Avoid Word Bombs! 2 Timothy 1-2

2 Timothy 2:14 (ESV)

Remind them of these things, and charge them before God not to quarrel about words, which does no good, but only ruins the hearers.

In the above passage we are reading a verse that is written to young Pastor Timothy about what he is to do with those in his congregation; the elect.   He is supposed to remind them to NOT QUARREL.   The Greek word in the above verse of “not to quarrel about words” is a word that means “war of words.”  The reason for this Paul states is that it “ruins” the hearers.  The word “ruin” is translated from a Greek word that means to “subvert” or to “undermine” someone’s thinking.   

Paul’s point in writing this verse is to warn this pastor that in the leadership of his church he will have plenty of opportunity to overhear and even engage himself in “wars of words.”   Paul has already, in chapter one, told Timothy that he had two of their companions leave his ministry.   He is about to warn him in chapter three of how those around Timothy will become lovers of this age and reject the truth and gives another two names of men who subverted the truth in Moses’ day.    Paul wants Timothy to be on his guard.  He does not want him to fall into this trap of word battles.   It does nothing to build up the body but rather simply destroys those who listen to it.   Today we have similar wars of words happening in our society and it has infiltrated the church.   We are to guard ourselves and especially our churches from falling into this same trap.   The imperative in the above verse is simple: Don’t do that!    Paul will go on to write to Timothy more of the “how to avoid” those word battles, but the take-a-way for Timothy (and us) is that we are to avoid discussions that attempt to use words as bullets and arguments as missiles.   We are to use our words to build and to encourage others.   We are not to subvert others with our eloquently placed land mines.