The world just exists, no real goal, no real meaning; you're just existing. It is the ability not to lose patience when people are foolish, not to grow irritable when they seem unteachable. Here is the essential conclusion. First and foremost he has an aim in life. And a servant of the Lord must not strive, but be gentle toward all, apt to teach, forbearing, in meekness correcting those that oppose, if perhaps God may give them repentance for acknowledgment of the truth, and they may for his will wake up out of the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him." Thus the apostle comes to the close of his ministry, and touches upon the line of St. John. C. Description of His Present Resource 2 Timothy 3:13-17. It is the ability to accept the folly, the perversity, the blindness, the ingratitude of men and still to remain gracious, and still to toil on. 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. "All scripture is given by inspiration of God. 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. Help me totake this verse seriously, that I will suffer persecution if I live godly in Jesus Christ. Aspondos ( G786) can mean two things. Men will refuse to recognize even the ultimate decencies of life. "I thank God, whom I serve from my forefathers, with pure conscience, that without ceasing I have remembrance of thee in my prayers night and day, greatly desiring to see thee, being mindful of thy tears." The Christian, the minister, is the man of God. The essence of Christianity is not the enthronement but the obliteration of self. Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: they are men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith ( 2 Timothy 3:8 ). The apostle well knew that the God who had brought these glorious truths to man, the God that had manifested His grace, had given a witness of their reality in the man from whom he had learned them; and this was meant to have an enduring effect on the conscience and heart of Timothy. On his mother's side Timothy was a Jew, although his father had been a Greek ( Acts 16:1); and it is clear that it was his mother who had brought him up. 1. They cannot understand an inspired apostle talking about a cloak in the midst of a divinely given pastoral charge. And then again "the husbandman that laboureth must be first partaker of the fruits." We must remember that they were Gnostics and that the basic principle of Gnosticism was that spirit was altogether good and matter altogether evil. human nature began to show itself out in indifference. (3.) He was comparatively alone. Paul suffered as he taught: a single eye to Christ and His grace made him consistent. And indeed the world easily wears that mask of religion which depends on itself; but the piety which flourishes directly from, is very hateful, as it was to the old Jews, so to the modern Christians, who are without any token of good, Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers. The Greek is hupomone ( G5281) , which means not a passive sitting down and bearing things but a triumphant facing of them so that even out of evil there can come good. The man who has exhausted the normal pleasures of life and still unsated, will seek his thrill in pleasures which are abnormal. Few choose to leave behind the elementary teaching about Christ, and press on into maturity.Sadly many believers, although saved by grace through faith in Christ, refuse to move past the elementary principles of the Christian life. 2 People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, To take pains and to endure are requisite even in what pertains to this life. (186) Et tous ceux aussi qui veulent vivre en la crainte de Dieu. And all those also who wish to live in the fear of God., (187) Que rien ne luy est advenu que tous fideles ne doyvent aussi attendre. That nothing has happened to him which all believers must not also look for.. "Alexander the coppersmith did me much evil: the Lord reward him according to his works: of whom be thou ware also; for he hath greatly withstood our words.". If they had been more faithful, and more like their Master, would they have always escaped? [Note: Knight, p. In these last terrible days men will come to have no love for good things or good persons (aphilagathos, G865) . How gracious of the Lord to point out the path for the saint, separate from that which grieves the Lord, yet enjoying all that He sees good for us of the privileges of Christianity! The result would often be either that the woman broke off married relationships with her husband in order to live the ascetic life, or that she gave the lower instincts full play and abandoned herself to promiscuous relationships. On the other hand, if a soul confesses the name of the Lord, he must have done with iniquity. (See notes Matthew 5:10, 11, 12) In the first part of this chapter 2 Timothy 3:1-8, Paul reminds Timothy of the great apostasy which was to be expected in the church, and states some of the characteristics of it. "Trucebreakers". [ See verse text ] Persecution against godly people is to be expected in this world; it's one of the few constants in life (2 Timothy 3:12). Yet most people today have never heard of John Gill. Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. "Thou hast fully known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, long-suffering, charity, patience, persecutions, afflictions." Copyright 2023, Bible Study Tools. McLean, Virginia: MacDonald Publishing Company, n.d. Wuest, Kenneth S. Wuests Word Studies From the Greek New Testament. So if you want God to use your life, then thoroughly equip yourself in the Word of God, the study, the understanding.That's why we're here tonight. 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. We must note that Paul here makes a distinction. Or it can mean that a man is so dishonourable that he breaks the terms of the agreement he has made. And why read them anyhow if they're not inspired? "It shone and glowed with truth," she said, "and my whole being responded to it. [3.] The apostle's life was very exemplary for three things: for his doctrine, which was according to the will of God; for his life, which was agreeable to his doctrine; and for his persecutions and sufferings. but they deny the power thereof: [Paul said to Timothy] from such turn away. It describes, not the spirit which accepts life, but the spirit which masters it. A man may embrace some absurd opinion, and call it religion; he may adopt some mode of dress irresistibly ludicrous, from the mere love of singularity, and may call it "conscience;" or he may be boorish in his manners, and uncivil in his deportment, outraging all the laws of social life, and may call this "deadness to the world;" and for these, and similar things, he may be contemned, ridiculed, and despised. Plutarch uses the word to describe a quack doctor. The first is the moral character of the source or channel whence Timothy had derived what he knew. Aristotle (Nicomachean Ethics, 7: 2) defined the alazon ( G213) as "the man who pretends to creditable qualities that he does not possess, or possesses in a lesser degree than he makes out." Paul kept back nothing from his hearers, but declared to them the whole counsel of God (Acts 20:27), so that if it were not their own fault they might fully know it. 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. What is the excellency of the scripture. One only meets Satan when traveling in an opposite direction! It begets disregard of God, thinking that it does not need him and that it knows better than he. In 2Baruch we get an even more vivid picture of the moral chaos of these last times: And envy shall rise in those who had not thought ought of. There is a sense in which slander is the most cruel of all sins. Questions are before him more serious than a maintenance of order. That persecution which will properly furnish any evidence that we are the friends of Christ, must be only that which is "for righteousness sake" Matthew 5:10, and must be brought upon us in an honest effort to obey the commands of God. And I will tell you what scriptures are inspired and which ones aren't. Why? You may be able to deceive people for a while, but ultimately, it's going to catch up, even as it did with Jannes. The closing chapter (2 Timothy 4:1-22) then gives his solemn charge, and at the same time his own expression of what was before him. The word we have translated to be a disciple includes so much that is beyond translation in any single English word. and then shall we find the benefit and advantage designed thereby, and shall at last attain the happiness therein promised and assured to us. A great many certainly flatter themselves that they are thus favoured; but the cases are uncommon where it is more than pretence. The emphasis of so many people is just on being beautiful, lovers of themselves. 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." Accordingly, in much grief of heart, the apostle writes to his tried and trembling child in the faith, and seeks to strengthen him, above all things not to be discouraged, and to make up his mind to endure hard things. Get out your pen and take out the red, put the blue one. 2. The Greek word (prodotes, G4273) means nothing less than a traitor. 2 Timothy 3:12 (NASB) Verse Thoughts We live in a fallen world, and there are many challenges that face the believer who has not only trusted Christ for salvation, but is also ready and willing to deny self, take up his cross, follow Christ's example, and say without compromise - Thy will, not mine, be done. Then the word went on to widen its meaning until it meant any braggart. A man has sunk far when he finds even the presence of good people something which he would only wish to avoid. See also 1 Timothy 4:7; 1 Timothy 6:11, and on godliness, 1 Timothy 2:2. Accordingly, there is a depth of feeling that one may safely say far exceeds the first epistle, although it had shown so much tenderness and care both for Timothy and the faithful of those days.