2 Timothy 2:18

18 [men] who as to the truth have gone astray, saying that the resurrection has taken place already; and overthrow the faith of some.

2 Timothy 2:18 Meaning and Commentary

2 Timothy 2:18

Who concerning the truth have erred
That is, the two persons just mentioned; they fell from the truth, wandered and departed from it; they did not keep to the Scriptures of truth, but deviated from them; they missed that mark, and went astray into gross errors and mistakes; rejected the Gospel, the word of truth, in general, and particularly in

saying, that the resurrection is past already;
and no other is to be expected; or that there was no future resurrection of the dead: their error was, as some think, that there is no other resurrection than that of parents in their children, who, though they die, live in their posterity; or than the resurrection of Christ, and of the saints, that rose at the same time; or rather, that there is no other resurrection than the spiritual one, or regeneration, which is a quickening of dead sinners, or the resurrection of them from the death of sin, to a life of grace; which seems to be the truest account of their principle, seeing this is what has been received and propagated by others since; though some have thought that they gave into the Palingenesia of the Pythagoreans, who supposed that when men die, their souls go into other bodies; and that these men imagined, that this is all the resurrection that will be: and others have been of opinion, that their notion was, that whereas the deliverance of the Jews out of the Babylonish captivity is signified by a resurrection of them, in ( Ezekiel 37:1-28 ) that this is the resurrection they meant was past, and no other to be looked for; but that which has been fixed upon seems to be the truest account:

and overthrow the faith of some;
the Ethiopic version reads, "of many"; that is, of nominal professors of religion; not of true believers, for true faith cannot be overthrown. Hence it follows,

2 Timothy 2:18 In-Context

16 But profane, vain babblings shun, for they will advance to greater impiety,

17 and their word will spread as a gangrene; of whom is Hymenaeus and Philetus;

18 [men] who as to the truth have gone astray, saying that the resurrection has taken place already; and overthrow the faith of some.

19 Yet the firm foundation of God stands, having this seal, [The] Lord knows those that are his; and, Let every one who names the name of [the] Lord withdraw from iniquity.

20 But in a great house there are not only gold and silver vessels, but also wooden and earthen; and some to honour, and some to dishonour.

Footnotes

• [a] Or 'missed the mark.' But this, though exact, is too familiar; and 'missed the truth' has another sense: see Note, 1Tim. 6.21.