Over the past few weeks, I’ve been thinking a lot about the challenge of finding the right balance in conversations about faith—between conviction and courtesy. Since the tragic shooting in Michigan, tensions have been high between Evangelicals and Latter-day Saints. Dialogue has never been more important, but also more fraught.
Today in church, I heard a timely sermon that spoke directly to this issue.
In 2 Timothy 2:14–26, Paul gives Timothy one of the most needed exhortations for those of us who care deeply about truth.
We live in a time when debates—especially about faith—are only a click away. We can so easily fall into the trap of thinking that defending truth means winning arguments. But Paul calls us to something deeper: to be so secure in our faith that our proclamation of the gospel doesn’t corrupt our speech or our character.
1. Rightly Handle the Word
Paul writes, “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.”
To rightly handle the Word is to lead others clearly to Christ—not twisting passages to suit our desires or to score rhetorical points. We must be faithful students of Scripture, growing in our knowledge of God’s Word so that we can guide others along a straight path toward Jesus.
2. Make Sure Your Speech Is Life-Giving
It’s not enough to simply be right; our words must also bring life.
John Piper once said, “Fill your words with the weight of God’s truth, and fill your heart with affections for His name.” That balance—truth and affection—is what keeps our witness both firm and gracious.
The gospel message gives life—it cuts down falsehoods, but never people.
Ephesians 4:29 reminds us: “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.”
Are there places where we’ve allowed pointless quarreling to enter our conversations? Even when we’re motivated by zeal for truth, we can still slip into speech that destroys faith rather than builds people up.
3. Focus on the Essentials
We must avoid disputations about secondary matters that do not go to the heart of the gospel.
Throughout this passage, Paul returns to this theme again and again:
“Keep reminding God’s people of these things. Warn them before God against quarreling about words; it is of no value, and only ruins those who listen.”
“Avoid irreverent babble.”
“Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels.”
Paul starkly lays out the consequences when these warnings are ignored: it “spreads like gangrene” (2 Tim. 2:16–17). That’s a striking image—false or prideful talk infects and kills what’s healthy in the body of Christ. When we lash out at others without compassion, we are not defending the faith; instead, we are becoming more and more ungodly in our contentiousness.
4. Purify Yourself
Paul’s image of vessels in a great house (vv. 20–21) inspires us to purify ourselves so that we can be more useful for God’s work.
This is not a question of salvation or damnation, but of fruitfulness. If we are in Christ, we belong to the household of faith, and we can thank God for that. But we should also desire to be vessels suited for the Master’s use.
If we live dishonorably, that will weaken our effectiveness.
The call is to flee youthful passions—the arrogance, pride, and self-centeredness that so often fuel quarrels—and instead to pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.
If we do so, we will be life-giving and well-suited for the work of God.
5. Lead with Gentleness and Love
Paul concludes:
“The Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness.” (2 Tim. 2:24–25)
That command cuts against our instincts. When we’re opposed, our natural response is to defend ourselves, to fight back. But the Lord’s servant doesn’t react in anger; he responds with patience, kindness, and a teacher’s heart—always remembering that our aim is not victory but redemption; not scoring points, but winning people for the name of Jesus.
We must always remember that we are not fighting with people, but fighting for people—people who are, as Paul says, “in the trap of the devil.” Our goal is not to destroy our opponents but to rescue them with gentle instruction, praying that “God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth.”
When we correct with gentleness, God may use our words to open hearts to repentance and truth (v. 25). We speak truth in love (Eph. 4:15), trusting that the Spirit—not our sharpness—will bring conviction.
In a culture that rewards outrage and division, Paul’s words are a much-needed reminder. As we continue to proclaim the gospel, may we be filled with the charity and grace of the Savior we proclaim.
This calling is more needed than ever in Evangelical–Latter-day Saint dialogue. My prayer is that both Evangelicals and Latter-day Saints would see one another not as enemies to defeat, but as fellow image-bearers in need of the same redeeming grace. We win people not through contention and quarreling, but through truth and affection—reflecting the gentleness of the Savior who first won us.