This letter we have under our consideration this afternoon is one of two letters that Paul wrote to his young protege in the faith, Timothy. And we see at the beginning of 1 Timothy that Paul left Timothy in Ephesus because Timothy needed to address a church that was embroiled in conflict. In our text today, Paul's warning and his instructions to Timothy are clear. Timothy is to flee. to run away from strivings, conflicts, and quarrels that are just springing up all around in the ministry at Ephesus. And I think this idea is clearly communicated to us in one of the central verses of this passage, verse 24. And the servant of the Lord must not strive. The word here for strive could also be translated to fight and to quarrel. And in our time for this afternoon, as those gathered for the sacred purpose of preparing and considering gospel ministry, I want us to address a very common temptation that you will one day face in ministry. And that is the temptation to fight and to quarrel wherever the Lord leads you. And so this afternoon I want us to consider three points for diagnosing and avoiding a quarrelsome ministry. First, I think we see in our text that a quarrelsome ministry is first and foremost a fleshly ministry. And in order to understand Paul's instructions in our text, I think we need to remember the conflict that is occurring in Ephesus. Because according to Paul's words to Timothy, we can know that conflict is occurring on several fronts. First, we know that the church in Ephesus is facing conflict over doctrine and false teaching. At the beginning of 1 Timothy, Paul reminds Timothy why he left them there. That according to Paul, there were certain persons who were bringing disunity and disorder to the church there, and even upsetting the faith of some. And so Paul explicitly tells Timothy to stop certain people from spreading certain doctrines. So first, there's the problem of false doctrine, but second, there is the problem of disorder. Across 1 and 2 Timothy, we see that the church in Ephesus is facing both personal disorder, as members are caught in sin and living lives away from the truth, but also there is corporate disorder. In 1 Timothy 3, verse 15, Paul instructs Timothy how the church ought to behave as they gather for worship. And then third, we see that the church at Ephesus is conflicted because, as you know, 1 and 2 Timothy, some people are unhappy that Paul left the young Timothy in charge at Ephesus. So within this context, it's important for us to ask a central question. What exactly is Paul's charge here to Timothy in our passage when Paul says that Timothy must not strive I think in not striving, it's important to say that Paul is not expecting Timothy to sit on his hands at Ephesus. I mean, clearly Timothy as a pastor and as a shepherd must do things that from an external perspective may look actually like quarreling and conflict. Timothy must stand up and tell certain people to stop teaching. Timothy must address disagreement within the church. Timothy must use the scriptures to reprove and to tell certain people to change how they're living their lives and leading others astray. So while on the one sense, it may seem peaceful for Timothy to leave these situations alone, Timothy is actually serving the health of the church by confronting the sin and the disorder that is within the church. And so if these things are true, we need to ask again, what is the main concern that Paul has in our text? I think that Paul's main concern is that as Timothy is ministering in Ephesus, that his ministry runs the risk of being hijacked by the remaining sin that is within his own heart. And looking down at our text, if you look at verse 22, Paul begins with this clear instruction for Timothy to flee youthful lusts. Here, Paul is using this concept of youthfulness to communicate the idea of rashness. or impulsiveness, such as, as we know, the proverbial young person whose energy and passions lead him into unexpected trouble. But it's important to say that Paul is addressing more than the age of just, more than the issue of just youth in Timothy, because the word for youthfulness is qualifying a more important word, and a word that is more dangerous in the ministry. Look down at verse 22. Flee also youthful lusts. And while we may think often of lust referring to sexual immorality, the word translated here for lust is often used by Paul to reference the fruit of the flesh, or our fallen, remaining, sinful nature, and the fruit that it continues to bear in our lives. In Galatians 5.16, Paul tells the Galatians to walk in the spirit and to not satisfy the lusts and desires of the flesh. Then Paul, later in Galatians 5, continues to list all of the various fruits of the lusts of the flesh, including things such as hatred, wrath, and strife. I think we see also in our text that Paul is concerned about Timothy's spiritual maturity because Paul seems to contrast this path in verse 22 towards youthful lusts with another path, the path of life in the spirit. Verse 22 continuing, but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart. Continuing this idea of spiritual maturity and ministry later in verse 24, after challenging Timothy to avoid this fighting and strife, Paul commands his son to do what? To be gentle unto all men and to teach others with meekness. One of the core fruits of the Spirit also found in Galatians chapter 5. Friends, Paul knows that Timothy has a monumental task in front of him at the church of Ephesus. But Paul also knows that the greatest threat to Timothy's ministry in that church was not the problems that were awaiting him there. Rather, the problems that Timothy was going to most confront first and foremost was the sin that he was smuggling in with him into the church that continued to remain in his own heart. The sinful heart responds very uniquely to situations of conflict, doesn't it? When conflict emerges in the church, it is so easy to take things personally, to let our hold on our tongue slip, to be frustrated when things do not go our way. Or even to allow the disordered desires in our heart, as James says in chapter four, to lead to fight and quarreling. So the minister is first and foremost trying to get what he wants, not what the Lord wants. And as Paul is clear in this text, Timothy's responses to what's happening in Ephesus should not be situationally dependent. As in, I am happy with those who are happy to me and treat me well, and I'm angry with others. Rather, not situationally dependent, but spiritually dependent, being patient and gentle with all, period. So friend, let me ask you, are you personally aware of the dangers that your own heart will play one day in your ministry? How do you handle conflict? Are you gentle with those who disagree with you? Would people describe you as meek? In your journey that's led you up to this point, as you think about coming to Christ, entering the church, pursuing ministry, and enrolling at an institution such as this one, has anyone ever challenged you to examine your heart for evidence of anger and bitterness? Has anyone ever warned you of the dangers of quarrelsomeness? For as Paul clearly says in our text, the servant of the Lord must not strive. Why? Because a quarrelsome ministry is a fleshly ministry. Paul continues in our text to help us diagnose a quarrelsome ministry with a second point. A quarrelsome ministry misunderstands biblical doctrine. And while we can draw many applications from our text, in warnings against quarrelsomeness generally, I do think it's important to remember that our section of 2 Timothy is addressing a specific concern at Ephesus. Paul is specifically addressing quarrels and conflicts over biblical doctrine and false teaching. And in 2 Timothy 2, verse 17, Paul actually brings this issue to Timothy's attention in a somewhat dramatic way, because Paul calls out two individuals by name. And he calls them out for leading the church into error. And here's the error. These men are going around and saying that the resurrection has already happened. Most likely these two men were spreading the lie that the resurrection of Christ was merely a spiritual resurrection. Therefore, if the resurrection has already come, and the Christians believe that they are already living in the full benefits of the resurrection, then how they lived in their bodies no longer mattered. And this is a slippery slope to all sorts of immorality within the church. That is why Paul warns Timothy in 2 Timothy 2.16, to shun profane and vain babbling in Ephelus. Because this foolish talk, Paul says, leads to ungodliness. And according to Paul in chapter two, verse 18, this situation is so severe that some Christians are even departing the faith. And Paul again returns to the issue of biblical teaching in verse 23. Core to verse 23 is Paul reminding Timothy of the importance of rightly handling the scriptures in biblical doctrine. In this verse, Paul actually tells Timothy, it is not your job to answer every single question nor engage in every single debate that's happening at Ephesus. Rather, verse 23, Timothy must avoid foolish and unlearned questions. The word for unlearned in verse 23 is translated from the Greek word that also would have been used to reference schooling or the training of children. And Paul's words reveal to us the importance of the minister's handling of the Word of God, as well as the importance of theology. Because theology, as we are all here to study in one way or another, allows us to recognize that the truths contained in the Scriptures have a divinely instituted order. Biblical doctrines fit together in a certain way that reflect God's wisdom, his truthfulness, as well as his character. That's why in 2 Timothy 2 15, Paul tells Timothy to study, to show thyself approved to God as one skilled in rightfully handling the Word of God. And if importantly, it is possible to rightly handle the word of truth, then it's also possible to wrongly handle the word of truth. And foolish and unlearned questions, I think at their core, are questions that are unaware of the divine logic of the scriptures. And that is why if you look down at verse 24, Paul says that the minister of the gospel must be apt to teach He must be able to understand Scripture and theology, and then be able to present those truths in a way that is coherent and easy to understand by those within the church. Now, I don't think here, though, we should take verse 23 and use it as a justification for ignoring the legitimate questions of young believers concerning the Bible. But rather, I think Paul is giving Timothy an important spiritual litmus test for discerning between productive conversations about the Bible and theology, as well as unproductive ones. Returning to verse 16 of chapter 2, Paul tells Timothy to avoid vain babbling. Why? Because it leads to ungodliness. In 2 Timothy 2.23, Paul tells Timothy to avoid foolish and unlearned questions. Why? Because they give birth to strife and conflict. Therefore, there is an easy way to discern the nature of a conversation. Does this conversation lead towards godliness? Or is the result of this conversation ungodliness, conflict and strife? According to 2 Timothy 2, sorry 3, 16-17, the scriptures were given to humanity for our spiritual profit. For doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction. And why? That the man of God may be perfect and have everything that they need for every good work. Therefore, in another way, the goal of biblical teaching is godliness. And the danger of a quarrelsome ministry is that if doctrine just ends up in the head, or if doctrines become imbalanced, you will find yourself drifting into quarrels and controversies that long lost any sense of purpose and profitability. Friend, if someone were to analyze how you handle biblical truth in scripture, Would it be evident to those around you that you are allowing scripture to produce fruits such as love, righteousness, charity, grace, godliness in your life? Or does your engagement with scripture result in criticalness, judgmentalism? In other words, does it produce strife and conflict? Friend, if you see a pattern of conflict, or the result of your engagement with Scripture is a critical spirit, be warned. Because the quarrelsome ministry is a sign that the minister misunderstands biblical doctrine. For our third and final point in diagnosing a quarrelsome ministry, Paul reminds Timothy, and he reminds us, that a quarrelsome ministry departs from Christ. Looking down at verse 25 and 26, Paul begins to pull back the curtains, in a sense, and shows us the spiritual damage of a quarrelsome ministry. And in these verses, Paul confronts a very common misunderstanding about ministry. Because it's far too easy for us to act like the only barrier that's stopping people from coming to Christ is merely intellectual. If I'm just persuasive enough, if I just have the right argument, if I'm clear enough, if I'm compelling enough, they're gonna come to my side. In verse 26, Paul reveals to us, though, that at its root, doctrinal error is always first and foremost a spiritual issue. Friends, why are people outside of the church and those within the church rejecting the truth and holding fast to lives? Verse 16. that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil." Friends, those who are in error are in the snare of the evil one and have been captured by him to do his will. In 2 Corinthians 4, Paul makes this point pointedly and reveals that the demonic control of those who are kept in doctrinal error, writing that the God of this world has blinded the minds of those who do not believe the gospel of Jesus Christ. And these verses reveal to us a very sober truth, that our opponents are not gonna be convinced first and foremost by our persuasiveness, our clarity, and definitely not our quarrelsomeness, but rather verse 25. that it is God that grants them repentance to the knowledge of the truth. Friends, the scriptures uphold this critically important truth for Christian ministry, that the saving and keeping of sinners is first and foremost the work of God, not the minister. Even look back at verse 24. Who is it that must not strive and quarrel in ministry? The servant of the Lord. The Lord Jesus Christ is the one who saves sinners. The Lord Jesus Christ is the one who calls people to himself. The Lord Jesus Christ is the great shepherd, ruler, and teacher of the church. Friend, if you desire to serve the Lord in ministry, you must first and foremost remember that you are a servant of Christ. That is why we are called to be gentle to all men. That is why we are called to teach and instruct others. That is why we are patient with those who oppose the truth, with meekness and gentleness, because we are called to be faithful witnesses of God's love towards disobedient sinners while we wait and pray for God to bring them to repentance. And if we fail to represent Christ, If we strive and quarrel with those who oppose us, then friend, are we not drifting from Christ and his ministry? I think if we look at ourselves in this passage, the thing we can appreciate is that Paul has a very high standard for the calling of the Christian minister. And truly, as Paul writes elsewhere, we can ask the question, who is sufficient for these things? But I believe that Paul's words also provide comfort for those who are in ministry. Because we know that for all of those who are called to rightly handle the word of truth, that there was a time when each of us first needed to be brought to repentance and first needed to be brought out of darkness into light. In other words, God does not call perfect Christians into ministry, but those who daily need the grace of God and to be reminded of the gospel. In other words, friends, God is not looking for saviors. He's looking for servants. And the times when we give in to the temptation to quarrel in ministry reveals that you and I still need the sanctifying work of the Spirit to push back the spiritual darkness and blindness that still resides within our own hearts. Friend, there will be many temptations for you to fight and quarrel wherever the Lord leads you in ministry. And that is why, if you are to be the servant of the Lord, and are not to strive with man, you must first and foremost remember that you are a servant of Christ. And you must hold fast to him. So servant of Christ, stay close to your shepherd. Flee youthful lusts. Follow his example. Submit to his yoke and his rod and allow Christ to lead you away from a quarrelsome ministry. Let's pray. Father, we thank you for the clear revelation of your word. May we take it seriously. May we take the call to ministry seriously. May we take the stakes seriously. Thank you for the grace. That everything that we may do that is a profit is first and foremost of you. And for the times that we are tempted to drift, for the times we are tempted to quarrel, please draw us back. And may you hold us in all that you lead us. May you confirm your word among your people and apply it to our hearts. In Christ's name, amen.