Jump Start # 1685

2 Timothy 2:23 “But refuse foolish and ignorant speculations, knowing that they produce quarrels.”

  I’ve been teaching a Sunday class entitled, “Answering Difficult Questions.” Each class begins by discussing some practical and helpful things about teaching the Bible and answering questions. Recently, in teaching these things, I came across our verse. What I found interesting and contrary to how I would expect things, is the number of times the young preachers are told to “avoid.”

Notice these:

• 1 Tim 6:20 “…avoiding worldly and empty chatter and the opposing arguments of what is falsely called, ‘knowledge.’
• 2 Tim 2:16 “But avoid worldly and empty chatter, for it will lead to further ungodliness.”
• 2 Tim 2:23 “But refuse foolish and ignorant speculations, knowing that they produce quarrels”
• Titus 3:9 “But avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and strife and disputes about the Law, for they are unprofitable and worthless.”

I would have thought that Paul would tell these young preachers to go into every battle and fight for the Lord. Don’t leave your post. Don’t give up ground. Don’t back down. Charge in there with guns blazing. Rather, what we find, four different times, is to “AVOID.” Don’t participate. Don’t get involved. Don’t play that day. You are sitting these out.

I wonder why we don’t discuss this much, other than when we come to these verses in a Bible study. I don’t remember any young preacher asking, “When do I walk away?” I wonder how much time we have wasted time, engaging in discussions that should have been avoided? I wonder if more harm has been done than good because of these things?

Paul is very blunt about the outcome of such engagements. They lead to “further ungodliness.” They “produce quarrels.” They are “unprofitable and worthless.” And yet, here we are, going full steam ahead when we ought to be turning the ship and avoiding such things.

Some questions are not honest. Some discussions are tilted on purpose to make someone look bad. Some have their mind made up even before  the discussion begins. Some want to fuss about things that no one knows the answer to and more so, things that really do not matter. It makes a person wonder how many Bible classes have chased the rabbits of ideas here and there, while rarely teaching the Bible. This idea. That speculation. We wonder about this. We wonder about that. Could this be? Could that be? The land of speculation takes a person to magical and wonderful places, but nearly all of them, are not Bible based. We can build our hopes upon things that are not there, just ideas we have wondered about. We can have a faith that is not Bible based, but rather, speculation based. People wonder, “Don’t you think God could…” Who knows. Don’t go there. What we know about God is revealed in Scripture. Don’t park your car at a place where you begin to say, “I think God likes this.” How do you know? It may be what you like. Just because you like something doesn’t mean that God does. I like chocolate, the Dodgers, and keeping jars filled of M &M’s. Can I conclude therefore that the Dodgers are God’s team? Where would I get such a wild idea? Certainly not from the Bible. Does God like chocolate? He is a living Spirit. He doesn’t eat. To speculate that chocolate is God’s favorite desert is ridiculous, unBiblical and saying things that you have no clue about. On and on we can go. “God likes preachers that wear ties.” Really? I doubt that Timothy and Titus wore ties. What about Happy socks? Don’t go there. You can’t say. We can build a whole belief system about God that is nothing more than our personal wish list of likes and dislikes.

Avoid. Avoid. Avoid. Don’t go there. Ours is to teach the pure word of God to honest and good hearts. There will be some discussions that we walk away from. That’s hard. There will be some subjects that should not be pursued. There will be some comments in a Bible class that needs to be kindly shut down.

It seems that some folks would rather avoid what the Bible actually teaches so they could chase these wild ideas that they have. Is it any wonder that some don’t seem to have any foundation. They are chasing rabbits throughout their lives. They need to be anchored upon the word of God. Stand where God stands. A common expression in the O.T. is, “Thus saith the Lord.” Here is what God said. No guessing there. No, “I think God might like this?”

Avoiding is hard for us preachers. It’s just in our DNA to teach everyone that has breath in their body. We want to answer every question. We want to study, show and help everyone. That’s the way we are wired. But, even for us, we must learn to use the brakes and avoid certain conversations. Don’t open the door to discussions that end up being worthless.

Let’s talk about what the Bible does say. Let’s look at the pages of the Bible. Now, there is something worthwhile. There is something good. This is something that will help others.

Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. No guesswork. No speculating. Clear. Absolute. Certain.

Solomon tells us in Ecclesiastes, that there is a time to speak and a time to be silent. Avoiding is one of those silent times.

Roger