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2 TIMOTHY CHAPTER 3 See previous page 2Tim 3,1-13 (49m) Judgment >> God judges the world >> Condition of the Church in the last days KJV WEB 2Tim 3,1-9 (3l) Responsibility >> To the Family >> God addresses both genders >> Evil men -- These verses go with verse 13. Jesus Christ is coming the second time primarily to judge the sin of man, but also the sin of woman (Rev 9-8). To understand this better, flip over to Rev 17,10-18. Here we will see that the beast and the Harlot are representative of the relationship between men and women. In these verses they are shown to be envious and competitive with each other and fighting among themselves. The Harlot seduces the world away from the truth bringing her much fame and glory, while the beast is the brains and Braun of the operation, who becomes jealous of the woman’s splendor and seeks to destroy her. However, the beast has forgotten that the woman is part of him, so while destroying her, he destroys himself along with all his plans for the world. Although it is obvious that these two entities (the Harlot and the Beast) actually represent demonic forces at work in the world during the last days, it is also clear that there exists a certain level of intimacy between man and demon, implying that worldly people have sided with the devil and agreed that their ways are better than God’s ways. The lesson to be learned is: to the degree that Satan is self-destructive, so is man, who becomes just like him after he chose to walk away from God. See also: Last days (Love of money); Mat 6-24; 21m (18l) Sin >> Twisted thinking >> Evil is good >> Loving bondage (96k) Thy kingdom come >> Having a negative attitude about sin >> Being willing to practice sin -- These verses go with verse 13 (153g) Witness >> Validity of the Father >> God bears witness against the world >> Shame >> Walking in condemnation >> Walking in sin -- These verses go with verse 13 (156k) Witness >> Validity of the believer >> Evidence of being hell-bound >> Living an ungodly lifestyle >> Practicing sin (159c) Works of the devil >> Essential characteristics >> Counterfeit >> Counterfeit godliness >> Counterfeit Christian -- These verses go with verse 13 (162g) Works of the devil >> Being a slave to the devil (Addictions) >> Bondage >> Addicted to sin >> Being a slave to the sinful nature -- These verses go with verse 13 (162j) Works of the devil >> Being a slave to the devil (Addictions) >> Bondage >> Being slaves of men >> Bad company >> Do not associate with people who practice sin – Paul starts naming people whom he personally knew and used them as examples, who exhibit the traits he just mentioned. Jannes's and Jambres considered themselves Christians and were once part of the Church but were excommunicated because of their blatant sin, and he said that in the last days people like them will multiply in the church. Meanwhile, the intended audience of the Bible is faithful Christians. Unbelievers don’t read the Bible without ulterior motives, so Paul was writing to faithful Christians, like he did in all his letters to the Churches, to Timothy in this case, saying difficult times are coming to those who are faithful in Christ. Why are they difficult times? He said that many church people would go astray from the faith; many impostors will call themselves Christians and live like the devil. What was Paul’s solution; did he advocate trying to win them to the Lord? No, he said, “avoid such men as these.” (163i) Works of the devil >> Being a slave to the devil (Addictions) >> Used by Satan to destroy the Church -- These verses go with verse 13 (167j) Works of the devil >> Manifestations of the devil >> Do not conform to the world >> The world of sin (172d) Works of the devil >> Manifestations of the devil >> Tares among the wheat >> Communion between the world and the Church >> Worldliness in the Church -- These verses go with verse 13. The Church’s apostasy has corrupted the world, and through its corruption man has turned on each other in war. Ironically, the age of grace has been fraught with the most brutal wars of man's bloody history. Many have condemned the gospel for this reason, calling it ineffective and useless, that Jesus’ attempt to bring peace was an abject failure. It wasn’t Jesus who failed but the Church. The early apostles knew the Church would never keep the antichrists from infiltrating the gospel, because they are just too wily, and the people are prone not to commit to the grace of God, and their lack of commitment has allowed these religious devils to infiltrate, not knowing the difference between the truth and a lie or between a genuine Christian and an antichrist. We would think there would be a discernable difference, and there is; yet when we add deception, it minimizes the gap. To those who are unskilled and untrained in spiritual matters, who have failed in their personal lives to commit to the grace of God, who have a lackadaisical attitude about their own faith and easily succumb to flattery, this was destined to happen. In many respects it was a simple waiting game, and they didn’t have long to wait. (179i) Works of the devil >> Practicing witchcraft >> Wolves >> Unworthy servant >> Unworthy because of unfaithfulness -- These verses go with verse 13 (180d) Works of the devil >> Practicing witchcraft >> Wolves >> Be shrewd as wolves and more innocent than they appear >> Wolves in sheep’s clothing (180j) Works of the devil >> Practicing witchcraft >> Rebellion >> Rebelling against God’s narrow way >> Rebelling against the ways of God -- These verses go with verse 13 (181g) Works of the devil >> Practicing witchcraft >> Lawlessness >> Having no regard for the law >> Being without law (186k) Works of the devil >> The result of lawlessness >> The reprobate >> God’s role in forming a reprobate >> Rejected by God -- These verses go with verse 13. The creepiest trait on this list of attributes is the word “irreconcilable.” We might see someone acting like this and confront him about it, trying to restore him to the faith, but we will get nowhere with him. The characteristic of loving pleasure rather than loving God is iconic to our society today. People are willing to sacrifice whatever it takes to have their way in the world, but what do they sacrifice for their faith in Jesus? Such things are not even in their theology! Instead of following Christ, they follow the impulses of their flesh. (196a) Denying Christ >> Man exercises his will against God >> Idolatry >> Lord, Lord >> Pretending to be a disciple (198h) Denying Christ >> Man exercises his will against God >> Ordained by man >> Having evil motives for seeking leadership positions >> Seeking to gratify their flesh through the ministry (202c) Denying Christ >> Man chooses his own destiny apart from God >> Running from God >> Running to your sinful nature >> Run from God by running to your flesh -- These verses go with verse 13 (204d) Denying Christ >> Man chooses his own destiny apart from God >> Back-slider >> Practicing sin >> The apostasy -- These verses go with verse 13 KJV WEB / Navigation Bar 2Tim 3,1-7 (221j) Kingdom of God >> The elusive Kingdom of Heaven >> Kingdom hidden behind the veil from the world >> God hides from sin >> He hides behind disobedience 2Tim 3,1-6 (16f) Sin >> Man’s willingness to be evil >> Using sin to achieve your goals (167b) Works of the devil >> Manifestations of the devil >> Carnality/Secularism (mindset of the world) >> The carnal mind is set on the flesh >> Carnal mind cares only for itself (201j) Denying Christ >> Man chooses his own destiny apart from God >> Running from God >> Man’s will over God >> God permits man to go his own way 2Tim 3,1-5 (20k) Sin >> Disobedience >> Rejecting the word (21m) Sin >> Greed tries to satisfy man’s need for security >> The love of money (65h) Paradox >> Anomalies >> Satan unites the world for the cause of deception (76h) Thy kingdom come >> Motives >> Living by a double standard (84i) Thy kingdom come >> Words of your mouth >> Gossip >> Attacking a person’s name (97c) Thy kingdom come >> Having a negative attitude about yourself >> Having a worldly attitude (165i) Works of the devil >> Manifestations of the devil >> Hardship >> Circumstances caused by the devil (198c) Denying Christ >> Man exercises his will against God >> Man withers when he is in control >> Ungrateful (222l) Kingdom of God >> The elusive Kingdom of Heaven >> Conceit >> Thinking you are superior to others >> Treating people with contempt (249k) Priorities >> God’ s preeminence >> Wealth >> World’s perception of wealth >> The world's wealth erodes good values >> The world attains wealth by hook and crook (250j) Priorities >> God’s prerequisites >> Lists >> List of traits that can be found in man >> List of traits of the heart -- These verses go with verses 10,11 2Tim 3-1 (49g) Last Days (Key verse) (118d) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Seeing through the eyes of your spirit >> Real-eyes KJV WEB / Navigation Bar 2Tim 3,4-6 (135b) Temple >> Your body is the temple of God >> Sins of the body >> Immorality >> Fornication 2Tim 3-4 (22f) Sin >> Lust (craving pleasure) >> Fleshly desire (195g) Denying Christ >> Man exercises his will against God >> Idolatry >> Worshipping men >> Worshipping the idol of pleasure 2Tim 3,5-9 (159d) Works of the devil >> Essential characteristics >> Counterfeit >> Counterfeit godliness >> Counterfeit righteousness -- These verses go with verse 13 2Tim 3-5 (174c) Form Of Godliness (Key verse) (174j) Works of the devil >> The religion of witchcraft >> Form of godliness >> Form of godliness but denying the truth – Can people who behave this way go to heaven? No they can't, but they can still go to church. This description is about people in the last days who mask as Christians yet live as bad or worse than the world. Beware of them. Jesus warned that a day is coming when we won’t be able to trust our brother. We may think that if people will be this evil, they wouldn’t bother holding to a form of godliness. That is, if they are this depraved, what value to them is an appearance of righteousness? Paul said that mankind will always maintain such appearances to satisfy their conscience and to appease the public, though there is nothing good in them. They can exhibit these horrific traits, having denied the faith, and still consider themselves as having God's favor. Most people don’t believe that godliness has any power; in fact, if we asked people what is the power of godliness, it is doubtful we would even get an answer, and if we did, they would all vary. Paul knew there was power in godliness; he believed in its power to persuade unbelievers to the true faith of the gospel. The goals and visions that God put in our heart we must achieve through godliness. If we try to fulfill His calling using some other method, the result would not be the initial vision that God had for us. (185f) Works of the devil >> The origin of lawlessness >> Mystery of lawlessness >> Having knowledge but not knowing God -- This verse goes with verse 13 (199g) Denying Christ >> Man chooses his own destiny apart from God >> Rejecting Christ >> Throwing God away >> Denying Christ -- This verse goes with verse 13 2Tim 3,6-9 (26j) Sin >> Consequences of sin >> Curse >> Deeds that return to the doer >> Sin backfires on you (56a) Paradox >> Lose by gaining >> Gain your idea of wealth to lose God’s wealth (186d) Works of the devil >> The result of lawlessness >> The reprobate >> Man’s role in becoming a reprobate >> The fool >> The fool throws Jesus away for something better >> The world betrayed the Lord – People who exhibit these characteristics and exploit the weak are strangers of the truth. Some can quote Scripture and preach sermons, and some are even pastors of churches. Nobody notices the man is completely unacquainted with the truth. Paul equated these people with Jannes and Jambres, who after seeing the power of God as slaves of Egypt, being personally escorted from their land by the mighty hand of God, these guys had the arrogance to oppose Moses to his face, “so these men also oppose the truth, men of depraved mind, rejected as regards the faith.” They are reprobates. God Himself has rejected them. They have abused their conscience to such an extent that it is no longer possible for them to be saved, just like the Pharisees who opposed Jesus, so they were unable to comprehend the truth. 2Tim 3-6,7 (161n) Works of the devil >> Carried away by lust -- These verses go with verse 13 2Tim 3-6 (1j) Responsibility >> Avoid offending God >> Carrying a false burden >> It weighs you down as you walk in the flesh (3j) Responsibility to the Family >> God addresses both genders >> Evil women – These women may well be victims, but they are also victimizers, for no one can be laden with sin without involving other people. This verse is a scenario of evil men calling on evil women and multiplying their sins. We are to stay away from both of them. (159a) Works of the devil >> Essential characteristics >> Counterfeit >> Counterfeit godliness >> Love sickening sweet >> Mask over the real self (187i) Die to self (Process of substitution) >> Separation from the old man>> Die to the flesh >> Spirit versus the flesh >> Spirit is willing but the flesh is weak KJV WEB / Navigation Bar 2Tim 3,7-9 (19g) Sin >> Having the mental disease of the world >> Man’s twisted understanding -- These verses go with verses 12&13. While Moses was on the mount receiving the commandments, the rebels were at its base stirring up the minds of the people with the intent of killing Moses and taking his place as the new leaders of Israel, and they expected God to continue giving them favor over their enemies. They didn’t understand that God had plans for them; they still viewed themselves and the world through the lens of secular humanism, which was utterly steeped in the flesh and carnality and operated through the laws of nature. They refused to recognize God's place in their lives. When they saw the works of God, they didn’t seek to understand Him, nor did it prompt them to accept the fact that God was actually manifesting Himself in their presence. God kept saying that He was holy and people needed to treat Him as holy, yet such "rhetoric" doesn't register in the minds of reprobates. (40n) Judgment >> God is glorified >> God defends His truth through judgment -- These verses go with verse 13. Paul was not talking about people in the world but in the Church. After reading verses 1-5 consider the fact that Paul was addressing so-called “Christians” who hide sin in their hearts. To the public and to the Church they display a form of godliness, but they are not the same people inwardly as they are outwardly; they appear righteous before men, but in their hearts, as Jesus said, “they are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness” (Mat 23-27). Look at Jannes and Jambres, pharaoh’s magicians. The incident to which Paul was referring happened at Mount Sinai, and the earth opened and swallowed them, along with the sons of Korah. They were there when Moses performed miracles in Egypt; they saw the mighty hand of God when He parted the Red Sea; they saw the smoke and fire on the mountaintop, and they heard the angelic trumpet blasts; still their hearts did not change . (48l) Judgment >> Jesus’ enemies are destroyed >> Enemies of the truth (54b) Paradox >> Opposites >> Ignorant people wanting to teach (112h) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Light >> Light exposes sin >> Light reveals hidden deeds (177b) Works of the devil >> The religion of witchcraft >> False doctrine >> Distorting Scripture >> Distorting Scripture to avoid the truth – When we are born-again, we literally become different people; the ultimate goal is to be transformed into the image of Christ. It is a slow and methodical process that takes a lifetime commitment. However, there are scores of denominations that have since rejected the doctrine of being born-again even though Jesus Himself originated the idea (Jn 3-3). They choose rather to gloss over His teachings. It has to do with the apostasy under which the Church is suffering, highlighting the difficult days prior to the second coming of Christ. Apostasy allows men like this to easily blend among the saints and multiply until the saints are crowded out of their own churches. False brethren are becoming more in number and influence than the true children of God. These men come pushing down the back door to gain influence in the Church, plunging it further into apostasy. Paul warned us not to let them infiltrate the body of Christ. Why are some people interested in going to church when they are not interested in God? People have social needs, but that is no excuse for remaining heathen; they could get saved and still socialize even more around the faith. People like this are not interested in getting saved or serving the Lord; ultimately their purpose is to exploit. They are a danger to the body of Christ and a threat to its spiritual health and a hindrance to the furtherance of the gospel. If we allow them to remain in our churches hoping they will get saved, we will eventually take our eyes off them, giving them just the opportunity they needed to inculcate the Church with their beliefs. (179f) Works of the devil >> Practicing witchcraft >> Wolves >> False prophets >> False prophets preach works to deny Christ -- These verses go with verse 13 (182i) Works of the devil >> The origin of lawlessness >> Deception >> Being deceptive with people >> Distorted perception of others – We have one sinner exploiting another, and they are both members of the church. The women who are most susceptible to exploitive men also live by their impulses, accumulating sin and guilt. When people become desperate, it attracts the wrong people, who view them ripe for harvest. (218b) Sovereignty >> God overrides the will of man >> God’s will over man >> You cannot control the judgment of God >> You cannot control how God responds to rebellion -- These verses go with verse 13 (223f) Kingdom of God >> The elusive Kingdom of Heaven >> Miss God >> Missing the point >> Miss the meaning of the truth -- These verses go with verse 13 2Tim 3-7,8 (167g) Works of the devil >> Manifestations of the devil >> Carnality/Secularism (mindset of the world) >> The carnal mind does not receive the things of God >> It does not understand the word of God -- These verses go with verse 13. These kind of people in the Church are always learning, but they are "never able to come to the knowledge of the truth." They listen to the sermons every week, but they are not able to convert their knowledge to truth. Jesus said, “I am the truth.” He is not the Bible; He is the word of God, not paper and ink. Jesus was a human being; He was flesh and blood; He is the Son of God. Scripture and God’s word are different from each other as the Bible is from Jesus. The Bible they know, but Jesus they don’t know. See also: Inkblots on a page; 2Tim 3-7; 109f / Interpreting the Bible; Mat 16,6-12; 182f (217d) Sovereignty >> God overrides the will of man >> God’s will over man >> God gives up on you >> When you give yourself over to sin 2Tim 3-7 (109f) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Revelation of God >> Revelation of God's word is true knowledge – The Truth has less to do with knowledge and information about the Bible and more to do with the person of Jesus Christ dwelling in us. Even if we memorized Scripture, without the Holy Spirit we would still not know the truth. In order to know the truth, the Holy Spirit must dwell in us, for He is the spiritual equivalent of Jesus Christ. So, when Paul said these men are ever learning but never coming to the truth, he was saying they never got saved. They are always learning about God but never born-again. A person who is saved can have the same knowledge as the person who is not saved, but the one who is born-again has a revelation of God's word, so they don't just know facts and information about the Bible but possess the very substance of God! Our knowledge has a spiritual attribute, called the anointing, which we have received by obeying the Holy Spirit. He wants us to relinquish control to Him, so He gains more authority in our lives and has more say-so about what we do. God wants to control us, the more spirit-led, the more He is able to manifest Himself in us. These are traits that the men to whom Paul was referring did not have. They died in their sins not knowing God, though some were faithful churchgoers and got involved in many activities, but they never let Jesus in their heart. See also: Ink blots on a page; 2Tim 3,14-17; 106d (175j) Works of the devil >> The religion of witchcraft >> Ignorance >> Ignorant of the meaning of God’s word – Paul was not talking about people in the world but in the Church. He knew to expect unbelief from the world; in fact, this was the reason Jesus went to the cross, and it was the reason Paul evangelized the world—to deliver people from their unbelief. Yet, unbelievers attempt to infiltrate the Church, pretending to be Christians so they can exploit the saints. They target them, seeing them as an easy touch, being the reason God has set pastors over them to guard the flock. In the first century the Church was heavily persecuted, but this kind of scoundrel was not interested in suffering ill treatment with the saints, and for this reason the early Church saw fewer of their kind wanting to join the Church. Unlike our own day they are a profusion breaking down the back door in a mad rush to fleece the saints, because persecution is rare. Since all their motives are false, they have a really hard time coming to the knowledge of the truth. They hear sermons every week, but nothing filters into their blackened hearts. They gather facts and information about Christianity and study the saints' nomenclature and mimic their jargon to gain an advantage, but they never come to the knowledge of the truth. This suggests that "truth" consists of more than just facts and information. KJV WEB / Navigation Bar 2Tim 3-8,9 (29b) Gift of God >> God delivers us from those who want to silence the word -- These verses go with verse 11. Hopefully these people will stick-out in the congregation like a soar thumb and people will realize they are impostors, but how do we deal with them in our churches? Paul taught to shun them. 2Tim 3-8 (240j) Kingdom of God >> Opposition toward the Kingdom of God >> Hindering the kingdom >> Taking away the key of knowledge >> Suppressing the truth – Moses confronted these people and spoke the word of God over them, and the earth opened and swallowed the antagonists. What happens in our day when people like this come to take charge of the Church? Look at the Catholic Church in what they have accomplished; they did it the same way as Jannes and Jambres did in the days of Moses, only there was no one to stop them. There were some faithful people in the Church at the time, but their numbers we too few. Most were tired of persecution, tired of running from their enemies, tired of their land taken from them and their harvest stolen or burned, thrown in prison and their women raped, all for being a Christian. Had they been faithful a little longer, who knows what God would have done for them? Instead they caved to people like Jannes and Jambres, and they invented the Catholic Church, and it has held the people in bondage to religion ever since. Then the reformation occurred in the fifteenth century with Martin Luther, John Calvin and others. Luther restored the teaching of God’s grace accessed through faith, so now we are saved by grace through faith, just as it is written, something the Catholic Church didn’t teach and still doesn’t. In the process of retrieving these critical doctrines, they left a confusing mess in their wake as to how to bring about unity in the body of Christ. We believe in God through faith and we are saved as individuals, but as a unit the Church is utterly disheveled. Unity is lost, and Christians are not even looking for it. See also: History of the Church; 2Tim 3,10-12; 96a / Heb 10-28,29; 173c 2Tim 3,10-17 (86l) Thy kingdom come >> Obedience >> Be doers of the word >> Clothe yourself with the word of God >> Be an example 2Tim 3,10-15 (93j) Thy kingdom come >> Following Jesus >> Through men >> Follow me as I follow Christ 2Tim 3,10-12 (41i) Judgment >> Satan destroyed >> Be like Jesus >> Be godly in all your behavior (96a) Thy kingdom come >> Positive attitude about suffering >> Suffering under the hand of men – The Church should have followed Christ and Paul in their persecutions. As it was, there were too many people in the second and third centuries who were growing complacent, looking for better doctrines that would take the edge off their suffering and make their lives more bearable and enjoyable than the doctrines that taught them to be set apart from the world. The world doesn't like the Church telling them they are not right with God until they accept Jesus' blood sacrifice for the remission of their sins, and join the Church and become a member of the few in this world who have any hope of escaping hell and living with God in paradise. Once hypocrisy got a foothold in the Church while persecution continued, confusion followed behind their suffering until they forgot why they believed. The doctrines of the faith weren’t worth their suffering after they lost their assurance. There was a progressive defecting from the faith, and it all started with the hypocrisy of liars in their leaders, who were only in it for themselves, who steered the Church in ways that benefited them, just like our government does. Church and state resemble each other far more than they should, because of the forces at work pounding the doctrines of the faith into conformity with the world, the flesh and the devil. See also: History of the Church; 2Tim 3-8; 240j (99f) Thy kingdom come >> Endurance (Thorn in the flesh) >> Enduring our circumstances Caused by other people (188c) Die to self (Process of substitution) >> Separation from the old man >> Suffering >> Growing pains >> Growing outwardly (242kb) Kingdom of God >> Opposition toward the Kingdom of God >> Persecuting the kingdom >> Reacting to persecution >> Enduring persecution >> Having a reputation of being persecuted – To be a Christian and to have the Spirit of God dwelling in us is enough to be persecuted. People try to live by a clear conscience, but this is impossible if they have rejected Christ. It is only natural that Christians should be persecuted, since they are the cause of the world’s consciousness of sin. If we try to avoid being persecuted, then we must avoid Christianity. Godliness is what the world persecutes. Why does the world hate godliness? As Jesus said, “The world… hates Me because I testify of it, that its deeds are evil” (Jn 7-7). What are the traits of godliness? Paul just mentioned them, “you followed my teaching, conduct, purpose, faith, patience, love, perseverance” (v10). Faith is the engine of love; love is the manifestation of faith, and perseverance and endurance are what keep it running. When we fail in these things, we lose incentive to believe, which can lead to losing our faith. However, when these things are actively working in our lives, they produce godliness, which the world persecutes. Anyone who has an anointing will be persecuted, anyone who has an inkling of the Spirit, anyone who is zealous for God's truth will be persecuted. We don’t look for persecution; it comes to us, and out of them all the Lord rescues us. Had the Church been a little more patient through the second and third centuries, maybe it would have staved off the hucksters, and the Catholic Church wouldn’t have formed. We actually have the unadulterated truth in the Bible, but not in practice. Instead, people are living out the doctrines they believe, and they believe they are saved by grace through faith, but they don’t believe they are required to obey the word of God, since works do not save us, 'lest any man should boast' (Eph 2-9). If our works don’t save us, then works are not necessary, they say, and so they were truncated from Church doctrine. KJV WEB / Navigation Bar 2Tim 3-10,11 (11j) Servant >> Paul is our example of how to walk with God (99k) Thy kingdom come >> Perseverance (Working to keep in motion) >> Persevere in doing good (128m) Thy kingdom come >> Manifestations of faith >> Bearing fruit >> Evidence of your fruit >> Good fruit is proof that God is working in you 2Tim 3-10 (90l) Thy kingdom come >> The called >> God’s purpose for us is to fulfill His calling >> Our purpose is to do God’s will (125ba) Thy kingdom come >> Manifestations of faith >> Faith and love in equal measure (126j) Thy kingdom come >> Manifestations of faith >> Patience >> The patience of God >> Have the patience of God – Paul is talking about the fruit of the Spirit among other things. There is only one purpose of the Church, and each person has his own calling from God that He wants us to employ for the sake of unity and for the sake of fulfilling the great commission to establish the Kingdom of God on the earth in preparation for the second coming of Jesus Christ (Mat 28-19,20). This involves unity and spiritual maturity to overtake darkness in both knowledge and behavior, leading to more people being added to the Church. Jesus is not coming for a dilapidated Church, anymore than a groom would be interested in entering a marriage ceremony with a woman whose clothes are filthy and torn. In the Bible clothes represent our works; the bride makes herself ready, making sure her dress is spotless, wrinkle-free and tailored to her contour. (239d) Kingdom of God >> Pursuing the kingdom >> Pursuing the knowledge of the kingdom >> Teachers >> Teachable students >> The teachable submit to the word (250j) Priorities >> God’s prerequisites >> Lists >> List of traits that can be found in man >> List of traits of the heart -- These verses go with verses 1-5 2Tim 3-11 (29b) Gift of God >> God delivers us from those who want to silence the word -- This verse goes with verses 8&9 (102m) Thy kingdom come >> Faithfulness (Loyalty) >> Loyalty is unswerving 2Tim 3-12,13 (19g) Sin >> Having the mental disease of the world >> Man’s twisted understanding -- These verses go with verses 7-9 2Tim 3-12 (76j) Thy kingdom come >> Desires of your heart >> Desiring to do the will of God (164j) Works of the devil >> Manifestations of the devil >> The world is at enmity with God >> The world hates the Church – Paul was persecuted because he preached the gospel. He challenged people to give up their old way of life and take on a new way that corresponded with the truth. Most people rightly take this as an offense in that either they receive the gospel and are blessed or reject it. The Holy Spirit is there to persuade us of the truth, so when they reject the gospel, they are rejecting the Holy Spirit. They know in their hearts what they are doing is wrong, and it goes against their conscience. In their mind, the preacher is responsible for defiling their conscience and having disfavor with God, and they hate him for it, but those who believed the words of the preacher and received Jesus Christ and were saved from this evil and perverse generation, these were the ones who made Paul's suffering worthwhile. KJV WEB / Navigation Bar 2Tim 3-13 (3l) Responsibility >> To the Family >> God addresses both genders >> Evil men -- This verse goes with verses 1-9 (19a) Sin >> Twisted thinking >> Evil is good >> Loving darkness (40n) Judgment >> God is glorified >> God defends His truth through judgment -- This verse goes with verses 7-9 (96k) Thy kingdom come >> Having a negative attitude about sin >> Being willing to practice sin -- This verse goes with verses 1-9 (153g) Witness >> Validity of the Father >> God bears witness against the world >> Shame >> Walking in condemnation >> Walking in sin -- This verse goes with verses 1-9 (157h) Witness >> Validity of the believer >> Evidence of being hell-bound >> Deceiving and being deceived >> Being deceived (159c) Works of the devil >> Essential characteristics >> Counterfeit >> Counterfeit godliness >> Counterfeit Christian -- This verse goes with verses 1-9 (161n) Works of the devil >> Carried away by lust -- This verse goes with verses 6&7 (162g) Works of the devil >> Being a slave to the devil (Addictions) >> Bondage >> Addicted to sin >> Being a slave to the sinful nature -- This verse goes with verses 1-9 (163i) Works of the devil >> Being a slave to the devil (Addictions) >> Used by Satan to destroy the Church -- This verse goes with verses 1-9. This is a prophecy with its context that still pertains to the first part of this chapter in relation to apostasy of the last days. Try as we may, wicked and evil men will get their way in the Church in the last days. Generally, Scripture defines the last days as the last age of man's reign on earth, referring to the entire age of grace that has lasted 2000 years, but Paul is talking about the very last days, about our own time in which we are living. He is writing specifically to us. If it weren’t true in generations past, it is now, and the more generations that pass, the truer this statement becomes, so that in the very last days just prior to the coming of Christ, this statement will be more true than at any other time. Evil men and impostors will highjack the Church, becoming our spiritual leaders, and they will have the veneer as Paul said, a form of godliness but denying its power. (167g) Works of the devil >> Manifestations of the devil >> Carnality/Secularism (mindset of the world) >> The carnal mind does not receive the things of God >> It does not understand the word of God -- This verse goes with verses 7&8 (172d) Works of the devil >> Manifestations of the devil >> Tares among the wheat >> Communion between the world and the Church >> Worldliness in the Church -- This verse goes with verses 1-9 (179f) Works of the devil >> Practicing witchcraft >> Wolves >> False prophets >> False prophets preach works to deny Christ -- This verse goes with verses 7-9 (180e) Works of the devil >> Practicing witchcraft >> Wolves >> Be shrewd as wolves and more innocent than they appear >> Wolves are clever (180j) Works of the devil >> Practicing witchcraft >> Rebelling against God’s narrow way >> Rebelling against the ways of God -- This verse goes with verses 1-9 (181k) Works of the devil >> The origin of lawlessness >> Deception >> Self deception >> Deceiving and being deceived – There are confidence men, swindlers and frauds who trick people into doing things they wouldn’t ordinarily do, giving them their money. They are deceivers. Paul says that deceivers are as much deceived as those they are deceiving, so a deceiver doesn’t know the truth. A lot of confidence men would like you to believe they do know the truth, but the last thing a deceiver knows is the truth. To the degree that they deceive others is the degree to which they themselves are deceived, for they must first deceive themselves before they can effectively deceive others. To deceive someone with an evil motive is sin, and all sin leads to a hardened heart, to blindness of the truth with deaf ears to God. These traits develop through sin and become tools they use to deceive others. They deceive them through their own darkness and self-deception. They cannot hear God speaking to them and cannot see the light. The more they deceive themselves, the more effective they deceive others; and the more they deceive others, the more deceived they become in a perpetual cycle of deceiving and being deceived. (185f) Works of the devil >> The origin of lawlessness >> Mystery of lawlessness >> Having knowledge but not knowing God -- This verse goes with verse 5 (186k) Works of the devil >> The result of lawlessness >> The reprobate >> God’s role in forming a reprobate >> Rejected by God -- This verse goes with verses 1-9 (199g) Denying Christ >> Man chooses his own destiny apart from God >> Rejecting Christ >> Throwing God away >> Denying Christ -- This verse goes with verse 5 (202c) Denying Christ >> Man chooses his own destiny apart from God >> Running from God >> Running to your sinful nature >> Run from God by running to your flesh -- This verse goes with verses 1-9 (204d) Denying Christ >> Man chooses his own destiny apart from God >> Back-slider >> Practicing sin >> The apostasy -- This verse goes with verses 1-9 (218b) Sovereignty >> God overrides the will of man >> God’s will over man >> You cannot control the judgment of God >> You cannot control how God responds to rebellion -- This verse goes with verses 7-9 (223f) Kingdom of God >> The elusive Kingdom of Heaven >> Miss God >> Missing the point >> Miss the meaning of the truth -- This verse goes with verses 7-9 KJV WEB / Navigation Bar 2Tim 3,14-17 (5a) Responsibility >> Advocate God’s cause >> Disciples chasten themselves (8k) Responsibility >> Responsible to defend God’s cause >> Preparing for the ministry (11f) Servant >> Bible is our standard of truth (36f) Gift of God >> Gifts from the Holy Spirit >> The gift of wisdom (106d) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Hearing from God >> Attaining the hearing ear >> Knowing the sound of His voice >> God speaks from the Scriptures – We call the Bible holy, but Paul called it sacred (NASB). He reserves "holy" for the revelation of God's word through the Spirit. The Bible is sacred in that it is just paper with organized inkblots stamped on the page, but after God reveals His truth to us, it becomes holy to the Lord. What we hold in our hand is sacred, but what we hold in our heart is holy. The sacred writings of Scripture have the wisdom to lead us to faith in Jesus, and it is our faith that is holy to the Lord. God inspired men to write the Bible, and the truth they understood as they wrote was holy, but once on paper it became sacred, until someone believed their words, and they became holy again in the form of faith. God must reveal His word to us before we can possess it. We teach the sacred writings of Scripture, hoping people will believe it, and God converts them into faith. If that which is sacred is profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness, how much more is our faith profitable in this life and in the life to come? If the man of God is equipped in what is sacred, how much more equipped is he in his most holy faith (Jd-20 KJV)? See also: Ink blots on a page; 2Tim 3-14,15; 122a 2Tim 3,14-16 (141i) Witness >> Validity of Jesus Christ >> Old Testament bears witness to the new >> Old Testament is for our instruction >> Teaching from the Old Testament – Timothy came from a very devout family; his mother had a deep faith in God. He wasn’t the type that went through various stages of rebellion before he came to the Lord, like the prodigal son, but was more like the obedient son who stayed home and was faithful. Timothy was brought up with the Scriptures from His youth, and that could only be in reference to the Old Testament. The New Testament was not available when he was a boy, since it was still being written, even as Paul penned down the words of second Timothy. Paul said about the Old Testament that it had wisdom to lead the believer to salvation, calling them sacred writings. 2Tim 3-14,15 (80e) Thy kingdom come >> Know the word to learn the ways of God >> Leading to Jesus – Paul urged Timothy to continue studying the Old Testament, “knowing from whom you have learned them.” From whom did Timothy learn the Scriptures? Was it Paul? No, Paul first met Timothy as a young man. Timothy no doubt learned the Scriptures from his mother, yet she was not the person to whom Paul referred. Timothy’s teacher was the Holy Spirit. If we had human teachers, they are agents God uses to introduce the Scriptures, so the Holy Spirit can give the revelation leading to Jesus. (81g) Thy kingdom come >> Pray without ceasing >> Study the word through continuous prayer (87m) Thy kingdom come >> Obedience >> Committed to the word of God (89i) Thy kingdom come >> Fear of God is the beginning of wisdom >> Increasing in wisdom (90c) Thy kingdom come >> Keeping the law >> Law is our tutor >> It prepares your heart to receive Christ (96c) Thy kingdom come >> Positive attitude toward God >> Good attitude about the word of God – The Scriptures were not new to Timothy; from childhood he meditated on them. A hoodlum could get saved and have an abiding relationship with God like Timothy, but as Jesus said in Mat 13-52, “Every scribe who has become a disciple of the Kingdom of Heaven is like a head of a household, who brings out of his treasure things new and old.” Whatever our background prior to being saved will continue to have an influence on us. Getting saved doesn’t wipe away our past; many earlier influences will remain and sabotage our faith, whereas Timothy’s life was always based on the Scriptures. Some people readily understand the knowledge of God yet fail to be impacted by it. Faith can be a complicated thing; some just don’t know how to believe, but the knowledge of God to Timothy was second nature to him. (122a) Thy kingdom come >> Manifestations of faith >> Confidence in God >> Confidence in the word of God – Timothy was probably Paul’s favorite companion, because he was loyal and faithful to both God and man. Timothy was genuine from the inside-out; he didn’t have a deceitful bone in his body and was courageous. Timothy was no doubt often terribly abused along with Paul in their missionary journeys, but he took it like a saint. There was never a time in Scripture that Paul complained about Timothy. His advice was to continue in the things he learned and to be convinced, knowing from whom he had learned them. We need knowledge in the very depths of our soul, and the only one who can impart knowledge there is the Holy Spirit. Everything He reveals gets deposited in a place no human can tread. Man does not have access to his own soul, being why our salvation is secure from all predators who would try to steal it from us (Rom 8,35-39). All Paul could do was tell Timothy what he knew, and it was up to the Holy Spirit to reveal it to him; Paul could not directly deposit truth into his heart. Recall the scene in the Santa Clause movie when the little boy pitched the snow-globe to Tim Allen saying “Remember!” This is what Paul was saying to Timothy. ‘Remember, Timothy, it is the Holy Spirit who is your real teacher.’ He has deposited these things into our innermost being, so that we know God with confidence greater than our daily routines, which is proof that we learned them from God. See also: Ink blots on a page; 2Tim 3-14; 109h (148f) Witness >> Validity of Jesus Christ >> Works of the Church bear witness to Jesus >> Evangelism >> Natural advantage as an evangelist >> Being youthful (214k) Sovereignty >> God controls time >> God’s timing >> God Has Good Timing >> God synchronizes events in His time KJV WEB / Navigation Bar 2Tim 3-14 (30c) Gift of God >> God knows our needs >> He is the source of our obedience (109h) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Spirit and the word >> Spirit the teacher >> Spirit teaches us about the word of God >> Spirit teaches us about Jesus – Paul reminded Timothy that the Holy Spirit was his teacher, so that he understood God’s word in a way that became his new identity. We can sit under a preacher who teaches us from God’s word, but we won’t appreciate what he is saying until the Holy Spirit reveals it to us. The knowledge of God is not like science where we only need to comprehend the material. We choose a science field and learn all there is to know about it, and as knowledge is refined, we abandon our old ideas and embrace new ones, but with the knowledge of God we not only know these things, we are convinced of them. There are varying levels of knowledge with the things of God, suggesting that it is possible to know something and not know it at the same time, and there is a way to become more convinced of our faith than we are of our own name. Paul wanted Timothy to be convinced of the things he learned from God and to be mindful from whom we have learned them. See also: Ink blots on a page; 110j (110j) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Spirit and the word >> Spirit of revelation >> Revelation of the truth >> Revelation of the true doctrines – The Bible is holy (separated unto God for His purpose), but it becomes divine when we believe it. Paul said that the word of God is sacred (NASB), yet on the front cover “Holy Bible” is written. So which one is it, sacred or holy? To clear up any confusion we call the Bible "holy" and our faith "divine". The truth that Timothy believed was Holy to the Lord, but organized inkblots on paper do not qualify as divine. God's faith is divine, and His people believe in Him with His faith, but ink is not divine and paper is not divine. This is a difficult concept for many to understand. The only thing divine about Scripture is that which abides in our heart. Without the wisdom of the Spirit we cannot know God; and if the Holy Spirit doesn’t teach us the truth, then we don’t know it. We cannot take a paper and pencil test to see if we know the truth, for it wouldn’t prove anything. Jesus called Him the Spirit of truth, so the truth is spiritual, not material. The Holy Spirit and the word of God are one and the same though they hold different offices, like members of the trinity. We study the Scriptures to learn the ways of God, which lead to the Holy Spirit, who teaches us about Jesus. We don’t just believe in Him; we have His faith. We begin believing by human means, and then God imparts His faith (Spirit) in us, and from there we believe in Him by God's faith. We possess a divine faith, a spiritual substance, that came from heaven, given for the purpose of repentance that leads to greater assurance of the truth. This establishes a continuous upward cycle, like a spiral staircase that rises with each rotation to higher plateaus of spiritual maturity. See also: Ink blots on a page; 2Tim 3-7,8; 167g 2Tim 3-15 (210f) Salvation >> The salvation of God >> Jesus is our savior >> We must believe in the savior to be saved 2Tim 3-16,17 (71b) Authority >> Believer’s authority >> We have authority in the wisdom of God (88b) Thy kingdom come >> Faith produces works >> Relationship between faith and works >> The work of faith (116h) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Working the grace of God >> Our adequacy is from God (127n) Thy kingdom come >> Manifestations of faith >> Goodness >> Devote your life to doing good (138d) Temple >> Building the temple (with hands) >> Reproof >> Reprove your brother in the right spirit (239k) Kingdom of God >> Pursuing the kingdom >> Pursuing the knowledge of the kingdom >> Teachers >> Let not many of you become teachers >> Dividing accurately the word of truth 2Tim 3-16 (155b) Witness >> Validity of the believer >> Witness of the believer >> Conscience >> Having a good conscience >> Conscience bears witness of our good behavior See next page