2 Timothy 3
Overview
Paul warns of a great apostasy taking place in the end times where people misplace their love and appear outwardly as Christians yet have no power in the Spirit. Those who teach false teachings or live as fake Christians will progress from bad to worse while men of godly pursuit, like Timothy, will endure more persecution that he might be completely equipped for every good work.
v.1
But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days.
The expression “in the last days” comes from the OT (e.g., Isa 2:2; Mic 4:1). In Peter’s quotation of Joel 2:28 on the day of Pentecost (Ac 2:17), it clearly refers to the whole messianic age, for he declared that the prophecy was being fulfilled that very day.
v.2-3
People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good,
“without love” in verse 3 comes from the Greek word, astorgos , literally translated as “without natural affection.” The only other time this specific word is used is in Romans 1:31 as the word, “heartless.” Paul seems to repeatedly measure one’s character by their love and respect for their immediate family.
This could possibly be connected to why Paul prays the Philippians’ love would abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight so that they wouldn’t misplace their love and leave the sound teachings he left them with.
The “list of vices” vividly describes the negative impact of those who were opposing Paul and Timothy. The list begins and ends with references to misplaced love💔 - i.e., people who are lovers of self, lovers of money, and lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God
“Lovers of self ” (i.e., self-seeking people) were condemned by philosophers such as Musonius Rufus (a *Stoic), *Epictetus and Philo; the moralist *Plutarch warned readers to avoid even the appearance of self-love. (In today’s terms this would refer to narcissism, not appropriate self esteem.) Love and obedience toward parents was one of the most central virtues of antiquity (see comment on Eph 6:1-3). Many deemed ingratitude the greatest offense against benefactors (see comment on Rom 1:21).
v.4
treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God -.
See 1 Timothy 5:6 on living for pleasure.
Of a large portion of mankind it may be said that this is their characteristic, that they live for pleasure; they have no serious pursuits; they brook no restraints which interfere with their amusements, and they greatly prefer the pleasures to be found in the gay assembly, in the ball-room, or in the place of low dissipation, to the friendship of their Creator.
v.5
having a form of godliness but denying its power. Having nothing to do with them.
It is much easier for people to observe the forms of religion than it is to bring the heart under its controlling influence.
Both Jewish religion and Greek philosophy condemned those who pretended devotion but whose hearts or lives did not match their professed devotion. For Paul, religion without God’s power transforming the heart was useless.
v.6
They are the kind who worm their way into homes and gain control over weak-willed women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires,
See more in Criag Keener on 2 Timothy 3 6 2Timothy3 v 6.
v.7
always learning, but never able to acknowledge the truth.
Many obtain much speculative acquaintance with the “doctrines” of Christianity, but never become savingly acquainted with the system; many study the constitution and government of the church, but remain strangers to practical piety; many become familiar with the various philosophical theories of religion, but never become truly acquainted with what religion is; and many embrace visionary theories, who never show that they are influenced by the spirit of the gospel.
Philosophers stressed that change came through knowing the truth, and that this knowledge came through learning from them. These women were learning, but they were learning falsehood designed to play on their passions; Paul says that *repentance, not mere learning, frees those thus taken captive (2:25-26).
v.8
Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so also these men oppose the truth - men of depraved minds, who, as far as the faith is concerned, are rejected.
Good encouragement to evangelists. We are to expect many to oppose the truth. See note in 2 Thessalonians 3:2 for how Paul responds.
Paul here employs Jewish tradition not found in the *Old Testament. In a widespread Jewish tradition (various elements appear in *Pseudo-Philo, the *Dead Sea Scrolls, *rabbis, etc.), Jannes and his brother Jambres were Pharaoh’s magicians who opposed Moses in Exodus 7:11. Even pagan accounts (Pliny the Elder and *Apuleius) record them as magicians of Moses’ time (presumably dependent on Jewish tradition). Because Paul’s opponents appeal to Jewish myths (1 Tim 1:4; 2 Tim 4:4; Tit 1:14), Paul cites such stories to fill in the names for these characters.
v.11
persecutions, sufferings—what kinds of things happened to me in Antioch, Iconium and Lystra, the persecutions I endured. Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them.
v.12
In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,
Let those who have never been persecuted in any way, inquire whether it is not an evidence that they have no religion. If they had been more faithful, and more like their Master, would they have always escaped? It is easy for a professed Christian to avoid persecution, if he yields every point in which religion is opposed to the world.
Suffering and persecution are the template for the Christian life.
v.14
But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it,
A child should depart very slowly from the opinions held by a father or mother; and, when it is done, it should be only as the result of prolonged examination and prayer. These considerations should have the greater weight, if a parent has been eminent for piety, and especially if that parent has been removed to heaven. A child, standing by the grave of a pious father or mother, should reflect and pray much, before he deliberately adopts opinions which he knows that father or mother would regard as wrong.
The death of Renee, 阿媽, and 阿公 along with seeing my parents leave EFCLA made me reflect and examine my own faith as a child.
v.15
and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.
There is no book that has so much “power” as the Bible; none that is so efficient in moving the hearts, and consciences, and intellects of mankind. There is no book that has moved so many minds; none that has produced so deep and permanent effects on the world.
At least in pious Palestinian Jewish homes with access to sufficient resources, boys were normally taught the “sacred writings” from around the age of five; teaching Scriptures to the children was commanded in the Old Testament (Deut 6:7; cf., e.g., Ps 71:17; 78:5-7). Other peoples often expressed amazement at how well instructed Jewish children were in their ancestral traditions.
v.16
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,
All Scripture would refer first to the OT but by implication also to at least some NT writings, which by this time were already being considered as Scripture (1 Timothy 5:18, 2 Peter 3:15-16).
v.17
so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
We are often in circumstances in which we feel that we have reached the outer limit of what man can teach us; but we never get into such circumstance in regard to the Word of God.
This supports the doctrine of “sufficiency of Scripture” that is, the idea that the truth contained in Scripture is sufficient in all matters pertaining to doctrine and moral behavior… This does not exclude individual guidance by the Holy Spirit on how to apply the universal commands of Scripture in particular situations (Galatians 5:16,18).
Reading the Bible allows to see God in ways we’ve never seen before for all eternity.