2 Timothy 3:1-17 - Series on the Epistles of Paul (126)

So Paul was in prison for the second time, and then he knew that his time would be short, and that he would be executed soon. So he sent this second letter to Timothy, and it was an instruction to Timothy, so that Timothy would be encouraged to continue in the faith.

The faith that was proclaimed had been proclaimed, and it should be and continue to be proclaimed in the future and contaminated to future generations. So in the first chapter of Timothy, he encourages Timothy not to deviate from the truth, to stay on the truth. And it says that in verse 8, it says therefore, this is therefore verse 8, Therefore, do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me of his prisoner, but share with me in the sufferings for the gospel according to the power of God.

So, Timothy, don't be ashamed of this gospel. And Paul then says that he has committed his whole life to Jesus Christ, as we can see there in verse 12. And he says, for this reason, I also suffer these things. Nevertheless, I'm not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and I'm persuaded that he is able to keep what I have committed to him until that day. So, he knows, Paul knows, and we all know, that God's plan will be carried out and God will do what he says he will do. And so, in verse 13, Paul encourages Timothy not to deviate from this, quote, pattern of sound words.

We can see that in verse 13. Hold fast the pattern of sound words, which you have heard from me. And so, Timothy and we all have to hold fast to the truth that was once given to us. Then, a little bit further in chapter 2, starting in verse 1 and 2, Paul encourages Timothy to pass this teaching to others, to fight for man who will be able to teach others.

You can see that in verse 2 that he says, the things that you've heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to fight for man who will be able to teach others also. So, we can see this passing of the baton, passing of the responsibility that we teach and others then learn from us and then pass it on to others.

Then Paul uses three analogies in verses 3 to 8. One is about a soldier that trains and prepares and then he's given his duties and responsibilities to execute. Then he gives also the example of an athlete that trains and then he competes. Then he gives a third example of a farmer which labors and then he has crops. And so, using these analogies, we must be dedicated to our job, to our calling, to our responsibility.

We ought to apply our minds to invest our time and efforts by continuously remembering Jesus Christ. And that's what he says here in verse 8. In verse 8, to remember that Jesus Christ and the word there in Greek is more along the lines of the wording, along the lines of continuing to remember Jesus Christ. And then he then explains in verse 9 through 13 that we will have to endure trials even when we accuse falsely, all the way to the end, in other words, when Christ comes, like Jesus Christ also endured.

And then starting from verse 14 through 21, he emphasizes that one of the trials will go through and that we go through is from people that have these ideas, very intellectual and clever ideas, very clever arguments. And indeed, I am quote-unquote privileged, maybe that's the wrong word, to receive a lot of these arguments from different people. And it really is one for one, it's time-consuming, but two, it's sad because many of the arguments are arguing about words and because people are not dividing God's word properly. And so that's what Paul is telling you to Timothy, starting from verse 14, that we have to divide God's word properly because people are striving about words of no prophet.

And so, for one, if we want to be used by God, we have to cleanse ourselves inside and we must depart from sin. And that's what it says in verses 18 and 19. We got to depart from sin because it says the solid foundation, we read that in verse 19, of God's stands, having the seal, the word, the Lord knows those who are ye, and let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity.

That is so important because when our minds are clear, when we are honestly trying to please God, things get a lot clearer in our minds. And so we just have to understand that living the way is not being intellectual about things, about words. And so, in verse 22 of 2 Timothy chapter 2, Timothy highlights four key attributes of a Christian in our relationship with Adabrathram. And he says, pursue these. In verse 22 he says, free, youthful, large, but pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. So we are to pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace with our brethren.

And then he goes on in verse 23 and says, but avoid foolish and ignorant disputes. In other words, we see that people are arguing about words or striving about words of no prophet, as he said in verse 14. And now in verse 23 he says, avoid these foolish and ignorant disputes knowing that they only cause problems. They generate strife. And so God's servants, and I see many times we run into these people that have quarrelsome attitude. And so we are, it says, a servant of the Lord must not quarrel.

We see that in verse 24. But be gentle and able to teach with patience and humility, hoping that these people would then repent, that God would grant them repentance. And so we're going to be gentle to everyone and we are correct in humility. This is the formula. Brethren, this is the formula. Humility. And with humility, we pray, we teach, we exhort, that God may then grant them repentance. Why? So that they may avoid Satan's traps.

He says, yes, so that they don't be caught by the snare of the devil. So that's a summary of what we've covered in this book so far. So Paul is telling Timothy to stick to the word and avoid these arguments. We will have pressures, we'll have trials, but avoid these arguments. Now in chapter 3, he moves on to warnings for the days ahead and what we specifically must do.

And so let's look at that by starting in verse 1 of 2 Timothy chapter 3. He says, but notice that in the lost days, so we are in the lost days. That is days that are ahead towards the end time. And then he says, perilous times will come. Perilous, grievous, terrible, hard times, dangerous times. And brethren, the worst is to come. You know, the Bible talks about there will be a time of great tribulation like never before was and never again will be. And only a small fraction of Israelite people will be left alive.

As we look at various prophecies, it appears to be only one tenth of the Israelite people will be left alive. And so we see, the Berlians will die. There will be warfare, plagues and various problems. One of my recent sermons was exactly giving you that big overview of those lost days, which hopefully helps people to put it into the big picture. And so a time of violence and danger will come. That's why it says perilous, grievous, terrible, difficult times. And so in verse 2, he describes that those attitudes of people at the same time as follows.

First, for men will be lovers of themselves. You know, we live in a me generation. Everyone is out for himself, for me, myself and I. And life is basically around self, not around serving others. And so one of the basic sins, if not the basic sin, from which other sins flow, which is when one makes oneself the center of life, then human relationships get destroyed. You see, when our life is centered about ourselves, that destroys relationships. Our life should revolve around God. We should love God with all our hearts, with all our minds and our neighbors as ourselves.

That's what the law is. And so we know, scriptures like the the love chapter in 1 Corinthians 13, it says, love does not seek its own. Romans 13, Paul there in Romans 13, verse 10 says, love is the fulfillment of the law. But self-love seeks its own ways. And basically, it lies at the root of breaking God's law. So when people want what they want, they will do what they need to do in their eyes and minds to get what they want.

And as we know, that was in a sense tied to when Eve looked at the fruit of that tree that appeared good to eat and would make one wise. It's the same thing as we read in principle in 1 John 2, verse 16, that people want what fits the lusts of the flesh, the lusts of the eyes, and the pride of life.

And so that is all around self-self. So if somebody has, sometimes my kids joke, and sometimes they say, I see it, I like it, I'll take it. That's an attitude of some people that we've seen in society. And so that is the attitude of self. That's what we got to be completely aware because it's love towards God first and love to others as ourselves.

And in fact, Christ said, gave us a higher standard to say, love others as He has loved us. So in the next point, and he says, is lovers of money. Carvages, as we see in 1 Timothy, chapter 6, verse 10, just one or two pages back in your Bible, that says, For the love of money is a root of all evil, as it is in Greek, a root. It's not the root, but it is a root. Because of the influence that riches can bring about to a person, the love of money becomes a root of evil. And so that's why he says at the time of the end, people be lovers of themselves, lovers of money.

And then he says, boast us, boasting of what they don't have. And we do see that quite a bit today. And then he says, proud, someone that shows themselves to be above others, proud. And it's like looking at others with a way of contempt, of looking down on others. So that's pride. And a lot can be said about pride, which I'm not addressing at this moment. Then blasphemous. In other words, people that speak evil, revilers, using words to blaspheme, to speak evil of other people.

And then disobedient to parents. The character of today's age, in a way, it's demonstrated by the way young people treat the elder people. And even their parents. In other words, the lack of respect, the lack of manners, which leads to, in many ways, disobedience. Unruly people in the streets. You can see that that was because there was no proper training as young people in the home to respect authority.

And so that's what we see in today's society. To disobedient to parents. Unthankful. In other words, the obligation of being grateful, of showing gratitude, is, as we can see in this description, right next to obedience to parents. Very, very important for us to be grateful. And then he goes on and says, as I mentioned, unthankful. Then he says unholy, which means irreligious, inobservant of the office of God. In other words, there's no reverence for God.

No reverence for God in the heart. In other words, no true fear of God. The beginning of wisdom is the fear of God. People don't have that respect for God. And yeah, they may say God's name, but it's not in a wholly respectful way. We really live in a society where that is prominent. Verse 3, unloving. That is people that don't have natural affection. It was like family love, love in the family, not loving the family, not loving the children.

There's that lack of love in society, not loving the parents. That is so prevalent today. And then unforgiving. Do we find that today? That also implies, in a sense, a sense of hardness of mind, a sense of ruthlessness, a sense that a person is prepared to break promises or break agreements because he's not willing to forgive, he's not willing to reconcile, is irreconcilable, unforgiving. And then slanderous. Now, slander, the word in Greek is diabolos, which is like the word of the devil, Satan, like little Satan's. False accusations, slanderous. Because indeed, Satan is the accuser of the brethren, as we read in Revelation 12 verse 9. Then, without self-control. In other words, they don't govern their passions. They are misled in the wrong direction.

They've discarded the power of self-control. Why? Because they want their own desires and their appetites, their own uncleanliness. So, they don't have self-control. Next one is brutal. Brutal. Fierce, like beasts of prey. You know, it's like you attack somebody like a beast of prey. There's no kindness. There's just cruelty and barbarians in the way of the words. And it could very well be, in the future, being very cruel towards other people. In fact, we see, maybe in some of the demonstrations on the street, you see some conduct which is very brutal, very fierce, and it's completely opposite to any degree of mildness and gentleness. Completely opposite to that. And then it says despises of good, despises of good things, but also despises of those that are good.

In other words, they have no love towards good, no love towards good works. None of that. And now let's move on to verse 4. Traitors. What is a traitor? Somebody betrays. Betrays somebody else. Betrays the trust. Maybe delivers up to an enemy the person who's put their life or their trust in their hands.

Betray maybe their best or their close friends. Why? To preserve and secure themselves. That is an characteristic of the same time. And then it says headstrong. People that are reckless, they are daring, bold, impotent, inconsiderate. They can say and do whatever they want to say and do, even if it's so vile and wicked. They headstrong, they're reckless, they're daring. They say what they want to say. Haughty is the next characteristic, which is high-minded, again related to pride, buffed up with pride and conceit, great wars of vanity.

And then he gets to lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God. Lovers of pleasure, which are pleasures for a short season, but then subsequently bring great and terrible and sad consequences to those people around and to themselves. It is sad when we see people doing things wrong and because of temporary pleasure and complications and problems and the headaches that those things bring on them and on others around them and their families. And so rather than lovers of God. You see, sometimes things are hard to do and they require a sacrifice. Sometimes people have to go without, but you've got to put God first.

You know, as an example, if you have needs and you don't have great income and you have children that need clothes and food, what do you do? You see, we've got to love God and we've got to have a love for others, not for our own pleasure. Then it goes on in verse five. Having a form of godliness, but denying its power. A form, the Greek word yapho form is morphosis, which is a kind of an appearance, a semblance, like a draft or a sketch of godliness. Not the real stuff, having a form of godliness and denying its power. In other words, it's like saying form without substance. They have religion in their beliefs, in their words, in their confession, in their appearance.

There was a mask of godliness, but the life and the fruits in their life, it's not a life according to what God would expect from us. You see, they don't have God in their hearts. And so the form, the shape, is one that says, Oh, look at that person, such a godly person, such a godly man, such a godly woman.

But there's no substance, just an outward fake appearance, but nothing inside.

And that is not the way we should be as Christians, not at all. Our substance is basically the fruit of the Spirit as we read in Galatians 5, 22 and 23. That's what our substance should be. Love, joy, peace, etc. All those nine characteristics. And so our relationship with others, our relationship with God must be substantial, must have substance.

There has to be some substance with us, like faith, humility, love. So that is what the true religion is. That's where all the true godliness is. But denying its power, denying its power. So in their works and actions, their fruits deny this faithless appearance. They deny it all. But above all, what is the power? What is the power of true religion?

What is the power that God gives us? It's God's only Spirit. And so they deny, they don't use God's only Spirit. As God teaches us things, as we learn the truth, and God to everybody has shown something. But as people are called, for instance, God gives them a little bit of understanding. But then they don't respond to that calling. So therefore, they can't be chosen. Many are called, but few are chosen. They deny the power. They don't want to change what they are. And in this age, this age of our oneself, they appear religious, but then deny its power.

They don't want to change. And that's why we see very few people responding to the calling. Yes, we are preaching the gospel unto the whole world as a witness. And that's our job. Regretably, people are not responding to that calling. They denying the power. And then it says, from such people, turn away. If people are actually not only just not responding to the calling, but if people are being lovers of money, lovers of themselves, disobedient to parents, and thankful, and holy, and loving, and forgiving, slanderers, etc., etc., depart from them.

It says, turn away from such people. Turn away. Don't have anything to do with these people. Don't have communion with them. Don't make them your peers and your friends, because it's going to affect you negatively. In other words, withdraw from them. Verse 5, I beg pardon, verse 6. For of this sort are those who creep into households and make captives of gullible women, load down with sins, led away by various lusts, of these sorts of people that have a form of godliness, but no substance.

That are part of these people that are lovers of themselves, lovers of money, unloving, unforgiving. These sort of people are those who creep into households. In other words, because they have a form of religion, of godliness, they try and infiltrate privately and aware, like in stealth, with flattering words, with false pretenses. They are like weasels, sneaky, untrustworthy, dishonest, slippery. And so they get into households. They try and get into people's minds, for one. And they try and affect people with their ideas, with their form of godliness.

But it's not true godliness, they're ideas. And so it says, they lead captive, silly women. Now, this is my captive of gullible women. The Greek is little woman, the actual Greek. Gallible woman, silly woman, little woman. It's a derogatory term, but it's people with no substance, easily misled. In a sense, it's like Satan beguiled Eve. These people work themselves into the affections of the wicked vessel, more emotional.

And as this diminutive word implies, little woman, and instill their evil principles into people. People that are gullible or easy to be led away, and makes them captive, captivate them. And therefore, in a sense, they are manipulating them and lead them as they please. So, the example, Yah, is of gullible woman, but there's also a lot of gullible men, too. So we've got to be careful. We've got to be wise. We've got to be able to discern. And it says, load down with sins, full of sins. The Greek word is armatia, Greek 266, which means Mr.

Mark, to err, to have mistakes. And so these people are so full of these false teachings, this form of godliness, as we read in verse 5, if we're looking at this in context. And these people have already, therefore, to receive more false principles, because they're erring the mark, they're already missing the mark.

They already have these false ideas, these sins in their minds, these false concepts of what you can or cannot do. And therefore, they are willing to receive more wrong ideas. And that's why they're creeping. It says, yeah, they're creeping into households, into your mind, into one's thinking, to encourage people to stay in their false ways, or even to go beyond and do even more wrong things. And so that's why I say, look at the context in verse 5. It's a form of godliness. And look at the context in verse 7, which says, always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.

So we have here a situation where people are ready to receive, they ripe to receive any set of, quote-unquote, principles, ideas, fake information that would encourage them to continue in these sins of false teachings, these false ways. And they are led away by divers lusts. As we read in 2 Timothy chapter 4 verse 3 and 4, these people have itchy ears.

You know, in chapter 4 verse 4, and it says, and so you can see the whole context here. Paul is saying to Timothy, starting in chapter 2 verse 14, says, these people strive about words of no prophet. Then also in chapter 2 verse 23 says, avoid foolish and ignorant disputes. And then it says in chapter 3, these in the world today, people will have a form of godliness. In other words, it's a mask, an appearance, fake ideas, false ideas. And then these people we read in verse 7 of chapter 3, always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.

And then it says, because they are led away by various lusts, by divers lusts, which is their desire to have new teachers, new doctrines, new practices. And that prevails amongst people that are gullible. He uses exampleia of gullible women, but it's not only just women, people that are gullible, that go for these things. And therefore it says, always learning and never coming to the knowledge of the truth. You see, because of the teachers that they have and that they accept and they heap up for themselves, they themselves are teaching others and spreading to others false ideas.

And they are basically being blind and ignorant guides and do not know the truth. And they are enemies. They resist the truth. As we read for instance in 2 Thessalonians chapter 2 verse 10, these people do not love the truth. In fact, let's look at 2 Thessalonians chapter 2 verse 10. It's talking about the man of sin and that with all unrighteous deception among those who perish because they did not receive the love of the truth.

You see, we've got to love the truth. Now, truth must be revealed. Right? Truth is revealed. How do you and I know the truth? Read with me, please, in 1 Corinthians chapter 2 verse 10. 1 Corinthians chapter 2 verse 10. We know the truth by God's Holy Spirit. We only know the things of man by the spirit of man. So 1 Corinthians chapter 2 verse 10, it says, but God has revealed them to us through his spirit.

It was the things of God, things that God, for the spirit searches all things. Yes, the deep things of God. Verse 11, for what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of man, which is in him. Even so, no one knows the things of God except the spirit of God. And so as God calls you, as God starts calling people, God starts showing them a little bit of the truth.

And as they then apply and commit themselves to that bit of truth, then God shows them a little bit more. And then as they apply, then God shows them a little bit more. But if they reject that truth, say for instance, God starts showing them about the Sabbath. If they reject and they don't obey and they don't practice, then they slide back. And because truth is revealed by God and God is giving us more understanding as we apply, it's like a lovely positive circle. As we learn more the truth and as we live it, then we understand more and understand more. It's not a question of new truth, but it's understanding, a deeper understanding of God's truth.

Now continuing in verse 8, continuing in verse 8 of 2 Timothy chapter 3. Now, as Janus and Jambres resisted Moses, so do these also resist the truth? Man of corrupt minds disapproved concerning the faith. And so, yeah, we have Paul is mentioning two Egyptian sorcerers that opposed Moses. As you remember the story when Moses was in Egypt and for instance, he put a rod and became a serpent.

And then these two sorcerers put their rods and they became a serpent as well. But Moses' serpent ate up the other serpents. But these two Egyptian sorcerers, according to the translation of Jonathan, you know, was called togham. That means translation of Jonathan. Those were these two names. The translation of Jonathan or the togham of Jonathan is an Aramaic translation of the Hebrew Bible that was used in synagogues to make the scriptures understood by Aramaic speaking worshipers. And is traditionally attributed to Jonathan Ben-Uziel, a disciple of Hilo. And so, according to that translation, there's a commande that gives the name of these Egyptian sorcerers. And Paul refers to those two names.

They resisted Moses. Now, interesting, that's two that are referred. So what do we have? And we have Moses and Aaron related as brothers, in a sense. Then we had these two, which were these two Egyptian sorcerers, James and Jabras, which the title of their names imply the rebel and the opponent. But it's interesting that at the time of the end, they'll be the leader of the beast and they'll be the leader of the false church. It was the beast and the false prophet, also two. And against them, they'll be the two witnesses.

So it's interesting, this situation of two, that two are referred as well in this section. And then, they are men of corrupt mind, disapproved concerning the faith, but they will progress no further, for their folly will be manifest to all as theirs also was.

These magicians were allowed to duplicate some of those miracles up to a point, but their folly was manifested as false teachers, because they got to a point, they could not go any further. And so, this is the age we live in, in chapter 3, verse 1 through 9. But then, starting from verse 10 through verse 17, it says, But you, but you have carefully followed my doctrine, my manner of life, purpose, faith, long suffering, love, perseverance, persecutions, afflictions, which happened to me at Antioch, at Iconum, at Lystra, what persecutions I endured, and out of them all the Lord delivered me.

And so he says, But you, Timothy, you have carefully followed Paul's teaching and Paul's way of life, how he conducted himself as a minister, how he conducted himself in a relationship with other members. And then he says, and look at not only at the way of life, the purpose, the faith, but he says the perseverance. In other words, capability to endure difficulties, very big difficulties. The word, in a way, is kind of like a plant that lives under very hard and unfavorable conditions, for instance, amongst a rock, but they are rocks, but that plant is still flowering, for instance.

And so the example to us is to persevere, no matter the type of problem, the difficulty we need to endure to the end. And then he says, verse 12, Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. Yes, if we are Christians, we're going to have problems. We're going to have problems. Why? Because people don't like the religion. Oh, he's a nice person, but I just don't like the religion. That's why, for instance, look at Psalm 34 verse 19.

Psalm 34 verse 19. Psalm 34 verse 19. Psalm 34 verse 19. We read, Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers thee out of them all. And that's what Paul said. He delivered me out of them all. He delivered me out of everything. Then he continues in verse 13, But evil men and imposters will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. They are deceiving, but they themselves are deceived.

And so people will, these people will get progressively more and more evil. And we'll see as far as as time moves on, we'll see people getting more and more evil as far as what they believe, as far as what they do in their personal lives. They are evil people, not satisfied until they get others to follow them in their own lifestyles. Verse 14, But you, again, but you, Timothy, and by connotation that's to us, God's people, we must continue in the things which you've learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned then.

So the things that you've been taught that you've learned, and that's basically plural. You know, it was not just you learned from Paul, but we learned from the Bible, from God's teaching. In the case Timothy, he learned things from childhood, and he had chosen the responsibility of parents to teach the children from small and teach them the truth. In this case, we know in 2 Timothy chapter 1 verse 5. It says that about Timothy, when Paul is writing to Timothy, he says, When I called to remember the journey of faith that is in you, which dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am persuaded is in you also. In other words, Timothy was taught by his grandmother and a mother as a young child, and therefore he has this knowledge and disbelief.

And then he continues in verse 15, and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith, which is in Christ Jesus. Now, from childhood, Timothy, when he was a child, he did not have the New Testament. He did not have the New Testament. He only had the Old Testament.

So the Old Testament, as the Scriptures there were available at that time, are able to make as wise for salvation. You see, the plan of salvation, for instance, was explained in Old Testament. How? By God's early days, to reveal God's plan of salvation. By the sacrificial system that pointed to Christ, by the teaching of in all the prophets, and even in Genesis 3 verse 15, that we need a Savior.

The temple rituals that are all over the Old Testament, they pointed towards Christ. And so the plan of salvation was explained in Old Testament, but it is further expounded and clarified in the New Testament. So continue now in verse 16. All Scripture, now, all Scripture is not just the Scriptures in the Old Testament, but also all Scripture, which includes the New Testament, it says, is given by inspiration of God, is God breathed, it's inspired by God, and is profitable for doctrine, teaching on how to live, reproof, correcting, reproof, rebuking.

Hey, you're not doing it quite well. And therefore, correction, that it says, hey, this is the way you should do. This is the way you should go. And then instruction in righteousness, which is further direction and discipline, so that you may re-emphasize this instruction, re-emphasize the right way. And so all Scripture is profitable for that.

And so one verse, one Scripture can do all of these in some cases. And verse 17, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work, so that we, as true Christians, we may be complete, we may be mature, we may be perfect. We, you and I, are to be made whole. We are to be made complete. We are, in a sense, to be enabled, to be capable, to be taught, to be proficient, to meet all challenges that we encounter, so that we may be stand when Christ comes back, that we may be resurrected and stand with Christ at His return.