Fast Food Bag
Honest questions can be priceless. Without them our minds and character remain unchallenged and undeveloped. Without the freedom to ask honest questions we remain little more than the extension of someone else’s self-centered will and control.
Without a healthy and purposeful curiosity we cannot reflect, reason, or try to determine the difference between imagination and reality.
According to the Apostle Paul, even questions, however, need to be questioned. In his last New Testament letter to Timothy, he urged avoidance of foolish and ignorant questions that do little more than give birth to conflict (2Tim 2:23).
But how are we to determine whether a question is healthy or destructive? This is a repeated emphasis of Paul’s letters and it might help to read some of his parallel comments (Titus 3:9), (1Tim 1:4), (1Tim 6:4), (2Tim 2:14).
In addition, it’s probably important to read Paul’s warnings not only in light of what he wrote immediately before and after (2Tim 2:22-25), but also in light of his repeated emphasis that the Jewish Scriptures that Timothy had been raised on now be read in light of the Gospel/Good News of Jesus Christ (2:Tim 1:1), (2Tim 2:1-3).
Seems to me, that at the very minimum, Paul is encouraging us to do at least to things in specific relation to our faith in Christ: (1) don’t get involved in any question or argument that is at the expense of the big Picture/Story: who Jesus is and what he has done for all of us; and (2) don’t give others a chance to ignore the most important questions by chasing those that are pursued merely for the distraction of the argument.
But that’s just my take. Would like to hear what you make of Paul’s warning of avoiding “foolish and ignorant” questions.
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