2Ti 2:17-18 | Barnes | STEP | Verse 17. And their word . The word, or the discourses of those who love vain and idle disputations. Will eat as doth a canker . Marg. gangrene . This word-- γαγγραινα occurs nowhere else in the New Testament. It is derived from γραιωγραινω, graio or graino --to devour, corrode, and means gangrene or mortifications the death of a part, spreading, unless arrested, by degrees over the whole body. The words rendered "will eat," mean will have nutriment; that is, will spread over and consumes the healthful parts. It will not merely destroy the parts immediately affected, bat will extend into the surrounding healthy parts and destroy them also. So it is with erroneous doctrines. They will not merely eat out the truth in the particular matter to which they refer, but they will also spread over and corrupt other truths. The doctrines of religion are closely connected, and are dependent on each other--like the different parts of the human body. One cannot be corrupted without affecting those adjacent to it, and unless checked, the corruption will soon spread over the whole. Of whom is Hymeneus and Philetus . In regard to Hymeneus, . Of Philetus nothing more is known. They have gained an undesirable immortality, destined to be known to the end of time only as the advocates of error. (1) "canker" "gangrene"

2 Timothy 2:17-18

Verse 17. And their word. The word, or the discourses of those who love vain and idle disputations.

Will eat as doth a canker. Marg. gangrene. This word-- γαγγραινα occurs nowhere else in the New Testament. It is derived from γραιωγραινω, graio or graino--to devour, corrode, and means gangrene or mortifications the death of a part, spreading, unless arrested, by degrees over the whole body. The words rendered "will eat," mean will have nutriment; that is, will spread over and consumes the healthful parts. It will not merely destroy the parts immediately affected, bat will extend into the surrounding healthy parts and destroy them also. So it is with erroneous doctrines. They will not merely eat out the truth in the particular matter to which they refer, but they will also spread over and corrupt other truths. The doctrines of religion are closely connected, and are dependent on each other--like the different parts of the human body. One cannot be corrupted without affecting those adjacent to it, and unless checked, the corruption will soon spread over the whole.

Of whom is Hymeneus and Philetus. In regard to Hymeneus, 1Timm 1:20. Of Philetus nothing more is known. They have gained an undesirable immortality, destined to be known to the end of time only as the advocates of error.

(1) "canker" "gangrene" Verse 18. Who concerning the truth have erred. To what extent they had erred is unknown. Paul mentions only one point--that pertaining to the resurrection; but says that this was like a gangrene. It would certainly, unless checked, destroy all the other doctrines of religion. No man can safely hold a single error, any more than he can safely have one part of his body in a state of mortification.

Saying, that the resurrection is past already. It is not known in what form they held this opinion. It may have been, as Augustine supposes, that they taught that there was no resurrection but that which occurs in the soul when it is recovered from the death of sin, and made to live anew. Or it may be that they held that those who had died had experienced all the resurrection which they ever would, by passing into another state, and receiving at death a spiritual body fitted to their mode of being in the heavenly world. Whatever was the form of the opinion, the apostle regarded it: as a most dangerous error, for just views of the resurrection undoubtedly lie at the foundation of correct apprehensions of the Christian system. Comp. 1Cor 15:12, seq.

And overthrow the faith of some. That is, on this point, and as would appear on all the correlative subjects of Christian belief. Comp. 1Timm 1:19,20.