Observe, Timothy must continue in the things which he had learned and had been assured of. Deliberately he lit it. Thus he looks not to the coming of the Lord to receive him to Himself, but to the "appearing of the Lord," which is the usual side of the truth taken in these epistles. Jesus said, "As it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be at the coming of the Son of man" ( Luke 17:26 ). The numbers of people who flocked to the various athletic contests, loving pleasure. They will be inflated with a sense of their own importance. And that quality of conquering endurance is necessary, because persecution is an essential part of the experience of an apostle. No man can teach what he does not know, and therefore before a man can teach Christ to others he must know him himself. YEA, AND - an additional consideration. 2 Timothy - Discover Books of The Bible - bible-studys.org He flung the New Testament on it. God is right. 2 Timothy 3 - Sermon Bible Commentary - StudyLight.org It is Paul's conviction that the real follower of Christ cannot escape persecution. At any rate the apostle presses this very strongly on Timothy. That will = Who will live ( ) to desire, to want to, to wish. Practical Bible study on 2 Timothy 1. There was the road from north Asia Minor and from Galatia which came in via Sardis. The reason is obvious. What am I to believe about angels or the future? Nowadays we have to restate these old pictures in modern terms. Judaism had its divine institutions and hopes, but the truth is found in Christendom only: nevertheless in Christendom, who fails to discern Jewish elements and heathenish enormities? Let me remark, that there are comparatively few indeed that receive truth without help of others directly from God. There is faith, complete belief that God's commands are binding and that his promises are true. Second, there are the qualities of the apostle. Verse of the Day , 2 Timothy 3:12 Treasury of Scripture Knowing, God, My Praise (Study In God - All I Need-19). 2 Timothy 3:12, NLT: Yes, and everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. 2. menin the professing Church. In the last days This often means the days of the Messiah, and is sometimes extended in its signification to the destruction of Jerusalem, as this was properly the last days of the Jewish state. 2 Timothy Commentaries & Sermons | Precept Austin The apostle well knew that the God who had brought these glorious truths to man, the God that had manifested His grace, had given a witness of their reality in the man from whom he had learned them; and this was meant to have an enduring effect on the conscience and heart of Timothy. In Brazil Signor Antonio of Minas bought a New Testament which he took home to burn. This sort of atmosphere will mark the last days . A. Characteristics of the last days 3:1-13. The whole concept of redemption is wrapped up in the Old Testament. Traitors . Every man going his own way. by George Whitefield. 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. 1:15; 4:9-12, 16) and facing imminent execution, Paul wrote to Timothy, urging him to hasten to Rome for one last visit with the apostle ( 4:9, 21 ). They were violent and dangerous. Again and again Scripture has opened for men and women the way to God. 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. (1.) Product Information. In vain shall we endeavor to detach Christ from his cross; for it may be said to be natural that the world should hate Christ even in his members. It is to be supposed that the younger labourer cowered somewhat, unwilling to incur the odious charge, so easily made but hard to refute, of setting himself up and taking the place of some great one. Word Studies in the New Testament. Here is one of the most terrible pictures in the New Testament of what a godless world would be like, with the terrible qualities of godlessness set out in a ghastly series. 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. "Evil men and seducers will wax worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived." If we would know the holy scriptures, we must read and search them daily, as the noble Bereans did, Acts 17:11. She had never tried the Bible, for a friend had convinced her by subtle arguments that it could not be true. Timothy had a great advantage in being trained up under such a tutor, and being apprised of the doctrine he preached. How is a man to walk in such a state of things as this? So I become the authority if I make such an affirmation to you. "No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life" (he must be unencumbered, and undivided in his object); "that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier. The ancient world set duty to parents very high. True, he is telling of something which happened later than this, but the wretched story would be the same (Irenaeus: Against Heresies, 1, 13, 3). Now they're right out where little kids can go in and pick them up and leaf through them. What does 2 Timothy 3:12 mean? | BibleRef.com They choose to lay, again and again, the early foundations of their Christian faith i.e. Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. 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. In other words, there is within the Old Testament so much concerning Jesus Christ that through the understanding and the study of the Old Testament you should logically be led to Jesus Christ. It is given by inspiration of God (2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Timothy 3:16), and therefore is his word. The devil is the patron saint of all slanderers and of all slanderers he is chief. (3) If we are persecuted, we should carefully inquire, before we avail ourselves of this consolation, whether we are persecuted because we live godly in Christ Jesus, or for some other reason. The volume of the book, the Old Testament, it's all about Jesus Christ. But after giving the characteristics and traits of the godly man, Jesus then in the final Beatitudes said, "Blessed are ye, when men shall persecute you, and revile you, and say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake" ( Matthew 5:11 ). This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come ( 2 Timothy 3:1 ). All God-inspired scripture is useful for teaching, for the conviction of error, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, fully equipped for every good work. He is sure that God will rescue the man who puts his faith in him. Xenophon in the Memorabilia tells how Socrates utterly condemned such impostors. "They that live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution." Paul completes the story of the things in which Timothy has shared, and must share, with him, by speaking of the experiences of an apostle; and he prefaces that list of experiences by setting down the quality of endurance. At the end of each reading, the brigand said: "That's a good book; we won't burn that one; give it to me." In the Jewish pictures of these last terrible times we get exactly the same kind of picture as we get here. "The cloke," then says he, "that I left at Troas with Carpus, when thou comest, bring with thee, and the books," not only the clothing, but even that which he is to read, "especially the parchments;" what he was going to write on, probably. 2 Timothy 1 Bible Study Commentary And Questions There was a state of things coming when it would be impossible to have local charges chosen according to the full sanction which they had in apostolic days. The adjective used is philautos, which means self-loving. VERSION, NIV Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica. That persecution which will properly furnish any evidence that we are the friends of Christ, must be only that which is "for righteousness sake" Matthew 5:10, and must be brought upon us in an honest effort to obey the commands of God. 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. Here we have him recurring to that which was entirely outside nature, and before its very platform existed. It is said that, after hearing an evangelical sermon, Lord Melbourne once remarked: "Things have come to a pretty pass when religion is allowed to invade the sphere of private life." Who is talking all these words without knowledge? Resurrection is the form and character of the lowest blessings of which Jesus is the dispenser; much more is He risen to exalt God in the highest. As I read the things that are happening in our modern-cultured Orange County, as I read the reports from the social department on the child abuse, I just shake my head in disbelief because a person could not possibly do these things unless they were without natural affection. It is a divine revelation, which we may depend upon as infallibly true. The word of God is the foundation for doctrine. In Jesus' name I pray, AMEN. Observe, As good men, by the grace of God, grow better and better, so bad men, through the subtlety of Satan and the power of their own corruptions, grow worse and worse. Love of self is the basic sin, from with all others flow. 13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived. Paul said to Timothy. Men will be ungovernable in their desires (akrates, G193) . Two men were talking of a great satirist who had been filled with moral earnestness. To many a man and woman has a little bit of dress done no small injury, just because they think it is too little for the Spirit of God to direct them in. They love pleasure more than they love God; that's the indictment. And so Paul, you know, how I've lived; my faith, my longsuffering, my love, my patience, and the persecutions and afflictions that came to me. A true insight would have made them recognise in Jesus the Messiah for whom they waited. Persecution and hardships will come, but of two things Paul is sure. Others must do that kind of work in future. It may be that, since we are only human, we cannot live entirely without differences with our fellow-men, but to perpetuate these differences is one of the worst--and also one of the commonest--of all sins. But foolish and unlearned questions avoid, knowing that they do gender strifes. Theophylact called this kind of pride akropolis (compare G206 and G4172) kakon ( G2556) , the citadel of evils. No man is saved unless he is on fire to save his fellow-men. Thank You that Your grace is sufficient for any attack that the evil enemy of my soul can throw at me, and that nothing can ever separate me from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus. Men will be treacherous. Why then yield to the enemy? He knew that he had suffered ill for doing well (2 Timothy 3:11; 2 Timothy 3:11): "Thou hast fully known the persecutions and afflictions that came unto me" (he mentions those only which happened to him while Timothy was with him, at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra); "and therefore let it be no surprise to thee if thou suffer hard things, it is no more than I have endured before." Jewish thought had one basic conception. I reply, it is not always in one way that Satan persecutes the servants of Christ. The early Church lived in an age when the time was waxing late; they expected the Second Coming at any moment. Sponde is the word for a truce or an agreement. He forbad his going on in association with those that dishonour the Lord with vessels to dishonour; but he tells him to follow these things "with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart." Compare the catalogue, Ro 1:29, &c., where much the same sins are attributed to heathen men; it shall be a relapse into virtual heathendom, with all its beast-like propensities, whence the symbol of it is "a beast" (Re 13:1, 11, 12, &c.; 17:3, 8, 11). There was the road from the south which centred the trade of the Maeander valley in Ephesus. There is peril when men assess prosperity by material things. (iv) The Scriptures are of use for correction. Paul regarded these as man-made things; but the great books for a man's soul were the God-inspired ones which tradition and the experience of men had sanctified. What I believe, I believe because God has said it. The Greek verb kratein ( G2902) means to control. (iii) The Scriptures are valuable for reproof. "Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia. It is not simply now to follow these, as urged in the first epistle (1 Timothy 6:11); but he adds a most characteristic word in the second epistle. One only meets Satan when traveling in an opposite direction! It appears it was not merely in Rome. Or life, or death, or life after death? Oh, yeah, I like that one. 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. 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. "Because ye are not of the world therefore the world hateth you" (John 15:19; Matthew 10:22,38,39). It would not burn. It describes, not the spirit which accepts life, but the spirit which masters it. Some of you here are victims of broken covenants. That Day of the Lord was to be preceded by a time of terror, when evil would gather itself for its final assault and the world would be shaken to its moral and physical foundations. Heavenly Father, thank You for the privilege of being one with Christ, positioned in Him, and clothed in His righteousness. Whatever duty we have to do, whatever service is required from us, we may find enough in the scriptures to furnish us for it. The alazon ( G213) was a mountebank who wandered the country with medicines and spells and methods of exorcism which, he claimed, were panaceas for all diseases. There is that in the scripture which suits every case. Have you ever seen an age when people were more conscious of their own selves? And how profitable is the word of God to us today! Without natural affection ( 2 Timothy 3:3 ). He speaks of "all God-inspired scripture." The woman, thrilled to the heart, does so and is deluded into thinking that she can prophesy. turned unto fables. 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. (1) that they who make a profession of religion, should come prepared to be persecuted. A whole collection of stories gathered round their names. Paul said in 2 Corinthians 4:2, "But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every mans conscience in the sight of God." By it we are thoroughly furnished for every good work. When the Lord was entering on His ministry He says, "Woman, what have I to do with thee?" "It shone and glowed with truth," she said, "and my whole being responded to it. There is nothing that more shows God than His ability to combine that which is eternal with care for the smallest things of this life. In fact, all who want to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. And for a person to take advantage of a child is unthinkable. I watch very little, but with horror and dismay, the deterioration of a man who probably at one time had a legitimate ministry, but I've seen the gradual erosion of this person on television just right before my eyes. The same tone of mercy is equally promised in this #epistle as in the last. [Note: Knight, p. With this prospect he comforts Timothy no less than his own spirit; but at the same time he speaks as to joining him, with a glance at one that had forsaken him. Irenaeus draws a vivid picture of the methods of just such a teacher in his day. Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. And they use the book of Job as their proof text. If a man's goods are stolen, he can set to and build up his fortunes again; but if his good name is taken away, irreparable damage has been done. The word is anemeros ( G434) and would be more fittingly applied to a wild beast than to a human being. In other words, it's not going to get better for awhile. 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." Paul cites three instances when he had to suffer for Christ. And many shall be stirred up in anger to injure many; And they shall rouse up armies in order to shed blood. Of course it was infinitely higher, it is needless to say, in the Master; but the servant was as closely as possible following in His steps. A book with a record such as it has cannot be disregarded. 3:1 You must realize this--that in the last days difficult times will set in. "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'.". A. M. Chirgwin in The Bible in World Evangelism tells the story of a ward sister in a children's hospital in England. Here he mentions his persecutions and afflictions at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra, besides what he suffered elsewhere. Few choose to leave behind the elementary teaching about Christ, and press on into maturity.Sadly many believers, although saved by grace through faith in Christ, refuse to move past the elementary principles of the Christian life. Now it is interesting that as Paul is referring to the Scriptures here, he is, of course, referring to the Old Testament Scriptures. Years later that same brigand turned up again. He is sure that the ungodly man will go from bad to worse and that there is literally no future for the man who refuses to accept the way of God. They will not only deceive others, but their sins and other deceivers will deceive them increasingly too. They're profitable. There is just a certain natural love that would keep people from doing a lot of the things they are doing today. Look at the rapid deterioration of our society. 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. 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. We're going to drown in our own corruption. And in the end they shall perish together with them." Each one of these words in the Greek is an interesting word study. Truth and holiness and endurance are wanted, not authority or outward order. Activity of service was no longer before him. You may be able to deceive people for a while, but ultimately, it's going to catch up, even as it did with Jannes. The history of the Christian Church teaches us that falsity cannot live. 2 People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, First, there are the duties of an apostle. It was thus Paul treated the proud reasonings and speculations of man; withal briefly touching on those that had gone entirely astray Hymenaeus and Philetus. Don't expect the world to applaud when you speak out against evil. You can you see what's happened even in the last twenty-five years. (2.) It is true that these things happened before the young Timothy had definitely entered on the Christian way, but they all happened in the district of which he was a native; and he may well have been an eyewitness of them. Finally, we have his assertion of the blessed Lord's care, and his confidence in Him that He would preserve him from all evil to His heavenly kingdom; closing this solemn and touching epistle (it would seem the last words he wrote) with salutations to various saints. That is, without any sexual restraints. e Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.. Guard the Deposit Entrusted to You. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1975. It is one thing to start an evil and untrue report on its malicious way; it is entirely another thing to stop it. But the sin of the man who is arrogant is in his heart. Enduring Word Bible Commentary 2 Timothy Chapter 1 Accordingly the apostle reminds Timothy of this. "Perilous times shall come." Why not baptize at once every soul around? If they contradict the teaching of the Bible, they are to be refused. There are those who shrink from helping on others in order to the work and doctrine of the Lord. These were the names given to the court magicians of Pharaoh who opposed Moses and Aaron, when Moses was leading the children of Israel out of their slavery in Egypt. The sister was persuaded to read a copy of St. John. The Holy Spirit would make it to be most practical and precious. Thou hast fully known my afflictions. It can never cease to be a Christian's duty to maintain the unity of the Spirit; but it is not maintaining the unity of the Spirit to couple with the name of the Lord that which is fleshly and sinful. "Men of corrupt minds. 2 Timothy 3:12 (KJV) - Forerunner Commentary - Bible Tools 4. Therefore it is incumbent for the Christian to look to this gravely, never to be dragged by the fear of breaking unity into accrediting what dishonours the Lord. In other words, you may go along for a while, but ultimately it's going to catch up with you. The essence of persecution consists in subjecting a person to injury or disadvantage on account of his opinions. It is something more than meeting his opinions by argument, which is always right and proper; it is inflicting some injury on him; depriving him of some privilege, or right; subjecting him to some disadvantage, or placing him in less favorable circumstances, on account of his sentiments. of "Alexander the coppersmith did me much evil: the Lord reward him according to his works: of whom be thou ware also; for he hath greatly withstood our words.". But now there were other reasons for it, namely, that Christians were neglecting godliness and order. In 2 Timothy 3:9 he meant that the teaching of evil does not necessarily become more extensive and capture a wider audience as evil becomes worse. Not so the apostle Paul. But let him not infer, "therefore," that he is to be enrolled among the martyrs, and that he is certainly a real Christian. It answers all the ends of divine revelation. "And in how many things he ministered unto me at Ephesus, thou knowest very well.". He lit the fire, and then he asked if he might read a little from each book before he dropped it in the flames. Seeking the Gospel in Malachi, the Last Book of the Old Testament. Now here observe. Well, Jesus has and He told us what to, what it's about in Luke, the sixteenth chapter. What is the excellency of the scripture. Given the right conditions, such oppositions would be just as deadly as the great Roman persecutions. Aspondos ( G786) can mean two things. "He kicked the world about," said one, "as if it had been a football." That is the inevitable way to ruin, for no man can master anything unless he first masters himself. Commentary on 2 Timothy 3 by Matthew Henry - Blue Letter Bible 1. Oh God, I want you to use my life. Pride always begets insult. I am not at liberty of course to leave Christendom, I dare not get out of the great house at all; indeed I cannot (at any rate without becoming an apostate) leave the house of God, however bad its state may be.