Epistles

Wednesday, 18 April 2018

…always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. 2 Timothy 3:7

The Greek shows that this is still speaking of the “gullible women” of the previous verse. They are “always learning,” because they are looking to hear of a remedy for the sin in their lives. They listen intently to the false teachers, seeking to hear something that will exonerate their immoral lives while still allowing them to live out lives of immorality. These women heap up words that will tickle their ears concerning their lives, but they are “never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.”

One cannot discover truth when pursuing lies from liars. One could ask, “Why would anyone go to a Universalist Church?” They teach that everyone goes to heaven. If this is so, then why even bother with church at all? One can do whatever they wish, pursue any desire of the heart, and continue down any perverse path they want, and yet they will be in heaven. Spending time in church then would be as pointless as a bald man buying a comb.

However, people continue to go because there is the perverse desire to be told, again and again, that things that will continue to be OK, even when a life of sin is pursued. These people will never come to the knowledge of the truth, but they continue learning. However, what they are learning is a lie. The sheer folly of such an existence is incredible, but it is the path of countless souls who simply need to fill their wayward lives with something to quell the conflict which rages deep inside.

Life application: Truth can only come from what reveals truth. And truth is what corresponds to reality. If a liar speaks, what he says is not truth. One must evaluate what is heard, and then determine if what is said corresponds to what actually is. To feed on lies because they are lies is not mentally sound, but it is the only option for someone who is sin-filled, and who desires to remain living sinfully. In order to be free of sin, one must come to Christ; die with Him, and then be given the new birth apart from sin. No other avenue will suffice.

Lord God, Your word asks us to die to sin so that we can live in righteousness. How can we do this while still living? Thank You that You have done it for us through the work of Christ. By receiving Him, we die to the law which He fulfilled. Without law, sin is not imputed, and we are free from condemnation. What a truly marvelous thing You have done for us. Thank God for the full, final, and forever work of Jesus Christ our Lord. Reconciled! Praise God, we are accepted once again. Hallelujah and Amen!

Tuesday, 17 April 2018

For of this sort are those who creep into households and make captives of gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts, 2 Timothy 3:6

Paul continues to refer to the same wicked sort that he has been describing since verse 2. In the previous verse, he said that they have a form of godliness, but they deny its power. Now he continues to describe them, saying that “…of this sort are those who creep into households.”

The idea here is that their doctrine is false, and incompatible with what is open, sound, and reasonable in the church at large. And so they start their corrupt teachings by creeping into households. If their voice is not accepted in the congregation, then they will start in the home. They have enough Scripture memorized to sway those who are uninformed in proper theology. And so by capturing their unsuspecting prey in the household, they have a captive audience to lead astray without anyone to contradict them.

But once in the household, there is a particularly easy target to start with. Paul continues with, “and make captives of gullible women.” It was the woman who was deceived, and it is the woman’s makeup to base decisions more on emotions than man will. They are the more easily deceived, being gullible, easily flattered, and having an ear receptive to twisted doctrine. This is why Satan went to the woman first. The pattern remains with those who would infect households, normally starting with the woman.

Paul continues to describe the women next with the words, “loaded down with sins.” The false teachers can readily spot those who would make easy targets. By a simple look at the life being led by the woman, he can determine if she is already laden with sins. If so, then to manipulate her will be much easier than someone who is morally upright and sound. Women who are burdened with sinful lives will naturally fall prey to false doctrines, not having the knowledge of the truth stored up.

Finally, he says that they are “led away by various lusts.” This is generally believed to not exclusively be “lusts of the flesh,” such as sexual immorality, but the lust of life in general. They already have sinful lives, so if they can meld a religion that will ease their conscience while they continue in lustful pursuit, then how easily swayed they will be! They may be filled with pride, greed, vanity, susceptibility to flattery, and so on. When a false teacher comes into their home, they are already so misguided in their lives that adding in unsound theology is as easy as putting on a nice-fitting dress.

The goal for the false teacher here is not specifically to sexually seduce the woman, but to have control. As his false teaching is absorbed, it will hopefully spread. Paul points this out in Titus 1:11 by saying about these teachers that their “mouths must be stopped.” It is they “who subvert whole households, teaching things which they ought not, for the sake of dishonest gain.” This is the goal then. They desire control, and control leads to profiting off those whom they have in bondage.

Life application: There is nothing wrong with home Bible studies, but they should be conducted in an open setting by someone who is known to have sound doctrine, and who is considered trustworthy. How easy it is to sway those who are not informed in the basics of biblical doctrine. Let us always be on guard, watching out for those who clearly fit Paul’s description in the words of this verse.

Precious Lord God! Daily we rise and see Your hand of infinite wisdom displayed in the things You have created. How sad it is that the world attributes Your handiwork to random chance. And how easy it is for us to be swayed by false doctrines that arise right from a false presentation of Your word. When we are duped in one area of it, that is bound to spread to other areas. From creation through salvation, and a hundred other areas of Scripture, help us to be attentive and not led astray by false teachings. Amen.

Monday, 16 April 2018

…having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away! 2 Timothy 3:5

Paul here is referring to the miscreants listed in verses 2-4. In those verses, he gave a lengthy list of people who possess faults which will bring about perilous times. Now, referring to them one final time, he notes that they have “a form of godliness.” The idea here is one of a wearing a mask. They appear one way, but they are actually different behind the mask. Their profession of religion is a show of piety, but it belies the truth of who they are.

Paul says that such people have this form of godliness, but they are “denying its power.” What they do is for show, but there is no sense of the true power of Christ working in them or through them. As one example, we could think of the pervert priests which infect many denominations. They profess Christ in the pulpit, and they wear the robes of a priest (thus looking showy and pious); but the truth of their lives is one which denies the cleansing power of Christ, the effective working of the Holy Spirit, and the life-changing abilities of the word of God. The words they speak may impress the hearer, but there is no power to convert the soul to Christ because they don’t believe the very message they proclaim.

In addition to lacking personal conviction in the word, such people may put forth traditions or extra-biblical church doctrines which are supposed to add to their external appearance of piety, but they add nothing to the truth of Scripture or the glory of God. The procession of church officials carrying crosses on a stick, marching in order through the church, raising hands and proclaiming church-written proclamations ad nauseam, do nothing to convert the soul. They are simply external forms of godliness with no substance behind them.

The same is true with modern teachings within the messianic movements. Leaders and congregants wear traditional Jewish garments, even when not Jewish, they follow traditions of the Jews, even when they have no biblical connection at all, and they utter words and names in Hebrew in order to sound more pious and godly than others, and yet they have departed from accepting the full and finished work of Christ. Instead, they rely on adhering to selected precepts the Law of Moses in order to seem more godly than others. These are the types of things that Paul warned against.

In this, he then directly and poignantly says, “And from such people turn away!” Paul’s words here to Timothy are in the present tense. This shows, without any doubt or need for further controversy, that the “last days” referred to in verse 3:1 are speaking of the entire church age. It is not a point in history where people can claim, “The Lord is near; the signs of the last day are fulfilled in our lifetime.” Rather, they were being seen at the time Paul wrote the epistle. His warning to Timothy, and then to all who would follow in right doctrine, is to turn away from such people. External acts of piety, exclusive “one version of the Bible only clubs,” wearing certain cheesy garments by priests or rabbis in order to appear more godly, adhering to church traditions, and on and on – all of these things have a form of godliness, but they deny its power.

The preacher who preaches from the word of God while in blue jeans can be much more powerful in converting the soul than any such-and-so wearing special clothes and uttering nonsense from tradition could ever produce.

Life application: Stick to the word of God for your doctrine. Don’t get caught up in traditions, showy rituals, or interesting but useless presentations during your church services. Instead, find a church where the word is opened, read from, and then explained. This is where true instruction from God comes, and this is what will open up the power of God in your life.

Heavenly Father, we need You in our lives, but we also need to know what that means. Lead us to churches which actually open the word each week and read from it. And after it being read, it is then explained. Keep us from showy presentations, dead rituals, and leaders who wear certain clothes which look pious, but add nothing to the message of Your word. Without Your word being introduced into our lives, we are not going to have You filling us as we should. Direct us to sound churches with sound doctrine. In this, we will become well-fed, mature followers of You. Amen.

Sunday, 15 April 2018

…traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 2 Timothy 3:4

Paul’s lengthy list of miscreants continues on once again in this verse. Here the words begin with “traitors.” The meaning of the word is obvious. Either “traitor” or “betrayer” is an acceptable translation. The word is found only in Luke 6:16, Acts 7:52, and here.

Next, he names the “headstrong.” It is again a rare word, found elsewhere only in Acts 19:36. The word literally means, “fall forward.” Thus it is someone who is reckless, rash, or whose headstrong manner is brought on by foolhardy passion.

Paul then speaks of the “haughty.” It is a word used only by Paul, and only in the pastorals of 1 & 2 Timothy. This is its final use in Scripture. The word is tuphoó, and one can see the word “typhoon” coming from it. It signifies “to blow smoke,” or “to cloud up the air.” And so figuratively it means to have a cloudy mindset which is a moral blindness leading to poor judgment. From there, further loss of spiritual perception is the natural result.

The verse finishes up with “lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God.” People who are pleasure-lovers have always abounded in the world. They draw more closely to the animal instincts rather than focusing on the higher morals we are endowed with. Some focus all their pleasure on fast cars, some on sexual engagements, some on living in a drunken stupor, etc. Each of these has its own word to describe it, but these things may be used in different ways. The word here indicates that such things are engaged in simply for the pleasure obtained from them. In such a pursuit, a love and sense of God is eradicated. Whatever type of pleasure is sought after can become so addictive that it becomes its own idol in our minds. When this happens, the door to God is shut and locked.

Life application: It is important for us to evaluate individual words like those Paul is using. By developing them into their full meaning, we can see what he had on his mind when choosing those particular words. From there, we can then carefully evaluate if we bear any trace of these failings and correct them in our lives. Though an in-depth study of such things can be a bit tiring, in the end, we will have benefited greatly from the knowledge we have obtained.

Gracious heavenly Father, look upon Your people whom You have redeemed, and be merciful to us as we stray, fail in our obligations, and forget to put You first in our lives. Give Your people wisdom to turn again to You, and to reestablish our walk in uprightness and holiness before Your infinite glory. Guide us in paths which You have chosen for our feet to tread upon. Amen.

Saturday, 14 April 2018

…unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, 2 Timothy 3:3

Paul continues his description of the miscreants who bring about the perilous times in the last days. The verse begins with the “unloving.” The word here comes from the concept of a person who lacks natural affection. This again transfers through what is moral to what is political. It points directly to the morally lacking thought process. The “natural affection” Paul is referring to is the bond between a parent and a child. What should be the strongest bond of all is missing when the knowledge of God is rejected. The Bible is replete with passages where children were sacrificed to Molech, and causing them to “pass through the fire,” such as in 1 Kings 17:16, 17 –

“So they left all the commandments of the Lord their God, made for themselves a molded image and two calves, made a wooden image and worshiped all the host of heaven, and served Baal. And they caused their sons and daughters to pass through the fire, practiced witchcraft and soothsaying, and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the Lord, to provoke Him to anger.”

The cultures Paul was exposed to left female children out to die, preferring male babies. Some buried the children alive. Albert Barnes notes that during an earlier period, “In most of the Grecian states, infanticide was not merely permitted, but actually enforced by law. The Spartan lawgiver expressly ordained that every child that was born should be examined by the ancient men of the tribe, and that if found weak or deformed, should be thrown into a deep cavern at the foot of Mount Taygetus.”

The modern parallel is of course abortion. The left is rabid in their defense of abortion and any attempt at restricting or eliminating this legalized murder is met with the strongest opposition possible. They have lost any true natural affection and have replaced it with immoral sensuality and licentiousness. This moral depravity fits naturally with the next on the list, those who are “unforgiving.”

The Greek word comes from the thought of “without libation,” or “without truce.” Pouring out a libation to a god was a way of making peace with that god and thus forming a treaty. The idea then is a person who is completely unwilling to make peace; they are implacable. There is no agreement, there is no reconciliation, and there is no felicity. Instead, there is only “us and them,” and we will never cede an inch in our battle of depravity and moral perversity.

Next are the “slanderers.” The word is an adjective that would better be rendered “slanderous.” This signifies a false accuser, or one who unjustly criticizes others in order to hurt them, even to the point of severing relations. When an article is used in front of this Greek word, it speaks of the devil.

He then speaks of those who are “without self-control.” It is translated from a single Greek word found only here in the Bible. It indicates “inclined to excess,” or “powerless.” Such a person is unable to control his inner urges, and plows ahead in whatever unhealthy addiction or perversion he is prone to. Just as a person who wears a diaper is incontinent and cannot control his physical body, such a person lacks the same ability to control himself.

He then next speaks of those who are “brutal.” Again, it is a word found only here in the Bible. It signifies someone who is not tame, but rather fierce or savage. He tears angrily at those around him, and cannot be controlled.

Finally, Paul notes those who are “despisers of good.” Again, it is a unique word in Scripture which indicates one who hates good. He is completely hostile to what is right. The things of God are abhorrent to him. He is an active enemy of his Creator and the work which God performs as is described in Scripture. He is exactly the opposite of the man called to serve the Lord in Titus 1:8. There Paul says an elder should be “a lover of what is good.” The only difference in the words is that a negative particle is added here to form the opposite thought.

Life application: It’s rather easy to find any and all of those described in this verse today. All we need to do is turn on the news and look at the left in our society. They call evil good, and they call good evil. They despise Christ Jesus, and yet they claim to be moral, pious people. Let us use their lives as examples of how not to act, and let us use Christ Jesus as our example of how to act!

Lord God, the news media, and the entertainment world, driven by left-wing ideology, is completely upside down. They exalt that which is evil, and they call out those who are moral and upright as wrongdoers. They support the murder of the unborn, and yet they refuse to hand over criminals for justice. How long will the wicked prosper? Help Your people to stand against them, and to proclaim righteousness until You come for judgment. Strengthen us, O God. Amen.