“Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. Avoid godless chatter, because those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly…
“Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. Opponents must be gently instructed, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses…”
2 Timothy 2:15-16, 22-26a, NIV
REFLECTION BY MARCUS GOODYEAR
In this era of hot takes and algorithm-fed outrage, Paul’s practical advice to Timothy feels timely. Be kind—not quarrelsome. Engage opponents gently. Avoid stupid arguments.
When Laity Lodge first opened, Mary Holdsworth Butt placed a tile in the bookstore inscribed with 2 Timothy 2:15. The verse is from a deeply personal letter between Paul and his protégé. It is the final letter we have from Paul, and it has a sense of urgency we don’t see in his other letters. He’s writing from prison, awaiting execution, and his advice comes down to one basic idea: A Christian defends the truth no matter the cost.
It is not an empty platitude: Paul himself dies for his commitment to the truth. As things are falling apart for him, he does not leave Timothy a future of cultural confusion, moral fatigue, or institutional weakness. Timothy too will fight the good fight. Timothy too will measure his life, not by the accumulation of power or wealth, but by faithfulness.
There are no shortcuts.
