“And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth” (2 Timothy 2:24-25).
In commenting upon this passage, one Biblical scholar makes an observation that merits our attention: “How we treat those who oppose the gospel says something important about the gospel and about us!” (1) One characteristic that says something important about the gospel and ourselves is humility.
Humility can be defined as, “A freedom from arrogance that grows out of the recognition that all that we have and are comes from God… Biblical humility is not a belittling of oneself, but an exalting and praising of others, especially God and Christ.” (1) This represents a positive quality that involves courtesy, respect, and a modest self-opinion.
While the world at large often devalues humility in favor of more aggressive qualities, the Biblical book of Proverbs reminds us that “Humility and reverence for the Lord will make you both wise and honored” (Proverbs 15:33 TLB). When others question our wisdom or dishonor us for acting in humility, it helps to remember the value that the Primary Author of Proverbs 15:33 places upon this trait.
The following commentator addresses this characteristic in practical terms that we can apply in our relationships with others…
“As followers of Christ, we are to be those who uphold the truth of God’s revealed Word. That means there will be times when we must confront error as we contend earnestly for the faith. With unbelievers, this will often take the form of apologetics, boldly giving a defense for the hope that is in us. With fellow believers, this may take the form of confrontation, as we plead with a spiritual brother or sister to repent of sinful thinking or action.
Speaking the truth in love addresses the way in which we speak. We must not be obnoxious with the truth, or personally offensive in how we approach others. Rather, we are called to communicate in such a way that the manner of our speaking honors our Lord Jesus and edifies His body, the church. When we speak of love, we are not suggesting that we should ignore error or blindly tolerate ‘every wind of doctrine.’ Not at all.
Biblical love ‘does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth’ (1 Cor. 13:6). Our postmodern world wrongly equates love with tolerance of all beliefs and actions. But being tolerant of doctrinal error or unrepentant sin is not truly loving at all. Thus, we speak the truth because it is the most loving thing we can do.” (2)
(1) Dr. Bob Utley, Free Bible Commentary, [2 Timothy 2:25] Copyright © 2014 Bible Lessons International http://www.freebiblecommentary.org/new_testament_studies/VOL09/VOL09_12.html
(2) Nathan Busenitz, “Speaking the Truth in Love” Tabletalk magazine, July, 2013 [pgs. 18-19]