It is able to make us wise to salvation; that is, it is a sure guide in our way to eternal life. "Alexander the coppersmith did me much evil: the Lord reward him according to his works: of whom be thou ware also; for he hath greatly withstood our words.". It may be that, since we are only human, we cannot live entirely without differences with our fellow-men, but to perpetuate these differences is one of the worst--and also one of the commonest--of all sins. Such is the meaning of purging himself. Their falsity would be demonstrated and they would receive their appropriate reward. All you can say is that they are "without natural affection".God has put in our heart a certain natural love as a parent for a child. But they will not get much further, for their folly will be as clear to all as that of those ancient impostors. Xenophon tells us how Cyrus, the Persian king, defined the alazon ( G213) : "The name alazon ( G213) seems to apply to those who pretend that they are richer than they are or braver than they are, and to those who promise to do what they cannot do, and that, too, when it is evident that they do this only for the sake of getting something or making some gain" (Xenophon: Cyropoedia, 2, 2, 12). It is the Greek parakolouthein ( G3877) and literally means to follow alongside; but it is used with a magnificent width of meaning. (186) Et tous ceux aussi qui veulent vivre en la crainte de Dieu. And all those also who wish to live in the fear of God., (187) Que rien ne luy est advenu que tous fideles ne doyvent aussi attendre. That nothing has happened to him which all believers must not also look for.. Those who would acquaint themselves with the things of God, and be assured of them, must know the holy scriptures, for these are the summary of divine revelation. Shall we turn now in our Bibles to Second Timothy chapter three? 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. The devil is the patron saint of all slanderers and of all slanderers he is chief. 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. It imagines "the faith" as something to be guarded (see 2 Timothy 1:14), lest it become corrupted or . Paul suffered as he taught: a single eye to Christ and His grace made him consistent. I'm just saying, Hey, I am stupid and I lack an understanding. The cause of this is the present confusion, and accordingly the apostle brings a picture of it before Timothy's mind. Turning to the SECOND EPISTLE, we find that, although there is the same grand truth of the Saviour God maintained, the state of things had become sensibly worse, and the hour for the apostle's departure from the world was drawing near. 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). Regardless of the persecution, it is our duty to live in such a way that the world will know that we are Christians. Amidst all the stories one fact stands out--Jannes and Jambres became legendary figures typifying all those who opposed the purposes of God and the work of his true leaders. He was wrong on that you know. Abandoned by virtually all of those close to him for fear of persecution (cf. Help us purchase electrical generators for churches. Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. There is teaching. The same tone of mercy is equally promised in this #epistle as in the last. The doctrine that he preached. It is to be supposed that the younger labourer cowered somewhat, unwilling to incur the odious charge, so easily made but hard to refute, of setting himself up and taking the place of some great one. Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary. The Christian life does not consist only in knowing something; it consists even more in being something. There is training. It is the ability not to lose patience when people are foolish, not to grow irritable when they seem unteachable. Men will be without human affection (astorgos, G794) . 2 Timothy 3 Commentary; 2 Timothy 4 Commentary; HENRY ALFORD 2 TIMOTHY COMMENTARY The Greek Testament. 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. 4. There would come a kind of terrible flowering of evil, when the moral foundations seemed to be shaken. 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." We have sown the wind, now we're going to reap the whirlwind. Only in the New Testament have we any picture of Jesus, any account of his life and any record of his teaching. It is an immense blessing that we have the truth not only in a book, but in a practical shape, the truth that comes out of the heart and from the lips of living men of God. These things may be expected in the best times, and under the most favorable circumstances; and it is known that a large part of the history of the world, in its relation to the church, is nothing more than a history of persecution. I think we've gone just about as far as we can. Salem Media Group. Paul met him on his first missionary journey. Anosios does not so much mean that men will break the written laws; it means that they will offend against the unwritten laws which are part and parcel of the essence of life. (iv) The Scriptures are of use for correction. In other words, it's not going to get better for awhile. The scripture is a perfect rule of faith and practice, and was designed for the man of God, the minister as well as the Christian who is devoted to God, for it is profitable for doctrine, &c. Right out of the gate, Second Timothy presents itself as a conservative letter, understanding "conservative" in the most literal sense of the word. 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. 2. menin the professing Church. This might deter a sensitive saint from his duty. That the man of God may be perfect ( 2 Timothy 3:17 ). Accordingly the apostle reminds Timothy of this. Of course it was infinitely higher, it is needless to say, in the Master; but the servant was as closely as possible following in His steps. "No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life" (he must be unencumbered, and undivided in his object); "that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier. Rather he must "labour before he partake of the fruits." And as we pointed out, the danger always of saying some scriptures, not all scriptures, is the loss of authority. 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 ). (12) Yea, and all that will live godly.--But St. Paul would not allow it to be thought for a moment that in the fact of his enduring persecution and suffering there was anything remarkable or singular; so he adds the words of this verse, which repeat in a peculiarly solemn way the great Christian truth that eternal glory was only to be reached by man through an avenue of sufferings. He is sure that the ungodly man will go from bad to worse and that there is literally no future for the man who refuses to accept the way of God. By it we are thoroughly furnished for every good work. Lipscomb's Commentary on Selected NT Books, Verse 12. (2.) The history of the Christian Church teaches us that falsity cannot live. We don't have the time to devote to it this evening but I would suggest that you get a good Greek lexicon and do a word study on these particular Greek words that Paul uses to describe the attitudes and the actions of people in the last days. 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. And as we go down the list, it's like reading the afternoon newspaper. If anyone proposes to introduce into his life a loyalty which surpasses all earthly loyalties, there are bound to be clashes. The most amazing things may happen if he does, for there is a saving wisdom here that is in no other book. To the Greek it was anosios ( G462) to refuse burial to the dead; it was anosios ( G462) for a brother to marry a sister, or a son a mother. "Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the Lord delivereth him out of them all" ( Psalms 34:19 ). (2 Timothy 1:1.) In all life there is nothing so creative of really productive effort as a clear consciousness of a purpose. What is a man well taught in the truth for, if not to communicate his knowledge to others that are faithful, but not equally instructed in the word of God? Next he comes to a more personal need. And Paul said, You've known the Holy Scriptures, able to bring you to a faith in Jesus Christ, salvation through the faith in Jesus Christ. He had not said a word about them before. But now before his heart just as in principle before the dying Lord Himself, wonderful to say two things come together: a deeper sense of what is in God, as revealed in Christ Himself, before there was any creation at all; and on the other hand so much the deeper sense also of what could be owned in nature. Once Agesilaus, the Sparta king, was asked, "What shall we teach our boys?" Persecution is Every Christian's Lot - 2 Timothy 3:12 And that is precisely what Christianity demands that a man should do. True, he is telling of something which happened later than this, but the wretched story would be the same (Irenaeus: Against Heresies, 1, 13, 3). Christianity changed all that and a new set of problems arose. The persecutions today may not be the same Paul had to withstand, but persecutions of some type will confront us from time to time. The wickedness of evil people, particularly charlatans, will increase as time passes. The page number in Thayer is given, and the column on the page follows the hyphens. Do you have a hard time accepting that man can build a great fish that can swallow men and keep them under water for several days and deposit them later at a port?Hey, hey, wait a minute then. And the reason why he makes it so urgent not to be turned aside was, that the time would come when men would not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts they should heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; and they should turn away their ears from the truth, and should be. It opened at the Sermon on the Mount. The moment a man makes his own will the centre of life, divine and human relationships are destroyed, obedience to God and charity to men both become impossible. How is it that you could be deceived, Jesus? Exalting Jesus in 1,2,3 John (Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary 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. (1) that they who make a profession of religion, should come prepared to be persecuted. Love of self is the basic sin, from with all others flow. What am I to believe about God? That the man of God may be perfect,2 Timothy 3:17; 2 Timothy 3:17. The woman, thrilled to the heart, does so and is deluded into thinking that she can prophesy. Let us then see what Paul says of the usefulness of scripture. I. Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. For example, "37-1-2459" means the reference is on page 37, is in column 1, and is word number 2459.). Then are we Christ's disciples indeed, John 8:31. And many shall be stirred up in anger to injure many; And they shall rouse up armies in order to shed blood. If we would know the holy scriptures, we must read and search them daily, as the noble Bereans did, Acts 17:11. It was only to be expected that certain women would not know how to use their new liberty. A word altogether unbecoming in one mouth might be most proper in another. Moreover, as soon as zeal for God is manifested by a believer, it kindles the rage of all ungodly men; and, although they have not a drawn sword, yet they vomit out their venom, either by murmuring, or by slander, or by raising a disturbance, or by other methods. Men will refuse to recognize even the ultimate decencies of life. Men would become lovers of money (philarguros, G5366) . "If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work.". But shun profane and vain babblings.". "Trucebreakers". Have you ever seen an age when people were more conscious of their own selves? 2 Timothy 3 Barnes' Notes - Bible Hub Real teaching is always born of real experience. 3 f I thank God g whom I serve, as did my ancestors, h with a clear conscience, as I remember you i . What am I to believe about man? In it we find the duties, the qualities and the experiences of an apostle. Vincente Quiroga of Chile found a few pages of a book washed up on the seashore by a tidal wave following an earthquake. Note, It is not enough to learn that which is good, but we must continue in it, and persevere in it unto the end. Each one of these words in the Greek is an interesting word study. Fear and timidity will keep us from using the gifts God gives. shall suffer persecutionand will not decline it (Ga 5:11). But now there were other reasons for it, namely, that Christians were neglecting godliness and order. In the terrible times men will be so set on self that even the closest ties will be nothing to them. The study of the Scriptures trains a man in righteousness until he is equipped for every good work. e Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.. Guard the Deposit Entrusted to You. 2 Timothy 3:12 - Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible. McLean, Virginia: MacDonald Publishing Company, n.d. Wuest, Kenneth S. Wuests Word Studies From the Greek New Testament. Again he said, "Lo, I have come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God" ( Hebrews 10:7 ). Now this is in particular a difficulty for saints, when they have revived before the soul the blessedness of maintaining the unity of the Spirit. Things will get worse as people turn away from those who teach the Scriptures, and listen to those who teach their own theories. Others must do that kind of work in future. Jewish thought had one basic conception. But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: a. When children are disobedient to their parents, and break through the obligations which they lie under to them both in duty and gratitude, and frequently in interest, having their dependence upon them and their expectation from them, they make the times perilous; for what wickedness will those stick at who will be abusive to their own parents and In the Testament of Issachar, one of the books written between the Old and the New Testaments, we get a picture like this: "Know ye, therefore, my children, that in the last times. 2 Timothy 3 He preached in the same church as C. H. Spurgeon over one hundred years earlier. 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. He was to communicate the things he had learnt of Paul, that they might be able to teach others also. (3.) And may not their freedom from it prove that they have surrendered the principles of their religion, where they should have stood firm, though the world were arrayed against them? The man who is mastered by his lower passions will gratify them in the most shameless way, as the streets of any great city will show when the night is late. (i) He says that the Scriptures give the wisdom which will bring salvation. He lit the fire, and then he asked if he might read a little from each book before he dropped it in the flames. The man who is huperephanos ( G5244) , said Theophrastus, has a kind of contempt for everyone except himself. [4.] Heavenly Father, thank You for the privilege of being one with Christ, positioned in Him, and clothed in His righteousness. Or it can mean that a man is so dishonourable that he breaks the terms of the agreement he has made. And he was probably in the company of those that were standing around, sort of crying, as they saw Paul's limp body on the ground. Nowadays we have to restate these old pictures in modern terms. His connection with the church, but "of the seed of David," the fulfiller of the promises, and object of the prophecies. It would not be accordant with the mind of God. In other words, they simply remain in spiritual infancy and keep repeating the first stage of their Christian faith, over and again, without pressing on to spiritual maturity.Many are falsely taught that becoming a Christian will secure a quiet life and provide a ticket to prosperity, with numerous earthly blessings and a free pass from God, to prevent or remove any difficulties or dangers that may arise. He is sure that God will rescue the man who puts his faith in him. No one can possibly mistake him. One of my most unfavorite promises in the Bible. They choose to lay, again and again, the early foundations of their Christian faith i.e. We're going to drown in our own corruption. "In a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour. It follows from this: (1) that they who make a profession of religion, should come prepared to be persecuted. He had fully known his conversation: Thou hast fully know my doctrine, and manner of life; his manner of life was of a piece with his doctrine, and did not contradict it.
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