PHILETUS. Mentioned in St. Paul’s Epistle to Timothy ( 2 Timothy 2:17 ) as an example of one of those who were doing harm by their false teaching on the subject of the resurrection of the body. For them the resurrection was past. It was a spiritual resurrection from sin to holiness, and there was no future resurrection of the body, no life to come. St. Paul says their teaching will eat away the true doctrine as a canker or gangrene eats away the flesh. Cf. Hymenæus.
Morley Stevenson.