About Hymenaeus and Philetus

Avoiding Division: The Importance of Responsible Teaching

Paul mentions Hymenaeus and Philetus in 2 Timothy 2:17b-18:

… and their teaching will spread like gangrene. Hymenaeus and Philetus are among them. They have departed from the truth, saying that the resurrection has already taken place, and are ruining the faith of some.

In the first-century Church, specific individuals propagated a serious false doctrine, asserting that the resurrection had already occurred. They likely argued that the resurrection was solely a spiritual event when one's spirit was regenerated through baptism. Consequently, they believed the physical body was inconsequential, only temporary, and part of the material world. This led to the notion that one could live in any way they wanted since the body was unimportant, or conversely, that the body should be subjected to severe discipline to maintain purity. Both interpretations of this erroneous belief were widespread in the first century. (Refer to the Corinthian reaction in 1 Corinthians 4:8; 5:1-2 and Paul's warning against asceticism in 1 Timothy 4:1-2; Titus 1:15.)

Paul's first letter to Timothy (1 Timothy 1:20) already addressed Hymenaeus, with Paul delivering him to Satan, hoping that he would learn not to blaspheme. However, this action did not deter Hymenaeus, as he persisted in his efforts to lead people astray. In the second letter, Paul introduces a new companion, Philetus, who had joined Hymenaeus in his misguided teachings. This relentless propagation of their false doctrine underscores the need for constant vigilance and discernment in the face of such challenges.

Paul mentions the depravity of their doctrine:

• It would lead to godlessness, 2 Timothy 2:16.

• It would spread like gangrene, 2 Timothy 2:17a.

• It caused them to depart from the truth, 2 Timothy 2:18.

• It ruined the faith of some, 2 Timothy 2:19.

Today, the echoes of Paul's warning against Hymenaeus and Philetus resonate in our discussions, particularly when identifying what some perceive as 'false teachers' within the more conservative churches of Christ. The claim is that since Paul publicly named these men and exposed their doctrine, we can similarly call out those we disagree with today with little or no advance contact or communication. This is the underlying motivation behind many critical pieces that flood our social media feeds from preachers who believe they are responsible for protecting and warning the brotherhood about things they disagree with. The relevance of Paul's warning in our current context cannot be overstated, urging us to be discerning and cautious in our interpretations and teachings.

What we are seeing is a sentence or two, a paragraph, or a soundbite taken out of context and read from the most negative perspective possible — and a case built that the author is, at minimum, “dangerous” or, at worst, a “false teacher” who should be viewed with suspicion or cut off. Add a newly invented label that is easy to mark someone with, and the damage is done. And it’s all OK because of what Paul said about Hymenaeus and Philetus in 2 Timothy 2.

Not Every Case is Like Theirs

As seen above, the danger of the false doctrine of the resurrection was identified. A doctrine that leads to godlessness causes people to depart from the truth and ruins faith should be resisted. Hymenaeus and Philetus were well-known in the early church. Their intentions were clear. People needed to know about them and the impact of their teaching.

Among us today, however, applying the situation with Hymenaeus and Philetus to what some teach about grace is comparing apples to oranges. In the first century, these men intended to harm the body of Christ and lead people astray. They ignored plain teaching on what it means to be godly and walk worthily before the Lord. They were intent on dividing churches and leading people away from the truth.

Can the same be said today with the current controversy?

Let it be said that biblical teaching on grace:

• Leads to godliness, not away from it.

• Inspires people in their relationship with Jesus.

• Enhances obedience (by establishing the right motive for it) rather than diminishing it.

• Strengthens, not ruins, the faith of believers.

Those who teach the whole picture of grace are not trying to divide the church or inflict harm on the body. Instead, they desire to help Christians lead more fulfilled, dedicated and surrendered lives to God. Rather than a simple cold response to a collection of laws, the aim is for the warmth of the spiritual heart to respond to our Lord inside a relationship of trust and love.

Not every case today is like what Paul was dealing with as he resisted the teaching of Hymenaeus and Philetus.

Local Evangelists and Autonomous Congregations

Lest we forget, there are no apostles today. They all died around the end of the first century. Also, remember that Paul is writing a personal letter to Timothy inspired by the Holy Spirit. Those who are setting themselves up as the protectors of the brotherhood need to be careful. They are not acting with apostolic authority over the church as a whole. They are (in many cases) acting with incomplete information, gossiping when they contact other preachers to discuss, and damaging reputations. In standing up against what they think is sin, they are actually sinning themselves!

Instead, evangelists need to remember that their primary responsibility is to serve the elderships they agreed to work under and engage in evangelism and edification with the local church they are a part of. A preacher’s primary focus is his work at home—not making sure the national brotherhood stays true on the issues he thinks are essential.

There is also the issue of local church autonomy. We love to talk about autonomy but typically ignore it in practice. Many people claim to support autonomy but are quick to slander and gossip about how other local churches choose to fulfill the work God has given them. However, we must recognize that we ultimately stand or fall before Jesus our Lord. We are responsible for our behavior toward others and how we encourage the Christians we associate with, not for the decisions of others (Romans 14:4, 9-12).

This is particularly relevant in our day. There are numerous examples of preachers calling other preachers (some of whom they do not know) and warning them not to speak for another congregation three or four states away because of the decisions of the local eldership in various matters. What that congregation does not impact the work of other congregations in its local area — much less in a different region of the country! Yet, some have elected themselves as the purveyors of truth and correct beliefs. They feel they must enforce that at all costs — even threatening other preachers that their reputations will be damaged if they associate with that congregation. This is not right.

The Lord intended for local churches to be autonomous from one another, allowing for necessary adaptations in different environments. Let us respect the Lord’s will for autonomy among local churches and proactively strive to accomplish His will together!

So, how should we govern ourselves as we move forward? As always, we should look at the principles established by our Lord.

What Would Jesus Do?

First and foremost, Jesus would have us to abide by the most basic commands:

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and most important command. The second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22:37-39).

Therefore, whatever you want others to do for you, do also the same for them, for this is the Law and the Prophets (Matthew 7:12).

Before writing a hit piece against my brother in Christ, I should ask myself: Am I displaying the proper love for my brother in Christ? If the roles were reversed, is this something I would want to happen to me? If I cannot answer these questions positively, the matter must stop until I seek further clarification privately from the individual. The principle is that we need to work these things out individually as far as possible.

This is the principle of peace Paul called for:

So then, let us pursue what promotes peace and what builds up one another
(Romans 14:19).

James said it this way:

My dear brothers and sisters, understand this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger, for human anger does not accomplish God’s righteousness (James 1:19-20).

A Look at Jesus’ Teaching in Matthew 18

Matthew 18, Mark 9, and Luke 9 all contain the story surrounding Jesus’ teaching here. A very young child, probably a toddler or even one of Peter’s children, was called to stand before the disciples. One of them had just asked about who would be the greatest in the kingdom. Jesus begins to speak, and the child is the focus of all who hear his words — becoming the picture of what we are to be as adults inside the church. Matthew 18 is about adult relationships among fellow believers.

We are all children.

We have each become a child of God, adopted by grace.

There is also another side to being children, and it is that we are often weak, incomplete, dependent, unskilled, vulnerable, and immature. In essence, the church is a group of spiritually unperfected children who need to learn how to get along with each other. Someone has said this chapter is Jesus’ most extraordinary discourse on life inside the church. What principles must we learn?

Become as a little child.

Matthew 18:3 presents us with a very personal challenge. Unless you turn and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. We must be converted and develop the disposition and attitude of a little child. We must come to a place of humility. We are:

• unworthy on our own.

• lacking any achievements on our own.

• totally and continually dependent on our Father for salvation and blessings.

What does Jesus mean when He says become like little children? We must kill selfishness and pride in our lives and replace them with‌ humility and simplicity … where we become people unaffected by ambition or the inclination of personal greatness, grandeur, or glory. Who is the greatest in the kingdom? ‌The one who humbles himself or herself as a child.

‌‌The reality is, throughout our spiritual life, we all — no matter how long in the body — are like children:

• ‌We need to be provided for and protected.

• We need to be given instruction and wisdom.

• We need to depend on God for salvation … all the work we do is His anyway.

So, in order for the church to function as God designed, we all need to be coming to possess the disposition of a little child … or we will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

We Treat Others as Fellow Children

Whoever welcomes one child like this in my name welcomes me, Matthew 18:5. Our relationships with each other should be defined by the same kind of tenderness that we handle little children. ‌In other words, we welcome others in the body with kindness, love, and affection. Our brothers and sisters are also children in the kingdom … they wear the name of Christ. ‌How we treat others who wear the name of Christ is how we treat Jesus. When we attack our brothers and sisters, we are attacking Jesus. The Christian in inseparable from Jesus. How we treat other believers is how we treat Jesus who lives in them. When we see a brother or sister, we need to see Jesus.

We Protect Each Other Like Children

Matthew 18:6-9 contains graphic images of fire and water … both terrible ways to die. Jesus says here that a person would be better off to die a horrible death — than to die in a way that leads a brother/sister into sin. We must avoid leading someone else in to sin at all costs. So, we don’t indirectly tempt others. We don’t fail in influencing them for good, we should never forget our example, and have to live with personal holiness.

We Value Each Other

Jesus says, See to it that you do not despise one of these little ones, because I tell you that in heaven their angels continually view the face of my Father in heaven (Matthew 18:10). When Jesus says, do not despise one of these little ones, he is saying do not:

• look down upon

• ‌treat with contempt or disdain

• ‌view as worthless

• ‌see no value in

• ‌treat as inferior or devalue other believers

Remember… we are all one in Christ Jesus, Galatians 3:28. We are not to disparage differing perspectives. People will have differing conclusions about all manner of scriptural applications. Our judgments are just that … judgments. Yours is no better than mine.

We all have differing perspectives on things in the church. And just about everybody does it from time to time. We use loaded terminology. We hear a lot these days about liberals, antis, legalists, you name it. While we may discuss differing perspectives on law and grace … and disagree … we must never make it personal. ‌While we may have differing perspectives on anything… We are all sons and daughters of God. We are all blood bought believers; recreated by God; and all serving the same Lord. ‌

We think we’re justified in saying these things because we think God is on our side. ‌We don’t have a side. ‌We’re all on God’s side and must never make the judgment of someone else’s heart that they don’t share the same love for God. Know for certain that He does not look down and smile as He observes division and discord. ‌God looks down and weeps. He looks down in frustration.

Conclusion

Paul’s confrontation with Hymenaeus and Philetus serves as a reminder of the dangers posed by false teachings and the importance of maintaining doctrinal purity within the church. However, the application of this historical context to contemporary issues must be approached with caution and discernment. Modern accusations of false teaching should not be made hastily or without substantial evidence, as the misuse of such charges can lead to unnecessary division and harm within the church.

The principle of autonomy among local congregations is crucial, allowing for necessary adaptations while building an environment of mutual respect and support. Evangelists and church leaders should prioritize their responsibilities within their own congregations, avoiding the temptation to police the beliefs and practices of others without a clear and compelling biblical mandate.

Ultimately, our actions and attitudes should be guided by the core commandments of love and humility taught by Jesus. We are called to treat one another with kindness, respect, and an understanding of our shared identity as children of God. By embracing these principles, we can promote unity and growth within the body of Christ, building each other up in faith and love.