Articles and Notes
2 Timothy 3
Perilous times and perilous men
[2Ti 3:1-17 NKJV] 1 But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: 2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, 4 traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away! 6 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, 7 always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. 8 Now as Jannes and Jambres resisted Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, disapproved concerning the faith; 9 but they will progress no further, for their folly will be manifest to all, as theirs also was.
The man of God and the Word of God
10 But you have carefully followed my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, love, perseverance, 11 persecutions, afflictions, which happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra--what persecutions I endured. And out of [them] all the Lord delivered me. 12 Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. 13 But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. 14 But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned [them], 15 and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture [is] given by inspiration of God, and [is] profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.
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16 - doctrine - what is right
for reproof - what is not right
for correction - to make right
for instruction in righteousness - to stay right
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Chapter Three OBJECTIVES IN STUDYING THIS CHAPTER 1) To learn about the moral decline that will occur in the last days 2) To appreciate the value of all Scripture, including the Old Testament SUMMARY From exhortations to steadfast service in the first two chapters, Paul now proceeds to offer exhortations to sound doctrine in this chapter and into the next. He warns of perilous times to come in the last days, describing the condition of the people during these times. Such people Timothy was to turn away from, for they would be just like Jannes and Jambres who resisted Moses in the Old Testament (1-9). Reminding Timothy of how he had carefully followed Paul's doctrine and manner of life up to that point, Paul warns of the persecution to befall those who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus. While evil men and impostors will grow worse and deceive many (being deceived themselves), Timothy is exhorted to continue in those things he has learned. Paul has special reference to the Scriptures Timothy had known since childhood, which like all Scripture is inspired of God and has the value of making one wise for the salvation which is by faith in Christ, instructing one in such a way as to make him complete and thoroughly equipped for every good work (10-17). OUTLINE I. PERILOUS TIMES TO COME (1-9) A. A DESCRIPTION OF THESE PERILOUS TIMES (1-5a) 1. They will come in the last days (1) 2. There will be perilous times because of the condition of men (2-5a) a. Lovers of themselves, lovers of money b. Boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents c. Unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving d. Slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good e. Traitors, headstrong, haughty f. Lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God g. Having a form of godliness but denying its power B. REASONS TO TURN AWAY FROM SUCH PERILOUS PEOPLE (5b-9) 1. A warning to turn away from such people (5b) 2. Reasons to do so (6-9) a. For such lead gullible people astray b. For such are always learning but never able to come to the knowledge of the truth c. Just like Jannes and Jambres who resisted Moses... 1) These resist the truth 2) They are men of corrupt minds, disapproved concerning the faith 3) They will not progress, and their folly will become manifest to all II. A REMINDER OF PAUL'S EXAMPLE (10-13) A. TIMOTHY HAD CAREFULLY FOLLOWED PAUL'S DOCTRINE AND LIFE (10-11) 1. His doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, love, perseverance (11) 2. Even his persecutions and afflictions at Antioch, Iconium and Lystra (11a) 3. Yet the Lord delivered him out of them all (11b) B. EXPECT PERSECUTION (12-13) 1. For those who live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution (12) 2. Evil men and impostors will grow worse, deceiving and being deceived (13) III. EXHORTATION TO ABIDE IN THE SCRIPTURES (14-17) A. CONTINUE IN THE THINGS HE HAD LEARNED (14-15) 1. Things he had been assured of, knowing from whom he had learned them (14) 2. In particular that which he learned from childhood, the Holy Scriptures (15a) 3. For they are able to make him wise for salvation through faith in Christ (15b) B. THE ALL-SUFFICIENCY OF THE SCRIPTURES (16-17) 1. All scripture is given by inspiration of God (16a) 2. It is profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction, instruction in righteousness (16b) 3. So the man of God can be complete, thoroughly complete for every good work (17) REVIEW QUESTIONS FOR THE CHAPTER 1) What are the main points of this chapter? - Perilous times to come (1-9) - A reminder of Paul's example (10-13) - Exhortation to abide in the Scriptures (14-17) 2) When will perilous times come? (1) - In the last days 3) During these perilous times, what three things will men love? (2-4) - Themselves, money, and pleasure 4) What sort of godliness will they have? (5) - Just a form of godliness, denying its power 5) How will such men gain followers? (6) - Leading gullible women away by various lusts 6) What is said about their learning? (7) - Always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth 7) What two men will these individuals in perilous times be like? (8) - Jannes and Jambres, who resisted Moses 8) What had Timothy carefully followed in regards to Paul? (10-11) - His doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, love, perseverance, persecutions, afflictions 9) What did Paul say about those who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus? (12) - They will suffer persecution 10) What will happen in regards to evil men and impostors? (13) - They will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived 11) In what was Timothy to continue? (14) - The things he had learned and been assured of 12) What had he known from his childhood? (15) - The Holy Scriptures (i.e., the Old Testament) 13) What was the value of those things he had known since childhood? (15) - They were able to make him wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus 14) What two things are stated about all scripture? (16) - Given by inspiration - Profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction, instruction in righteousness 15) What are the scriptures designed to produce? (17) - The man of God who is complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work