2 Timothy 2:23 (DBY)

Passage

But foolish and senseless questionings avoid, knowing that they beget contentions.

Nearby Context

2 Timothy 2:21 If therefore one shall have purified himself from these, [in separating himself from them], he shall be a vessel to honour, sanctified, serviceable to the Master, prepared for every good work.

2 Timothy 2:22 But youthful lusts flee, and pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace, with those that call upon the Lord out of a pure heart.

2 Timothy 2:23 But foolish and senseless questionings avoid, knowing that they beget contentions.

2 Timothy 2:24 And a bondman of [the] Lord ought not to contend, but be gentle towards all; apt to teach; forbearing;

2 Timothy 2:25 in meekness setting right those who oppose, if God perhaps may sometime give them repentance to acknowledgment of [the] truth,

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "foolish", "senseless", "questionings", "avoid", "knowing", "beget", and "contentions". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "foolish" and "senseless", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 22's "But youthful lusts flee and pursue righteousness..." into verse 24's "And a bondman of the Lord ought...", so "foolish" and "senseless" belong inside that flow. In 2 Timothy context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "foolish" and "senseless" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.