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Well, please turn in your Bibles 
to 2 Timothy chapter 3. We took some time off during 
the summer months and looked at the Decalogue or the Ten Commandments. 
We're returning to 2 Timothy, beginning in chapter 3. I'll 
read the entire chapter, and our focus tonight is on the warning 
concerning perilous times that is found in verses 1 to 9. So 
beginning in 2 Timothy chapter 3 at verse 1. But know this, 
that in the last times, or 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 disapprove 
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. Amen. Well, let us pray. Thank 
you, Father, for this letter of Paul to Timothy. Thank you 
for the instruction it has for us in the church in the 21st 
century, and we For the Spirit of God to take these things and 
seal them and apply them to our hearts, give us grace to receive 
with thanksgiving your word. And may it affect the way that 
we live, Lord God. We know the scripture is sufficient 
for all matters of faith and for practice. Certainly we embrace 
the reformed faith. May it issue forth in godly living 
and in righteousness and holiness and those things which are pleasing 
in your sight. Again forgive us for all of our 
sins and transgression and anything that would darken our understanding 
and we pray through Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen. Well chapter 
3 verses 1 to 9 are set between chapters 2 obviously and the 
rest of chapter 3. As I read chapter 3 I think you'll 
see The stark contrast in verses 1 to 9, this is what perilous 
times or perilous days will look like. And then in verses 10 and 
following, but you, he sets up a contrast between these wicked 
men described in verses 1 to 9 and with Timothy, how Timothy 
had faithfully followed the example and the doctrine of the Apostle 
Paul. But it also looks back, because 
you remember in chapter 2, beginning in verses 1 to 13, Paul tells 
Timothy how he is to conduct himself in his private life as 
a man of God. He must be devoted. He must be 
disciplined. He must be diligent. He must 
be a faithful servant of the Lord Jesus. And then in verses 
14 to the end of the chapter, in chapter 2, he tells Timothy 
how he is to function in the context of the church. And oftentimes 
within the context of the church, he's going to have to fight heretics. And he mentions them in chapter 
2, verse 17. He says, their message will spread 
like cancer. Hymenaeus and Philetus are of 
this sort, who have strayed concerning the truth, saying that the resurrection 
has already passed, and they overthrow the faith of some. 
of the church, Timothy, as a pastor, is going to have to do some theological 
battle. As well, dropping down, notice 
in chapter 2, specifically at verse 24. Paul tells Timothy, 
as a servant of the Lord, he must not quarrel, but be gentle 
to all, able to teach, patient. Now notice, 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 apostle realizes 
that Timothy, if he is faithful in the carrying out of his task, 
he is patient, he is instructing, he is teaching, he is laboring, 
God may grant repentance to those who are in opposition. God may 
save some of those Timothy is patient with. Now as we enter 
chapter 3 verses 1 to 9, Paul tells Timothy he needs to be 
patient, but he also must be wise. He mustn't naively think 
that he can indeed make sure everybody is saved. There are 
some men, apostates, those who have defected from the faith, 
those who are described in chapter 3 verses 1 to 9, these are men 
that as far as Timothy is concerned are not to try and be recovered, 
but rather Timothy is to avoid that. I submit that there is 
a great deal of wisdom necessary for those who are in pastoral 
ministry and really for all of us. Jesus Christ himself said 
there comes a point in time where we don't cast our pearls before 
swine. Now, you probably have felt that 
rub as I have in the past. How do we know? At what point 
do we no longer witness? At what point do we no longer 
engage in what Jesus says there, is casting pearls before swine? There is a line there that we 
ought not to cross. If somebody is an apostate, if 
somebody carries on the way Paul describes in this particular 
chapter, the specific emphasis is not for us to try and recover 
them. It's not for us to come alongside 
of them, but rather we are called very specifically to avoid them. And in Timothy's context, this 
could have meant make sure that the church functions properly 
and disciplines them and removes them from the context of God's 
people. So that's sort of the connection 
that we find between chapters 2 and 3. Let's hone in now on 
verses 1 to 9 under four considerations. In the first place, there is 
a need to recognize the danger in verse 1. Secondly, a detailed 
description of the danger in verses 2 to 5a. Thirdly, there is a warning to 
avoid the danger, 5b to 8. And then in the final place, 
an encouragement in spite of the danger in verse 9. But note 
in the first place the need to recognize the danger. Paul tells 
Timothy, but know this, and then he goes on to describe apostate. or those who have defected from 
the church. Now it is absolutely crucial, 
and you know me well enough to know that I affirm this a hundred 
percent. A man of God must know the truth 
of God. A man of God must know the Bible. A man of God must know sound 
theology. In our particular type of churches, 
a man of God must know the Second London Confession of 1689. A 
man of God must not only know, however, what he is to believe, 
but he must also recognize what is false. Timothy must know this. Timothy has to be aware of this. Sometimes it's not enough to 
know what we believe, we also have to be able to recognize 
what we ought not to believe because we need to be able to 
warn Christ's sheep against such things. It is folly to focus 
on one without the other. A faithful pastor not only needs 
to feed the sheep, but he needs to identify wolves and he needs 
to drive those wolves off. I saw a little thing on the internet 
this past week. I didn't read the whole article, 
I just saw the Twitter portion of it. And it was about Cornelius 
Van Til, and I don't necessarily endorse everything that he stands 
for. He was a reformed man, a good 
man, probably some, you know, little differences in terms of 
apologetic methodology and whatnot that I might have with him. But 
it was really fascinating. Somebody asked him, you know, 
why did you devote your life to apologetics? That's the defense. of the Christian faith. That's 
to make sure that persons who try and attack will meet with 
a ready answer on the part of the apologist. And Van Til, without 
blushing, said something to the effect, well, to protect Christ's 
little sheep. And I thought, amen, praise God, 
Christ's little sheep need to be protected. There is false 
teaching out there. There is bad doctrine out there. 
There is bad conduct out there. And therefore, Timothy is to 
know this. Timothy is to understand this. Timothy is to be aware of the 
reality of what perilous times look like. Now notice the time 
specified. In the last days, perilous times 
will come. Now I think there is an interpretation 
that sees this as being in our future. May I submit to you that 
the time frame or the words last days refer to the time frame 
between the first and the second coming of our Lord Jesus. As 
we follow the passage, as we look at the situation, Paul indicates 
that there are men presently, as he writes, that go in and 
seize upon gullible women. They creep into households and 
they make captive of gullible women. So Paul is writing about 
something that is happening as he writes. And as well, the specific 
command in the section is found in 5b, and that command is to 
Timothy to avoid such as these. Well, if Timothy wasn't going 
to be affected because it's something in our future, then it would 
be a senseless command for Timothy. The last days were prophesied 
or looked forward to by the prophets. the time frame between the first 
and the second advent of our Lord Jesus. So Timothy was living 
in the last days. You and I are living in the last 
days. Turn to Acts chapter 1, or I'm 
sorry, Acts chapter 2. We'll just look at a few passages 
just so you can see how this phraseology of last days is used 
in the scripture. Because again, it's important. 
Sometimes people think perilous times are in our future. Perilous 
times are that short time right before Jesus Christ. I don't 
take seriously what's going on in chapter 3. I submit that what's 
going on in chapter 3 verses 1 to 9 were not something that 
Timothy had to deal with, but they're certainly something that 
we have to deal with. Those sorts of men, those sorts 
of apostates, those sorts of defectors from the truth, whose 
conduct is wicked and godless because they have rejected the 
true and the living God. Notice in Acts 2, after the pouring 
out of the Holy Spirit, verse 16, but this is what was spoken 
by the prophet Joel, and it shall come to pass, notice, in the 
last days, says God. So Peter's able to say this is 
that which was spoken by Joel the prophet. Joel the prophet 
spoke about an incident that would take place in the last 
days. vis-a-vis the outpouring of the 
Holy Spirit. And Peter says, this is that, 
this is what is going on. 1 Corinthians chapter 10, 1 Corinthians 
10, doesn't say last days, but it says the end of the ages. 1 Corinthians 10, 11 rather. Now all these things happened 
to them as examples and they were written for our admonition 
upon whom the ends of the ages have come. Again, in 1 Timothy 
4.1, we've seen this in our study in 1 Timothy. 1 Timothy 4.1, 
now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times, same idea, 
some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits 
and doctrines of demons. Hebrews 1.2, but God has spoken 
to us in these last days by His Son. There are several other 
references, Hebrews 9.26, James 5.3, 1 Peter 1.20, 2 Peter 3.3, 
Jude 18. So you see the last days and 
the last times or this perilous era is not simply confined or 
is not located in our future, but it was something contemporary 
with Timothy. It is something that we will 
be affected by as well. And note the language, in the 
last days perilous times will come. The New King James has 
perilous. The ESV has times of difficulty. The NIV renders it terrible times. I quite like that. It captures 
it well. All three of them certainly are 
correct. But what's Paul saying? Paul is saying there are troubles 
that the Church will face. There are bad men that affect 
and plague the Church. There are cancerous men that 
will come to your church and they will want to teach and they 
will want to preach because I think primarily the emphasis here is 
on those who preach and teach because they creep into households, 
they make captives of gullible women. They come, they knock 
at the door and they say, oh I'm here to give you a Bible 
study, I'm here to teach you the truth, I'm here to do those 
wonderful things for you. Now notice secondly the detailed 
description of the danger. He says, for men will be lovers 
of themselves. He basically gives us 17 adjectives, 
you can count them later, and two contrasts. We're not going 
to go through each one. We're going to look at a few 
of them and look at something that does resemble popular philosophies 
in our own era. But before we look at those 17 
adjectives and two contrasts, notice for men, will be lovers 
of themselves. I've already intimated this this 
morning. Perilous times are not such because 
of climate change. I don't know about you, but I'm 
pretty tired of hearing about that. It's almost as if God the 
Lord didn't know there would be an industrial revolution. 
God didn't know we were going to use coal. God didn't realize 
that we would use energy sources. I mean, he called us to exercise 
dominion and subdue the earth, didn't he? I'm not saying go 
out and litter and do horrible things and try to ruin the environment. That's not what I'm saying. That's 
not our problem. Disease isn't our problem. Men 
are our problem. That's what the text says for 
men. John Calvin nails it when he 
writes, when 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. That's the problem 
facing us. That's the issue. It's the heart 
that is deceitful above all things. It's desperately wicked. It is 
man who goes out and does wretched things. It is man that goes out 
and does horrible things. It is man that destroys the church. It isn't climate. It isn't the 
environment. It isn't a lack of food. The church will march on through 
all of those particulars. It is men that get in and gut 
the church from the inside out. You may notice conspicuously 
that I'm focusing on the church. In many ways, these 17 adjectives 
and two contrasts parallel what we find in Romans 1. Remember 
Romans 1? The apostle says, the wrath of 
God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness. and unrighteousness 
of men. He says they suppress the truth 
in unrighteousness. What can be known of God, they 
reject that. They suppress it. And what they 
do is that they know, although they know God, they do not honor 
God, nor are they thankful. They exchange the truth of the 
Creator for the creature, and they worship the creature rather 
than the Creator who is God-blessed over all. And then he indicates 
all the several vices. He gets into all the particular 
wickednesses. He starts with homosexuality, 
and then he starts to go down the line of a whole host of vices. And so there are parallels between 
2 Timothy 3, 1-9, and Romans 1, but there is this fundamental 
difference. 3. 1-9 takes place in the church. Romans 1 are the pagans. They 
are the Gentiles. They are those outside of the 
sphere of God's oracles. They are those who do not have 
what the Jews have by way of the Word of God. There is a very 
important indicator of this in verse 5. They have a form of 
godliness, but they deny its power. Paul is not dealing with 
the perilous times of wicked men out there. Paul is dealing 
with the perilous times of wicked men in the church. False teachers, 
apostates, wicked people, those who fancy themselves as being 
able to lead and instruct others, but who have these kinds of base 
motives at their heart. So you need to understand that 
while there are similarities with Romans, there is this great 
disparity in terms of the fact that Paul is dealing here with 
those who profess the truth, those who profess rather that 
they have the truth. when in fact they do not. Now 
as we look at these 17 adjectives in two contrasts, Calvin is well 
noted that the lack of love, which heads the list, is the 
source or origin of all these other things. Calvin says, he 
who loveth himself claims a superiority in everything. He despises all 
others He is cruel, he indulges in covetousness, treachery, anger, 
rebellion against parents, neglect of what is good, and such like. 
Notice, verse 2, for men will be lovers of themselves. Now 
there is a sense where we all need to love ourselves. Paul 
uses that as an argument as to why a husband ought to love his 
wife. He loves her as he loves himself. Now, this isn't, you 
know, adoring yourself and, you know, selfies all over your house, 
aren't I beautiful, aren't I wonderful, that's not it. There's a biblical, 
righteous, legitimate love of self. We don't poke our eyes 
out with hot needles. We don't not eat food. We don't 
not sleep. We do those things that preserve 
health. That's not what's in view in 
this whole idea of men will be lovers of themselves. This is 
an ungodly attraction to oneself. And again, just a couple of these 
things deserve our attention. The sin of pride, it's highlighted 
several times. They're boasters. They're proud. 
They are headstrong. Just the opposite of what we 
learn concerning Jesus as he goes into Jerusalem on that donkey. What is being taught or what 
is being exhibited or demonstrated when Jesus does that? He's lowly. You see, Christ's genuine people 
are lowly. They're humble. They pursue those 
things which are pleasing to God. They're not boasters. They're 
not proud. They're not arrogant. They're 
not headstrong. They're not the kinds of people that always have 
to be right. They demand on being right. That's 
what the idea of headstrong in this particular chapter or this 
particular section means. Headstrong. And notice as well, 
there is a lack of goodness. Just in the realm of common grace, 
people typically should be thankful, shouldn't they? and they are 
despisers of what is good. I mean, the picture painted here 
is an awful one, and it certainly does describe why these are perilous 
times. Notice as well, this is for my 
younger hearers, disobedient to parents. You know, when we 
look at vice lists in the New Testament, that's a list of vices, 
bad things, wicked things. Paul puts disobedience to parents. Why is that? Because it's wicked. It's vile. The Lord God Most 
High has put your parents over you. To dishonor the parent is 
to dishonor God. To be insubordinate to your parent 
is to be insubordinate to God. The Lord Most High has commanded 
by the fifth commandment that we honor our father and our mother. Notice as well the practice of 
slander. They slander. That's what the 
word says. Slanderers. It's literally the 
word for devil. Literally the word for devil. 
That's what devil or Satan means often times. Accuser or slanderer. It's interesting. They've been 
held captive by the devil himself and now they become like him. 
and they in turn are slanderers, as well the lack of self-control. 
The ones I'm pulling out here, I mean we can look at all 17 
and the two contrasts, but notice all of these describe pretty 
much what happens on a daily basis in Canada and in America 
without self-control. That is crucial. Self-control. That's where it all begins. We 
wouldn't need a nanny state if everybody just did what they 
were supposed to with reference to themselves. Self-control is 
a beautiful thing. That is a good thing. You need 
to exercise self-control in your life. And then as well, the act 
of treason. I get that from the verse 4. 
It says, The particular word that is used by Paul was used 
in later Christian writings of blasphemy and apostasy. So you 
see, what we're dealing with in this list in verses 1 to 9, 
we're not dealing with, you know, good brethren that differ on 
a few things. We are dealing with apostates. We are dealing 
with godless men. We are dealing with men who are 
in churches, who want to teach Bible studies, who want to leave 
the church and go into these households by stealth and hold 
captive these gullible women. These are godless wretches that 
oftentimes find their way into the church. Now in terms of some 
philosophy, I remember hearing, I don't know how many years ago 
it was, but Andy Hamilton preaching on this passage, and he mentioned 
three prevailing philosophies that this text sets forth that 
are oftentimes, or that are going on in our own society. Secular 
humanism. Men will be lovers of themselves. Now that could be the selfie 
generation, postering your walls with everything you, or it could 
mean that whole idea of just being devoted to man. Man is 
the measure of all things. Secular humanism. We're in. We want to exclude God from our 
thoughts, from our societies, from every jot and tittle of 
our lives. Secular humanism is godlessness. Notice as well, materialistic 
idolatry. Materialistic idolatry. They 
are lovers of money. Sounds a lot like what we face 
today, lovers of money. Have you ever wondered how much 
money does someone need? You hear about these guys that 
have 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 billion dollars, and they're insatiable 
and want more. At what point do you reach the 
threshold and say, you know, I think I've got enough? They're 
lovers of money. Lovers of money. And the third 
philosophy is what's called hedonistic sensuality. Hedonism is all about 
my pleasure. Hedonism is all about my pursuit 
of that which feels good. Hedonistic sensuality. We see this in verse four. I'm sorry, verse four. Lovers of pleasure rather than 
lovers of God. So you see three prevailing philosophies 
that are going on all around us in Canada and America and 
I suspect elsewhere as well. But this is what Paul is indicating. 
These are perilous times. These are terrible things. And 
that they continue on in the church. Secular humanism in the 
church? Men loving themselves? That's 
terrible. Materialistic idolatry? I'm not 
saying go out and shave your head and sell all your stuff 
and give it to everybody else? I'm not saying that. You know 
that I don't believe that. We've taught through 1 Timothy 
6. Paul has a doctrine of riches and how to deal with that. At 
the same time, brethren, materialistic idolatry is in the church and 
we need to watch ourselves and hedonistic sensuality. And as I've already mentioned, 
we need to focus on it a little bit. The location of this danger 
is in the church. Verse 5, having a form of godliness. but denying its power." Having 
a form of godliness but denying its power. You see that? This 
isn't Islam. It's not Islam. It's not a false religion. He's 
talking about those who profess Christianity. They have a form 
of godliness. If you look upon these men, might 
look like they're legit, might look like they're the real deal. 
They have a form of godliness, but they deny its power. 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. George Knight says, thus Paul 
is saying that many among whom are the false teachers are professing 
to be teachers and engaging in a form of Christianity without 
knowing its reality. And Gordon Clark says, undoubtedly, 
pagan persecutions are perilous times. We would agree, wouldn't 
we? Pagan persecutions are perilous times. It's a great alliteration, 
too. Pagan persecutions are perilous 
times. We would all agree with that, 
wouldn't we? It's bad when the state executes 
Christians. It's bad when the state closes 
Christians' businesses down. It's bad when the state encroaches 
in an area that they don't belong. We would all agree with Clark 
that pagan persecution is perilous. But he goes on to say, but internal 
subversion is also perilous and perhaps more so. In other words, 
when the state encroaches and strives to make us comply, we 
don't like it, we'll resist it, we'll reject it, but we understand 
because they're godless, they're wretched, and they don't fear 
the Lord. But when it happens inside the 
church, when there is internal subversion, when there are persons 
who are supposed to be on our team and they are denying the 
gospel itself, they are denying justification by faith, they 
are denying theology proper, they are denying the triunity 
of God, they are denying cardinal truth. Brethren, that's difficult 
to deal with. Those are perilous times. We 
expect godless men to try and make us conform. We don't expect 
the church, by and large, to be an enemy or to be a houser 
of the enemy. So we need to be aware of this, 
that Paul's concern in 2 Timothy 3, 1 to 9, is not out there. It is within the professing people 
of God. Now notice, thirdly, the warning 
to avoid the danger, verses 5b to 8. He tells them very simply, 
and from such people turn away. Notice what he doesn't say. Have 
a special Bible study for them and with them. Come alongside 
of them and nurture them. Come alongside of them and cuddle 
them. Come alongside of them and validate 
them. No, he says, avoid them. Turn 
away from them. Have nothing to do with them. You see, sometimes people look 
at the church and they say, wow, you just seem to be so judgmental. Well, in one sense we are because 
God through Paul told us we must be. If a man denies the Christian 
faith and a man lives in a manner that is listed in this particular 
section, we're not to have truck with him, we're not to go out 
and engage him, we're not to validate or affirm him. We are 
to avoid him, to turn away from him, to have nothing to do with 
him. Why is that so difficult for 
us today? If I were to get on Twitter, 
you were to get on Facebook, or we were to, you know, talk 
to the Christian brothers that we come into contact with, and 
we said, you know, brother, or professing brother, I don't think 
we'd call him brother, but this particular heretic, he's a heretic 
and you shouldn't listen to him. What do you mean? How could you 
ever call him that? He's such a nice fellow. Nice 
fellows don't spew false doctrine. Nice fellows, biblically nice, 
give us the truth. You see, this is what Paul tells 
Timothy. And the verb employed is a strong 
one, implying that Timothy is to avoid them with horror. The present imperative indicates 
that this should be a continual habit of life. So you see, on 
the one hand, affirm the truth, affirm those who teach the truth, 
but have nothing to do with heresy, have nothing to do with those 
who engage in it, avoid them like the plague. And notice, 
he goes on to explain himself in verses 6 and 7. He says, Again, 
indicating that this is all real for Timothy right now. Verse 
5b, and from such people turn away. If Timothy were to think, 
well, why? Because verses 6 and 7, Paul 
will tell him, for of this sort, the same sort that Timothy is 
to turn away from, the same sort that had been described in verses 
2 to 5. This sort are those who creep 
into households. You ever notice this, brethren? 
Truth has nothing to fear. Truth has nothing to hide. Truth's 
enemy is not the spotlight. Truth is happy in the light. 
Truth is happy in the dark. But truth is happy in the light. 
It will parade itself in the light. There is no need for creeping. 
There is no need for weaseling. There is no need for subterfuge 
or deception. There is none whatsoever, unless 
you're a heretic and you're trying to capture people and you're 
trying to make them subject to your false doctrine. Jude mentions 
these same sorts in Jude 4. He says, for certain men have 
crept in unnoticed who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, 
ungodly men. Back to 2 Timothy chapter 3. He's not talking about all women. He's not. Obviously. He's not 
saying all women are gullible and loaded down with various 
sins. He's talking about the women that are gullible who are 
loaded with various sins. These are easy prey and targets. 
for such wicked men. This is not a blanket statement 
telling us that all women everywhere are gullible and loaded down 
with various sins. This is a subset of women. And 
you know what? Men can be just as susceptible 
to false doctrine and heresy as women can. You know, I was 
thinking about this particular passage and its particular emphasis 
or an application in our own day and in our own age. It may 
not be the case that you get the knock on the door and you 
open it up and there's the archfiend of hell standing at your door 
saying, can we have a Bible study? Probably not going to happen. 
I mean, it can. Jehovah's Witnesses go door to 
door, Mormons go door to door. If you let them in and you sit 
there and you listen to false doctrine and what they spew, 
that's not a good thing. is a means, or what are two means 
whereby this is applied probably every single day? TV and Internet. TV and Internet. You know, you 
hear about these porn filters for Internet. I think there should 
be bad theology filters for a lot of computers out there. You know, 
Covenant Eyes, if you look at a particular site, it will generate 
a report and send it to your accountability buddy, and he 
will then come to you and say, you looked at such and such a 
site. There ought to be that. If you look at BennyHinn.com, 
you ought to have to face Cam. Just shows, right? We don't care. I shouldn't say that. That's 
one of those, you know, wicked, lawless statements. It seems 
to me at times that we don't value the importance of doctrine 
as we ought. Like this morning in our study 
in the Confession. Chapter 22 of Religious Worship 
and the Sabbath Day. You know, that's just not an 
issue we're concerned about. Reforming the church? God-pleasing 
worship in the church? I mean, there's abortion to fight 
and sodomy to fight and euthanasia to fight. We've got 6th and 7th 
and 8th and 9th and 10th commandment issues that we need to go after. 
I certainly submit that we should go after those, but we got 1st 
and 2nd commandment issues that we need help with. Worship is 
massive. We get worship wrong and everything 
else falters. Look at Babylon. I think we've 
seen that. They were insane with their idols. 
Why does their society look the way it looks? Look at Romans 
1. Paul, before he goes to the vice 
list, says they don't honor God, nor are they thankful. You see, 
what we believe about God and how we worship or don't worship 
God affects the society in which we live. My point is that we 
oftentimes emphasize things to the neglect of other things that 
we ought to emphasize as well. worship, sound doctrine. Now, I believe you ought not 
to look at internet porn, but I'm as convinced you ought not 
to look at heresy. You shouldn't be trafficking 
with Christological heresy. Don't do your devotions with 
Apollinarius. Don't do your devotions with 
Nestorius. Don't embrace patripatianism. Don't embrace those things which 
are wrong. And this is precisely what Paul 
is saying. These men creep in. They're like worms. Gil goes 
so far as to connect the word use, I think he connects it to 
the Arabic or the Hebrew or the whatever, and says that the root 
word is weasel. They weasel their ways in. True 
and faithful preachers of the gospel of Jesus Christ don't 
have to weasel their way in. They preach the truth. But these 
heretics seeking to capture these poor women, well, I say poor 
women, these women have a responsibility too, but these heretics, they 
creep in. and they seize these gullible 
women. These who are loaded down with 
sins, led by various lusts. Notice, they're always learning 
and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. Maybe 
you haven't seen this person before, but they've tried this 
book. They've looked at this devotional life. They've tried 
this particular, you know, radio preacher or TV preacher or internet 
guy. They go from place to place to 
place. And again, it's not just gullible women that I have in 
view. It's gullible women and men. They're like those who are 
just blown about by every wind of doctrine. They haven't laid 
hold of the truth. They haven't come to embrace 
the truth. It's these sorts of people, ultimately, 
that are able to be captured by these false teachers and heretics. And when these false teachers 
and heretics capture them, they're only too happy to be captured, 
to send in their love gifts, and the false teachers only too 
happy to receive their love gifts, and everybody's happy in that 
wicked, abominable situation. It's not built on truth. It's 
not about the doctrine of the cross. It's not about blood atonement. It's not about justification 
by faith. And notice with reference to 
these women, again, just so you know, I don't think it's every 
woman. George Knight says, Paul does not use the term to derogate 
women, but to describe a situation involving particular women in 
Ephesus that he uses a diminutive form shows that he is not intending 
to describe women in general. Paul's not anti-woman, that's 
not the point. At least in Ephesus, there were 
these women described as gullible, these women loaded down with 
various lusts, and these sorts of women that were indeed always 
learning and never able, note, to come to the knowledge of the 
truth. In the pastoral epistles, 1 Timothy 
2, verse 4, the knowledge of the truth is salvation. 2 Timothy 
2, verse 25, the knowledge of the truth follows repentance. And Titus 1, verse 1, it is the 
knowledge of the truth that accords with godliness. So you see, these 
ladies always learning and never coming to a knowledge of the 
truth are not saved, they have not repented, and they do not 
hold the doctrine which accords with godliness. Now Paul brings 
a comparison, verse 8. Now as Janus and Jambres resisted 
Moses, so do these also resist the truth. Men of corrupt minds 
disapprove concerning the faith. These are the magicians in Pharaoh's 
court in Exodus chapter 7 and 8 and 9. You say, well how do 
you know that? because the Bible commentators 
told me so. Actually, no. Pagans and Jews 
recognized, or pagans and Jews put the names Janus and Jambres 
to these magicians that were in the Book of Exodus. You see 
what Paul is doing, and I think it's brilliant and ingenious. 
If the false teachers fancy themselves to be teachers of the law, They 
think that somehow they have a good view on the law and how 
to deal with the law. Paul is associating himself with 
Moses and he's saying the false teachers are like the magicians 
who opposed Moses in and during the exodus. So that's who Janus 
and Jambres are. They resisted Moses. That means 
they resisted the truth. of God's holy word. And he draws 
that comparison to bear upon the apostates he's dealing with 
in chapter 3. So do these also. They resist the truth. That's 
the problem. That's the issue. The conduct, 
the ethics, the bad things that flow stem from this rejection 
or resistance to the truth of God's holy word. He says, of 
corrupt minds. Again, the corruption isn't ethical. 
Though that follows, the corruption is in their minds. They're deteriorated. They can't hold an intellectual 
thought according to the truth of God's holy will or God's holy 
word. And then he says, they are disapproved 
concerning the faith. So you see the progression. Paul 
tells Timothy he needs to understand the danger. Paul tells Timothy 
what the danger looks like in terms of particular men. Paul 
then tells Timothy that he needs to avoid such men. And by the 
way, Timothy, they're the sorts of men that make prey of these 
gullible women. They're like Janus and Jambres. 
They resist the truth, and so do these also. But he doesn't 
end on a negative note. Say what you will about the apostle, 
he was no negative nelly. He gives an encouragement in 
verse 9, notice, he says, but they will progress no further 
for their folly will be manifest to all as theirs, Janus and Jambres, 
as theirs also was. So you see, he says perilous 
times will come, perilous times are here, perilous times are 
filled with these sorts of men, men who resist truth, men who 
are godless, men who love themselves, men who are proud, they're boasters, 
they're traitors, they're wicked, they go and do all these sorts 
of things. But you need to make sure, Timothy, that you don't 
fall into despair. But they will progress no further, 
for their folly will be manifest to all, as theirs also was. When you look back at those magicians 
in the book of Exodus, in chapters 7, 8, and 9, they couldn't duplicate 
the plague of wights. And they themselves had to confess, 
this is the finger of Yahweh. When it comes to the plague of 
boils, not only did they not duplicate it, they themselves 
were covered with boils. Hard to maintain dignity when 
you're covered with boils as somebody who is just as good 
as this man Moses. And as well, even back as far 
as chapter seven, when they duplicated turning the rods into serpents, 
it was Aaron's rod that ate theirs. So Janus and Jambres failed. No one today that's Orthodox 
reads the Bible and roots for Janus and Jambres. No one today 
says, what epitomes of virtue and truth. No, today the Orthodox 
read the account in Exodus and they say, Praise God for Moses, 
look at Janice and Jambres, they've got what they deserve. And Paul 
is saying the same sort of thing is going to happen to these particular 
men. So he underscores to Timothy 
the necessity for vigilance in the church, but he also underscores 
for Timothy the need to resist the despair. The fear, the trepidation, 
the idea that so often paralyzes people today with a faulty understanding 
of the last days. They're afraid to get up out 
of bed. They're afraid to go out into the street. They're 
afraid to contact anybody because the perilous times are upon us 
and these last days are paralyzing. Well, they were upon Timothy, 
and Paul tells Timothy very specifically, but they will progress no further, 
for their folly will be manifest to all. Again, the Orthodox today 
don't read church history and root for Nestorius. They don't 
root for Apollinarius. They don't root for these heretics. 
They realize that these men were silenced. They did not progress. Their folly was manifest or evident 
to all. So be encouraged. Be happy, be 
joyful. King Jesus is building his church, 
Matthew 16, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against 
it. Even in chapter 2, notice what Paul says. Verse 17, after 
highlighting the heresy. In Ephesus, verse 17, and their 
message will spread like cancer, Hymenaeus and Philetus are of 
this sort who have strayed concerning the truth saying the resurrection 
has already passed and they overthrow the faith of some. We might say, 
oh, they overthrow the faith of some. We ought to forget it. 
We ought to run. We ought to retreat. But Paul 
says, nevertheless, The solid foundation of God stands having 
this seal. The Lord knows those who are 
his, and let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from 
iniquity." In sum, Paul says that Christ has his church under 
control. Christ is building her, and the 
gates of hell itself shall not prevail against it. Now, hell 
is going to throw men into the church, Hell is going to send 
men charging into her courts to try and disrupt and to try 
and thwart and to try and destroy, but Jesus says they will not 
prevail. So in, well before I say in conclusion, 
Calvin says, 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. So for us as the church, we need 
to be mindful that these things are not confined to the first 
century, But as well, they are not put forth into some further 
century. This is what is characteristic 
of these last days. There will be perilous times. 
There will be distress. There will be trouble. In case 
you haven't realized yet, you're not going to just skip and whistle 
your way on into heaven. There will be difficulties to 
deal with along the way. The duty required of church members 
is to avoid or from such people turn away. If you look at internet 
preaching, make sure it's correct. If you're going to a study site, 
make sure it's not heresy. If you are going to take in this 
data, make sure it's true. The Thessalonians were more, 
I'm sorry, the Bereans were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, 
for they examined daily the word of the scriptures to see if what 
Paul was teaching was true. It's one of the reasons why and 
a blessing for these confessions of faith. We don't say they're 
inspired or authoritative the way that the Word of God is, 
but they're a helpful summary of Bible doctrine. They are a 
helpful summation of what the Scripture teaches in 32 particulars. We can take that, we can scrutinize, 
we can survey, and we can see. To the law and to the testimony, 
they do not speak according to the truth. There is no light 
in them. And I think as well, there's 
a particular emphasis here for pastors, for pastors. So I'm gonna go sit next to Cam. 
Me and Cam really need to pay attention to this. Any man here 
that aspires to pastoral ministry, and basically my counsel is this. Listen to Calvin and Clark. Calvin 
says, Paul informs Timothy 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. I love the words that he 
employs there. Uncommon fidelity, diligence, 
watchfulness, prudence, and unwearied constancy. A brother recently 
said that lazy men do not make good theologians. Gordon Clark, 
I quoted a portion of this earlier. He said, undoubtedly pagan persecutions 
are perilous times, but internal subversion is also perilous and 
perhaps more so. Now notice what he says, the 
duty of a pastor therefore, the duty of a synod or general assembly, 
he's a Presbyterian, is to keep the church pure. He says 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, though history makes 
even this doubtful. So there is a particular emphasis 
here for pastors, for elders in churches, for all of us. Avoid 
such people as are described in this particular passage. Be 
encouraged, their progress, they'll be stopped, their folly will 
be evident to all. The Church of Jesus Christ is 
going to march onward. It's not just our generation 
that has had weird, bad preachers. There have been weird, bad preachers 
from the very beginning. Did the church stop? Did the 
church end? Did the church go away? No, she's just faithfully marched 
on through the centuries to her destination to be with her beloved 
Redeemer. Be encouraged. The church of 
Christ that preaches the truth has nothing to fear in terms 
of the gates of hell itself. Let us pray. Our Father, we thank 
you for the word of God and we thank you for this passage in 
2 Timothy. And I pray that you'd help us 
to see clearly our specific responsibilities to avoid heretics, to not come 
alongside, to not encourage, to not seek to assist them. But as Paul tells Titus, we are 
to reject a factious man. We are to not have truck with 
such people. We ask that you would go with 
us now, bless this coming week, help us to glorify and honor 
you, and we pray through Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen.