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2 Timothy 2, we're in this section 
where the apostle is giving very specific commands to Timothy 
on how he is to conduct himself as a minister of the gospel. 
Primarily what we find in the first section in verses 1 to 
13, Paul's exhortations to Timothy are with reference to his personal 
conduct, to the necessity for him to commit these things to 
faithful men, and that Timothy maintains fidelity in gospel 
ministry. The latter half of the chapter, 
14 to 26, takes up how Timothy is to deal in the context of 
false teachers and false teaching. So I do want to read beginning 
in verse 14, we'll read to the end of the chapter, and then 
look primarily at verses 16 to 19. Remind them of these things, 
charging them before the Lord, not to strive about words to 
no profit, to the ruin of the hearers. Be diligent to present 
yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, 
rightly dividing the word of truth. But shun profane and idle 
babblings, for they will increase to more ungodliness, and their 
message will spread like cancer. Hymenaeus and Philetus are of 
this sort, who have strayed concerning the truth. saying that the resurrection 
has already passed, and they overthrow the faith of some. 
Nevertheless, the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal. The Lord knows those who are 
his, and let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from 
iniquity. But in a great house, there are not only vessels of 
gold and silver, but also of wood and clay, some for honor 
and some for dishonor. Therefore, if anyone cleanses 
himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified 
and useful for the master, prepared for every good work. Flee also 
youthful lusts, but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those 
who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. But avoid foolish and 
ignorant disputes, knowing that they generate strife. The servant 
of the Lord must not quarrel, but be gentle to all, able to 
teach, patient, in humility correcting those who are in opposition. 
If God perhaps will grant them repentance so that they may know 
the truth and that they may come to their senses and escape the 
snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his 
will. Amen. Well, let us pray. Our 
Father, we thank you for this, your holy word. We thank you 
for your loving kindness and your mercy. We thank you for 
your goodness in speaking these things for us and for our benefit 
and for our help as individuals and as well as churches. Help 
us, God, to maintain fidelity to the truth of Holy Scripture. 
Help us, God, to persevere by your grace and for your glory. 
God, again tonight, we want to remember Mrs. Kite. We want to 
remember the entirety of the family. We want to commit them 
to you, and we want to pray, Lord God, that this dear sister 
would be blessed richly, physically and spiritually. She would continue 
to grow in the things of Christ. We ask these things in Jesus' 
name. Amen. Well, there are two primary concerns 
that the apostle has here in the section that we're dealing 
with tonight. First, the rejection of heresy in verses 16 to 18, 
and then secondly, the encouragement concerning the church in verse 
19. So that's what we'll be looking 
at tonight. Several places in the epistles of Paul to the pastors 
that he writes to, to Timothy, and to Titus, he alerts these 
men of the presence and the reality of false teaching, false doctrine, 
heresy, those things that damage the people of God. Several places 
the Apostle Paul refers to it with such language, like profane. and idle babblings. We notice 
that Paul does not legitimize heresy. Paul calls it what it 
is. It is profane and it is idle 
babbling. There is nothing in it that demands 
the attention of the people of God, certainly not of the minister 
of God. The minister's responsibility 
when it comes To heresy is to shun it, to avoid it, to resist 
it, not to follow it through, not to pursue it, not to have 
encounter sessions where we discuss it, but rather to root it out 
of the life of Christ's Church. Because if it is not rooted out, 
what happens is that that heresy spreads like gangrene. I realize 
the new King James translates the word as cancer. As far as 
I know, you cannot catch cancer from someone else. The image, 
or rather the idea, is probably cancer summarizes it well in 
the person, in the human being, but as well the idea of gangrene 
is that it spreads rapidly and it affects the entirety of the 
body, and we cannot allow it to take root in the lives of 
Christ's churches. So let's look at the rejection 
of heresy. Note first the duty stated. He says, profane, and idle babblings, 
for they will increase to more ungodliness." The present tense 
form of the verb indicates that this was to be a constant duty 
for Timothy. Timothy was not only supposed 
to engage positively in preaching the truth, but he is to engage 
in a watchfulness in being guarded, in being a man who is able to 
avoid and to shun those things that would threaten to destroy 
him. It's interesting because in verse 14 he is told to remind 
the people of God, charging them before the Lord not to strive 
about words to no profit. So the minister, according to 
verse 14, charges the people of God to maintain doctrinal 
fidelity. But here specifically in verse 
16, Paul's concern is for Timothy. In other words, the man of God, 
the minister of the gospel, is not to deviate from the truth. 
The man of God or the minister of the gospel is not to depart 
from the scripture. He is not to depart into strange 
areas of doctrine. He is to know to some degree 
what is out there. He is to have an idea so that 
he can speak to those things and address those things in an 
informed manner. But when it comes to his own 
walk, and when it comes to his own ministry, when it comes to 
his own life and godliness, and when it comes to his public role 
as a preacher of the gospel, he is to shun profane and idle 
babblings. As I said, the apostle speaks 
this way concerning heresy in other places. You can turn to 
1 Timothy chapter 1. 1 Timothy chapter 1, specifically 
at verse 6. Well, just backing up for a moment 
to verse 3. As I urged you when I went into Macedonia, remain 
in Ephesus that you may charge some that they teach no other 
doctrine, nor give heed to fables and endless genealogies which 
cause disputes rather than godly edification which is in faith. 
Now the purpose of the commandment is love from a pure heart, from 
a good conscience and from sincere faith, from which, now notice, 
having strained, have turned aside to idle talk. You see, 
Paul does not legitimize heresy. He doesn't say, this is a different 
approach or this is a competing position. He calls it idle talk. In our text, he calls it profane 
and idle babblings. Notice in 1 Timothy chapter 4 
at verse 7, he says, reject profane and old wives' fables and exercise 
yourself toward godliness. You see, Paul's teaching here 
is not to be missed. He doesn't want men of God to 
entertain heresy. He doesn't want the man of God 
to give truck to those things that are contrary to the Word 
of God Most High. Notice in 1 Timothy 6, verse 
3, If anyone teaches otherwise and does not consent to wholesome 
words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the 
doctrine which accords with godliness, he is proud, knowing nothing, 
but is obsessed with disputes and arguments over words, from 
which come envy, strife, reviling, evil suspicions, useless wranglings 
of men of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth, who suppose that 
godliness is a means of gain, from such withdraw yourself." 
And then in verse 20 of chapter 6, O Timothy, guard what was 
committed to your trust, avoid the profane and idle babblings 
and contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge. by 
professing it, some have strayed concerning the faith." Now, there 
is a tendency or there is something symptomatic in the church where 
we don't always want to condemn, we don't always want to anathematize, 
we don't always want to specify that a particular doctrine is 
heresy. Now, we are talking about the 
stuff that damns men. We're not talking about differences 
in eschatology. We're not talking about differences 
in church polity, for instance. We're not talking about legitimate 
differences that exist among the legitimate people of God. 
We're talking about departures from orthodoxy, departures from 
the truth as it's been given to us by God in His Word through 
the prophets and the apostles. Paul does not want Timothy to 
have any dealings with this profane and idle babbling. And then in 
verse 23, we see it in chapter 2 of 2 Timothy 2. Again, he says, 
avoid foolish and ignorant disputes knowing that they generate strife. He doesn't mean don't spend time 
with people trying to bring them to a knowledge of the truth. 
He is talking about the type of man that just likes to argue 
for argument's sake. or the man that gives forth profanation, 
or the man that gives forth idle babblings, or the man that just 
likes to hear himself talk. It's very interesting. One lexicon 
says concerning this word that is used, this idle babblings, 
says in the ancient world, useless talking was believed to be caused 
by a sickness of the soul that demonstrated itself either in 
the quantity or quality of speech. I would suggest there's a lot 
of sickness of soul in America and in Canada today because there 
is a lot of quantity and a lot of speech that goes on in the 
name of Jesus and it goes on outside of the church as well. 
Useless talking was believed to be caused by a sickness of 
the soul that demonstrated itself either in the quantity or the 
quality of speech. It's probably a good reminder 
for all of us to exercise our ears twice as much as we exercise 
our tongues. Now notice the reasons why Paul 
tells Timothy, shun profane and idle babblings. for they will 
increase to more ungodliness." It's a fact upon the heritage 
when it says, they will increase to more ungodliness. It could 
be the idle babblings will increase to more ungodliness, but it's 
probably the idle babblers themselves. It's the ones who speak forth 
these profane and idle babblings. And notice what he says, they 
will increase to more ungodliness. It is probably the reference 
to the heretics. Paul says to Timothy, Sean, profane 
and idle babblings. Why? because those who engage 
in such a practice will increase to more ungodliness. You don't 
want to surround yourself with those types of people. You don't 
want to be affected by ungodly men. Timothy, you have to keep 
good company as well. You have to make sure that your 
walk is holy. You cannot be dragged down. You 
cannot be drawn down. If you spend your time studying 
heresy, its effect upon you will ultimately be its effect upon 
them. They will increase to more ungodliness. And it's very interesting that 
we see here yet again what Paul emphasizes throughout his writings, 
is that bad doctrine produces bad living. False teaching results 
in godlessness. If the doctrine of the gospel, 
if the doctrine of God that is true, accords to or promotes 
godliness in the heart of those who receive it, then certainly 
the converse is true. Those who play with heresy, those 
who entertain heresy, those who take in profane and idle babblings 
will ultimately live in a manner that is consistent with the heresy 
and it will be in fact ungodliness in their lives and in their conduct. Romans 118. We see the particular 
priority there. The wrath of God is revealed 
from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of man. Ungodliness 
precedes unrighteousness. So godliness precedes righteousness. If you believe the truth, hopefully 
you will live in a manner that is consistent with that truth. 
If you deny the truth and you entertain profane and idle babblings, 
it will only cause you to increase to more ungodliness. So that's 
the first reason Timothy is to avoid profane and idle babblings. 
Secondly, it's influence upon the church. Verse 17a, and their 
message will spread like cancer. Their message will spread like 
gangrene. I was thinking about, this is 
the spiritual equivalent of drunk driving. You ever notice how 
people that drive drunk endanger themselves, but they endanger 
other people as well. They don't just hit things and 
die on their own. They hit people, or they hit 
families, or they hit others that are driving their vehicles. 
And this is the case when a man entertains profane and idle babblings. When a church does not check 
that heresy, when a church does not do its job and seek to protect 
the people of God by maintaining doctrinal fidelity, what happens 
ultimately is that that heresy spreads. It affects others within 
the context of the local church. It is like that drunk driver 
who not only endangers himself, but he endangers others that 
happen to be in his way. A man who has this sort of commitment 
to false doctrine. Unfortunately, they're the sorts 
of men that want to tell everybody. They're the men with the biggest 
mouths. They're the men who have the special insight. They're 
the men who have seen things that nobody's ever seen before 
in the history and the existence of the church. They're the kind 
of men that want to gather people around them. They're the kind 
of men that want to open their Bibles. They're the kind of men 
that want to instruct you and bring you to that place where 
you know some of the great things that they have learned in their 
private time with the Holy Spirit. And what it turns out to be is 
profane and idle babblings. And before you know it, the unsuspecting 
sheep is led to the slaughter because he swallows the heresy. 
He imbibes the profanity. He imbibes the idle babbling. 
And what happens? The gangrene moves and it seeks 
to destroy the very body of Christ itself. William D. Mount says 
the second reason Timothy and the Ephesians are to avoid the 
godless chatter of the opponents, in verse 16a, is because the 
sickening effects of their teaching will spread throughout the church 
as if it were gangrene in a body. The false teachers are advancing 
in ungodliness and their teaching is eating away at the spiritual 
flesh of the church. That is precisely the warning 
there. Shut it for yourself, Timothy, 
because these men, their ungodliness is only going to increase, and 
their influence, their message will spread like cancer, will 
spread like gangrene itself. You see why? We have said in 
our studies in Matthew 18, 15 to 17, that church discipline 
is necessary for the protection of the people of God. You see, 
I think we get this idea that church discipline only counts 
when somebody commits adultery. or somebody's found out in a 
pattern of pornography. What do we do? We bring him before 
the church. We tell him to repent. We exhort him to repent. We plead 
with him to repent. He doesn't repent, so we brand 
him as a heathen and a tax collector. Certainly, in that matter, we 
ought to do that. If somebody happened to be a 
murderer and we found out about it, we call him a heathen and 
a tax collector if he fails to respond to the exhortations and 
the admonitions. If somebody's a thief, Not just 
the walking into the Walmart brand where they steal Snickers 
bars, but sometimes people can be thieves on a different level. 
They cheat in their business practices, they cheat on their 
taxes, they engage in all manner of larceny. And if we find that 
out, certainly, if they are not repentant and they do not forsake 
these things, we would brand them as a heathen and tax collector. But how many times would we consider 
the idea of actually excommunicating somebody for heresy? Somebody 
who propagates false doctrine. In many respects that false doctrine 
is more pernicious than the moral failures that people engage in. 
A man may have larceny in his heart, a man may commit larceny 
in his job, a man may walk into Walmart and steal things, and 
that may not affect the others. It may not spread like gangrene, 
but a man who is full of himself, And a man who thinks he has all 
of these special insights that no one's ever seen before, a 
man who has departed from the beaten path of the well-worn 
path of Christian orthodoxy over the centuries, a man who finds 
things in the Bible that no one before him ever found, that man 
imbibing profanity, that man imbibing idle babbling, when 
he starts to propagate that to others, we ought to stop him. We ought not to allow that to 
continue in the context of the church. Now again, I want to 
make sure you understand what I'm not saying. If we have legitimate 
differences in eschatology, I want to have an atmosphere where we 
can talk and debate and even disagree. That's good and healthy 
in the context of the church. It ought never to be, well Pastor 
Butler says, so that's what everybody believes. No. That is not what 
we want. That's Romesh. The priest says 
this and therefore, or the Pope has spoken this and therefore. No, we ought to think biblically, 
we ought to think God's thoughts after him. But certainly, you 
can understand that there is a difference between somebody 
who holds a premillennial view and an all-millennial view versus 
somebody who's engaged in profane and idle babblings which cuts 
to the very core of the Christian message. Brethren, we as a church 
must indeed not only oppose larceny, we must not only oppose adultery 
and pornography, we must not only oppose drug abuse and those 
sorts of moral failures that we see condemned in the Bible, 
but we must oppose doctrinal heresy. That is absolutely crucial, 
and praise God, we not only have our Bible, we have the early 
creeds from the early church, and we have a wonderful confession 
of faith that defines for us those parameters of things most 
surely believed among us. We do not look at it as an infallible 
guide, we do not look at it on the same level as scripture, 
we see it as a summary, a codification of those things most surely believed 
among us. It defines for us or it sets 
out the parameters and terms of orthodoxy and it is a consistent 
application of the truth of God's holy word. We need to understand 
that we ought to shun profane and idle babblings because the 
heretics will increase to more ungodliness and their message 
will spread like cancer. And let me just suggest this, 
there is something appealing about heresy. I know that sounds 
odd. You say, Pastor Butler, you just 
said you like the confession of faith. There's obviously something 
that appeals to the flesh about heresy. Think about it. Who has the biggest churches? Very often it's the heretics, 
right? There has to be something appealing 
in that false message. There has to be something that 
sort of speaks to a man, at least at some particular level, in 
that profanity and idle babbling. I mean, how do you have 10, 20, 
30, 40 thousand people listening to a nut job distort the Christian 
message without explaining it by saying, there is something 
appealing to the flesh in heresy. We need to understand that, brethren. Typically, heresy smooths things 
out and makes it easier. Take antinomianism, for instance. That's a heresy that sounds pretty 
pleasant to somebody who wants to continue in their sin, doesn't 
it? I mean, antinomianism says the Christian has no regard whatsoever 
for the moral law of God. We've been justified freely by 
His grace. We don't need to do anything that God says. We've 
been justified freely by His grace. There's a certain appeal 
to a man who wants to continue in sin about the doctrine of 
antinomianism. Somebody who likes to parade 
themselves, and somebody who's proud and arrogant, and somebody 
who likes to exercise power over others, and lord themselves over 
others, there's something appealing about the doctrine of legalism, 
isn't there? There's something fleshly about 
it that men enjoy, and we need to understand that. It's not 
the case that typically when heresy starts to spread throughout 
the church, there are those who start to give attention to it. 
That's why People of God must act quickly and they must act 
decisively to stop heresy from spreading like cancer or like 
gangrene. Now notice, Paul gives a specific 
example in Ephesus. Hymenaeus and Philetus. Imagine 
that. Your only claim to fame is being 
in the Bible as a heretic. What a miserable lot in life 
that would be, right? What did you accomplish on earth? 
I made it into the Bible as a heretic. I made it into the Bible as an 
enemy of God. I made it into the Bible as a 
troubler of the church. Look at what he says in verse 
18 or 17. Their message will spread like 
cancer. Hymenaeus and Philetus are of this sort. We don't know 
anything about Philetus. This is the only place he's mentioned. 
But because he's mentioned, the indication is that he was a teacher. 
Hymenaeus is mentioned in 1 Timothy 1 at verse 20. Let's just refresh ourselves 
on Hymenaeus. 1 Timothy 1 verse 20, "...of 
whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I delivered to Satan, that 
they may learn not to blaspheme." Obviously there was a period 
of time between the writing of 1st and 2nd Timothy when Paul, 
according to 1st Timothy, had delivered Hymenaeus over to Satan 
so that he might learn not to blaspheme. He hadn't learned 
yet. By the writing of 2 Timothy, Hymenaeus was still engaged in 
profane and idle babblings. Hymenaeus still did not imbibe 
the Christian doctrine of the resurrection. Hymenaeus did not 
hold to the truth. In that period of time, having 
been delivered over to Satan so that he might be instructed 
in better things, he continues to rebel, he continues to reject. 
Isn't it interesting, too, that Paul names two men, Hymenaeus 
and Philetus? He doesn't leave it sort of generic 
and undefined. There's heresy out there, don't 
go there. No, he tells them very specifically. 
Listen to what Calvin says. He points out with the finger 
the plagues themselves, that all may be on their guard against 
them. For if those persons who aim at the ruin of the whole 
church are permitted by us to remain concealed, then to some 
extent we give them power to do injury. Do you hear that? We don't identify them and allow 
them to be concealed. We are complicit. We give them 
power. We give them enablement so that 
they may indeed do injury to others. Now note the specific 
heresy that these men had proffered, saying, I'm sorry, who have strayed 
concerning the truth, saying that the resurrection is already 
past and they overthrow the faith of some. Look at that statement, 
who have strayed concerning the truth. You understand that early 
on in the Christian church, there was an identifiable body of objective 
truth. So it wasn't the decision of 
Nicaea to codify what Christianity was all about. It wasn't the 
later church councils or gatherings together that said, okay, this 
is the body of objective doctrine that believers must hold to. 
Look at what Paul says early on in the early church. This 
is probably AD 64. They have strayed concerning the truth. We have glimmers or glimpses 
of what appear to be confessions in the New Testament epistles. Look back at verses 11 to 13. 
This has the feel, at least, of a confession. If we died with 
him, we shall also live with him. If we endure, we shall also 
reign with him. If we deny him, he also will 
deny us. If we are faithless, he remains 
faithful. He cannot deny himself. Now there's 
pages and pages and pages written as to whether Paul co-opted a 
common confession and brought it into 2 Timothy. I don't have 
the ability to deal with all that here, but it does have that 
sort of approach. It is a confessional type statement. 
Go back to 1 Timothy 3 at verse 16. Without controversy, great 
is the mystery of godliness. Great is the mystery of godliness. So the idea might be as well, 
by common confession. God was manifested in the flesh, 
justified in the spirit, seen by angels, preached among the 
Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up in glory. This is something that's very 
important, brothers and sisters, to realize, that the objective, 
identifiable body of Christian truth was early identified in 
the Church. It wasn't a later development. 
Look at Jude 3 for a moment. Jude, verse 3, a passage every 
one of you should have in your hearts and in your minds. a passage 
that is addressed to every one of us so that we may indeed comply 
with what he says. Verse 3, Beloved, while I was 
very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, 
I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend 
earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to 
the saints. To contend for the faith which 
was once for all delivered to the saints. Back to 2 Timothy 
chapter 2. Paul the Apostle knew the truth. 
Timothy knew the truth. The church knew the truth. Part 
of that truth or that body of received doctrines was the teaching 
of a future bodily resurrection. That Jesus would come again in 
glory to judge the living and the dead. The probable situation, 
what Hymenaeus and Philetus were doing here, when it says they 
have strayed concerning the truth, saying that the resurrection 
has already passed. George Knight helps us. He says 
it was probably associated with some form of asceticism and a 
low view of the material world. Now asceticism is the idea that 
as long as we don't eat certain things, as long as we don't touch 
certain things, as long as we don't go to certain places, then 
everything's going to be good. No, that's not the way it works. 
Because when we don't touch, and we don't taste, and we don't 
feel, we still have us. We still have our hearts. The 
problem is our hearts. It's not the things we're touching, 
it's not the things we're eating, it's not the things we're feeling. 
Now, obviously, that breaks down. If you're eating heroin, that's 
a bad thing. Don't do that. Or if you're touching 
someone immorally, don't do that. But the ascetics thought that 
the body was bad, that bodily things were bad. They had a low 
view of that sort of thing. And the real spirituality was 
to be found in denying those physical things and those things 
that were worldly. Not, again, like bad things in 
and of themselves, but just things associated with the world. 1 
Timothy 4. You can look there for just a moment. 1 Timothy 
4.1, the Spirit expressly says that in latter times, some will 
depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and 
doctrines of demons, speaking lies and hypocrisy, having their 
own conscience seared with hot iron. That sounds bad, doesn't 
it? Listen to what those two verses lead up to. Forbidding 
to marry and commanding to abstain from foods which God created 
to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know 
the truth. I mean, verses 1 and 2, speaking about these doctrines 
of demons and speaking lies and hypocrisy, certainly it must 
be gross immorality and horrible things. It is asceticism or agnosticism 
that says the physical is bad. As long as we don't marry and 
as long as we don't eat certain foods, we're going to be commended 
to God. No, that's not the way it is. We're commended to God 
because of His grace through faith in Jesus. Back to this 
whole idea of the resurrection. It was probably associated with 
some form of asceticism and a low view of the material world, especially 
of the human body, and might have resulted from an incorrect 
handling of Paul's words about Christians being presently raised 
with Christ. Doesn't Paul tell us that? You 
have been raised with Him. So guys like Hymenaeus and Philetus 
said, well, if we've been raised with Him, there's no future bodily 
resurrection. We've already been raised with 
Him. It's a denial of the future bodily resurrection that is to 
come. It is to bring the not yet to 
bear upon the already. Calvin made this comment concerning 
Hymenaeus and Phileas. In doing this, they undoubtedly 
contrived a sort of allegorical resurrection, which has also 
been attempted in this age by some filthy dogs. By this trick, 
Satan overthrows that fundamental article of our faith concerning 
the resurrection of the flesh. I read that because I want you 
to see how they did theology in those days. He called them 
filthy dogs. He said, well, they just have 
a different view. They just have a different approach. We'll just 
give them the Bible study room on Thursday nights and let them 
deny the resurrection. Calvin called them filthy dogs. 
Paul says they're full of profanity and idle babblings and they will 
increase to more ungodliness. But the bottom line is that these 
men, Hymenaeus and Philetus, have strayed concerning the truth. 
Their specific heresy is noted, saying that the resurrection 
has already passed, and note the harmful effects it has upon 
the church, and they overthrow the faith of some." You see, 
there's that drunk driving analogy again. They not only get hammered 
and get into a car and endanger themselves, but they endanger 
other people as well. They don't just sit in a room 
and babble on about their heresy. They have to have people to talk 
to. They have to tell you how great they are. They have to 
tell you about their insights. They have to tell you about all 
the things that the Lord has shown them. If you think the 
Lord is showing you heresy, you've got big problems. If you think 
the Lord is showing you something that departs from the truth as 
it is in Jesus, you are full of pride and full of arrogance 
and full of profanity and full of idle babbling. The heretics 
do not damn themselves only, they take others with them. The 
ones who follow these heretics can be said to stray concerning 
the truth as well. Now here's the practical rub. 
What do you think is the best inoculation against profane and 
idle babblings? It is to know the scriptures. 
It is to know the Bible. It is to understand the system 
of Christian theology. It is to know the truth, to buy 
the truth and sell it not. You know that's what Proverbs 
tells you to do? That's what Solomon instructs his sons? Buy 
the truth and sell it not. Go buy it and don't get rid of 
it. Hold fast to it. Do not let go 
of it, because the moment that you do, you're going to be led 
astray concerning the truth. You do not want to go this path 
in order to inoculate or protect yourself from these wolves. The best remedy, the best protection, 
The best antidote is to know the truth of God's holy word. Now notice, if we read this and 
if we understand this, what may rise up in our hearts? If we 
hear Paul say, shun profane and idle babblings, if we hear Paul 
say that they will increase to more ungodliness, we hear specific 
men like Hymenaeus and Philetus, men at one time that were probably 
leaders in the church and respected by everyone until Hymenaeus was 
delivered over to Satan to learn not to blaspheme. We see this 
and it sounds a bit scary, doesn't it? Sounds a bit terrifying. Timothy, this is what you're 
going to have to deal with in the context of the church. You've 
got to understand that if you don't stop these men, their message 
will spread like gangrene within the context of God's people. 
It's a terrifying thought, isn't it? Remember, people that are 
heretical don't walk into churches wearing, you know, red gowns 
with horns and having pitchforks. It's a little bit more difficult 
to spot them. It is through their heresy, as 
they start to babble, as they start to engage in these profane 
things, you start to spot it, you start to see it. But we need 
to understand that those people are present in the life of God's 
people. It can be a bit frightening. 
Paul says, don't be frightened. It's what verse 19 says. Nevertheless, 
there's going to be Hymenaeuses and Philetuses. How's that for 
the plurality of Hymenaeus and Philetus? Imagine knowing two 
Phyletuses. It'd be amazing to know one Phyletus 
or one Hymenaeus. But imagine having two Hymenaeuses 
or Phyletuses. They're out there. There's men 
who want to throw upon you their heresy. There are men today that 
deny a future bodily resurrection. These men oftentimes are Calvinistic 
men. These men are oftentimes men 
who affirm much of the Reformed faith. These are men who will 
indeed tell you everything just about with reference to the creeds 
and confessions that is Orthodox. Oh yes, but they deny the future 
bodily resurrection. It can be a bit terrifying. Verse 
19 is given to us so that we will not fear, so that we will 
not shrink back. Nevertheless, he says, the solid 
foundation of God stands. The presence of Hymenaeus and 
Philetus and the reality that they overthrow the faith of some 
may paralyze the people of God and we may conclude there is 
little to no hope for the church. But that is not what we ought 
to conclude. Calvin says he makes use of this 
consolation, verse 19, that the levity or treachery of men cannot 
hinder God from preserving his church to the last. This in many 
respects is Paul's version of Matthew 16. where Jesus says, 
I will build my church and the gates of Hades shall not prevail 
against it. Remember when we studied that. 
The gates of Hades shall not prevail against it, but the idea 
is that the gates of Hades are attempting to prevail against 
it. The gates of Hades are seeking 
to assault the kingdom of God. The gates of Hades are not lying 
dormant. They will not prevail, however, 
and that's what verse 19 is. It is the encouragement concerning 
the church. We ought to be careful, we ought 
to avoid, we ought to resist profane and idle babblings, but 
we ought not to get to the point where we say there's no hope 
for the church. Have you ever met people like that? Islam is 
growing so rapidly. Roman Catholicism still exercises 
such a stronghold in much of the world. We see Jehovah's Witnesses 
on every corner, literally. We see Mormons everywhere. We 
see atheism on the rise. There's no hope for the church. 
Such persons need Matthew 16. Such persons need 2 Timothy 2.19. 
Nevertheless, the solid foundation of God stands. The apostle teaches 
that Christ is the foundation of the church. He teaches that 
the apostles serve alongside, not alongside of him, in terms 
of equality, but we see in Ephesians 2.20 that the apostles take a 
foundational role in the church. The idea here may be, however, 
the church. The solid foundation of God stands. The fact is that God has established 
the church solidly and firmly and we ought not to fear that 
a Hymenaeus and a Philetus can destroy it. Now notice this particular 
seal. He says, nevertheless the solid 
foundation of God stands having this seal. Now the metaphor according 
to Mounce is based on the practice of inscribing a seal on the foundation 
of a building to indicate ownership and sometimes the function of 
the building. Knight helpfully says here the 
seal is the guarantee for the preceding description. Now let 
me just try to make that understandable. Nevertheless, the solid foundation 
of God stands. Why? Because of two doctrines. 
I mean, there's more to be sure. I think when we take the rest 
of the Bible, we see other doctrines, but Paul names two doctrines 
here that serve as the seal that the foundation that God has established 
is solid, that it will not be battered down. It may be attacked, 
it may be assaulted, but it will not collapse because the solid 
foundation of God stands. this seal. Two things, he specifies. First, the doctrine of election, 
and secondly, the doctrine of sanctification. Notice, nevertheless, 
the solid foundation of God stands having this seal. First, the 
Lord knows those who are His. Very important. Amenas and Phileas 
were never His. Timothy is. The saints that are 
faithful in Ephesus are. God knows how to differentiate. 
God knows how to protect. God knows how to preserve His 
elect. I mean, He elected them. He predestined 
them. He ordained their salvation before 
the foundation of the world. And note the language that is 
used here, the Lord knows those who are His. That's straight 
from Numbers 16. Why the new King James does not 
indicate that this is an Old Testament quotation, I don't 
understand. It's got quotation marks in it, 
the margin indicates number 16, but for whatever reason we don't 
find it set apart like we find other Old Testament quotations. 
What is Paul doing? Paul is telling Timothy that 
men like Hymenaeus and Philetus are men like Korah and Dathan 
and Abiram. What does God say to Moses in 
number 16? Or Moses rather says to Korah 
and all his company in number 16. Five tomorrow morning, the 
Lord will show who is his and who is holy and will cause him 
to know or to come near to him. The Lord knows those who are 
his. Korah, you want to challenge 
this? You want to upset these things? 
You want to assert that Moses is an arrogant man who's exalted 
himself? Don't you love that in Numbers 
16, right on the heels of Korah saying, you exalt yourself, Moses. What does the text then say? 
Moses fell on his face. Men who exalt themselves do not 
fall on their faces. Men who are arrogant, men who 
are bold or impetuous, men who want to assert themselves as 
the authority do not fall on their face before Yahweh and 
cry out for help. What Paul has in his mind is 
that Hymenaeus and Philetus are like Korah and is rebellion. 
And in the same way that God knew how to identify the true 
Israelites in Numbers 16, it is the same way that God identifies 
true Israelites in 2 Timothy 2 in Ephesus. The leadership, 
Moses and Aaron, were opposed by rebels, Korah and his companions, 
just like Paul and Timothy are opposed by men like Hymenaeus 
and Philetus. Now, Hymenaeus and Philetus probably 
didn't meet with the same end as Korah. I mean, isn't that 
amazing in Numbers 16? Moses says, look, if they die 
like everybody else, then you know. Then you know. But if the 
Lord does something different, if the Lord opens the earth and 
the earth swallows them up, then you know that Korah was in rebellion. 
What happens? God swallows those wicked men 
with his earth. George Knight said, as sad as 
the episode of Korah's rebellion was, it did not devastate the 
congregation of Israel. That's the point. We come out 
of 16, 17, and 18, and we might be a little fearful. There's 
Hymenaeuses. There's Philetuses. There are 
men who deny the resurrection. There are men today who deny 
the imputation of the act of obedience of Christ. There are 
men today who deny the Trinity. There are men today who deny 
justification by faith alone. If we don't rally around, the 
church is going to die. No. Even when Korah rose up in 
rebellion against Moses, God kept the people from devastation. As sad as the episode of Korah's 
rebellion was, it did not devastate the congregation of Israel and 
false teaching will not devastate the church at Ephesus. The statement 
quoted here affirms God's ability to differentiate between true 
and false believers and becomes here the reason for believing 
that God's foundation stands firm in the present situation. The fact that he chose a great 
multitude that no man can number. The fact that he sent the son 
of his love on a rescue mission. The fact that the spirit takes 
that redemptive benefit that has been accomplished by Christ 
and applies it to the lives of the elect. Those facts argue 
that the church will never fail. The church will never collapse. The church will never be destroyed. 
When Elijah is sitting underneath the broom tree and he wants to 
go be with the Lord, the Lord God says, Elijah, I have 7,000 
that have not bowed the knee to Baal. And while Islam is on 
the rise, and while there is departure, and while there is 
defection, and while there is apostasy, and the denial of many 
crucial doctrines in the Christian faith, nevertheless, the solid 
foundation of God stands. Having this seal, the Lord knows 
those who are His. He knows what He has purpose 
to do. He will not allow His bride to 
be devastated and decimated. It truly, truly is a great picture 
of solidity and strength and power and a formidable picture 
of the church of Jesus Christ. Now notice, the Lord knows those 
who are His and let everyone who names the name of Christ 
depart from iniquity. The doctrine of sanctification, 
right? George Knight said, God knows and chooses his people, 
and they manifest that reality by abstaining from evil. This 
language, too, is co-opted from Numbers 16. Numbers 16.21, the 
Lord said to Moses and Aaron, separate yourselves from among 
this congregation that I may consume them in a moment. Let 
everyone who names the name of Christ, let everyone who names 
the name of Yahweh depart from iniquity. Get away from Korah, 
get away from Dathan, and get away from Abirath. When the earth 
starts to tremble and the ground starts to rumble, the last place 
you want to be standing is with Korah. What's the point? Stay away from, shun profane 
and idle babblings. Don't hang out with Hymenaeus 
and Philetus. Do not go to their Bible studies. Number 1626, Moses to Dathan 
and Abira. He says to them, depart now from 
the tents of these wicked men. Touch nothing of theirs lest 
you be consumed in all their sins. So the solid foundation 
of God stands having this seal. He has elected a great multitude 
that no man can number. And those whom he has elected 
are those who name the name of Christ, those who confess Jesus 
as Lord and Savior. And those who confess Jesus as 
Lord and Savior will indeed depart from iniquity. They will not 
give ear to the profane and to the idle babblings that do spread 
like cancer. So brethren, on the one hand, 
we need to be watchful for the heresy, but on the other hand, 
we need to be confident in our God that he will not permit his 
church to fail. He will not permit his church 
to collapse. He will not permit his church 
to not make it until the end. Well, in conclusion, first, the 
danger of religious heresy. Paul tells him, shun profane 
and idle babblings. When we sort of search the entirety 
of the Bible, we can bring out a few principles. First, it is 
blasphemy against God. Religious heresy is blasphemy. Again, being a premillennialist 
isn't blasphemy. You're supposed to smile because 
I'm implying that premillennialism is wrong. No? Okay. That's not blasphemy, a 
denial of grace, a denial of the Trinity, a denial of the 
deity of Christ. Blasphemy. Blasphemy. Secondly, religious heresy is 
prevalent in the professing church. Religious heresy is prevalent 
in the professing church. Remember I said there's something 
alluring about heresy to the flesh of man. There is something 
that we gravitate toward. There is something about us that 
has a downward tendency. There's something about us that 
is attracted to that which is dark and bad and wrong. That's 
why we want to not be conformed to this world. We don't want 
to be conformed to worldly patterns of thought. We want to be transformed 
by the renewing of our mind. When that mind is renewed by 
the Word of God, we can see the things in the world that we're 
supposed to avoid, and we can see the things in the church 
that we are supposed to avoid as well. Thirdly, it is powerful 
in its influence. It is powerful in its influence. I've said this before. I've been 
really struggling here recently. I'm coming up on 18 years. And 
I asked my wife this just yesterday. I said, do I bug you? She said, 
well, as a matter of fact, you do. You know, when you've been 
married for 30 years, you've been together a long time, right? 
And you can probably do things that irritate each other. I wonder 
if that's happening in the church. I've been here almost 18 years. 
Am I bugging people? I don't want to bug people. I 
don't want to use the same old worn out illustrations. I don't 
want you to get irritated with me. Oh man, the guy's saying 
that again. I just don't have a whole lot 
of other illustrations. I don't have a whole lot of experiences. 
I can't go fabricate them. I can't buy them off the internet. 
I can't co-op someone else's and say they're mine. I've really 
been praying about this and thinking through this recently. I don't 
want to bother people. I hear about these men that labor 
for 40 years in the same place. Have you ever heard of Gardner 
Spring? Gardner Spring was the pastor of Brick Presbyterian 
Church in New York. He wrote a couple of very excellent 
books. The Distinguishing Traits of Christian Character. He wrote 
a book on the Lord's Prayer. Several books. One called The 
Power of the Pulpit. Excellent book on preaching. 
He labored in the same place for 62 years. There was special grace working 
among pastor and people, I have to imagine. So pray for me in 
this. I don't want to be an irritant. 
I don't want to bother people. I don't want it to be the place 
where you get sick of me. At any rate, I'll go ahead and 
use my illustration now. Some of you know I grew up in 
Southern California. We would go early in the morning 
to the beach. We'd go to Huntington Beach. 
Some of you have been there. It's a beautiful place. We would go into the water, 
because that's what we did. We'd body surf, or we'd boogie 
board, or whatever it was we did. I never could get the hang 
of surfing, so I did the boogie board thing. But it would be 
foggy when we'd get there early in the morning. That's just the 
way it was. We'd start at a particular lifeguard station. You know, 
you walk into the water at lifeguard station 2, or whatever it was. 
And then when that fog lifted, you were at lifeguard station 
18. You were way, way, way down from where you had started. Riptide, 
undercurrent. things you couldn't see, things 
you couldn't perceive. As far as you were concerned, 
because the fog was there, you were in the same place you started 
off. It wasn't until the fog lifted 
and the sun shined that you realized, man, we've got to hike back to 
Lifeguard Station 2. That's where our towels were, 
right? That's how heresy is. That's how I think it begins. 
You start to dally just a little bit. You start to entertain questions 
just a little bit. Well, was Jesus really God? Is 
the Trinity really true? I mean, after all, we can't understand 
it. Is this doctrine actually what 
the Bible teaches? You just give a little doubt 
to begin with. And it seems as if the devil 
knows when these things are happening. I don't suggest that he actually 
does. But typically, when persons start to do that, they start 
to alight on all the bad internet sites that will feed that sort 
of thing. They start to meet people, have 
that sort of a doctrinal bent. Brethren, you need to be close 
to the Word, you need to be close to the truth, you need to buy 
it, and you need to sell it not. Because it is subtle, it is deceptive, 
and you may start out here and end up over here with an utter 
denial of the Trinity. That would be a terrible thing, 
an utter denial of the deity of our Lord Jesus Christ. So 
the danger of religious heresy is seen finally in its damning 
reception, or it is damning in its reception. Religious heresy, 
again, is not a different view of eschatology. Religious heresy 
means you go to hell. The stuff we were talking about 
this morning in the first hour, justification by faith, if you 
tamper with chapter 11 in our confession, which accurately 
reflects what Paul teaches in his epistles, what the whole 
Bible teaches with reference to justification by faith, it 
is not going to go well for you. I remember Gordon Clark in his 
commentary on Colossians says that a departure from Chalcedonian 
Christology never ends well. Chalcedon was a fundamental council 
in the context of the church in 451. They articulated the 
person of our Lord Jesus Christ. When you get to Chapter 8 in 
the Second London Confession of Faith, guess what's included 
there? It is the Creed of Chalcedon. 
when men hammered out these truths and articulated accurately what 
the teaching of the Bible is concerning the person of our 
Lord Jesus Christ. You see, brethren, if we deny 
those things, it will not end well. And then finally, note 
the comforting effect of Christian doctrine. See, the doctrine of 
election is a comfort, not only for my own place with reference 
to the redemptive plan of God, not only with reference to your 
place concerning the redemptive plan of God, but with reference 
to the church as a whole. Why ought not we to fear the 
spread of Islam? Now, I'm not saying we don't 
pray against it. I'm not saying we don't evangelize Muslims. 
I'm not saying that James White shouldn't debate Shabir Ali. 
I am not suggesting that at all, but we ought not to be so fearful, 
and we ought not to be so full of paralysis. We ought to realize 
that God has elected, God has purposed the salvation of a great 
multitude, and those whom He has elected, those who call on 
the name of the Lord, will be those who depart from iniquity. 
And as the Christian church, we need to depart from iniquity. 
Both practical or moral and doctrinal. Again, no one wants to engage 
in larceny or shouldn't. Shouldn't be engaged in adultery. 
Shouldn't be engaged in drug abuse. You shouldn't do those 
things. It's wicked. It's wrong. But you shouldn't 
be engaged in entertaining false doctrine or heresy because that 
too is iniquity that the saint of Christ who has been elected 
by God is to depart from. Well, let us pray. Our Father, 
we thank you for your holy word and we pray now that you would 
go with us into this week, grant us help and strength and grace 
that we may honor and glorify you, that we may worship you, 
that we may serve you. And Lord, keep us close to the 
teaching of the Bible. Help us not to stray and help 
us not to give our ears to profane and idle babblings. God, help 
us to love these things and to learn these things and to know 
these things, to know them so well that we're able to spot 
the counterfeit when it comes along. Go with your people now. Grant us peace. Grant us grace. 
Cause your face to shine upon us. And we pray through Christ 
Jesus, our Lord. Amen.