In a measure, no doubt, the truth is in Christendom, and only there; for one cannot look for the truth in Judaism or heathenism now. They were never meant to be anything else but visions; we do violence to Jewish and to early Christian thought if we take them with a crude literalness. One only meets Satan when traveling in an opposite direction! Only in the New Testament have we any picture of Jesus, any account of his life and any record of his teaching. Persecution is Every Christian's Lot - 2 Timothy 3:12 It should be considered as one of the proper qualifications for membership in the church, to be willing to bear persecution, and to resolve not to shrink from any duty in order to avoid it. I've got a file up here that says, Wait for further information. The world is full of these braggarts to this day; the clever know-all's who deceive people into thinking that they are wise, the politicians who claim that their parties have a program which will bring in the Utopia and that they alone are born to be leaders of men, the people who crowd the advertisement columns with claims to give beauty, knowledge or health by their system, the people in the Church who have a kind of ostentatious goodness. Of course it was infinitely higher, it is needless to say, in the Master; but the servant was as closely as possible following in His steps. 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. "But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry. In between there was The Day of the Lord, a day when God would personally intervene and shatter the world in order to remake it. 2 Timothy 3 1 But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. Some of you here are victims of broken covenants. If your God is big enough to create the heavens and the earth, no problem, but you see, we stumble on the very first verse. It is the sign of a man of honour that he pays his debts; and for every man there is a debt to God and there are debts to his fellow-men, which he must remember and repay. What is a man well taught in the truth for, if not to communicate his knowledge to others that are faithful, but not equally instructed in the word of God? When trouble fell on the Thessalonians, Paul wrote to them: "When we were with you, we told you beforehand that we were to suffer affliction; just as it has come to pass, and as you know" ( 1 Thessalonians 3:4). That will = Who will live ( ) to desire, to want to, to wish. e Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.. Guard the Deposit Entrusted to You. What Does 2 Timothy 3:12 Mean? - Verse of the day 3:8-9 In the same way as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these also oppose the truth, men whose minds are corrupt, and whose faith is counterfeit. Men will refuse to recognize even the ultimate decencies of life. 2 Timothy 3:12 Commentaries: Indeed, all who desire to live godly in At that time Timothy was just a very young boy, probably in his mid-teens and yet he was attracted to Paul the apostle because of the message that Paul bore. If we would know the holy scriptures, we must read and search them daily, as the noble Bereans did, Acts 17:11. You're a pilgrim. 2. They thought that eternal life lay in the letter, not in Him of whom the letter testified. If the Lord doesn't come soon, we're going to destroy ourselves as we just sink in the filth. The way of sin is down-hill; for such proceed from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. And many shall be stirred up in anger to injure many; And they shall rouse up armies in order to shed blood. he was in Rome, he sought me out very diligently, and found me." Now many people have a legitimate and proper desire to be used of God. The fact remains that the only place in all the world where we get a first-hand account of that person and of his teaching is in the New Testament. This may be either an injury done to his feelings, his family, his reputation, his property, his liberty, his influence; it may be by depriving him of an office which he held, or preventing him from obtaining one to which he is eligible; it may be by subjecting him to fine or imprisonment, to banishment, torture, or death. And Paul said, You've known the Holy Scriptures, able to bring you to a faith in Jesus Christ, salvation through the faith in Jesus Christ. This may be either an injury done to his feelings, his family, his reputation, his property, his liberty, his influence; it may be by depriving him of an office which he held, or preventing him from obtaining one to which he is eligible; it may be by subjecting him to fine or imprisonment, to banishment, torture, or death. Such offence can and does happen yet. Those who deceive others do but deceive themselves; those who draw others into error run themselves into more and more mistakes, and they will find it so at last, to their cost. It would not burn. Regardless of the persecution, it is our duty to live in such a way that the world will know that we are Christians. Look at, of course, all of these other things that have come along as the result of it. It was a part of his lot. (3) if we are persecuted, we should carefully inquire, before we avail ourselves of this consolation, whether we are persecuted because we "live godly in Christ Jesus," or for some other reason. And that is, it doesn't tell us in the Scripture in Exodus that that was their names but Paul gives us their names here, Jannes and Jambres who withstood the truth. Paul was a prisoner again and awaited death. Noah escaped? There would come a kind of terrible flowering of evil, when the moral foundations seemed to be shaken. 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. Consider of whom thou hast learned them; not of evil men and seducers, but good men, who had themselves experienced the power of the truths they taught thee, and been ready to suffer for them, and thereby would give the fullest evidence of their belief of these truths." There is faith, complete belief that God's commands are binding and that his promises are true. Sets before him his own example, which Timothy had been an eye-witness of, having long attended Paul (2 Timothy 3:10; 2 Timothy 3:10): Thou hast fully known my doctrine. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1977. Far more harm is done from want of thought than almost anything else. It is to be supposed that the younger labourer cowered somewhat, unwilling to incur the odious charge, so easily made but hard to refute, of setting himself up and taking the place of some great one. I watch very little, but with horror and dismay, the deterioration of a man who probably at one time had a legitimate ministry, but I've seen the gradual erosion of this person on television just right before my eyes. Timothy, again, winced under trials, too sensitive to slights, disappointments, and the manifold griefs that came upon him. To many a man and woman has a little bit of dress done no small injury, just because they think it is too little for the Spirit of God to direct them in. It follows from this: (1) That they who make a profession of religion, should come prepared to be persecuted. The whole concept of redemption is wrapped up in the Old Testament. In the Old Testament they are not named, but they are referred to in Exodus 7:11; Exodus 8:7; Exodus 9:11. Well, Jesus has and He told us what to, what it's about in Luke, the sixteenth chapter. Indeed it may be well to remark here, that we never read of Timothy appointing bishops or elders. They appear to think that if you hold life in Christ to be the one thing that is most precious, to be the prize that your heart reverts to, all owning of anything short of this would be out of place; but it is exactly the contrary. In the Jewish pictures of these last terrible times we get exactly the same kind of picture as we get here. of There is peril when men assess prosperity by material things. He was ordered to light a bonfire and burn his books. Look at our attitudes towards morality. Boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy ( 2 Timothy 3:2 ). They'll say, Crucify him, rather than applaud. Now though it is infallible, inerrant and inspired, I did make a mistake in my message this morning on the speed of Arcturus; it's twelve thousand miles a second, I think I said twelve million. Moreover, as soon as zeal for God is manifested by a believer, it kindles the rage of all ungodly men; and, although they have not a drawn sword, yet they vomit out their venom, either by murmuring, or by slander, or by raising a disturbance, or by other methods. 9 But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest unto all men, as theirs also was. At the same time he shows also his sense of the kindness of a particular individual and his family. 1 Timothy 3:12 - Verse-by-Verse Bible Commentary - StudyLight.org 2 Timothy 3:12 - Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible. "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.". You know, I mean, talk about lovers of selves, look at the advertising. He was driven from Antioch in Pisidia ( Acts 13:50); he had to flee from Iconium to avoid lynching ( Acts 14:5-6); in Lystra he was stoned and left for dead ( Acts 14:19). Living here almost in a Sodom-Gomorrah atmosphere and environment. There are still Church dignitaries whose main thought is their own dignity; but the Christian is the follower of him who was meek and lowly in heart. Yea, and all that would live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. "Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ." So I listened to that voice, and heard the truth, and found my Saviour.". Fear and timidity will keep us from using the gifts God gives. He is sure that the ungodly man will go from bad to worse and that there is literally no future for the man who refuses to accept the way of God. Now this is in particular a difficulty for saints, when they have revived before the soul the blessedness of maintaining the unity of the Spirit. The Kingdom had its price. Look what they did to Jesus, and Jesus said, "If they persecuted me, they're going to persecute you" ( John 15:20 ). It means to follow a person physically, to stick by him through thick and thin. The prophets and apostles did not speak from themselves, but what they received of the Lord that they delivered unto us. [3.] 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. So God's word, scripture given for inspiration, by the inspiration of God and is profitable.Of course, this morning we pointed out that the inspiration of the Bible is proved by internal evidences, such as its total accuracy with known facts of science, when it happened to cover scientific subjects. If they had been more faithful, and more like their Master, would they have always escaped? The man who has exhausted the normal pleasures of life and still unsated, will seek his thrill in pleasures which are abnormal. In 2 Timothy 3:9 he meant that the teaching of evil does not necessarily become more extensive and capture a wider audience as evil becomes worse. That desire for more. It is a great happiness to know the certainty of the things wherein we have been instructed (Luke 1:4); not only to know what the truths are, but to know that they are of undoubted certainty. There are those who shrink from helping on others in order to the work and doctrine of the Lord. That good thing which was committed unto thee keep by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in us." The world just exists, no real goal, no real meaning; you're just existing. Accordingly, although they are not exposed to the same assaults, and do not engage in the same battles, yet they have a warfare in common, and shall never be wholly at peace and exempt from persecutions. "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." It is not merely what had been preached, but what is in a permanent shape for the good of the saints of God here below, which elicits the remarkable assertion of its peculiar worth. Shall we turn now in our Bibles to Second Timothy chapter three? THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL Any conversion which makes a man think of nothing but the fact that he has been saved is no true conversion. For after all, I'm worth it. The scriptures we are to know are the holy scriptures; they come from the holy God, were delivered by holy men, contain holy precepts, treat of holy things, and were designed to make us holy and to lead us in the way of holiness to happiness; being called the holy scriptures, they are by this distinguished from profane writings of all sorts, and from those that only treat morality, and common justice and honesty, but do not meddle with holiness. Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord" (there must, I suppose, have been some ground for the exhortation), "nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel, according to the power of God; who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began." All who will show their religion in their conversation, who will not only be godly, but live godly, let them expect persecution, especially when they are resolute in it. Jesus said, "As it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be at the coming of the Son of man" ( Luke 17:26 ). Here the apostle, to confirm Timothy in that way wherein he walked. In all life there is nothing so creative of really productive effort as a clear consciousness of a purpose. But shun profane and vain babblings.". Timothy fully knew Paul's good character, which he might gather from his doctrine, manner of life, and purpose; for he gave proofs of his faith (that is, of his integrity and fidelity, or his faith in Christ, his faith concerning another world, by which Paul lived), his long-suffering towards the churches to which he preached and over which he presided, his charity towards all men, and his patience. But they will not get much further, for their folly will be as clear to all as that of those ancient impostors. (ii) The Scriptures are of use in teaching. One day a visitor came to the ward and left a supply of gospels. There was a state of things coming when it would be impossible to have local charges chosen according to the full sanction which they had in apostolic days. (2.) All that will live godly So opposite to the spirit and practice of the world is the whole of Christianity, that he who gives himself entirely up to God, making the Holy Scriptures the rule of his words and actions, will be less or more reviled and persecuted. Thus the apostle comes to the close of his ministry, and touches upon the line of St. John. These were graces that Paul was eminent for, and Timothy knew it. Wow, watch out now because Jesus bought it. This sort of atmosphere will mark the last days . 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 perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works. The Holy Spirit would make it to be most practical and precious. But yet it is absolutely unavoidable that all of them shall have the world for their enemy in some form or other, that their faith may be tried and their steadfastness proved; for Satan, who is the continual enemy of Christ, will never suffer any one to be at peace during his whole life; and there will always be wicked men that are thorns in our sides. He tells such women that by his spells and incantations he can enable them to prophesy. But it is asked, Must all men be martyrs? Look at the lack, lackness. God wants us each to take His power, His love, and His calm thinking and overcome fear, to be used of Him with all the gifts He gives. Their falsity would be demonstrated and they would receive their appropriate reward. Enduring Word Bible Commentary 2 Timothy Chapter 1 It is one thing to start an evil and untrue report on its malicious way; it is entirely another thing to stop it. "Thou hast fully known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, long-suffering, charity, patience, persecutions, afflictions." They will maintain the outward form of religion, but they will deny its power. The man who is mastered by his lower passions will gratify them in the most shameless way, as the streets of any great city will show when the night is late. And the word perfect of course is always that of completeness. Vincente Quiroga of Chile found a few pages of a book washed up on the seashore by a tidal wave following an earthquake. How many people who have stood before God and have pledged for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, until death do us part; and yet again, the high divorce rate. They will follow after their own wicked devices. It's instructing you on the right kind of life. The apostle had a particular reference, doubtless, to his own times; but he has put his remark into the most general form, as applicable to all periods. Paul said, you know, what kind of a life I've lived. 2 Timothy 3 Bible Commentary - Matthew Henry (concise) - Christianity Don't start trying to cut out certain stories because they don't fit your scheme because you have a little hard, you have a hard time sort of believing that. The Greek moralists wrote much about this word. The words that finally decided me were those in John 18:37: 'For this I was born, and for this I have come into the world, to bear witness to the truth. If Timothy wishes to live godly in Christ, he must make up his mind to encounter. [2.] Now are you going to, you know, take the word of Jesus?