From which
some having swerved - Margin, “not aiming
at.” The word here used - ἀστοχέω astocheō -
means properly, to miss the mark; to err; and then,
to swerve from compare 1Timothy 6:21; 2Timothy 2:18.
It does not mean that they had ever had that from
which they are said to have swerved - for it does
not follow that a man who misses a mark had ever hit
it - but merely that they failed of the things
referred to, and had turned to vain talk. The word
“which” ὧν hōn, in the plural, refers not to the
law, but to the things enumerated - a pure heart, a
good conscience, and unfeigned faith.
~Barnes Notes
1 Timothy 6:21
Which some professing have erred concerning
the faith. Grace be with thee. Amen.
2 Timothy 2:18
Who concerning the truth have erred, saying
that the resurrection is past already; and
overthrow the faith of some.
And overthrow the
faith of some - That is, on this
point, and as would appear on all the
correlative subjects of Christian belief;
compare 1 Timothy 1:19-20.
1 Timothy 1:19-20
19 Holding faith, and a good conscience;
which some having put away concerning faith
have made shipwreck:
20 Of whom is Hymenaeus and Alexander; whom
I have delivered unto Satan, that they may
learn not to blaspheme.
~Barnes Notes |
Now from the John Gill commentary..
From which some having swerved
- The apostle, in this verse and the next, describes
the persons he suspected of teaching other
doctrines, and of introducing fables and endless
genealogies; they were such who departed from the
above things; they erred from the commandment, or
law, notwithstanding their great pretensions to a
regard unto it; at least they missed the mark, the
end and design of it; they went astray from that,
and instead of promoting charity or love, created
feuds, contentions, and divisions in the churches;
and were far from having a pure heart, being filthy
dreamers, and sensual persons, destitute of the
Spirit of God, and were such who put away a good
conscience, and made shipwreck of faith: such were
Hymenaeus, Philetus, Alexander, and others, of whom
he also says, they [have
turned aside to vain jangling].
~John Gill
Regarding the phrase in the above
commentary, "sensual persons": meaning
being physical rather than spiritual or
spiritually intellectual by power of the
Holy Spirit. The next phrase in the
commentary is, "destitute of the Spirit of
God." Notice two verses:
James 3:15
This wisdom descendeth not from above, but
is earthly, sensual, devilish.
Jude 1:19
These be they who separate themselves,
sensual, having not the Spirit.
Let us look at James 3:15 in context by
reading there again in scripture from verse
10:
James 3:10-18
10 Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing
and cursing. My brethren, these things ought
not so to be.
11 Doth a fountain send forth at the same
place sweet water and bitter?
12 Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive
berries? either a vine, figs? so can no
fountain both yield salt water and fresh.
13 Who is a wise man and endued with
knowledge among you? let him shew out of a
good conversation his works with meekness of
wisdom.
14 But if ye have bitter envying and strife
in your hearts, glory not, and lie not
against the truth.
15 This wisdom descendeth not from above,
but is earthly, sensual, devilish.
16 For where envying and strife is, there is
confusion and every evil work.
17 But the wisdom that is from above is
first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy
to be intreated, full of mercy and good
fruits, without partiality, and without
hypocrisy.
18 And the fruit of righteousness is sown in
peace of them that make peace.
Not only is this speaking to Matthew 7:16-20
on how to identify true ministers but also
to identify how and why God's true church
does not always operate in true harmony.
At best, some are not focusing on the power
of the Holy Spirit and at worst, we have
some in the congregation who either never
had it or have quenched it and fallen away.
Now notice the commentary on Jude 1:19:
having not the Spirit
- though they might have some external gifts
of the Spirit, they were not under its
influence, nor did they feel the operations
of God's grace, nor had they communion with
Him: hence they appeared to be none of
Christ's, nor could they claim interest in
Him, and were without life, and so could not
persevere. ~edited
text from the John Gill commentary |
Now the second part of 1 Timothy 1:6
Have turned aside unto vain
jangling - Vain talk, empty declamation,
discourses without sense. The word here used does
not mean contention or strife, but that kind of
discourse which is not founded in good sense. They
were discourses on their pretended distinctions in
the law; on their traditions and ceremonies; on
their useless genealogies, and on the fabulous
statements which they had appended to the law of
Moses.
~ Barnes Notes
I want to pause here and address the
first part of this phrase, "Have turned aside":
From Robertson's Word Pictures:
Have turned aside (exetrapēsan) - Second aorist
[expressing action without indicating its completion
or continuation] passive indicative of ektrepō, old
and common verb, to turn or twist out or aside. In
medical sense in Hebrews 12:13. As metaphor in 1
Timothy 1:6; 1 Timothy 6:20; 2 Timothy 4:4.
Hebrews 12:6-13
6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth,
and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.
7 If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with
you as with sons; for what son is he whom
the father chasteneth not?
8 But if ye be without chastisement, whereof
all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and
not sons.
9 Furthermore we have had fathers of our
flesh which corrected us, and we gave them
reverence: shall we not much rather be in
subjection unto the Father of spirits, and
live?
10 For they verily for a few days chastened
us after their own pleasure; but he for our
profit, that we might be partakers of his
holiness.
11 Now no chastening for the present seemeth
to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless
afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of
righteousness unto them which are exercised
thereby.
12 Wherefore lift up the hands which hang
down, and the feeble knees;
13 And make straight paths for your feet,
lest that which is lame be turned out of the
way; but let it rather be healed.
Notice the commentary on the last
phrase..."but let it rather be healed":
But let it rather be
healed - As in the case of lameness,
pains should be taken to heal it rather than
to suffer it to be increased by careless
exposure to a new sprain or fracture, so it
should be in our religious and moral
character. Whatever is defective we should
endeavor to restore to soundness, rather
than to suffer the defect to be increased.
Whatever is feeble in our faith or hope;
whatever evil tendency there is in our
hearts, we should endeavor to strengthen and
amend, lest it should become worse, and we
should entirely fall.
~Barnes Notes |
Then back to Robertson's Word Pictures above, the
metaphor verses:
1 Timothy 1:6
From which some having swerved have turned aside
unto vain jangling;
1 Timothy 6:20
O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy
trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings, and
oppositions of science falsely so called:
2 Timothy 4:4
And they shall turn away their ears from the truth,
and shall be turned unto fables.
Now from the Adam Clarke:
Turned aside unto vain
jangling - The original term, ματαιολογιαν,
signifies empty or vain talking; discourses that
turn to no profit; a great many words and little
sense; and that sense not worth the pains of
hearing. Such, indeed, is all preaching where Jesus
Christ is not held forth.
~Adam Clarke
Now from the Geneva Bible Translation Notes:
From which some having swerved
have turned aside unto vain jangling - That
which he spoke before generally of vain and curious
controversies, he applies to those who, pretending a
zeal of the Law, dwelled upon outward things, and
never made an end of babbling of foolish trifles.
~Geneva Notes
Here is the John Gill commentary:
have turned aside to vain
jangling - which he elsewhere calls empty
talk, and vain babblings, 1 Timothy 6:20, from the
solid doctrines of the Gospel, and a solid way of
handling them, they turned to vain, idle, useless,
and unprofitable subjects of discourse, and to
treating upon subjects in a vain, jejune, and empty
manner; entertaining their hearers with foolish and
trifling questions and answers to them about the
law, and with strifes about words, which were
unserviceable and unedifying; they were unruly and
vain talkers, Titus 1:10. ~
John Gill
Titus 1:10
says...
For there are many unruly and vain talkers and
deceivers, specially they of the circumcision.
Notice from this commentary the two-fold concept or
elements by which we are judged, here and now, in
the Salvation Process:
1] Solid Doctrines of the Gospel--What we Believe
2] A Solid Way of Handling Them--Our Theology.
These are the two points of judgment. This
verse 6 is speaking to these two points of judgment.
Some in the congregation were either embracing false
doctrine or engaging in bad theology or both.
This was true then and is true today.
Now some related verses from the Treasury of
Scriptural Knowledge:
2 Timothy 2:23-26
23 But foolish and unlearned questions avoid,
knowing that they do gender strifes.
24 And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but
be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient,
25 In meekness instructing those that oppose
themselves; if God peradventure will give them
repentance to the acknowledging of the truth;
26 And that they may recover themselves out of the
snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at
his will.
Titus 3:5-11
5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done,
but according to his mercy he saved us, by the
washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy
Ghost;
6 Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus
Christ our Saviour;
7 That being justified by his grace, we should be
made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
8 This is a faithful saying, and these things I will
that thou affirm constantly, that they which have
believed in God might be careful to maintain good
works. These things are good and profitable unto
men.
9 But avoid foolish questions, and genealogies, and
contentions, and strivings about the law; for they
are unprofitable and vain.
10 A man that is an heretick after the first and
second admonition reject;
11 Knowing that he that is such is subverted, and
sinneth, being condemned of himself.
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