DISEASED WORDS. 2nd Timothy 2:17 False doctrine spreads like gangrene and erodes the faith of God's people. Hymenaeus had already been handed over to Satan because of his false teaching about the resurrection. Another person, Philetus, joins Alexander in making a shipwreck because of listening to and promoting false teachings. The Sadducees held false beliefs about the resurrection. Perhaps some thought the resurrection of "many saints" who rose after Christ was the only resurrection. Many believe only in a spiritual resurrection and think the body will not be raised.
Comparing false doctrine to cancer is accurate because both spread rapidly if not addressed promptly. Cancer can be fatal if it grows unchecked, and false doctrine spreads quickly from one person to another due to its appeal to our sinful nature. “The wages of sin is death.” The best way to handle false doctrine is to avoid what causes it, shun it, not discuss it, reject it completely and swiftly, and remove it if it infects the body.
Another word for “canker” used in some versions of the Bible is gangrene. This happens physically when part of the body is cut off from the nutrients and blood needed to keep the cells alive. If gangrene is not treated and, if necessary, removed, it quickly kills the entire body.
The effect of Hymenaeus apparently continued to be felt long after he was first dealt with. He had been handed over to Satan to learn not to blaspheme, along with Alexander. Now, Philetus had also gone astray along with Hymenaeus.