¹⁴ Remind others about these things, and warn them before God^[a] not to argue over words. Arguing^[b] does not do any good but only destroys those who are listening. ¹⁵ Do your best to present yourself to God as an approved worker who has nothing to be ashamed of, handling the word of truth with precision. ¹⁶ However, avoid pointless discussions. For people will become more and more ungodly, ¹⁷ and what they say will spread everywhere like gangrene. Hymenaeus and Philetus are like that. ¹⁸ They have abandoned the truth by claiming that the resurrection has already taken place, and so they destroy the faith of others.

¹⁹ However, God’s solid foundation still stands. It has this inscription on it: “The Lord^[c] knows those who belong to him,”^[d] and “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord^[e] must turn away from evil.”^[f]