A Compassionate Attitude
correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will. (2:25b–26)
Finally, an honorable vessel and bond-servant of the Lord will have a compassionate attitude. Paul here focuses on the expression of compassion and meekness when correcting those who are in opposition.
Correcting is from paideuō, which means to instruct, educate, or give guidance. Because the objects of this instruction are those who teach false doctrine and live ungodly lives, this particular instruction is in the form of correction.
Much of the self-righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees was based on their carefully following human tradition that had no basis in Scripture and often was in contradiction of it. They “invalidated the word of God for the sake of [their] tradition,” Jesus said (Matt. 15:6). But the godly Christian has no reason for being self-righteous even when he is humbly obeying Scripture, because he knows that his obedience is the product of the Holy Spirit rather than his own goodness. Consequently, when confronting believers who are teaching falsehood and living sinfully, one must never do so with an attitude of personal superiority. Christians are to have compassion for them in their sin just as the Lord has compassion.
Paul is not speaking of personal differences of opinion but of the opposition of disobedient believers. The opposition may pertain to “foolish and ignorant speculations” (v. 23) or to the more serious matters of doctrine or morals they lead to. Every minister encounters situations in the church that demand correction and sometimes rebuke. “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men,” Paul reminded Titus, “instructing us [that is, every believer] to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus” (Titus 2:11–13). The faithful bond-servant of Christ is to be God’s instrument for correcting fellow believers, whatever their position in the church, who persist in “ungodliness and worldly desire” and to admonish them to live “righteously and godly in the present age.”
The motivation of such correction should be the sincere desire that perhaps God may grant them repentance. That is always the motivation of a humble and compassionate heart. Paul told the immature, worldly believers in Corinth, “I now rejoice, not that you were made sorrowful, but that you were made sorrowful to the point of repentance; for you were made sorrowful according to the will of God, in order that you might not suffer loss in anything through us” (2 Cor. 7:9). Even when those who are corrected are resentful of us and unrepentant, as some in Corinth were in regard to Paul, there is never a place in godly correction for personal animosity or judgmental self-righteousness.
The hope that God may grant them repentance is not a last resort. The idea is not that we must try to persuade them to repent by their own efforts and in their own power and that, if they fail, we then hope that perhaps God will grant them the repentance they were unable to achieve for themselves. Metanoia (repentance) does not mean simply being sorry for what we have done. It signifies a genuine change of mind, change of heart, and change of direction. It is for that reason that all genuine repentance must be the product of God’s sovereign grace, just as is every aspect of salvation—“in order that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus” (Eph. 2:7). No person, no matter how sincere and determined, can truly repent and change his own sinful thoughts and ideas and correct his own sinful life. Only God can work that miracle in the heart. In the same way, we are able to love only “because [Christ] first loved us” (1 John 4:19), “because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us” (Rom. 5:5). God works repentance in the willing heart of one who truly desires holiness.
Repentance leads disobedient believers out of their sin and falsehood into the knowledge of the truth. Epignōsis represents more than mere factual information. It is deep, thorough spiritual knowledge of God’s truth, which, as with repentance, only He can supply.
It is only through God’s gracious provision of repentance and knowledge of His truth that anyone, including sinning believers, may come to their spiritual senses. Ananēphō (come to their senses) literally means to return to soberness, indicating that falsehood and sin produce what might be called a type of spiritual inebriation, a stupor resulting in loss of judgment and proper control of one’s faculties. The destructive effect of false teaching and sin numbs the conscience, confuses the mind, erodes conviction, and paralyzes the will.
God’s provision of genuine repentance and knowledge of His truth enable a believer to escape from the snare of the devil, after having been held captive by him to do his will. As Paul apprised Timothy in the previous letter, even an overseer can “fall into reproach and the snare of the devil” (1 Tim. 3:7). It is a fearful thing that, because of sin and unfaithfulness, the devil can actually snare and hold a believer captive … to do his will. The vessel of dishonor becomes a pawn of Satan to work his evil will within the very body of Christ. Such is the terrible and tragic power of sin
....
