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A Description Characterizing the Errorists.
v. 3. If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness,
v. 4. he is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings,
v. 5. perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness. From such withdraw thyself.
The apostle has finished his table of duties concerning the work of Christians in the various stations, and now finds it necessary to expose the false position of the errorists also with reference to questions of life: If any man teaches otherwise and does not adhere to the wholesome words of our Lord Jesus Christ and to the teaching that agrees with godliness, he is conceited, understanding nothing. The apostle knows that the doctrine which he was teaching was right and true; this he had emphasized with still greater force upon other occasions, 1Co_11:23; 1Co_15:3. If any person, therefore, has the temerity to differ from him in the proclamation of faith and love, in the teaching of justification and sanctification, he belongs to a class opposed to Christ. He does not assent, he does not adhere to the wholesome words of Christ; he does not apply himself properly to that teaching which agrees with godliness, which is in agreement with Christ's demands concerning true righteousness of life. The right doctrine is preached without a shadow of selfish interests, always looking forward to the edification and sanctification of the hearers. Paul's jealousy for the honor of God was so great that it caused him to express his criticism in very sharp terms; for he says that such errorists are ignorant from conceit. Their spiritual condition of foolishness is the result of their moral attitude, of their boundless conceit concerning their own knowledge and ability. They had no understanding of those principles, those fundamentals, in which they pretended to possess all knowledge.
The apostle now continues his characterization from the positive side: But [they] have a morbid passion for questionings and strifes of words, out of which come envy, strife, blasphemies, evil opinions, quarrellings of men that are affected in mind and deprived of the truth, supposing godliness to be a source of gain. This sentence is an excellent description of the sectarian enthusiasts of all times. They have a morbid, feverish passion for all manner of questionings; they like to be occupied with apparently abstruse reasonings, with matters that are of no value in doctrine, but serve only for vain disputings. This is an abnormal, a morbid condition, always dangerous where the Word of God is concerned. And the result of such empty disputings is envy, mutual mistrust, and disfavor of people that are jealous of one another, culminating in quarrels, no one being able to claim the victory for lack of sound arguments. Then follow blasphemies, the one party promptly spreading slanderous reports about the other, each one trying to harm the reputation of the other; evil opinions, insinuations, one accusing the other of impure motives and misrepresenting the situation; and finally quarrellings, constant friction between people that are depraved in mind, that cause them all to be heated to an uncomfortable degree. No wonder that the idea is found with such persons according to which they suppose godliness, piety, the Christian religion, to be a source of income. The false teachers were careful to arrange for payment in advance for their dubious teaching, probably haggling over the price which they expected for their services, while Paul's attitude was one of the most unselfish devotion and service. The entire situation brought about by the manner of the errorists was one which naturally tended to fill St. Paul with the deepest disgust, for which reason he also writes to Timothy that this is a notion, a false opinion, on their part, thus including a warning to all faithful ministers not to be found in a similar condemnation.