Pick your battles, then fight smart

Keep reminding God’s people of these things. Warn them before God against quarreling about words; it is of no value, and only ruins those who listen. -2 Timothy 2:14 (NIV)

I love the practicality of Paul’s letters to Timothy. Here is the sage, mentoring his young protégé in a cornucopia (good Thanksgiving word, huh?) of wisdom and instruction – spiritual, relational, even some self-care, knowing that as the leader goes, so goes the church. Paul is confident that Timothy will lead the Ephesian church into maturity and holiness, despite dealing with multiple members from multiple demographics with multiple questions and challenges.

Recurring in both letters are warnings regarding false teachers, and instructions on dealing with them. Paul takes up the topic again in the second half of the second chapter of 2nd Timothy. The bottom line seems to be, “Stick to what you know to be true and encourage others to do the same.” I have heard it said that bank tellers learn to recognize counterfeit money by examining and handling so many legitimate bills that they are eventually able to immediately identify any fake. That seems to be the method Paul advocates for discerning truth.

Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. -2 Timothy 2:15 (NIV)

Three times in this section (vss. 14, 16, 23), Paul warns against getting into pointless arguments over things that are not of eternal consequence. He goes so far as to describe such debates as godless, foolish, and stupid. When faced with a situation where confrontation is inevitable, Paul advises a gentle response. We have to remember whose side we are on, what we are fighting for, and who the enemy is.

And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. Opponents must be gently instructed, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will. -2 Timothy 2:24-26 (NIV)

We are not here to win arguments. We are here to point people to Christ. We do this with our words, and perhaps even more so, with our lives, which can either confirm or refute the words we speak. In general, the louder we are, the less convincing we become. This is especially true when we append our philosophies, preferences, and politics to the gospel. Our thoughts in these areas may be valid. Obviously, we believe them to be, else we would not hold to them. We may even feel they are informed by the truth of the gospel. But they cannot be placed on equal footing with the gospel or made a requisite to faith and fellowship.

The truth of the gospel stands alone; it is not part of a package deal. In his writings, even Paul is careful to differentiate between the commandments of God and his own thoughts on best practices. Our witness becomes less pure, less honest, less compassionate, less winsome, and less clear when burdened with extra baggage. We live in a world full of spiritually thirsty people. By the grace of God, we have access to Living Water. Let us not muddy it up before serving it up.

If you need the practice, here’s a reminder – charity begins at home: Igniter Media, "Leave a Legacy"

Nevertheless, God’s solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: “The Lord knows those who are his….” -2 Timothy 2:19a (NIV)