2 Timothy 3 - Will there be terrible times in the last days? Will everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus be persecuted? (verse 12)
2 Timothy 3 New International Version (NIV)
3 But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. 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, 4 treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people.
6 They are the kind who worm their way into homes and gain control over gullible women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires, 7 always learning but never able to come to a knowledge of the truth.8 Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so also these teachers oppose the truth. They are men of depraved minds, who, as far as the faith is concerned, are rejected. 9 But they will not get very far because, as in the case of those men, their folly will be clear to everyone.
A Final Charge to Timothy
10 You, however, know all about my teaching, my way of life, my purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance, 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. 12 In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, 13 while evildoers and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. 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, 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. 16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the servant of God[a] may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
Footnotes:
- 2 Timothy 3:17 Or that you, a man of God,
2 Timothy 3 (NIV)
Will there be terrible times in the last days? (verse 1)
What will people be in the last days? (verse 1-9)
What do these kinds of people do? (verse 6)
Why will these people not get very far? (verse 9)
A Final Charge to Timothy
What was Timothy well acquainted with? (verse 10)
Did the Lord rescue Paul from all his sufferings in Antioch, Iconium and Lystra? (verse 11)
Will everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus be persecuted? (verse 12)
Who will go from bad to worse? (verse 13)
What does Paul say about Timothy in verse 14-15?
What are able to make us wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus? (verse 15)
Is all Scripture God-breathed? (verse 16)
What is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness? (verse 16)
How is a servant of God thoroughly equipped for every good work? (verse 17)
Interpretation
How do we "have nothing to do with these people" if we are surrounded by them?
What does Paul say about Timothy in verse 14-15?
Considering Timothy's parents and grandparents, what kind of education did Timothy have?
What can we learn about education in 2 Timothy 3?
What does verse 16-17 mean for servants of God?
If Paul says in 2 Timothy 3 that "All Scripture is God-breathed", what would be considered scripture?
Thoughts
But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days.- verse 1
Don't let anyone convince you otherwise.
How are we not to be during these times?
People will be lovers of themselves - verse 2
lovers of money - verse 2
boastful - verse 2
proud - verse 2
abusive - verse 2
disobedient to their parents - verse 2
ungrateful - verse 2
unholy - verse 2
without love - verse 3
unforgiving - verse 3
slanderous - verse 3
without self-control - verse 3
brutal - verse 3
not lovers of the good - verse 3
treacherous - verse 4
rash - verse 4
conceited - verse 4
lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God - verse 4
having a form of godliness but denying its power - verse 5
Have nothing to do with such people. - verse 5
Pure religion, undefiled before God and the Father, is this: to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world. - James 1:27
They are the kind who worm their way into homes and gain control over gullible women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires, - verse 6
always learning but never able to come to a knowledge of the truth. - verse 7
Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so also these teachers oppose the truth. They are men of depraved minds, who, as far as the faith is concerned, are rejected. - verse 8
But they will not get very far because, as in the case of those men, their folly will be clear to everyone. - verse 9
How can we encourage each other to stay away from these people and instruct each other to flee from these things?
You, however, know all about my teaching, my way of life, my purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance, - verse 10
What is our teaching?
What is our way of life?
What is our purpose?
What is our faith?
What is our patience?
What is our love?
What is our endurance?
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. - verse 11
What are our persecutions?
What are our sufferings?
Have we clearly seen the Lord delivering us?
In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, - verse 12
What does this mean for those who want to live a godly life in Christ Jesus?
How much more will those who do live a godly life in Christ Jesus?
while evildoers and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. - verse 13
If evildoers and impostors get even worse, verse 12 may become more and more true. Behind persecutions are mockery, envy, hate, and other things that will be encouraged more and more as people get more and more deceived.
But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, - verse 14
Lord Jesus, keep us away from heresies and convince us of the truth when we put our faith in things we shouldn't
and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. - verse 15
Thank you Lord for your education through the Holy Scriptures!
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, - verse 16
Thank you for breathing into the Scriptures!
so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. - verse 17
Lord, we seek to be equipped.
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