Righteous Objections

2 Timothy 2:23-26
(23) Have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant controversies; you know that they breed quarrels.
(24) And the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil,
(25) correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth,
(26) and they may escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.

Being in seminary I tend to get into a lot of discussions about the finer points of theology. We all agree on most of the main stuff, but there are some nuances on which we disagree. I think that the discussions have some value in that they help us to refine our own thinking. These are likely not issues that many in a typical congregation would ask about, but they are things that most pastors need to find a place to land.

What I wonder is how we marry verse 23 with the rest of this passage. How do we define what makes a controversy foolish and ignorant? If the ancient church didn't deal with Arius then the Jehovah's Witnesses would not be considered aberrant in their theology. If they didn't deal with Pelagius then the atonement as we understand it would be severely compromised.

This passage would seem to forbid disagreements were it not for verse 25. Here we see the need for correction sometimes. However, we must do it with gentleness. This is a point often lost on many of the blogs out there. And, given the severity of the language in verses 25 and 26, it would seem that these public disagreements should really be about issues regarding salvation.

I want to defend the gospel passionately and publicly. However, I also don't want to be seen as quarrelsome, which is an accusation my mom and stepdad recently leveled at me. Yet if the gospel is at stake then I think this passage tells us that there should be a fight. How would it be love to do any less?