4 he is proud, knowing nothing, but is obsessed with disputes and arguments over words, from which come envy, strife, reviling, evil suspicions,
Verses 4 and following continue to detail the characteristics of false teachers.
knowing nothing,
False teachers deem themselves as knowing something superior; from a biblical standpoint, they know nothing. As elitists, they pretend that they know more than others. They delude themselves by their false teaching (1 Tim 1:7).
but is obsessed with disputes and arguments over words,
False teachers have a twisted appetite for idle conflicts and arguments. They love to wage war “over words.” This kind of quarrel minimizes vital questions of doctrine (2 Tim 2:23-26).
from which come envy,
Waging war over words produces envy and strife, along with other useless attitudes among people. Their inward discontent is with their status or what God has done in their lives. They turn to envy of what others have. The result of obsession with debates produces “envy” and the following list of divisions among people. Each sin spawns another sinning. Envy is malignant by nature (Prov 14:30; Song of Solomon 8:6).
strife,
Another result of argument among believers is “strife” (Php 2:3). False teachers create personality tensions among people, creating friction between Christians. They possess unhealthy competition with others; they want to exalt themselves above others. They have a spirit of enmity toward others.
reviling [blasphemies],
Those without sound doctrine use abusive language and slander their opponents. “Reviling” or blasphemy here is against other believers, not God (Tit 3:2). The idea is to undermine other Christians.
evil suspicions,
False teachers carry evil surmising about others. Suspicion creates a lack of trust toward others. They carelessly attribute false motives to others. They create an atmosphere of distrust and tension with others.
PRINCIPLE:
Sin spawns further sinning.
APPLICATION:
Sinning produces a tangle of sin; one sin spawns another, plunging a person deeper into its trap.
