Now, I ask you, are you going to contend for it or are you not? Are you going to contend for it when someone says to you, it doesn’t matter whether that body came out of the grave on the third day? Are you going to contend for it when someone says to you, all that matters is that you have resurrection hope or resurrection faith or you think resurrectionally? how we can use our adverbs. But you see what Paul’s argument presses.

You lose that resurrection for Christ, and you lose it for yourself. For if Christ be not raised, then neither will you be. and if Christ is not raised and you are not raised then what in the world am I talking about? and why am I suffering here in chains at Rome? well Insisting upon that resurrection is no mere wrangling about. That should be obvious.

When Paul gets down them to these latter verses in the second chapter, he is telling Timothy to remind those he teaches about this gospel. It is precisely that gospel that Paul expects Timothy and these others to prosecute in the church and to prosecute aggressively.

The wranglers about words are those who stand on the other side. The wranglers about words are those who are endeavoring to avoid the implications of that gospel that Paul preaches and now Timothy preaches. They’re the ones that are involved in what Paul calls worldly and empty chatter. Verse sixteen. Their talk spreads, he says, like gangrene. He names a couple of fellows here who are responsible.

They are involved in derangling about words, but Wrangling about words does not then short-circuit Paul’s program of aggressive pursuit and application of the gospel. If you were to take this portion of Paul’s letter in the way that some suggest, you would have Paul contradicting himself. For what they do is that they take that fourteen verse and they say that when Paul speaks about the wrangling over words, he is here directing his sword against all those who are involved in debate and aggressive pursuit within the church concerning the truth. That certainly does not fit the situation at all because Paul himself is debating the issue. He is himself contended, and when you go on to that famous classic first verse fifteen be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, handling a right or rightly dividing the word of truth. All you’re setting out the program for the appropriate prosecution of the truth within the church. Paul is no wrangler over words, but those who oppose him are. And that they, through their words, seek to countermand the gospel that he has presented. And he here is enjoining Timothy that he not become involved in the same kind of nonsense. Stand your ground. Stand your ground.

You can chart the demise of the church by the intrusion of that certain interpretation of this passage into a church. When contention for the truth is put off by statements that seem so pious Oh, that’s merely a matter of semantics. That is only wrangling over words. 1987. Grand Rapids, Michigan.

You’re sitting in the General Assembly of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church. Ah, not a better place to be, right? the church is now taking out full page ads in national magazines soliciting money from people who have nothing to do with this church they are turning the church into a corporation a business enterprise and placing the church on an economic basis entering the marketplace competitively, seeking dollars. A number of outraged men rise to their feet and they speak from the depths of their souls. What are they told? They’re wrangling over words that are unimportant. You are getting excited about nothing.

Well, you may judge and judge rightly that it’s a far distance from church as business to a denial of the resurrection, and I would agree with you. But please don’t be deceived. It is a serious matter when the Church of Jesus Christ is being transformed into a corporation, a business, the purpose of which is to show a profit at the year’s end and to make a good showing with all the statistics that you can parade in front of the constituency. Did you pay a dividend this year? Well, I will continue to contend for the gospel against that, as well as against all who would contradict and deny the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Don’t be put off by those who know you have heard you. Don’t be put off by those in your family, those who are acquainted with you, because you tell them that the gospel is true and it makes a difference what you believe.

It makes a difference whether Christ died for sinners or he didn’t. It makes a difference whether Christ rose again on the third day or he didn’t. It makes a difference whether he’s going to come again. Or he isn’t. It makes all the difference in the world. It makes all the difference in your life. Yes, indeed.

So don’t be afraid of being charged with wrangling about words when it comes to the truth. O Lord, we pray that we would understand your word of right, that we would not be put off by those who would contend that our contention for the truth is improper. But may we be aggressive and determined in speaking the truth. While we speak, remind us of Christ. May we speak from hearts that are filled with love. For it is not just a matter of prosecuting a case in which we are right. It is a matter of demonstrating Jesus Christ before the world. The one who loved the world in such a way that he came into it in order to give his life for those who would trust in him. Hear us, Lord, as we pray and encourage us in our

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