Day 11: Pragmatism vs. Truth

Scripture Reading:

“For the time will come when they will not tolerate sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance with their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths.” – 2 Timothy 4:3–4, LSB

Every age of the church faces the temptation to prefer pragmatism over truth. Pragmatism asks, “What works? What draws a crowd? What makes people feel good?” But Paul warns that this spirit will lead people to abandon sound doctrine. Instead of enduring truth, they will accumulate teachers who tell them what they want to hear.

Pragmatism is not new. In Israel’s history, false prophets told the people only what they wanted to hear. Jeremiah rebuked them: “They have healed the brokenness of My people superficially, saying, ‘Peace, peace,’ but there is no peace” (Jer. 6:14). The people preferred comfort over truth, and the result was destruction.

Paul tells Timothy that this pattern will continue. Many will not endure sound doctrine. The problem is not that the truth is unclear but that it is uncomfortable. People do not want to be confronted with sin, judgment, or the call to holiness. They would rather turn aside to myths—pleasant lies that flatter the heart.

John Calvin wrote, “Whenever men turn aside from the Word of God, they inevitably turn to vanity” (Commentary on 2 Timothy 4:3). Pragmatism may seem harmless, but it always leads to empty myths. What appears to “work” in the short term cannot save in the end. Only God’s truth saves.

This danger is real in the modern church. Many ministries focus on entertainment, motivational speeches, or worldly wisdom rather than the preaching of God’s Word. Crowds may gather, but without doctrine, there is no foundation. As R.C. Sproul warned, “We live in what may be the most anti-doctrinal era of church history” (Everyone’s a Theologian, p. 2).

Sound doctrine, by contrast, endures. It may not tickle ears, but it transforms hearts. It may not always be popular, but it saves eternally. Paul calls Timothy not to abandon truth for what works but to “preach the word…in season and out of season” (2 Tim. 4:2). Faithful ministry depends not on pragmatism but on God’s Word.

Beloved, we must resist the lure of pragmatism. Churches are not built on clever strategies or worldly wisdom but on the truth of Christ. The gospel may offend, but it is the power of God for salvation (Rom. 1:16). To forsake sound doctrine for pragmatism is to forsake life itself.

Personal Reflection

1. Why is pragmatism so appealing to the church and the world?

2. How does 2 Timothy 4:3-4 describe the danger of abandoning truth?

3. What modern examples do you see of churches or individuals preferring pragmatism to sound doctrine?

4. How can you help your church stay anchored in the truth, even when it is unpopular?