2 Timothy 3
In this seventeen verse chapter, the Apostle Paul exhorts the young Timothy about those who are dangerous to the gospel and gives examples of how he can continue in the true doctrine of God He reveals in Scripture:
But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these. For among them are those who enter into households and captivate weak women weighed down with sins, led on by various impulses, always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, men of depraved mind, rejected in regard to the faith. 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.
Now you followed my teaching, conduct, purpose, faith, patience, love, perseverance, persecutions, and sufferings, such as happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium and at Lystra; what persecutions I endured, and out of them all the Lord rescued me! Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. But evil men and impostors will proceed from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. You, however, continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work. (II Tim 3:1-17)
Chapter 2 and 3 Bridge
The first word of chapter 3, ‘but,’ indicates a pivotal change in Paul’s second letter to Timothy. This is not how a new chapter would normally start and alerts us to a shift in focus. What is that focus? Ideally, the whole letter should be read and considered together to best understand what Paul is saying to Timothy. And while each chapter can be studied on its own, each should be considered within the context of the whole letter.
Therefore, when Paul begins with the word ‘but’ we must go back to see what led up to this statement and how that influences the message in chapter three.
In chapter 2 Paul urges Timothy to fulfill his work as an evangelist, enduring hardship, avoiding entanglement in worldly affairs and remaining faithful no matter the cost. He does this to prepare Timothy for what lies ahead.
2 Timothy 3:1–9
Chapter 3 paints a picture of the enemies of Christ in these ‘last days’ in which we are living. What is especially troubling is that Paul describes them as having come into the church. They are enemies of the gospel and Timothy must be alert. He must be personally prepared and prepare the church for what is coming.
Paul’s imagery is similar in many ways to the days before Noah, with lawlessness men whose every thought was evil all the time (Genesis 1:5). In verse two the word “men” is of course meant to include all of “mankind,” and not males. All people in general will sink to the depths of godlessness.
Verses 6–7 warn of teachers who will go looking for and take advantage of any women who are easy prey due to their sins and lack of self control. They will warp the truth to captivate and control.
Verses 8–9 introduce the earliest reference to the names of two men (magicians) who opposed Moses in Egypt. These are mentioned in the 4th Christian century in the Targum of Pseudo-Jonathan, but this is well after they appear here. They may have been known to Paul through oral tradition since he was taught by a leading Jewish elder and teacher, named Gamaliel. Or their names may have been provided by the Holy Spirit. Jannes and Jambres may either:
a) represented the ancient magicians and false teachers of Egypt who taught Moses all about the Egyptian gods before leaving Egypt the first time as well as those whose staffs were turned to snakes in the presence of Pharaoh, or
b) served as the embodiment of those types throughout history.
The Jewish names represent “seduction” and “rebellion.” God will deal with those who like them have abandoned the faith and substituted false doctrine for the gospel of Jesus Christ. God will see to it that they are discredited and destroyed.
2 Timothy 3:10–17
Verses 10–17 turn in a more positive direction setting out ten aspects of Christian living where Paul set a personal example. Paul remembered those times when God had guided and delivered him from death during his ministry.
At Antioch Paul was driven out. At Iconium he was almost stoned. In Lystra he was stoned, and appeared to be dead. Yet in each case God provided an escape. Paul does not sugarcoat the hardships Timothy will face. In verse 12 Paul affirms that persecution will come to all who live godly in Christ Jesus.
Verse 13 may seem out of place, sounding more like the first part of the chapter. But Paul is reemphasizing the contrast between Christian character and godless ones. Thus Paul urges Timothy to overcome hardship and avoid the snares of Satan.
Paul was aware that Timothy had been schooled in God’s word from his youth. He wanted Timothy to continue in what he had been taught and in the further truth contained in the Gospel of Christ. So he urges Timothy to trust God and to put the lessons which come from His Word into practice. (vs 14)
In verse 15, the Word is called the Sacred Writings. In the next verse it is Scripture. These are the writings of the Old Testament, the Bible that Paul, Timothy and his grandmother Lois and mother Eunice knew (1:5).
Paul sums up his thought on scripture in 16–17 by saying:
All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.
“Inspired,” literally means “God-breathed,”. The scriptures include the Old Testament and would ultimately include New Testament. Since it is inspired by God it is truly profitable in important ways for: Teaching, Reproof, Correction and Training in Righteousness. Teaching from the Word of God is specifically commanded and encouraged through Old and New Testaments from early childhood to elderly years. Moses and many others continued to learn until they died.
Reproof or rebuke include elements of disapproval with an appeal to repent. The goal is for truth to come out on top so that minds may be changed and hearts softened in a way that leads to obedience to God.
Then there is training, like in the army. Paul often uses examples of training in his writings such as the discipline, focus and loyalty of soldiers and the athlete’s daily training to finish the race well. Paul wraps up this section with the hope that Timothy will be a man of God, adequate and equipped for every good work. Paul’s hope is not of course only meant for Timothy, but for all those who want to be a man or a woman of God, ready and able to do godly works.
General Application
Second Timothy 3 breaks evenly into two sections. The first half is about resisting temptation and deceit while on alert against Satan. The second half encourages us to aspire to be like Christ, and equipped for every good work. There are certainly treasures found in this chapter. It is a pretty good checklist to hold yourself accountable to. Whether male or female we who belong to the kingdom can benefit from this chapter a great deal.
Paul the apostle writes a letter to Timothy, a young man trained by Paul himself, to become a leader of the first century church and in turn appoint leaders of the church. These teachings are not for Timothy alone, but rather to all who seek to understand the hardships and difficulties that arise as we follow Jesus and serve God. Christian leaders should read and reread this chapter. It forewarns of persecution and wakes us up to the danger of false teachers (1–9). It also sets out the positive alternative, the kind of character and training needed to do the work of the Lord. (10–17).
True students of the Word understand how weighty the responsibilities of leadership in the church are. While every Christian will experience hardship, leaders carry a heavier load. God has high expectations of preachers, elders and deacons, along with those leading in a variety of other ways. (James 3:1).
On this subject, William Barclay says:
“The Christian leader will never lack his opponents. There will always be those who have their own twisted ideas of the Christian faith, and who wish to win others to their mistaken beliefs. But of one thing Paul was sure–the days of the deceivers were numbered. Their falsity would be demonstrated and they would receive their appropriate reward.”
It is with this I have hope. Yes, teaching and preaching is difficult. Satan is at work. There will always be those who teach false doctrine, but their days are numbered. The time will come and our race will end. What is important is how we ran. Were we godly? When we faltered, did we let God teach us, reprove us, correct us, and train us? Did we learn from Him and put it into action? Did we complete our lives as well as we could?
Kitchener-Waterloo, Ontario
A Song of Ascents, of David.
“O LORD, my heart is not proud, nor my eyes haughty; Nor do I involve myself in great matters, Or in things too difficult for me. Surely I have composed and quieted my soul; Like a weaned child rests against his mother, My soul is like a weaned child within me. O Israel, hope in the Lord From this time forth and forever” (vs 1-3)
Psalm 131, in the New American Standard Bible, begins by telling us it is a Song of Ascents of King David, the twelfth of fifteen, likely sung to God by the writer as a song of praise or prayer.
“O LORD, my heart is not proud, nor my eyes haughty;”
David begins his song by addressing his Lord, Jehovah. He explains that his heart is not proud, he tells his God that he is not vain in what he seeks, but rather that he is content in what he has. Haughty could be translated as “lofty,” “arrogantly superior” or “disdainful.”
“Nor do I involve myself in great matters,”
David tells God that he stays out of what is going on and doesn’t actively seek to put himself in the middle of important matters. Depending on when David wrote this it could have been before he was made king, or after. Before he was made king he would not have been too involved with matters of state or what is expected of a King, however after much of what he would be involved in would be “great matters.”
“Or in things too difficult for me.”
Humility: either before or after becoming the king of Israel, David shows a proper amount of humility and a desire to stay out of the great matters around him, being cautious for those concerns of difficulty that he could face. Prior to becoming king his most dire situations involved protecting the lambs of the flock he herded, against grave threats from lions and bears (1 Samuel 17:34–36). This would have taught him not to get too involved with situations beyond his abilities. During his fight with the giant Goliath he knew God was on his side. He could face Goliath and trusting in God to overthrow him with the sling and a stone (1 Samuel 17:37-50). During his time in the wilderness fleeing from King Saul, he did only what he had to to survive, while still honouring God (1 Samuel 23:14–29). As King of Israel, David would be met with almost constant war and political unrest, even after gaining peace. It would begin to unravel after Uriah and Bathsheba, first with his son Absalom and then with many others (2 Samuel 11ff).
“Surely I have composed and quieted my soul;”
David here says that he has composed and quieted his soul. The “surely” implies that he strongly believes his position. With some aspect of certainty David is sure that he is composed, which could be translated as having one’s feelings under control or a calmness. Having a quieted soul could allude to overcoming strife, perhaps directly after the wilderness when he began piecing his life back together, or later in his life when he faced grave situations and overcame struggles. Soul here doesn’t mean literally his soul, but rather an inner calm of his heart, mind and body. It could also be about his passions, that they are under control, calmed.
“Like a weaned child rests against his mother,”
David here focuses on both the beauty and the innocence of a situation where a baby “rests” or is upon its mother’s chest. In this case the child is content. Above all because it is not an image of struggle or crying, but rather weaned and resting, a sense of complete contentment and finality. It is important to note that this is not a weaning child, but rather a weaned child. Though still dependent on mother for food, baby is done with milk and ready to be given a diet of solids (1 Corinthians 3:2).
“My soul is like a weaned child within me.”
Coupled with the previous sentence, David likens his inner soul to that of the weaned child. The image given is that of completed satisfaction. Without needing anything further. And perhaps ready for a new chapter in his life, as a weaned child begins to eat solids, David could be ready for the next step of God’s guidance which he trusts completely in.
“O Israel, hope in the Lord”
The previous sentences have been a measure of child-like trust in God, but what David is asking the people of Israel to do is not just to trust but to hope in God. Throughout the Old Testament there are plenty of examples of the Israelites literally seeing God’s wonders and turning to worshipping false gods, such as at Mount Sinai (Exodus 32), when the people saw Moses “delayed” they went to Aaron and had him build them a golden calf. Trusting in God seemed to come and go, but perhaps what David is focusing on here is don’t just trust in God, but hope in him. “Hope” could be defined as a desire or expectation for something to happen, “trust” is based on a confident belief. David conveys the need for his country to hope in the Lord, perhaps not just hope, but to trust as he himself trusts in the Lord.
“From this time forth and forever.”
No better way to say from now and into eternity. There is immediacy here; not tomorrow or sometime next week or month, but from this very moment and without end.
General Application
The image that David, King of Israel gives us in the 131st Psalm is that of child-like trust, hope and faith in God. Not just an example of it, but a plea from him to his people, as inheritors of the promise God gives to his people, we are inheritors of this plea to “hope in the Lord” from that time and forever.
David focuses on a few themes in this short Psalm, to name a few: humility, peace and growth. I would have us focus on humility, peace and growth in addition to the focus of trust achieved in this Psalm.
Humility can be defined as a modest view of one’s own self. In accordance with the psalmist here, he gives attention in the first verse to not wanting to be made important or have high standing, but rather seemingly content with what he has. Something we can learn from his example is the need to be humble and appreciate what we have, even if it is not want we may want for ourselves. Not having the most important position at work or the new car, allows us to appreciate what God has given us and respect those gifts more.
Peace can be defined as tranquility or serenity, the example of the Psalmist here is that of fulfilment and contentment. A weaned soul, doesn’t need anything more. Now of course there is always more to be learned and aspired to, at which God can begin to offer something more than milk to those of us who can overcome the lesser spiritual lessons and move on to what comes next.
Growth can be defined as maturing physically, mentally or emotionally and spiritually. This example of the Psalmist is one weaned from spiritual milk and ready for spiritual meat. If written in David’s earlier life, or a retelling of his earlier life, God takes him at his word and does give him the next spiritual piece of meat to bite into. We too will constantly be developing ourselves and God will continue to let us grow. How much we bite off will help or hinder but ultimately if we are trusting in God, we will grow.
Waterloo, Ontario
