Surely if it is an urgent call to convey what we know of Christ and the truth to those that know nothing, it is a great privilege to help to contribute a greater knowledge of the truth to those that know little. The disorder might be so great that we might make mistakes in our anxiety; but "The Lord knoweth them that are his." "Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ." godly, Godfearingly. Or it can mean that a man is so dishonourable that he breaks the terms of the agreement he has made. But let not a man who will do this, suppose that he has any claim to be numbered among the martyrs, or even entitled to the Christian name. ii. shall suffer persecution; it is the will of God, and the appointment of heaven; Christ has foretold it, that so it shall be; and he the head has suffered it himself, and it is necessary that his members should, that they may be conformed unto him; it is the way Christ himself went to glory, and through many tribulations his people must enter the kingdom; and this is the common lot and certain case of all the saints, in one shape or another; for though all do not suffer confiscation of goods, beating, scourging, imprisonment, or a violent death; yet all are more or less afflicted and distressed by wicked men, and are subject to their reproaches and revilings, which are a branch of persecution; and that for professing Christ, and living a godly life in him and under his influence: and since such suffer as Christians, and not as evildoers; and this is the common condition of the people of God, in this world, it should not be thought strange, but be cheerfully endured; to encourage to which is the apostle's view in this passage. It is derived from two Greek words which mean to show oneself above. But shun profane and vain babblings.". What we have learned we must labour to be more and more assured of, that, being grounded in the truth, we may be guarded against error, for certainty in religion is of great importance and advantage: Knowing, (1.) Men can be savage in rebuke and savage in pitiless action. It is interesting, when Jesus in the Sermon on the mount described the Christian in the Beatitudes, after having described the traits of the Christian in the Beatitudes; you'd say, My, a man like that who is a peacemaker, who is merciful, who is hungering and thirsting after righteousness, who is meek, who is poor in spirit, surely you know the world would respect such a man. "And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also." The thing that amazes me is that he can attract people who will support him. There is peril when men assess prosperity by material things. "Men of corrupt minds. 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. It is said that, after hearing an evangelical sermon, Lord Melbourne once remarked: "Things have come to a pretty pass when religion is allowed to invade the sphere of private life." At the same time He will have them undividedly for Himself; and He is also jealous of the way in which they seek even the ends of God. The way of sin is down-hill; for such proceed from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. And that is precisely what Christianity demands that a man should do. Some of you are separated not by your own desire or wish, but because someone was a trucebreaker. What I believe, I believe because God has said it. "True," said the other, "but he kicked it to a goal." Many and many a time we would be saved from hurting ourselves and from wounding other people, if we would only stop to think. It is used by ancient writers on astrology to describe what we would call a threatening conjunction of the heavenly bodies. It is able to make us wise to salvation; that is, it is a sure guide in our way to eternal life. Well soon your Bible will be so messed up you wouldn't be able to read it. In the light of this warning from the Saviour, no Christian should be surprised at persecution. It is interesting that the Scriptures in many places speak of the last days and in every case where the Scriptures speak of the last days, you find that it is an apt description of the day and the age in which we live. The peculiar task confided to the latter was care of doctrine much more than of outward order. Abandoned by virtually all of those close to him for fear of persecution (cf. Oh, yeah, I like that one. No one can possibly mistake him. But after giving the characteristics and traits of the godly man, Jesus then in the final Beatitudes said, "Blessed are ye, when men shall persecute you, and revile you, and say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake" ( Matthew 5:11 ). The sister was persuaded to read a copy of St. John. It should be considered as one of the proper qualifications for membership in the church, to be willing to bear persecution, and to resolve not to shrink from any duty in order to avoid it. The New Testament had not yet been canonized. He wants to accustom his mind to expect hardship instead of shirking it. And when you lose authority you have anarchy. Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. Christianity changed all that and a new set of problems arose. He was driven from Antioch in Pisidia ( Acts 13:50); he had to flee from Iconium to avoid lynching ( Acts 14:5-6); in Lystra he was stoned and left for dead ( Acts 14:19). All rights reserved. Whatever duty we have to do, whatever service is required from us, we may find enough in the scriptures to furnish us for it. Paul was a prisoner again and awaited death. If you can read and buy the first verse of the Bible, you should have no problem with the rest of the Bible. For "out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks" ( Matthew 12:34 ). There can come a time in a man's life when the company of good people and the presence of good things is simply an embarrassment. The Platonic Definitions defined the corresponding noun (alazoneia, G212) as: "The claim to good things which a man does not really possess." Ephesus was the town of a prosperous, materialistic civilization; it was the kind of town where a man could so easily lose his soul. In Brazil Signor Antonio of Minas bought a New Testament which he took home to burn. It denotes a savagery which has neither sensitiveness nor sympathy. There was the road from the south which centred the trade of the Maeander valley in Ephesus. It should be considered as one of the proper qualifications for membership in the church, to be willing to bear persecution, and to resolve not to shrink from any duty in order to avoid it. The difference between the braggart and the man who is arrogant is this. 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. 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." Only Luke is with me." There was a certain heretic called Marcus who dealt in magic. There is patience. For God hath not given us the spirit of fear" (it was what Timothy was manifesting), "but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. The alazon ( G213) was a mountebank who wandered the country with medicines and spells and methods of exorcism which, he claimed, were panaceas for all diseases. She had been finding life, as she herself said, futile and meaningless. One day a visitor came to the ward and left a supply of gospels. The reason is obvious. It would all be over, where, you know, the miseries would all be gone.What's the first thing God said to Job? The technique would be the same in the days of Timothy as it was in the later days of Irenaeus. What Paul is thinking of here is more than faithlessness in friendship--although that in all truth is wounding enough--he is thinking of those who to pay back an old score would inform against the Christians to the Roman government. Men would be headlong in words and action. For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, and led away with divers lusts, ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth ( 2 Timothy 3:5-7 ). Or life, or death, or life after death? He was ordered to light a bonfire and burn his books. The study of the Scriptures trains a man in righteousness until he is equipped for every good work. The Greek word is that men will become anosios ( G462) . Anosios does not so much mean that men will break the written laws; it means that they will offend against the unwritten laws which are part and parcel of the essence of life. He had fought the good fight of faith. Once Agesilaus, the Sparta king, was asked, "What shall we teach our boys?" We must remember that Timothy's work lay in Ephesus, perhaps the greatest market in the ancient world. Look at the rapid deterioration of our society. It is the attitude which bears with everything men can do and refuses to be either angry or embittered, and which will never seek anything but their highest good. How comes it so? Men will be ungovernable in their desires (akrates, G193) . 12And all who wish to live a godly life (186) Having mentioned his own persecutions, he likewise adds now, that nothing has happened to him which does not await all the godly. That the man of God may be perfect,2 Timothy 3:17; 2 Timothy 3:17. "The Lord grant unto him that he may find mercy of the Lord in that day." But the apostle at the same time owns, and loves to own, that which another might perhaps despise. That is, it is not enough that I should walk with the Lord individually, but I must clear myself of association with that which is contrary to His name. In certain of these books Jannes and Jambres figured largely. Timothy was from Lystra. And man has prepared a great fish and they powered it with atomic engines. And leaving guilelessness, will draw near to malice; And forsaking the commandments of the Lord. But of one thing Paul was sure--the days of the deceivers were numbered. Nowadays we have to restate these old pictures in modern terms. This shows in a clearer light the difference between the true teacher and the false. There is the idea of menace and of danger in this word. Jannes and Jambres were the names of the two magicians that withstood Moses. That is to say, they go through all the correct movements and maintain all the external forms of religion; but they know nothing of Christianity as a dynamic power which changes the lives of men. "That thou hast had good teachers. We've just experienced a tremendous demonstration of that in the Los Angeles basin in the last couple of weeks. "Trucebreakers". At the same time he shows also his sense of the kindness of a particular individual and his family. "Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace." But you see, if you start whacking away at the story of Jonah, and say, oh, I can't really buy that. It is the normal Greek word for difficult, but it has certain usage's which explain its meaning here. "Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, according to the promise." Any conversion which makes a man think of nothing but the fact that he has been saved is no true conversion. The more fully we know the doctrine of Christ and the apostles, the more closely we shall cleave to it; the reason why many sit loose to it is because they do not fully know it. Timothy fully knew what was the great thing that Paul had in view, both in his preaching and in his conversation: "Thou hast known my purpose, what I drive at, how far it is from any worldly, carnal, secular design, and how sincerely I aim at the glory of God and the good of the souls of men." It is true that these things happened before the young Timothy had definitely entered on the Christian way, but they all happened in the district of which he was a native; and he may well have been an eyewitness of them. There is teaching. Comp. 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. And may not their freedom from it prove that they have surrendered the principles of their religion, where they should have stood firm, though the world were arrayed against them? There is a sense in which slander is the most cruel of all sins. Paul instructed Timothy concerning what God had revealed would take place in the last days. And if a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully." 1. One must try disorders and prove profession. God had made Jesus to be Lord and Christ, preached Peter on that day of power, when as yet much lay hid, and the great instrument of the revelation of the mystery was still shrouded in the darkness of midnight. Death and resurrection, then, are thus put before this servant of God; the more remarkably, because the point here is a practical and not a doctrinal question. What a blessing. 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. They should remember that, in this respect, they are treated as the Master was, and are in the goodly company of the prophets, apostles, and martyrs; for they were all persecuted. 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. It was the glory of the Jews that their children from their earliest days were trained in the law. In the end not a book was burned; the brigand left the colporteur and went off into the darkness with the books. It is profitable to us for all the purposes of the Christian life, for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness. (4.) There is no part of John's doctrine more strikingly characteristic than life in Christ. 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. There are still Church dignitaries whose main thought is their own dignity; but the Christian is the follower of him who was meek and lowly in heart. And he was probably in the company of those that were standing around, sort of crying, as they saw Paul's limp body on the ground. "Every scripture" for this is the proper force of the passage "Every scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.". It answers not a little to the kind of thing ,;et forth here. But when dying upon the cross, He calls to John to behold His mother. Thus we have everything cared for here; the state of confusion is clearly depicted, as it then was beginning, and as results have proved yet more. They're profitable for doctrine. Article Images Copyright 2023 Getty Images unless otherwise indicated. There was infirmity in the character of Timothy. 3:14-17 But as for you, remain loyal to the things which you have learned, and in which your belief has been confirmed, for you know from whom you learned them, and you know that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that will bring you salvation through the faith which is in Christ Jesus. Timothy had a great advantage in being trained up under such a tutor, and being apprised of the doctrine he preached. And there's such a complete, total absence of love. Help me totake this verse seriously, that I will suffer persecution if I live godly in Jesus Christ. We have already seen how secluded the life of the respectable Greek woman was, how she was brought up under the strictest supervision, how she was not allowed "to see anything, to hear anything, or to ask any questions," how she never appeared, even on a shopping expedition, alone on the streets, how she was never allowed even to appear at a public meeting. The word of God is the foundation for doctrine. Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Observe, The scriptures will make us wise to salvation, if they be mixed with faith, and not otherwise, Hebrews 4:2. "[21] See also under 1Thessalonians 3:3. Timothy was well aware of this, even before he joined Paul in his work. What am I to believe about sin? How are we to walk so as to please the Lord when disorder reigns, claiming to be the only true order? Here is one of the most terrible pictures in the New Testament of what a godless world would be like, with the terrible qualities of godlessness set out in a ghastly series. Certain of the temporary persecution, he is equally certain of the ultimate glory. Whatever therefore may be right in certain cases, the assembly of God ought never to be forced to put every case on the same dead level ought never to be bound by any special process, as if it were unalterable. What am I to believe about man? Therefore it is incumbent for the Christian to look to this gravely, never to be dragged by the fear of breaking unity into accrediting what dishonours the Lord. 2. So he's referring to the Old Testament Scriptures, those which Timothy knew from the child and he called them the "holy scriptures," which they are, "and they are able to make you wise unto salvation through the faith which is in Christ Jesus." false accusers, incontinent ( 2 Timothy 3:3 ). Why cannot a man be as simple now as in apostolic times? There is no godliness (Greek, "piously") or piety out of Christ. But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived ( 2 Timothy 3:13 ).

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