It can sometimes have the meaning of loyalty, or true religion. Turning to the SECOND EPISTLE, we find that, although there is the same grand truth of the Saviour God maintained, the state of things had become sensibly worse, and the hour for the apostle's departure from the world was drawing near. He brings out the infinite value of the Scriptures, that is of what was written, the one transcendent resource for perilous times when we have not the presence and personal help of apostles. Their minds become corrupted and they ultimately become reprobate concerning the faith. The absence of persecution, in any active sense, from the lives of most Christians of this era is generally due to the watered-down version of their Christianity and not to any subsidence of the savage hatred of the darkness for the light. Men would be headlong in words and action. Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. Then in 2 Timothy 3:1-17 he proceeds to show us not merely a picture of the condition that Christianity will fall into, but, besides, a state of things that would be produced by this confusion. a) Subject and Purpose of Epistle This second epistle which was written several years after the first draws a totally different picture before our eyes. If, in any manner, or in any way, he is subjected to disadvantage on account of his religious opinions, and deprived of any immunities and rights to which he would be otherwise entitled, this is persecution. Besides that, persecutions today are manifested much more indirectly. He says: "Open thy mouth, speak whatsoever occurs to thee, and thou shalt prophesy." It was the glory of the Jews that their children from their earliest days were trained in the law. 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, thoroughly furnished unto all good works. He is the man who is guilty of the "sin of the high heart." Here we find the perilous times fairly brought before us. Paul "the aged," as he says, was just about to leave this world. Perilous Times 2 Timothy 3:1. Now they're right out where little kids can go in and pick them up and leaf through them. How appropriate that "trucebreakers" is for this day. The Greek verb kratein ( G2902) means to control. This is the right thing to do. That's just fable. It means to follow a person spiritually, not only to understand what he says, but also to carry out his ideas and be the kind of person he wishes us to be. It should be considered as one of the proper qualifications for membership in the church, to be willing to bear persecution, and to resolve not to shrink from any duty in order to avoid it. Look at the lack, lackness. It is to be remembered that a man may lose his soul far more easily in prosperity than in adversity; and he is on the way to losing his soul when he assesses the value of life by the number of things which he possesses. Assuredly he would rejoice to scare Timothy from the field of serving Christ, and would shrink from no means to secure it. Men will be disobedient to their parents. The whole idea is that of thoroughly fitting you as an instrument that God can use. But now before his heart just as in principle before the dying Lord Himself, wonderful to say two things come together: a deeper sense of what is in God, as revealed in Christ Himself, before there was any creation at all; and on the other hand so much the deeper sense also of what could be owned in nature. So from his earliest childhood Timothy had known the sacred writings. There was the road from north Asia Minor and from Galatia which came in via Sardis. Christian life is a life of purpose. Let me remark, that there are comparatively few indeed that receive truth without help of others directly from God. "It denotes living in the right attitude to God and to things divine. God had made Jesus to be Lord and Christ, preached Peter on that day of power, when as yet much lay hid, and the great instrument of the revelation of the mystery was still shrouded in the darkness of midnight. It is the sign of a man of honour that he pays his debts; and for every man there is a debt to God and there are debts to his fellow-men, which he must remember and repay. Do you have a hard time with that? It is interesting that the Scriptures in many places speak of the last days and in every case where the Scriptures speak of the last days, you find that it is an apt description of the day and the age in which we live. And then again "the husbandman that laboureth must be first partaker of the fruits." [1.] One dark night in a forest in Sicily a brigand held up a colporteur at the point of a revolver. But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived ( 2 Timothy 3:13 ). Timothy was from Lystra. When we know the afflictions of believers only in part, they tempt us to decline the cause for which they suffer. The Greek for slanderer is diabolos ( G1228) which is precisely the English word devil. Paul refers to his own experiences to illustrate the truth that the person who whole-heartedly follows God must expect persecution. Don't start trying to cut out certain stories because they don't fit your scheme because you have a little hard, you have a hard time sort of believing that. Love of self is the basic sin, from with all others flow. These were graces that Paul was eminent for, and Timothy knew it. They will be lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God. Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. "In a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour. And so Paul is warning Timothy of certain things that will be transpiring in the last days. But thou hast fully known ( 2 Timothy 3:10 ), Now in contrast to this, boy, and what a contrast the Christian is to the world around him, and more and more, you know, more and more your lifestyle is different from the world. They will refuse to recognize the debt they owe both to God and to men. That is the inevitable way to ruin, for no man can master anything unless he first masters himself. Jannes and Jambres were the names of the two magicians that withstood Moses. It would not be accordant with the mind of God. Boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy ( 2 Timothy 3:2 ). No matter what the reasons or excuses for joining with them, "turn away.". We've just experienced a tremendous demonstration of that in the Los Angeles basin in the last couple of weeks. Timothy, again, winced under trials, too sensitive to slights, disappointments, and the manifold griefs that came upon him. That the scripture was given by inspiration of God appears from the majesty of its style,--from the truth, purity, and sublimity, of the doctrines contained in it,--from the harmony of its several parts,--from its power and efficacy on the minds of multitudes that converse with it,--from the accomplishment of many prophecies relating to things beyond all human foresight,--and from the uncontrollable miracles that were wrought in proof of its divine original: God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to his own will,Hebrews 2:4. "Perilous times shall come." (See notes Matthew 5:10, 11, 12) (4) let those who have never been persecuted in any way, inquire whether it is not an evidence that they have no religion. He was to continue in the things which he had learned, and had been assured of, knowing of whom he had learned them a very important point. 3:10-13 But you have been my disciple in my teaching, my training, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my endurance, my persecutions, my sufferings, in what happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra, in the persecutions which I underwent; and the Lord rescued me from them all. The qualities he lists are not qualifications in the sense that anyone who fulfils these requirements is an elder (for such a person may not have the elder-shepherd qualities outlined above). God help us. To take pains and to endure are requisite even in what pertains to this life. Our God is much too small. There was the road from the south which centred the trade of the Maeander valley in Ephesus. Ephesus was the town of a prosperous, materialistic civilization; it was the kind of town where a man could so easily lose his soul. It is Paul's charge that such people are "willing to learn from anyone, and yet never able to come to a knowledge of the truth." It was a kindred error, though in an opposite direction, to that which false teachers sought to infuse among the Thessalonians: there that the day of the Lord was come, producing panic; here that the resurrection was past, leading, to ease. ii. "The Lord grant unto him that he may find mercy of the Lord in that day." And so Paul said to Timothy, "You have fully known". All that will live godly So opposite to the spirit and practice of the world is the whole of Christianity, that he who gives himself entirely up to God, making the Holy Scriptures the rule of his words and actions, will be less or more reviled and persecuted. [2.] Bishop Pearson proves the divine origination of Christianity from its success being inexplicable on the supposition of its being of human origin. Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. 1. He said, Who is this? It may well be a proof of Timothy's courage and consecration that he had seen very clearly what could happen to an apostle and had yet not hesitated to cast in his lot with Paul. He opened out the pages to make it burn more easily. (2 Timothy 1:1.) ", The Bible tells about God giving people over to reprobate minds, men who resist God and the truth of God. The more fully we know the doctrine of Christ and the apostles, the more closely we shall cleave to it; the reason why many sit loose to it is because they do not fully know it. It is not enough to be satisfied when a church is humming like a dynamo and every night in the week has its own crowded organization. It can mean that a man is so bitter in his hatred that he will never come to terms with the man with whom he has quarrelled. He says that in them difficult times would set in. Possibly he did appoint them; but there is no scriptural proof of it. Everything today is, you know, for the body beautiful. He had not said a word about them before. At Ephesus some of the greatest roads in the world met. Parakolouthein ( G3877) is indeed the word for the disciple, for it includes the unwavering loyalty of the true comrade, the full understanding of the true scholar and the complete obedience of the dedicated servant. And then Jesus will come and establish God's righteous kingdom, but by then, those that will remain will be saying, Oh, God help us. Here we have him recurring to that which was entirely outside nature, and before its very platform existed. Things were so bad that Tacitus could say: "He who had no foe was betrayed by his friend." "But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry. You know, I mean, talk about lovers of selves, look at the advertising. "All scripture is given by inspiration of God.". THE VALUE OF SCRIPTURE ( 2 Timothy 3:14-17 ). of He tells him further to "hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. The latter gains a following only by turning away from the truth of God (13). On account of his opinions, he may be held up to ridicule, or treated with neglect, or excluded from society to which his attainments and manners would otherwise introduce him, or shunned by those who might otherwise value his friendship. THE DUTIES AND THE QUALITIES OF AN APOSTLE ( 2 Timothy 3:10-13 ). Again he said, "Lo, I have come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God" ( Hebrews 10:7 ). (2) they who are persecuted for their opinions, should consider that this may be one evidence that they have the spirit of Christ, and are his true friends. That good thing which was committed unto thee keep by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in us." There might be a mixture of timid shrinking from pain and shame. [Note: Knight, p. Again and again Scripture has opened for men and women the way to God. So don't expect the world to speak well of you or to applaud you for your living a godly life and taking a righteous stand. "Because ye are not of the world therefore the world hateth you" (John 15:19; Matthew 10:22,38,39). It imagines "the faith" as something to be guarded (see 2 Timothy 1:14), lest it become corrupted or . Help me totake this verse seriously, that I will suffer persecution if I live godly in Jesus Christ. There was a certain heretic called Marcus who dealt in magic. Paul suffered as he taught: a single eye to Christ and His grace made him consistent. If he does not hide the sorrowful view of an old fellow-labourer's cooling in zeal, with all its dangers, the consolation is also before Timothy both of those that go on in faithful labour, and of one at least restored. Many and many a time we would be saved from hurting ourselves and from wounding other people, if we would only stop to think. He said that one isn't inspired; obviously inspired. You may be able to deceive people for a while, but ultimately, it's going to catch up, even as it did with Jannes. 3:2-5 For men will live a life that is centred in self; they will be lovers of money, braggarts, arrogant, lovers of insult, disobedient to their parents, thankless, regardless even of the ultimate decencies of life, without human affection, implacable in hatred, revelling in slander, ungovernable in their passions, savage, not knowing what the love of good is, treacherous, headlong in word and action, inflated with pride, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God. "He read on, forgetful of time, through the hours of the night, and just as the dawn was breaking, he stood up and declared, 'I believe'.". All who will show their religion in their conversation, who will not only be godly, but live godly, let them expect persecution, especially when they are resolute in it. He is sure that God will rescue the man who puts his faith in him. ", The Lord said it's "what comes out of the mouth of a man, that defiles a man" ( Matthew 15:11 ). Or it can mean that a man is so dishonourable that he breaks the terms of the agreement he has made. Those who would learn the things of God, and be assured of them, must know the Holy Scriptures, for they are the Divine revelation. Proud member They cannot understand an inspired apostle talking about a cloak in the midst of a divinely given pastoral charge. Timothy's job, for the sake of the future, involves more preservation than innovation. No amount of intellectual curiosity can ever take the place of moral earnestness. It would all be over, where, you know, the miseries would all be gone.What's the first thing God said to Job? There will always be those who have their own twisted ideas of the Christian faith, and who wish to win others to their mistaken beliefs. They said, Wait a minute, this is the hand of God, we can't, we can't touch this. The man who is mastered by his lower passions will gratify them in the most shameless way, as the streets of any great city will show when the night is late. You have no authority.So if I tell you that some scriptures are not really inspired of God, then I become the authority, not the Bible anymore, because you can't just read the whole Bible and trust it because not all of it is inspired. For God hath not given us the spirit of fear" (it was what Timothy was manifesting), "but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution ( 2 Timothy 3:12 ). But no man ought to separate himself from the children of God, unless it be a dire necessity for the Lord; it is clearly not according to Christ. The fact remains that the only place in all the world where we get a first-hand account of that person and of his teaching is in the New Testament. To the Greek it was anosios ( G462) to refuse burial to the dead; it was anosios ( G462) for a brother to marry a sister, or a son a mother. Do you have a hard time accepting that man can build a great fish that can swallow men and keep them under water for several days and deposit them later at a port?Hey, hey, wait a minute then. And a hundred and fifty men can board it and they can submerge and go under the North Pole under the arctic ice. Next he comes to a more personal need. There was the great trade route from the Euphrates valley which came by way of Colosse and Laodicea and poured the wealth of the east into the lap of Ephesus. A man can reach a stage when, so far from controlling it, he can become a slave to some habit or desire. (2.) We usually try to avoid it on Friday evening if we can, but sometimes our schedules are such that we just don't have time to. A. M. Chirgwin in The Bible in World Evangelism tells the story of a ward sister in a children's hospital in England. The Holy Spirit would make it to be most practical and precious. (3.) As individuals, we should sometimes ask ourselves: what is our aim in life? Good. It is a great happiness to know the certainty of the things wherein we have been instructed (Luke 1:4); not only to know what the truths are, but to know that they are of undoubted certainty. 6. Whether Timothy made it to Rome before Paul's execution is not known. Real teaching is always born of real experience. 2 To Timothy, d my beloved child:. Trench, Richard Chenevix, D.D. There is love. 4. This he had known most extensively, but it was closed; no longer had he before him any prospect of having to fight the battles of the church of God. Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. That is to say, they go through all the correct movements and maintain all the external forms of religion; but they know nothing of Christianity as a dynamic power which changes the lives of men. Observe, Timothy must continue in the things which he had learned and had been assured of. And indeed the world easily wears that mask of religion which depends on itself; but the piety which flourishes directly from, is very hateful, as it was to the old Jews, so to the modern Christians, who are without any token of good, Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers. In certain of these books Jannes and Jambres figured largely. 2 Timothy 3:12 "Many are the afflictions of the righteous," the psalmist writes (Psalm 34:19).Peter supplies a partial answer to this in I Peter 4:12: "Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you, as does Paul's statement in II Timothy 3:12: "Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer . I thank God, whom I serve from my forefathers," what singular language this from Paul! And those who wish to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted; while evil men and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceived themselves and deceiving others. If Timothy wishes to live godly in Christ, he must make up his mind to encounter. There are still Church dignitaries whose main thought is their own dignity; but the Christian is the follower of him who was meek and lowly in heart. Men will be without human affection (astorgos, G794) . shall suffer persecution; it is the will of God, and the appointment of heaven; Christ has foretold it, that so it shall be; and he the head has suffered it himself, and it is necessary that his members should, that they may be conformed unto him; it is the way Christ himself went to glory, and through many tribulations his people must enter the kingdom; and this is the common lot and certain case of all the saints, in one shape or another; for though all do not suffer confiscation of goods, beating, scourging, imprisonment, or a violent death; yet all are more or less afflicted and distressed by wicked men, and are subject to their reproaches and revilings, which are a branch of persecution; and that for professing Christ, and living a godly life in him and under his influence: and since such suffer as Christians, and not as evildoers; and this is the common condition of the people of God, in this world, it should not be thought strange, but be cheerfully endured; to encourage to which is the apostle's view in this passage. Every man going his own way. So if you want God to use your life, then thoroughly equip yourself in the Word of God, the study, the understanding.That's why we're here tonight. Here we come back to where we started; such men place their own wishes in the centre of life. Or are you going to develop a doctrine that is diametrically opposed to what Jesus said? It begets disregard of God, thinking that it does not need him and that it knows better than he. The persecutions today may not be the same Paul had to withstand, but persecutions of some type will confront us from time to time. Word Pictures in the New Testament. A whole collection of stories gathered round their names. As Timothy was about to enter upon a new phase of his ministry, without the apostle's presence or living counsel, the latter charges him with great emphasis, "before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; preach the word, be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long-suffering and doctrine." Paul's life contrasted with the world. The strange characteristic of ingratitude is that it is the most hurting of all sins because it is the blindest. The cause of this is the present confusion, and accordingly the apostle brings a picture of it before Timothy's mind. (1) To exhort Timothy in his ministry at Ephesus; (2) To warn Timothy of trouble both inside and outside the church; (3) To request Timothy to come to Rome to visit him in prison and bring certain personal effects to him (4:5-13; 21); and (4) To instruct all the churches in Timothy's territory. "The Lord give mercy unto the house of Onesiphorus; for he oft refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my chain; but, when. You're in an alien world. [ See verse text ] Persecution against godly people is to be expected in this world; it's one of the few constants in life (2 Timothy 3:12). The Gnostics had their own fanciful books; the heretics all produced their own literature to support their claims. To report dead links, typos, or html errors or suggestions about making these resources more useful use the convenient, Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology, Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament, International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, Et tous ceux aussi qui veulent vivre en la crainte de Dieu, Que rien ne luy est advenu que tous fideles ne doyvent aussi attendre. But the sin of the man who is arrogant is in his heart. The apostle mentions the Lord's delivering him out of them all, for Timothy's and our encouragement under sufferings. Note, Those are wise indeed who are wise to salvation. It is profitable to us for all the purposes of the Christian life, for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness. Why does the world hate Christians? The world easily puts up with the mask of a religion which depends on itself, but the piety which derives its vigor directly from Christ is as odious to modern Christians as it was to the ancient Jews [Bengel]. Oh I know it costs more but . "To make thee wise to salvation through faith." "Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the Lord delivereth him out of them all" ( Psalms 34:19 ). The Jews divided all time into this present age and the age to come. fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, highminded, [and then] lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God ( 2 Timothy 3:3-4 ); The pleasuremania of the United States. Then the word went on to widen its meaning until it meant any braggart. It is the sign of a supremely decadent civilization when youth loses all respect for age and fails to recognize the unpayable debt and the basic duty it owes to those who gave it life. It follows from this: (1) That they who make a profession of religion, should come prepared to be persecuted. It is the word alazon ( G213) and was derived from the ale, which means a wandering about. 2 Timothy 3:12 - Concordant Commentary on the New Testament by A. E. Knoch And leaving guilelessness, will draw near to malice; And forsaking the commandments of the Lord. Others must do that kind of work in future. Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Whatever duty we have to do, whatever service is required from us, we may find enough in the scriptures to furnish us for it.
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