2 Timothy 3:2-17 Bible Teaching

last days perilous times 2nd Timothy 3

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We left off after covering verse one of chapter 3 of 2nd Timothy. So, let’s re-read our text for today and get on with the coverage.

1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. (And then . . .)
2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,
4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
6 For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts,
7 Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.
8 Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith.
9 But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest unto all men, as theirs also was.

10 But thou hast fully known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, charity, patience,
11 Persecutions, afflictions, which came unto me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra; what persecutions I endured: but out of them all the Lord delivered me.
12 Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.
13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.
14 But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them;
15 And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.

So back to verse one where Paul writes to Timothy in this pastoral letter, and to Timothy alone:

1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.

2nd Timothy 3.2-15
December 6th 2020
Meat

Obviously, Paul had a purpose in writing this to Timothy because he says to him personally, This know . . .

“IN THE LAST DAYS.”

Again, obviously, Paul was under the distinct impression that he and Timothy were living in the last days.

On the day of Pentecost, Peter, addressing the men who thought that they were drunk, began his response to this idea by quoting Joel and saying:

Acts 2:17 And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams.

The writer of Hebrews, talking about God once speaking through prophets, wrote in chapter 1:2

“Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;”

Peter also said in 1st Peter 4:7

“But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.”

For those who think the last days speak of a long stretched out period of time, John the Beloved, wrote in his 1st Epistle about the anti-Christ and said:

1st John 2:18 (WEB) Little children, these are the end times, and as you heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have arisen. By this we know that it is the final hour.

And for those who think the final hour is speaking of a 2000 year span, Jesus said to John the Revelator in the opening chapter of the Revelation (which was to be given to the actual seven churches in Asia minor in that day:

Revelation 1:3 Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy, and keep the things that are written in it, for the time is at hand.

And for those who think that at hand can mean a long period, going directly against the Greek word tachos which means super duper speedily.

And we can then remind ourselves that John ends that Revelation (and ALL that it speaks about and describes) with Jesus saying, in FOUR separate passages as the closing message to them/then:

Revelation 22:6, These sayings are faithful and true: and the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to shew unto his servants the things which must shortly be done. (tachos – super speedily)

Revelation 22:7 Behold, I come quickly: (tachoo – speedily) blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book.

Revelation 22:10 And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand (engoos – near, nigh, ready)

Revelation 22:12 And, behold, I come quickly; (tachoo – super speedily) and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.

And then John concludes the entire revelation to the literal seven churches with

Revelation 22:20 He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. (tachoo – super speedily) Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.

So, we have the writer of Hebrews calling that age, the last days. We have Paul telling Timothy to understand the nature of people in those last days.

We have Peter calling that period the last days and saying that the time of the end was “at hand.”

We have John saying that it was the last hour in his Epistle, much shorter than the last day, and then we have Jesus in his Revelation to the literal seven churches telling them over and over again that the time was short (in the first chapter) and then four times repeats in that last chapter that he was coming – he, Jesus, was coming quickly.

And then we have people not accepting these apostolic and divine words as true today. People telling us he didn’t come as he promised. People teaching that he is still going to come in our future – and they call me heretical!?

In any case, Paul directly describes to Timothy what the souls of people would look like in THOSE last days and says:

Perilous times shall come. (verse 2)

2 For men shall be . . .

1 lovers of their own selves, (selfish)
2covetous,
3boasters,
4 proud,
5 blasphemers,
6 disobedient to parents,
7 unthankful,
8 unholy,
Verse 3
9 3 Without natural affection, (hating family)
10 trucebreakers, (not willing to make truce)
11 false accusers, (slanderers)
12 incontinent, (without self-control)
13 fierce,
14 despisers of those that are good,
(Verse 4)
15 Traitors, (which means surrenderers)
16 Heady, (rash)
17 Highminded, (lifted up in conceits)
18 lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God
(Verse 5)
19 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof:

And he tells Timothy directly, “from such turn away,” which clearly tells us that Paul believed that Timothy himself, over the church at Ephesus in that day, was living in the last days, which speak to the last days before Jesus came back with reward and salvation and destruction and judgement.

On what? The world?

On that age, the days of material religion, the age of temples, priesthoods, prophets and apostles, rites and rituals, genealogies and all things external and shakable as a means to usher in The Kingdom of God which would live in people rather than be expressed outwardly by them.

Now, just because these things were literally there and actually happened then does not mean that the principles describe to or of them cannot exist today.

All we have to do is look around the world and we will discover that many in the world fulfill these same twenty or so traits readily.

Are we at the end of something too? Perhaps. The end of a period of civilized behavior. The end of a Republic. The end of what were once labeled family values. The scripture is living and has application in principle to all ages in my estimation.

So, I do see the content describing our times as well because the scripture describes human beings on this earth – those who have God with them and those who don’t – and those descriptions are universal.

But the literal application, and the ability for the scripture to stand on all fours is complete, the model is made, along with the fulfillment of the model and everything necessary for God to establish his Kingdom in the New Heaven and on a New Earth with a New Jerusalem is complete.

And we are all living in the Age of Fulfillment.

Here Paul tells Timothy to turn awy from such souls. Have no intercourse with them as if they were Christians; show no countenance to their religion; do not associate with them.

And he gives further reason why, saying at verse 6:

6 For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts,

What Paul is describing here are serpent -like souls who have no willingness to be open with their deviousness but sneak and skulk around, like the serpent in the Garden of Eden who first went to the woman instead of facing the man with his wiles.

They insinuate themselves into peoples lives through trickery and cunning charms and carry people away through this approach and they prey on women.

They were around then, they are around now. Years ago, when we were on television I interviewed a dangerous cult leader.

He was known to getting recruits in this very same way – getting to women first and using them to grow his empire.

When he came to the studio that night I had never met him before. I was sitting in a room with a group of people involved in the production and he walked in and said, looking at me, out loud to everyone there,

“I just kissed your wife.”

The notion made me laugh inside but I think he thought it would unnerve me. So I said,

“You did? I didn’t even know she was here. And he stepped closer and said, “I just kissed your wife.”

I told him that he was a lucky man and on we went. Later that evening I saw Mary and told her about it. She said she has never even seen the man let alone kissed him and had just arrived at the studio.

This was a modern example, to me, of the contents of verse six

For this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts,

And Paul adds at verse 7

7 Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.

The Greek demands that those who Paul describes as “ever learning,” refers to the silly women mentioned above in verse six.

They are lead about with one new concept to the next, willing to embrace any notion of suggestion and are true disciples of the propagator of such.

Modern examples of such devious influences can be seen in the story of the NXIVM sex cult of late, in Jonestown, Waco, Warren Jeffs, and many other guru like male leaders that dominate and abuse women who are ever learning and never able to come to a knowledge of the truth.

Paul continues forward with his own example and says at verse 8

8 Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith.

Interestingly, the names of these two men, Jannes and Jambres are not found anywhere else in the Bible.

Apparently, they are supposed to have been two of the magicians who resisted Moses and who opposed the miracles of Moses and Aaron in Exodus 7.

We cannot know how Paul obtained their names; but they are frequently mentioned by the Hebrew writers, and also by other writers; so that there is no reasonable doubt that their names were correctly handed down by tradition.

Paul likens their attitudes toward Moses to the same attitudes the fallen men of his day possessed, saying

“so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith.”

But Paul adds at verse 9

9 But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest unto all men, as theirs (Jannes and Jambres) also was.

In other words, they may have some success in deluding others, but it would be limited, just as the Egyptian magicians success was limited against Moses and Aaron.

At verse ten Paul turns his attention back to Timothy and his own person, saying in verses 10-11

10 But thou hast fully known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, charity, patience, (11) Persecutions, afflictions, which came unto me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra; what persecutions I endured: but out of them all the Lord delivered me.

Paul seems to be saying that Timothy has, from seeing Paul’s life and witness of Christ, to have been better equipped in ministry than to just absorb and reflect the lawless ways of the men he had just described.

And for Timothy to take hope in the fact that even though he had endured such mistreatment in so many places, “out of all of them the Lord delivered him.”

And then he attaches a principle at verse 12, reaffirming what he has made clear in other places:

12 Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. (And then he adds at verse 13) But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.

Where Paul has mentioned his own sufferings and persecutions above, he also makes mention the fact that, “All that will live Godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.”

This is a principle that cannot be denied then and it cannot be denied now. The Greek word translated to persecutions is dee-o-ko, and it is the result of combining the words DEELOS (which means dread or fear) and DEA-CONOS (which is where we get deacon) and means, servant.

So, what the word really means is that when a person chooses to “live Godly in Christ Jesus they will suffer the fate of serving dread.”

I want you to consider this description for a moment: We all agree that “To live Godly in Christ Jesus means to walk by faith.” There can at times be nothing more dreadful than this act as we are in a constant state of “not knowing, but trusting and believing in the promises of God.”

Will he come through for us?
Will we make it?
Will he allow us to suffer and if so, will we continue to trust him in the midst of such suffering?

That can be dreadful, with dread being defined as great apprehension, fearful expectations, trepidation and or anxiety.

These are normal reactions when we think about it. In fact, it can seem downright ridiculous to place our trust and confidence in an unseen being, can’t it?

And I am only talking about living daily modern life by faith. Add in the trials of actually being a Christian in this world and facing the obstacles that stand in the way of an abiding faith and we’ve got ourselves a hot topic!

A Christian student attends a biology class and has the majority spouting non-biblical ideals. For many believers, weekly attendance to the class could become and exercise in dread.

A housewife socializes with neighbors none of whom share in her beliefs. In time, anxiety develops.

A salesman is pressured to conform to certain standards as a means to increase productivity – standards that work against his desires to live Godly in Christ Jesus.

He begins to dred going to work.

Anytime a believer genuinely chooses to embrace the walk of God through the life of Christ the result will be dread when the choice is confronted by the world and its standards.

Passively being Christian will greatly ease the dread but “to truly live Godly in Christ Jesus” – in any age – the result will in some way or another be some level of apprehension.

Paul adds:

13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.

So, Timothy, looking at me, don’t expect to escape persecution and don’t expect the evil men around you to get better – they will only wax worse and worse.

The way Paul describes their decline in general is that they continue “deceiving, and being deceived.”

Which is such a fantastic general description of this world and its ways – deceived and deceiving.

I mean to “walk Godly in Christ” is the antithesis of being “deceived and deceiving,” isn’t it?

Frankly from my point of view, to walk after any other forms, discipline, way, or proposal is to walk in deception – and not always in a sinister fashion but probably more often than not a lesser one.

To follow man, or money, or pleasure, or fame instead of God through Christ is very short sighted and in the end foolish as the payoff is so extremely temporary. This is what I think Paul means when he describes these men as deceived and deceiving. Paul adds at verse 14:

14 But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them;

“Hold fast to those things which I have taught you, Timothy.” But he doesn’t stop there. He adds what may be the most impressive words of the whole epistle in the next three verses saying . . .

15 And . . . that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

So, for starters, and to wrap this chapter up, Paul tells Timothy in several different ways to pay attention to the things that he has taught him.

Then at verse 15 Paul says

AND . . . that from a child you have known the holy scriptures,

The scriptures Paul is talking about here is the Old Testament as the Apostles writings were in the present in the process of being compiled.

The fact that the Old Testament was able to lead people to Christ is known by the fact that Jesus said in John 5:39:

“Search the scriptures; (meaning the Old Testament) for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.”

Timothy’s mother was a pious Hebrew and as such would have regarded it as one of the duties of her faith to train her son up in the careful knowledge of the word of God. I would suggest that it was this training that prepared Timothy at such a young age to lead in the Christian church.

The Jewish writings include numerous directives for children (boys) to learn the scripture early. One Rabbi (Judah) is cited to have said, “The boy of five years of age ought to apply to the study of the sacred Scriptures.”

Another, Rabbi Solomon, commenting on Deuteronomy 11:19, wrote, “When the boy begins to talk, his father ought to converse with him in the sacred language, and to teach him the law; if he does not do that he seems to bury him.”

When Paul writes here, that Timothy, “from a child,” we do not have a clear idea of what this actually means.

I say this because the Greek word used here means everything from –

(1.) an unborn babe (in Luke 1:41,44);

(2.) an infant, babe, suckling. (Luke 1:41; 2:12,16; 1Pe 2:2)

(3.) infants, (Luke 18:15);

(4.) and young children, (Acts 7:19).

Instead of trying to predict an exact age let’s rest on the idea that Timothy was young when he was exposed to the Hebrew text.

With his working knowledge of the prophecies and revelations of the coming Messiah, Timothy was used wonderfully by the Lord to assist Paul in this most unusual time in the faith.

At this point, Paul appears to want to say something in support of the scripture, and so he says at verse 16 -17:

“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: (17) That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.”

We do not have enough time to properly address these passages so we will take the first few lines and set up our study for next week.

We begin with Paul reminding Timothy that he was taught the scripture from a young age. We note that Paul was referring to the Old Testament.

Now, when Paul says, All scripture, he was referring to the Old Testament literally, but the fact that he included the word all might allow us to include any and all writings that were induced by inspiration of the Holy Spirit – and that would include any and all inspired writings meaning the apostles letters too.

We know that Peter said in 2nd Peter 3:15-16, and speaking of Paul’s writings wrote:

2nd Peter 3:15 And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you;
16 As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.

The word translated to scripture in the New Testament is graphe, and the word literally mean writings.

When we hear the word scripture we automatically hear angels and think of Gods communication in written form and not just writings – but that is what the word means in the Greek – simply writings.

So when we read what Peter said again, and remove the loaded word, “scripture” from the text, replacing it with the literal meaning of graphe, the passage then reads:

2nd Pe 3:15 And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; 16 As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other writings, unto their own destruction.

I make this point because when we read this passage back in 2nd Timothy 3:16:

“All scripture is given by inspiration of God,”

The better way to read and understand this line is, “All (grapha) writings that are given by inspiration of God.”

See and hear the difference?

I am going to go to the Greek Scholar Robinson to support what I am saying and what he said about this line is:

There are two matters of doubt in this clause. One is the absence of the article hê before graphê, whether that makes it mean “every scripture” or “all scripture” as of necessity if present.

Unfortunately, there are examples both ways with both pâs and graphê. Twice we find graphê in the singular without the article and yet definite (1Pe 2:6; 2Pe 1:20). We have pâs Israêl (Ro 11:26) for all Israel (Robertson, Grammar, p. 772).

So far as the grammatical usage goes, one can render here either “all scripture” or “every scripture.”

There is no copula (estin) in the Greek and so one has to insert it either before the kai or after it. If before, as is more natural, then the meaning is: “All scripture (or every scripture) is inspired of God and profitable.”

In this form there is a definite assertion of inspiration. That can be true also of the second way, making “inspired of God” descriptive of “every scripture,” and putting estin (is) after kai:

“All scripture (or every scripture), inspired of God, is also profitable.” Inspired of God (theopneustos). “God-breathed.”

So, what Robinson says is that this passage would be better understood as saying:

“All or all writings inspired of God are profitable.” And this brings us to a very different understanding of Paul’s words outside of ALL SCRIPTURE – meaning every single word written inbetween the covers of our English translation Bibles.

We will continue forward with this subject next week.

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