I am constantly amazed to see how the Bible has the ability
to speak to every generation and at all times. This particular letter from Paul
to Timothy was written nearly 2000 years ago[1]
and yet it is as relevant today as it
was in the day in which it was written.
It is true of course, that the world
has undergone massive, breath taking
changes. In Paul and Timothy’s day there
were no cars and no aeroplanes, no modern electronic and computer gadgets, no
aspirin and antibiotics, no insurance
policies and retirement plans…, but in many
other regards much remains the same – God remains the same and the heart of man remains the same. Nothing has changed with regard to the heart
of man, and when we read these words
again in 3:1-13, we will find
our hearts and minds saying over and again … ‘this is still true’.
Now these words from Paul which we have read do not stand on
their own. They are written in the context of his second letter to Timothy.
Here Paul is concerned here that his young friend Timothy, pastoring the church in Ephesus, a difficult city, and being tempted with many
kinds of fears[2], should
hold on to Jesus (2:1, 8-13)
and do
the work of in keeping with the
gentle and meek spirit of Christ (2:24-26), continuing in what he has
learned from Paul, his mentor (3:1-15).
It is against this background
that we consider our theme, “Understanding
the Times” as it arises out of 2
Timothy 3:1–13.
1.
Vv.
1–5: Understanding the general behaviour of people
in the last days.
2.
Vv.
6–9: Understanding how they affect
society and a lesson from history.
3.
Vv.
10–13: Understanding what it costs to live a godly life in such a culture.
1. 3:1-5 Understanding the general behaviour of
people in the last days.
3:1 “But
understand this, that in the last days there will come times difficulty…. From
the New Testament perspective, the last
days began with the coming of the Lord Jesus, and the last days will end at the second coming of the Lord Jesus, when the
world as we know it now will end. Following that the new heavens and the new
earth[3]
will appear. Many Christians think that
this text refers to the last of the last days. It does not. What is written
here characterises the entire church age. “There
will come times of difficulty…”. And so we take note that evils that characterize the last days
appear again and again in our history. Thank God that not all days are uniformly evil.
My grandparents lived through two horrendous world wars. I have been spared
from that, but there is no telling what our children might face. Thank God for
times of peace. Thank God also for the history of Revivals, when God mercifully intervened time and again for the sake of His people. At
such times society was reformed and evil people were restrained. There may yet be, before the return of Christ,
another great revival. I encourage you to pray and work to that end. Don’t capitulate
to the darkness. Don’t use this text to promote pessimism. Don’t retreat. Remember
that the gates of hell will not prevail against Christ's church (Matt. 16:18). Preach the Gospel
according to what you have in you, day
in and day out, in season and out of season (2 Tim. 4:2). But know that life in this fallen world for the
Christian man and woman will be difficult, and it affects the church as
we shall see in v.6.
The difficulty relates to what Paul says in 3:2-5. It relates to the behaviour of
people in this age. And it is demonic! In 1 Timothy
4:1 he says, “Now the Spirit
expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by
devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons.” The
apostle Peter says, “Scoffers will come
in the last days” (2 Peter 3:3).
Jude says, “In the last time there will
be scoffers, following their own ungodly passions” (Jude 1:18).
And so you find in
3:1-4 a list of typical behaviour in these days – 19 characteristics[4].
Firstly, consider what
they love: They are ‘lovers
of self’, lovers of money, not loving good lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, and in v.4. The fundamental problem with these people is
that they have a misdirected love for all the wrong things. The greatest commandment is to love the Lord
our God with all heart, soul, mind and strength and to love our neighbours as
ourselves[5],
and yet these people just love themselves.
Then, in between those
four misdirected loves we find 15 words which describe destructive patterns of
relating to others. They are proud, arrogant, abusive (lit. blasphemers). That is what self-
lovers are like. They are self- absorbed
and dismissive of others. They are
narcissistic. In Greek mythology,
Narcissus was a hunter who was known
for his beauty. The story goes that he came to a pool, where he saw his own
reflection in the water and fell in love with it, not realizing it was merely
an image. Unable to leave the beauty of his reflection, Narcissus lost his will
to live. He stared at his reflection until he died. From him comes the term narcissism, a fixation with oneself and one's physical appearance
or public perception.
Consider the next five
words: disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless,
unappeasable. In the Greek form
these five words are all in the negative[6].
Here are people known by what they are not, rather than what they are. They do
not obey their parents (Gk. goneusin apeitheis-
lit. unable to be persuaded). They
are not grateful beings (Gk. acharistoi).
They have no desire for holy living (Gk.
anosioi – unholy); they have no heart – they are without love (Gk. astorgoi). They are unappeasable (Gk. aspondos i.e. implacable, unforgiving, irreconcilable).
The remaining seven
words: ‘slanderous’ (Gk. diaboloi lit. diabolical- the devil
is a slanderer); ‘without self-control’ (Gk. akretēs lit. without power); ‘brutal’ (Gk. anēmeros – lit. not gentle ); ‘not lovers of the good’ (Gk. aphilagathos);
‘treacherous’
(Gk. prodotēs– this term is
used of Judas who betrayed Jesus) ; ‘reckless’
(Gk. propetēs lit. falling forwards – i.e. rash); ‘swollen with conceit’ (Gk. tuphoō – lit. to wrap in smoke, hence
puffed up, conceited, high minded) ; lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God.
Here is a portrait of the godless life of mankind all over
the world, in every kind of society and at all times. This is the life of
people in Namibia in the 21st century. Only the gospel offers a radical
solution to this problem. Only the gospel changes people from within, when we
learn to put off old habits and put on the life of Christ (Eph. 4: 17-32).
Note that these people
are religious! (v.5)
We are told in v.5
that they have “the appearance of
godliness”. They practise a form of religion. Think of the Pharisees and
the priests who stood against Jesus and His church. They were religious. Theirs
was the temple, the ceremonies and the law of God, but their religion was a man-made
tradition. They had exchanged the truth of God for a lie. Sadly there are so
many people in this world who are like that. They are religious, but not
converted. The problem with this religion is that the heart worships what it
creates in its own image. True religion is to love the God who has created us
in His image, and to serve Him according to His Word.
What is Timothy to do with such a people? “Avoid such people”, says Paul. Look for
the broken hearted sinner. Look for the man, the woman who despairs of
themselves and who seek for God.
Introduce them to Jesus. Let them be changed by Him.
2. 3:6–9 Understanding how they affect society and a lesson from history.
Take note that these
people undermine weak people (vv. 6,7).
Paul says “… for among
them are those who creep into households and capture weak women, burdened with sins and led astray by various passions, always
learning and never able to arrive at a
knowledge of the truth” (vv.6&7). This is not a general
statement that applies to all women. Timothy was raised by two strong, godly,
discerning women. Paul is describing
certain women, weak in character and weak in mind, and open to manipulation. Paul
is simply illustrating how unscrupulous people work. They are predators pulling down the weak and
the vulnerable, the foolish and the ignorant in society. Paul is showing us the tactics used by these pseudo
religionists. They were literally going
into homes of (especially the wealthy, middle, upper-class) women of that
Greco-Roman culture who had been introduced to faith in Christ through the
preaching of faithful teachers like Timothy and Titus and Paul. They were going
there while their husbands were at work, and they were tickling their ears with
false teaching. They go to people who haven't really grasped the truth as it is
in Jesus. They go
to people that are unstable in their sense of purpose and
direction in life. They were led by various passions/ emotions. They were burdened with sins (guilty
consciences). They had a desire to get rid of that, but they really have not
fully understood the provision of God in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of
their sin. And so they’re weighed down with sins, and they’re looking for a way
to get rid of their guilt. They are not
equipped to question what they hear. They are not like the Berean Christians,
evaluating everything … “they are always learning and never able to
come to the knowledge of the truth.”
V.v 8&9: Paul then gives an example from the
OT of this kind of subversive person. Jannes
and Jambres (although we don’t find their names in the Scriptures), the Pharaoh’s so
called magicians, men who opposed
Moses and who opposed the truth (v.8), but the fact was that in the eyes of Pharaoh and
Egypt they were powerful, influential
figures who were keeping Pharaoh
and the Egyptians blindfolded as regards
the truth. Paul assures us here that such false prophets will not win. They will
fail. This is vital for Timothy to know. It's vital for you and me to know.
So, we are provided here with a picture of our society. It is
a wicked, immoral society, and yet there is plenty of religious activity, but it
is a religious activity that pulls down the weak and ignorant. You need to know
that. You need to understand the times. God has given us this
counsel so that we should be forewarned, and prepared, and not become discouraged.
3. 3:10–13 Understanding what it costs to live a godly life in such a culture.
"You, however, have
followed my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life.my faith, my patience, my
love, my steadfastness, my persecutions, my sufferings… yet from all the Lord
rescued me…”. Make
sure that you listen to godly people, and not self - driven people, whose god
is money, who do not love the good and who are lovers of pleasure, and who
exhibit all the negative character
traits described here. Many of the glossy magazines extol their virtues, but
you all know that they are moral
failures. Don’t seek their company. Don’t envy them, just because they
look glamourous. Don’t let their philosophies worm their ways into your
home. The Scripture says that such “evil people and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being
deceived.” (v.13) Follow people like
Paul, who are lovers of God.
Those are the choices that face you. Either a life of trials
and testings, because you are going against the stream (v.11), but experiencing many wonderful deliverances, or ‘going from bad to worse.’ You do know what Jesus desires.
Follow Him to
heaven!
[4] most
of these phrases here are just one word in the Greek
[5] Mark
12:29-31 cf. Deut. 6:4-5
[6]
Beginning with the prefix – ‘a’
