Being a follower of Christ is not like an interest or a hobby. It consumes your whole life.
Suffering is transformed when it is given meaning.
Paul warns us (or, actually, Timothy) not to get caught up in arguments over words or in 'godless, foolish discussions'. It's interesting because, in a way, Christianity and everything we do in our lives is about words. I only know about Paul and Jesus and Christianity through reading words from the Bible and using words to communicate with people.
But the important question is, 'what is behind the words?' In a relationship, words are crucial. Communication is like the essence of a relationship but the relationship itself is far more than the words. The words are like the finger pointing at the moon - they are not the moon itself.
That's why Paul warns us not to get into arguments over words, because it's not the words themselves that matter. What matters is the truth. Words are used as a means of expressing the truth but the truth is always more than the words.
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