Well, please turn with me in your Bibles to 2 Timothy 3. 2 Timothy 3. In 2 Timothy 3, specifically in verses 1 to 9, the apostle Paul tells Timothy, or calls Timothy to faithfulness in perilous times. So our focus will be on verses 1 to 9, but I'll read the chapter and then we'll pray, and then we'll look at the section. in consideration. So beginning in chapter 3 at verse 1, But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come, for men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control. brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power.
And from such people turn away, for of this sort are those who creep into households and make captives of gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts, always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. Now as Janus and Jambres resisted Moses, so do these also resist the truth, men of corrupt minds, disapproved concerning the faith. But they will progress no further, for their folly will be manifest to all, as theirs also was. But you have carefully followed my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, long-suffering, love, perseverance, persecutions, afflictions, which happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra, what persecutions I endured, and out of them all the Lord delivered me.
Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. But evil men and imposters will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them. And that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. Well,
Closing Prayer
let us pray. Our Father in heaven, we thank You for Your Word, and we pray now for Your Spirit to direct us. And God, as we see this particular passage, there is certainly a warning here for the church as church. And God, help us to take it to heart.
Help us to understand it's not just external threats to the peace and the safety of the church, but within the church, the professing church, there is internal threat as well. So guide us now, Father, as we consider this and gird us up and strengthen us and put us on guard and help us, God in heaven, to go forward in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit. And we ask this through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.
Introduction
Well, if you go back for just a moment in 2 Timothy chapter 2, the apostle Paul instructs Timothy on how he is to deal with difficult people. And if you look specifically at verse 23, he says, But avoid foolish and ignorant disputes, knowing that they generate strife. And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel, but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, in humility, correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance. so that they may know the truth and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will." So the man of God must not be quarrelsome. The man of God must be patient.
The man of God must assume that posture of instruction and teaching in order that he might win some to the Lord Jesus Christ. So in verses, at the end of chapter two, Paul counsels or exhorts Timothy that he needs to be patient in dealing with difficult people. But in chapter 3 at verses 1 to 9, he shifts direction. He says, when these difficult people double down, when they exhibit that they're not true Christians, when they're the kinds of people that are disruptive, or the kinds of people that are destructive, with reference to the church, have no truck with them.
In other words, you are to avoid them. And that is an interesting thing about this passage. He is describing, he is doing something that he does in other portions of Scripture. Take Romans 1 for instance.
In Romans chapter 1 at verses 28 to 32, there is what's called a vice list. A list of vices that are engaged in by a particular people group. Well, in Romans chapter 1, it is the heathen, it is the pagan, it is those outside of God's special revelation. The difference here is that we're in the professing church.
If you look specifically at chapter 3, verse 5, he says they have a form of godliness. So this isn't the heathen, it isn't the pagan, it isn't Islamic believers. Rather, it is professing Christians in the context of the local church that the Apostle Paul tells Timothy he has or is to have nothing to do with. So in many respects, it is a helpful antidote to the church of our generation going forward.
We ought to pay heed to this and we ought to take it seriously so that we don't fall prey to the various sins that Paul highlights in this particular section.
Recognition of the Danger
So in the first place, I want to look at the recognition of the danger in verse 1. Secondly, the description of the danger in verses 2 to 5a. Thirdly, the exhortation to avoid the danger in verses 5b to 8. And then finally, the encouragement in spite of the danger.
So though there is this danger, we must not forget Matthew 16. Jesus promises that I will build my church and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. The gates of Hades is certainly going to try, that defensive mechanism of the kingdom of darkness is going to try and destroy and to engage in destruction, but it will never succeed because of King Jesus enthroned at the right hand of God Most High. So let's look first at the recognition of the danger.
If one of the brothers could turn on the fans up top, that would be most helpful. If you're too cold, I apologize, but I think air, or I'm of the mindset of C.H. Spurgeon. He said, the next best thing to grace in the heart is oxygen in the brain.
And if we have stale air, there is a tendency to nod off, and I don't want that to happen. So first of all, notice the recognition of the danger in verse one. He says, but know this. Know this, Timothy.
It's not always going to be rosy. It's not always going to be blessed. It's not always going to be wonderful and easy in the context of the local church. You need to understand this reality.
It's not just a matter of feeding the sheep. It must also be a matter of identifying and driving off the wolves. Know this, Timothy, for your well-being and for the well-being of the flock. Not only do you need to know this for yourself, but again, for himself and the flock, faithful pastors not only tend to the sheep, but they also drive off the wolves.
If they don't do that, then the sheep will be ravaged. And then notice that he says that in the last days perilous times will come. Now that reference to last days is a bit of theological nomenclature which simply indicates the time frame between the first and the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He is not telling Timothy about something way distant to Timothy.
He's not saying that in the future, past the 21st century, in this block of time identified as the last days, these sorts of things will obtain. We know that cannot be the case because specifically in verse five, Paul tells Timothy having a form of godliness, but denying its power and from such people turn away. If this was future for Timothy, if the last days had not arrived, then this would be meaningless. But the fact that Paul tells Timothy that these kinds of things will be seen in the last days.
And when you see these kinds of things in the last days, you need to withdraw from them. You need to separate yourself from them. You don't need to continue to go on this mission of patient and mercy in terms of trying to win them back. No, you're not to have anything to do with that.
So, with reference to that frame or time frame of the last days, it's referred to often in the prophets in the latter days or in the last days. And in the hands of the prophets, it's referring to the time of Messiah. It's referring to the time of the Lord Jesus Christ. Well, in the hands of the New Testament authors, it does the same thing.
Christ has come in the first coming. Christ will come again in the second coming. That time frame is referred to as the last days. Timothy was in it and Paul says in the last days, the kinds of things that he is warning about will be present in the context of the church.
Again, it's a warning that meant something for Timothy because Timothy too was also in the last days and needed this such that he would not be caught off guard. And then notice, in terms of the general description, he says that in the last days perilous times will come. The ESV has times of difficulty, the NIV has terrible times. All are good translations. and all underscore or highlight that reality.
Until we get to the new Jerusalem, until we get into heaven, there will always be hardship, there will always be affliction, there will always be trial and difficulty that make up this present world. We can go through great seasons in the context of the church, but those seasons don't obtain indefinitely. There is this ebb and flow within the Christian life as individuals, and there is an ebb and flow with reference to the Christian life in terms of churchmanship. And we see that in the New Testament documents, we see that in the history of the church, and we see that experientially in our own generation, in our own time frame.
Description of the Danger
Now notice, secondly, the description of the danger in verses 2 to 5a. Verse 2, for men, that's the danger. Men, ungodly, unrighteous, unholy men. He will further describe them by way of 17 adjectives and then two contrasts.
But you need to focus on this reality. For men. The problems facing the church are not the environment. The problems facing the church are not disease.
The problems facing the church are not catastrophe. But the problems facing the church in this context are sinful men. John Calvin writes, What he makes the hardship of those dangerous or troublesome times to consist, not in war, nor in famine, nor in disease, nor in any calamities or inconveniences to which the body is incident, but in the wicked and depraved actions of men. So as we ponder this passage, brethren, we need to take seriously not only the external threat, not only an encroaching state, not only those who would try to do harm to the people of God, but we need to understand the internal threat.
I think I've showed you before that that was something that the kings of Judah had to contend with. They not only had to battle the Philistines, they not only had to deal with exterior external enemies, but they also had division and problems inside. And more often than not, it would be the king himself that would be a threat to the internal function of the kingdom of Jesus Christ on earth. Now, with reference to the specific sins, notice what he says.
I'm just going to categorize them instead of going through each and every one of these particular references.
Pride
Notice first the sin of pride. The sin of pride. Pride is a horrible thing. And in three instances, Paul highlights pride in these men that are a plague in the context of the professing church.
He refers to them as boasters, he refers to them as proud, he refers to them as headstrong. If you go back for just a moment to the book of Proverbs, Proverbs chapter 6 specifically, you see what Yahweh thinks concerning the sin of pride. And in Proverbs 6, 16, we read, these six things Yahweh hates, yea, seven are an abomination to him. A proud look, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that are swift and running to evil, a false witness who speaks lies, and one who sows discord among brethren.
Notice a proud look. God abhors such. God despises and disdains such. In this passage, God abominates pride.
And with reference to the danger facing the church in terms of the internal threat of those who have a form of godliness but deny its power, Pride is at the top of the list in terms of what characterizes them. They are boasters, they are proud, they are headstrong. We need to take heed to that. Not perhaps so that we are the actual danger that is envisaged by the apostle, but we're not supposed to be proud.
We're supposed to be a humble people. God resists the proud, but he gives grace to the humble. And that is something that we need to sort of imbibe with reference to our Christian faith.
Lack of Goodness
Secondly, these ones lack goodness. They lack goodness. Again, I'm categorizing a couple in one particular heading. So the sin of pride, number one.
Second, the lack of goodness. And Paul refers to it in this way. They are unthankful and they are despisers of good. Look what unthankfulness or a lack of thankfulness is characteristic of.
Turn back to chapter 1 in the book of Romans. Romans chapter 1 gives an overarching sort of indictment concerning the sin of the heathen and then gets into the specific vice list. But with reference to that overarching sin that is indicative of the heathen, notice in verse 18, For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness. Now, Paul is going to follow that motif.
The problem that is indicative of the heathen is that they are ungodly and unrighteous. The unrighteousness will be spelled out in the vice list in verses 28 to 32. That is the act of, that is the particular instances of sin. But the ungodliness comes first, and he starts there.
Notice in verse 19. Because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world is invisible, attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even as eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse. Now notice, verse 21, because although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.
Professing to be wise, they became fools and changed the glory of the incorruptible God, into an image made like corruptible man and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things. So there's your ungodliness. It is what man thinks about God first that then drives his response in terms of action. And that's the particular makeup or the way that Paul proceeds there in Romans 1.
But that is intriguing in verse 21, because although they knew God, they did not glorify him as God, nor were thankful. That is a mark of the depraved. That is a mark of the unconverted. That is a mark of those who do not know God.
The Catechism, the Heidelberg, goes in that threefold category—guilt, grace, gratitude, when we receive the grace of God, when we are freed from our sins, when we pass from darkness into life, what then is the reflex action? It is to thank and praise God Almighty. But with reference to these ones that are a threat to the church, they are unthankful men. And not only are they unthankful men, they are despisers of good.
In other words, Christians are to be lovers of good, not despisers of good, and yet these sorts will find their way into the professing church such that the people of God need to be on guard. Now, always when I preach something like this, I try to caution us or encourage us not to raise an eyebrow at the fellow sitting next to us. Is this the potential threat? Is this the guy that Paul was talking about?
Is this the person that needs to be outed? Is this the person I need to report to the eldership? Brethren, this ain't 1984, and you ain't spies. If someone engages in wickedness, obviously, rack them out.
But let us not proceed in terms of a suspicion of our brothers and our sisters. But when persons manifest these types of traits consistently, not once in a while, because I think we'll all find ourselves spoken to at some point in this particular passage of Scripture. But when persons manifest this, when it's characteristic of them or indicative of them, then we need to be on our guard. We need to be on the lookout.
Disobedience to Parents
Notice in the third place, they are disobedient to parents. Verse two, for men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents. That makes it in the vice list in Romans chapter one as well. It is a problem amongst the heathen and it is a problem amongst the professing church.
And you might think that disobedience to parents isn't that big of a deal. No, it is a big deal because it exhibits a problem with authority. And in God's world, God has established authority. God the Lord calls us to be subordinate to our parents.
God the Lord calls us to be subordinate to civil authority. God the Lord calls us to be subordinate to ecclesiastical authority. That is God's way for life in this world.
Slander and Self-Indulgence
And then notice, fourthly, the practice of slander. They are slanderers. Literally, they are devils. Back in chapter 2 at verse 26, and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil.
The same language is used with reference to slanderer. The heart of the idea of Satan is one who accuses. one who speaks ill, one who misrepresents, one who lies, one who deceives. As well, we have this lack of self-control amongst these professors who have a form of godliness, but they deny its power. Again, all of these things at some point, or in some way, are true of us.
I don't think any of us can say, I'm always obedient to civil authority. I'm always obedient to my parental authority. I've never said an ill thing. I've never had an issue.
I've never had a problem. No, it finds us at some point as we move our way through this list, especially that first one. Who of us could raise their hand? Please don't even do this.
Don't even conceive of doing this. Oh, yeah, I'm pretty humble. I'm just the most humble person. Actually do it, because you're evidencing that you're really not what you are suggesting to the rest of us you are.
So all of this finds us at some point, but again, we're looking at men, the kind of men that prey on gullible women, the kind of men that are akin to Janus and Jambres, those magicians that tried to dupe the Egyptians and the Israelites back in Exodus 7 and Exodus chapter 9. So these are persons with a lack of self-control. And then another thing that Paul says is that they engage in the act of treason. Notice in verse 4, they are traitors.
They are traitors. Later, this particular term was used in Christian writings to refer to those who blasphemed and those who engaged in apostasy. So as you move through this particular list, pride, a lack of goodness, disobedience to parents, practice of slander, the lack of self-control, and the act of treason, it's not a pretty picture that the Apostle paints concerning the kinds of people that are in local churches. that are in the houses of God, that are in and among the people of God. Remember, he tells Timothy to withdraw from such, avoid such, have no truck with such men.
And I think in terms of an overarching approach to these things, Andy Hamilton, the fellow that we pray for on Wednesday night, that sort of link to Myanmar, I heard a sermon he preached many, many, many years ago, and he referred to three prevailing philosophies that this vice list produces. Three prevailing philosophies that confront us in the here and now.
Three Prevailing Philosophies
In the first place, he said that this passage contains secular humanism. Notice that these are lovers of themselves. Verse 2, for men will be lovers of themselves. That is secular humanism. when man is the measure of all things, especially one particular man, the man I look at when I'm shaving.
That sort of self-love is indicative of a prevailing philosophy that is rampant in society today, and we would be fools not to see its way into the church of the Lord Jesus Christ. Secondly, materialistic idolatry. Notice in verse 2, men will be lovers of themselves and lovers of money. Again, brethren, with reference to money, money, as the scripture says, is not the root of all kinds of evil.
The love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. It's not money. Money is a tool. Money is just a thing.
It's how the human heart approaches the money. If we use it as a tool, if we use it to pay our mortgage, if we use it to buy food, If we use it to engage in acts of charity and those sorts of things, money is a good tool. But when men become lovers of it, when men can't get enough of it, when men betray this idea of a materialistic idolatry, they want stuff. Perhaps you've seen the bumper sticker, he who dies with the most toys wins.
That is not accurate. That is not biblical. Jesus says, what shall it profit a man if he gains the whole world, but he loses his soul? So materialistic idolatry is rampant.
Again, not just out there, but within the professing church. And then notice something else that these ones love. In verse 4. It says, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God.
This is hedonistic sensuality. Hedonism is that philosophical aim wherein the hedonist wants his pleasure. He wants his flesh pampered. He wants all the stuff and all the accouterments and all the good things that this world has to offer because he enjoys that.
It's not so that he can be benevolent. It's not so that he can give. It's not so that he can help. It's not so that he can engage in acts of charity and whatnot.
It's so that he can spend it on his own lusts and on his own desires. Now, having said all these things, in terms of these three prevailing philosophies, go back for just a moment to 1 Timothy 4. I want you to see that Paul is not a Gnostic. Paul is not condemning the physical.
Paul is not suggesting that somehow having anything is necessarily wicked. It is necessarily sinful. Paul is not a Gnostic. And basically, Gnosticism was probably a second century phenomena that affected the church.
I mean, the seeds of it are present even in the first century church, as we see in several comments, especially by John in 1 John. But the Gnostics taught that the physical was bad. The physical was bad. That the body was bad.
That there was no... That's why the preaching of the resurrection was revolutionary. Because for the Greek and the Gnostic, the thought of the physical body being resurrected was just nuts. The idea that that was the way it was supposed to be was contradictory in terms of all that they thought.
So this idea that the physical is bad, all that matters is the soul, well, it led to a whole host of heresies. And Paul was not a Gnostic. Paul preached the resurrection of the dead, and Paul preached the right use of the creature. In other words, as image bearers, God has given us dominion over the animals such that we can eat them.
God, as a good and benevolent creator, has given us marriage, for instance. Gnosticism can be seen, at least in some sense, in Roman Catholicism. This idea that we can't marry if we're priests because that will somehow disturb the order and we can't do good work as priests. No, that is not biblical.
And if you look at 1 Timothy 4 at verse 1, Paul identifies this kind of thinking with the doctrine of demons. Verse 1, now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times, and again, latter times, last days, the time frame between the first and second advent. Now, the Spirit expressly says that in latter times, some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron, forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. For every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be refused if it is received with thanksgiving, for it is sanctified by the word of God in prayer." The problem with the guys in 2 Timothy 3 is not that they use the creature, it's that they abuse the creature and they misuse it.
In fact, turn to 1 Timothy chapter 6. 1 Timothy chapter 6 at verse 17, command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God who gives us richly all things to enjoy. Let them do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share. storing up for themselves a good foundation for the time to come that they may lay hold on eternal life. Paul doesn't say, command those who are rich to give away all their money. Command those who are rich to get orange sheets and cover themselves and bang tambourines at the airport.
That's not what he is saying. The creature is not bad if we use it moderately, if we use it responsibly, if we use it in a manner consistent with God's Word. But the creature is bad, or rather, this creature is bad when we misuse those things that God provides. So secular humanism, materialistic idolatry, and hedonistic sensuality.
And again, look at verse 5. Having a form of godliness but denying its power. The apostle is dealing with a situation that obtains in the local church. He is dealing, again, not with Islam, not with Jehovah's Witnesses, not with the Mormons, not with the persons outside the context of the church.
This isn't a warning against the heathen. It isn't a warning against the encroaching state. It isn't a warning against the beast of revelation. It is a warning for the people of God, for the pastors of God, to take heed with reference to the church of the Lord Jesus Christ.
John Calvin says, they whom he briefly describes are not external enemies who openly assail the name of Christ, but domestics who wish to be reckoned among the members of the church. And Gordon Clark says, undoubtedly, pagan persecutions are perilous times, but internal subversion is also perilous and perhaps more so. Again, I don't bring this message tonight to say, I got a list and some of you are on it, so be careful. I hope that in the last six months and in the last 15 months, we have been taking notes.
We have been making observations. We have been looking at the church and how she's to function in this particular society. And if we as a church are marked by these kinds of sins, then we will not prosper. We will not progress.
We do not deserve to, but rather we deserve to have Ichabod written over our church. With reference to our own status before a holy God, we need to take heed as we proceed in this present evil world to make sure, as far as we are able, that we strive, by God's grace, to maintain faithful biblical churchmanship in this world that we find ourselves.
Exhortation to Avoid the Danger
Now notice, thirdly, the exhortation to avoid the danger. Verse 5b is the warning. Notice, very simply, having a form of godliness but denying its power and from such people turn away. Turn back to Romans chapter 16.
Just so you can see, this isn't an isolated case. We often hear, well, you're Christians, you need to put up with everything. You're Christians, you need to suffer along with everybody. We already saw Timothy as the man of God is not to be quarrelsome at the end of chapter two.
He is to patiently dialogue with those who oppose, hopefully in the sense that God will grant them repentance so that they may escape the bondage of being held by the devil. But when it comes to patterns, When it comes to characterization, when it comes to an orientation that is marked as Paul has identified, the only logical answer is to withdraw from such a person. Notice in Romans 16, verse 17, now I urge you, brethren, note those who cause divisions and offenses contrary to the doctrine which you learned and avoid them. You see, again, brethren, we are to be a long-suffering.
We are to be a bearing and a forbearing people. But that has its limitations. If we do not deal with sin, and I'm not talking about the garden variety sin that each and every one of us commits on a daily basis, but those grave sins or those repetitive sins or those sorts of sins, that are calculated to do harm and destruction in the context of the church of the Lord Jesus Christ. We are not to bear long with that.
Titus chapter 3, same emphasis. Titus chapter 3, verse 9. But avoid foolish disputes, genealogies, contentions, and strivings about the law, for they are unprofitable and useless. That is so contrary today.
We would get the counsel, oh no, you just need to have Bible studies with everybody who disagrees. No. Every time a Jehovah's Witness comes to my door, I don't feel the need to restudy the deity of Jesus Christ. That's settled.
The wheel is made. I am not going to try and refashion it or reformulate it. Brethren, you simply hold your ground, you simply stand fast, and you simply be faithful. Not in the sense where you ultimately compromise, because that's what typically happens.
And then notice in verse 10, "...reject a divisive man after the first and second admonition, knowing that such a person is warped and sinning, being self-condemned." Paul would be booted out of most churches today. Paul would be booted out of any university. Are you telling me, Paul, that there's actually warped people out there? Absolutely, positively, there are.
How else do you explain the state of affairs, not only outside the church, but within the church? How do you explain woke pastors? How do you explain pastors capitulating to the prevailing philosophies of this generation? How do you explain it except that warpness is found in their heads?
And this is an issue wherein they should repent and forsake that garbage or leave their pulpits, because wokeness is killing not only Western civilization, but it's taking the church right down with it. And if we don't stand fast, and if we don't hold the line, We're going to get caught up in it too, because it's a horrific... Well, hopefully we're a bit brighter than that. I mean, sorry, I don't even want to go there.
But back to our particular text.
How False Teachers Operate
Notice, then Paul explains. He gives the warning, verse 5b, and then he sort of teases this out in verses 6 and 7. Notice his explanation with reference to these kinds of men. Verse 6, four of this sort.
Now, Paul probably had particular persons in his mind. He doesn't reveal them. He does, however, reveal certain persons that did him harm. At the end, in chapter 4, he refers to Alexander the coppersmith, who did me much harm.
And then he says, may the Lord repay him. Again, brethren, that's just not the way we function. We're too nice for that. We're too delicate for that.
The brethren or the people were storming the beaches of Normandy 77 years ago on this day, and now we need to have safe spaces because we get offended about everything. Brethren, if biblical revelation offends us, the problem isn't biblical revelation. The problem is you and I. And we need to repent, and our minds need to be aligned with what Scripture says.
So the Apostle Paul knows names, and at times names names. Here he doesn't, but he describes their methodology. So not only characteristically do they look like that, not only philosophically do they imbibe these things, but look at how these men practice. Four of this sort are those who creep." That's an intriguing word, isn't it?
If you go to Jude for just a moment, we referred to Jude 3 this morning, but if you go down just a little bit, Jude 4, for certain men have crept in unnoticed who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ. They have to creep. See, if you're upright and you're a faithful servant of Christ and you hold fast to the Word of God, you don't have to slither around. You don't have to hide.
You don't have to creep around. But when you're one of these guys, you have to. And they will do it in order to gain a hearing. So the wicked men work by deception in order to capture those who they see.
That's what he says. For of this sort are those who creep into households, and then notice what they do. They not only creep, but they also capture. And they make captives of gullible women loaded down with sins.
Paul is not condemning, Paul is not indicting all women. There is a subset of women identified by Paul here as gullible women. And these gullible women are the ones that these false teachers prey upon. And that in and of itself is disgusting.
That in and of itself is pathetic. That in and of itself shows just how weaselly these men are. They don't go to men. They don't go to non-gullible women.
They find the gullible women in the context of the local church, and they knock on their door, and they slither in, and they drink coffee, and they lead them astray. This is a reality. This is a danger. You know, unfortunately, it's happening even from pulpits today, where they're leading not just gullible women, but gullible men down a path of heresy, down a path of rejecting good Bible doctrine.
Notice the specific target and view, gullible women. George Knight says Paul does not use the term to derogate women, but to describe a situation involving particular women. That he uses a diminutive form shows that he is not intending to describe women in general. And then notice how he goes on to describe them.
They're gullible women loaded down with sins. I mean, again, these aren't your healthy, you know, not that we should extricate them or not deal with them. The idea is that gullible women are taught real good doctrine so that they move from a place of gullibility to stability. And then they're not prey for these kinds of wolves in sheep's clothing.
But then also notice what it says. They're loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts. And then this statement in verse seven, always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. That statement is so perceptive.
That statement is so descriptive of a class, not just of gullible women, but I fear of gullible men, gullible people out there, always learning but never coming to a knowledge of the truth. Why is that? They go from Dan to Beersheba. They go from everywhere in Scripture, but there is nothing guarding them down.
There is no tethering. There's no doctrinal foundation. There's no stability. They are the kinds of people that are tossed to and fro. by every wind of doctrine.
We saw this morning, Ephesians 4, one of the purposes for Christ giving gifts to men is for the equipping of the saints, for the work of ministry, for all those things specified and stipulated so that the church can come to a mature man, so that she is not tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrine. That these men prey on those type of women underscore just how wicked those men are. And with reference to Paul's words here, this is not something confined to the first century, but this is something that goes on even today.
Compared to Jannes and Jambres
And then notice he makes this comparison with Janus and Jambres in verse 8. Now, as Janus and Jambres resisted Moses, Now, the magicians at the time of Moses and Pharaoh are not named, but pagan authors and even Jewish authors referred to the magicians by the names of Janus and Jambres. Obviously, the Apostle Paul was privy to that information, whether through a Jewish author or through a pagan author, and so he just refers to that in that particular way. But note this comparison.
Now, as Janus and Jambres resisted Moses, so do these also resist the truth. Think about that for a moment. These are men in the context of the local church. These are men in the context of the local church that probably see themselves, that I dare say most likely see themselves, as persons who ought to teach.
Because these men visit the gullible women, they creep in, and they say, hey, gullible women, let's have a Bible study so I can lead you down the road of heresy, so I can extort you for money, so I can do all kinds of nefarious things. These are the kinds of people, unfortunately, that find their way into the church of the Lord Jesus Christ. See why church discipline was identified as a mark of the church by the reformers at the time of the Reformation? If you leave these kinds of guys in the church and you don't discipline them, You don't take seriously Titus 3 and reject a factious man.
What do you think is going to happen? Do you think his impurity is going to vanish and he's going to get holy and upright and godly? God is gracious and he can do that to be sure, but more often than not, his impurity, his heresy, his wickedness will spread like gangrene. That's one of the purposes behind discipline.
Yes, for the glory of God. Yes, for the restoration of the discipline. But yes, for the purity and protection of the church. James says, pure and undefiled religion in the sight of God the Father is this, to visit widows and orphans in their distress and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.
You see, we think we're so holy, we're going to go ooze that holiness on the world, and they're going to get converted. That's probably not going to happen. What most likely happens is that their unholiness oozes on us and affects us. And that's why James says, to keep oneself unspotted from the world.
Now, I'm going to make an admission here that is painful. But when I was growing up, men... I probably shouldn't go down that road. Actually, white pants on men.
I don't think I've ever seen anybody here wear white pants. I mean white. White is the sun pants. The idea is that when you go out with those pants, you don't make mud piles white.
Typically, the mud piles make the white pants muddy. And that's the emphasis in Scripture, in the book of Haggai. They ask questions concerning that very thing. Is holiness contagious?
No, it's not, but unholiness is, and you need to guard against it. When churches allow this kind of thing to happen, churches are destroyed. They are devastated. They are decimated.
We must stay the course. We must hold the line. We must stand fast. We must imbibe the truth of God's holy word.
And so with reference to these men, Paul likens them to these magicians who resisted Moses. So do these also resist the truth. And then notice, men of corrupt minds disapprove concerning the faith. So the false teachers resist the truth.
The false teachers give evidence of having corrupt minds. Now the idea here primarily isn't ethical. Though their ethics are terrible, it is intellectual corruption. Their minds are off.
Look back at 1 Timothy chapter 6 again. Look at what he says in verse 20. Oh, Timothy, guard what was committed to your trust, avoiding the profane and idle babblings and contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge. By professing it, some have strayed concerning the faith.
Grace be with you. Amen. You see, the very last statement in 1 Timothy is a warning to Timothy to hold fast, to stay the course, to persevere, to not give an inch. And understand, Timothy, you need to guard what was committed to your trust.
You need to avoid the profane and idle babblings. and the contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge. By professing it, some have strayed concerning the faith. So Paul is dealing with that same subset here in 2 Timothy 3. He likens them to the magicians who resisted Moses.
So do these also resist the truth. They are men of corrupt minds, disapproved concerning the faith. Their doctrine and conduct invalidates their claim with reference to a confession of faith. In other words, we are saved by grace through faith.
And that not of ourselves, it is the gift of God, lest any of us should boast. But when we make that good confession, when there is genuine saving faith, there will be fruit, there will be consequences, there will be effects. And we will see that. It will be tangible.
It won't be, perhaps, what we want. It won't be, perhaps, what we expect. It won't be, perhaps, what it will be in 20 or 30 years from now. But there will always be some sort of fruit from a valid confession of faith in our Lord Jesus.
When you get a completely messed up man like this, his confession of faith is not valid. It is not legit. It is not accurate. I'm not suggesting it's works plus faith.
I am telling you that when you have genuine saving faith, the natural reflex on the heart of the blood-bought child of God is to issue forth and conduct consistent with that gospel of His salvation.
Encouragement Despite the Danger
But then Paul ends on an encouraging note. I mean, that's a pretty discouraging section, isn't it? Timothy, these are the kinds of guys that are gonna show up at your church. Timothy, these are the kinds of guys that are gonna be guided by this sort of philosophy.
These are the sorts of guys that are gonna try to prey on the gullible women in your church and take them off and have a Bible study with them. But don't go to the path or don't go to that end thought that they're gonna win. Notice in verse nine. but they will progress no further, for their folly will be manifest to all, as theirs also was." I take the, as theirs also was, as a reference to Janus and Jambres. What happened to Janus and Jambres?
Their rod was eaten by Aaron's rod. They were not able to duplicate the plague of hail. I thought that Pharaoh should have asked them to stop the plague of hail. That would have been a whole lot better and a more excellent display of their ability, but they were simply called to duplicate it.
And then with reference to the plague of boils, the text is very specific. The magicians themselves were covered with boils. They could not resist Moses and have everything go well for them. People in the professing church cannot resist the truth and have everything go well for them.
They will either, A, destroy the church, or B, by God, will be destroyed. I don't mean they're going to die right in front of everybody and have worms cover them, but they will be stopped. And that's Paul's encouragement. And we need to understand that as well.
But they will progress no further, for their folly will be manifest to all, as theirs also was. So we need to have vigilance, this text calls us to, but we need to guard against despair. We need to guard against a fear and trepidation that is simply unbiblical. We have Christ.
We have his word. We have the sure promise of Matthew 16. He will build his church and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. By way of contrast, notice Paul's direction in verse 10.
But you have carefully followed my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, long-suffering, love, perseverance. So for all the knuckleheads that he describes in verses 1 to 9 or 1 to 8, there is nevertheless the Timothys, the Tituses, the Jameses, the faithful ministers that actually carry out their role in terms of preaching and teaching. So be vigilant to be sure, but don't despair. Don't fear.
Don't think that the church is going to lose. Don't think that the church is going to be stopped. Don't think that the church is ultimately going to be thwarted. God's redemptive plan concerning this earth is a great multitude that no man can number, from every tribe, every tongue, every people, every nation.
The Lord Christ is enthroned at the right hand of the Father, where He has promised to build His church, and where He has promised as well that the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. So vigilance, yes, but fear and despair, no, don't do that. Don't fall prey to that. Some Christians have this utterly bleak outlook.
It's only going to get worse and worse and worse and worse and worse. That's not scriptural, brethren. In fact, dropping down just a little bit, notice what he goes on to say. Verse 12, yes, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.
And then he says, but evil men and imposters will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. They're going to do these things, but it doesn't say they're going to win. They're going to engage in this kind of activity, but they're not going to triumph. They're going to attempt to thwart the advancement of Christ's church, but they're going to lose ultimately.
So vigilance, yes. Despair, no. Calvin ends by saying, he encourages Timothy for the contest by the confident hope of victory. For although false teachers give him annoyance, he promises that they shall be, within a short time, disgracefully ruined.
That's what Calvin comments here, and I think he's right on.
Application
Now, in conclusion, just a few thoughts. And again, I want to suggest that we need to be cautious. On the one hand, with reference to ourselves. On the other hand, we ought not to be proud or arrogant or boastful.
Oh yeah, we're doing great. In the first place, there will always be external enemies. There will be encroaching state. I'm not going to get into all that right now.
You've heard my thoughts on that over the last six months. But with reference to the encroaching state, Revelation 13 is probably the best picture of that. Of course, the Old Covenant, the history of Israel, is a wonderful depiction of that as well. Of course, the prophet Daniel in Babylon is a wonderful picture of that as well.
This idea that the state will always stay in its lane, that the state will never try to hurt the church, that the state will always respect the right for the church to exist and move and have her being, is simply unbiblical. The beast of revelation, as I said, whatever eschatological bent you have, whatever position you adopt, as far as I know, most commentators from every millennial position all agree, at least in this, that the beast from the sea is a political entity. That the beast from the sea is a political entity. Again, I'm not suggesting that is what we are seeing now.
In fact, you know me, I wouldn't suggest that because I'm what's called a preterist. But with reference to the reality, will there be an encroaching state? Yes, the Bible tells us that. But this passage is not concerned with that.
This passage is concerned with the church. The words of Peter concerning the church in 1 Peter 4, 17. He says, For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God. And if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God?
See, Peter recognizes this as he prepares the church for trial, for hardship, for suffering, for difficulty. He suggests, or rather he stipulates, that judgment must begin with the house of God. Revelation chapter 2 and 3, the letters to the seven churches in Asia Minor. There is commendation, you've done good in this, but there's condemnation as well.
So the Lord Christ, from the right hand of the Father, by the Spirit, to the messenger of those churches, tells them to get their house in order. Tells them to correct the heresy that is rampant in those churches. To correct the conduct or the misconduct that is rampant in those churches. So the reality is, is the Bible speaks not only to the external threat facing the church, but as well to the internal.
Ezekiel 9 and Church Purity
Now I want you to turn to one passage, a passage that I think is one of the most terrifying passages in all of the Bible. You can turn to the prophet Ezekiel. Ezekiel chapter 9. Ezekiel chapter 9 I think underscores this point, that we need to get our house in order.
I won't read the whole passage. I'll just try to give you the gist of it. It's a vision. Actually, I will read the whole passage.
Notice the vision. Chapter 9, verse 1. Then he called out in my hearing with a loud voice, saying, let those who have charge over the city draw near, each with a deadly weapon in his hand. And suddenly six men came from the direction of the upper gate, which faces north, each with his battle axe in his hand.
One man among them was clothed with linen and had a writer's ink horn at his side. they went in and stood beside the bronze altar. Now this context, specifically chapters 8 to 11, is the withdrawal of, or the departure of, the glory of God from the temple. As the chapters proceed, in this brief section of chapters 8 to 11, you see the glory of God withdrawing from the temple, okay? And we see that specifically in verse 3.
Now the glory of the God of Israel had gone up from the cherub, where it had been, to the threshold of the temple. And he called to the man clothed with linen, who had the writer's inkorn at his side. And the Lord said to him, go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and cry over all the abominations that are done within it. To the others, he said in my hearing, go after him through the city and kill.
Do not let your eyes spare nor have any pity. Utterly slay old and young men, maidens and little children and women, but do not come near anyone on whom is the mark. Now note the next phrase, and begin at my sanctuary. So what's the point?
The point is simple. Amongst the covenant people of Israel, in the city of Jerusalem, where the temple is, there is gross immorality, there is gross heresy, there is idolatry, there is wickedness. That's why the glory of Yahweh is departing from the temple, because they have made a mess of things. And in that context, God dispatches these men to go out, or the one man with the rider's incorn, to go out and mark the foreheads of those who sigh and cry over the abominations in the land.
In other words, those who actually care about the condition of Zion. And then the men with the battle axes are to follow up. And anybody who did not bear that mark on their forehead were to be executed. What's the point?
The Church of Christ must agonize over the state of the Church of Christ. The Church of Christ must feel, keenly, the abominations within her and seek, by the grace of God, to deal with it. In other words, the Church of the living God is a place where God is to be honored, where God is to be glorified, where God is to be revered. And when we are in sin or when we embrace heresy, those things don't happen.
And so in this instance, the command was to purge Israel. Start at my sanctuary. Judgment must begin at the house of God. Brethren, we've got problems in this country, not just with the government.
We've got problems in this country with the churches. And we need to pray for the churches. We need to encourage people in churches. We need to seek, by God's grace, to inculcate good churchmanship.
We need to demand good doctrine. We need to demand good preaching. We need to demand the reality that churchmanship is most essential in this present age. We're not supposed to, and we were never designed to live apart from the church.
We are to be in fellowship. We are to be with one another. The assembly must assemble. The congregation must congregate.
And when we do that, we're to encourage one another and exhort one another daily while it is called today, according to the exhortation in Hebrews 3, lest we be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. This is a chilling and terrifying depiction of the reality that God takes seriously the purity of His house. And when it's impure, we ought to expect that God will purge, that God will deal, and that God will chastise. Calvin says, therefore, When we see on one side the name of God trodden as it were underfoot and all justice violated, we see on the other side the Church of God miserable and cruelly affected.
If we smile in security by this very thing, we sufficiently show that we have nothing in common with God, and in vain we call Him Father. We need to get this message. It's not just the world that's the problem. At times, it's us as well.
And with reference to us specifically, we need to imbibe the Scripture. We need to hold fast doctrinal truth. And we need, by God's grace and the empowerment of the Spirit, to put those things into practice and to seek to be faithful. In terms of church members, You need to know the truth.
You need to understand the faith. You need to understand Christianity. You must strive to let your conduct be worthy of the gospel. And the people of God in the church of God must be discriminating with reference to the preachers that ultimately stand in pulpits.
I mean, come on, brethren! It ought not to be the case that deniers of the Trinity are some of the most popular preachers in America. It should not be the case that a man can't give a basic description of the doctrine of justification by faith. R.C.
Sproul's organization did this well. I don't know if they still do, but they would go to these big Christian conferences, and guys would stand outside, and when the conferees would come out, they'd ask him, what is justification? And no one could answer the question. Well, maybe before you go to these conferences, you go to Sunday school and learn what justification is.
We've had people visit our church, this is going back years ago, guys that were biblical studies majors at Trinity Western University that didn't know whether they were Calvinists or Arminians. Again, go back to Sunday school and learn your ABCs before you'll ever take up a pulpit in the church of the Lord Jesus Christ. I'm not suggesting it can only be the best and brightest, but I am suggesting it mustn't be the most stupid among us that find their way into pulpits. It is absolutely shocking the sorts of drivel that is passing for Christian preaching today.
And that's not only on them, but it's on the people as well. It's on the people that say, well, he's a nice guy. Well, he likes to have coffee. Well, we go golfing together.
You can do all of that. Just don't let him preach. He can engage in all of that as a faithful churchman. But don't let him near a pulpit.
If a man can't preach, if a man can't teach, as wonderful as he may be, as virtuous as he may be, as godly as he may be, he is not supposed to be an elder in Christ's church. We know this. We would never take our car to a guy who likes to have coffee with us, to a guy who's super friendly, and to a guy who doesn't know anything about mechanics and say, oh, go ahead and try fixing it. We wouldn't do that as mechanics.
We certainly wouldn't go to a guy who wants to work on our brain with sharp surgical instruments, who's got a shaky hand. I'm sorry, brethren, he may be the nicest guy on the face of the earth, but if he's got a bit of the shake, I don't want him rooting around my brain with a sharp instrument. We see it everywhere else, and yet in the church, what passes for preaching is embarrassing at best and ought to be dealt with in terms of what the people of God are expecting. As well, with reference to pastors, with reference to elders in churches, they need to guard against both the external threat and the internal threat.
And they guard against both, interestingly enough, the same way. They guard against both by the Bible and theology, by preaching and by teaching. Calvin again says, Paul informs him that the church will be subject to terrible diseases, which will require in the pastors uncommon fidelity, diligence, watchfulness, prudence, and unwearied constancy, as if he enjoined Timothy to prepare for arduous and deeply anxious contests which awaited him. Again, Gordon Clark, I quoted the first part a few minutes ago.
Undoubtedly, pagan persecutions are perilous times, but internal subversion is also perilous and perhaps more so. The duty of a pastor, therefore, the duty of a synod or general assembly, he's a Presbyterian, is to keep the church pure. The church cannot be pure in the sense of having only sinless members or even of expelling all hypocrites, but it can, with vigilance, maintain its confessional standards. In other words, there is something that we can do to guard against the external threats and to guard against the internal threats.
And Paul will sign off this great epistle, which was his last. We should all feel a real deep connection to 2 Timothy. I probably sound like a charismatic now. But 2 Timothy is the last letter that the apostle Paul wrote.
It is the swan song, as it were. And the last formal command that he gives to Timothy as pastor is to preach the word. Why is that? Because there will be these kinds of men in perilous times coming to do great harm to the people of God.
There will be beasts like we see in the book of Revelation. There will be threats, external and internal. So what does the church do to combat this? Preach the word, Timothy.
Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, and exhort with all longsuffering and teaching. That's the job, that's the task, that's the calling. Timothy, get about it, find other men and train them to do likewise and send them out so that we can propagate this glorious gospel of the blessed God and make disciples and make churches so that we can teach the people of God to observe all that the Lord Jesus has commanded.
And we have this blessed promise that, lo, He is with us always, even to the end of the age. Let us pray. Our Father in heaven, we thank you for your word and we thank you for these warnings, these exhortations, this call to faithfulness in perilous times. Give us wisdom as we proceed and give us grace, Lord God in heaven, to sigh and cry over the abominations that occur. in the church and in our land to be sure, and give us grace to pray, to stand in the gap as it were, and give us grace as people of God in this community to shine as lights, and give us grace to hold forth that word of truth.
And again, we pray for our brother Mike in Surrey, we pray for our brother Ryan, we pray for all of the brothers in this in this country that are faithfully ministering the word of truth, that you would uphold them, that you would strengthen them, that you would encourage them, and that you would cause them to know the nearness of God as their good. Every time they step into the pulpit, every time they step into their study, every time they get on their face before you in prayer, May it be the case, Lord God Most High, that you would send revival, that you would awaken those who are dead in their trespasses and sins, and that you would give us that blessed time of blessing from on high, from the presence of the Lord God Most High. May we see it through your grace and for your glory. And we ask this in Jesus' name.
Amen. We'll close with a brief time of meditation.