2 TIMOTHY 3 DIFFICULT TIMES WILL COME But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. 2 For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, slanderers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self- control, brutal, haters of good, 4 treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 holding to a form of godliness although they have denied its power; avoid such people as these. 6 For among them are those who slip into households and captivate weak women weighed down with sins, led on by various impulses, 7 always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. 8 Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, men of depraved mind, worthless in regard to the faith. 9 But they will not make further progress; for their foolishness will be obvious to all, just as was that also of Jannes and Jambres. - … “In the last days” What are the last days?
- How are the days difficult? perilous (NKJV) or difficult (NASB). The word chalepoi was also used to describe the two Gadarene demoniacs “so extremely violent that no one could pass by that way.” Let’s look a little closer at those attributes: lovers of self… lovers of money…., boastful…arrogant… slanderers… disobedient to parents…ungrateful… unholy… 3 unloving….. Irreconcilable…. malicious gossips… without self-control… brutal… haters of good… 4 treacherous… reckless…conceited…. lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God… 5 holding to a form of godliness although they have denied its power…..always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.
• Do you see anything on this list that occasionally describes you? Let’s look a little closer at those attributes: lovers of self… lovers of money…., boastful…arrogant… slanderers… disobedient to parents…ungrateful… unholy… 3 unloving….. Irreconcilable…. malicious gossips… without self-control… brutal… haters of good… 4 treacherous… reckless…conceited…. lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God… 5 holding to a form of godliness although they have denied its power…..always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.
• What’s the difference between you and one of these people? • At what point would Timothy need to avoid them? • Where should Timothy expect to meet these people? Why is Paul warning Timothy of these people? How is it productive?
Let’s look at some other forward-looking statements or things Paul anticipates will happen TO Timothy in the book. Sometimes there’s not a really clear distinction between what Paul is telling Timothy to do and what he’s saying will happen, so this isn’t an exhaustive list. 1:1, 1:8, 2:3, 2:10-13, 2:16-17, 3:12, 4:3, 4:6 While we’re at it…what complaints are Paul sharing with Timothy? (not an exhaustive list either) 1:8-12 (already read) suffering for the gospel 1:15 all who are in Asia turned away from me 2:9 (already read) I suffer hardship even to imprisonment as a criminal 4:6 For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. 4:10 Demas, having loved this present world, has deserted me 4:16 At my first defense no one supported me, but all deserted me How do you guys read this letter
Is Paul just having a really bad day as he writes this letter? Why is he sharing all these woes with his protégé? Paul is helping Timothy manage his expectations. • Paul knows that Timothy will gently correct people…and God will not grant them repentance • Paul knows that Timothy will meet with vicious opposition outside and inside the church, often from people who should know better • Paul knows that Timothy will meet people who are full of learning but who never grasp the truth and stubbornly refuse to make progress and who will oppose him. • These are all things Timothy should expect so his paradigm of how God and Scripture and the world work isn’t shaken. 10 Now you followed my teaching, conduct, purpose, faith, patience, love, perseverance, 11 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! 12 Indeed, all who want to live in a godly way in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. 13 But evil people and impostors will proceed from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. 14 You, however, continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned them, 15 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. • Does Paul seem assured that Timothy will continue in faithful obedience? • What is the salvation that wisdom and faith in Christ Jesus lead to in V. 15? Is it guaranteed to all believers? Is it the same salvation mentioned in 2:10? • How is Paul a short-term pessimist, long-term optimist? • How should this influence our own decisions and how we counsel other people, especially young people or new believers?