William Burkitt Notes and Observations - 2 Timothy 2:24 - 2:24

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William Burkitt Notes and Observations - 2 Timothy 2:24 - 2:24


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By the servant of the Lord, we are here to understand all the bishops and governors, the pastors and teachers, of the church; by not striving, that they are not to irritate and provoke such as dissent and differ from them; not to strive indecently with the tongue, but by soft and gentle words, by close and hard arguments, endeavour to convince their judgment; for no man that is in an error thinks that he is so; therefore if we go about by violence to rend men's opinions from them, they will but hold them so much the faster; but if we have but so much patience and charity as to unrip their errors by degrees, they will at last fall into pieces of themselves. The servant of the Lord must \not strive, but be gentle to all, and patient; it follows farther, in meekness instructing, --if God, peradventure, &c.

Where note, 1. The duty directed to; and that is, without bitterness and passion, but with great lenity and meekness, to instruct the erroneous, even when the oppose the truth; such especially as do it out of ignorance, and for want of better information, are particularly to be pitied, and patiently borne with, together with those who labour under the prejudices and prepossessions of a contrary education; in meekness instructing those that oppose.

Note, 2. The benefit hoped for, and the advantage expected, by such meek and gentle methods of instruction as are here directed to;

1. That Almighty God may peradventure give them repentance, blessing such prudential and pious means for their conversion from error and seduction; and

2. That they may be recovered out of Satan's snares and temptations, they being at present captivated by him according to his will.

Learn, 1. That if erroneous and misled persons will not bear gentle teaching, much less will they yield to sharp invectives, or provoking disputes.

Yet, 2. Disputations wisely managed, like defensive wars, are both useful and necessary in defence of the truth, though they do not bring over gainsayers.

Learn, 3, That until erroneous and misled persons can be brought by consideration to be agents in recovering themselves, no teaching or disputing will be sufficient or effectual to recover them: That they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him.

Lastly, error is the devil's snare as well as sin: error is as dangerous as vice; the one is an open road, the other is a by-path, to hell and destruction; consequently, such a Christian as has a due regard to, and value for his own salvation, will be as much afraid of erroneous principles as of debauched practices: That they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.