2 Timothy 2:25

in gentleness correcting those who oppose him: perhaps God may give them repentance leading to a full knowledge of the truth,

World English Bible
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Other translations

WEBBE

in gentleness correcting those who oppose him. Perhaps God may give them repentance leading to a full knowledge of the truth,

BSB

He must gently reprove those who oppose him, in the hope that God may grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth.

KJV

In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth;

ASV

in meekness correcting them that oppose themselves; if peradventure God may give them repentance unto the knowledge of the truth,

Original Greek

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The early church

"In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves." For he that teaches must be especially careful to do it with meekness. For a soul that wishes to learn cannot gain any useful instruction from harshness and contention. For when it would apply, being thus thrown into perplexity, it will learn nothing. He who would gain any useful knowledge ought above all things to be well disposed towards his teacher, and if this be not previously attained, nothing that is requisite or useful can be accomplished. And no one can be well disposed towards him who is violent and overbearing. How is it then that he says, "A man that is an heretic, after the first and second admonition, reject"? He speaks there of one incorrigible, of one whom he knows to be diseased beyond the possibility of cure. "If God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth." What he says amounts to this. Perhaps there will be a reformation. Perhaps! for it is uncertain. So that we ought to withdraw only from those, of whom we can show plainly, and concerning whom we are fully persuaded, that whatever be done, they will not be reformed. "In meekness," he says. In this temper, you see, we ought to address ourselves to those who are willing to learn, and never cease from conversing with them till we have come to the demonstration.
John Chrysostom · d. 407Homilies on 2 Timothy

Commentary

Matthew Henry · Verses 22–26

The more we follow that which is good, the faster and the further we shall flee from that which is evil. The keeping up the communion of saints, will take us from fellowship with unfruitful works of darkness. See how often the apostle cautions against disputes in religion; which surely shows that religion consists more in believing and practising what God requires, than in subtle disputes. Those are unapt to teach, who are apt to strive, and are fierce and froward. Teaching, not persecution, is the Scripture method of dealing with those in error. The same God who gives the discovery of the truth, by his grace brings us to acknowledge it, otherwise our hearts would continue to rebel against it. There is no "peradventure," in respect of God's pardoning those who do repent; but we cannot tell that he will give repentance to those who oppose his will. Sinners are taken in a snare, and in the worst snare, because it is the devil's; they are slaves to him. And if any long for deliverance, let them remember they never can escape, except by repentance, which is the gift of God; and we must ask it of him by earnest, persevering prayer.

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Cross-references

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Topics

Cross-references: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. Hebrew and Greek data from STEPBible.org (Tyndale House, Cambridge), CC BY 4.0. Library: sources.