It is of all of us … that the apostle speaks. Christ is a pauper, let us blush with shame. Christ is lowly, let us be made lowly. Christ was crucified. He did not rule. He was crucified in order to rule. He conquered the world, not in pride but in humility. He destroyed the devil, not by derisive laughter but by weeping; he did not scourge but was scourged. He received a blow but did not give blows. Let us, therefore, imitate our Lord.
Perverse disputings, that is, leisure or conversation, or he may mean intercommunication, and that as infected sheep by contact communicate disease to the sound, so do these bad men.
Destitute of the truth, thinking that gain is godliness. Observe what evils are produced by strifes of words. The love of gain, ignorance, and pride; for pride is engendered by ignorance.
From such withdraw yourself. He does not say, engage and contend with them, but withdraw yourself, turn away from them; as elsewhere he says, A man that is an heretic after the first and second admonition reject. Titus 3:10 He shows that they do not so much err from ignorance, as they owe their ignorance to their indolence. Those who are contentious for the sake of money you will never persuade. They are only to be persuaded, so long as you give, and even so you will never satisfy their desires. For it is said, The covetous man's eye is not satisfied with a portion. Sirach 14:9 From such then, as being incorrigible,...
