[4.] Let us then see what Paul says of the usefulness of scripture. 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. Regardless of the persecution, it is our duty to live in such a way that the world will know that we are Christians. 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." Aspondos ( G786) can mean two things. Well, Jesus has and He told us what to, what it's about in Luke, the sixteenth chapter. Everything today is, you know, for the body beautiful. They did not keep the covenant that they made. It may well be that the greatest handicap to Christianity is not the scarlet sinner but the sleek devotee of an unimpeachable orthodoxy and a dignified convention, who is horrified when it is suggested that real religion is a dynamic power which changes a man's personal life. The Jewish Rabbis ranked high in the list of sins what they called the sin of insult. It was not merely now that they had made their consciences bad and slipped away from faith. They must not lie by us neglected, and seldom or never looked into. What Does 2 Timothy 3:12 Mean? - Verse of the day I believe that God intended you to have pleasure, but when it comes before God, it means that it has become your God and it makes a very poor God to worship or serve. 2 Timothy 3:12, NASB: Indeed, all who want to live in a godly way in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. Paul was a prisoner again and awaited death. And if a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully." Perilous Times 2 Timothy 3:1. (4.) Bible Introductions - 2 Timothy by John MacArthur - Blue Letter Bible 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. 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. At the same time there is not the smallest slight of the only and abiding standard. Here he mentions his persecutions and afflictions at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra, besides what he suffered elsewhere. But the phrase may mean any future time, whether near or distant. 2 Timothy 3:1 - Verse-by-Verse Bible Commentary - StudyLight.org 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. In either case the word describes a certain harshness of mind which separates a man from his fellow-men in unrelenting bitterness. 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. Oh, Jesus, you mean you believe that story? 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. Godly = adv. Is it knowledge, or is it life, that we are trying to transmit? It is the word alazon ( G213) and was derived from the ale, which means a wandering about. The woman, thrilled to the heart, does so and is deluded into thinking that she can prophesy. In a measure, no doubt, the truth is in Christendom, and only there; for one cannot look for the truth in Judaism or heathenism now. Why cannot a man be as simple now as in apostolic times? So God's word, scripture given for inspiration, by the inspiration of God and is profitable.Of course, this morning we pointed out that the inspiration of the Bible is proved by internal evidences, such as its total accuracy with known facts of science, when it happened to cover scientific subjects. 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. "Evil men and seducers will wax worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived." Who is talking all these words without knowledge? (1) that they who make a profession of religion, should come prepared to be persecuted. The final condemnation of these people is that they retain the outward form of religion but deny its power. 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. There was infirmity in the character of Timothy. You can you see what's happened even in the last twenty-five years. This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come ( 2 Timothy 3:1 ). 1 Timothy 3:12 - Verse-by-Verse Bible Commentary - StudyLight.org He did not pull down by his living what he built up by his preaching. THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL It is often a very great safeguard for the saint of God; for, after all, it makes no small difference who says this or that. Paul suffered as he taught: a single eye to Christ and His grace made him consistent. 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. In the first part of this chapter 2 Timothy 3:1-8, Paul reminds Timothy of the great apostasy which was to be expected in the church, and states some of the characteristics of it. There was a certain heretic called Marcus who dealt in magic. There is no occasion for the writings of the philosopher, nor for rabbinical fables, nor popish legends, nor unwritten traditions, to make us perfect men of God, since the scripture answers all these ends and purposes. Quite a promise, isn't it? He might even seem to be humble; but in his secret heart there is contempt for everyone else. In the light of this warning from the Saviour, no Christian should be surprised at persecution. 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. That the man of God may be perfect,2 Timothy 3:17; 2 Timothy 3:17. 2 Timothy 3 1 But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. Job, tell me, have you been beyond the gates of death, do you know what it's about? These were graces that Paul was eminent for, and Timothy knew it. For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. This again has stumbled the minds of men. In the second chapter he turns to another theme, he instructs and exhorts Timothy as to communicating (not authority, or status, or gift, but) truth to others. Noah, the earth was really flooded? The New Testament had not yet been canonized. Even a dog may be sorry when he has hurt his master, but there are people who, in their treatment of others, can be lost to human sympathy and feeling. They love pleasure more than they love God; that's the indictment. Men will be implacable in their hatreds (aspondos, G786) . 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. THE QUALITIES OF GODLESSNESS ( 2 Timothy 3:2-5 continued). At that time Timothy was just a very young boy, probably in his mid-teens and yet he was attracted to Paul the apostle because of the message that Paul bore. What am I to believe about man? Timothy fully knew what was the great thing that Paul had in view, both in his preaching and in his conversation: "Thou hast known my purpose, what I drive at, how far it is from any worldly, carnal, secular design, and how sincerely I aim at the glory of God and the good of the souls of men." In between there was The Day of the Lord, a day when God would personally intervene and shatter the world in order to remake it. But the condition of the believers had deteriorated. Then the apostle puts before them a blessed model of that which he had before his own soul. But we, so often, make the mistake of going out ill-equipped or running without a message. 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? Men will be thankless (acharistos, G884) . Whether Timothy made it to Rome before Paul's execution is not known. Yet. Or it can mean that a man is so dishonourable that he breaks the terms of the agreement he has made. Those who deceive others do but deceive themselves; those who draw others into error run themselves into more and more mistakes, and they will find it so at last, to their cost. They choose to lay, again and again, the early foundations of their Christian faith i.e. (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 sister was persuaded to read a copy of St. John. 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. Barnes' Notes. We can still see this kind of man in fairs and market-places shouting the virtues of a patent medicine which will act like magic. When Carlyle's father was discussing the kind of minister his parish needed, he said: "What this parish needs is a man who knows Christ other than at secondhand." But continue thou in the things which you have learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; and that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through the faith which is in Christ Jesus ( 2 Timothy 3:14-15 ). And a servant of the Lord must not strive, but be gentle toward all, apt to teach, forbearing, in meekness correcting those that oppose, if perhaps God may give them repentance for acknowledgment of the truth, and they may for his will wake up out of the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him." 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 this picture which Paul draws he is thinking in terms familiar to the Jews. It is our duty to use our minds and set them adventuring; but the test must ever be agreement with the teaching of Jesus Christ as the Scriptures present it to us. He is the man who is guilty of the "sin of the high heart." Love of self is the basic sin, from with all others flow. It has been pointed out that the writer of Revelation may well have been thinking of Ephesus when he wrote that haunting passage which describes the merchandise of men: "The cargo of gold, silver, jewels and pearls, fine linen, purple, silk and scarlet, all kinds of scented wood, all articles of ivory, all articles of costly wood, bronze, iron and marble, cinnamon, spice, incense, myrrh, frankincense, wine, oil, fine flour and wheat, cattle and sheep, horses and chariots, and slaves, that is, human souls" ( Revelation 18:12-13). A man may embrace some absurd opinion, and call it religion; he may adopt some mode of dress irresistibly ludicrous, from the mere love of singularity, and may call it conscience; or he may be boorish in his manners, and uncivil in his deportment, outraging all the laws of social life, and may call this deadness to the world; and for these, and similar things, he may be contemned, ridiculed, and despised. (iv) The Scriptures are of use for correction. 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. 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. Paul's life: one of faith. It begets a contempt of men which can issue in hurting actions and in wounding words. "And God prepared a great fish and it swallowed Jonah" ( Jonah 1:17 ). Negative and positive illustrations 3:8-13. Perverse Men 2 Timothy 3:2-4 . In the Old Testament they are not named, but they are referred to in Exodus 7:11; Exodus 8:7; Exodus 9:11. Now many people have a legitimate and proper desire to be used of God. but they deny the power thereof: [Paul said to Timothy] from such turn away. To love men is to forgive them and care for them as God forgave and cares--and it is only he who can enable us to do that. Look at the magazines that were once really under the counter kind of stuff and sold illegally. The word here is makrothumia ( G3115) ; and makrothumia, as the Greeks used it, usually meant patience with people. What Does It Really Mean That Your Body Is a Temple? repentance from dead works and of faith toward God. That's not the kind of promises we really enjoy, is it? 3. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing." At the same time he shows also his sense of the kindness of a particular individual and his family. His mental palate loses its taste. "Perilous times shall come." They thought that eternal life lay in the letter, not in Him of whom the letter testified. Some of you are separated not by your own desire or wish, but because someone was a trucebreaker. If your God is big enough to create the heavens and the earth, no problem, but you see, we stumble on the very first verse. The Gnostic insinuators would teach these doctrines to impressionable women. Again, it is startling. Why does the world hate Christians? He said, Who is this? First and foremost he has an aim in life. 2 Timothy 3:12, "Yes, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus, shall suffer persecution.". Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. So from his earliest childhood Timothy had known the sacred writings. false accusers, incontinent ( 2 Timothy 3:3 ). Observe, The scriptures will make us wise to salvation, if they be mixed with faith, and not otherwise, Hebrews 4:2. Comp. Introduction; 2 Timothy 1 Commentary; There are persons who think that the approach of death is intended to blot out everything here. Now what is it that Timothy had so fully known in Paul? 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. So you see, I'm not inerrant in all, but the scriptures are. The word of God is the foundation for doctrine. A. M. Chirgwin in The Bible in World Evangelism tells the story of a ward sister in a children's hospital in England. "But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry. He must maintain this confidence, knowing that the Scriptures are divinely given and that they are Gods means of instructing people in right belief and right living. How many people who have stood before God and have pledged for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, until death do us part; and yet again, the high divorce rate. This might deter a sensitive saint from his duty. She had been finding life, as she herself said, futile and meaningless. Whose will is to live, or who are bent on living. But you see, if you start whacking away at the story of Jonah, and say, oh, I can't really buy that. Have you ever seen an age when people were more conscious of their own selves? In simple fairness, no man seeking for the truth has any right to neglect the reading of the Bible. 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. Certain of the temporary persecution, he is equally certain of the ultimate glory. They were never meant to be anything else but visions; we do violence to Jewish and to early Christian thought if we take them with a crude literalness. In English we usually associate it with insult against God, but in Greek it means insult against man and God alike. There is little likelihood that Timothy will be easily led astray by false teaching. (See notes Matthew 5:10, 11, 12) Rather he must "labour before he partake of the fruits." 1. The word we have translated to be a disciple includes so much that is beyond translation in any single English word. Those who are well instructed in the Scriptures will always be ready when an opportunity arises to do good (16-17).Since Gods servants must give him an account of their service, they should not miss any opportunity to teach the Scriptures, though they must always speak in a manner suited to the circumstances (4:1-2). He knew what care God had taken of him: Notwithstanding out of them all the Lord delivered me; as he never failed his cause, so his God never failed him. In Greek writings these two words often went together; and they are both picturesque. Some of you here are victims of broken covenants. The world really doesn't admire true Christian traits. Paul cites three instances when he had to suffer for Christ. Why? But let him not infer, "therefore," that he is to be enrolled among the martyrs, and that he is certainly a real Christian. And I will tell you what scriptures are inspired and which ones aren't. There was to be a final show-down with the forces of evil. Trench, Richard Chenevix, D.D. Paul kept back nothing from his hearers, but declared to them the whole counsel of God (Acts 20:27), so that if it were not their own fault they might fully know it. Look at the lack, lackness. Their falsity would be demonstrated and they would receive their appropriate reward. 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. It is used in Matthew 8:28 to describe the two Gergesene demoniacs who met Jesus among the tombs. What am I to believe about angels or the future? The Christian life does not consist only in knowing something; it consists even more in being something. Heavenly Father, thank You for the privilege of being one with Christ, positioned in Him, and clothed in His righteousness. We must note that Paul here makes a distinction. ", Now when you have difficulty in your understanding of a scripture, rather than setting that aside and saying, Well, God really didn't say that; just say, hey, I really don't understand that yet. He glanced at it as he consigned it to the flames. The Gnostics had their own fanciful books; the heretics all produced their own literature to support their claims. So the same Greek is used of the same thing, Lu 14:28, 33, "intending (Greek, 'wishing') to build a tower counteth the cost.". It is able to make us wise to salvation; that is, it is a sure guide in our way to eternal life. At Ephesus some of the greatest roads in the world met. And then again "the husbandman that laboureth must be first partaker of the fruits." How big is your God? But we must exclude that which is contrary to His name; and the very same desire to prove one's love, one's faith, one's appreciation of Christ, will make one anxious not to be dragged into that which is not for His glory. If we would know the holy scriptures, we must read and search them daily, as the noble Bereans did, Acts 17:11. And the comfort is that, if prepared to cleave to the will of the Lord alone, we shall have, through His grace, fellowship with the true-hearted. by George Whitefield. There was no longer the freshness of a new thing; and where the heart was not kept up in communion with the Lord, the value of divine things was less felt, if it did not quite fade away. In the days between the Old and the New Testaments many Jewish books were written which expanded the Old Testament stories. It is in terms of these last days that Paul is thinking in this passage. It's going to get worse before it gets better. 3:1 You must realize this--that in the last days difficult times will set in. Every man going his own way. Product Information. You know, I mean, talk about lovers of selves, look at the advertising. And leaving guilelessness, will draw near to malice; And forsaking the commandments of the Lord. He said that one isn't inspired; obviously inspired. The oldest Greek laws disfranchised the man who struck his parents; to strike a father was in Roman law as bad as murder; in the Jewish law honour for father and mother comes high in the list of the Ten Commandments. So you have to be careful when you start chipping it away at one side because the whole thing will come down on you. He went home and found the fire was out. "Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ." Timothy was from Lystra. And this, I apprehend, is the reason. Here we have him recurring to that which was entirely outside nature, and before its very platform existed. She had never tried the Bible, for a friend had convinced her by subtle arguments that it could not be true. It is used by ancient writers on astrology to describe what we would call a threatening conjunction of the heavenly bodies. [1.] human nature began to show itself out in indifference. In Jesus' name I pray, AMEN. 1. Timothy fully knew Paul's good character, which he might gather from his doctrine, manner of life, and purpose; for he gave proofs of his faith (that is, of his integrity and fidelity, or his faith in Christ, his faith concerning another world, by which Paul lived), his long-suffering towards the churches to which he preached and over which he presided, his charity towards all men, and his patience. 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. He would not have him to be spreading doubtful opinions; but what he had heard from the apostle himself he need not scruple to give out freely. Boy, I'll tell you, I don't know. I must do so, if I own Him only in the indispensable truth of His Lordship if I own Him simply as the One that has authority over my soul. There is faith, complete belief that God's commands are binding and that his promises are true. he was in Rome, he sought me out very diligently, and found me." In his own neighbourhood he had seen Paul suffer because of his devotion to Christ (10-12; cf. And they were able to imitate the workings of God up to a point and then they came to the place where they were backed down by Moses, but "men of corrupt minds, they are reprobate concerning the faith. Difficult is the Greek word chalepos ( G5467) . And you will find as God's word becomes a very part of your life and you begin to be guided by the word of God, that God will begin to use you in very exciting ways. Marks of Perilous Times; Excellence of the Scriptures. (4) let those who have never been persecuted in any way, inquire whether it is not an evidence that they have no religion. The promise of the Messiah, the details of the Messiah, they are all there. They said, Wait a minute, this is the hand of God, we can't, we can't touch this. 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. I've never found that in one of those little Bible promise books, I mean, promise things yet. [Note: Knight, p. 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 ). 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. In certain of these books Jannes and Jambres figured largely. That is the inevitable way to ruin, for no man can master anything unless he first masters himself. The Gnostic heretics taught, either that, since matter is altogether evil, a rigid asceticism must be practiced and all the things of the body as far as possible eliminated, or that it does not matter what we do with the body and its desires can be indulged in to the limit because they do not matter. 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. Good. "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'.". And come up a hundred days later and be deposited at a port. 2. This the apostle guards Timothy against, and indeed ourselves, he warns him how seduction would go on more and more, but "from such turn away." They should remember that, in this respect, they are treated as the Master was, and are in the goodly company of the prophets, apostles, and martyrs; for they were all persecuted. "Men of corrupt minds. "Because ye are not of the world therefore the world hateth you" (John 15:19; Matthew 10:22,38,39). 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. Note, Those are wise indeed who are wise to salvation. There is slander enough in many a church to make the recording angel weep as he records it. That's just fable. (1.) On the other hand, it is unholy to tamper with evil. 2 Timothy 3:12 MEANING - kingjamesbibleonline.org "My God shall supply all of your needs" ( Philippians 4:19 ). Now are you going to, you know, take the word of Jesus? 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 . 2 Timothy 3:12 Commentaries: Indeed, all who desire to live godly in VERSION, NIV Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica. More and more the Christian is a marked person because the more corrupt the world becomes, the more the Christian stands out. and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution ( 2 Timothy 3:12 ). Be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines; for it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace,Hebrews 13:9. There is patience. "Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the Lord delivereth him out of them all" ( Psalms 34:19 ). She had waded through book after book and laboured with philosophy after philosophy in an attempt to find satisfaction. The Christian leader will never lack his opponents. "Take Mark, and bring him with thee: for he is profitable to me for the ministry." The coming of the Lord will in no way manifest the faithfulness of the servant; His appearing will. 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. It is easy for a professed Christian to avoid persecution, if he yields every point in which religion is opposed to the world. "Thou hast fully known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, long-suffering, charity, patience, persecutions, afflictions." 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. But then another thing. Copyright Statement These files are public domain. You know the persecutions that I experienced, but the Lord delivered me out of them all. How is a man to walk in such a state of things as this? "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.