Passage: 2 Timothy 3.

Subject: Hermeneutics

Instructor: John Thomas

Date: August 03, 2010

Student: Philip Amofah

2 Timothy 3-16 talks about Godlessness in the last days of which we live in and the prophecy

predicting people turning away from God to the world to be deceived by others and

themselves.

OUTLINE

I. 2 Timothy 3

A. Godlessness in the Last Days (3:1-9)

1. The Character of Godless People (3:1-4)

2. Stray from Godless People (3:5)

3. The Will of Godless People (3:6-9)

B. Paul’s Charge to Timothy

1. Outcome of wanting to live a Godly life in Christ (3:10-13)

2. Encouragement (3:14-17)
 INTRODUCTION

“But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days.” (2 timothy 3:1) This bible verse

is the Apostle Paul’s letter to Timothy and the rest of the world about the end of times in the

world. It speaks of every little evil thing that we are witnessing in our world today. We as

Christians should take note of 2 timothy: 3 in our everyday lives. We must realize that we

really are in the last days of which Paul described in his letter.
 Context

Paul's Second Letter to Timothy follows his first letter to and precedes his letter to Titus.

However, historically, Paul's Second Letter to Timothy was written after his letter to Titus.

Second Timothy was Paul's third pastoral letter. It was also Paul's last letter before his death.

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, (2 Timothy 1:1) wrote this letter to Timothy.

When Paul wrote his Second Letter to Timothy, he was again a prisoner in Rome. He was

imprisoned in a dungeon in chains for his preaching the gospel (cf. 2 Timothy 2:9). Because of

Paul's imprisonment, a number of individuals had deserted him when he needed them the most.

All in Asia Minor in the area of Ephesus, where Timothy was serving as pastor, had turned away

from Paul (2 Timothy 1:15). At Paul's first trial no one had supported him. Everyone had

deserted him (2 Timothy 4:16). A certain Alexander, identified as a metal worker, may have even

testified against Paul at his trial (2 Timothy 4:14, 15). Only the Lord himself had stood by Paul

and had strengthened him that he might be delivered on that occasion from the lion's mouth (2

Timothy 4:17). One Christian who did not desert Paul was Onesiphorus. He had come to Rome

and searched for Paul until he had found him (2 Timothy 1:16-18). At the time Paul wrote his

Second Letter to Timothy only Luke, the physician and Paul's co-worker, was with him. Paul had

sent Tychicus to Ephesus, who seems to have again served as Paul's mail carrier who delivered

this second letter to Timothy. Paul appears to also have sent Tychicus to Ephesus to relieve

Timothy, so Timothy could travel to Rome to be with him. Paul may possibly have written this

second letter out of fear

That Timothy might not be able to arrive in Rome before his death. By means of this letter Paul

wanted to tell Timothy what he hoped to tell him in person.

 Content

A. GODLESSNESS IN THE LAST DAYS

The Character of Godless People

“People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to

their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control,

brutal, not lovers of good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers

of God-having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them. (2

Timothy 3:2-5). This is what Paul used to describe the characters of godless people in the

last days. All we have to do is look around us or turn on the T.V to realize that all of these

things are happening right now in the world we live in.

More and more everyday we are seeing people become

“lovers of themselves”, taking pride in themselves and idolizing themselves. This doesn’t

mean that we shouldn’t love ourselves, we just shouldn’t love ourselves so much to the point

that we fall in love with ourselves. When we fall in love with ourselves we become

conceited, selfish and totally unaware of God. Paul warned not only Timothy in his letters

but the rest of the world who read the scripture to stay away from “lovers of money”. The

Pharisees who crucified Jesus were described by the gospel of Luke as "lovers of money";

and, in all ages, the money-lovers have never stopped crucifying the Son of God. The New

Testament describes covetousness as idolatry, and so it is (Luke 16:14). Many People in the

world today have become “lovers of money”. More and more everyday you see people
 killing each other and doing all sorts of evil things just because of their love for money. 1

Timothy 6:10 tells us that “For the Love of money is the root of all evil.”

“People will be boastful, proud, and abusive”. The words hardly need any explanation. People

are boasting about their accomplishments and what they’ve done in their life instead of

acknowledging God which makes them proud which is totally wrong. Even in gospel times

there would be hard times; on account of persecution from without, still more on account of

corruptions within. Men love to gratify their own lusts, more than to please God and do their

duty. When every man is eager for what he can get, and anxious to keep what he has, this

makes men dangerous to one another. When men do not fear God, they will not regard man.

When children are disobedient to their parents, that makes the times hard. Men are unholy

and without the fear of God, because unthankful for the mercies of God. We abuse God's

gifts, if we make them the food and fuel of our lusts. Times are hard also, when parents are

without natural affection to children and when men have no rule over their own spirits, but

despise that which is good and to be honored. God is to be loved above all; but a carnal

mind, full of enmity against him, prefers any thing before him, especially carnal pleasure. A

form of godliness is very different from the power; from such as are found to be hypocrites,

real Christians must withdraw. Such persons have been found within the outward church, in

every place, and at all times. There ever have been artful men, who, by pretences and
 flatteries, creep into the favor and confidence of those who are too easy of belief, ignorant,

and fanciful. All must be ever learning to know the Lord; but these follow every new notion,

yet never seek the truth as it is in Jesus. Like the Egyptian magicians, these were men of

corrupt minds, prejudiced against the truth, and found to be quite without faith. Yet though

the spirit of error may be let loose for a time, Satan can deceive the nations and the churches

no further, and no longer, than God will permit.

Stray From Godless People

“Having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them.” (2 Timothy

3:5) Paul warned not just Timothy but the rest of the world to stay away from ungodly people.

Ungodly people are the people whose lives are not godly and are always opposed to God and his

ways. The Bible says that “ungodly people hated knowledge and did not choose to fear the Lord

and they will eat the fruit of their ways and be filled with the fruit of their schemes”. (Proverbs

1:29-31) They are people who do not put God and his Word first in their life. They decide what

is right and wrong out of their own mind and lusts, and reject and despise God’s demands and

prohibitions. The counsel of the ungodly is any philosophy, teaching, idea, thoughts, behaviors,

and attitude that do not come from the Bible and the Holy Spirit rather it comes from evils spirit

which is demonic. The way of sinners is the path of their own will instead of God’s will.

God knows we need friends who are like minded with Him and who will encourage us in our

walk of purity. The knowledge that the ungodly has is corrupted because they do not get it from

God. Instead they get it from other ungodly people or from their own corrupted imagination. God

tells us not to walk in their counsel. God’s will is for us to turn away from the counsel of the

wicked. There is no sin or habit which cannot be overcome, but sinners continue in sinning and
they morally corrupt their surroundings. When we were born into this world, we were born with

a sinful nature that opposes the law of God. But when we are born again by the Spirit of God, we

received a new divine nature that hates sin and we are born of God which we have a new nature

that is convicting us of the sin in our life and moving them forward in God’s grace and victory

over sin. We should have nothing to do with godless people. We should not take part in any of

their ungodly activities. The only time we are to associate with godless people in my opinion is

when we are preaching the message of repentance to them. Titus 2:11-14 says, "The grace of

God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and

worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we

wait for the blessed hope, the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who

gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are

his very own, eager to do what is good.” If we are with ungodly people, their influences

encourage us to sin.

The Will of Godless people

Paul tells Timothy that godless people are “the kind who worm their way into homes and gain

control over weak-willed women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of

evil desires, always learning but never able to acknowledge the truth.” (2 Timothy 3:6)

What Paul meant by this was that these men will exploit weak-willed women, but will not make

much progress. The will of godless people is to follow their own evil desires instead of following

God but will not get very far because their folly will be plain to everyone. He compares them to

Jannes and Jambres who opposed Moses. These two men are identified in Jewish tradition as two

of Pharaoh’s sorcerers [Exodus 7:11; 8:7].

 B. PAULS CHARGE TO TIMOTHY

Outcome of wanting to live a Godly life

Paul explains that everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, as

he has been. If we take a look around the world today, we can clearly see that it’s true. These

persecutions are especially taking place in Islamic nations like Pakistan. Christians are being

persecuted just like Paul said simply because of living a Godly life in Jesus Christ. Believer’s

commentary (William MacDonald, 2120) explains that the reason for this persecution is simple.

A godly life exposes the wickedness of others. People do not like to be exposed. Instead of

repenting of ungodliness and turning to Christ, they seek to destroy the one who has shown them

up for what they really are. It is totally irrational behavior but that is the characteristic of fallen

men.

Encouragement

Paul then encourages Timothy to continue in what he had learned and how the holy scriptures

make him wise for salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. Paul then describes the scriptures as

god-breathed and useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.

We Christians today should use the scriptures as Paul said for teaching others and unbelievers.
We should use the scriptures to rebuke Satan and the evil in the world. We should also correct

others in their wrong doings with the scriptures and train others in righteousness.
 Application

Paul encourages Timothy to remain passionate for Christ and to remain firm in sound doctrine (2

Timothy 1:1-2, 13-14). Paul reminds Timothy to avoid ungodly beliefs and practices and to flee

from anything immoral (2 Timothy 2:14-26). In the end times there will be both intense

persecution and apostasy from the Christian faith (2 Timothy 3:1-17). Paul closes with an intense

plea for believers to stand firm in the faith and to finish the race strong (2 Timothy 4:1-8).

Paul was so concerned to warn Timothy and those he ministered unto of the dangers of false

teachers that he invoked the story of the Egyptian magicians who opposed Moses (Exodus 7:11,

22; 8:7, 18, 19; 9:11). Although their names are not mentioned in the Old Testament, tradition

has it that these men instigated the building of the golden calf and were killed with the rest of the

idolaters (Exodus 32). Paul predicts the same fate for those who resist the truth of Christ, their

folly eventually being made “clear to everyone” (2 Timothy 3:9).

It is easy to get side-tracked in the Christian life. We have to keep our eyes on the prize which is

being rewarded in heaven by Jesus Christ (2 Timothy 4:8). We must strive to avoid both false

doctrine and ungodly practices. This can only be accomplished by being grounded in our

knowledge of God’s Word and firm in our refusal to accept anything that is unbiblical.
Bibliography

Holy Bible (N

Believers Commentary (William McDonald)

http://www.abu.nb.ca/courses/ntintro/2Tim.htm

http://www.searchgodsword.org/com/bcc/view.cgi?book=2ti&chapter=003

Holy Bible (New International Version)