NOW FLEE YOUTHFUL LUSTS : tas de neoterikas epithumias pheuge (2SPAM): (Pr 6:5; 1Co 6:18; 10:14; 1Ti 6:11) (Ps 119:9; Ecc 11:9,10; 1 Peter 2:11)

Pr 6:5 — Deliver yourself like a gazelle from the hunter's hand, And like a bird from the hand of the fowler.

1Co 6:18 — Flee (present imperative = command to make it your habit to do so). Every other sin that a man commits is outside the body, but the immoral man sins against his own body.

As Steven Cole says "Don’t flirt with it. Don’t stand there and pray about what to do. Don’t get near it. If it comes knocking, run for your life!"  - The Person God Uses

1Co 10:14 — Therefore, my beloved, flee (present imperative = command to make it your habit to do so) from idolatry.

Cole remarks "You may be thinking, “Well, at least that one isn’t a problem for me! I’m never tempted to set up an idol.” Really? You’re never tempted to set up anything in the place that rightfully belongs to God alone? You never allow watching TV or playing computer games to usurp the time that you should spend alone with God or serving Him? Run from anything that pulls you away from full devotion to God! - The Person God Uses

1Ti 6:11 — But  flee (present imperative = command to make it your habit to do so) from these things, you man of God; and pursue (present imperative = make it your habit to do so) righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance and gentleness.

Cole remarks that Paul in context issues a command to "to flee from the love of money. Are you tempted to gamble? Run! It’s the love of money that feeds gambling. Do you look at the rich and think, “I want to live that way”? Run! Are you tempted to steal or cheat on your taxes or be greedy rather than generous? Run! Cleansed people flee from sin.  - The Person God Uses

Ecc 11:10 — So, remove (command) vexation (anger) from your heart and put away (command) pain (evil) from your body, because childhood and the prime of life are fleeting.

1 Peter 2:11 (note) — Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain (present tense = continually) from fleshly lusts, which wage war against the soul.

Now (1161) (de) is a marker frequently denoting transition or conversion, serving to introduce something else in this case with the implication of some contrast.

Flee (5343) (pheugo) means to move quickly from a point or area in order to avoid presumed danger or difficulty. To run away. To seek safety by flight. To run or move hastily from danger. Don’t entertain them, rationalize them, negotiate with them, try to challenge them or try and endure them. If you have the idea that you will just "test yourself" on this one to see if you can stand against it, beware for this approach has made many a man or a woman fall into sin.

The present imperative is a command calling for this action to be our way of life, to be continual, to be our habitual practice.

The classic example of appropriate flight is Joseph scrambling from the presence of Potiphar’s wife and her sexual temptations, motivated not by legalism but by love for God and His glory

How then could I do this great evil, and sin against God? (Genesis 39:9b).

In fact, take note of Joseph's example in (Genesis 39) and contrast it with Samson's example below...

6 So [Potiphar] left everything he owned in Joseph's charge; and with him there he did not concern himself with anything except the food which he ate. Now Joseph was handsome in form and appearance...12 And [Potiphar's wife tried to seduce Joseph and] caught him by his garment, saying, "Lie with me!" And he left his garment in her hand and fled, and went outside.) (Note that the Hebrew word "flee" is translated in the Septuagint (LXX) by the same verb pheugo.

Dwight Edwards reminds us...

 that as demonstrated by Joseph, we must not linger in the house of temptation but must make a hasty exit into the golden fields of uncompromising holiness. The danger of not fleeing so is well described by Alexander Pope in one of his poems  (2 Timothy  Call to Completion):

Vice is a monster of such terrible mein
That to be hated, needs but to be seen.
Yet seen too often; familiar her face,
We first endure, then pity, then embrace.

Here is Samson's example (see notes Judges 14:1-3)

"1 Then Samson went down to Timnah and saw a woman in Timnah, one of the daughters of the Philistines. 2 So he came back and told his father and mother, "I saw a woman in Timnah, one of the daughters of the Philistines; now therefore, get her for me as a wife." 3 Then his father and his mother said to him, "Is there no woman among the daughters of your relatives, or among all our people, that you go to take a wife from the uncircumcised Philistines?" But Samson said to his father, "Get her for me, for she looks good to me." )

Edwards comments that...

Paul continues to describe the areas which the man of God must stay out of if he is to be a conqueror rather than a casualty in the fierce battle between good and evil. It is of no small significance that vs. 22 follows on the heels of vs. 21. If we read no further than vs. 21, we might easily get the impression that separating from dishonorable vessels insures that we will be "vessel for honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work" Yet, all of us are keenly aware that it takes more than just avoiding wrong characters to attain the divine status described at the end of vs. 21. (2 Timothy  Call to Completion)

Not only must we flee...
UNGODLY COMPANIONS (v21)
but also
UNGODLY CHARACTER (v22a)

Youthful (3512) (neoterikos from néos = young) means pertaining to youth.

Steven Cole comments that...

We usually associate the term (lusts) with sexual temptations, but as one older seminary professor told us, “Men, they aren’t just youthful!” You don’t outgrow sexual temptations. Where do you think we got the term, “dirty old man”? The word translated “lusts” may refer to any desires, although it usually refers to sinful desires. So while sexual temptation may be included in “youthful lusts,” it’s probably not the primary focus.

Rather, Paul was probably referring to wrong desires that younger men are more prone to than older men are. Calvin under-stood it as the propensity of younger men to lose their tempers and rush forward into a heated argument with more confidence and rashness than men of a riper age do (Calvin's Commentaries [Baker], on 2 Tim. 2:22, p. 232).

In the same vein, Gordon Fee (New Inter-national Biblical Commentary [Hendrickson Publishers, 1988], p. 263) says that Paul is speaking of “headstrong passions of youth, who sometimes love novelties, foolish discussions, and arguments that all too often lead to quarrels.”

William Barclay related it to the faults of impatience, self-assertion, love of arguing, and love of novelty that stem from youthful idealism (The Letters to Timothy, Titus, and Philemon [Westminster Press, revised ed., 1975], p. 180).

So Paul was telling Timothy that while it is right to defend the faith against serious errors and to stand firm on the central doctrines of Scripture, there is a right and a wrong way to go about it. He will go on (2:23-26) to explain the right way. Here, he is warning against the wrong way, which is to be arrogant about how much you know, impatiently to blast those in error, and to be quarrelsome and self-assertive. The fruits of the Spirit include patience, kindness, and gentleness, along with self-control (Gal. 5:22-23). Youthful impetuosity is not on the list! Paul says to flee from these youthful temptations. (2 Timothy 2:20-22 The Person God Uses)

Lusts (1939) (epithumia  from epi = upon or intensifier + thumos = passion) (Click word study on epithumia) defines a great desire to do something, a strong longing, drive or passion directed at an object (epi = toward). Although epithumia can describe "good" desires, more often in the NT it describes depraved cravings and inner vile unrestrained desires (out-of-control craving) that emanate from our fallen flesh or sin nature inherited from Adam. These cravings are not just for ice cream... but are for those things which would if pursued and taken hold of, would in turn take hold of us... for by what a man is overcome by that is he enslaved. (cf 2Pe2:19) Youthful lusts are lurking reefs that could damage our ship of faith and constantly war against our redeemed soul [1Pe2:11] So much of the negative baggage in people’s minds about holiness is a result of the harsh focus on “fleeing.” Holiness is not living in the world of “no” but leaving the world of “no” in order to enter the world of “yes!”

True Biblical separation is balanced:

Flee Sin
Follow Righteousness

If we are not balanced, then we will be isolated instead of separated. In fact, God’s man Paul commands us to fellowship w/ those who have pure hearts. After all, this is the purpose of the ministry of the Word ("But the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith." 1Ti1:5). It is sad when true believers are isolated because of a false view of separation .

Not only is Timothy to separate himself from iniquitous men & false teachings, but he is to separate himself from the lusts of the flesh. Make it a habit of your life to run away from ''youthful lusts'' those things you did when you were a lost young man.[1Co 6:18 1Ti6:10,11] (foolish & harmful desires in 1Ti6:9)

Why must we continuously flee? Because our flesh is wicked (our fallen flesh nature inherited from Adam although made ineffective in believers by the Cross still inhabits our mortal bodies and can spring into action if by the power of the Spirit we do not mortify it's desires), the devil is a roaring lion, and the world system cries out to satisfy your desire (witness the Nike commercial "Just Do It!") with the passing pleasures of sin.

Peter knowing the clear and present danger that lurks in the mortal body of every blood bought believer exhorted his readers...

Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts (strong desires that originate from the old Adamic nature still latent in believers), which wage war (present tense = continually strategizes - it's not simply one battle but a lifelong war against the residual flesh nature) against the soul. (see notes on 1 Peter 2:11)

AND PURSUE RIGHTEOUSNESS: dioke (2SPAM) de dikaiosunen: (1Ti 4:12; 6:11; Hebrews 12:14 - note; 3Jn 1:11)

Hebrews 12:14 (note) — Pursue (present imperative = command to make it your habit to do this) peace with all men, and the sanctification (holiness = hagiasmos) without which no one will see the Lord.

3Jn 1:11 — Beloved, do not imitate (present imperative + negative = stop doing this)  what is evil, but what is good. The one who does good is of God; the one who does evil has not seen God.

Pursue (1377) (dioko) means to follow or press hard after, pursue with earnestness and diligence in order to obtain, go after with the desire of obtaining. It is a picture of one who in a race runs swiftly to reach the goal. Its the same word Paul used for persecute (see note 2 Timothy 3:12) and thus the idea is go after these qualities that Paul lists with a vengeance.

Present imperative is a command calling for this action to be our way of life, to be continual, to be our habitual practice. It is not enough to continually run away from wrong for we must continually run after what is good. To do this is the only way to escape temptations to evil (cf. the principle found in Romans 12:21 "Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good"). Christianity does not consist merely of prohibitions, but of positive and powerful actions.

Dwight Edwards wisely notes that..

Scripture almost never gives us a negative command without also giving us a positive command to pursue. If we will concentrate on hotly pursuing the right things then fleeing the wrong things will take care of themselves. When David sinned with Bathsheba, his downfall was not primarily in his failure to flee fornication, but rather in not following his God-given responsibility

"Now it came to pass in the spring of the year, at the time when kings go out to battle...David remained in Jerusalem." 2 Sam. 11:1.

How often we find ourselves overwhelmed by sin's allurements because we decide to stay in Jerusalem when God has called us to the battlefront. There is an Italian proverb which reads, "He that labors is tempted by one devil; he that is idle, by a thousand." And so it seems to be! (2 Timothy  Call to Completion):

Righteousness (1343) (dikaiosune from díke = right, just - see word study of dikaios = righteous) in simple terms is that which conforms to a standard or norm. In Christianity righteousness is that  which is itself in keeping with what God is in His holy character. 

Righteousness is rightness of character before God and rightness of actions before men. Both of these qualities are based on truth, which is conformity to the Word and will of God.

Righteousness is holy and upright living, in accordance with God’s standard.

Righteousness means to live uprightly, doing good as empowered by God.

Nelson's Bible Dictionary adds that

The word “righteousness” comes from a root word that means “straightness.” It refers to a state that conforms to an authoritative standard. Righteousness is a moral concept. God’s character is the definition and source of all righteousness. Therefore, the righteousness of human beings is defined in terms of God’s. (Youngblood, R. F., Bruce, F. F., Harrison, R. K., & Thomas Nelson Publishers. Nelson's New Illustrated Bible Dictionary)

Not only is Timothy to flee, but he is also to follow. There is the negative and the positive. How? As if in a chase. Keep on running swiftly after righteousness in order to catch it. We must make it a habit to press on in the race of life...because...

As one has wisely written "The exciting of our graces will be the extinguishing of our corruptions; the more we follow that which is good the sooner and the further we shall flee from evil. Righteousness, and faith, and love, are excellent antidotes against youthful lusts. Holy love cures impure lust." Amen!

Preacher's Commentary sums up what we are to pursue as vessels of honor...

“Righteousness” is right-ness. It is integrity, truthfulness, fairness, and justice. “Faith” is a constancy of trust in God rather than in our own carefully devised securities. “Love” is acting in the best interests of the other person. “Peace” is that harmony and unity with those who are brought together in a common commitment to the Lord. These are the things we are to pursue with a passion." (Briscoe, D. S., & Ogilvie, L. J. The Preacher's Commentary Series.  New Testament. 2003. Thomas Nelson or Logos)

Steven Cole writes that...

God’s Word is not vague about how you should live. It doesn’t offer helpful hints for happy living, if you feel like giving it a try. It gives us the commandments of God, which are for our good (Deut. 10:13; 1 John 5:3).

Years ago, an elder in my church in California told me that people like his wife, who grew up under austere, authoritarian religious fathers, could not relate to my preaching. When I asked why not, he said, “Because you preach obedience.” I replied that when-ever I preached obedience (which seems to be mentioned rather often in the Bible!), I tried to emphasize God’s love and grace as the motivation to obey. But he insisted that people such as his wife, who grew up in these authoritarian homes, could not relate well to my emphasis on obedience. In fact, I’ve often been called “legalistic” because I teach that we must obey God.

But obedience to God’s Word is not legalism! Paul commands us, “Pursue righteousness!” Go after it with everything you’ve got! David exclaimed (Ps. 40:8), “I delight to do Your will, O my God; Your Law is within my heart.” Hebrews 10:7 puts those words in Jesus’ mouth. If you’re growing to be like Jesus, you’re growing in the delight of pursuing righteousness from the heart. (2 Timothy 2:20-22 The Person God Uses)

FAITH, LOVE PEACE, : pistin agaphe eirenen : (1Co14:1, Ro14:17,19; 15:5,6; 1Co1:10; Heb12:14; 1P3:11)

Faith (4102) (pistis) (Click word study on pistis) means a firm persuasion, conviction or belief in the truth. Genuine saving faith is not just mental assent but a firm conviction, surrender to that truth and conduct emanating from that surrender. In sum, faith shows itself genuine by a changed life. Faith rests on trust in God's revelation and character and produces a genuine relationship with God.

William Barclay defines "faith" as that which

"begins with receptivity. It begins when a man is at least willing to listen to the message of the truth. It goes on to mental assent. A man first hears and then agrees that this is true. But mental assent need not issue in action. Many a man knows very well that something is true, but does not change his actions to meet that knowledge. The final stage is when this mental assent becomes total surrender. In full-fledged faith, a man hears the Christian message, agrees that it is true, and then casts himself upon it in a life of total yieldedness." (Barclay, W: The Daily Study Bible Series. The Westminster Press or Logos) (Bolding added)

Hiebert defines "faith" as “sincere and dynamic confidence in God.”

Faith equates with obedience as shown in Hebrews where we read

"And to whom did He swear that they should not enter His rest, but to those who were disobedient? And so we see that they were not able to enter because of unbelief." (Hebrews 3:18-19)

In these two verses unbelief clearly parallels disobedience. So conversely, belief should be manifest by obedience. Don't misunderstand - faith alone saves, but the faith that saves is not alone.

Steven Cole writes that...

The Greek word here may mean, “faithfulness.” We should be pursuing faithfulness, which is all too rare! It means that you are trustworthy or reliable. When someone gives you a job, you can be counted on to do it.

But the word also means “faith.” We are to pursue faith. Faith is related to your concept of God. Is He mighty? Does He hear the prayers of His people and act on their behalf? Do you trust Him to do far more than you are able to do in your strength?

Many years ago, there was a learned Hebrew professor at Princeton Seminary named Robert Dick Wilson. He could read, as I remember, more than 30 Semitic languages! One time about twelve years after Donald Grey Barnhouse had graduated, he went back to the seminary to preach to the students. Dr. Wilson sat down near the front. After the message, he went forward and shook Barnhouse’s hand. He said, “When my boys come back, I come to see if they are big-godders or little-godders, and then I know what their ministry will be.”

Barnhouse asked him to explain and he replied, “Well, some men have a little god and they are always in trouble with him. He can’t do any miracles. He can’t take care of the inspiration and transmission of the Scripture to us. He doesn’t intervene on behalf of His people. They have a little god and I call them little-godders. Then there are those who have a great God. He speaks and it is done. He commands and it stands fast. He knows how to show Himself strong on behalf of them that fear Him.” He went on to tell Barnhouse that he could see that he had a great God and that God would bless his ministry (Donald Grey Barnhouse, Let Me Illustrate [Revell, 1967], pp. 132-133). Pursue faith!  (2 Timothy 2:20-22 The Person God Uses)

Love (26) (agape) (click for in depth study) is not the "love" typically used by those in the world but is defined as unconditional, sacrificial love, that love which God is. For believers this love is commanded by God, empowered by His Spirit, activated by personal choice of one's will and is independent of one's feelings (it is not emotional) toward the object on whom the love is bestowed. Furthermore, agape love is not just words but is manifest by by specific actions (see 1Co13:4-8) Agape gives & gives & gives. Agape takes slaps in the face and still gives even as Jesus did saying Father forgive them. Agape is not withheld.

Love consists of self-sacrifice, living for the good of others with caring actions and thus is the badge of discipleship, the landmark of heaven.

"By this all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love (agape) one for another." (Jn13:35).

Steven Cole writes...

You say, “Well, I’m just a naturally loving person!” No, you’re naturally selfish! That’s why Paul commands, “Pursue love!” That requires getting your focus off of yourself and onto others, so that you can treat them as you would want to be treated. It means giving your time to listen to someone who is hurting. It means befriending someone who is lonely. Sometimes it means having the courage to talk to a brother (or sister) who is in sin with the aim of restoring him to the Lord. It means being patient, kind, consider-ate, and not easily provoked (see the complete list, - see notes on 1Corinthians 13:4; 13:5; 13:6; 13:7). Pursuing love means investing constant effort to love others. (2 Timothy 2:20-22 The Person God Uses)

Tertullian the early disciple wrote,

"It is our care for the helpless, our practice of lovingkindness, that brands us in the eyes of many of our opponents. 'Look!' they say, 'How they love one another!' Look how they are prepared to die for one another."'

Dearly beloved excellent Bible student always remember that people do not care how much we know until they know how much we care!

William Barclay describes agape love as

"Unconquerable benevolence... nothing the other person can do will make us seek anything but their highest good. Though he injure us and insult us, we will never feel anything but kindness towards him. That quite clearly means that this Christian love is not an emotional thing. Agape is not only not of the emotions, but it is of the will. It is the ability to retain unconquerable goodwill to the unlovely and the unlovable, towards those who do not love us, and even towards those whom we do not like. Agape is that quality of mind and heart which compels a Christian never to feel any bitterness, never to feel any desire for revenge, but always to seek the highest good of every man no matter what he may be." (Barclay)

Pursue...peace -

Romans 14:17 (note) (Context - Romans 14:16 Therefore do not let what is for you a good thing be spoken of as evil) for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

Romans 14:19 (note) So then let us pursue the things which make for peace and the building up of one another.

Romans 15:5 (note) Now may the God who gives perseverance and encouragement grant you to be of the same mind with one another according to Christ Jesus; 15:6 (note) that with one accord you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

1Co 1:10 — Now I exhort you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all agree, and there be no divisions among you, but you be made complete in the same mind and in the same judgment.

1 Peter 3:11 (note) — "AND LET HIM TURN AWAY (aorist imperative = do it now!) FROM EVIL AND DO (aorist imperative = do it now!) GOOD; LET HIM SEEK PEACE AND PURSUE IT.

Peace (1515) (eirene) (Click detailed word study of eirene) is from the verb eiro which means to bind or join together what is broken or divided and peace conveys the idea of that which is set at one again. Peace is confident and unrestrained access after alienation. Grace is fountain of which peace is the stream. In classical Greek peace means to “bind together” and in NT terms reflects the operation of God’s grace in binding the believing sinner to God and His life again, this operation continued in bringing that believer in his experience more and more into harmony with God in his life and service

These are men who are continually calling upon the Lord, invoking His aid in their lives. They are not SELF dependent BUT SAVIOR- dependent for their every need! They are continually in prayer, seeking Him in worship...with a PURE HEART...their motives for calling out are CLEAN, PURE...they desire nothing more than to be pleasing to Him and that He be glorified in their lives.

WITH THOSE WHO CALL UPON THE LORD FROM A PURE HEART: meta ton epikaloumenon (PMPMPG) ton kurion ek katharas kardias: (1Ch 29:17,18; Ps 17:1; 66:18,19; Pr 15:8; Ac9:14; 1Co 1:2; 1Ti 2:8) (1Ti 1:5; 4:12)

Call upon (1941) (epikaleomai from epí = upon + kaléo = call) means to call upon someone to do something and normally implies an appeal for aid or help.

Pure (2513) (katharos) means free from corrupt desire, sin and guilt and from admixture of what is false. Katharos thus means sincere, genuine, blameless, innocent, unstained with the guilt, clean or pure. Jesus taught that the vine cleansed by pruning was fitted to bear fruit -

"Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it, that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean (katharos) because of the word which I have spoken to you." (Jn15:2,3)

Not only must we flee ungodly companions, we also must find godly companions. The servant of the Lord must find some "iron sharpening iron" relationships (Pr 27:17) if his life is to maintain a cutting edge for the kingdom. This means that we ought to be very careful who we chose as our most intimate friends.

Dwight Edwards gives the following "suggestions" to help us chose our "traveling companions" in our life journey...

Is this person's goal in life holiness or just happiness? Are they living for the things that will count for eternity, or for the decaying delicacies of this fading world? How serious is this person's commitment to the cause of Christ? Many believers give mental assent to the goal of Christ-likeness, but relatively few pursue it with a burning passion. The purpose of true fellowship is to "stimulate (lit. "create a fever for") one another to love and good works" Heb. 10:24,25; not to huddle around worldly topics with other believers, under the guise of "Christian fellowship."  One of the most moving illustrations of godly companionship is found in the relationship cultivated between David and Jonathan. Perhaps the best summation of their relationship is found in 1Sa 23:16, "So Jonathan, Saul's son, arose and went to David in the woods, and strengthened his hand in God." Who do we have to help us "strengthen our hand in God"? To whom do we do the same? (2 Timothy  Call to Completion) (Bolding added)

Heart (2588) (kardia) (Click for in depth analysis of kardia) is the seat and center (intellect, volition, and emotion) of human life , from which thoughts, emotions and affections flow. Figuratively (and this is only way kardia is used in the NT) heart commonly refers to the mind as the center of thinking and reason, but also includes the emotions , the will, and thus, the whole inner being. The heart is the depository of all wisdom and the source of whatever affects speech, sight, and conduct.

Solomon instructed us to

"Watch over your heart with all diligence, For from it flow the springs of life." (Pr4:23)

The Psalmist similarly prayed for an undivided heart, writing

"Teach me Thy way, O Lord. I will walk in Thy truth. Unite (verb meaning to join) my heart to fear Thy name." (Ps 86:11)

The Psalmist writes

"How blessed are those who observe His testimonies, who seek Him with all their heart." (Ps 119:2)

A pure heart is one that exhibits single-hearted loyalty to our Lord and Master.

Steven Cole writes...

Peace usually doesn’t just happen. You have to pursue it deliberately, sometimes with much effort. It is debatable whether the comma should be inserted after “peace.” With the comma, the sentence means that you should join with other believers in the common pursuit of peace. Without the comma, the idea is that the peace that you should pursue should be with other believers, here described as those “who call on the Lord from a pure heart.”

BUT REFUSE  FOOLISH AND IGNORANT SPECULATIONS: tas de moras kai apaideutous zethseis paraitou (2SPMM): (2Ti 2:14,16; 1 Ti 1:4; 4:7; 6:4,5; Titus 3:9)

In his first letter to Timothy Paul had written a parallel instruction regarding fruitless doctrinal discussions...

As I urged you upon my departure for Macedonia, remain on at Ephesus, in order that you may instruct certain men not to teach strange doctrines, 4 nor to pay attention to myths and endless genealogies, which give rise to mere speculation rather than furthering the administration of God which is by faith. 5 But the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. 6 For some men, straying from these things, have turned aside to fruitless discussion, 7 wanting to be teachers of the Law, even though they do not understand either what they are saying or the matters about which they make confident assertions.

Refuse (3868) (paraiteomai from pará = aside + aitéo = ask) (Click  word study on paraiteomai) means to reject, beg off, decline (to refuse especially courteously), shun or avoid.

Present imperative means to make it your habit to refuse to get drawn into ''which came first, the chicken or the egg'' type discussions, those things that are controversial and seriously disputed, having no certain basis in truth. The Lord's bondservant must graciously "beg off" many invitations to "war over words" with others.  Certainly we can discuss differences of opinions; but our discussions must not degenerate into heated debates over irrelevant issues.

Foolish (3474) (moros) root meaning is mentally dull, silly or stupid (English = “moron”).

Webster says foolish implies the character of being or seeming unable to use judgment, discretion, or good sense.

Ignorant (521) (apaideutos from a = without + paideúo = instruct, chastise, correct) untrained, undisciplined, unlearned, untaught, ignorant,  nonsensical, inept, trifling, absurd disputations.

Vincent says that the idea of ignorant is in the sense of

undisciplined: questions of an untrained mind, carried away with novelties: questions which do not proceed from any trained habit of thinking." These speculations are the work and the mark of ignorant men.  (Vincent, M. R. Word Studies in the New Testament. Vol. 4, Page 307)

Hendriksen writes that

The person who has been properly educated in God’s redemptive truth is able to distinguish between the worth-while and the worthless, and does not conduct such worse than useless enquiries (into genealogical and other Jewish-tradition lore). (Hendriksen, W., & Kistemaker, S. J. NT Commentary Set. Baker Book or Logos)

Speculation (2214) (zetesis from zetéo = to seek) Used by Greeks to indicate philosophical inquiry (searching). The idea is to form ideas which are unrelated to reality, normally with a negative connotation or speculative ( take to be true on the basis of insufficient evidence). These are worthless Imaginings involving exchange of words rather than a true search.

KNOWING THAT THEY PRODUCE QUARRELS: eidos (RAPMSN) hoti gennosin (3PPAI) machas:

Produce (1080) (gennao)  means to beget (produce especially as an effect or outgrowth). Amplified phrases it "foster strife and breed quarrels". The present tense indicates that they continually generate or give birth to strife and fighting. Foolish and ignorant speculation always "give birth" to quarrels.

Quarrels (3163) (mache) fighting, battles or controversies. The idea in this context is battles fought without actual weapons.

In this Timothy passage, Paul makes clear that he is not speaking about responsible discussion of Scripture and theology, either with the unsaved or among believers. He rather forbids speculations, fruitless and unproductive debates that... produce quarrels. Such speculations not only are worthless but are ungodly. They question Scripture, distort the truth, create doubt, weaken faith, undermine confidence in the Lord, often lead to compromise of convictions, and produce quarrels.

William Barclay sums up the issue well:

Here then is the test. If at the end of our talk, we are closer to one another and God, then all is well; but if we have erected barriers between one another and have left God more distant, then all is not well. The aim of all Christian discussion and of all Christian action is to bring a man nearer to his fellows and to God. (Barclay, W: The Daily Study Bible Series. The Westminster Press or Logos)

Steven Cole writes that...

Some doctrinal controversies are clearly important and worth defending vigorously. Paul went to Jerusalem to argue strongly against the Judaizers, who said that circumcision is necessary for salvation (Acts 15).

Paul contended against Peter, whose behavior compromised the gospel on this matter (Gal. 2:11-14).

Jude 1:3 appeals to us to contend earnestly for the faith. So Paul does not mean (in our text) that all doctrinal controversy is wrong.

Rather, he is talking about pointless issues that have no bearing on salvation or godly living.

Speculations infers that these were matters on which the Bible is silent. I might add that while we should not get into these kinds of foolish and ignorant debates, we may need to confront the argumentative spirit of those promoting them. Some people like to argue because it feeds their pride to prove their point and to put down others. But Paul’s point is that it is futile to argue over speculative matters where the Bible either is silent or unclear.

Here are some questions to ask to help determine if an issue is a foolish and ignorant speculation to be avoided or a matter requiring biblical correction:

*Is this person involved in clear disobedience to God's Word?

Maybe he is doing something that I don’t like, but there is no command in the Bible against it. Also, some things fall into a gray zone: they may be inadvisable, but they are not clear sin. Use discernment!

*Is a major doctrinal issue at stake?