Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds
Who being corrupt in their principles, and corrupters of the word
of God, dispute in a very froward and perverse way, rubbing and
galling one another, and so provoke, to wrath and anger, and,
every evil work:
and destitute of the truth
of Christ, who is the truth, knowing nothing of him spiritually
and savingly; and of the Gospel, the word of truth; and also of
the truth of grace, being carnal, sensual, and having not the
Spirit of God.
Supposing that gain is godliness;
such were Simon Magus and his followers, and other false
teachers, who made merchandise of men, looked everyone for his
gain from his quarter, and acted as if there was nothing in
religion but worldly profit and gain; these served themselves,
their own bellies, and selfish interests, and not the Lord Jesus
Christ. Wherefore the apostle gives the following advice to
Timothy, and through him to all ministers and churches,
from such withdraw thyself:
do not come near them; have nothing to do with them; do not lay
hands on them, or admit them into the ministry; do not suffer
them to preach, or encourage them by hearing them: if in the
church, cast them out; have communion with them, neither in a
civil nor in a religious way; avoid all conversation with them.
The Vulgate Latin and Ethiopic versions omit this clause; it is
wanting in the Alexandrian copy, and in Beza's Claromontane
Exemplar, but is in other copies.