2 Timothy 2:17

Contextual Overview

¹⁴ Keep reminding people of this, and charge them solemnly before the Lord not to engage in word-battles. They accomplish nothing useful and are a catastrophe for the hearers! ¹⁴ Of these things put in remembrance, testifying earnestly before the Lord not to have disputes of words, profitable for nothing, to the subversion of the hearers. ¹⁴ Remind them of these things, charging them in the sight of the Lord, that they don't argue about words, to no profit, to the subverting of those who hear. ¹⁴ Remind others about these things, and warn them in the sight of Godof the Lord">[fn] not to argue over words. ArguingIt">[fn] does not do any good but only destroys those who are listening.1 Timothy 1:4; 5:21; 2 Timothy 4:1; Titus 3:9,11;">[xr] ¹⁴ Of these (truths) remind them, and testify before our Lord, that they contend not with unprofitable words, to the overturning of those who hear them. ¹⁴ 14 Of these things admonish thou them . and charge [fn] before our Lord, that they dispute not, with unprofitable words, to the subversion of those who hear them. ¹⁴ Of these things put them in remembrance, charging them in the sight of the Lord, that they strive not about words, to no profit, to the subverting of them that hear. ¹⁴ Put these things before them, giving them orders in the name of the Lord to keep themselves from fighting about words, which is of no profit, only causing error in their hearers. ¹⁴ Remind them of these things, and charge them before God not to quarrel about words, which does no good, but only ruins the hearers. ¹⁴ Of these things put them in remembrance, and protest before the Lord, that they striue not about wordes, which is to no profit, but to the peruerting of the hearers.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

their word: Nahum 3:15, James 5:3

canker: or, gangrene

Hymenaeus: 1 Timothy 1:20

Reciprocal: Leviticus 13:3 - deeper Leviticus 13:7 - General Leviticus 13:35 - General Leviticus 14:36 - be not made Deuteronomy 20:18 - General Proverbs 10:16 - the fruit Jeremiah 23:27 - think Jeremiah 27:15 - that I Matthew 16:6 - the leaven Mark 4:17 - have Luke 20:27 - the Sadducees Acts 17:21 - spent Acts 20:30 - of your Romans 6:19 - unto iniquity 1 Corinthians 5:6 - a little 2 Corinthians 11:13 - false Galatians 5:9 - General Ephesians 4:14 - tossed Colossians 2:8 - philosophy 2 Thessalonians 2:7 - doth 2 Timothy 3:13 - evil Hebrews 12:15 - and thereby

Cross-References

Genesis 2:1
And the heavens and the earth and all their host were finished.

Genesis 2:1
So the earth, the sky, and everything in them were finished.

Genesis 2:1
The heavens and the eretz were finished, and all the host of them.

Genesis 2:1
And the heaven and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.

Genesis 2:1
And the heaven and the earth and all things in them were complete.

Genesis 2:1
The heauens also & the earth were finisshed, & all the hoast of them.

Genesis 2:1
Thus the heauens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.

Genesis 2:1
THUS the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.

Genesis 2:1
And so the whole universe was completed.

Genesis 2:1
And the heavens and the earth were finished, and the whole world of them.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And their word will eat as doth a cancer,.... Or "gangrene", which gnaws and feeds upon the flesh, inflames and mortifies as it goes, and spreads swiftly, and endangers the whole body; and is therefore to be speedily taken notice of, and stopped. It is better rendered "gangrene", as in the marginal reading, than "cancer".

"The word "gangrene" is Greek g, and is derived by some authors from the Paphlagonian "gangra", a goat; it being the character of a goat to browse the grass all around without shifting. It is more correct, perhaps, to derive it from the Greek word γραω, γραινω, "manduco", "consumo", I eat, I consume. The "gangrene" is a disease in the flesh of the part which it corrupts, consumes, and turns black, spreading and seizing itself of the adjoining parts, and is rarely cured without amputation. By the microscope, a gangrene has been discovered to contain an infinite number of little worms engendered in the morbid flesh; and which continually producing new broods, they swarm, and overrun the adjacent parts: if the gangrene proceed to an utter sphacelation (or mortification), and be seated in any of the limbs, or extreme parts, recourse must be had to the operation of amputation''

And so the errors and heresies of false teachers worm and spread, and feed upon the souls of men, and eat up the vitals of religion, or what seemed to be such, and even destroy the very form of godliness; and bring destruction and death, wherever they come; and when they get into Christian churches, threaten the ruin of them; and therefore are to be opposed in time, and those infected with them to be cut off.

Of whom is Hymenaeus and Philetus; these were some of the principal among the false teachers, the chief authors and spreaders of error and heresy: the former of these is mentioned before in 1 Timothy 1:20 along with Alexander, as guilty of blasphemy, and as delivered up to Satan for it. Philetus is a Greek name as well as the other, though it is sometimes found in Roman inscriptions h: it is very likely that these were both in Asia, and probably in Ephesus, or near to it, since the apostle mentions them by name to Timothy, that he might beware of them.

g See Chambers's Cyclopedia in the word "Gangrene". h Vid. Kirchman. de Funer. Roman. l. 3. c. 10. p. 390.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

And their word - The word, or the discourses of those who love vain and idle disputations.

Will eat as doth a canker - Margin, “gangrene.” This word - γάγγραινα gangraina - occurs nowhere else in the New Testament. It is derived from γραιω graiō, γραινω grainō, to devour, corrode,” and means “gangrene” or “mortification” - the death of a part, spreading, unless arrested, by degrees over the whole body. The words rendered “will eat,” mean “will have nutriment;” that is, will spread over and consume the healthful parts. It will not merely destroy the parts immediately affected, but will extend into the surrounding healthy parts and destroy them also. So it is with erroneous doctrines. They will not merely eat out the truth in the particular matter to which they refer, but they will also spread over and corrupt other truths. The doctrines of religion are closely connected, and are dependent on each other - like the different parts of the human body. One cannot be corrupted without affecting those adjacent to it, and unless checked, the corruption will soon spread over the whole.

Of whom is Hymenaeus and Philetus - In regard to Hymenaeus, see the notes at 1 Timothy 1:20. Of Philetus nothing more is known. They have gained an undesirable immortality, destined to be known to the end of time only as the advocates of error.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 17. Their word will eat as doth a canker — ως γαγγραινα. As a gangrene; i.e. as a mortification in the flesh, where the circulation is entirely stopped, and putrefaction takes place, which continues to corrupt all the circumjacent flesh, spreading more and more till death takes place, unless stopped by a timely and judicious application of medicine. Such is the influence of false doctrine; it fixes its mortal seed in the soul, which continues to corrupt and assimilate every thing to itself, till, if not prevented by a timely application of the word of life, under the direction of the heavenly Physician, it terminates in the bitter pains of an eternal death. To such a gangrene the apostle compares the corrupt doctrines of Hymeneus and Philetus.