2 Tim 3:6-9
Perilous Men
Last week we looked at
verses 1-5 of 2Tim 3. Today, I hope to open up the rest of the paragraph by
looking at verses 6-9. To remind you of the context of 6-9, I want to read 1-5
first & then 6-9.
We looked at the
meaning of last days to see it is the time from the first coming of the Lord
Jesus in the incarnation to the second coming in triumphal glory as he ushers
in the final age or day. The sorts of perilous things we will hear are the
sorts of characteristics we find defining men throughout this age.
We also noted how
these characteristics are those of people connected to churches. We went to see
Paul's instruction to the Corinthians when he told them to escape from all who
were sexually immoral they would have to go out of this world. Then Paul makes
it clear that he was writing about those considered brethren who were immoral.
That the church was not to have anything to do with them--assuming until and
unless they repented of their sins. And, at least one did and was restored to
the body.
So, this list of
eighteen characteristics are those that might be manifest in professed
believers. And the church is required to have nothing to do with these sorts of
folk. They are to follow Timothy's lead, presumably. Remember Timothy is in
Ephesus by apostolic appointment with the apostle's own authority to set things
in order. That is what the I Timothy is all about. Timothy was sent to
straighten out the church in Ephesus. For a catalog of their troubles see, at
least, 1 Timothy 1.
Perilous Times
1 But know this, that in the last days
perilous times will come:
2 For men will be lovers of themselves,
lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents,
unthankful, unholy, 3 unloving, unforgiving, slanderers,
without self-control, brutal, despisers of good,4 traitors,
headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having
a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn
away!
Perilous People
1. First Example
6 For of this sort are those who creep into
households and make captives of gullible women loaded down with sins, led away
by various lusts, 7 always learning and never able to come to
the knowledge of the truth.
2. Old Testament
Example
8 Now as Jannes and Jambres resisted
Moses, so do these also resist the truth:
3. Contemporary
Application (to this age)
men of corrupt minds,
disapproved concerning the faith; 9 but they will progress no
further, for their folly will be manifest to all, as theirs also was.
Let's look more deeply
at 6-9
Perilous People
1. First Example
This example does not address any particular person or situation that we
can discern. It is an example of the sort of people who have the
characteristics listed in vss 2-5. Or, it is where the sorts of sinful
dispositions could easily lead. Any and all of them can lead into deeper sin.
That would be very easy to demonstrate. People, even those in the Old
Testament, will flirt with certain sins. Not everyone is enticed by the same
sins. People come too close to the temptations they are attracted to. What
ought to happen is that once a temptation is realized, the one pursuing
godliness ought to quickly put his mind on something else or he or she ought to
run away. But, there is something about temptations that entice us--so we
linger.
The scripture commands us to
resist…. James 1:12 Blessed is the man who endures
temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life
which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.
There is blessing for the believer who does not give into
temptation. If temptation is endured,
stopped and put to death, no sin will follow. It is only when we let
temptations take root, that we are in danger of grevious sin. We can't blame it
on God with some mistaken notion of fatalism. Listen:
James 1:13 Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am
tempted by God"; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself
tempt anyone.
This is the process to
watch out for:
14 But each one is tempted when he is drawn
away by his own desires and enticed. 15 Then, when desire has
conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth
death.
God does not send
temptations into our life. There are plenty among the world the flesh and the
devil and those youthful lusts we looked at in the last chapter. Temptations
come from our own desires. Our desires beget sin. Sin eventually brings death.
The first sort of death is spiritual death--sin kills our spiritual life. This
is what happened to King David after he sinned with Bathsheba. He sinned
greatly, fell into the depths and it wasn't until he was confronted by the
prophet Nathan that he came to his senses. David shows how low a man who was
once described as a man after God's own heart, can fall. His family and the
nation suffered a great deal due to his sin.
Consider Joseph. He
ran when tempted. Potiphar's wife tore off his garment and then lied about what
had happened. Joseph told the truth and suffered for it. Yet, in God's plan for
Joseph and his people, Joseph's imprisonment in Egypt because of the sin of
Potiphar's wife, was one of the critical events that brought about the ultimate
deliverance of God's people. It is amazing how God uses faithfulness. The
reward may not be instantaneous. But, the Lord does eventually reward
faithfulness on the part of his people. We never have an excuse to give into
temptation and sin. It only brings suffering. And, suffering does not bring
about redemption. That is a repudiation of the gospel of God's grace by making
works more important. Resist temptation. Pray that you will not be led into
temptation as we learn in the Lord's Prayer.
Those who don't care about temptation and its fruit in them or in their
ability to entice others, is the general example Paul writes to Timothy.
2Tim 3:6 For of this sort
People with the
characteristics, some of them and perhaps even one of them in a glaring manner,
are the kind of people who will engage in this type of activity.
are
those who creep into households
The word creep can also be translated
insinuate. In subtle ways, some have the ability to have an effect on people
for their downfall. They have the practiced ability to get what they want from
people--especially some men from some women. They use their abilities to schmooze
or to win over the affections of others in order to get what they desire in a
sinful sort of way. It is like a dance of the intellect seeking to attract the
will and affections. It happens all around us. Many people want others to like
them and they want to please others so they are ripe for the picking. Some
disposed to this activity know just what to look for and then take advantage
when the affections and will are enflamed.
This is what Potiphar's wife did do Joseph.
She had tried to subdue him earlier. Joseph was steadfast. Her revenge was
blackmail and treacherous lies. Joseph languished in prison until the Lord made
it evident that his gift of interpreting dreams was needed. Eventually, Joseph
acceded to a position greater than what Potiphar had. Joseph was rewarded for
his faithfulness and his godliness by man and God. God delivered Israel through
the great famine using the instrumentality of Joseph and the seeming calamity
in his life, that God meant for good. We should always trust in God and not
give into temptations--something we must always watch out for.
This who insinuate themselves into households,
also…
and make captives of gullible women loaded
down with sins, led away by various lusts,
The directness of the scriptures is a warning
to all. Don't believe everything you are told. Someone might be trying to
seduce you or at least seek to be a part of your life. And especially so if the
person sees you as gullible, loaded down with sins of your own and turned in
all sorts of directions by a variety of strong desires. Cultivate an even keel
that steers according to principles of righteousness.
To be otherwise is to live a life that is….
7 always
learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.
This is another reason
to believe these things are relevant to people in and connected with churches.
Where else will they hear the truth to learn some things, yet remaining unable
to fully understand the truth? Christians are often some of the most gullible
people. They want to believe the best about others. But, some of the others
take advantage of what appears to be naivete. I have been treated more poorly
by people attached to churches and Christian organizations that I have been by
professed unbelievers. There are so many people who take advantage of God's
people. Some from outside the church who ask for money, but also within the
church. It is despicable. It is hard to admit. But I also have some friends who
are not believers who despise Christianity because some professing believers
have taken advantage of them. What happens is that those people stop believing
all believers. A source of our help dried up because a ministry in another
place took advantage of a man's goodwill. The excuse, you have a lot of money,
you don't need this. It may be true, but it is not up to the one receiving the
funds to use them contrary to the purpose for which they were given.
Paul uses an…..
2. Old Testament
Example
8 Now as Jannes and Jambres resisted
Moses, so do these also resist the truth:
Jannes and Jambres are
the names given to the chief magicians of Egypt. We find then contending with
Moses during the great plagues in Ex 7:11-12; 22; 8:7 & 9:11. Yet, their
names are not mentioned in Exodus--only here. There are ancient writings that contain
some stories about them. And, some of them are Jewish as well as Hieroglyphic
languages. So, the names don't just appear here as made up names, or names
without any history. Their names would have been known among certain groups of
people. Evidently, in Paul's education, or in his reading, he learned about
them.
When Moses used the
tools God gave to him, the magicians brought out their magic gear only to be
soundly defeated by the power of God working through Moses and his staff. What
is important about Jannes and Jambres is that they resisted the truth. They
should have known something about the power and sovereignty of Moses God
through what they experienced firsthand in the miraculous and the explanations
of Moses. Their hearts were hard like Pharoah.
God graciously displayed his power and might before them, but they did
not repent and follow him. Although, there is one story that has them escaping
Egypt with the Children of Israel during the Exodus. Needless to say, they
appear regularly in the histories of Egypt and to a lesser extent, God's
people. They remain a negative example to this day.
As they are known for
resisting the truth, so to perilous men are known for the same thing. They also
resist the truth. The rejection of truth is not a passive activity. It is
active. One has to work to resist or battle against the truth. People come up
with the strangest explanations for ultimate reality rather than believe the
truth. The truth is the easiest and best thing to believe. Many do not want to
admit it because it requires faith, repentance and obedience that they are not
willing to give to another.
All of these are
summarized in Paul's ….
3. Contemporary
Application (to this age)
men of corrupt minds,
This could be
understood as depraved minds. Minds that have never known the redeeming effects
of Christian salvation. This is a sorry thing to witness. The thinking of a
truly unregenerate mind comes unraveled and makes no sense.
As regards the faith
that saves and sanctifies…..they are…
8b disapproved concerning the faith;
On the great heavenly checklist, they get no
good marks. They can do no good, for they are not good and have not been made
good. The root of the tree is still bad and all they can produce is bad fruit.
And, that is all they will ever do.
But remember 2:19? The Lord knows who are his.
And let all who name the name of Christ depart from iniquity. There are
differences in how true believers live. Thank God when you see his work in you
or others.
About these creeps from all of time, we read….
9 but
they will progress no further, for their folly will be manifest to all, as
theirs also was.
Your sin will find you
out. It does and for His purposes which include the purity of the Church of the
Lord Jesus, God makes these things known. We trust him for the grace with which
God guides and governs the church. AMEN!
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