Tue 02Jun2009: 2Timothy 14 - 18, 23 RBV
But keep away from those godless, empty discussions, for they lead people further on into godlessness. v16
I read this portion of 2Timothy while travelling back on board a shuttle train last Sunday morning from KL Central to the Kampar station. The journey was monotonous and I've had little sleep the night before on my way back from Tanjung Pagar Singapore.
Suddenly, I was startled by those words in verse 16, that we should keep away from empty discussions. Godless, empty discussions, Paul wrote. And they lead people further away from God, and deeper into godlessness.
A short while later, a similar but sharper warning caught my attention again. It's verse 23,
Decline those foolish, stupid speculations, as you know they breed quarrels.
While empty discussions lead us into godlessness, stupid speculations brings us quarrels.
Christians, beware of these kinds of idle chatter. They make us into godless and quarrelsome people. Let us stay away from empty discussions and decline stupid speculations.
