The Lord’s servant must not quarrel, but be gentle toward all, able to teach, patient,
Parallel Translations
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The Lord’s servant must not quarrel, but be gentle toward all, able to teach, patient,
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But the servaunt of the lorde must not stryve: but must be peasable vnto all men and apte to teache and one that can suffre: the evyll in meknes
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But the seruant of ye Lord must not striue, but must be gentle toward all men, apt to teache, suffering the euill,
Cross-references (29)
Passages linked to 2 Timothy 2:24 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, ordered by reader-vote popularity; verse text shown in World English Bible.
- Titus 3:2 to speak evil of no one, not to be contentious, to be gentle, showing all humility toward all men.
- James 1:19-20 So, then, my beloved brothers, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger; for the anger of man doesn’t produce the righteousness of God.
- Titus 1:7 For the overseer must be blameless, as God’s steward, not self-pleasing, not easily angered, not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for dishonest gain;
- 1 Thessalonians 2:7 But we were gentle among you, like a nursing mother cherishes her own children.
- 1 Timothy 3:2-3 The overseer therefore must be without reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, sensible, modest, hospitable, good at teaching; not a drinker, not violent, not greedy for money, but gentle, not quarrelsome, not covetous;
- Philippians 2:14 Do all things without complaining and arguing,
- 1 Timothy 6:11 But you, man of God, flee these things, and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness.
- Ephesians 4:2 with all lowliness and humility, with patience, bearing with one another in love,
- Philippians 2:3 doing nothing through rivalry or through conceit, but in humility, each counting others better than himself;
- Colossians 3:13 bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, if any man has a complaint against any; even as Christ forgave you, so you also do.
- James 3:17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceful, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.
- 1 Peter 3:8 Finally, all of you be like-minded, compassionate, loving as brothers, tenderhearted, courteous,
- Matthew 12:19 He will not strive, nor shout; neither will anyone hear his voice in the streets.
- Acts 7:26 “The day following, he appeared to them as they fought, and urged them to be at peace again, saying, ‘Sirs, you are brothers. Why do you wrong one another?’
- 2 Corinthians 10:1 Now I Paul, myself, entreat you by the humility and gentleness of Christ, I who in your presence am lowly among you, but being absent am bold toward you.
- Titus 1:9 holding to the faithful word which is according to the teaching, that he may be able to exhort in the sound doctrine, and to convict those who contradict him.
- Isaiah 40:11 He will feed his flock like a shepherd. He will gather the lambs in his arm, and carry them in his bosom. He will gently lead those who have their young.
- James 1:1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are in the Dispersion: Greetings.
- James 4:2 You lust, and don’t have. You murder and covet, and can’t obtain. You fight and make war. You don’t have, because you don’t ask.
- Daniel 6:20 When he came near to the den to Daniel, he cried with a troubled voice. The king spoke and said to Daniel, “Daniel, servant of the living God, is your God, whom you serve continually, able to deliver you from the lions?”
- Acts 23:9 A great clamor arose, and some of the scribes of the Pharisees’ part stood up, and contended, saying, “We find no evil in this man. But if a spirit or angel has spoken to him, let’s not fight against God!”
- Jude 1:3 Beloved, while I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I was constrained to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.
- 2 Chronicles 24:6 The king called for Jehoiada the chief, and said to him, “Why haven’t you required of the Levites to bring in the tax of Moses the servant of Yahweh, and of the assembly of Israel, out of Judah and out of Jerusalem, for the Tent of the Testimony?”
- Acts 15:2 Therefore when Paul and Barnabas had no small discord and discussion with them, they appointed Paul and Barnabas, and some others of them, to go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and elders about this question.
- 2 Corinthians 10:4 for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but mighty before God to the throwing down of strongholds,
- Galatians 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith,
- Titus 1:1 Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God’s chosen ones, and the knowledge of the truth which is according to godliness,
- Deuteronomy 34:5 So Moses the servant of Yahweh died there in the land of Moab, according to Yahweh’s word.
- John 6:52 The Jews therefore contended with one another, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?”
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this verse (19 sources)
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John Calvin 1540 · Public Domain 24 But the servant of the Lord must not…
24 But the servant of the Lord must not fight Paul’s argument is to this effect: “The servant of God must stand aloof from contentions; but foolish questions are contentions; therefore whoever desires to be a ‘servant of God,’ and to be accounted such, ought to shun them.” And if superfluous questions ought to be avoided on this single ground, that it is unseemly for a servant of God to fight, how impudently do they act, who have the open effrontery of claiming applause for raising incessant controversies? Let the theology of the Papists now come forth; what else will be found in it than the art of disputing and fighting? The more progress any man has made in it, the more unfit will he be for serving, Christ.
But gentle towards all, qualified for teaching When he bids the servant of Christ be “gentle,” he demands a virtue which is opposite to the disease of contentions. To the same purpose is what immediately follows, that he be διδακτικός, “qualified for teaching.” There will be no room for instruction, if he have not moderation and some equability of temper. What limit will be observed by a teacher, when he is warmed for fighting? The better a man is qualified for teaching, the more earnestly does he keep aloof from quarrels and disputes.
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Patient to the bad The importunity of some men may sometimes produce either irritation or weariness; and for that reason he adds, “bearing with them,” at the same time pointing out the reason why it is necessary; namely, because a godly teacher ought even to try whether it be possible for him to bring back to the right path obstinate and rebellious persons, which cannot be done without the exercise of gentleness.
John Calvin's Commentaries (1540-1563) — public domain. Text from the Calvin Translation Society English edition (1840s-50s) via the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (ccel.org). Calvin's coverage is partial (roughly two-thirds of the Bible); uncommented books and verses are honest gaps, never fabricated. The 19th-century editor's footnotes and remarks are omitted so the notes are faithfully Calvin's own voice.
Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain To win them through our patient bearing with them,…
To win them through our patient bearing with them, but not to please them or excuse them in their wickedness.
Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain 24 And the servant of the Lord must not…
24 And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient,
Ver. 24. Must not strive] μαχεσθαι, scold, wrangle, Ne rixando amittatur veritas, ut fere fit, lest by striving about the truth we utterly lose it. Facta est fides Evangeliorum, fides temporum, et cum fides una esse debeat, eo pene ventum est ut nulla sit. A sad complaint of Hilary. Erasmus observeth, that in the primitive times there were so many sects and heresies, and so much pretending to the truth by them all, that it was a witty thing to be a right believer. A late writer complaineth, that a Christian now is not the same thing as formerly. Our heads are so big (like children that have the rickets) that all the body fares the worse for it.
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Patient] Or, tolerant of evil, both persons and occurrences; he shall have his back-burden of both, and must both bear and forbear: {a} Taceo, Fero, Spero, I am silent, I endure, I hope, must be his motto, as it was Hyperius’.
{a} ανεξικακον. ανεχου και απεχου. sustine, abstine
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain He that is the servant of the Lord in…
He that is the servant of the Lord in the work of the ministry,
must not μαχεσθαι, fight or strive; he must neither be a striker nor a brawler, neither fight with his hands nor his tongue.
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But be gentle unto all men; but show himself to all courteous, of a soft temper, meek and gentle.
Apt to teach, patient: see the notes on 1Ti 3:2,3.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
William Burkitt 1703 · Public Domain By the servant of the Lord, we are here…
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.
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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.
William Burkitt's Expository Notes on the New Testament (1700–1703) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain And the servant of the Lord must not strive,....…
And the servant of the Lord must not strive,.... By "the servant of the Lord" is not meant any believer in common, but a minister of the word, as Timothy was; such an one ought not to strive about words to no profit, about mere words, and in a litigious, quarrelsome manner, and for mastery and not truth; though he may, and ought to strive for the faith of the Gospel; this is praiseworthy in him:
but be gentle unto all men; not only to troubled minds, and wounded consciences, by supplying them with the precious promises and truths of the Gospel; and to backsliders, by restoring them in a spirit of meekness; but even to those who contradict the truth, and themselves, by mild and kind instructions.
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Apt to teach, showing a willingness to instruct the ignorant and obstinate, and making use of abilities given for that purpose, notwithstanding all discouragements; for it follows,
patient, or "bearing evil"; not only the infirmities of weak brethren in the church, and the reproaches and persecutions of profane men in the world; but also the contradictions and oppositions of the adversaries of truth, so as not to be irritated and provoked, or to be discouraged, and desist from the defence of the Gospel.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain A servant of the Lord must not - Eagerly…
A servant of the Lord must not - Eagerly or passionately. Strive - As do the vain wranglers spoken of, verse 23. But be apt to teach - Chiefly by patience and unwearied assiduity.
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain Verse 24. The servant of the Lord must not…
Verse 24. The servant of the Lord must not strive] See on 1Ti 3:2; 1Ti 3:3.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain And the servant of the Lord - Referring here…
And the servant of the Lord - Referring here primarily to the Christian minister, but applicable to all Christians; for all profess to be the servants of the Lord.
Must not strive - He may calmly inquire after truth; he may discuss points of morals, or theology, if he will do it with a proper spirit; he may “contend earnestly for the faith once delivered to the saints” Jud 1:3; but he may not do that which is here mentioned as strife. The Greek word - μάχεσθαι machesthai - commonly denotes, “to fight, to make war, to contend.” In Joh 6:52; Act 7:26; 2Ti 2:24;, it is rendered “strove,” and “strive;” in Jam 4:2, “fight.” It is not elsewhere used in the New Testament. The meaning is, that the servant of Christ should be a man of peace. He should not indulge in the feelings which commonly give rise to contention, and which commonly characterize it. He should not struggle for mere victory, even when endeavoring to maintain truth; but should do this, in all cases, with a kind spirit, and a mild temper; with entire candor; with nothing designed to provoke and irritate an adversary; and so that, whatever may be the result of the discussion, “the bond of peace” may, if possible, be preserved; compare the notes at Rom 12:18.
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But be gentle unto all men; - see the notes at 1Th 2:7. The word rendered “gentle,” does not occur elsewhere in the New Testament. It means that the Christian minister is to be meek and mild toward all, not disputatious and quarrelsome.
Apt to teach; - see the notes at 1Ti 3:2.
Patient - Margin, “forbearing.” The Greek word here used does not elsewhere occur in the New Testament. It means, patient under evils and injuries. Robinson, Lexicon. Compare the Eph 4:2 note; Col 3:13 note.
Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary 1859 · Public Domain Fit to teach [9] and instruct others. (Witham)
Fit to teach [9] and instruct others. (Witham)
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[BIBLIOGRAPHY]
Docibilem, Greek: didaktikon. See 1 Timothy iii. 2. which is there translated doctorem, and it signifies one fit to teach.
George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown 1871 · Public Domain not strive--"The servant of the Lord" must imitate his…
not strive--"The servant of the Lord" must imitate his master in not striving contentiously, though uncompromising in earnestly contending for the faith (Jde 1:3; Mat 12:19).
gentle unto all men--"patient" (Greek, "patient in bearing wrongs") in respect to adversaries. He is to be gentle so that he may occasion no evils; patient so that he may endure evils.
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apt to teach--implying not only solid teaching and ease in teaching, but patience and assiduity in it [BENGEL].
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain 24. Servant of the Lord—Who serves or represents the…
24. Servant of the Lord—Who serves or represents the Lord’s side in the great discussion.
Strive—Our translators have consistently given the verb strive to correspond to strifes in the previous verse, but it fails to correspond in meaning because our English word strive, unlike its noun, is almost uniformly used in a good, or at least innocent, meaning. The word quarrel would, perhaps, serve in both places both as noun and verb. The Greek is, literally, fight, used in both cases with a malign sense.
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain 24. And the servant of the Lord] The conjunction…
24. And the servant of the Lord] The conjunction here is exactly parallel in its force to ‘and follow after’ in 2Ti_2:22. ‘The servant,’ not ‘a servant,’ the emphatic position of ‘servant’ at the beginning is best rendered by the definite article. ‘Servant,’ that is, ‘bondservant’ or ‘slave,’ the title by which St Paul frequently describes himself as ‘a minister of Christ.’ Cf. Tit_1:1.
gentle] The word only occurs in N.T. here and 1Th_2:7, denoting ‘an outward mildness and gentleness, especially in bearing with others,’ Ellicott; who connects it with one of the Greek roots for ‘speak,’ so that it would have originally meant ‘kind of speech.’
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apt to teach] See 1Ti_3:2.
patient] A compound adjective more exactly ‘patient of wrong,’ and so better forbearing. The first part of the word is the same as ‘tolerable’ in Luk_10:14.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain (24) And the servant of the Lord must not…
(24) And the servant of the Lord must not strive.—Although these directions and commandments in all cases belong to God’s servants of every degree and calling, yet some of them, as we should expect from the nature of the Epistle, peculiarly apply to Timothy and those like Timothy specially devoted to the ministry of the Word. And so here everything which is likely to be the cause of strife, heart-burning, or hot words, is, St. Paul urges, singularly out of place in the life of a servant of that Lord who fulfilled to the letter that Isaiah prophecy of Messiah, “He shall not strive, nor cry; neither shall any man hear His voice in the streets.” (See Mat_12:19-20.)
But be gentle unto all men.—Quiet and kind, not only to those belonging to the brotherhood of Christ, but, as is expressly mentioned, to all. It is noteworthy how, in these Pastoral Epistles—which contain, so to speak, the last general directions to believers in Jesus as to life as well as doctrine of perhaps the greatest of the inspired teachers—so many careful suggestions are given for the guidance of Christians in all their relations with the great heathen world. Conciliation may be termed the key-note of these directions. St. Paul would press upon Timothy and his successors the great truth that it was the Master’s will that the unnumbered peoples who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death should learn, by slow though sure degrees, how lovely and desirable a thing it was to be a Christian; should come at length to see clearly that Christ was, after all, the only lover and real friend of man.
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Apt to teach, patient.—The Greek word is better rendered by the forbearing of the margin than by “patient.” Patient of wrong, however, best gives the full force of the original. This is what the servant of God should really aim at being: the teacher rather than the controversialist—rather the patient endurer of wrong than the fomenter of dissensions and wordy strifes.
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain The Lords servant for the servant of the Lord,…
The Lords servant for the servant of the Lord, A.V; towards all for unto all men, A.V; forbearing for patient, A.V The Lord"s servant (doulon Kuriou). So St. Paul repeatedly describes himself (Rom_1:1; Gal_1:10; Php_1:1; Tit_1:1) as do also the apostles James, Peter, Jude, and John (Jam_1:1; 2Pe_1:1; Jud_1:1; Rev_1:1) The term seems, therefore, especially (though not exclusively, (Eph_6:6; 1Pe_2:16; Rev_19:2, 5 22:3) to describe those whose office it is to preach the gospel, either as apostles or as ministers. (Col_4:12) Must not strive (macesqai); a conclusive reason against engaging in those foolish and ignorant questionings which necessarily engender strife. Gentle (hpion); only here and in 1Th_2:7, where we see how St. Paul carried this precept into practice. A nurse does not meet the child"s waywardness by blows or threats, but by gentleness and love. It is a classical word. Apt to teach. (see 1Ti_3:2, note) Forbearing (ajnexikakon); only here in the New Testament, not found in the LXX, and only in late Greek. It means literally "bearing up against ill treatment," patiently enduring it.
The importance of ministers cultivating a peaceful and forbearing spirit.
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I THE TRUE TEMPER OF THE MINISTER OF CHRIST.
1. Negatively. "The servant of the Lord must not strive." This does not mean that
(1) he is not to contend earnestly for the faith; (Jud_1:4) but
(2) that he is not to fight about trifles, nor to argue with acerbity of temper, nor for mere victory. The "bond of peace" must be maintained in controversy.
2. Positively.
(1) "But be gentle unto all men;" cultivating a spirit of habitual conciliation, while using arguments of the greatest cogency.
(2) "Apt to teach;" showing capacity and disposition to instruct the ignorant and the obstinate.
(3) "Patient;" bearing with the infirmities of weak brethren, with the irritating oppositions of adversaries, and with the reproaches of evil men generally.
(4) "In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves" to the truth as it is in Jesus, thwarting or perverting the gospel. The minister must be ready to instruct such persons in a meek and humble spirit, because they may be ignorant, or ill-informed, or deeply prejudiced from the circumstances of their early training.
II THE BENEFITS THAT WILL ACCRUE FROM SUCH METHODS OF INSTRUCTION. "If God peradventure will give them repentance unto the knowledge of the truth, and they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by the Lord"s servant unto the will of God.
1. A meek and gentle address may bring such errorists to repent of their sin and accept the true doctrine of faith. It is possible to repel them by our harsh reproaches. We ought rather to show them the truth without passion, and enforce it with all the kindly urgency of true affection. The necessity of repentance in such a case marks the essentially sinful character of opposition to the truth.
2. The servant of the Lord may be the means of recovering out of error as well as sin.
(1) Error is the devil"s snare as well as sin, for it leads downwards to sin. It acts like a stupefying drink.
(2) Some errorists awake out of their intellectual intoxication, if they are wisely dealt with, and open their eyes to the blessed truth of the gospel.
(3) The will of God once established in such hearts, as the guiding principle of life, completes the recovery from error. T.C.
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Biblical Illustrator 1887 · Public Domain The servant of the Lord must not strive, but…
2Ti_2:24
The servant of the Lord must not strive, but be gentle.
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Conciliation
It is noteworthy how, in these Pastoral Epistles--which contain, so to speak, the last general directions to believers in Jesus as to life, as well as doctrine of, perhaps, the greatest of the inspired teachers--so many careful suggestions are given for the guidance of Christians in all their relations with the great heathen world. Conciliation may be termed the key-note of these directions. St. Paul would press upon Timothy and his successors the great truth that it was the Masters will that the unnumbered people who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death should learn, by slow though sure degrees, how lovely and desirable a thing it was to be a Christian; should come at length to see clearly that Christ was, after all, the only lover and real friend of man. (H. D. M. Spence, M. A.)
Gentleness becometh a minister
He must not be a fighter, quarreller; but meek, quiet, easy to be entreated: for such are fathers, nurses, surgeons, physicians. Oh, how much pity, tenderness of affection is required of them! Lambs, sucking babes, bones out of joints, stand in need of a gentle heart and finger to feed, nourish, and rightly to place them. To be fierce, cruel, outrageous, better befits a dog than a shepherd. (J. Barlow, D. D.)
True spirit of reform
The temper and deportment recommended by St. Paul in the text to those who undertake to serve God in the instruction of man, or in advancing any reformation, approve themselves to our sober judgment as best suited to the work in view, and alone conformable to the example and precepts of our blessed Saviour. But then we look back upon the history of the Church, which is in great part an history of ignorance and instruction, of corruptions and reformations, and we find that among the most prominent of the servants of the Lord, among the most remarkable leaders in religious progress, were those who, though apt to teach were also very apt to strive, and so far from being patterns of gentleness, patience and meekness, were rather remarkable for qualities of an opposite description, for rudeness, for hastiness, and for intemperance of language and action. We ask, whether, considering the task which these men assumed, the obstacles which they were obliged to contend with, and the success which rewarded their efforts, they were not, after all, the right kind of men for the work and for the time; whether their severe and even martial characteristics were not necessary to the accomplishment of their purpose; and whether a different kind of men, of more peaceful sentiments, and moderate designs and measures, would have made any head at all against the torrent of sin and error which they might endeavour to stem. We think of Luther, of Calvin of Knox--fiery, arbitrary, and often abusive men. But were they more so than they ought to have been? Here is the gospel rule on the one side, and here, on the other, are these impressive facts. Now, in few of these facts, must not the gospel rule admit of exception and modification? If this has at any time been my opinion, longer reflection has induced me to renounce it; and I am now convinced that truth never requires the sacrifice of love, that wrath and violence are never necessary to reforms, that the cause of Christianity is never really advanced by the operations of an unchristian spirit. Do i then undertake to say, that what we have been accustomed to call reformations are not reformations, and that the leaders of them do not deserve the name of reformers, which has so long been awarded them? I say no such thing. But I do venture to affirm, that these reformations would have been attended with less suffering and evil, and would have been more extensive than they were, if the reformers had manifested more of the Christian spirit than they did. I would attribute the success of those reformers whom I have already named, such as it was, and it surely was great, not to their failings but to their excellences, not to their vices but their virtues. They possessed in great perfection the energetic virtues: through the force of these virtues, and the force of truth, they succeeded as they did. Their bitterness, their fierceness, did not promote, but on the contrary impeded, the progress of the truths for which they contended. A Christian reform cannot be caused or aided by a spirit which the law of Christ expressly and utterly condemns. The real causes which bring it about are of another character.
1. There is, in the first place, the obviousness of the corruptions which the reformer would abolish, and which the pure and honest portion of society, when their eyes are opened, will unite in abolishing.
2. There is, in the second place, the equal obviousness of some good, which the reformer distinctly presents as an end, and which the well-disposed will assist him to establish.
3. There is, in the third place, the real virtue which the reformer manifests in the exhibition and accomplishment of his purpose.
4. In the fourth place, there is the vast amount of noble enthusiasm which is excited by the prospect of enormous corruptions on the one hand, and of great improvements and blessings on the other, and which enlists itself on the reformers side.
5. And, to go no further in the enumeration, there is the help of God, which is always bestowed upon those who, with whatever imperfections, are labouring to accomplish a high and worthy object. I find that my opinion is supported by an authority which, on such a subject, is entitled to more than common weight. I know, says the reformer John Wesley, speaking of the reformer John Knox, and of that fierce and barbarous spirit of his followers, which demolished the finest architecture of Scotland, I know it is commonly said, the work to be done needed such a spirit. Not so; the work of God does not, cannot need the work of the devil to forward it. And a calm, even spirit goes through rough work far better than a furious one. Although, therefore, God did use at the time of the Reformation sour, overbearing, passionate men, yet He did not use them because they were such, bat notwithstanding they were so. And there is no doubt He would have used them much more, had they been of a humbler and milder spirit. Instances, in sufficient number, might be mentioned beside that of Wesley, of men who, charged with an important message, and meeting with rude and cruel opposition in delivering it, have still delivered it with a kind and loving, and withal a steady voice, and who have been heard and obeyed at last, when opposers grew ashamed of their own ferocity, and sank into quietness from the want of exasperation. But if there were no such instances, I see not what is to forbid our pointing to the Great Redeemer, and requiring that all who work in His name should work with His spirit; and moreover asserting that whatever contradictions of this spirit are manifested by them are to be counted, not among their excellences, nor among qualities which are necessary to their success, but among their defects, and defects which their cause, if a Christian cause, might easily have spared. (F. W. P. Greenwood, D. D.)
Gentleness
It is a suggestive fact that the dove, which is regarded as the emblem of gentleness, has no gall-bladder. (H. O. Mackey.)
Power of gentleness
St. Anselm was a monk in the Abbey of Bec, in Normandy, and upon Lanfrancs removal, became his successor as director. No teacher ever threw a greater spirit of love into his toil. Force your scholars to improve? he burst out to another teacher who relied on blows and compulsion. Did you ever see a craftsman fashion a fair image out of a golden plate by blows alone? Does he not now gently press it and strike it with his tools; now with wise art, yet more gently raise and shape it. What do your scholars turn into under this ceaseless beating? They turn only brutal, was the reply. You have bad luck, was the keen answer, in a training that only turns men into beasts. The worst natures softened before this tenderness and patience. Even the Conqueror, so harsh and terrible to others, became another man, generous and easy of speech, with Anselm. (H. O. Mackey.)
The quietness of Christ
One feature of Christs teaching which St. Matthew notices, is the quietness in dealing with those by whom it was misunderstood. There was no fighting, no contention of words, no hot disputing, where it could be avoided, but retirement. So we are told that when the Pharisees held a council against Him, how they might destroy Him, He withdrew Himself fulfilling, St. Matthew Sells us, the old words, He shall not strive nor cry, neither shall any man hear His voice in the streets. I must, however, draw your attention to yet one more feature, His teaching was positive, not negative. There was much in the religion of the day that was so small, contemptible, and even base, that it might have seemed right and wise to pull down first and then build. But He, by His actions and His words, was constantly justifying His express statement that He came not to destroy, but to fulfil. So far from fulminating against the dead formality of the temple worship, He tried to make it better by purging it and infusing fresh life into it. His life and words were a continual filling in with a new spirit all that was good and helpful. Where He could transform He would never discard. Could we catch something of His spirit by retiring from, instead of fighting with, determined enemies, by transforming instead of discarding, how helpful our service of man in this respect would be! (Prof. G. H. S. Walpole.)
Christian gentleness
I remember to-day two masters I was under at school. One was a huge, burly fellow, with a sharp, unkind word, and a sharper punishment for every boy, big or little, who was guilty of an omission or a fault: and every lad, little or big in the school, hated him, and longed for the time when they would see him no more. The other was by no means a weakling, for he was a splendid fellow in the cricket-field; but he was as gentle as a child. And the roughest and wildest lads, who would have scorned to allow their faces to tell what they suffered under a cruel beating from the first, used to dread a quiet five minutes talk with the second master, who in a sweet low voice always used to begin with my dear boy. Few lads left the presence of that second master without having felt unable to repress the rising tears, and without a noble resolve to be better for the sake of the Christian gentleness with which the folly or the fault had been dealt with. (J. Bowker.)
Kind words
Kind words never blister the tongue or lips, and we never hear of any mental trouble arising from this quarter. Though they do not cost much, yet they accomplish much. They help ones own good nature and good will. Soft words soften our own soul; angry words are fuel to the flame of wrath, and make it burn more fiercely. Kind words make other people good-natured. Cold words freeze people, and hot words scorch them; and bitter words make them bitter, and wrathful words make them wrathful. There are such a number of other kinds of words, that we ought occasionally to make use of kind words. There are vain words, and idle words, and silly words, and hasty words, and empty words, and profane words, and boisterous words, and war-like words. But kind words soothe and comfort the hearer; they shame him out of his sour, morose, unkind feelings. We have not yet begun to use kind words in such abundance as they ought to be used. (Pascal.)
Scholars to be considered rather than subjects
If teachers could be convinced that every lesson in which a child, however it has increased its knowledge, has increased its dislike for knowledge, is a lesson worse than lost, then they would consider not only how subjects ought to be treated, but pupils. There are many who do great justice to their subjects, while they do great injustice to their pupils. The nature of the one is understood, but not the nature of the other. (Sunday School Teacher.)
Patient
(see Wis_2:19.)--Endurance of malicious detraction is one of the victories of grace. (H. R. Reynolds, D. D.)
Teaching better than controversy
This is what the servant of God should really aim at being: the teacher rather than the controversialist--rather the patient endurer of wrong than the fomenter of dissentions and wordy strifes. (H. D. M Spence, M. A.)
Impatience
Antony, the hermit, heard praise of a certain brother; but when he tested him he found that he was impatient under injury. Quoth Antony, Thou art like a house which has a gay porch, but is broken into by thieves through the back door. (C. Kingsley.)
Provocation wisely used
The oyster, when it is feeding, lies with its shell open a little way, so that the water may flow through it; and when any of the very little insects and animals on which it feeds comes floating in with the water, the oyster opens its mouth and swallows them. But it sometimes happens that things float in which the oyster does not want, and which it cannot swallow or eat. When it is lying quietly in the sunshine, and enjoying its meal, a little grain of sand may come inside the shell, so small that you and I could scarcely see it, but so hard and sharp, that if it gets under the oysters soft, tender body, it would irritate and pain it. What does the oyster do? It has no hands to catch hold of it and throw it out. Well, it does not, as we should say, get into a passion, and knock itself about the shell; no, it lies quite still, and with some of that beautiful, white, smooth, glossy matter, with which it has lined the inside of its shell, it covers the sand all over, and so makes it smooth too. And more than that, when the oyster is caught, and its shell is opened, if one of these small round beads is found, it is taken out and called a pearl, and sometimes makes a very valuable and handsome ornament. So provocation should be the occasion of developing the pearl of patience.
The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
B. W. Johnson 1891 · Public Domain 24. The servant of the Lord must not strive.…
24. The servant of the Lord must not strive. Hence, should not engage in these profitless discussions.
B. W. Johnson's The People's New Testament with Notes (1889–1891) — public domain. Electronic text from the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (CCEL) ThML edition.
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 in meekness
in meekness
"meekly" or "gently"
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educate those
"teach those" or "correct those"
God may perhaps give them repentance
Paul speaks of repentance as if it were an object that God could give people. AT: "God may give them the opportunity to repent" (See: Metaphor)
for the knowledge of the truth
"so that they will know the truth"
They may become sober again
Paul speaks of sinners learning to think correctly about God as if they were drunk people becoming sober again. AT: "They may think correctly again" (See: Metaphor)
leave the devil's trap
Paul speaks of the devil's ability to convince Christians to sin as if it were a trap. AT: "stop doing what the devil wants" (See: Metaphor)
after they have been captured by him for his will
Convincing Christians to sin is spoken of as if the devil had physically captured them and made them his slaves. This can be stated in active form. AT: "after he has deceived them into obeying his will" (See: Metaphor and Active or Passive)
translationWords
lord
servant
teach
patient
meek
God
repent
know
true
Satan
snare
unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.
Tyndale Open Study Notes 2022 · CC BY-SA 4.0 2:24 A servant of the Lord: See Titus 1:1;…
2:24 A servant of the Lord: See Titus 1:1; cp. Isa 42:1-2; 50:6; 53:7; Matt 12:14-21. • be able to teach, and be patient: See 1 Tim 3:2-3; Titus 3:2.
Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.