But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people. - 2Timothy 3: 1-5 (ESV)
I am sure I must sound like a broken record repeating "context context context" over and over again. There is a reason however. It does us no good to misapply the Word of God. To teach or learn that a verse means something God never intended it to mean. There is a reason why the Bereans were considered more noble. That they did not just accept the teachings of Paul but that they went back to the Scriptures to make sure they were being taught the right thing. The God thing. I say this as a backdrop to the key verses today from Paul's second letter to his protege Timothy. I heard these verses preached twice this weekend and both times left me wondering if even our preachers bother to do the work of Bereans anymore. These verses are a warning to young Timothy as he ventures into the realm of church leadership at Ephesus. He explains that there will come times of great difficulty because of a laundry list of things people would rather pursue than God. It is a comprehensive, accurate and nearly exhaustive list. It is quite compelling and quite sad. Here is the question for us today.
Who is Paul talking about?
Who is it that will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, brutal and so on and so on? To listen to the two messages I heard this weekend the answer would be the world. Just look at how they behave! The problem is Paul is not talking about the world beloved. He is talking about the church. The line about having an appearance of godliness but denying its power should be enough but just in case we can always examine the context both speakers left out. You see this section does not end in verse five but rather, verse nine:
For among them are those who creep into households and capture weak women, burdened with sins and led astray by various passions,always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth. Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, men corrupted in mind and disqualified regarding the faith. But they will not get very far, for their folly will be plain to all, as was that of those two men. - 2Timothy 3: 6-9 (ESV)
Always learning but never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth! If that does not describe much of Christendom today I do not know what else will. We have conferences every other week. Small group curricula designed to teach us more wisdom. Sermon series' every month. Membership classes, baptism classes, bible study classes, Sunday school and prayer services yet we remain more ignorant biblically then our forefathers. This alone would be enough hermeneutically to understand who Paul is speaking about but he provides a direct comparison for us. Two people from the Old Testament named Jannes and Jambres. Interestingly the Old Testament makes no reference of these two but it is safe to say that they were part of the camp of Israel if they are being described as "opposing" Moses. They were not outsiders. Further down in the letter we see more proof:
Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. - 2Timothy 3: 12-13 (ESV)
Evil people and imposters deceiving and being deceived? Once again this is not speaking about the world. Remember the premise. In the last days it will become more difficult because of these things. The world is always the world. They have always been lovers of self and lovers of money. They have always been heartless and slanderous. No beloved, the change is going to be found in the church as the church becomes more and more like the world. Much of the church has a stranglehold on the appearance of godliness yet clearly deny the true power of God. To continue to do the work of a Berean we turn to the commentaries on this matter:
A form of godliness is very different from the power; from such as are found to be hypocrites, real Christians must withdraw. Such persons have been found within the outward church, in every place, and at all times. - Matthew Henry
men in general, the bulk of men in the Church; for he is speaking, not of the world at large, but of professing Christians. - Pulpit Commentary
For men shall be lovers of their own selves,.... Not in a good sense, as men may be, and as such are who love their neighbours as themselves, and do that to others they would have done to themselves; and who take all prudent and lawful care to preserve the life and health of their bodies, and seek in a right way the salvation of their immortal souls: but in a bad sense, as such may be said to be, who only love themselves; their love to God, and Christ, and to the saints, being only in pretence, not in reality; and who do all they do in a religious way, from a principle of self-love, and to selfish and mercenary ends; either to gain glory and applause from men, or to merit something for themselves at the hands of God, without any view to the glory of God, the honour and interest of Christ, and the good of others; and ascribe all they have and do to themselves, to their industry, diligence, power, free will, worth, and merit, and not to the grace of God: and this character may be seen in the principles and practices of the church of Rome, in their doctrines of merit and free will, in works of supererogation &c. "Coveteous"; lovers of silver, greedy of filthy lucre, doing nothing but for money; everyone looking for his gain from his quarter; making merchandise of the souls of men; and which are reckoned among the wares of Babylon, the Romish antichrist, Revelation 18:13. "No penny, no pater noster". - Gill's Exposition of the Bible
There is little doubt when you consider the text, the context, and the commentaries that this section of verses is a warning about the church, not the world. Even the global context reveals this. Why would Paul, in the middle of a pastoral letter filled with instructions about the church Timothy was going to run, suddenly give him a warning about the world? That simply makes no sense.
So what is the big deal? What we hear preached forms our doctrine and what we believe. These warnings are in the Bible for a specific reason. God tells us straight up here - stay away from these people. Avoid them. When someone preaches that these people are in the world it has two effects. First, it takes our focus off of self evaluation and shifts it to judgment of the unsaved. The Bible clearly teaches us that the judgment of the unsaved is the work God does, not us. We are to judge those inside the house of God.
For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? God judges those outside. "Purge the evil person from among you." - 1Corinthians 5: 12-13 (ESV)
Much of the church today however does this backwards. We are constantly judging the world and screaming "judge not!" if we even breathe in the direction of a false teacher. That is exactly what Satan desires. To have the church hold in contempt the very people we are to bring the Gospel to while ignoring the sin that is destroying the churches we sit in.
Secondly, when these verses are misapplied it allows the wolves greater access to the sheep. We are supposed to be watchful for these things beloved! This is a warning from God for us! In both instances this weekend these verses were used to look down upon those wretched sinners in the world while exalting the church. It may not have been the intent but that doesn't matter. It is what was preached. If you are in any form of preaching or teaching ministry today I implore you to do your own work. The Bible says the very salvation of your hearers is at stake and their blood is on our heads if we should not bring the correct Gospel. I leave you with another teaching from Paul to Timothy. One we all should take more seriously.
Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved,a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth. - 2Timothy 2: 15 (ESV)
Amen.
Rev. Anthony.
