2 Timothy 3

September 30  

Reading: 2 Timothy 3 

¹ But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. ² For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, ³ heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, ⁴ treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, ⁵ having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.    

⁶ For among them are those who creep into households and capture weak women, burdened with sins and led astray by various passions, ⁷ always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth. ⁸ Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, men corrupted in mind and disqualified regarding the faith. ⁹ But they will not get very far, for their folly will be plain to all, as was that of those two men.    

¹⁰ You, however, have followed my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness, ¹¹ my persecutions and sufferings that happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, and at Lystra-- which persecutions I endured; yet from them all the Lord rescued me. ¹² Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, ¹³ while evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.    

¹⁴ But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it ¹⁵ and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.    

¹⁶ All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, ¹⁷ that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. 

2 Timothy 3 continues the theme of the letter found in 2 Timothy 1:13-14. Now Paul is telling Timothy to guard the good deposit, the truth, from those who would corrupt it out of their own selfish desires. Verses 1-9 focus on the dangers posed by those who pretend to be believers but are not. 

This means that you do not want them in your church. You do not want them teaching yourself or others. You do not hang around them. You do not pretend that they are Christians. Paul is not here writing about the sinners of the world, but rather those who pretend to be Christian leaders but are not. (as in 1 Corinthians 5:9-13) 

In verses 10-13, Paul sets before Timothy his own example of love and obedience even amid persecution by “evil men and impostors.” 

In verses 14-15, Paul directs Timothy to the Scriptures as his guide. What is amazing about what Paul says here is that “the sacred writings” he speaks of are the Old Testament Scriptures. None of the New Testament had been written in Timothy’s youth. Therefore, it is the Torah, the Psalms, the Prophets, and the Old Testament writings that “are able to give you wisdom leading to salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.” (vs. 15)