God’s Word for You

2 Timothy 2:16 empty chatter

by Pastor Timothy Smith on Wednesday, June 24, 2026

16 Avoid godless and empty chatter, because those doing it will progress to even more wickedness.

There will always be those, even within the church, who do not guard their tongues, and “will not share Paul’s high regard for the word of truth.” The empty chatter (κενοϕωνία) is bad enough, because it does not progress to anything useful. Paul also warns about this in 1 Timothy 6:20, where it is again paired with godless talk, “and the contradictions or what is falsely called ‘knowledge.’” It could refer to useless disputes about genealogies (which Paul warns about in 1 Timothy 1:4 and Titus 3:9), or simply useless speculation and innovation.

The “godless” part of this empty chatter is also called “profane” (βεβήλους), such as in Ezekiel’s condemnation of King Zedekiah when he reduces the king’s title to “prince” (a word without any Messianic overtones) and says, “O profane and wicked prince of Israel, your time has come, a time of punishment that has reached its climax” (Ezekiel 21:25). That king’s fall from grace is described simply and with sadly familiar terms: “He did evil in the eyes of the Lord, just as Jehoiakim had done” (2 Kings 24:19). Also, “he did not humble himself before Jeremiah the prophet who spoke the word of the Lord” (2 Chronicles 36:10). This tells us that when Jeremiah came to call him to repentance for his unbelief and his godlessness, he refused even to acknowledge his sin. This is because those who sin according to the Second Table of the Law can cover up their murders, adulteries, and thefts, and can seem like holy men, but when they are accused of sinning against the First Table, they become self-righteous and accuse the accuser of being an unbeliever; they add additional pomp to their supposed worship and thump their Bibles, pulling out passages about love that don’t apply to the matter at hand, and confusing their people by mixing law and gospel into an indigestible stew that leaves the flock wondering if the body and blood of Christ were really given for them or not.

When Christians fall from grace, this is one of the causes. It begins with a secret hatred for Christ and the gospel (Matthew 10:21-22), Like the crop with no root, they have lasted only a short while. Trouble or persecution has led to their collapse (Matthew 13:21), or like the seed that fell among thorns, the worries of life or the deceitfulness of wealth have choked their fragile faith, making it unfruitful and unproductive (Matthew 13:22). So the ordinary Christian, the poor man and woman in the pew who trust that shepherd, may fall prey to “false prophets who will deceive many people” (Matthew 24:11). How are they to tell? How are they to defend themselves? To the Scriptures! “You have heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit” (Ephesians 1:13). And again, to the Catechism! There are the basics of our faith, and most catechisms in the home have many proof passages to answer many questions. Do not forget, dear Christian in the pew, that your catechism also has an index for subjects and topics, the very questions you may ask, and another index for Bible passages. It is a powerful tool; it is a shield and a little knife to defend against sudden attacks by the devil.

The “progess” made by such useless and godless chatter will be toward an even worse goal: “even more wickedness.” Here the imagery is of a man in a tangled forest or jungle with his machete, hacking away to clear a path toward something, but he knows not what. With his relentless work and chopping he thinks he will surely find something at last. But his machete is not useful; the path is not helpful. The end result is only to a temple of godlessness, an altar of profanity, and a religion of shame. This is not progress, but a return to the wickedness and false religion that was growing to colossal status before the great Flood. Such was “how great man’s wickedness had become, and every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time” (Genesis 6:5).

Those who wander from right doctrine and the pure word of God ought to realize that they are looking for fire in ancient heretical cinders, and they are trying to blow new life into those wicked old ashes.

God is good, and he does not forget his flock. False teachers must be corrected or condemned; “broken off because of unbelief. But you stand by faith” (Romans 11:20), and Jesus, who holds you in the palm of his hand, comforts you and me together: “He who stands firm to the end will be saved” (Matthew 24:13).

In Christ,
Pastor Timothy Smith

 

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