Frameworks:
2 Timothy 3
v.1-9
Watch out for the last days
v.10-17
Encouragement to hold on to the truth in God's word
[Chapter
3 Synopsis: Persecution and deception and ungodliness
and unrighteousness will appear in the last days but hold on to
the truth of God's word.]
v.1-9
Watch out for the last days
[Passage
Synopsis: In the last days watch out for unrighteous
living and godless attitudes, and for deceivers who distort the
truth.]
v.1
(whenever the ‘last days'
come, they will be tough) But
mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days.
v.2-5
(most of the world will
be unrighteous and ungodly) People
will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud,
abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without
love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not
lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure
rather than lovers of God— having a form of godliness but denying
its power. Have nothing to do with such people.
v.6,7
( … full of deception)
They are the kind who worm their
way into homes and gain control over gullible women, who are loaded
down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires, always
learning but never able to come to a knowledge of the truth.
v.8
( … even as Moses experienced…)
Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed
Moses, so also these teachers oppose the truth. They are men of
depraved minds, who, as far as the faith is concerned, are rejected.
v.9
( … but their folly will
be obvious) But they will not
get very far because, as in the case of those men, their folly
will be clear to everyone.
v.10-17
Encouragement to hold on to the truth in God's word
[Passage
Synopsis: Hold on to the truth, even though oppositions
arise against your godliness, the truth that comes through God's
inspired word.]
v.10,11
(you've had my teaching
and example to hold on to) You,
however, know all about my teaching, my way of life, my purpose,
faith, patience, love, endurance, persecutions, sufferings—what
kinds of things happened to me in Antioch, Iconium and Lystra,
the persecutions I endured. Yet the Lord rescued me from all of
them.
v.12,13
(just accept that opposition
comes with godliness) In fact,
everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be
persecuted, while evildoers and impostors will go from bad to
worse, deceiving and being deceived.
v.14,15
(but hold on to the truths
you've heard since your childhood) But
as for you, continue in what you have learned and have
become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned
it, and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which
are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ
Jesus.
v.16,17
(for the Bible is inspired
and brought into being to teach us etc. to equip us) All
Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking,
correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant
of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
Continue
to Chapter 4