Then are we Christ's disciples indeed, John 8:31. Men will be implacable in their hatreds (aspondos, G786) . 442.]. He is now looking at the state of disorder in the house of God, instead of contemplating it in its public integrity, as in the first epistle. (See notes Matthew 5:10, 11, 12) 9 But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest unto all men, as theirs also was. They thought that eternal life lay in the letter, not in Him of whom the letter testified. To report dead links, typos, or html errors or suggestions about making these resources more useful use the convenient, Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology, Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament, International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, Et tous ceux aussi qui veulent vivre en la crainte de Dieu, Que rien ne luy est advenu que tous fideles ne doyvent aussi attendre. "My God shall supply all of your needs" ( Philippians 4:19 ). For, if we do not believe their truth and goodness, they will do us no good. Oh, yeah, I like that one. In these last terrible days men will come to have no love for good things or good persons (aphilagathos, G865) . YEA, AND - an additional consideration. Verse 1. The more the person who lives godly and righteous in Christ stands out. That the man of God may be perfect,2 Timothy 3:17; 2 Timothy 3:17. Paul said to Timothy. 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. He tells such women that by his spells and incantations he can enable them to prophesy. There is instinctively, I think, within persons that love of a parent for a child or an adult for the child because we realize the helplessness of a child, the dependency that they have. The one was suited to upset the young, the other to beguile the old. Finally, we have his assertion of the blessed Lord's care, and his confidence in Him that He would preserve him from all evil to His heavenly kingdom; closing this solemn and touching epistle (it would seem the last words he wrote) with salutations to various saints. The crumbling away of everything here was before the apostle; and accordingly it is one of the peculiar features of this second epistle, that he brings out that which never can decay which was before there was a world to dissolve namely, that life which was in Christ Jesus before the world began. Now these seem to many very difficult indeed to combine. They will be lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God. Besides that, persecutions today are manifested much more indirectly. So God's word, scripture given for inspiration, by the inspiration of God and is profitable.Of course, this morning we pointed out that the inspiration of the Bible is proved by internal evidences, such as its total accuracy with known facts of science, when it happened to cover scientific subjects. Men would become lovers of money (philarguros, G5366) . (i) He says that the Scriptures give the wisdom which will bring salvation. It describes the man who is swept on by passion and impulse to such an extent that he is totally unable to think sensibly. If anyone proposes to accept a set of standards quite different from the world's, he is bound to encounter trouble. Paul said in 2 Corinthians 4:2, "But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every mans conscience in the sight of God." 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. 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. 2 Timothy 3 Commentary - John Gill's Exposition of the Bible As individuals, we should sometimes ask ourselves: what is our aim in life? 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. " Rejoice ( present imperative) and be glad ( present imperative ), for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. This is a further reason why Timothy should endure hardship and not turn aside from the work God has given him (3-5). The Jehovah Witnesses seeking to develop their doctrine concerning hell and that it is a place of oblivion, no consciousness, no awareness. Exalting Jesus in 1,2,3 John (Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary In Brazil Signor Antonio of Minas bought a New Testament which he took home to burn. The Greek moralists wrote much about this word. Even a dog may be sorry when he has hurt his master, but there are people who, in their treatment of others, can be lost to human sympathy and feeling. And those who wish to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted; while evil men and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceived themselves and deceiving others. For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. And I filed many scriptures in that file. If Timothy wishes to live godly in Christ, he must make up his mind to encounter. The doctrine that he preached. It is the normal Greek word for difficult, but it has certain usage's which explain its meaning here. It was not merely now that they had made their consciences bad and slipped away from faith. "Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ." It is well to be exclusive of sin, but of nothing else. Luke recorded the very words spoken on the mission field long ago, "Through many tribulations we must enter into the kingdom of God" (Acts 14:22); and, in the words of White, "Consistency in the life of Christ must necessarily be always opposed by the world. 2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, 4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; A whole collection of stories gathered round their names. Christianity was cradled in Judaism and very naturally thought largely in Jewish terms and pictures. And when you lose authority you have anarchy. 2 Timothy 3:12-13 Commentary | Precept Austin And in the end they shall perish together with them." They cannot understand an inspired apostle talking about a cloak in the midst of a divinely given pastoral charge. God wants you to be complete. Copyright 2023, Bible Study Tools. He might even seem to be humble; but in his secret heart there is contempt for everyone else. "They that live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution." 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. Negative and positive illustrations 3:8-13. And there's such a complete, total absence of love. 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. Oh, Jesus, you mean you believe that story? Jesus said, "As it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be at the coming of the Son of man" ( Luke 17:26 ). (3) if we are persecuted, we should carefully inquire, before we avail ourselves of this consolation, whether we are persecuted because we "live godly in Christ Jesus," or for some other reason. Paul "the aged," as he says, was just about to leave this world. Now many people have a legitimate and proper desire to be used of God. Introduction; 2 Timothy 1 Commentary; He was ordered to light a bonfire and burn his books. They appear to think that if you hold life in Christ to be the one thing that is most precious, to be the prize that your heart reverts to, all owning of anything short of this would be out of place; but it is exactly the contrary. ", Now when you have difficulty in your understanding of a scripture, rather than setting that aside and saying, Well, God really didn't say that; just say, hey, I really don't understand that yet. And if you align your life with God, you're going to find yourself out of alignment with the world and persecution will come. "She then makes the effort to reward Marcus, not only by the gift of her possessions (in which way he has collected a very large fortune), but also by yielding up to him her person, desiring in every way to be united to him, that she may become altogether one with him." The man who has exhausted the normal pleasures of life and still unsated, will seek his thrill in pleasures which are abnormal. He was to remember, then, "that Jesus Christ, of the seed of David, was raised from the dead according to my gospel: wherein I suffer trouble, as an evil-doer, even unto bonds; but the word of God is not bound." "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.". The Platonic Definitions defined the corresponding noun (alazoneia, G212) as: "The claim to good things which a man does not really possess." The final condemnation of these people is that they retain the outward form of religion but deny its power. The Kingdom had its price. It is used by ancient writers on astrology to describe what we would call a threatening conjunction of the heavenly bodies. (iv) The Scriptures are of use for correction. It appears it was not merely in Rome. [Note: Knight, p. But you see, if you start whacking away at the story of Jonah, and say, oh, I can't really buy that. He said, Who is this? 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. 2 To Timothy, d my beloved child:. That the scripture has various uses, and answers divers ends and purposes: It is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction of all errors in judgment and practice, and for instruction in righteousness. What is the excellency of the scripture. "Trucebreakers". 4. With his or her commitment to follow Christ faithfully the Christian sets the course of his or her life directly opposite to the course of the world system.