2 Timothy 2:16

16 Stay away from foolish, useless talk, because that will lead people further away from God.

2 Timothy 2:16 Meaning and Commentary

2 Timothy 2:16

But shun profane and vain babblings
The ministry of false teachers is mere babbling; a voice, and nothing else, as the man said of his nightingale; a sound of words, but no solid matter in them; great swelling words of vanity, like large bubbles of water, look big, and make a great noise, but have nothing in them; contain nothing but vain, empty, idle, and trifling stuff; what is unprofitable and unedifying, yea, what is profane, contrary to the nature and perfections of God, and not agreeable to the doctrine which is according to godliness; and being palmed upon the Holy Scriptures, is a profanation of them. And all such wicked and empty prate, and babbling, is to be shunned, avoided, and discouraged, refused, and rejected; and, as much as can be, a stop should be put to it, both by ministers and hearers of the word.

For they will increase unto more ungodliness
meaning either that such babblings, if used and encouraged, will grow more and more profane and wicked; or the persons that use them, the unruly and vain talkers, will grow more daring, bold; and impudent, will wax worse and worse, and from one error will proceed to another, for such seldom stop; and having abused one passage of Scripture, will go on to attack another, and will not cease, till they have wrested the whole Scripture to their own destruction, and that of others.

2 Timothy 2:16 In-Context

14 Continue teaching these things, warning people in God's presence not to argue about words. It does not help anyone, and it ruins those who listen.
15 Make every effort to give yourself to God as the kind of person he will accept. Be a worker who is not ashamed and who uses the true teaching in the right way.
16 Stay away from foolish, useless talk, because that will lead people further away from God.
17 Their evil teaching will spread like a sickness inside the body. Hymenaeus and Philetus are like that.
18 They have left the true teaching, saying that the rising from the dead has already taken place, and so they are destroying the faith of some people.
Scripture taken from the New Century Version. Copyright © 1987, 1988, 1991 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.