2 Timothy 3:1-9
1: But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come.
2: For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy,
3: unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good,
4: treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,
3: unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good,
4: treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,
5: holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these.
6: For among them are those who enter into households and captivate weak women weighed down with sins, led on by various impulses,
7: always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.
8: Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, men of depraved mind, rejected in regard to the faith.
8: Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, men of depraved mind, rejected in regard to the faith.
9: But they will not make further progress; for their folly will be obvious to all, just as Jannes’s and Jambres’s folly was also.
***
In these verses Paul discussed the difficult times of the last days, describing those who would oppose the truth. He compared them to Jannes and Jambres who opposed Moses. These names are not mentioned in Scripture, but they were generally considered to be the names of the magicians in Egypt who resisted Moses during the time of the plagues1 (Exodus 7:11, 22). They tried to mimic Moses’ miracles and appeared to do so at first, but were not able to keep up (Exodus 8:18, 9:11).
Paul said there will be those in the last days who will hold to a form of godliness but oppose its power. They will argue to promote their ways over the power of God. They will challenge and oppose the truth. They are always learning, but never able to come to the knowledge of truth. There may be religious, well educated, intellectual people who appear right in many ways. There may even be those who perform miracles, yet oppose the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ and deny the power of godliness. They are not motivated by the Holy Spirit, but an opposing one. This is the antichrist spirit.
These ones who love pleasure more than God are to be avoided. He described them as hypocrites who say they believe, but their heart is far from the Lord (Mark 7:6). They offer a compromised gospel which may appear to show mercy but becomes a breeding ground for sin. When those in the church easily compare to the unbelievers, the times are difficult. Selfish, greedy, arrogant, reckless gossips who stir up trouble and oppose what is good. Disobedience to parents show this affects young people as well. The picture Paul paints of these people is contrary to the example Jesus set for us.
“But they will not make further progress.” There is a point at which they will proceed no further. Their folly will become obvious. Jesus said in Matthew 24:25, “Behold I have told you in advance.” Knowing this is coming, and even here already to a certain extent, helps us to prepare and not be taken in by the same deception.
1 A commentary, critical, practical, and explanatory on the Old and New Testaments by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown (1882). Retrieved from biblehub.com July 10, 2021.
Paul said there will be those in the last days who will hold to a form of godliness but oppose its power. They will argue to promote their ways over the power of God. They will challenge and oppose the truth. They are always learning, but never able to come to the knowledge of truth. There may be religious, well educated, intellectual people who appear right in many ways. There may even be those who perform miracles, yet oppose the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ and deny the power of godliness. They are not motivated by the Holy Spirit, but an opposing one. This is the antichrist spirit.
These ones who love pleasure more than God are to be avoided. He described them as hypocrites who say they believe, but their heart is far from the Lord (Mark 7:6). They offer a compromised gospel which may appear to show mercy but becomes a breeding ground for sin. When those in the church easily compare to the unbelievers, the times are difficult. Selfish, greedy, arrogant, reckless gossips who stir up trouble and oppose what is good. Disobedience to parents show this affects young people as well. The picture Paul paints of these people is contrary to the example Jesus set for us.
“But they will not make further progress.” There is a point at which they will proceed no further. Their folly will become obvious. Jesus said in Matthew 24:25, “Behold I have told you in advance.” Knowing this is coming, and even here already to a certain extent, helps us to prepare and not be taken in by the same deception.
1 A commentary, critical, practical, and explanatory on the Old and New Testaments by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown (1882). Retrieved from biblehub.com July 10, 2021.
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