[Greek] καταστροφή (katastrophē), [Latin] subversio, [Latin] eversio: overturning, destruction, ruin, apostasy, subverting; 2Tim.2:14, 2Pet.2:6
Background information:
Greek Hellenism: This term means overturning, subjugation, end, and conclusion.
Aeschynes’ Eumenides 490: “Here is the overturning of new laws.”
Herodotus’ The Histories 1.6: “This Croesus was the first foreigner whom we know subjugated some Greeks and took tribute from them.”
Aeschylus’ Suppliant Women 442: “There is no escape. There is no result without grievous heart.”
Old Testament: This term means destruction overthrow, end, hurricane, waste, run, and downfall.
New Testament: Paul implores Timothy to remind others that the Christian life includes endurance, witness, and suffering. Disputing such words serves no purpose and harms (subverts) those who listen. If God condemned Sodom and Gomorrah and rescued Lot, a righteous man, then God knows how to rescue the devout from trials and to punish the unrighteous. These false teachers will be punished.
Scripture:
“Remind people of these things and charge them before God to stop disputing about words. This serves no useful purpose since it harms [subverts] those who listen.” 2Tim.2:14
Paul was giving Timothy instructions concerning false teachings. Paul implores Timothy to remind others about these things. Through baptism Christians die spiritually with Christ and hope to reign with Him. The Christian life can include endurance, witness, and suffering. Christ remains faithful to those who are faithful.
“If God condemned Sodom and Gomorrah to destruction, and if He rescued Lot, a righteous man, then the Lord knows how to rescue the devout from trials and punish the unrighteous and especially those who follow the flesh with its depraved desire and show contempt for lordship” 2Pet.2:6-10
Who are to be punished? Those who follow the flesh and who show contempt for God.
The Lord will punish the false teachers, false prophets, those who follow the flesh, and those who show contempt for the Lord.
Disaster: These events can be naturally created or man made. In the global warming/climate change debate, there continually remains the question about how much man can actually affect the environment. Then there are natural disasters (earthquakes, tidal waves, hurricanes, volcanos which man has no influence with. It begs the question, “why do these natural disasters occur?”
Perspectives on disasters
“God’s greatest blessings often come costumed as disasters. Any doubter need to do nothing more than to ascend the hill of Calvary.” Max Lucado
“Even in the darkness of disaster, God’s people can still shine the light of hope.” Mark Carter
“A great disaster had befallen Russia. Men have forgotten God; that is why all this has happened.” Alexander Solzhenitsyn
“Paradoxical as it may seem, God means not only to make us good, but to make us also happy, by sickness, disaster, and disappointment.” C. A Bartol
“The greatest disaster that can happen to man or a nation is not to do evil; it is to deny that evil exists by calling evil another name like “progress” Fulton J. Sheen
“Sometimes it takes a natural disaster to reveal a social disaster.” Jim Wallis
“We do not want a church that will move with the world. We want a church that will move the world.” GK Chesterton
“Societies are far gone in depravity when toleration is considered a good in itself, without regard to the thing tolerated.” GK Chesterton
“Tolerance is the virtue of a man without convictions.” GK Chesteron
Conclusion:
Subversion, subvert, catastrophe, catastrophic
In Greek Hellenism, it is interesting to discover the various meanings of this term (overturning, subjugating, and ending)
Paul warns Timothy about false teachers subverting the Christian followers. Timothy must convey the truth from Paul. Disputing such things will be harmful
In 2Pet.2:10 those who are subject to punishment include those who follow the flesh and show contempt for the Lord. (How is this not applicable today?)
Update: The tragic natural disaster (earthquake) in Turkey will continue cause many of us to ask “Why does God allow this to happen?”
“How is the sinful activity in our current world any different from the sinful activity of Sodom and Gomorrah?” (Why couldn’t this happen again?)
Jesus came to sinners, but He did not tolerate sinful behavior. He said to sin no more.
What are some examples of contempt and rebelliousness? (defying God, “knowing better”, “knowing that I can do whatever I want”, “because I have the right to”)
- Undermining and disrupting God’s life creation: abortion, euthanasia
- Redefining and changing God’s marriage designs: gay marriage
- Redefining and changing how God created you: transgenderism, multiple genders, puberty blockers, sex reassignment surgery
- Ignoring, refuting, and disavowing Church teachings: abortion, Eucharist, calling Catholics (Christians) as extreme and hateful
- Failing to call out sin and tolerating sinful behavior
- Being unaware or dismissive that each of us will have to stand before God
With these attitudes, is it now really beyond the realm of possibility that our world could receive a chastisement from God?
The situation in East Palestine, Ohio is unfortunately a great human disaster in the making. (We are already seeing a disastrous governmental and corporate response in helping these people.)
Russia is now attempting to subjugate eastern Ukraine and to kidnap Ukrainian children.
The Iranian govt. subjugates and restricts women’s rights.
Recent efforts of censorship, content moderation, restricting disinformation essentially seeks to subvert others’ beliefs and opinions.
Teachers’ efforts to promote gender/sex indoctrination are seeking to subvert parents’ abilities to teach their own kids.
CRT and the 1619 Project seeks to undermine and to rewrite US history regarding slavery.
Don’t be surprised that many will find Fulton Sheen’s and GK Chesterton’s prophetic comments very offensive. (Wouldn’t this be the greatest irony of all!)