Hebrews 7

Hebrews 7:1

Flee, Pursue, Correct

2 Timothy 2:22. Before you rush out to “pursue …”, it is being made clear to you what you should really be aware of: you have to deal with “youthful lusts”. You may think that this refers to sexual lusts. That surely have to do with it, but that is certainly not limited to it and I also do not think that that’s the main point. It is the lusts that are characteristic to youth. Here you have to think about assertiveness, wanting to be heard, desiring to be of importance.

One of the clear marks with young zealous believers is a sharp eye for other people’s faults, while they themselves have only a very limited knowledge of their own heart. If you notice that assertiveness determines your actions you must flee, leave the situation before you make mistakes (cf. Genesis 39:12; 1 Timothy 6:11; 1 Corinthians 6:18; 1 Corinthians 10:14). Recognize that you do not yet know yourself very well and that you do not have the spiritual maturity to say or do something in certain cases, even if you should have the right view in a situation.

With this mind you may do something positive. To abstain on the one hand is essential, but negative. Therefore you should on the other hand pursue what is in accordance with the Lord: 1. In the first place that is “righteousness”, that is a way of doing what is right before God and men. 2. Also “faith” or confidence of faith is a crucial characteristic when everything around you is in confusion and the only hold are the Lord and His Word. 3. To this is added “love”. Without love in your heart righteousness and faith become expressions of a legalistic spirit. 4. Finally it is said that you should pursue “peace”. You do not seek to quarrel, but you want to be a peace maker.

And in case you may think that you have to do all this by yourself alone, then you hear at the end of 2 Timothy 2:22 that that is a mistake. You will never in Scripture find the command to be a Christian on your own. Abstaining from vessels to dishonor is essential. If you limit yourself to that, it will lead you to Pharisee-ism, an attitude of ‘I am holier than you are’. Therefore you should join “those who call on the Lord from a pure heart”.

With the help of the Lord you will be able to discern whether the other person has a pure heart, just like the other is to discern whether that is also the case with you. Therefore you should talk with one another. Let Christ and His work and Word be the subject and it will become clear whether He is being called on from a pure heart.

2 Timothy 2:23. After having spoken about calling on the Lord from a pure heart you can certainly sense that “foolish and ignorant speculations” are clearly the opposite of that. Discussions and disputes are being organized for amusing of audiences that even chose a winner for that. Most of the time that doesn’t bring people closer together, but makes the gap even bigger. The disputes are not settled, division only increases more and more. These disputes are often about nothing. It is just useless, undisciplined squabbling.

Such questions do not come from a pure heart, but from someone who follows his own thoughts and will. Don’t expose yourself to them, don’t even listen to them, but “refuse” them. If you enter into disputes you will participate in producing quarrels.

2 Timothy 2:24. Producing quarrels and quarrelling yourself is just something you as a bond-servant of the Lord ought not to do. Instead of feeding an arguing spirit you ought to be “kind” and meek to all without distinction. If you are kind you will not repulse people, but on the contrary attract them. Kindness is an attitude that arouses confidence.

It is also important that a bond-servant of the Lord in a position like that of Timothy is able to teach others. A bond-servant of the Lord gives clear teachings, it is not difficult to understand him and he doesn’t use fuzzy or mysterious words. Another significant characteristic of a bond-servant of the Lord is his ‘patience’. He endures the wrong that people cause him or speak about him, without becoming impatient or rebellious.

2 Timothy 2:25. That he rejects quarrels doesn’t mean that he rejects the person. The opponent of the truth is a person that is to be won for the Lord. Therefore he will not want to correct the opponents in a snappy tone, but “with gentleness”. This is a characteristic of the Lord Jesus (Matthew 11:29) and therefore has nothing to do with softness or weakness, but on the contrary with steadfastness. The important means through which people come to conversion is definitely through this characteristic. He who is gentle resembles the Lord Jesus.

God grants people repentance “leading to the knowledge of the truth”, by bringing them into connection with His Son. Paul uses the expression “if perhaps”, because he knows that only God can grant repentance and is sovereign in it. He leaves the result to God. Again you see that the responsibility of the servant and the sovereignty of God don’t exclude one another.

In the Lord Jesus, Who is the truth (John 14:6), it is seen what the truth is about both God and man. He who gains insight into Him, gains insight into the truth.

2 Timothy 2:26. By bringing Him to attention the opponents may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil. Here it is not about unbelieving people in general, but about those who profess to know God, but have been taken captive in the snare of the devil. They participate in distorting God’s Word and teach wrong things about the Lord Jesus. As captives of the devil they do his will. They seek to proclaim the lie. They are blinded by the devil in such a way that they think are telling the truth (cf. John 16:2).

Here it is about the conversion of professing Christians. Only when they repent they will acknowledge the full truth and reject the verisimilitude that they have preached. Up till that moment they live in an infatuation, an illusion, while they think that they bring the right doctrine. Through repentance they will “come to their senses”, so that they may see and think clearly to do the will of God.

Now read 2 Timothy 2:22-26 again.

Reflection: Which positive and which negative orders do you receive here?

Hebrews 7:2

Flee, Pursue, Correct

2 Timothy 2:22. Before you rush out to “pursue …”, it is being made clear to you what you should really be aware of: you have to deal with “youthful lusts”. You may think that this refers to sexual lusts. That surely have to do with it, but that is certainly not limited to it and I also do not think that that’s the main point. It is the lusts that are characteristic to youth. Here you have to think about assertiveness, wanting to be heard, desiring to be of importance.

One of the clear marks with young zealous believers is a sharp eye for other people’s faults, while they themselves have only a very limited knowledge of their own heart. If you notice that assertiveness determines your actions you must flee, leave the situation before you make mistakes (cf. Genesis 39:12; 1 Timothy 6:11; 1 Corinthians 6:18; 1 Corinthians 10:14). Recognize that you do not yet know yourself very well and that you do not have the spiritual maturity to say or do something in certain cases, even if you should have the right view in a situation.

With this mind you may do something positive. To abstain on the one hand is essential, but negative. Therefore you should on the other hand pursue what is in accordance with the Lord: 1. In the first place that is “righteousness”, that is a way of doing what is right before God and men. 2. Also “faith” or confidence of faith is a crucial characteristic when everything around you is in confusion and the only hold are the Lord and His Word. 3. To this is added “love”. Without love in your heart righteousness and faith become expressions of a legalistic spirit. 4. Finally it is said that you should pursue “peace”. You do not seek to quarrel, but you want to be a peace maker.

And in case you may think that you have to do all this by yourself alone, then you hear at the end of 2 Timothy 2:22 that that is a mistake. You will never in Scripture find the command to be a Christian on your own. Abstaining from vessels to dishonor is essential. If you limit yourself to that, it will lead you to Pharisee-ism, an attitude of ‘I am holier than you are’. Therefore you should join “those who call on the Lord from a pure heart”.

With the help of the Lord you will be able to discern whether the other person has a pure heart, just like the other is to discern whether that is also the case with you. Therefore you should talk with one another. Let Christ and His work and Word be the subject and it will become clear whether He is being called on from a pure heart.

2 Timothy 2:23. After having spoken about calling on the Lord from a pure heart you can certainly sense that “foolish and ignorant speculations” are clearly the opposite of that. Discussions and disputes are being organized for amusing of audiences that even chose a winner for that. Most of the time that doesn’t bring people closer together, but makes the gap even bigger. The disputes are not settled, division only increases more and more. These disputes are often about nothing. It is just useless, undisciplined squabbling.

Such questions do not come from a pure heart, but from someone who follows his own thoughts and will. Don’t expose yourself to them, don’t even listen to them, but “refuse” them. If you enter into disputes you will participate in producing quarrels.

2 Timothy 2:24. Producing quarrels and quarrelling yourself is just something you as a bond-servant of the Lord ought not to do. Instead of feeding an arguing spirit you ought to be “kind” and meek to all without distinction. If you are kind you will not repulse people, but on the contrary attract them. Kindness is an attitude that arouses confidence.

It is also important that a bond-servant of the Lord in a position like that of Timothy is able to teach others. A bond-servant of the Lord gives clear teachings, it is not difficult to understand him and he doesn’t use fuzzy or mysterious words. Another significant characteristic of a bond-servant of the Lord is his ‘patience’. He endures the wrong that people cause him or speak about him, without becoming impatient or rebellious.

2 Timothy 2:25. That he rejects quarrels doesn’t mean that he rejects the person. The opponent of the truth is a person that is to be won for the Lord. Therefore he will not want to correct the opponents in a snappy tone, but “with gentleness”. This is a characteristic of the Lord Jesus (Matthew 11:29) and therefore has nothing to do with softness or weakness, but on the contrary with steadfastness. The important means through which people come to conversion is definitely through this characteristic. He who is gentle resembles the Lord Jesus.

God grants people repentance “leading to the knowledge of the truth”, by bringing them into connection with His Son. Paul uses the expression “if perhaps”, because he knows that only God can grant repentance and is sovereign in it. He leaves the result to God. Again you see that the responsibility of the servant and the sovereignty of God don’t exclude one another.

In the Lord Jesus, Who is the truth (John 14:6), it is seen what the truth is about both God and man. He who gains insight into Him, gains insight into the truth.

2 Timothy 2:26. By bringing Him to attention the opponents may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil. Here it is not about unbelieving people in general, but about those who profess to know God, but have been taken captive in the snare of the devil. They participate in distorting God’s Word and teach wrong things about the Lord Jesus. As captives of the devil they do his will. They seek to proclaim the lie. They are blinded by the devil in such a way that they think are telling the truth (cf. John 16:2).

Here it is about the conversion of professing Christians. Only when they repent they will acknowledge the full truth and reject the verisimilitude that they have preached. Up till that moment they live in an infatuation, an illusion, while they think that they bring the right doctrine. Through repentance they will “come to their senses”, so that they may see and think clearly to do the will of God.

Now read 2 Timothy 2:22-26 again.

Reflection: Which positive and which negative orders do you receive here?

Hebrews 7:3

Flee, Pursue, Correct

2 Timothy 2:22. Before you rush out to “pursue …”, it is being made clear to you what you should really be aware of: you have to deal with “youthful lusts”. You may think that this refers to sexual lusts. That surely have to do with it, but that is certainly not limited to it and I also do not think that that’s the main point. It is the lusts that are characteristic to youth. Here you have to think about assertiveness, wanting to be heard, desiring to be of importance.

One of the clear marks with young zealous believers is a sharp eye for other people’s faults, while they themselves have only a very limited knowledge of their own heart. If you notice that assertiveness determines your actions you must flee, leave the situation before you make mistakes (cf. Genesis 39:12; 1 Timothy 6:11; 1 Corinthians 6:18; 1 Corinthians 10:14). Recognize that you do not yet know yourself very well and that you do not have the spiritual maturity to say or do something in certain cases, even if you should have the right view in a situation.

With this mind you may do something positive. To abstain on the one hand is essential, but negative. Therefore you should on the other hand pursue what is in accordance with the Lord: 1. In the first place that is “righteousness”, that is a way of doing what is right before God and men. 2. Also “faith” or confidence of faith is a crucial characteristic when everything around you is in confusion and the only hold are the Lord and His Word. 3. To this is added “love”. Without love in your heart righteousness and faith become expressions of a legalistic spirit. 4. Finally it is said that you should pursue “peace”. You do not seek to quarrel, but you want to be a peace maker.

And in case you may think that you have to do all this by yourself alone, then you hear at the end of 2 Timothy 2:22 that that is a mistake. You will never in Scripture find the command to be a Christian on your own. Abstaining from vessels to dishonor is essential. If you limit yourself to that, it will lead you to Pharisee-ism, an attitude of ‘I am holier than you are’. Therefore you should join “those who call on the Lord from a pure heart”.

With the help of the Lord you will be able to discern whether the other person has a pure heart, just like the other is to discern whether that is also the case with you. Therefore you should talk with one another. Let Christ and His work and Word be the subject and it will become clear whether He is being called on from a pure heart.

2 Timothy 2:23. After having spoken about calling on the Lord from a pure heart you can certainly sense that “foolish and ignorant speculations” are clearly the opposite of that. Discussions and disputes are being organized for amusing of audiences that even chose a winner for that. Most of the time that doesn’t bring people closer together, but makes the gap even bigger. The disputes are not settled, division only increases more and more. These disputes are often about nothing. It is just useless, undisciplined squabbling.

Such questions do not come from a pure heart, but from someone who follows his own thoughts and will. Don’t expose yourself to them, don’t even listen to them, but “refuse” them. If you enter into disputes you will participate in producing quarrels.

2 Timothy 2:24. Producing quarrels and quarrelling yourself is just something you as a bond-servant of the Lord ought not to do. Instead of feeding an arguing spirit you ought to be “kind” and meek to all without distinction. If you are kind you will not repulse people, but on the contrary attract them. Kindness is an attitude that arouses confidence.

It is also important that a bond-servant of the Lord in a position like that of Timothy is able to teach others. A bond-servant of the Lord gives clear teachings, it is not difficult to understand him and he doesn’t use fuzzy or mysterious words. Another significant characteristic of a bond-servant of the Lord is his ‘patience’. He endures the wrong that people cause him or speak about him, without becoming impatient or rebellious.

2 Timothy 2:25. That he rejects quarrels doesn’t mean that he rejects the person. The opponent of the truth is a person that is to be won for the Lord. Therefore he will not want to correct the opponents in a snappy tone, but “with gentleness”. This is a characteristic of the Lord Jesus (Matthew 11:29) and therefore has nothing to do with softness or weakness, but on the contrary with steadfastness. The important means through which people come to conversion is definitely through this characteristic. He who is gentle resembles the Lord Jesus.

God grants people repentance “leading to the knowledge of the truth”, by bringing them into connection with His Son. Paul uses the expression “if perhaps”, because he knows that only God can grant repentance and is sovereign in it. He leaves the result to God. Again you see that the responsibility of the servant and the sovereignty of God don’t exclude one another.

In the Lord Jesus, Who is the truth (John 14:6), it is seen what the truth is about both God and man. He who gains insight into Him, gains insight into the truth.

2 Timothy 2:26. By bringing Him to attention the opponents may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil. Here it is not about unbelieving people in general, but about those who profess to know God, but have been taken captive in the snare of the devil. They participate in distorting God’s Word and teach wrong things about the Lord Jesus. As captives of the devil they do his will. They seek to proclaim the lie. They are blinded by the devil in such a way that they think are telling the truth (cf. John 16:2).

Here it is about the conversion of professing Christians. Only when they repent they will acknowledge the full truth and reject the verisimilitude that they have preached. Up till that moment they live in an infatuation, an illusion, while they think that they bring the right doctrine. Through repentance they will “come to their senses”, so that they may see and think clearly to do the will of God.

Now read 2 Timothy 2:22-26 again.

Reflection: Which positive and which negative orders do you receive here?

Hebrews 7:4

Flee, Pursue, Correct

2 Timothy 2:22. Before you rush out to “pursue …”, it is being made clear to you what you should really be aware of: you have to deal with “youthful lusts”. You may think that this refers to sexual lusts. That surely have to do with it, but that is certainly not limited to it and I also do not think that that’s the main point. It is the lusts that are characteristic to youth. Here you have to think about assertiveness, wanting to be heard, desiring to be of importance.

One of the clear marks with young zealous believers is a sharp eye for other people’s faults, while they themselves have only a very limited knowledge of their own heart. If you notice that assertiveness determines your actions you must flee, leave the situation before you make mistakes (cf. Genesis 39:12; 1 Timothy 6:11; 1 Corinthians 6:18; 1 Corinthians 10:14). Recognize that you do not yet know yourself very well and that you do not have the spiritual maturity to say or do something in certain cases, even if you should have the right view in a situation.

With this mind you may do something positive. To abstain on the one hand is essential, but negative. Therefore you should on the other hand pursue what is in accordance with the Lord: 1. In the first place that is “righteousness”, that is a way of doing what is right before God and men. 2. Also “faith” or confidence of faith is a crucial characteristic when everything around you is in confusion and the only hold are the Lord and His Word. 3. To this is added “love”. Without love in your heart righteousness and faith become expressions of a legalistic spirit. 4. Finally it is said that you should pursue “peace”. You do not seek to quarrel, but you want to be a peace maker.

And in case you may think that you have to do all this by yourself alone, then you hear at the end of 2 Timothy 2:22 that that is a mistake. You will never in Scripture find the command to be a Christian on your own. Abstaining from vessels to dishonor is essential. If you limit yourself to that, it will lead you to Pharisee-ism, an attitude of ‘I am holier than you are’. Therefore you should join “those who call on the Lord from a pure heart”.

With the help of the Lord you will be able to discern whether the other person has a pure heart, just like the other is to discern whether that is also the case with you. Therefore you should talk with one another. Let Christ and His work and Word be the subject and it will become clear whether He is being called on from a pure heart.

2 Timothy 2:23. After having spoken about calling on the Lord from a pure heart you can certainly sense that “foolish and ignorant speculations” are clearly the opposite of that. Discussions and disputes are being organized for amusing of audiences that even chose a winner for that. Most of the time that doesn’t bring people closer together, but makes the gap even bigger. The disputes are not settled, division only increases more and more. These disputes are often about nothing. It is just useless, undisciplined squabbling.

Such questions do not come from a pure heart, but from someone who follows his own thoughts and will. Don’t expose yourself to them, don’t even listen to them, but “refuse” them. If you enter into disputes you will participate in producing quarrels.

2 Timothy 2:24. Producing quarrels and quarrelling yourself is just something you as a bond-servant of the Lord ought not to do. Instead of feeding an arguing spirit you ought to be “kind” and meek to all without distinction. If you are kind you will not repulse people, but on the contrary attract them. Kindness is an attitude that arouses confidence.

It is also important that a bond-servant of the Lord in a position like that of Timothy is able to teach others. A bond-servant of the Lord gives clear teachings, it is not difficult to understand him and he doesn’t use fuzzy or mysterious words. Another significant characteristic of a bond-servant of the Lord is his ‘patience’. He endures the wrong that people cause him or speak about him, without becoming impatient or rebellious.

2 Timothy 2:25. That he rejects quarrels doesn’t mean that he rejects the person. The opponent of the truth is a person that is to be won for the Lord. Therefore he will not want to correct the opponents in a snappy tone, but “with gentleness”. This is a characteristic of the Lord Jesus (Matthew 11:29) and therefore has nothing to do with softness or weakness, but on the contrary with steadfastness. The important means through which people come to conversion is definitely through this characteristic. He who is gentle resembles the Lord Jesus.

God grants people repentance “leading to the knowledge of the truth”, by bringing them into connection with His Son. Paul uses the expression “if perhaps”, because he knows that only God can grant repentance and is sovereign in it. He leaves the result to God. Again you see that the responsibility of the servant and the sovereignty of God don’t exclude one another.

In the Lord Jesus, Who is the truth (John 14:6), it is seen what the truth is about both God and man. He who gains insight into Him, gains insight into the truth.

2 Timothy 2:26. By bringing Him to attention the opponents may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil. Here it is not about unbelieving people in general, but about those who profess to know God, but have been taken captive in the snare of the devil. They participate in distorting God’s Word and teach wrong things about the Lord Jesus. As captives of the devil they do his will. They seek to proclaim the lie. They are blinded by the devil in such a way that they think are telling the truth (cf. John 16:2).

Here it is about the conversion of professing Christians. Only when they repent they will acknowledge the full truth and reject the verisimilitude that they have preached. Up till that moment they live in an infatuation, an illusion, while they think that they bring the right doctrine. Through repentance they will “come to their senses”, so that they may see and think clearly to do the will of God.

Now read 2 Timothy 2:22-26 again.

Reflection: Which positive and which negative orders do you receive here?

Hebrews 7:5

Flee, Pursue, Correct

2 Timothy 2:22. Before you rush out to “pursue …”, it is being made clear to you what you should really be aware of: you have to deal with “youthful lusts”. You may think that this refers to sexual lusts. That surely have to do with it, but that is certainly not limited to it and I also do not think that that’s the main point. It is the lusts that are characteristic to youth. Here you have to think about assertiveness, wanting to be heard, desiring to be of importance.

One of the clear marks with young zealous believers is a sharp eye for other people’s faults, while they themselves have only a very limited knowledge of their own heart. If you notice that assertiveness determines your actions you must flee, leave the situation before you make mistakes (cf. Genesis 39:12; 1 Timothy 6:11; 1 Corinthians 6:18; 1 Corinthians 10:14). Recognize that you do not yet know yourself very well and that you do not have the spiritual maturity to say or do something in certain cases, even if you should have the right view in a situation.

With this mind you may do something positive. To abstain on the one hand is essential, but negative. Therefore you should on the other hand pursue what is in accordance with the Lord: 1. In the first place that is “righteousness”, that is a way of doing what is right before God and men. 2. Also “faith” or confidence of faith is a crucial characteristic when everything around you is in confusion and the only hold are the Lord and His Word. 3. To this is added “love”. Without love in your heart righteousness and faith become expressions of a legalistic spirit. 4. Finally it is said that you should pursue “peace”. You do not seek to quarrel, but you want to be a peace maker.

And in case you may think that you have to do all this by yourself alone, then you hear at the end of 2 Timothy 2:22 that that is a mistake. You will never in Scripture find the command to be a Christian on your own. Abstaining from vessels to dishonor is essential. If you limit yourself to that, it will lead you to Pharisee-ism, an attitude of ‘I am holier than you are’. Therefore you should join “those who call on the Lord from a pure heart”.

With the help of the Lord you will be able to discern whether the other person has a pure heart, just like the other is to discern whether that is also the case with you. Therefore you should talk with one another. Let Christ and His work and Word be the subject and it will become clear whether He is being called on from a pure heart.

2 Timothy 2:23. After having spoken about calling on the Lord from a pure heart you can certainly sense that “foolish and ignorant speculations” are clearly the opposite of that. Discussions and disputes are being organized for amusing of audiences that even chose a winner for that. Most of the time that doesn’t bring people closer together, but makes the gap even bigger. The disputes are not settled, division only increases more and more. These disputes are often about nothing. It is just useless, undisciplined squabbling.

Such questions do not come from a pure heart, but from someone who follows his own thoughts and will. Don’t expose yourself to them, don’t even listen to them, but “refuse” them. If you enter into disputes you will participate in producing quarrels.

2 Timothy 2:24. Producing quarrels and quarrelling yourself is just something you as a bond-servant of the Lord ought not to do. Instead of feeding an arguing spirit you ought to be “kind” and meek to all without distinction. If you are kind you will not repulse people, but on the contrary attract them. Kindness is an attitude that arouses confidence.

It is also important that a bond-servant of the Lord in a position like that of Timothy is able to teach others. A bond-servant of the Lord gives clear teachings, it is not difficult to understand him and he doesn’t use fuzzy or mysterious words. Another significant characteristic of a bond-servant of the Lord is his ‘patience’. He endures the wrong that people cause him or speak about him, without becoming impatient or rebellious.

2 Timothy 2:25. That he rejects quarrels doesn’t mean that he rejects the person. The opponent of the truth is a person that is to be won for the Lord. Therefore he will not want to correct the opponents in a snappy tone, but “with gentleness”. This is a characteristic of the Lord Jesus (Matthew 11:29) and therefore has nothing to do with softness or weakness, but on the contrary with steadfastness. The important means through which people come to conversion is definitely through this characteristic. He who is gentle resembles the Lord Jesus.

God grants people repentance “leading to the knowledge of the truth”, by bringing them into connection with His Son. Paul uses the expression “if perhaps”, because he knows that only God can grant repentance and is sovereign in it. He leaves the result to God. Again you see that the responsibility of the servant and the sovereignty of God don’t exclude one another.

In the Lord Jesus, Who is the truth (John 14:6), it is seen what the truth is about both God and man. He who gains insight into Him, gains insight into the truth.

2 Timothy 2:26. By bringing Him to attention the opponents may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil. Here it is not about unbelieving people in general, but about those who profess to know God, but have been taken captive in the snare of the devil. They participate in distorting God’s Word and teach wrong things about the Lord Jesus. As captives of the devil they do his will. They seek to proclaim the lie. They are blinded by the devil in such a way that they think are telling the truth (cf. John 16:2).

Here it is about the conversion of professing Christians. Only when they repent they will acknowledge the full truth and reject the verisimilitude that they have preached. Up till that moment they live in an infatuation, an illusion, while they think that they bring the right doctrine. Through repentance they will “come to their senses”, so that they may see and think clearly to do the will of God.

Now read 2 Timothy 2:22-26 again.

Reflection: Which positive and which negative orders do you receive here?

Hebrews 7:7

Last Days and Difficult Times

2 Timothy 3:1. To do the will of God the circumstances are not particularly favorable. Paul wants you to realize that we live in the “last days” and that the times in these days will be ”difficult”. With ‘last days’ is indicated that we have come to the closing stages of the era of the church as a testimony on earth. With “difficult times” it is indicated that you do not see any more directly a clear distinction between true Christians and those who are that only by name. The devil will do everything to make as many Christians as possible to become unfaithful to the Lord. He will as he always did tempt Christians to sin, but he will make maximum efforts to introduce worldly elements into Christian living.

2 Timothy 3:2-4. That appears from the list of characteristics that Paul summarizes after this. If you compare this list with the list in Romans 1 (Romans 1:29-32) you will see a great similarity. Only in Romans 1 it is about characteristics of people who live without God, while here the characteristics are written of people who profess to be in relationship with God. In that way you see that the devil seeks to undermine the Christian testimony by introducing worldly elements in order to make it nothing more than an empty case. In that way the same degeneration that existed among the Gentiles will appear again under the cloak of Christendom. The result of this is that to the sins of Romans 1 the sin of hypocrisy is added.

Going down the list, you can see how numerous the forms are in which evil comes to expression among religious people. We don’t need to dwell too long on each expression. Do try to be honest with yourself and confess before the Lord the things you recognize in your own life and ask His help to stop doing or being that way.

1. The list starts tellingly with “lovers of self”. 2. The next is “lovers of money”, materialism. 3. When they open their mouth they appear to be “boastful”. 4. What they say shows that they are “arrogant”. 5. “Revilers” speak evil, bad things about others to harm them. 6. They have no respect for their father and mother but are “disobedient to parents”.

It demonstrates the degeneration of the family life. 7. These people are also “ungrateful”, an attitude that takes everything for granted and demands to be served any time. It is the blown up feeling of being entitled to anything I want and don’t need to thank anyone for it. 8. Such people often live an “unholy” life, a life that is filled with uncleanness and ungodliness. 9. They are “unloving”. There is no mention of love with them.

They even lack natural love, which can lead to homosexual relationships. 10. They are also “irreconcilable”. They cannot tolerate anyone else and are not willing to forgive anybody. 11. They love to put other people in a bad light which they show by “malicious gossips”. 12. “Self-control” is a strange matter to them, there is no self-restraint, 13. whereby they do not shun “brutal” behavior in words and deeds. 14. That’s because in their life they show to be “haters of good”. They have no eye and no taste for the good.

They act almost like robots. There is almost nothing really human in their performance. 15. “Treacherous” people are willing to commit treason. Judas is an example of that (Luke 6:16; cf. Acts 7:52). 16. Without considering the consequences they speak and act “reckless”. It is no use to warn them. 17. “Conceited” as they are they are themselves the center of their thinking. 18.

It is therefore not surprising that the list concludes with the absolutely lowest point: “lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God”. The love for God has totally been driven out by the love for pleasure.

The whole list describes a life that only consists of the pursuit of selfish goals, whereby the rights of God are totally ignored.

2 Timothy 3:5. It is all about instruments of the enemy that give the appearance that they live in fear for God. But it is only a form (Matthew 23:25). Their life does not radiate the power of a life with God. They even deny that God is able to give them some strength. They keep the Word of God that is living and powerful closed. They have their own ideas about God. God is for them Someone Who supplies their need, while they count on themselves when it comes to the fulfillment of those needs. In fact they are God themselves. You cannot afford to remain in contact with such people. You are not to argue with them, but you ought to obey God and avoid them.

2 Timothy 3:6. Such a company is an ideal place for those who creep in, people who say and teach wrong things to undermine the testimony of God. It is often women by whom the false teachings are spread. Generally speaking, women are more emotional by nature than men. There is nothing wrong about that and that doesn’t automatically have to lead to a way of acting as it is described here. It is not surprising that John writes his second letter, concerning false teachings, to a woman (2 John 1:1). She is supposed to recognize a false teacher.

But if emotion rules a woman and if she also lives in sin – driven therein by a depraved heart – false teachers will find in her a willing tool. The false teacher only needs to flatter her to win her for himself. He can then manipulate her in such a way that she becomes a propagator of his false teachings.

2 Timothy 3:7. They are women who indeed want to learn. They always hunger for new teachings. But instead of “to come to the knowledge of truth” they deviate further and further away from the truth. They are always searching, but never come to a firm conviction. Nowadays there are many new teachings that respond and adapt to the desire after a spiritual life. These teachings consist of a gospel without the cross, without a crucified and risen Christ.

The cause that a person cannot come to the knowledge of the truth often is due to the fact that one does not subject oneself to the truth, but wants to subject the truth to oneself, to set it to one’s own will and feelings.. Then the emotion determines the standard of truth. When it feels good, it is true. But to come to the knowledge of the truth there must first be a living relation with the Lord Jesus.

Now read 2 Timothy 3:1-7 again.

Reflection: Which warnings do you find for yourself in this section?

Hebrews 7:8

Last Days and Difficult Times

2 Timothy 3:1. To do the will of God the circumstances are not particularly favorable. Paul wants you to realize that we live in the “last days” and that the times in these days will be ”difficult”. With ‘last days’ is indicated that we have come to the closing stages of the era of the church as a testimony on earth. With “difficult times” it is indicated that you do not see any more directly a clear distinction between true Christians and those who are that only by name. The devil will do everything to make as many Christians as possible to become unfaithful to the Lord. He will as he always did tempt Christians to sin, but he will make maximum efforts to introduce worldly elements into Christian living.

2 Timothy 3:2-4. That appears from the list of characteristics that Paul summarizes after this. If you compare this list with the list in Romans 1 (Romans 1:29-32) you will see a great similarity. Only in Romans 1 it is about characteristics of people who live without God, while here the characteristics are written of people who profess to be in relationship with God. In that way you see that the devil seeks to undermine the Christian testimony by introducing worldly elements in order to make it nothing more than an empty case. In that way the same degeneration that existed among the Gentiles will appear again under the cloak of Christendom. The result of this is that to the sins of Romans 1 the sin of hypocrisy is added.

Going down the list, you can see how numerous the forms are in which evil comes to expression among religious people. We don’t need to dwell too long on each expression. Do try to be honest with yourself and confess before the Lord the things you recognize in your own life and ask His help to stop doing or being that way.

1. The list starts tellingly with “lovers of self”. 2. The next is “lovers of money”, materialism. 3. When they open their mouth they appear to be “boastful”. 4. What they say shows that they are “arrogant”. 5. “Revilers” speak evil, bad things about others to harm them. 6. They have no respect for their father and mother but are “disobedient to parents”.

It demonstrates the degeneration of the family life. 7. These people are also “ungrateful”, an attitude that takes everything for granted and demands to be served any time. It is the blown up feeling of being entitled to anything I want and don’t need to thank anyone for it. 8. Such people often live an “unholy” life, a life that is filled with uncleanness and ungodliness. 9. They are “unloving”. There is no mention of love with them.

They even lack natural love, which can lead to homosexual relationships. 10. They are also “irreconcilable”. They cannot tolerate anyone else and are not willing to forgive anybody. 11. They love to put other people in a bad light which they show by “malicious gossips”. 12. “Self-control” is a strange matter to them, there is no self-restraint, 13. whereby they do not shun “brutal” behavior in words and deeds. 14. That’s because in their life they show to be “haters of good”. They have no eye and no taste for the good.

They act almost like robots. There is almost nothing really human in their performance. 15. “Treacherous” people are willing to commit treason. Judas is an example of that (Luke 6:16; cf. Acts 7:52). 16. Without considering the consequences they speak and act “reckless”. It is no use to warn them. 17. “Conceited” as they are they are themselves the center of their thinking. 18.

It is therefore not surprising that the list concludes with the absolutely lowest point: “lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God”. The love for God has totally been driven out by the love for pleasure.

The whole list describes a life that only consists of the pursuit of selfish goals, whereby the rights of God are totally ignored.

2 Timothy 3:5. It is all about instruments of the enemy that give the appearance that they live in fear for God. But it is only a form (Matthew 23:25). Their life does not radiate the power of a life with God. They even deny that God is able to give them some strength. They keep the Word of God that is living and powerful closed. They have their own ideas about God. God is for them Someone Who supplies their need, while they count on themselves when it comes to the fulfillment of those needs. In fact they are God themselves. You cannot afford to remain in contact with such people. You are not to argue with them, but you ought to obey God and avoid them.

2 Timothy 3:6. Such a company is an ideal place for those who creep in, people who say and teach wrong things to undermine the testimony of God. It is often women by whom the false teachings are spread. Generally speaking, women are more emotional by nature than men. There is nothing wrong about that and that doesn’t automatically have to lead to a way of acting as it is described here. It is not surprising that John writes his second letter, concerning false teachings, to a woman (2 John 1:1). She is supposed to recognize a false teacher.

But if emotion rules a woman and if she also lives in sin – driven therein by a depraved heart – false teachers will find in her a willing tool. The false teacher only needs to flatter her to win her for himself. He can then manipulate her in such a way that she becomes a propagator of his false teachings.

2 Timothy 3:7. They are women who indeed want to learn. They always hunger for new teachings. But instead of “to come to the knowledge of truth” they deviate further and further away from the truth. They are always searching, but never come to a firm conviction. Nowadays there are many new teachings that respond and adapt to the desire after a spiritual life. These teachings consist of a gospel without the cross, without a crucified and risen Christ.

The cause that a person cannot come to the knowledge of the truth often is due to the fact that one does not subject oneself to the truth, but wants to subject the truth to oneself, to set it to one’s own will and feelings.. Then the emotion determines the standard of truth. When it feels good, it is true. But to come to the knowledge of the truth there must first be a living relation with the Lord Jesus.

Now read 2 Timothy 3:1-7 again.

Reflection: Which warnings do you find for yourself in this section?

Hebrews 7:9

Last Days and Difficult Times

2 Timothy 3:1. To do the will of God the circumstances are not particularly favorable. Paul wants you to realize that we live in the “last days” and that the times in these days will be ”difficult”. With ‘last days’ is indicated that we have come to the closing stages of the era of the church as a testimony on earth. With “difficult times” it is indicated that you do not see any more directly a clear distinction between true Christians and those who are that only by name. The devil will do everything to make as many Christians as possible to become unfaithful to the Lord. He will as he always did tempt Christians to sin, but he will make maximum efforts to introduce worldly elements into Christian living.

2 Timothy 3:2-4. That appears from the list of characteristics that Paul summarizes after this. If you compare this list with the list in Romans 1 (Romans 1:29-32) you will see a great similarity. Only in Romans 1 it is about characteristics of people who live without God, while here the characteristics are written of people who profess to be in relationship with God. In that way you see that the devil seeks to undermine the Christian testimony by introducing worldly elements in order to make it nothing more than an empty case. In that way the same degeneration that existed among the Gentiles will appear again under the cloak of Christendom. The result of this is that to the sins of Romans 1 the sin of hypocrisy is added.

Going down the list, you can see how numerous the forms are in which evil comes to expression among religious people. We don’t need to dwell too long on each expression. Do try to be honest with yourself and confess before the Lord the things you recognize in your own life and ask His help to stop doing or being that way.

1. The list starts tellingly with “lovers of self”. 2. The next is “lovers of money”, materialism. 3. When they open their mouth they appear to be “boastful”. 4. What they say shows that they are “arrogant”. 5. “Revilers” speak evil, bad things about others to harm them. 6. They have no respect for their father and mother but are “disobedient to parents”.

It demonstrates the degeneration of the family life. 7. These people are also “ungrateful”, an attitude that takes everything for granted and demands to be served any time. It is the blown up feeling of being entitled to anything I want and don’t need to thank anyone for it. 8. Such people often live an “unholy” life, a life that is filled with uncleanness and ungodliness. 9. They are “unloving”. There is no mention of love with them.

They even lack natural love, which can lead to homosexual relationships. 10. They are also “irreconcilable”. They cannot tolerate anyone else and are not willing to forgive anybody. 11. They love to put other people in a bad light which they show by “malicious gossips”. 12. “Self-control” is a strange matter to them, there is no self-restraint, 13. whereby they do not shun “brutal” behavior in words and deeds. 14. That’s because in their life they show to be “haters of good”. They have no eye and no taste for the good.

They act almost like robots. There is almost nothing really human in their performance. 15. “Treacherous” people are willing to commit treason. Judas is an example of that (Luke 6:16; cf. Acts 7:52). 16. Without considering the consequences they speak and act “reckless”. It is no use to warn them. 17. “Conceited” as they are they are themselves the center of their thinking. 18.

It is therefore not surprising that the list concludes with the absolutely lowest point: “lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God”. The love for God has totally been driven out by the love for pleasure.

The whole list describes a life that only consists of the pursuit of selfish goals, whereby the rights of God are totally ignored.

2 Timothy 3:5. It is all about instruments of the enemy that give the appearance that they live in fear for God. But it is only a form (Matthew 23:25). Their life does not radiate the power of a life with God. They even deny that God is able to give them some strength. They keep the Word of God that is living and powerful closed. They have their own ideas about God. God is for them Someone Who supplies their need, while they count on themselves when it comes to the fulfillment of those needs. In fact they are God themselves. You cannot afford to remain in contact with such people. You are not to argue with them, but you ought to obey God and avoid them.

2 Timothy 3:6. Such a company is an ideal place for those who creep in, people who say and teach wrong things to undermine the testimony of God. It is often women by whom the false teachings are spread. Generally speaking, women are more emotional by nature than men. There is nothing wrong about that and that doesn’t automatically have to lead to a way of acting as it is described here. It is not surprising that John writes his second letter, concerning false teachings, to a woman (2 John 1:1). She is supposed to recognize a false teacher.

But if emotion rules a woman and if she also lives in sin – driven therein by a depraved heart – false teachers will find in her a willing tool. The false teacher only needs to flatter her to win her for himself. He can then manipulate her in such a way that she becomes a propagator of his false teachings.

2 Timothy 3:7. They are women who indeed want to learn. They always hunger for new teachings. But instead of “to come to the knowledge of truth” they deviate further and further away from the truth. They are always searching, but never come to a firm conviction. Nowadays there are many new teachings that respond and adapt to the desire after a spiritual life. These teachings consist of a gospel without the cross, without a crucified and risen Christ.

The cause that a person cannot come to the knowledge of the truth often is due to the fact that one does not subject oneself to the truth, but wants to subject the truth to oneself, to set it to one’s own will and feelings.. Then the emotion determines the standard of truth. When it feels good, it is true. But to come to the knowledge of the truth there must first be a living relation with the Lord Jesus.

Now read 2 Timothy 3:1-7 again.

Reflection: Which warnings do you find for yourself in this section?

Hebrews 7:10

Last Days and Difficult Times

2 Timothy 3:1. To do the will of God the circumstances are not particularly favorable. Paul wants you to realize that we live in the “last days” and that the times in these days will be ”difficult”. With ‘last days’ is indicated that we have come to the closing stages of the era of the church as a testimony on earth. With “difficult times” it is indicated that you do not see any more directly a clear distinction between true Christians and those who are that only by name. The devil will do everything to make as many Christians as possible to become unfaithful to the Lord. He will as he always did tempt Christians to sin, but he will make maximum efforts to introduce worldly elements into Christian living.

2 Timothy 3:2-4. That appears from the list of characteristics that Paul summarizes after this. If you compare this list with the list in Romans 1 (Romans 1:29-32) you will see a great similarity. Only in Romans 1 it is about characteristics of people who live without God, while here the characteristics are written of people who profess to be in relationship with God. In that way you see that the devil seeks to undermine the Christian testimony by introducing worldly elements in order to make it nothing more than an empty case. In that way the same degeneration that existed among the Gentiles will appear again under the cloak of Christendom. The result of this is that to the sins of Romans 1 the sin of hypocrisy is added.

Going down the list, you can see how numerous the forms are in which evil comes to expression among religious people. We don’t need to dwell too long on each expression. Do try to be honest with yourself and confess before the Lord the things you recognize in your own life and ask His help to stop doing or being that way.

1. The list starts tellingly with “lovers of self”. 2. The next is “lovers of money”, materialism. 3. When they open their mouth they appear to be “boastful”. 4. What they say shows that they are “arrogant”. 5. “Revilers” speak evil, bad things about others to harm them. 6. They have no respect for their father and mother but are “disobedient to parents”.

It demonstrates the degeneration of the family life. 7. These people are also “ungrateful”, an attitude that takes everything for granted and demands to be served any time. It is the blown up feeling of being entitled to anything I want and don’t need to thank anyone for it. 8. Such people often live an “unholy” life, a life that is filled with uncleanness and ungodliness. 9. They are “unloving”. There is no mention of love with them.

They even lack natural love, which can lead to homosexual relationships. 10. They are also “irreconcilable”. They cannot tolerate anyone else and are not willing to forgive anybody. 11. They love to put other people in a bad light which they show by “malicious gossips”. 12. “Self-control” is a strange matter to them, there is no self-restraint, 13. whereby they do not shun “brutal” behavior in words and deeds. 14. That’s because in their life they show to be “haters of good”. They have no eye and no taste for the good.

They act almost like robots. There is almost nothing really human in their performance. 15. “Treacherous” people are willing to commit treason. Judas is an example of that (Luke 6:16; cf. Acts 7:52). 16. Without considering the consequences they speak and act “reckless”. It is no use to warn them. 17. “Conceited” as they are they are themselves the center of their thinking. 18.

It is therefore not surprising that the list concludes with the absolutely lowest point: “lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God”. The love for God has totally been driven out by the love for pleasure.

The whole list describes a life that only consists of the pursuit of selfish goals, whereby the rights of God are totally ignored.

2 Timothy 3:5. It is all about instruments of the enemy that give the appearance that they live in fear for God. But it is only a form (Matthew 23:25). Their life does not radiate the power of a life with God. They even deny that God is able to give them some strength. They keep the Word of God that is living and powerful closed. They have their own ideas about God. God is for them Someone Who supplies their need, while they count on themselves when it comes to the fulfillment of those needs. In fact they are God themselves. You cannot afford to remain in contact with such people. You are not to argue with them, but you ought to obey God and avoid them.

2 Timothy 3:6. Such a company is an ideal place for those who creep in, people who say and teach wrong things to undermine the testimony of God. It is often women by whom the false teachings are spread. Generally speaking, women are more emotional by nature than men. There is nothing wrong about that and that doesn’t automatically have to lead to a way of acting as it is described here. It is not surprising that John writes his second letter, concerning false teachings, to a woman (2 John 1:1). She is supposed to recognize a false teacher.

But if emotion rules a woman and if she also lives in sin – driven therein by a depraved heart – false teachers will find in her a willing tool. The false teacher only needs to flatter her to win her for himself. He can then manipulate her in such a way that she becomes a propagator of his false teachings.

2 Timothy 3:7. They are women who indeed want to learn. They always hunger for new teachings. But instead of “to come to the knowledge of truth” they deviate further and further away from the truth. They are always searching, but never come to a firm conviction. Nowadays there are many new teachings that respond and adapt to the desire after a spiritual life. These teachings consist of a gospel without the cross, without a crucified and risen Christ.

The cause that a person cannot come to the knowledge of the truth often is due to the fact that one does not subject oneself to the truth, but wants to subject the truth to oneself, to set it to one’s own will and feelings.. Then the emotion determines the standard of truth. When it feels good, it is true. But to come to the knowledge of the truth there must first be a living relation with the Lord Jesus.

Now read 2 Timothy 3:1-7 again.

Reflection: Which warnings do you find for yourself in this section?

Hebrews 7:11

Last Days and Difficult Times

2 Timothy 3:1. To do the will of God the circumstances are not particularly favorable. Paul wants you to realize that we live in the “last days” and that the times in these days will be ”difficult”. With ‘last days’ is indicated that we have come to the closing stages of the era of the church as a testimony on earth. With “difficult times” it is indicated that you do not see any more directly a clear distinction between true Christians and those who are that only by name. The devil will do everything to make as many Christians as possible to become unfaithful to the Lord. He will as he always did tempt Christians to sin, but he will make maximum efforts to introduce worldly elements into Christian living.

2 Timothy 3:2-4. That appears from the list of characteristics that Paul summarizes after this. If you compare this list with the list in Romans 1 (Romans 1:29-32) you will see a great similarity. Only in Romans 1 it is about characteristics of people who live without God, while here the characteristics are written of people who profess to be in relationship with God. In that way you see that the devil seeks to undermine the Christian testimony by introducing worldly elements in order to make it nothing more than an empty case. In that way the same degeneration that existed among the Gentiles will appear again under the cloak of Christendom. The result of this is that to the sins of Romans 1 the sin of hypocrisy is added.

Going down the list, you can see how numerous the forms are in which evil comes to expression among religious people. We don’t need to dwell too long on each expression. Do try to be honest with yourself and confess before the Lord the things you recognize in your own life and ask His help to stop doing or being that way.

1. The list starts tellingly with “lovers of self”. 2. The next is “lovers of money”, materialism. 3. When they open their mouth they appear to be “boastful”. 4. What they say shows that they are “arrogant”. 5. “Revilers” speak evil, bad things about others to harm them. 6. They have no respect for their father and mother but are “disobedient to parents”.

It demonstrates the degeneration of the family life. 7. These people are also “ungrateful”, an attitude that takes everything for granted and demands to be served any time. It is the blown up feeling of being entitled to anything I want and don’t need to thank anyone for it. 8. Such people often live an “unholy” life, a life that is filled with uncleanness and ungodliness. 9. They are “unloving”. There is no mention of love with them.

They even lack natural love, which can lead to homosexual relationships. 10. They are also “irreconcilable”. They cannot tolerate anyone else and are not willing to forgive anybody. 11. They love to put other people in a bad light which they show by “malicious gossips”. 12. “Self-control” is a strange matter to them, there is no self-restraint, 13. whereby they do not shun “brutal” behavior in words and deeds. 14. That’s because in their life they show to be “haters of good”. They have no eye and no taste for the good.

They act almost like robots. There is almost nothing really human in their performance. 15. “Treacherous” people are willing to commit treason. Judas is an example of that (Luke 6:16; cf. Acts 7:52). 16. Without considering the consequences they speak and act “reckless”. It is no use to warn them. 17. “Conceited” as they are they are themselves the center of their thinking. 18.

It is therefore not surprising that the list concludes with the absolutely lowest point: “lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God”. The love for God has totally been driven out by the love for pleasure.

The whole list describes a life that only consists of the pursuit of selfish goals, whereby the rights of God are totally ignored.

2 Timothy 3:5. It is all about instruments of the enemy that give the appearance that they live in fear for God. But it is only a form (Matthew 23:25). Their life does not radiate the power of a life with God. They even deny that God is able to give them some strength. They keep the Word of God that is living and powerful closed. They have their own ideas about God. God is for them Someone Who supplies their need, while they count on themselves when it comes to the fulfillment of those needs. In fact they are God themselves. You cannot afford to remain in contact with such people. You are not to argue with them, but you ought to obey God and avoid them.

2 Timothy 3:6. Such a company is an ideal place for those who creep in, people who say and teach wrong things to undermine the testimony of God. It is often women by whom the false teachings are spread. Generally speaking, women are more emotional by nature than men. There is nothing wrong about that and that doesn’t automatically have to lead to a way of acting as it is described here. It is not surprising that John writes his second letter, concerning false teachings, to a woman (2 John 1:1). She is supposed to recognize a false teacher.

But if emotion rules a woman and if she also lives in sin – driven therein by a depraved heart – false teachers will find in her a willing tool. The false teacher only needs to flatter her to win her for himself. He can then manipulate her in such a way that she becomes a propagator of his false teachings.

2 Timothy 3:7. They are women who indeed want to learn. They always hunger for new teachings. But instead of “to come to the knowledge of truth” they deviate further and further away from the truth. They are always searching, but never come to a firm conviction. Nowadays there are many new teachings that respond and adapt to the desire after a spiritual life. These teachings consist of a gospel without the cross, without a crucified and risen Christ.

The cause that a person cannot come to the knowledge of the truth often is due to the fact that one does not subject oneself to the truth, but wants to subject the truth to oneself, to set it to one’s own will and feelings.. Then the emotion determines the standard of truth. When it feels good, it is true. But to come to the knowledge of the truth there must first be a living relation with the Lord Jesus.

Now read 2 Timothy 3:1-7 again.

Reflection: Which warnings do you find for yourself in this section?

Hebrews 7:12

Last Days and Difficult Times

2 Timothy 3:1. To do the will of God the circumstances are not particularly favorable. Paul wants you to realize that we live in the “last days” and that the times in these days will be ”difficult”. With ‘last days’ is indicated that we have come to the closing stages of the era of the church as a testimony on earth. With “difficult times” it is indicated that you do not see any more directly a clear distinction between true Christians and those who are that only by name. The devil will do everything to make as many Christians as possible to become unfaithful to the Lord. He will as he always did tempt Christians to sin, but he will make maximum efforts to introduce worldly elements into Christian living.

2 Timothy 3:2-4. That appears from the list of characteristics that Paul summarizes after this. If you compare this list with the list in Romans 1 (Romans 1:29-32) you will see a great similarity. Only in Romans 1 it is about characteristics of people who live without God, while here the characteristics are written of people who profess to be in relationship with God. In that way you see that the devil seeks to undermine the Christian testimony by introducing worldly elements in order to make it nothing more than an empty case. In that way the same degeneration that existed among the Gentiles will appear again under the cloak of Christendom. The result of this is that to the sins of Romans 1 the sin of hypocrisy is added.

Going down the list, you can see how numerous the forms are in which evil comes to expression among religious people. We don’t need to dwell too long on each expression. Do try to be honest with yourself and confess before the Lord the things you recognize in your own life and ask His help to stop doing or being that way.

1. The list starts tellingly with “lovers of self”. 2. The next is “lovers of money”, materialism. 3. When they open their mouth they appear to be “boastful”. 4. What they say shows that they are “arrogant”. 5. “Revilers” speak evil, bad things about others to harm them. 6. They have no respect for their father and mother but are “disobedient to parents”.

It demonstrates the degeneration of the family life. 7. These people are also “ungrateful”, an attitude that takes everything for granted and demands to be served any time. It is the blown up feeling of being entitled to anything I want and don’t need to thank anyone for it. 8. Such people often live an “unholy” life, a life that is filled with uncleanness and ungodliness. 9. They are “unloving”. There is no mention of love with them.

They even lack natural love, which can lead to homosexual relationships. 10. They are also “irreconcilable”. They cannot tolerate anyone else and are not willing to forgive anybody. 11. They love to put other people in a bad light which they show by “malicious gossips”. 12. “Self-control” is a strange matter to them, there is no self-restraint, 13. whereby they do not shun “brutal” behavior in words and deeds. 14. That’s because in their life they show to be “haters of good”. They have no eye and no taste for the good.

They act almost like robots. There is almost nothing really human in their performance. 15. “Treacherous” people are willing to commit treason. Judas is an example of that (Luke 6:16; cf. Acts 7:52). 16. Without considering the consequences they speak and act “reckless”. It is no use to warn them. 17. “Conceited” as they are they are themselves the center of their thinking. 18.

It is therefore not surprising that the list concludes with the absolutely lowest point: “lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God”. The love for God has totally been driven out by the love for pleasure.

The whole list describes a life that only consists of the pursuit of selfish goals, whereby the rights of God are totally ignored.

2 Timothy 3:5. It is all about instruments of the enemy that give the appearance that they live in fear for God. But it is only a form (Matthew 23:25). Their life does not radiate the power of a life with God. They even deny that God is able to give them some strength. They keep the Word of God that is living and powerful closed. They have their own ideas about God. God is for them Someone Who supplies their need, while they count on themselves when it comes to the fulfillment of those needs. In fact they are God themselves. You cannot afford to remain in contact with such people. You are not to argue with them, but you ought to obey God and avoid them.

2 Timothy 3:6. Such a company is an ideal place for those who creep in, people who say and teach wrong things to undermine the testimony of God. It is often women by whom the false teachings are spread. Generally speaking, women are more emotional by nature than men. There is nothing wrong about that and that doesn’t automatically have to lead to a way of acting as it is described here. It is not surprising that John writes his second letter, concerning false teachings, to a woman (2 John 1:1). She is supposed to recognize a false teacher.

But if emotion rules a woman and if she also lives in sin – driven therein by a depraved heart – false teachers will find in her a willing tool. The false teacher only needs to flatter her to win her for himself. He can then manipulate her in such a way that she becomes a propagator of his false teachings.

2 Timothy 3:7. They are women who indeed want to learn. They always hunger for new teachings. But instead of “to come to the knowledge of truth” they deviate further and further away from the truth. They are always searching, but never come to a firm conviction. Nowadays there are many new teachings that respond and adapt to the desire after a spiritual life. These teachings consist of a gospel without the cross, without a crucified and risen Christ.

The cause that a person cannot come to the knowledge of the truth often is due to the fact that one does not subject oneself to the truth, but wants to subject the truth to oneself, to set it to one’s own will and feelings.. Then the emotion determines the standard of truth. When it feels good, it is true. But to come to the knowledge of the truth there must first be a living relation with the Lord Jesus.

Now read 2 Timothy 3:1-7 again.

Reflection: Which warnings do you find for yourself in this section?

Hebrews 7:13

Last Days and Difficult Times

2 Timothy 3:1. To do the will of God the circumstances are not particularly favorable. Paul wants you to realize that we live in the “last days” and that the times in these days will be ”difficult”. With ‘last days’ is indicated that we have come to the closing stages of the era of the church as a testimony on earth. With “difficult times” it is indicated that you do not see any more directly a clear distinction between true Christians and those who are that only by name. The devil will do everything to make as many Christians as possible to become unfaithful to the Lord. He will as he always did tempt Christians to sin, but he will make maximum efforts to introduce worldly elements into Christian living.

2 Timothy 3:2-4. That appears from the list of characteristics that Paul summarizes after this. If you compare this list with the list in Romans 1 (Romans 1:29-32) you will see a great similarity. Only in Romans 1 it is about characteristics of people who live without God, while here the characteristics are written of people who profess to be in relationship with God. In that way you see that the devil seeks to undermine the Christian testimony by introducing worldly elements in order to make it nothing more than an empty case. In that way the same degeneration that existed among the Gentiles will appear again under the cloak of Christendom. The result of this is that to the sins of Romans 1 the sin of hypocrisy is added.

Going down the list, you can see how numerous the forms are in which evil comes to expression among religious people. We don’t need to dwell too long on each expression. Do try to be honest with yourself and confess before the Lord the things you recognize in your own life and ask His help to stop doing or being that way.

1. The list starts tellingly with “lovers of self”. 2. The next is “lovers of money”, materialism. 3. When they open their mouth they appear to be “boastful”. 4. What they say shows that they are “arrogant”. 5. “Revilers” speak evil, bad things about others to harm them. 6. They have no respect for their father and mother but are “disobedient to parents”.

It demonstrates the degeneration of the family life. 7. These people are also “ungrateful”, an attitude that takes everything for granted and demands to be served any time. It is the blown up feeling of being entitled to anything I want and don’t need to thank anyone for it. 8. Such people often live an “unholy” life, a life that is filled with uncleanness and ungodliness. 9. They are “unloving”. There is no mention of love with them.

They even lack natural love, which can lead to homosexual relationships. 10. They are also “irreconcilable”. They cannot tolerate anyone else and are not willing to forgive anybody. 11. They love to put other people in a bad light which they show by “malicious gossips”. 12. “Self-control” is a strange matter to them, there is no self-restraint, 13. whereby they do not shun “brutal” behavior in words and deeds. 14. That’s because in their life they show to be “haters of good”. They have no eye and no taste for the good.

They act almost like robots. There is almost nothing really human in their performance. 15. “Treacherous” people are willing to commit treason. Judas is an example of that (Luke 6:16; cf. Acts 7:52). 16. Without considering the consequences they speak and act “reckless”. It is no use to warn them. 17. “Conceited” as they are they are themselves the center of their thinking. 18.

It is therefore not surprising that the list concludes with the absolutely lowest point: “lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God”. The love for God has totally been driven out by the love for pleasure.

The whole list describes a life that only consists of the pursuit of selfish goals, whereby the rights of God are totally ignored.

2 Timothy 3:5. It is all about instruments of the enemy that give the appearance that they live in fear for God. But it is only a form (Matthew 23:25). Their life does not radiate the power of a life with God. They even deny that God is able to give them some strength. They keep the Word of God that is living and powerful closed. They have their own ideas about God. God is for them Someone Who supplies their need, while they count on themselves when it comes to the fulfillment of those needs. In fact they are God themselves. You cannot afford to remain in contact with such people. You are not to argue with them, but you ought to obey God and avoid them.

2 Timothy 3:6. Such a company is an ideal place for those who creep in, people who say and teach wrong things to undermine the testimony of God. It is often women by whom the false teachings are spread. Generally speaking, women are more emotional by nature than men. There is nothing wrong about that and that doesn’t automatically have to lead to a way of acting as it is described here. It is not surprising that John writes his second letter, concerning false teachings, to a woman (2 John 1:1). She is supposed to recognize a false teacher.

But if emotion rules a woman and if she also lives in sin – driven therein by a depraved heart – false teachers will find in her a willing tool. The false teacher only needs to flatter her to win her for himself. He can then manipulate her in such a way that she becomes a propagator of his false teachings.

2 Timothy 3:7. They are women who indeed want to learn. They always hunger for new teachings. But instead of “to come to the knowledge of truth” they deviate further and further away from the truth. They are always searching, but never come to a firm conviction. Nowadays there are many new teachings that respond and adapt to the desire after a spiritual life. These teachings consist of a gospel without the cross, without a crucified and risen Christ.

The cause that a person cannot come to the knowledge of the truth often is due to the fact that one does not subject oneself to the truth, but wants to subject the truth to oneself, to set it to one’s own will and feelings.. Then the emotion determines the standard of truth. When it feels good, it is true. But to come to the knowledge of the truth there must first be a living relation with the Lord Jesus.

Now read 2 Timothy 3:1-7 again.

Reflection: Which warnings do you find for yourself in this section?

Hebrews 7:14

You, However

2 Timothy 3:8. We are still in the section that describes the time where many people act outwardly as if they are Christians, but they are not inwardly. This is the result of the distortion of the truth. The truth is being imitated, but there is no inward relation with Christ Who is the truth. Imitation is possibly the strongest weapon of the devil. Paul quotes the example of two Egyptian magicians, of whom he seems to know the names, who were imitating Moses (Exodus 7:11; 22; Exodus 8:7). This performance of these magicians happened right before the departing of the people of God from Egypt.

That’s what is happening now also. We live in the last days, right before the rapture of the church out of the world where imitation Christians are being manifest more and more. The Lord Jesus has also warned us for people who will say that they are the Christ (Matthew 24:5; 23-24). In the last times signs and false wonders will happen that have the appearance that they come from God, but they come from the liar (2 Thessalonians 2:9; cf. Acts 2:22). John warns us: “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see, whether they are from God” (1 John 4:1). Testing the spirits is possible by taking Christ as touchstone. Ask them what they think about Him and test whether it is according to the Word.

The strategy of the devil is not new. Already in the time of Moses he used imitation. It even appeared as if he could claim some success. Indeed the magicians did imitate Moses, didn’t they? They didn’t fail, did they? No, but they practiced their magical acts out of resistance against Moses. Their goal was to keep the people of God in bondage. In the same way nowadays ‘Jannesses and Jambresses’ oppose the truth. They also respond with mockery to every reference of a soon rapture of the church out of the world (2 Peter 3:2-3).

That they are “men of depraved mind” is the result of opening their hearts for the devil and his evil powers. What they preach as faith comes from this source. It is only worth to be rejected, thrown away, without paying any further attention to it. It doesn’t offer any hope for today and no hope for the future.

2 Timothy 3:9. Sometimes it seems that these evil people can unstoppably go their way. Then you read here that God has determined a limit to their wicked performance, both in duration and in their deeds. The magicians in the days of Moses were exposed at the crucial moment of bringing forth life out of death (Exodus 8:18). Seeming Christians may boast on theological discoveries, but that has never made them able to give new life to a person. The scope of their deeds is limited. For faith, this makes the nonsensicality of these magicians completely obvious.

Also the end of their performance is approaching. You do not need to expect that the performance of ‘Christian magicians’ will slowly diminish. It will only become worse. But the end of the current age, the age of the church, is approaching. The folly of the deceivers and unbelievers will become completely clear when the Lord Jesus is revealed in glory.

2 Timothy 3:10. As long as we are on earth the Lord Jesus provides us with remedies to remain kept with Him. How that works you see in the example that Paul presents to Timothy of himself. The contrast between the ‘Christian magicians’ and what you see in Paul is enormous.

Paul addresses Timothy and points him to his own example, like the old Elijah took Elisha with him along several places to teach him (2 Kings 2:1-10). Elijah took Elisha by the hand and gave him understanding in the situation of the people. Therefore Elisha was able to approach the people in the spirit and strength of Elijah, with a double part of that of Elijah’s. Timothy is able to minister the church in the spirit and strength of Paul by observing how he did everything. Not that Paul says anything new to Timothy. He only reminds him of that, for Timothy has already followed or examined it. He did not follow Paul for no reason.

1. First of all Paul points at “my teaching”. Only he, the apostle, can say that. The teaching is the basis. Without teaching there can be no practice. 2. But Paul didn’t only teach, he can also point at his “conduct”.

He consistently practiced what he was passing on through his teaching. His life is based on his teaching. 3. Also in his “purpose” he was clear. He had no hidden purposes. He had a clear goal in mind which was not vague to Timothy. His purpose was to glorify God in everything whatever the cost was. 4.

From what he taught, in how he did and in his purpose his “faith” in and his faithfulness to the Lord appeared. With full confidence in Him Paul fulfilled his service. In doing so, he met hostility and was put to the test. 5. But precisely in that situation Timothy saw his “patience”. He didn’t respond irritated and didn’t repay evil for evil. 6. The hostility of the enemy revealed his “love” for the Lord and for those who are His. 7.

Also his “perseverance” or “steadfastness” was remarkable. All adversary and the fact that he was left alone didn’t make him depressed. He did not collapse because of the pressure, but he continued with what the Lord ordered him to do. 8. 2 Timothy 3:11. Everyone who opens his mouth with proclaiming the truth will suffer “persecutions”. That indicates the insecurity of freedom, having no place of rest because they are chasing you. 9. He also lost his freedom several times.

His enemies did not spare him, but made him “suffer” (2 Corinthians 11:24-25). He speaks particularly about three places he visited during his first mission trip (Acts 13:14-52; Acts 14:1-20).

Paul has suffered all those persecutions, but he doesn’t boast about that as if he has achieved something. The Lord receives the honor, for it was He Who rescued him “out of them all” (Psalms 34:19). ‘Out of them all’ shows that there is nothing that could stop Paul, no matter how severe the opposition was. ‘Out of them all’ also shows that Paul indeed endured it all and was not spared it.

2 Timothy 3:12. What is mentioned previously does not only apply to Paul but to all Christians “who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus”. If you live your life with reverence for God in fellowship with Christ Jesus you will also share in persecution. Persecution is not only literally being opposed and persecuted, but also not to be understood and to be despised. You experience that in any way you testify of the Lord. It doesn’t apply to all Christians. If you do not want to suffer reproach you simply should not make clear that you know the Lord. You should “desire” that. Persecution is only the part of faithful Christians.

2 Timothy 3:13. This persecution will not diminish, for “evil men and imposters will proceed [from] bad to worse”. The word ‘imposters’ is literally ‘magicians’. That may probably indicate the increase of occultism. You may have heard of Christians who seek their luck with magnetizers. They say that these people claim to have received this gift from God. In that way they deceive even Christians, while these people are being deceived themselves by the devil.

Mind you that these are ‘evil men’. They are instruments of the devil to whom they have delivered themselves. With all their nice talks they do not seek your luck, but your destruction.

2 Timothy 3:14. Then here comes a “you, however” (cf. 2 Timothy 3:10). This indicates the contrast with the previous verse. In that verse the environment where you find yourself is depicted, an environment that fully opposes God and His Word. To remain protected against that influence Paul gives Timothy an assurance. Timothy can trust in this assurance to remain steadfast in the truth and in the enjoyment of the salvation of God. He must continue in the things which he has learned and must not be involved with new teachings. There is nothing missing in what he has learned; for that reason there is also nothing to be improved.

He is also fully convinced of this because he has learned it from someone to whom it was directly made known through Divine inspiration and who has the authority of God to communicate it. Paul is a unique servant. What he has taught we have in God’s Word.

The teachers whom the Lord has given as a gift to His church do not bring new truths. They explain the truths of the apostles: truths that are written in God’s Word. Our source is not Calvin or Darby, but the Word of God. It is not necessary to empower your words by referring to certain teachers, however much you ought to appreciate them and how gifted they were or are.

2 Timothy 3:15. The second reason for Timothy to remain in the things which he had learned, are “the sacred writings” he has known “from childhood”. The words of the apostle are in no way in contrast to the writings of the Old Testament – those are ‘the sacred writings’ –, but are perfectly consistent with them. Timothy was taught by his mother and grandmother in them. This is an important instruction for parents to make their children known and familiar with the Scripture as early as possible in their childhood.

The Word has been put in writings so in that way God can use it as a permanent authority. Everything that is permanently of profit for the church has been written down in the Scriptures. It is also permanently profitable for your personal life of faith. You find everything you need in the Scripture “to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation”.

Without God’s Word you led a lost life. Through God’s Word you have come to faith in Christ Jesus. You have been saved for eternity. If you as a Christian lead a life without consulting God’s Word in everything, you will lead a lost life. Listening to the Scripture makes you wise to avoid all the traps of life and to arrive safely with the Lord.

Now read 2 Timothy 3:8-15 again.

Reflection: Which contrasts do you find in this portion?

Hebrews 7:15

You, However

2 Timothy 3:8. We are still in the section that describes the time where many people act outwardly as if they are Christians, but they are not inwardly. This is the result of the distortion of the truth. The truth is being imitated, but there is no inward relation with Christ Who is the truth. Imitation is possibly the strongest weapon of the devil. Paul quotes the example of two Egyptian magicians, of whom he seems to know the names, who were imitating Moses (Exodus 7:11; 22; Exodus 8:7). This performance of these magicians happened right before the departing of the people of God from Egypt.

That’s what is happening now also. We live in the last days, right before the rapture of the church out of the world where imitation Christians are being manifest more and more. The Lord Jesus has also warned us for people who will say that they are the Christ (Matthew 24:5; 23-24). In the last times signs and false wonders will happen that have the appearance that they come from God, but they come from the liar (2 Thessalonians 2:9; cf. Acts 2:22). John warns us: “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see, whether they are from God” (1 John 4:1). Testing the spirits is possible by taking Christ as touchstone. Ask them what they think about Him and test whether it is according to the Word.

The strategy of the devil is not new. Already in the time of Moses he used imitation. It even appeared as if he could claim some success. Indeed the magicians did imitate Moses, didn’t they? They didn’t fail, did they? No, but they practiced their magical acts out of resistance against Moses. Their goal was to keep the people of God in bondage. In the same way nowadays ‘Jannesses and Jambresses’ oppose the truth. They also respond with mockery to every reference of a soon rapture of the church out of the world (2 Peter 3:2-3).

That they are “men of depraved mind” is the result of opening their hearts for the devil and his evil powers. What they preach as faith comes from this source. It is only worth to be rejected, thrown away, without paying any further attention to it. It doesn’t offer any hope for today and no hope for the future.

2 Timothy 3:9. Sometimes it seems that these evil people can unstoppably go their way. Then you read here that God has determined a limit to their wicked performance, both in duration and in their deeds. The magicians in the days of Moses were exposed at the crucial moment of bringing forth life out of death (Exodus 8:18). Seeming Christians may boast on theological discoveries, but that has never made them able to give new life to a person. The scope of their deeds is limited. For faith, this makes the nonsensicality of these magicians completely obvious.

Also the end of their performance is approaching. You do not need to expect that the performance of ‘Christian magicians’ will slowly diminish. It will only become worse. But the end of the current age, the age of the church, is approaching. The folly of the deceivers and unbelievers will become completely clear when the Lord Jesus is revealed in glory.

2 Timothy 3:10. As long as we are on earth the Lord Jesus provides us with remedies to remain kept with Him. How that works you see in the example that Paul presents to Timothy of himself. The contrast between the ‘Christian magicians’ and what you see in Paul is enormous.

Paul addresses Timothy and points him to his own example, like the old Elijah took Elisha with him along several places to teach him (2 Kings 2:1-10). Elijah took Elisha by the hand and gave him understanding in the situation of the people. Therefore Elisha was able to approach the people in the spirit and strength of Elijah, with a double part of that of Elijah’s. Timothy is able to minister the church in the spirit and strength of Paul by observing how he did everything. Not that Paul says anything new to Timothy. He only reminds him of that, for Timothy has already followed or examined it. He did not follow Paul for no reason.

1. First of all Paul points at “my teaching”. Only he, the apostle, can say that. The teaching is the basis. Without teaching there can be no practice. 2. But Paul didn’t only teach, he can also point at his “conduct”.

He consistently practiced what he was passing on through his teaching. His life is based on his teaching. 3. Also in his “purpose” he was clear. He had no hidden purposes. He had a clear goal in mind which was not vague to Timothy. His purpose was to glorify God in everything whatever the cost was. 4.

From what he taught, in how he did and in his purpose his “faith” in and his faithfulness to the Lord appeared. With full confidence in Him Paul fulfilled his service. In doing so, he met hostility and was put to the test. 5. But precisely in that situation Timothy saw his “patience”. He didn’t respond irritated and didn’t repay evil for evil. 6. The hostility of the enemy revealed his “love” for the Lord and for those who are His. 7.

Also his “perseverance” or “steadfastness” was remarkable. All adversary and the fact that he was left alone didn’t make him depressed. He did not collapse because of the pressure, but he continued with what the Lord ordered him to do. 8. 2 Timothy 3:11. Everyone who opens his mouth with proclaiming the truth will suffer “persecutions”. That indicates the insecurity of freedom, having no place of rest because they are chasing you. 9. He also lost his freedom several times.

His enemies did not spare him, but made him “suffer” (2 Corinthians 11:24-25). He speaks particularly about three places he visited during his first mission trip (Acts 13:14-52; Acts 14:1-20).

Paul has suffered all those persecutions, but he doesn’t boast about that as if he has achieved something. The Lord receives the honor, for it was He Who rescued him “out of them all” (Psalms 34:19). ‘Out of them all’ shows that there is nothing that could stop Paul, no matter how severe the opposition was. ‘Out of them all’ also shows that Paul indeed endured it all and was not spared it.

2 Timothy 3:12. What is mentioned previously does not only apply to Paul but to all Christians “who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus”. If you live your life with reverence for God in fellowship with Christ Jesus you will also share in persecution. Persecution is not only literally being opposed and persecuted, but also not to be understood and to be despised. You experience that in any way you testify of the Lord. It doesn’t apply to all Christians. If you do not want to suffer reproach you simply should not make clear that you know the Lord. You should “desire” that. Persecution is only the part of faithful Christians.

2 Timothy 3:13. This persecution will not diminish, for “evil men and imposters will proceed [from] bad to worse”. The word ‘imposters’ is literally ‘magicians’. That may probably indicate the increase of occultism. You may have heard of Christians who seek their luck with magnetizers. They say that these people claim to have received this gift from God. In that way they deceive even Christians, while these people are being deceived themselves by the devil.

Mind you that these are ‘evil men’. They are instruments of the devil to whom they have delivered themselves. With all their nice talks they do not seek your luck, but your destruction.

2 Timothy 3:14. Then here comes a “you, however” (cf. 2 Timothy 3:10). This indicates the contrast with the previous verse. In that verse the environment where you find yourself is depicted, an environment that fully opposes God and His Word. To remain protected against that influence Paul gives Timothy an assurance. Timothy can trust in this assurance to remain steadfast in the truth and in the enjoyment of the salvation of God. He must continue in the things which he has learned and must not be involved with new teachings. There is nothing missing in what he has learned; for that reason there is also nothing to be improved.

He is also fully convinced of this because he has learned it from someone to whom it was directly made known through Divine inspiration and who has the authority of God to communicate it. Paul is a unique servant. What he has taught we have in God’s Word.

The teachers whom the Lord has given as a gift to His church do not bring new truths. They explain the truths of the apostles: truths that are written in God’s Word. Our source is not Calvin or Darby, but the Word of God. It is not necessary to empower your words by referring to certain teachers, however much you ought to appreciate them and how gifted they were or are.

2 Timothy 3:15. The second reason for Timothy to remain in the things which he had learned, are “the sacred writings” he has known “from childhood”. The words of the apostle are in no way in contrast to the writings of the Old Testament – those are ‘the sacred writings’ –, but are perfectly consistent with them. Timothy was taught by his mother and grandmother in them. This is an important instruction for parents to make their children known and familiar with the Scripture as early as possible in their childhood.

The Word has been put in writings so in that way God can use it as a permanent authority. Everything that is permanently of profit for the church has been written down in the Scriptures. It is also permanently profitable for your personal life of faith. You find everything you need in the Scripture “to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation”.

Without God’s Word you led a lost life. Through God’s Word you have come to faith in Christ Jesus. You have been saved for eternity. If you as a Christian lead a life without consulting God’s Word in everything, you will lead a lost life. Listening to the Scripture makes you wise to avoid all the traps of life and to arrive safely with the Lord.

Now read 2 Timothy 3:8-15 again.

Reflection: Which contrasts do you find in this portion?

Hebrews 7:16

You, However

2 Timothy 3:8. We are still in the section that describes the time where many people act outwardly as if they are Christians, but they are not inwardly. This is the result of the distortion of the truth. The truth is being imitated, but there is no inward relation with Christ Who is the truth. Imitation is possibly the strongest weapon of the devil. Paul quotes the example of two Egyptian magicians, of whom he seems to know the names, who were imitating Moses (Exodus 7:11; 22; Exodus 8:7). This performance of these magicians happened right before the departing of the people of God from Egypt.

That’s what is happening now also. We live in the last days, right before the rapture of the church out of the world where imitation Christians are being manifest more and more. The Lord Jesus has also warned us for people who will say that they are the Christ (Matthew 24:5; 23-24). In the last times signs and false wonders will happen that have the appearance that they come from God, but they come from the liar (2 Thessalonians 2:9; cf. Acts 2:22). John warns us: “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see, whether they are from God” (1 John 4:1). Testing the spirits is possible by taking Christ as touchstone. Ask them what they think about Him and test whether it is according to the Word.

The strategy of the devil is not new. Already in the time of Moses he used imitation. It even appeared as if he could claim some success. Indeed the magicians did imitate Moses, didn’t they? They didn’t fail, did they? No, but they practiced their magical acts out of resistance against Moses. Their goal was to keep the people of God in bondage. In the same way nowadays ‘Jannesses and Jambresses’ oppose the truth. They also respond with mockery to every reference of a soon rapture of the church out of the world (2 Peter 3:2-3).

That they are “men of depraved mind” is the result of opening their hearts for the devil and his evil powers. What they preach as faith comes from this source. It is only worth to be rejected, thrown away, without paying any further attention to it. It doesn’t offer any hope for today and no hope for the future.

2 Timothy 3:9. Sometimes it seems that these evil people can unstoppably go their way. Then you read here that God has determined a limit to their wicked performance, both in duration and in their deeds. The magicians in the days of Moses were exposed at the crucial moment of bringing forth life out of death (Exodus 8:18). Seeming Christians may boast on theological discoveries, but that has never made them able to give new life to a person. The scope of their deeds is limited. For faith, this makes the nonsensicality of these magicians completely obvious.

Also the end of their performance is approaching. You do not need to expect that the performance of ‘Christian magicians’ will slowly diminish. It will only become worse. But the end of the current age, the age of the church, is approaching. The folly of the deceivers and unbelievers will become completely clear when the Lord Jesus is revealed in glory.

2 Timothy 3:10. As long as we are on earth the Lord Jesus provides us with remedies to remain kept with Him. How that works you see in the example that Paul presents to Timothy of himself. The contrast between the ‘Christian magicians’ and what you see in Paul is enormous.

Paul addresses Timothy and points him to his own example, like the old Elijah took Elisha with him along several places to teach him (2 Kings 2:1-10). Elijah took Elisha by the hand and gave him understanding in the situation of the people. Therefore Elisha was able to approach the people in the spirit and strength of Elijah, with a double part of that of Elijah’s. Timothy is able to minister the church in the spirit and strength of Paul by observing how he did everything. Not that Paul says anything new to Timothy. He only reminds him of that, for Timothy has already followed or examined it. He did not follow Paul for no reason.

1. First of all Paul points at “my teaching”. Only he, the apostle, can say that. The teaching is the basis. Without teaching there can be no practice. 2. But Paul didn’t only teach, he can also point at his “conduct”.

He consistently practiced what he was passing on through his teaching. His life is based on his teaching. 3. Also in his “purpose” he was clear. He had no hidden purposes. He had a clear goal in mind which was not vague to Timothy. His purpose was to glorify God in everything whatever the cost was. 4.

From what he taught, in how he did and in his purpose his “faith” in and his faithfulness to the Lord appeared. With full confidence in Him Paul fulfilled his service. In doing so, he met hostility and was put to the test. 5. But precisely in that situation Timothy saw his “patience”. He didn’t respond irritated and didn’t repay evil for evil. 6. The hostility of the enemy revealed his “love” for the Lord and for those who are His. 7.

Also his “perseverance” or “steadfastness” was remarkable. All adversary and the fact that he was left alone didn’t make him depressed. He did not collapse because of the pressure, but he continued with what the Lord ordered him to do. 8. 2 Timothy 3:11. Everyone who opens his mouth with proclaiming the truth will suffer “persecutions”. That indicates the insecurity of freedom, having no place of rest because they are chasing you. 9. He also lost his freedom several times.

His enemies did not spare him, but made him “suffer” (2 Corinthians 11:24-25). He speaks particularly about three places he visited during his first mission trip (Acts 13:14-52; Acts 14:1-20).

Paul has suffered all those persecutions, but he doesn’t boast about that as if he has achieved something. The Lord receives the honor, for it was He Who rescued him “out of them all” (Psalms 34:19). ‘Out of them all’ shows that there is nothing that could stop Paul, no matter how severe the opposition was. ‘Out of them all’ also shows that Paul indeed endured it all and was not spared it.

2 Timothy 3:12. What is mentioned previously does not only apply to Paul but to all Christians “who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus”. If you live your life with reverence for God in fellowship with Christ Jesus you will also share in persecution. Persecution is not only literally being opposed and persecuted, but also not to be understood and to be despised. You experience that in any way you testify of the Lord. It doesn’t apply to all Christians. If you do not want to suffer reproach you simply should not make clear that you know the Lord. You should “desire” that. Persecution is only the part of faithful Christians.

2 Timothy 3:13. This persecution will not diminish, for “evil men and imposters will proceed [from] bad to worse”. The word ‘imposters’ is literally ‘magicians’. That may probably indicate the increase of occultism. You may have heard of Christians who seek their luck with magnetizers. They say that these people claim to have received this gift from God. In that way they deceive even Christians, while these people are being deceived themselves by the devil.

Mind you that these are ‘evil men’. They are instruments of the devil to whom they have delivered themselves. With all their nice talks they do not seek your luck, but your destruction.

2 Timothy 3:14. Then here comes a “you, however” (cf. 2 Timothy 3:10). This indicates the contrast with the previous verse. In that verse the environment where you find yourself is depicted, an environment that fully opposes God and His Word. To remain protected against that influence Paul gives Timothy an assurance. Timothy can trust in this assurance to remain steadfast in the truth and in the enjoyment of the salvation of God. He must continue in the things which he has learned and must not be involved with new teachings. There is nothing missing in what he has learned; for that reason there is also nothing to be improved.

He is also fully convinced of this because he has learned it from someone to whom it was directly made known through Divine inspiration and who has the authority of God to communicate it. Paul is a unique servant. What he has taught we have in God’s Word.

The teachers whom the Lord has given as a gift to His church do not bring new truths. They explain the truths of the apostles: truths that are written in God’s Word. Our source is not Calvin or Darby, but the Word of God. It is not necessary to empower your words by referring to certain teachers, however much you ought to appreciate them and how gifted they were or are.

2 Timothy 3:15. The second reason for Timothy to remain in the things which he had learned, are “the sacred writings” he has known “from childhood”. The words of the apostle are in no way in contrast to the writings of the Old Testament – those are ‘the sacred writings’ –, but are perfectly consistent with them. Timothy was taught by his mother and grandmother in them. This is an important instruction for parents to make their children known and familiar with the Scripture as early as possible in their childhood.

The Word has been put in writings so in that way God can use it as a permanent authority. Everything that is permanently of profit for the church has been written down in the Scriptures. It is also permanently profitable for your personal life of faith. You find everything you need in the Scripture “to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation”.

Without God’s Word you led a lost life. Through God’s Word you have come to faith in Christ Jesus. You have been saved for eternity. If you as a Christian lead a life without consulting God’s Word in everything, you will lead a lost life. Listening to the Scripture makes you wise to avoid all the traps of life and to arrive safely with the Lord.

Now read 2 Timothy 3:8-15 again.

Reflection: Which contrasts do you find in this portion?

Hebrews 7:17

You, However

2 Timothy 3:8. We are still in the section that describes the time where many people act outwardly as if they are Christians, but they are not inwardly. This is the result of the distortion of the truth. The truth is being imitated, but there is no inward relation with Christ Who is the truth. Imitation is possibly the strongest weapon of the devil. Paul quotes the example of two Egyptian magicians, of whom he seems to know the names, who were imitating Moses (Exodus 7:11; 22; Exodus 8:7). This performance of these magicians happened right before the departing of the people of God from Egypt.

That’s what is happening now also. We live in the last days, right before the rapture of the church out of the world where imitation Christians are being manifest more and more. The Lord Jesus has also warned us for people who will say that they are the Christ (Matthew 24:5; 23-24). In the last times signs and false wonders will happen that have the appearance that they come from God, but they come from the liar (2 Thessalonians 2:9; cf. Acts 2:22). John warns us: “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see, whether they are from God” (1 John 4:1). Testing the spirits is possible by taking Christ as touchstone. Ask them what they think about Him and test whether it is according to the Word.

The strategy of the devil is not new. Already in the time of Moses he used imitation. It even appeared as if he could claim some success. Indeed the magicians did imitate Moses, didn’t they? They didn’t fail, did they? No, but they practiced their magical acts out of resistance against Moses. Their goal was to keep the people of God in bondage. In the same way nowadays ‘Jannesses and Jambresses’ oppose the truth. They also respond with mockery to every reference of a soon rapture of the church out of the world (2 Peter 3:2-3).

That they are “men of depraved mind” is the result of opening their hearts for the devil and his evil powers. What they preach as faith comes from this source. It is only worth to be rejected, thrown away, without paying any further attention to it. It doesn’t offer any hope for today and no hope for the future.

2 Timothy 3:9. Sometimes it seems that these evil people can unstoppably go their way. Then you read here that God has determined a limit to their wicked performance, both in duration and in their deeds. The magicians in the days of Moses were exposed at the crucial moment of bringing forth life out of death (Exodus 8:18). Seeming Christians may boast on theological discoveries, but that has never made them able to give new life to a person. The scope of their deeds is limited. For faith, this makes the nonsensicality of these magicians completely obvious.

Also the end of their performance is approaching. You do not need to expect that the performance of ‘Christian magicians’ will slowly diminish. It will only become worse. But the end of the current age, the age of the church, is approaching. The folly of the deceivers and unbelievers will become completely clear when the Lord Jesus is revealed in glory.

2 Timothy 3:10. As long as we are on earth the Lord Jesus provides us with remedies to remain kept with Him. How that works you see in the example that Paul presents to Timothy of himself. The contrast between the ‘Christian magicians’ and what you see in Paul is enormous.

Paul addresses Timothy and points him to his own example, like the old Elijah took Elisha with him along several places to teach him (2 Kings 2:1-10). Elijah took Elisha by the hand and gave him understanding in the situation of the people. Therefore Elisha was able to approach the people in the spirit and strength of Elijah, with a double part of that of Elijah’s. Timothy is able to minister the church in the spirit and strength of Paul by observing how he did everything. Not that Paul says anything new to Timothy. He only reminds him of that, for Timothy has already followed or examined it. He did not follow Paul for no reason.

1. First of all Paul points at “my teaching”. Only he, the apostle, can say that. The teaching is the basis. Without teaching there can be no practice. 2. But Paul didn’t only teach, he can also point at his “conduct”.

He consistently practiced what he was passing on through his teaching. His life is based on his teaching. 3. Also in his “purpose” he was clear. He had no hidden purposes. He had a clear goal in mind which was not vague to Timothy. His purpose was to glorify God in everything whatever the cost was. 4.

From what he taught, in how he did and in his purpose his “faith” in and his faithfulness to the Lord appeared. With full confidence in Him Paul fulfilled his service. In doing so, he met hostility and was put to the test. 5. But precisely in that situation Timothy saw his “patience”. He didn’t respond irritated and didn’t repay evil for evil. 6. The hostility of the enemy revealed his “love” for the Lord and for those who are His. 7.

Also his “perseverance” or “steadfastness” was remarkable. All adversary and the fact that he was left alone didn’t make him depressed. He did not collapse because of the pressure, but he continued with what the Lord ordered him to do. 8. 2 Timothy 3:11. Everyone who opens his mouth with proclaiming the truth will suffer “persecutions”. That indicates the insecurity of freedom, having no place of rest because they are chasing you. 9. He also lost his freedom several times.

His enemies did not spare him, but made him “suffer” (2 Corinthians 11:24-25). He speaks particularly about three places he visited during his first mission trip (Acts 13:14-52; Acts 14:1-20).

Paul has suffered all those persecutions, but he doesn’t boast about that as if he has achieved something. The Lord receives the honor, for it was He Who rescued him “out of them all” (Psalms 34:19). ‘Out of them all’ shows that there is nothing that could stop Paul, no matter how severe the opposition was. ‘Out of them all’ also shows that Paul indeed endured it all and was not spared it.

2 Timothy 3:12. What is mentioned previously does not only apply to Paul but to all Christians “who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus”. If you live your life with reverence for God in fellowship with Christ Jesus you will also share in persecution. Persecution is not only literally being opposed and persecuted, but also not to be understood and to be despised. You experience that in any way you testify of the Lord. It doesn’t apply to all Christians. If you do not want to suffer reproach you simply should not make clear that you know the Lord. You should “desire” that. Persecution is only the part of faithful Christians.

2 Timothy 3:13. This persecution will not diminish, for “evil men and imposters will proceed [from] bad to worse”. The word ‘imposters’ is literally ‘magicians’. That may probably indicate the increase of occultism. You may have heard of Christians who seek their luck with magnetizers. They say that these people claim to have received this gift from God. In that way they deceive even Christians, while these people are being deceived themselves by the devil.

Mind you that these are ‘evil men’. They are instruments of the devil to whom they have delivered themselves. With all their nice talks they do not seek your luck, but your destruction.

2 Timothy 3:14. Then here comes a “you, however” (cf. 2 Timothy 3:10). This indicates the contrast with the previous verse. In that verse the environment where you find yourself is depicted, an environment that fully opposes God and His Word. To remain protected against that influence Paul gives Timothy an assurance. Timothy can trust in this assurance to remain steadfast in the truth and in the enjoyment of the salvation of God. He must continue in the things which he has learned and must not be involved with new teachings. There is nothing missing in what he has learned; for that reason there is also nothing to be improved.

He is also fully convinced of this because he has learned it from someone to whom it was directly made known through Divine inspiration and who has the authority of God to communicate it. Paul is a unique servant. What he has taught we have in God’s Word.

The teachers whom the Lord has given as a gift to His church do not bring new truths. They explain the truths of the apostles: truths that are written in God’s Word. Our source is not Calvin or Darby, but the Word of God. It is not necessary to empower your words by referring to certain teachers, however much you ought to appreciate them and how gifted they were or are.

2 Timothy 3:15. The second reason for Timothy to remain in the things which he had learned, are “the sacred writings” he has known “from childhood”. The words of the apostle are in no way in contrast to the writings of the Old Testament – those are ‘the sacred writings’ –, but are perfectly consistent with them. Timothy was taught by his mother and grandmother in them. This is an important instruction for parents to make their children known and familiar with the Scripture as early as possible in their childhood.

The Word has been put in writings so in that way God can use it as a permanent authority. Everything that is permanently of profit for the church has been written down in the Scriptures. It is also permanently profitable for your personal life of faith. You find everything you need in the Scripture “to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation”.

Without God’s Word you led a lost life. Through God’s Word you have come to faith in Christ Jesus. You have been saved for eternity. If you as a Christian lead a life without consulting God’s Word in everything, you will lead a lost life. Listening to the Scripture makes you wise to avoid all the traps of life and to arrive safely with the Lord.

Now read 2 Timothy 3:8-15 again.

Reflection: Which contrasts do you find in this portion?

Hebrews 7:18

You, However

2 Timothy 3:8. We are still in the section that describes the time where many people act outwardly as if they are Christians, but they are not inwardly. This is the result of the distortion of the truth. The truth is being imitated, but there is no inward relation with Christ Who is the truth. Imitation is possibly the strongest weapon of the devil. Paul quotes the example of two Egyptian magicians, of whom he seems to know the names, who were imitating Moses (Exodus 7:11; 22; Exodus 8:7). This performance of these magicians happened right before the departing of the people of God from Egypt.

That’s what is happening now also. We live in the last days, right before the rapture of the church out of the world where imitation Christians are being manifest more and more. The Lord Jesus has also warned us for people who will say that they are the Christ (Matthew 24:5; 23-24). In the last times signs and false wonders will happen that have the appearance that they come from God, but they come from the liar (2 Thessalonians 2:9; cf. Acts 2:22). John warns us: “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see, whether they are from God” (1 John 4:1). Testing the spirits is possible by taking Christ as touchstone. Ask them what they think about Him and test whether it is according to the Word.

The strategy of the devil is not new. Already in the time of Moses he used imitation. It even appeared as if he could claim some success. Indeed the magicians did imitate Moses, didn’t they? They didn’t fail, did they? No, but they practiced their magical acts out of resistance against Moses. Their goal was to keep the people of God in bondage. In the same way nowadays ‘Jannesses and Jambresses’ oppose the truth. They also respond with mockery to every reference of a soon rapture of the church out of the world (2 Peter 3:2-3).

That they are “men of depraved mind” is the result of opening their hearts for the devil and his evil powers. What they preach as faith comes from this source. It is only worth to be rejected, thrown away, without paying any further attention to it. It doesn’t offer any hope for today and no hope for the future.

2 Timothy 3:9. Sometimes it seems that these evil people can unstoppably go their way. Then you read here that God has determined a limit to their wicked performance, both in duration and in their deeds. The magicians in the days of Moses were exposed at the crucial moment of bringing forth life out of death (Exodus 8:18). Seeming Christians may boast on theological discoveries, but that has never made them able to give new life to a person. The scope of their deeds is limited. For faith, this makes the nonsensicality of these magicians completely obvious.

Also the end of their performance is approaching. You do not need to expect that the performance of ‘Christian magicians’ will slowly diminish. It will only become worse. But the end of the current age, the age of the church, is approaching. The folly of the deceivers and unbelievers will become completely clear when the Lord Jesus is revealed in glory.

2 Timothy 3:10. As long as we are on earth the Lord Jesus provides us with remedies to remain kept with Him. How that works you see in the example that Paul presents to Timothy of himself. The contrast between the ‘Christian magicians’ and what you see in Paul is enormous.

Paul addresses Timothy and points him to his own example, like the old Elijah took Elisha with him along several places to teach him (2 Kings 2:1-10). Elijah took Elisha by the hand and gave him understanding in the situation of the people. Therefore Elisha was able to approach the people in the spirit and strength of Elijah, with a double part of that of Elijah’s. Timothy is able to minister the church in the spirit and strength of Paul by observing how he did everything. Not that Paul says anything new to Timothy. He only reminds him of that, for Timothy has already followed or examined it. He did not follow Paul for no reason.

1. First of all Paul points at “my teaching”. Only he, the apostle, can say that. The teaching is the basis. Without teaching there can be no practice. 2. But Paul didn’t only teach, he can also point at his “conduct”.

He consistently practiced what he was passing on through his teaching. His life is based on his teaching. 3. Also in his “purpose” he was clear. He had no hidden purposes. He had a clear goal in mind which was not vague to Timothy. His purpose was to glorify God in everything whatever the cost was. 4.

From what he taught, in how he did and in his purpose his “faith” in and his faithfulness to the Lord appeared. With full confidence in Him Paul fulfilled his service. In doing so, he met hostility and was put to the test. 5. But precisely in that situation Timothy saw his “patience”. He didn’t respond irritated and didn’t repay evil for evil. 6. The hostility of the enemy revealed his “love” for the Lord and for those who are His. 7.

Also his “perseverance” or “steadfastness” was remarkable. All adversary and the fact that he was left alone didn’t make him depressed. He did not collapse because of the pressure, but he continued with what the Lord ordered him to do. 8. 2 Timothy 3:11. Everyone who opens his mouth with proclaiming the truth will suffer “persecutions”. That indicates the insecurity of freedom, having no place of rest because they are chasing you. 9. He also lost his freedom several times.

His enemies did not spare him, but made him “suffer” (2 Corinthians 11:24-25). He speaks particularly about three places he visited during his first mission trip (Acts 13:14-52; Acts 14:1-20).

Paul has suffered all those persecutions, but he doesn’t boast about that as if he has achieved something. The Lord receives the honor, for it was He Who rescued him “out of them all” (Psalms 34:19). ‘Out of them all’ shows that there is nothing that could stop Paul, no matter how severe the opposition was. ‘Out of them all’ also shows that Paul indeed endured it all and was not spared it.

2 Timothy 3:12. What is mentioned previously does not only apply to Paul but to all Christians “who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus”. If you live your life with reverence for God in fellowship with Christ Jesus you will also share in persecution. Persecution is not only literally being opposed and persecuted, but also not to be understood and to be despised. You experience that in any way you testify of the Lord. It doesn’t apply to all Christians. If you do not want to suffer reproach you simply should not make clear that you know the Lord. You should “desire” that. Persecution is only the part of faithful Christians.

2 Timothy 3:13. This persecution will not diminish, for “evil men and imposters will proceed [from] bad to worse”. The word ‘imposters’ is literally ‘magicians’. That may probably indicate the increase of occultism. You may have heard of Christians who seek their luck with magnetizers. They say that these people claim to have received this gift from God. In that way they deceive even Christians, while these people are being deceived themselves by the devil.

Mind you that these are ‘evil men’. They are instruments of the devil to whom they have delivered themselves. With all their nice talks they do not seek your luck, but your destruction.

2 Timothy 3:14. Then here comes a “you, however” (cf. 2 Timothy 3:10). This indicates the contrast with the previous verse. In that verse the environment where you find yourself is depicted, an environment that fully opposes God and His Word. To remain protected against that influence Paul gives Timothy an assurance. Timothy can trust in this assurance to remain steadfast in the truth and in the enjoyment of the salvation of God. He must continue in the things which he has learned and must not be involved with new teachings. There is nothing missing in what he has learned; for that reason there is also nothing to be improved.

He is also fully convinced of this because he has learned it from someone to whom it was directly made known through Divine inspiration and who has the authority of God to communicate it. Paul is a unique servant. What he has taught we have in God’s Word.

The teachers whom the Lord has given as a gift to His church do not bring new truths. They explain the truths of the apostles: truths that are written in God’s Word. Our source is not Calvin or Darby, but the Word of God. It is not necessary to empower your words by referring to certain teachers, however much you ought to appreciate them and how gifted they were or are.

2 Timothy 3:15. The second reason for Timothy to remain in the things which he had learned, are “the sacred writings” he has known “from childhood”. The words of the apostle are in no way in contrast to the writings of the Old Testament – those are ‘the sacred writings’ –, but are perfectly consistent with them. Timothy was taught by his mother and grandmother in them. This is an important instruction for parents to make their children known and familiar with the Scripture as early as possible in their childhood.

The Word has been put in writings so in that way God can use it as a permanent authority. Everything that is permanently of profit for the church has been written down in the Scriptures. It is also permanently profitable for your personal life of faith. You find everything you need in the Scripture “to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation”.

Without God’s Word you led a lost life. Through God’s Word you have come to faith in Christ Jesus. You have been saved for eternity. If you as a Christian lead a life without consulting God’s Word in everything, you will lead a lost life. Listening to the Scripture makes you wise to avoid all the traps of life and to arrive safely with the Lord.

Now read 2 Timothy 3:8-15 again.

Reflection: Which contrasts do you find in this portion?

Hebrews 7:19

You, However

2 Timothy 3:8. We are still in the section that describes the time where many people act outwardly as if they are Christians, but they are not inwardly. This is the result of the distortion of the truth. The truth is being imitated, but there is no inward relation with Christ Who is the truth. Imitation is possibly the strongest weapon of the devil. Paul quotes the example of two Egyptian magicians, of whom he seems to know the names, who were imitating Moses (Exodus 7:11; 22; Exodus 8:7). This performance of these magicians happened right before the departing of the people of God from Egypt.

That’s what is happening now also. We live in the last days, right before the rapture of the church out of the world where imitation Christians are being manifest more and more. The Lord Jesus has also warned us for people who will say that they are the Christ (Matthew 24:5; 23-24). In the last times signs and false wonders will happen that have the appearance that they come from God, but they come from the liar (2 Thessalonians 2:9; cf. Acts 2:22). John warns us: “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see, whether they are from God” (1 John 4:1). Testing the spirits is possible by taking Christ as touchstone. Ask them what they think about Him and test whether it is according to the Word.

The strategy of the devil is not new. Already in the time of Moses he used imitation. It even appeared as if he could claim some success. Indeed the magicians did imitate Moses, didn’t they? They didn’t fail, did they? No, but they practiced their magical acts out of resistance against Moses. Their goal was to keep the people of God in bondage. In the same way nowadays ‘Jannesses and Jambresses’ oppose the truth. They also respond with mockery to every reference of a soon rapture of the church out of the world (2 Peter 3:2-3).

That they are “men of depraved mind” is the result of opening their hearts for the devil and his evil powers. What they preach as faith comes from this source. It is only worth to be rejected, thrown away, without paying any further attention to it. It doesn’t offer any hope for today and no hope for the future.

2 Timothy 3:9. Sometimes it seems that these evil people can unstoppably go their way. Then you read here that God has determined a limit to their wicked performance, both in duration and in their deeds. The magicians in the days of Moses were exposed at the crucial moment of bringing forth life out of death (Exodus 8:18). Seeming Christians may boast on theological discoveries, but that has never made them able to give new life to a person. The scope of their deeds is limited. For faith, this makes the nonsensicality of these magicians completely obvious.

Also the end of their performance is approaching. You do not need to expect that the performance of ‘Christian magicians’ will slowly diminish. It will only become worse. But the end of the current age, the age of the church, is approaching. The folly of the deceivers and unbelievers will become completely clear when the Lord Jesus is revealed in glory.

2 Timothy 3:10. As long as we are on earth the Lord Jesus provides us with remedies to remain kept with Him. How that works you see in the example that Paul presents to Timothy of himself. The contrast between the ‘Christian magicians’ and what you see in Paul is enormous.

Paul addresses Timothy and points him to his own example, like the old Elijah took Elisha with him along several places to teach him (2 Kings 2:1-10). Elijah took Elisha by the hand and gave him understanding in the situation of the people. Therefore Elisha was able to approach the people in the spirit and strength of Elijah, with a double part of that of Elijah’s. Timothy is able to minister the church in the spirit and strength of Paul by observing how he did everything. Not that Paul says anything new to Timothy. He only reminds him of that, for Timothy has already followed or examined it. He did not follow Paul for no reason.

1. First of all Paul points at “my teaching”. Only he, the apostle, can say that. The teaching is the basis. Without teaching there can be no practice. 2. But Paul didn’t only teach, he can also point at his “conduct”.

He consistently practiced what he was passing on through his teaching. His life is based on his teaching. 3. Also in his “purpose” he was clear. He had no hidden purposes. He had a clear goal in mind which was not vague to Timothy. His purpose was to glorify God in everything whatever the cost was. 4.

From what he taught, in how he did and in his purpose his “faith” in and his faithfulness to the Lord appeared. With full confidence in Him Paul fulfilled his service. In doing so, he met hostility and was put to the test. 5. But precisely in that situation Timothy saw his “patience”. He didn’t respond irritated and didn’t repay evil for evil. 6. The hostility of the enemy revealed his “love” for the Lord and for those who are His. 7.

Also his “perseverance” or “steadfastness” was remarkable. All adversary and the fact that he was left alone didn’t make him depressed. He did not collapse because of the pressure, but he continued with what the Lord ordered him to do. 8. 2 Timothy 3:11. Everyone who opens his mouth with proclaiming the truth will suffer “persecutions”. That indicates the insecurity of freedom, having no place of rest because they are chasing you. 9. He also lost his freedom several times.

His enemies did not spare him, but made him “suffer” (2 Corinthians 11:24-25). He speaks particularly about three places he visited during his first mission trip (Acts 13:14-52; Acts 14:1-20).

Paul has suffered all those persecutions, but he doesn’t boast about that as if he has achieved something. The Lord receives the honor, for it was He Who rescued him “out of them all” (Psalms 34:19). ‘Out of them all’ shows that there is nothing that could stop Paul, no matter how severe the opposition was. ‘Out of them all’ also shows that Paul indeed endured it all and was not spared it.

2 Timothy 3:12. What is mentioned previously does not only apply to Paul but to all Christians “who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus”. If you live your life with reverence for God in fellowship with Christ Jesus you will also share in persecution. Persecution is not only literally being opposed and persecuted, but also not to be understood and to be despised. You experience that in any way you testify of the Lord. It doesn’t apply to all Christians. If you do not want to suffer reproach you simply should not make clear that you know the Lord. You should “desire” that. Persecution is only the part of faithful Christians.

2 Timothy 3:13. This persecution will not diminish, for “evil men and imposters will proceed [from] bad to worse”. The word ‘imposters’ is literally ‘magicians’. That may probably indicate the increase of occultism. You may have heard of Christians who seek their luck with magnetizers. They say that these people claim to have received this gift from God. In that way they deceive even Christians, while these people are being deceived themselves by the devil.

Mind you that these are ‘evil men’. They are instruments of the devil to whom they have delivered themselves. With all their nice talks they do not seek your luck, but your destruction.

2 Timothy 3:14. Then here comes a “you, however” (cf. 2 Timothy 3:10). This indicates the contrast with the previous verse. In that verse the environment where you find yourself is depicted, an environment that fully opposes God and His Word. To remain protected against that influence Paul gives Timothy an assurance. Timothy can trust in this assurance to remain steadfast in the truth and in the enjoyment of the salvation of God. He must continue in the things which he has learned and must not be involved with new teachings. There is nothing missing in what he has learned; for that reason there is also nothing to be improved.

He is also fully convinced of this because he has learned it from someone to whom it was directly made known through Divine inspiration and who has the authority of God to communicate it. Paul is a unique servant. What he has taught we have in God’s Word.

The teachers whom the Lord has given as a gift to His church do not bring new truths. They explain the truths of the apostles: truths that are written in God’s Word. Our source is not Calvin or Darby, but the Word of God. It is not necessary to empower your words by referring to certain teachers, however much you ought to appreciate them and how gifted they were or are.

2 Timothy 3:15. The second reason for Timothy to remain in the things which he had learned, are “the sacred writings” he has known “from childhood”. The words of the apostle are in no way in contrast to the writings of the Old Testament – those are ‘the sacred writings’ –, but are perfectly consistent with them. Timothy was taught by his mother and grandmother in them. This is an important instruction for parents to make their children known and familiar with the Scripture as early as possible in their childhood.

The Word has been put in writings so in that way God can use it as a permanent authority. Everything that is permanently of profit for the church has been written down in the Scriptures. It is also permanently profitable for your personal life of faith. You find everything you need in the Scripture “to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation”.

Without God’s Word you led a lost life. Through God’s Word you have come to faith in Christ Jesus. You have been saved for eternity. If you as a Christian lead a life without consulting God’s Word in everything, you will lead a lost life. Listening to the Scripture makes you wise to avoid all the traps of life and to arrive safely with the Lord.

Now read 2 Timothy 3:8-15 again.

Reflection: Which contrasts do you find in this portion?

Hebrews 7:20

You, However

2 Timothy 3:8. We are still in the section that describes the time where many people act outwardly as if they are Christians, but they are not inwardly. This is the result of the distortion of the truth. The truth is being imitated, but there is no inward relation with Christ Who is the truth. Imitation is possibly the strongest weapon of the devil. Paul quotes the example of two Egyptian magicians, of whom he seems to know the names, who were imitating Moses (Exodus 7:11; 22; Exodus 8:7). This performance of these magicians happened right before the departing of the people of God from Egypt.

That’s what is happening now also. We live in the last days, right before the rapture of the church out of the world where imitation Christians are being manifest more and more. The Lord Jesus has also warned us for people who will say that they are the Christ (Matthew 24:5; 23-24). In the last times signs and false wonders will happen that have the appearance that they come from God, but they come from the liar (2 Thessalonians 2:9; cf. Acts 2:22). John warns us: “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see, whether they are from God” (1 John 4:1). Testing the spirits is possible by taking Christ as touchstone. Ask them what they think about Him and test whether it is according to the Word.

The strategy of the devil is not new. Already in the time of Moses he used imitation. It even appeared as if he could claim some success. Indeed the magicians did imitate Moses, didn’t they? They didn’t fail, did they? No, but they practiced their magical acts out of resistance against Moses. Their goal was to keep the people of God in bondage. In the same way nowadays ‘Jannesses and Jambresses’ oppose the truth. They also respond with mockery to every reference of a soon rapture of the church out of the world (2 Peter 3:2-3).

That they are “men of depraved mind” is the result of opening their hearts for the devil and his evil powers. What they preach as faith comes from this source. It is only worth to be rejected, thrown away, without paying any further attention to it. It doesn’t offer any hope for today and no hope for the future.

2 Timothy 3:9. Sometimes it seems that these evil people can unstoppably go their way. Then you read here that God has determined a limit to their wicked performance, both in duration and in their deeds. The magicians in the days of Moses were exposed at the crucial moment of bringing forth life out of death (Exodus 8:18). Seeming Christians may boast on theological discoveries, but that has never made them able to give new life to a person. The scope of their deeds is limited. For faith, this makes the nonsensicality of these magicians completely obvious.

Also the end of their performance is approaching. You do not need to expect that the performance of ‘Christian magicians’ will slowly diminish. It will only become worse. But the end of the current age, the age of the church, is approaching. The folly of the deceivers and unbelievers will become completely clear when the Lord Jesus is revealed in glory.

2 Timothy 3:10. As long as we are on earth the Lord Jesus provides us with remedies to remain kept with Him. How that works you see in the example that Paul presents to Timothy of himself. The contrast between the ‘Christian magicians’ and what you see in Paul is enormous.

Paul addresses Timothy and points him to his own example, like the old Elijah took Elisha with him along several places to teach him (2 Kings 2:1-10). Elijah took Elisha by the hand and gave him understanding in the situation of the people. Therefore Elisha was able to approach the people in the spirit and strength of Elijah, with a double part of that of Elijah’s. Timothy is able to minister the church in the spirit and strength of Paul by observing how he did everything. Not that Paul says anything new to Timothy. He only reminds him of that, for Timothy has already followed or examined it. He did not follow Paul for no reason.

1. First of all Paul points at “my teaching”. Only he, the apostle, can say that. The teaching is the basis. Without teaching there can be no practice. 2. But Paul didn’t only teach, he can also point at his “conduct”.

He consistently practiced what he was passing on through his teaching. His life is based on his teaching. 3. Also in his “purpose” he was clear. He had no hidden purposes. He had a clear goal in mind which was not vague to Timothy. His purpose was to glorify God in everything whatever the cost was. 4.

From what he taught, in how he did and in his purpose his “faith” in and his faithfulness to the Lord appeared. With full confidence in Him Paul fulfilled his service. In doing so, he met hostility and was put to the test. 5. But precisely in that situation Timothy saw his “patience”. He didn’t respond irritated and didn’t repay evil for evil. 6. The hostility of the enemy revealed his “love” for the Lord and for those who are His. 7.

Also his “perseverance” or “steadfastness” was remarkable. All adversary and the fact that he was left alone didn’t make him depressed. He did not collapse because of the pressure, but he continued with what the Lord ordered him to do. 8. 2 Timothy 3:11. Everyone who opens his mouth with proclaiming the truth will suffer “persecutions”. That indicates the insecurity of freedom, having no place of rest because they are chasing you. 9. He also lost his freedom several times.

His enemies did not spare him, but made him “suffer” (2 Corinthians 11:24-25). He speaks particularly about three places he visited during his first mission trip (Acts 13:14-52; Acts 14:1-20).

Paul has suffered all those persecutions, but he doesn’t boast about that as if he has achieved something. The Lord receives the honor, for it was He Who rescued him “out of them all” (Psalms 34:19). ‘Out of them all’ shows that there is nothing that could stop Paul, no matter how severe the opposition was. ‘Out of them all’ also shows that Paul indeed endured it all and was not spared it.

2 Timothy 3:12. What is mentioned previously does not only apply to Paul but to all Christians “who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus”. If you live your life with reverence for God in fellowship with Christ Jesus you will also share in persecution. Persecution is not only literally being opposed and persecuted, but also not to be understood and to be despised. You experience that in any way you testify of the Lord. It doesn’t apply to all Christians. If you do not want to suffer reproach you simply should not make clear that you know the Lord. You should “desire” that. Persecution is only the part of faithful Christians.

2 Timothy 3:13. This persecution will not diminish, for “evil men and imposters will proceed [from] bad to worse”. The word ‘imposters’ is literally ‘magicians’. That may probably indicate the increase of occultism. You may have heard of Christians who seek their luck with magnetizers. They say that these people claim to have received this gift from God. In that way they deceive even Christians, while these people are being deceived themselves by the devil.

Mind you that these are ‘evil men’. They are instruments of the devil to whom they have delivered themselves. With all their nice talks they do not seek your luck, but your destruction.

2 Timothy 3:14. Then here comes a “you, however” (cf. 2 Timothy 3:10). This indicates the contrast with the previous verse. In that verse the environment where you find yourself is depicted, an environment that fully opposes God and His Word. To remain protected against that influence Paul gives Timothy an assurance. Timothy can trust in this assurance to remain steadfast in the truth and in the enjoyment of the salvation of God. He must continue in the things which he has learned and must not be involved with new teachings. There is nothing missing in what he has learned; for that reason there is also nothing to be improved.

He is also fully convinced of this because he has learned it from someone to whom it was directly made known through Divine inspiration and who has the authority of God to communicate it. Paul is a unique servant. What he has taught we have in God’s Word.

The teachers whom the Lord has given as a gift to His church do not bring new truths. They explain the truths of the apostles: truths that are written in God’s Word. Our source is not Calvin or Darby, but the Word of God. It is not necessary to empower your words by referring to certain teachers, however much you ought to appreciate them and how gifted they were or are.

2 Timothy 3:15. The second reason for Timothy to remain in the things which he had learned, are “the sacred writings” he has known “from childhood”. The words of the apostle are in no way in contrast to the writings of the Old Testament – those are ‘the sacred writings’ –, but are perfectly consistent with them. Timothy was taught by his mother and grandmother in them. This is an important instruction for parents to make their children known and familiar with the Scripture as early as possible in their childhood.

The Word has been put in writings so in that way God can use it as a permanent authority. Everything that is permanently of profit for the church has been written down in the Scriptures. It is also permanently profitable for your personal life of faith. You find everything you need in the Scripture “to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation”.

Without God’s Word you led a lost life. Through God’s Word you have come to faith in Christ Jesus. You have been saved for eternity. If you as a Christian lead a life without consulting God’s Word in everything, you will lead a lost life. Listening to the Scripture makes you wise to avoid all the traps of life and to arrive safely with the Lord.

Now read 2 Timothy 3:8-15 again.

Reflection: Which contrasts do you find in this portion?

Hebrews 7:21

You, However

2 Timothy 3:8. We are still in the section that describes the time where many people act outwardly as if they are Christians, but they are not inwardly. This is the result of the distortion of the truth. The truth is being imitated, but there is no inward relation with Christ Who is the truth. Imitation is possibly the strongest weapon of the devil. Paul quotes the example of two Egyptian magicians, of whom he seems to know the names, who were imitating Moses (Exodus 7:11; 22; Exodus 8:7). This performance of these magicians happened right before the departing of the people of God from Egypt.

That’s what is happening now also. We live in the last days, right before the rapture of the church out of the world where imitation Christians are being manifest more and more. The Lord Jesus has also warned us for people who will say that they are the Christ (Matthew 24:5; 23-24). In the last times signs and false wonders will happen that have the appearance that they come from God, but they come from the liar (2 Thessalonians 2:9; cf. Acts 2:22). John warns us: “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see, whether they are from God” (1 John 4:1). Testing the spirits is possible by taking Christ as touchstone. Ask them what they think about Him and test whether it is according to the Word.

The strategy of the devil is not new. Already in the time of Moses he used imitation. It even appeared as if he could claim some success. Indeed the magicians did imitate Moses, didn’t they? They didn’t fail, did they? No, but they practiced their magical acts out of resistance against Moses. Their goal was to keep the people of God in bondage. In the same way nowadays ‘Jannesses and Jambresses’ oppose the truth. They also respond with mockery to every reference of a soon rapture of the church out of the world (2 Peter 3:2-3).

That they are “men of depraved mind” is the result of opening their hearts for the devil and his evil powers. What they preach as faith comes from this source. It is only worth to be rejected, thrown away, without paying any further attention to it. It doesn’t offer any hope for today and no hope for the future.

2 Timothy 3:9. Sometimes it seems that these evil people can unstoppably go their way. Then you read here that God has determined a limit to their wicked performance, both in duration and in their deeds. The magicians in the days of Moses were exposed at the crucial moment of bringing forth life out of death (Exodus 8:18). Seeming Christians may boast on theological discoveries, but that has never made them able to give new life to a person. The scope of their deeds is limited. For faith, this makes the nonsensicality of these magicians completely obvious.

Also the end of their performance is approaching. You do not need to expect that the performance of ‘Christian magicians’ will slowly diminish. It will only become worse. But the end of the current age, the age of the church, is approaching. The folly of the deceivers and unbelievers will become completely clear when the Lord Jesus is revealed in glory.

2 Timothy 3:10. As long as we are on earth the Lord Jesus provides us with remedies to remain kept with Him. How that works you see in the example that Paul presents to Timothy of himself. The contrast between the ‘Christian magicians’ and what you see in Paul is enormous.

Paul addresses Timothy and points him to his own example, like the old Elijah took Elisha with him along several places to teach him (2 Kings 2:1-10). Elijah took Elisha by the hand and gave him understanding in the situation of the people. Therefore Elisha was able to approach the people in the spirit and strength of Elijah, with a double part of that of Elijah’s. Timothy is able to minister the church in the spirit and strength of Paul by observing how he did everything. Not that Paul says anything new to Timothy. He only reminds him of that, for Timothy has already followed or examined it. He did not follow Paul for no reason.

1. First of all Paul points at “my teaching”. Only he, the apostle, can say that. The teaching is the basis. Without teaching there can be no practice. 2. But Paul didn’t only teach, he can also point at his “conduct”.

He consistently practiced what he was passing on through his teaching. His life is based on his teaching. 3. Also in his “purpose” he was clear. He had no hidden purposes. He had a clear goal in mind which was not vague to Timothy. His purpose was to glorify God in everything whatever the cost was. 4.

From what he taught, in how he did and in his purpose his “faith” in and his faithfulness to the Lord appeared. With full confidence in Him Paul fulfilled his service. In doing so, he met hostility and was put to the test. 5. But precisely in that situation Timothy saw his “patience”. He didn’t respond irritated and didn’t repay evil for evil. 6. The hostility of the enemy revealed his “love” for the Lord and for those who are His. 7.

Also his “perseverance” or “steadfastness” was remarkable. All adversary and the fact that he was left alone didn’t make him depressed. He did not collapse because of the pressure, but he continued with what the Lord ordered him to do. 8. 2 Timothy 3:11. Everyone who opens his mouth with proclaiming the truth will suffer “persecutions”. That indicates the insecurity of freedom, having no place of rest because they are chasing you. 9. He also lost his freedom several times.

His enemies did not spare him, but made him “suffer” (2 Corinthians 11:24-25). He speaks particularly about three places he visited during his first mission trip (Acts 13:14-52; Acts 14:1-20).

Paul has suffered all those persecutions, but he doesn’t boast about that as if he has achieved something. The Lord receives the honor, for it was He Who rescued him “out of them all” (Psalms 34:19). ‘Out of them all’ shows that there is nothing that could stop Paul, no matter how severe the opposition was. ‘Out of them all’ also shows that Paul indeed endured it all and was not spared it.

2 Timothy 3:12. What is mentioned previously does not only apply to Paul but to all Christians “who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus”. If you live your life with reverence for God in fellowship with Christ Jesus you will also share in persecution. Persecution is not only literally being opposed and persecuted, but also not to be understood and to be despised. You experience that in any way you testify of the Lord. It doesn’t apply to all Christians. If you do not want to suffer reproach you simply should not make clear that you know the Lord. You should “desire” that. Persecution is only the part of faithful Christians.

2 Timothy 3:13. This persecution will not diminish, for “evil men and imposters will proceed [from] bad to worse”. The word ‘imposters’ is literally ‘magicians’. That may probably indicate the increase of occultism. You may have heard of Christians who seek their luck with magnetizers. They say that these people claim to have received this gift from God. In that way they deceive even Christians, while these people are being deceived themselves by the devil.

Mind you that these are ‘evil men’. They are instruments of the devil to whom they have delivered themselves. With all their nice talks they do not seek your luck, but your destruction.

2 Timothy 3:14. Then here comes a “you, however” (cf. 2 Timothy 3:10). This indicates the contrast with the previous verse. In that verse the environment where you find yourself is depicted, an environment that fully opposes God and His Word. To remain protected against that influence Paul gives Timothy an assurance. Timothy can trust in this assurance to remain steadfast in the truth and in the enjoyment of the salvation of God. He must continue in the things which he has learned and must not be involved with new teachings. There is nothing missing in what he has learned; for that reason there is also nothing to be improved.

He is also fully convinced of this because he has learned it from someone to whom it was directly made known through Divine inspiration and who has the authority of God to communicate it. Paul is a unique servant. What he has taught we have in God’s Word.

The teachers whom the Lord has given as a gift to His church do not bring new truths. They explain the truths of the apostles: truths that are written in God’s Word. Our source is not Calvin or Darby, but the Word of God. It is not necessary to empower your words by referring to certain teachers, however much you ought to appreciate them and how gifted they were or are.

2 Timothy 3:15. The second reason for Timothy to remain in the things which he had learned, are “the sacred writings” he has known “from childhood”. The words of the apostle are in no way in contrast to the writings of the Old Testament – those are ‘the sacred writings’ –, but are perfectly consistent with them. Timothy was taught by his mother and grandmother in them. This is an important instruction for parents to make their children known and familiar with the Scripture as early as possible in their childhood.

The Word has been put in writings so in that way God can use it as a permanent authority. Everything that is permanently of profit for the church has been written down in the Scriptures. It is also permanently profitable for your personal life of faith. You find everything you need in the Scripture “to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation”.

Without God’s Word you led a lost life. Through God’s Word you have come to faith in Christ Jesus. You have been saved for eternity. If you as a Christian lead a life without consulting God’s Word in everything, you will lead a lost life. Listening to the Scripture makes you wise to avoid all the traps of life and to arrive safely with the Lord.

Now read 2 Timothy 3:8-15 again.

Reflection: Which contrasts do you find in this portion?

Hebrews 7:22

All Scripture

These two verses are worthy of paying attention to in a particular section. They deliver you a description that surpasses every expression concerning the importance of the Scripture. It is necessary to stress that because the attacks on the inspiration and the content of the Scripture will ceaselessly go on and on in its intensity. One of these attacks is that we have God’s Word in the Bible. This formulation opens the opportunity that we also have words in the Bible that do not come from God. It is of great importance to hold on to the verbal, word-for-word inspiration of Scripture.

2 Timothy 3:16. “All” means that there are no parts or portions that are less or more inspired than other ones. The inspiration does not focus on the Bible authors, but it focuses on what is written in God’s Word. God has inspired the Bible authors what they had to write down. “Inspired” does not refer to the message, as if the Bible writers could phrase them afterward in their own words, as if only the contents but not the form has been inspired.

The words were given by inspiration to them to write those words down, so that also the words of the unbelievers and even of the devil have been written down. God wanted to have those words of unbelievers and the devil in His Word that are important for us to know. That all Scripture is “inspired by God” means that each word that is written in the Bible has been written in it because God has inspired the Bible author to precisely write down that word. When Paul speaks here about “Scripture” (and not’ Scriptures’) it underlines the unity of all Bible books as one whole, “and the Scripture cannot be broken” (John 10:35).

In the original language in which the New Testament is written, the Greek language, ‘inspired by God’ is one word. Literally it says ‘God breathed’. That may refer to ‘breathed out by God’, but also ‘breathed in by God’. They are both true. When we say that God has ‘breathed out’ the words of the Scripture it lays the emphasis on the fact that the words of the Scripture are His words. Those are words that come out of Him and are written down the way He wanted them to be written down. When we say that He has ‘breathed in’ them, then we emphasize the fact that He breathed them in people and that He had His words to be recorded in the Scripture by human instruments.

The fact that God inspired the books Himself gives Divine authority to the Bible books. The inspiration coheres with faithfulness, infallibility or inerrancy and the absolute authority of the Bible.

God has given His Word because of its profit for you. The word “profitable” has the meaning of ‘support’, ‘help’, ‘benefit’. The Word helps you, it supports you in your activities as a man of God. It equipes you to do every good work. Every good work is each work in which the rights of God become visible in a Christianity that for a greater part does not consider those rights.

To do that correctly God’s Word is given in the first place “for teaching”. The Scripture teaches you Who God is, Who the Lord Jesus is and who man is. The Scripture teaches us about a lot of truths like sin, redemption, the value of the blood of Christ, the church, sanctification, the future. It is important to read the Scripture, in order to learn to know about these truths. Studying the Scripture in order to know ‘the teaching’, has the side-effect that you will not easily be dragged by your emotions. Within Christianity there are quite a lot of groups or movements that focus on emotions. These movements are focusing more on what you experience than on what you read in the Bible.

There is another danger that you should be beware of if you want to know the teaching of the Scripture. The danger is that you limit yourself to a doctrinal understanding of the Scripture without surrendering yourself to its living power. Then you can be compared to someone who pours water from a flowing stream in a cistern, causing it to come to a complete stop. That can be the result of attending all kinds of gatherings and eagerly reading Bible commentaries without absorbing the Word in your heart. Then it remains limited to intellectual knowledge. The opposite danger is to say that those Bible studies are just nothing and that practical Christendom is the only important thing. But how is practical Christendom thinkable if you do not know what you are supposed to be practicing?

The first effect of sound Bible study will be that you thank God for everything that you were able to learn from the Scripture. Praise and worship Him for every teaching. Sound Bible study also implies that everything you were able to learn from the Scripture will have influence on the practice of your life.

The second profit of the Scripture is that it offers you a mighty weapon in your hand “for reproof” false allegations. You see in Matthew 4 how the Lord Jesus reproves the allegations of the devil by quotations from the Scripture (Matthew 4:1-10).

The devil may for example approach you in the image of your biblically critical Bible teacher or of a person who comes to your house or of a prominent person in Christianity. They can, like the devil, also say: ‘It is written.’ Then you need to know how to reprove them. Pay attention to how the Lord Jesus goes to work when He is being tempted by the devil. He simply responds to every challenge with: “It is written” (Matthew 4:4; 7; 10). After the Lord cited three times from the Scripture the devil runs off.

The way the Lord Jesus goes to work is an example for us to follow. He did not chase the devil away by Divine power, but by using the means that is also available to you. Therefore you need to have some Bible verses ready. You need to exercise in using them. Have you ever heard about ‘memorizing’? That means learning Bible verses by heart. Do that with as many Bible verses as you possibly can. It does not come down to win a dispute. You will always lose a dispute with the devil. You ought not to argue, but to let the Word speak itself.

Each Christian needs correction. That is the third profit of the Scripture, “for correction”. Sometimes you want to go a way that is not good or do things that are not well without being aware of that. Through prayerful reading of Scripture, you will discover that. You after all want to do the will of God, don’t you? God speaks to you in the Scripture and helps you in that way to find the right way or to do the right thing. It is perilous to be content with yourself as if nothing is to be corrected. In the mirror of the Word you always see things that need to be corrected.

The exhortation for correction is not meant to discourage you, but on the contrary to encourage you. The purpose is not to make you performance centered but ‘Christ centered’. And whom of all those who are focused on Him, dares to say that there is nothing to be corrected anymore?

The fourth profit is the “training in righteousness”. That does not imply the doctrine of the righteousness of God. Of course it connects to that and it coheres with that, but righteousness is seen here with a view to the practice. The point here is that you live in accordance to your position. Therefore you need to be taught. You ought to be ‘trained’ or ‘educated’ in righteousness.

You undergo that training or education when you read the Bible. Then you receive instruction on how your behavior is supposed to be toward God and men. You are being trained to give to God to what He is entitled. You also obtain instruction on how you suppose to give to your fellow man to what he is entitled. In the word ‘righteousness’ the whole Christian life is embedded.

2 Timothy 3:17. God has given His Word, the Scripture, with a purpose. This purpose, indicated by the words “so that”, is that “the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work”. Less than that will not do when you read the Bible. The Scripture wants to shape you into a ‘man of God’. It is worthy to examine once who in the Bible are being called ‘man of God’. You will discover that those are all people who defended God’s interests in spiritually dark times. They represented Him toward people who turned away from Him.

If reverence for God in society and also in Christianity is diminishing, a ‘man of God’ shows in his or her life that God is there and how He is. In such a man the features of God become visible. God reveals Himself through him or her. God uses people who lean on nothing else than the Scripture alone for that purpose. ‘Man of God’ is an honorary title. The eternal, almighty God connects Himself to a weak, mortal human being when he is willing to be shaped by the Scripture.

The Scripture makes a ‘man of God’ “adequate”, which means that he is brought to full maturity by the Scripture. That is regarding the person. The Scripture also gives ‘the man of God’ everything that is needed for him to be able to do “every good work”. That is regarding his work. If you want to be a ‘man of God’ you will not be made equipped for your task by an academic education. You find the equipment for the work which you are ordered to do in the Scripture.

I sincerely hope that you desire to be a ‘man of God’. Then you will find everything in the Scripture that meets your desires.

The true Man of God on earth was the Lord Jesus. As Man He showed all features of God in a perfect way in the midst of a nation that had turned its back on God. You become like Him as Scripture gains a foothold in your heart. Scripture shapes you after His model.

Now read 2 Timothy 3:16-17 again.

Reflection: Do you want to be a man of God? What should you do for that?

Hebrews 7:23

All Scripture

These two verses are worthy of paying attention to in a particular section. They deliver you a description that surpasses every expression concerning the importance of the Scripture. It is necessary to stress that because the attacks on the inspiration and the content of the Scripture will ceaselessly go on and on in its intensity. One of these attacks is that we have God’s Word in the Bible. This formulation opens the opportunity that we also have words in the Bible that do not come from God. It is of great importance to hold on to the verbal, word-for-word inspiration of Scripture.

2 Timothy 3:16. “All” means that there are no parts or portions that are less or more inspired than other ones. The inspiration does not focus on the Bible authors, but it focuses on what is written in God’s Word. God has inspired the Bible authors what they had to write down. “Inspired” does not refer to the message, as if the Bible writers could phrase them afterward in their own words, as if only the contents but not the form has been inspired.

The words were given by inspiration to them to write those words down, so that also the words of the unbelievers and even of the devil have been written down. God wanted to have those words of unbelievers and the devil in His Word that are important for us to know. That all Scripture is “inspired by God” means that each word that is written in the Bible has been written in it because God has inspired the Bible author to precisely write down that word. When Paul speaks here about “Scripture” (and not’ Scriptures’) it underlines the unity of all Bible books as one whole, “and the Scripture cannot be broken” (John 10:35).

In the original language in which the New Testament is written, the Greek language, ‘inspired by God’ is one word. Literally it says ‘God breathed’. That may refer to ‘breathed out by God’, but also ‘breathed in by God’. They are both true. When we say that God has ‘breathed out’ the words of the Scripture it lays the emphasis on the fact that the words of the Scripture are His words. Those are words that come out of Him and are written down the way He wanted them to be written down. When we say that He has ‘breathed in’ them, then we emphasize the fact that He breathed them in people and that He had His words to be recorded in the Scripture by human instruments.

The fact that God inspired the books Himself gives Divine authority to the Bible books. The inspiration coheres with faithfulness, infallibility or inerrancy and the absolute authority of the Bible.

God has given His Word because of its profit for you. The word “profitable” has the meaning of ‘support’, ‘help’, ‘benefit’. The Word helps you, it supports you in your activities as a man of God. It equipes you to do every good work. Every good work is each work in which the rights of God become visible in a Christianity that for a greater part does not consider those rights.

To do that correctly God’s Word is given in the first place “for teaching”. The Scripture teaches you Who God is, Who the Lord Jesus is and who man is. The Scripture teaches us about a lot of truths like sin, redemption, the value of the blood of Christ, the church, sanctification, the future. It is important to read the Scripture, in order to learn to know about these truths. Studying the Scripture in order to know ‘the teaching’, has the side-effect that you will not easily be dragged by your emotions. Within Christianity there are quite a lot of groups or movements that focus on emotions. These movements are focusing more on what you experience than on what you read in the Bible.

There is another danger that you should be beware of if you want to know the teaching of the Scripture. The danger is that you limit yourself to a doctrinal understanding of the Scripture without surrendering yourself to its living power. Then you can be compared to someone who pours water from a flowing stream in a cistern, causing it to come to a complete stop. That can be the result of attending all kinds of gatherings and eagerly reading Bible commentaries without absorbing the Word in your heart. Then it remains limited to intellectual knowledge. The opposite danger is to say that those Bible studies are just nothing and that practical Christendom is the only important thing. But how is practical Christendom thinkable if you do not know what you are supposed to be practicing?

The first effect of sound Bible study will be that you thank God for everything that you were able to learn from the Scripture. Praise and worship Him for every teaching. Sound Bible study also implies that everything you were able to learn from the Scripture will have influence on the practice of your life.

The second profit of the Scripture is that it offers you a mighty weapon in your hand “for reproof” false allegations. You see in Matthew 4 how the Lord Jesus reproves the allegations of the devil by quotations from the Scripture (Matthew 4:1-10).

The devil may for example approach you in the image of your biblically critical Bible teacher or of a person who comes to your house or of a prominent person in Christianity. They can, like the devil, also say: ‘It is written.’ Then you need to know how to reprove them. Pay attention to how the Lord Jesus goes to work when He is being tempted by the devil. He simply responds to every challenge with: “It is written” (Matthew 4:4; 7; 10). After the Lord cited three times from the Scripture the devil runs off.

The way the Lord Jesus goes to work is an example for us to follow. He did not chase the devil away by Divine power, but by using the means that is also available to you. Therefore you need to have some Bible verses ready. You need to exercise in using them. Have you ever heard about ‘memorizing’? That means learning Bible verses by heart. Do that with as many Bible verses as you possibly can. It does not come down to win a dispute. You will always lose a dispute with the devil. You ought not to argue, but to let the Word speak itself.

Each Christian needs correction. That is the third profit of the Scripture, “for correction”. Sometimes you want to go a way that is not good or do things that are not well without being aware of that. Through prayerful reading of Scripture, you will discover that. You after all want to do the will of God, don’t you? God speaks to you in the Scripture and helps you in that way to find the right way or to do the right thing. It is perilous to be content with yourself as if nothing is to be corrected. In the mirror of the Word you always see things that need to be corrected.

The exhortation for correction is not meant to discourage you, but on the contrary to encourage you. The purpose is not to make you performance centered but ‘Christ centered’. And whom of all those who are focused on Him, dares to say that there is nothing to be corrected anymore?

The fourth profit is the “training in righteousness”. That does not imply the doctrine of the righteousness of God. Of course it connects to that and it coheres with that, but righteousness is seen here with a view to the practice. The point here is that you live in accordance to your position. Therefore you need to be taught. You ought to be ‘trained’ or ‘educated’ in righteousness.

You undergo that training or education when you read the Bible. Then you receive instruction on how your behavior is supposed to be toward God and men. You are being trained to give to God to what He is entitled. You also obtain instruction on how you suppose to give to your fellow man to what he is entitled. In the word ‘righteousness’ the whole Christian life is embedded.

2 Timothy 3:17. God has given His Word, the Scripture, with a purpose. This purpose, indicated by the words “so that”, is that “the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work”. Less than that will not do when you read the Bible. The Scripture wants to shape you into a ‘man of God’. It is worthy to examine once who in the Bible are being called ‘man of God’. You will discover that those are all people who defended God’s interests in spiritually dark times. They represented Him toward people who turned away from Him.

If reverence for God in society and also in Christianity is diminishing, a ‘man of God’ shows in his or her life that God is there and how He is. In such a man the features of God become visible. God reveals Himself through him or her. God uses people who lean on nothing else than the Scripture alone for that purpose. ‘Man of God’ is an honorary title. The eternal, almighty God connects Himself to a weak, mortal human being when he is willing to be shaped by the Scripture.

The Scripture makes a ‘man of God’ “adequate”, which means that he is brought to full maturity by the Scripture. That is regarding the person. The Scripture also gives ‘the man of God’ everything that is needed for him to be able to do “every good work”. That is regarding his work. If you want to be a ‘man of God’ you will not be made equipped for your task by an academic education. You find the equipment for the work which you are ordered to do in the Scripture.

I sincerely hope that you desire to be a ‘man of God’. Then you will find everything in the Scripture that meets your desires.

The true Man of God on earth was the Lord Jesus. As Man He showed all features of God in a perfect way in the midst of a nation that had turned its back on God. You become like Him as Scripture gains a foothold in your heart. Scripture shapes you after His model.

Now read 2 Timothy 3:16-17 again.

Reflection: Do you want to be a man of God? What should you do for that?

Hebrews 7:25

Preach the Word

2 Timothy 4:1. In the previous verses Paul pointed out to Timothy the situation in professing Christianity where there is no improvement to be expected, but on the contrary deterioration. In the meantime, after many ages of church history that also appeared. But he also pointed out to Timothy resources for difficult times. He did that in a way from which you also may profit.

Now Timothy is able and has to get down to work. In a penetrating way Paul places Timothy “in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus”, a presence that is reality to Paul himself. He lives before the face of God and of Christ Jesus and not before the face of men. In that way he is like Elijah, who, while he stood before king Ahab, said: “As the LORD, the God of Israel lives, before whom I stand” (1 Kings 17:1). He wants to give that awareness both to Timothy and to you.

The way Paul connects Christ Jesus and God with each other indicates that Christ is God. Then three things of Christ are said that have to do with the fact that He became Man. First of all He “is to judge the living and the dead”. That judgment is given to Him because He is the Son of Man (John 5:27). Then He will visibly appear as Man. Finally He will establish His kingdom.

He will execute the judgment on the living and the dead at different times and at different occasions. He will judge the living when He has appeared on earth and is seated on the throne of His glory. The nations living on earth will appear before Him and be judged by Him (Matthew 25:31-46). He will judge the dead when He is seated on the great white throne, after His millennial kingdom (Revelation 20:11-12).

Just for the record, the sequence of events listed in this verse: 1. First the Lord Jesus will appear on earth; 2. then He will judge the living, while He is seated on the throne of His glory; 3. then He will establish His kingdom and will reign for thousand years; 4. after which He, being seated on the great white throne, will judge the dead.

For the sake of completeness, I mention another judgment that takes place earlier than the two just mentioned, namely immediately after the rapture of the church (2 Corinthians 5:10). There the reward is being given to the believer according to the measure of faithfulness with which He served the Lord on earth.

As it is said, the charging in the presence of two Divine Persons and the three events to come, underline the gravity of the order that must be fulfilled. But it also includes a great encouragement and that is that you may know that the hard times will come to an end when the Lord Jesus, Who is still being rejected, will return in power and majesty. The thought of His coming to judge makes you free from people and frees you from the fear of men.

2 Timothy 4:2. Against the background of 2 Timothy 4:1 the command follows in 2 Timothy 4:2. The thought of His appearance will not paralyze you, but will make you more diligent. When Christ returns He will come with His reward that is determined before the judgment seat. That reward is to be gained by you on earth by using all your efforts and diligence in full dedication to the Lord and to do what He asks of you.

In measured terms Paul tells Timothy what is expected of him. The whole point is: “Preach the word.” After the Word of God has become apparent as the equipment of the man of God in the concluding verses of chapter 3 (2 Timothy 3:16-17), the next step is that it has to be preached. That is a great duty in all times, but certainly when the church has fallen into decay.

‘Preach’ here means openly proclaim, like the imperial herald did. The message to be brought was not made up by the herald himself. Not listening to the message of a herald was a serious matter.

Timothy must always “be ready”. He is supposed to be inwardly always ready to transmit the Word, that is the whole revealed truth of God. He is supposed to be always ready (cf. 1 Peter 3:15), “in season [and] out of season”, which means whether it is convenient for him or not, or whether the circumstances are favorable or not. He is also supposed to ‘reprove’, that is to deliver the convincing proof of the wrong in doctrine or life (cf. John 16:8). When that proof has been delivered then ‘rebuke’ should follow. The rebuking or denouncing, the openly indicating, makes clear how wrong the person has spoken or acted.

Not only courage is needed for that, but also the right mindset. Acting against evil and “exhort” to prevent evil must happen “with great patience”, that is with long-suffering and self-control and not with a quick temper. That must also be accompanied by “instruction” or education. Both with reproving and rebuking and with teaching the doctrine of the Scripture has to be applied. All these actions are to be explained from the Scripture.

Acting on the basis of the Scripture has always been of the greatest importance. As time goes by the importance increases more and more. I hope you are well aware of that or become aware of that. In any case Paul is not to be blamed if you do not consider this.

2 Timothy 4:3. He warns us that a time will come that people and especially nominal Christians “will not endure sound doctrine”. We have definitely arrived in that time right now. Just tell nominal Christians about ‘the sound doctrine’ of marriage for instance. There is a great chance that they will laugh at you and label you as old-fashioned and that your ideas are outdated. In that way they reject the doctrine that is sound in itself and in its effect.

They choose for a free experience of sexuality. They do not want to realize that this has been the cause and the spread of a disease like aids. They prefer to hold a ‘Day for aids’ to focus the attention on the problem and they give money in order to overcome this disease themselves. Getting to the root of the problem and living a healthy life in this regard, that is, in accordance with sound doctrine, they have no ears for that.

On the contrary, they listen to teachers who say things they love to hear; who bring a message that smoothly enter into their ears. They have no lack of variation. A church may then chose or appoint a preacher who has a nice way of preaching. The truth content is not important to them, as long as it offers spiritual amusement and it caresses the spiritual feelings. The same happens with people who follow preachers whom they like, without asking themselves whether the preaching is biblical.

2 Timothy 4:4. The result of this all will be that such people turn away their heads when once they really are confronted with the truth. They don’t want to hear the truth at all, but consciously turn their ear away from it time and time again.

The automatic consequence is that they turn aside under the influence of “myths”. It is ironic if you think that modern, liberal theologians are now trying to ‘demythologize’ the Bible, which means that they indicate the myths in the Bible in order to rob the Bible from its power. They label the wonders of the Bible as myths and they even consider them as fairy tales. But they take refuge in the myths themselves by turning away from the truth.

Paul rejects all expressions of modern thinkers and preachers, who base their allegations on science, with one word: fables. A quite recent example of a fable, a myth, is the Da Vinci Code, a book that is full of ridiculous religious mysteries, distortions of the truth and blasphemous allegations about the Lord Jesus. This book, out of which they also made a movie, has captivated millions. It has been sold more than thirty six million times and has already been translated into more than forty languages. Isn’t it shocking that such a huge number of people turn aside to myths? It is preparation for embracing the antichrist when he reveals himself.

2 Timothy 4:5. Again you hear “but you”. Paul is warning you not to let yourself be dragged down by this strong antichristian movement. “Be sober in all things.” Be sure to remain free from false influences, for these will hinder you to keep a sober, biblical view on all things. Don’t be gullible and don’t let people encourage you for ideas that have no basis in the truth. Make well-considered decisions. Submit your plans to the Lord in prayer and always consult His Word.

Be willing to carry the consequences of such a way of life and “endure hardship”. People will not thank and welcome you for your witness to the truth. Remain merciful to the lost people and “do the work of an evangelist”. Don’t hide behind the thought that you possibly don’t have the gift of an evangelist. That is not what it is about. The point is that whenever you have the opportunity to point to the Savior you must do that.

The ministry of Timothy is extensive. He is supposed to fully accomplish each aspect of it, that nothing will be left undone. The Lord also expects of you to fully fulfill what He has ordered you to do. Thereby you may be sure that if the Lord commands you to do something He also gives you the strength and the means to do it.

2 Timothy 4:6. Paul calls on Timothy’s attention for all these things, because he himself will soon disappear from the earthly scene. His departure is another exhortation for Timothy to fully fulfill his ministry. Now he has to work hard himself. But he can build on the foundation that the apostle himself has laid.

Paul compares his departure with the outpouring of a “drink offering” (Philippians 2:17). In the offering service of Israel a drink offering was added to the burnt offering, which was the main offering (Numbers 28:7-15; 24; 31; Numbers 29:39). His whole life in service to the Lord has been a life of full dedication and in that sense a burnt offering. Now he is close to pass away he sees his “departure” as a drink offering. A drink offering consists of wine and speaks of joy. He knows that he will enter into the joy of his Lord (Matthew 25:21).

The word ‘depart’ has the meaning of ‘to unloose’ (Philippians 1:23) and refers to the loosening of a connection. Paul doesn’t see the execution, but the liberation! That that moment has come, means joy to him.

Now read 2 Timothy 4:1-6 again.

Reflection: Do you do the work of an evangelist?

Hebrews 7:26

Preach the Word

2 Timothy 4:1. In the previous verses Paul pointed out to Timothy the situation in professing Christianity where there is no improvement to be expected, but on the contrary deterioration. In the meantime, after many ages of church history that also appeared. But he also pointed out to Timothy resources for difficult times. He did that in a way from which you also may profit.

Now Timothy is able and has to get down to work. In a penetrating way Paul places Timothy “in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus”, a presence that is reality to Paul himself. He lives before the face of God and of Christ Jesus and not before the face of men. In that way he is like Elijah, who, while he stood before king Ahab, said: “As the LORD, the God of Israel lives, before whom I stand” (1 Kings 17:1). He wants to give that awareness both to Timothy and to you.

The way Paul connects Christ Jesus and God with each other indicates that Christ is God. Then three things of Christ are said that have to do with the fact that He became Man. First of all He “is to judge the living and the dead”. That judgment is given to Him because He is the Son of Man (John 5:27). Then He will visibly appear as Man. Finally He will establish His kingdom.

He will execute the judgment on the living and the dead at different times and at different occasions. He will judge the living when He has appeared on earth and is seated on the throne of His glory. The nations living on earth will appear before Him and be judged by Him (Matthew 25:31-46). He will judge the dead when He is seated on the great white throne, after His millennial kingdom (Revelation 20:11-12).

Just for the record, the sequence of events listed in this verse: 1. First the Lord Jesus will appear on earth; 2. then He will judge the living, while He is seated on the throne of His glory; 3. then He will establish His kingdom and will reign for thousand years; 4. after which He, being seated on the great white throne, will judge the dead.

For the sake of completeness, I mention another judgment that takes place earlier than the two just mentioned, namely immediately after the rapture of the church (2 Corinthians 5:10). There the reward is being given to the believer according to the measure of faithfulness with which He served the Lord on earth.

As it is said, the charging in the presence of two Divine Persons and the three events to come, underline the gravity of the order that must be fulfilled. But it also includes a great encouragement and that is that you may know that the hard times will come to an end when the Lord Jesus, Who is still being rejected, will return in power and majesty. The thought of His coming to judge makes you free from people and frees you from the fear of men.

2 Timothy 4:2. Against the background of 2 Timothy 4:1 the command follows in 2 Timothy 4:2. The thought of His appearance will not paralyze you, but will make you more diligent. When Christ returns He will come with His reward that is determined before the judgment seat. That reward is to be gained by you on earth by using all your efforts and diligence in full dedication to the Lord and to do what He asks of you.

In measured terms Paul tells Timothy what is expected of him. The whole point is: “Preach the word.” After the Word of God has become apparent as the equipment of the man of God in the concluding verses of chapter 3 (2 Timothy 3:16-17), the next step is that it has to be preached. That is a great duty in all times, but certainly when the church has fallen into decay.

‘Preach’ here means openly proclaim, like the imperial herald did. The message to be brought was not made up by the herald himself. Not listening to the message of a herald was a serious matter.

Timothy must always “be ready”. He is supposed to be inwardly always ready to transmit the Word, that is the whole revealed truth of God. He is supposed to be always ready (cf. 1 Peter 3:15), “in season [and] out of season”, which means whether it is convenient for him or not, or whether the circumstances are favorable or not. He is also supposed to ‘reprove’, that is to deliver the convincing proof of the wrong in doctrine or life (cf. John 16:8). When that proof has been delivered then ‘rebuke’ should follow. The rebuking or denouncing, the openly indicating, makes clear how wrong the person has spoken or acted.

Not only courage is needed for that, but also the right mindset. Acting against evil and “exhort” to prevent evil must happen “with great patience”, that is with long-suffering and self-control and not with a quick temper. That must also be accompanied by “instruction” or education. Both with reproving and rebuking and with teaching the doctrine of the Scripture has to be applied. All these actions are to be explained from the Scripture.

Acting on the basis of the Scripture has always been of the greatest importance. As time goes by the importance increases more and more. I hope you are well aware of that or become aware of that. In any case Paul is not to be blamed if you do not consider this.

2 Timothy 4:3. He warns us that a time will come that people and especially nominal Christians “will not endure sound doctrine”. We have definitely arrived in that time right now. Just tell nominal Christians about ‘the sound doctrine’ of marriage for instance. There is a great chance that they will laugh at you and label you as old-fashioned and that your ideas are outdated. In that way they reject the doctrine that is sound in itself and in its effect.

They choose for a free experience of sexuality. They do not want to realize that this has been the cause and the spread of a disease like aids. They prefer to hold a ‘Day for aids’ to focus the attention on the problem and they give money in order to overcome this disease themselves. Getting to the root of the problem and living a healthy life in this regard, that is, in accordance with sound doctrine, they have no ears for that.

On the contrary, they listen to teachers who say things they love to hear; who bring a message that smoothly enter into their ears. They have no lack of variation. A church may then chose or appoint a preacher who has a nice way of preaching. The truth content is not important to them, as long as it offers spiritual amusement and it caresses the spiritual feelings. The same happens with people who follow preachers whom they like, without asking themselves whether the preaching is biblical.

2 Timothy 4:4. The result of this all will be that such people turn away their heads when once they really are confronted with the truth. They don’t want to hear the truth at all, but consciously turn their ear away from it time and time again.

The automatic consequence is that they turn aside under the influence of “myths”. It is ironic if you think that modern, liberal theologians are now trying to ‘demythologize’ the Bible, which means that they indicate the myths in the Bible in order to rob the Bible from its power. They label the wonders of the Bible as myths and they even consider them as fairy tales. But they take refuge in the myths themselves by turning away from the truth.

Paul rejects all expressions of modern thinkers and preachers, who base their allegations on science, with one word: fables. A quite recent example of a fable, a myth, is the Da Vinci Code, a book that is full of ridiculous religious mysteries, distortions of the truth and blasphemous allegations about the Lord Jesus. This book, out of which they also made a movie, has captivated millions. It has been sold more than thirty six million times and has already been translated into more than forty languages. Isn’t it shocking that such a huge number of people turn aside to myths? It is preparation for embracing the antichrist when he reveals himself.

2 Timothy 4:5. Again you hear “but you”. Paul is warning you not to let yourself be dragged down by this strong antichristian movement. “Be sober in all things.” Be sure to remain free from false influences, for these will hinder you to keep a sober, biblical view on all things. Don’t be gullible and don’t let people encourage you for ideas that have no basis in the truth. Make well-considered decisions. Submit your plans to the Lord in prayer and always consult His Word.

Be willing to carry the consequences of such a way of life and “endure hardship”. People will not thank and welcome you for your witness to the truth. Remain merciful to the lost people and “do the work of an evangelist”. Don’t hide behind the thought that you possibly don’t have the gift of an evangelist. That is not what it is about. The point is that whenever you have the opportunity to point to the Savior you must do that.

The ministry of Timothy is extensive. He is supposed to fully accomplish each aspect of it, that nothing will be left undone. The Lord also expects of you to fully fulfill what He has ordered you to do. Thereby you may be sure that if the Lord commands you to do something He also gives you the strength and the means to do it.

2 Timothy 4:6. Paul calls on Timothy’s attention for all these things, because he himself will soon disappear from the earthly scene. His departure is another exhortation for Timothy to fully fulfill his ministry. Now he has to work hard himself. But he can build on the foundation that the apostle himself has laid.

Paul compares his departure with the outpouring of a “drink offering” (Philippians 2:17). In the offering service of Israel a drink offering was added to the burnt offering, which was the main offering (Numbers 28:7-15; 24; 31; Numbers 29:39). His whole life in service to the Lord has been a life of full dedication and in that sense a burnt offering. Now he is close to pass away he sees his “departure” as a drink offering. A drink offering consists of wine and speaks of joy. He knows that he will enter into the joy of his Lord (Matthew 25:21).

The word ‘depart’ has the meaning of ‘to unloose’ (Philippians 1:23) and refers to the loosening of a connection. Paul doesn’t see the execution, but the liberation! That that moment has come, means joy to him.

Now read 2 Timothy 4:1-6 again.

Reflection: Do you do the work of an evangelist?

Hebrews 7:27

Preach the Word

2 Timothy 4:1. In the previous verses Paul pointed out to Timothy the situation in professing Christianity where there is no improvement to be expected, but on the contrary deterioration. In the meantime, after many ages of church history that also appeared. But he also pointed out to Timothy resources for difficult times. He did that in a way from which you also may profit.

Now Timothy is able and has to get down to work. In a penetrating way Paul places Timothy “in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus”, a presence that is reality to Paul himself. He lives before the face of God and of Christ Jesus and not before the face of men. In that way he is like Elijah, who, while he stood before king Ahab, said: “As the LORD, the God of Israel lives, before whom I stand” (1 Kings 17:1). He wants to give that awareness both to Timothy and to you.

The way Paul connects Christ Jesus and God with each other indicates that Christ is God. Then three things of Christ are said that have to do with the fact that He became Man. First of all He “is to judge the living and the dead”. That judgment is given to Him because He is the Son of Man (John 5:27). Then He will visibly appear as Man. Finally He will establish His kingdom.

He will execute the judgment on the living and the dead at different times and at different occasions. He will judge the living when He has appeared on earth and is seated on the throne of His glory. The nations living on earth will appear before Him and be judged by Him (Matthew 25:31-46). He will judge the dead when He is seated on the great white throne, after His millennial kingdom (Revelation 20:11-12).

Just for the record, the sequence of events listed in this verse: 1. First the Lord Jesus will appear on earth; 2. then He will judge the living, while He is seated on the throne of His glory; 3. then He will establish His kingdom and will reign for thousand years; 4. after which He, being seated on the great white throne, will judge the dead.

For the sake of completeness, I mention another judgment that takes place earlier than the two just mentioned, namely immediately after the rapture of the church (2 Corinthians 5:10). There the reward is being given to the believer according to the measure of faithfulness with which He served the Lord on earth.

As it is said, the charging in the presence of two Divine Persons and the three events to come, underline the gravity of the order that must be fulfilled. But it also includes a great encouragement and that is that you may know that the hard times will come to an end when the Lord Jesus, Who is still being rejected, will return in power and majesty. The thought of His coming to judge makes you free from people and frees you from the fear of men.

2 Timothy 4:2. Against the background of 2 Timothy 4:1 the command follows in 2 Timothy 4:2. The thought of His appearance will not paralyze you, but will make you more diligent. When Christ returns He will come with His reward that is determined before the judgment seat. That reward is to be gained by you on earth by using all your efforts and diligence in full dedication to the Lord and to do what He asks of you.

In measured terms Paul tells Timothy what is expected of him. The whole point is: “Preach the word.” After the Word of God has become apparent as the equipment of the man of God in the concluding verses of chapter 3 (2 Timothy 3:16-17), the next step is that it has to be preached. That is a great duty in all times, but certainly when the church has fallen into decay.

‘Preach’ here means openly proclaim, like the imperial herald did. The message to be brought was not made up by the herald himself. Not listening to the message of a herald was a serious matter.

Timothy must always “be ready”. He is supposed to be inwardly always ready to transmit the Word, that is the whole revealed truth of God. He is supposed to be always ready (cf. 1 Peter 3:15), “in season [and] out of season”, which means whether it is convenient for him or not, or whether the circumstances are favorable or not. He is also supposed to ‘reprove’, that is to deliver the convincing proof of the wrong in doctrine or life (cf. John 16:8). When that proof has been delivered then ‘rebuke’ should follow. The rebuking or denouncing, the openly indicating, makes clear how wrong the person has spoken or acted.

Not only courage is needed for that, but also the right mindset. Acting against evil and “exhort” to prevent evil must happen “with great patience”, that is with long-suffering and self-control and not with a quick temper. That must also be accompanied by “instruction” or education. Both with reproving and rebuking and with teaching the doctrine of the Scripture has to be applied. All these actions are to be explained from the Scripture.

Acting on the basis of the Scripture has always been of the greatest importance. As time goes by the importance increases more and more. I hope you are well aware of that or become aware of that. In any case Paul is not to be blamed if you do not consider this.

2 Timothy 4:3. He warns us that a time will come that people and especially nominal Christians “will not endure sound doctrine”. We have definitely arrived in that time right now. Just tell nominal Christians about ‘the sound doctrine’ of marriage for instance. There is a great chance that they will laugh at you and label you as old-fashioned and that your ideas are outdated. In that way they reject the doctrine that is sound in itself and in its effect.

They choose for a free experience of sexuality. They do not want to realize that this has been the cause and the spread of a disease like aids. They prefer to hold a ‘Day for aids’ to focus the attention on the problem and they give money in order to overcome this disease themselves. Getting to the root of the problem and living a healthy life in this regard, that is, in accordance with sound doctrine, they have no ears for that.

On the contrary, they listen to teachers who say things they love to hear; who bring a message that smoothly enter into their ears. They have no lack of variation. A church may then chose or appoint a preacher who has a nice way of preaching. The truth content is not important to them, as long as it offers spiritual amusement and it caresses the spiritual feelings. The same happens with people who follow preachers whom they like, without asking themselves whether the preaching is biblical.

2 Timothy 4:4. The result of this all will be that such people turn away their heads when once they really are confronted with the truth. They don’t want to hear the truth at all, but consciously turn their ear away from it time and time again.

The automatic consequence is that they turn aside under the influence of “myths”. It is ironic if you think that modern, liberal theologians are now trying to ‘demythologize’ the Bible, which means that they indicate the myths in the Bible in order to rob the Bible from its power. They label the wonders of the Bible as myths and they even consider them as fairy tales. But they take refuge in the myths themselves by turning away from the truth.

Paul rejects all expressions of modern thinkers and preachers, who base their allegations on science, with one word: fables. A quite recent example of a fable, a myth, is the Da Vinci Code, a book that is full of ridiculous religious mysteries, distortions of the truth and blasphemous allegations about the Lord Jesus. This book, out of which they also made a movie, has captivated millions. It has been sold more than thirty six million times and has already been translated into more than forty languages. Isn’t it shocking that such a huge number of people turn aside to myths? It is preparation for embracing the antichrist when he reveals himself.

2 Timothy 4:5. Again you hear “but you”. Paul is warning you not to let yourself be dragged down by this strong antichristian movement. “Be sober in all things.” Be sure to remain free from false influences, for these will hinder you to keep a sober, biblical view on all things. Don’t be gullible and don’t let people encourage you for ideas that have no basis in the truth. Make well-considered decisions. Submit your plans to the Lord in prayer and always consult His Word.

Be willing to carry the consequences of such a way of life and “endure hardship”. People will not thank and welcome you for your witness to the truth. Remain merciful to the lost people and “do the work of an evangelist”. Don’t hide behind the thought that you possibly don’t have the gift of an evangelist. That is not what it is about. The point is that whenever you have the opportunity to point to the Savior you must do that.

The ministry of Timothy is extensive. He is supposed to fully accomplish each aspect of it, that nothing will be left undone. The Lord also expects of you to fully fulfill what He has ordered you to do. Thereby you may be sure that if the Lord commands you to do something He also gives you the strength and the means to do it.

2 Timothy 4:6. Paul calls on Timothy’s attention for all these things, because he himself will soon disappear from the earthly scene. His departure is another exhortation for Timothy to fully fulfill his ministry. Now he has to work hard himself. But he can build on the foundation that the apostle himself has laid.

Paul compares his departure with the outpouring of a “drink offering” (Philippians 2:17). In the offering service of Israel a drink offering was added to the burnt offering, which was the main offering (Numbers 28:7-15; 24; 31; Numbers 29:39). His whole life in service to the Lord has been a life of full dedication and in that sense a burnt offering. Now he is close to pass away he sees his “departure” as a drink offering. A drink offering consists of wine and speaks of joy. He knows that he will enter into the joy of his Lord (Matthew 25:21).

The word ‘depart’ has the meaning of ‘to unloose’ (Philippians 1:23) and refers to the loosening of a connection. Paul doesn’t see the execution, but the liberation! That that moment has come, means joy to him.

Now read 2 Timothy 4:1-6 again.

Reflection: Do you do the work of an evangelist?

Hebrews 7:28

Preach the Word

2 Timothy 4:1. In the previous verses Paul pointed out to Timothy the situation in professing Christianity where there is no improvement to be expected, but on the contrary deterioration. In the meantime, after many ages of church history that also appeared. But he also pointed out to Timothy resources for difficult times. He did that in a way from which you also may profit.

Now Timothy is able and has to get down to work. In a penetrating way Paul places Timothy “in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus”, a presence that is reality to Paul himself. He lives before the face of God and of Christ Jesus and not before the face of men. In that way he is like Elijah, who, while he stood before king Ahab, said: “As the LORD, the God of Israel lives, before whom I stand” (1 Kings 17:1). He wants to give that awareness both to Timothy and to you.

The way Paul connects Christ Jesus and God with each other indicates that Christ is God. Then three things of Christ are said that have to do with the fact that He became Man. First of all He “is to judge the living and the dead”. That judgment is given to Him because He is the Son of Man (John 5:27). Then He will visibly appear as Man. Finally He will establish His kingdom.

He will execute the judgment on the living and the dead at different times and at different occasions. He will judge the living when He has appeared on earth and is seated on the throne of His glory. The nations living on earth will appear before Him and be judged by Him (Matthew 25:31-46). He will judge the dead when He is seated on the great white throne, after His millennial kingdom (Revelation 20:11-12).

Just for the record, the sequence of events listed in this verse: 1. First the Lord Jesus will appear on earth; 2. then He will judge the living, while He is seated on the throne of His glory; 3. then He will establish His kingdom and will reign for thousand years; 4. after which He, being seated on the great white throne, will judge the dead.

For the sake of completeness, I mention another judgment that takes place earlier than the two just mentioned, namely immediately after the rapture of the church (2 Corinthians 5:10). There the reward is being given to the believer according to the measure of faithfulness with which He served the Lord on earth.

As it is said, the charging in the presence of two Divine Persons and the three events to come, underline the gravity of the order that must be fulfilled. But it also includes a great encouragement and that is that you may know that the hard times will come to an end when the Lord Jesus, Who is still being rejected, will return in power and majesty. The thought of His coming to judge makes you free from people and frees you from the fear of men.

2 Timothy 4:2. Against the background of 2 Timothy 4:1 the command follows in 2 Timothy 4:2. The thought of His appearance will not paralyze you, but will make you more diligent. When Christ returns He will come with His reward that is determined before the judgment seat. That reward is to be gained by you on earth by using all your efforts and diligence in full dedication to the Lord and to do what He asks of you.

In measured terms Paul tells Timothy what is expected of him. The whole point is: “Preach the word.” After the Word of God has become apparent as the equipment of the man of God in the concluding verses of chapter 3 (2 Timothy 3:16-17), the next step is that it has to be preached. That is a great duty in all times, but certainly when the church has fallen into decay.

‘Preach’ here means openly proclaim, like the imperial herald did. The message to be brought was not made up by the herald himself. Not listening to the message of a herald was a serious matter.

Timothy must always “be ready”. He is supposed to be inwardly always ready to transmit the Word, that is the whole revealed truth of God. He is supposed to be always ready (cf. 1 Peter 3:15), “in season [and] out of season”, which means whether it is convenient for him or not, or whether the circumstances are favorable or not. He is also supposed to ‘reprove’, that is to deliver the convincing proof of the wrong in doctrine or life (cf. John 16:8). When that proof has been delivered then ‘rebuke’ should follow. The rebuking or denouncing, the openly indicating, makes clear how wrong the person has spoken or acted.

Not only courage is needed for that, but also the right mindset. Acting against evil and “exhort” to prevent evil must happen “with great patience”, that is with long-suffering and self-control and not with a quick temper. That must also be accompanied by “instruction” or education. Both with reproving and rebuking and with teaching the doctrine of the Scripture has to be applied. All these actions are to be explained from the Scripture.

Acting on the basis of the Scripture has always been of the greatest importance. As time goes by the importance increases more and more. I hope you are well aware of that or become aware of that. In any case Paul is not to be blamed if you do not consider this.

2 Timothy 4:3. He warns us that a time will come that people and especially nominal Christians “will not endure sound doctrine”. We have definitely arrived in that time right now. Just tell nominal Christians about ‘the sound doctrine’ of marriage for instance. There is a great chance that they will laugh at you and label you as old-fashioned and that your ideas are outdated. In that way they reject the doctrine that is sound in itself and in its effect.

They choose for a free experience of sexuality. They do not want to realize that this has been the cause and the spread of a disease like aids. They prefer to hold a ‘Day for aids’ to focus the attention on the problem and they give money in order to overcome this disease themselves. Getting to the root of the problem and living a healthy life in this regard, that is, in accordance with sound doctrine, they have no ears for that.

On the contrary, they listen to teachers who say things they love to hear; who bring a message that smoothly enter into their ears. They have no lack of variation. A church may then chose or appoint a preacher who has a nice way of preaching. The truth content is not important to them, as long as it offers spiritual amusement and it caresses the spiritual feelings. The same happens with people who follow preachers whom they like, without asking themselves whether the preaching is biblical.

2 Timothy 4:4. The result of this all will be that such people turn away their heads when once they really are confronted with the truth. They don’t want to hear the truth at all, but consciously turn their ear away from it time and time again.

The automatic consequence is that they turn aside under the influence of “myths”. It is ironic if you think that modern, liberal theologians are now trying to ‘demythologize’ the Bible, which means that they indicate the myths in the Bible in order to rob the Bible from its power. They label the wonders of the Bible as myths and they even consider them as fairy tales. But they take refuge in the myths themselves by turning away from the truth.

Paul rejects all expressions of modern thinkers and preachers, who base their allegations on science, with one word: fables. A quite recent example of a fable, a myth, is the Da Vinci Code, a book that is full of ridiculous religious mysteries, distortions of the truth and blasphemous allegations about the Lord Jesus. This book, out of which they also made a movie, has captivated millions. It has been sold more than thirty six million times and has already been translated into more than forty languages. Isn’t it shocking that such a huge number of people turn aside to myths? It is preparation for embracing the antichrist when he reveals himself.

2 Timothy 4:5. Again you hear “but you”. Paul is warning you not to let yourself be dragged down by this strong antichristian movement. “Be sober in all things.” Be sure to remain free from false influences, for these will hinder you to keep a sober, biblical view on all things. Don’t be gullible and don’t let people encourage you for ideas that have no basis in the truth. Make well-considered decisions. Submit your plans to the Lord in prayer and always consult His Word.

Be willing to carry the consequences of such a way of life and “endure hardship”. People will not thank and welcome you for your witness to the truth. Remain merciful to the lost people and “do the work of an evangelist”. Don’t hide behind the thought that you possibly don’t have the gift of an evangelist. That is not what it is about. The point is that whenever you have the opportunity to point to the Savior you must do that.

The ministry of Timothy is extensive. He is supposed to fully accomplish each aspect of it, that nothing will be left undone. The Lord also expects of you to fully fulfill what He has ordered you to do. Thereby you may be sure that if the Lord commands you to do something He also gives you the strength and the means to do it.

2 Timothy 4:6. Paul calls on Timothy’s attention for all these things, because he himself will soon disappear from the earthly scene. His departure is another exhortation for Timothy to fully fulfill his ministry. Now he has to work hard himself. But he can build on the foundation that the apostle himself has laid.

Paul compares his departure with the outpouring of a “drink offering” (Philippians 2:17). In the offering service of Israel a drink offering was added to the burnt offering, which was the main offering (Numbers 28:7-15; 24; 31; Numbers 29:39). His whole life in service to the Lord has been a life of full dedication and in that sense a burnt offering. Now he is close to pass away he sees his “departure” as a drink offering. A drink offering consists of wine and speaks of joy. He knows that he will enter into the joy of his Lord (Matthew 25:21).

The word ‘depart’ has the meaning of ‘to unloose’ (Philippians 1:23) and refers to the loosening of a connection. Paul doesn’t see the execution, but the liberation! That that moment has come, means joy to him.

Now read 2 Timothy 4:1-6 again.

Reflection: Do you do the work of an evangelist?