2 Timothy 3:1-9 (ESV)1 But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. 2 For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy,
3heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, 4 treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people. 6 For among them are those who creep into households and capture weak women, burdened with sins and led astray by various passions, 7 always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth. 8 Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, men corrupted in mind and disqualified regarding the faith. 9 But they will not get very far, for their folly will be plain to all, as was that of those two men. Wow, what a tough passage to hear! Paul is painting a picture of two different kinds of people: those who are basically lost and out of control, and those who are posers, having the appearance of faith in Christ but no substance or foundation to stand on.
The lost and out of control are following the desires of their own heart and pursuing the things of this world with near reckless abandon. The effect that they have is destructive, destroying their own lives and destroying the lives of others who are, directly or indirectly, impacted by their pursuits. They are basically abusing God’s good creation and everything loved by God.
Then there are those who are abusing leadership. They prey on people who are struggling because of past sinfulness. They offer empty, short-lived solutions for broken lives and leave people emptier and more shattered than before because they never hold onto or provide a foundation of truth.
I love what Paul instructs Timothy to do when he encounters these types of people. Did you see it? In verse five, it’s almost comical, but Paul is deadly serious - avoid such people. Paul knows how easy it is for a young person, whose character is still being formed, to get sucked in and want to imitate someone else.
Who are these people that Paul is referencing? Paul speaks about Jannes and Jambres as examples. According to Jewish legend, they were the magicians of Egypt referred to in Exodus 7:11 and 22. When Moses was performing the God-given signs to Pharaoh to convince him to let the Israelites go, these magicians did their best to copy the signs Moses performed. The movie
Prince of Egypt captures these characters very well, and if you click the picture above, you will see this scene played out. Moses’s staff turns into a snake, and the magicians seem to copy that sign. However, watch what happens to the magicians’ staffs turned to snakes when confronted with Moses’ staff turned to a snake. It’s awesome and a perfect reflection of scripture.
Paul’s point to Timothy in all of this is that there will always be opposition to the Gospel. There will always be those who abuse and lead people astray with devastatingly false hope. We shouldn’t kid ourselves or pretend that these problems don’t exist or won’t touch us—they will. But remember, those people won’t get very far. Their hearts will be revealed. The Lord sees, and the Lord will hold them accountable for their actions.
Paul’s call to Timothy, and to us, as we face difficult times and difficult people, is to stay calm, to stand firm on our foundation in Christ, and to trust the Lord.
God bless you, and know that I am praying for you this morning!
Scott
Col 1:27-28 (ESV)
27 To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
