Stay Away
2 Timothy 3:1-9 • Sermon • Submitted
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· 5 viewsPaul warns Timothy, and those who he is ministering to to identify false teachers through their character, their converts, and their religious leaders.
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Introduction
Growing up I was always told, “Stranger Danger.” This was especially important due to my brother’s abduction by his biological father. We were told over and over, do not talk to strangers. Do not take candy from strangers. If you do not know them and they come toward you, run. However, not everyone who is a danger to us is a stranger. Point and case, it was my brother’s dad who abducted him. We see stories all the time where parents, teachers, authority figures, and spiritual leaders found guilty of unsavory acts.
As we look into our text, Paul begins to address with Timothy three marks of the unsavory spiritual leaders that he was to oppose and avoid at fellowship with at Ephesus. He identifies their character, their converts, and their religion.
Focus Passage
1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. 2 For men shall be [lovers of their own selves,] covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 [Without natural affection,] trucebreakers, [false accusers,] incontinent, fierce, [despisers of those that are good,] 4 Traitors, heady, highminded, [lovers of pleasures] more than [lovers of God;] 5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: [from such turn away.] 6 For of [this sort] are [they which creep] into houses, and [lead captive] [silly women] laden with sins, [led away] with divers lusts, 7 Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. 8 Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith. 9 But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest unto all men, as theirs also was.
Outline
Who are we to stay away from? How do we know that we are stay away from them? Is there a sign? Is there a certain trait? Paul, as he writes his final words to Timothy continues his message. In chapter two Paul warned Timothy to stand firm on the faith, to avoid false teachings, and be a proponent of the truth and the Word of God. To study the word, to implant the word in his heart, to stand for the word, and resist the teachings of those that spread falsehood.
That falsehood, those false teachings were nothing more than cancer that spread like a wild fire throughout the congregation at Ephesus and would do nothing more than bring division and destruction. Paul further builds on his words from chapter and now encourages Timothy to stay away from those spreading the lies and false teachings. He was not to have fellowship with them. He was not to form a bond with them. Paul writes, this know also. Paul had more to say about the false teachers presently in Ephesus and to come after. His words were not just about the teachers but the spirit that was driving the false teachers and teachings.
The character of false teachers (vv.2-5)
Paul warns Timothy of the last days. He writes to Timothy, this know also that in the last days, perilous times shall come. When were the last days? What does he mean by perilous times? Both are good questions that the believer must ask themselves. We need to understand that we’ve have been in the last days since the Lord Jesus Christ was crucified, buried, risen, and ascended to the Father. His Passion ushered in the last days. For they continued from that time till now and will continue until His return. As the author of Hebrews writes...
1 God who [at sundry times] and [in divers manners] spake [in time past] unto the fathers by the prophets, 2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of [all things,] by whom also he made the worlds;
In these last days, from then till now, we have seen a decline in righteousness and godliness and increase in depravity. This increase will just continue. The increased depravity and evil that is in the world today is not evil that has been and realized through social media and tv, but is an ever increase evil. The closer we get to the return of the Lord, the more evil things will become. Satan knows that his time is short and he wants to kill, steel, and destroy all that he can. Paul states that these days will be perilous. When stating perilous, he is giving the idea of “difficult” and “dangerous” days. He states that during this time there will be an increase in false teachers and these teachers will be marked by three identifying markers: their character, their converts, and their religion. We begin with the first of these three identifying markers, their character.
The false teachers will have a character that is marked by love
A love for self - ‘…lovers of their own selves...’
They will have a character that is marked by love, but a love that is not for God or others, but for themselves.
Jesus was asked by the pharisees what was the greatest commandment, and Jesus responded that first and greatest commandment was to love God with all one’s mighty, heart, and being. The second was like the first, to love others as yourself (Matthew 22:33-40).
If one loves self supremely, they are not loving God and not loving others. It is just about them. It is as Toby Keith’s song, It’s all about me, me, me. This is the exact opposite of what our Lord has called us to be.
A love for money - ‘…covetous...’
Paul had already warned of the dangers of having a love for money and greed. He states that money is the root (KJV) or a root (NASB) of all kinds of evil (1 Timothy 6:10). Paul continued to write in his first letter to Timothy, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs (1 Timothy 6:10b NASB 2020).
Money in itself is not bad, but the love of money is. Money does crazy things to people. We’ve seen people kill others and themselves over money. We see the effect of fiscal troubles all around us in our world today from inflation, high interests, volatile stocks, etc. People lie, manipulate, betray, and kill all over paper that only has value in which we are willing to give it.
A love for pleasure - ‘…lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God…’ (v.4)
Things, pleasures, in themselves are not wrong. In fact, we find within the Scripture that those who love God, God does not mind blessing them with pleasures. The Psalmist writes...
11 Thou wilt show me the path of life: in thy presence is fullness of joy; at thy [right hand] there are pleasures forevermore.
However, pleasures are not to rule our lives. They are not be the end game. They are not to be our desire. All that we see and all that we desire of this world will fail and dissolve. All that will remain is of God. Satan will play to your eyes, your ego, and your flesh, knowing these are the areas that we are weak in and where will chase after pleasures. Let us be reminded that all this will end and then we’ll be left with nothing.
15 Love not the world, neither [the things] that are in the world. If [any man] love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. 17 And the world [passeth away,] and the lust thereof: but [he that doeth] the will of God abideth forever.
Why seek after that which you will not take with you. You brought nothing into this world and you will take nothing out with you.
7 For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can [carry nothing out.]
The false teachers will have a character that is marked by an observable heart problem
Their heart problem will be observed through their pride - ‘…boastful, arrogant, conceited...’
Their heart problem will be observed through their relationships
Their family relationships - ‘…disobedient to parents, ungrateful...’
Their personal relationships - ‘…slanders, malicious gossips...’
The false teachers will have a character that is marked by an unsavory spirit
They will have a spirit that is uncontrollable - ‘…without self-control…irreconcilable…reckless…treacherous...’
They will have a spirit that dishonorable - ‘…unholy…haters of good…’
Every problem that you and I have is a problem of the heart. It is from the heart that all evil and sin comes. Jesus stated within the Gospels...
21 For [from within,] [out of] the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,
Paul not only addresses the character of the false teachers, but he also address the converts, followers of the false teachers.
The converts of the false teachers (vv.6-7)
6 For of [this sort] are [they which creep] into houses, and [lead captive] [silly women] laden with sins, [led away] with divers lusts, 7 Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.
The converts of these false teachers are shown to be a certain kind of people. These false teachers, while trying to go after all the followers they can, have set targets and responders. We see within Paul’s letter to Timothy who these converts are.
The converts of the false teachers are shown to be weak-willed- ‘…lead captive silly women...’
The meaning behind “silly” is “weak willed” or “vulnerable”. Paul was not identifying that all women are this way, nor was he stating that men could not be deceived. Women were not viewed high in the first century. They were not taken seriously. Paul writes his letter in a way that shows that the converts of the false teachers are not taken serious by them either.
Paul describes that these converts are weak-willed and vulnerable. What causes their weak-willed and vulnerability? This is evident by them being weighed down by sin, laden with sins. They showed no self-control, no discipline, which is what has caused them to be weighed down with sin.
The converts of the false teachers are shown to be vulnerable
They are shown to be vulnerable by not standing guard of their faith - ‘…they which creep into houses...’
They are shown to be vulnerable by a lack of self-control and discipline, by not fleeing youth lusts (2 Timothy 2:22a) - ‘…led away with diverse lusts...’
The converts of the false teachers are always looking to be satisfied, but fail to find that satisfaction (v.7)
Paul writes, always learning. They are all about trying this or that. Trying to fill this God shaped whole in their life with relationships, pleasures, money, drugs, alcohol, etc., but they can’t find satisfaction.
Paul writes, as they try this and that, that something missing in their life is never found and never filled, never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.
All of us have a God shaped whole in our lives and nothing will fill that whole outside of a right relationship with God through Jesus Christ.
As these false teachers reach out to those that weak-willed and vulnerable, it does done through the lens of religion. Religion has sent more people to hell then it has not, especially false religion. I have said over and over again, it is not about your religion, but it about your relationship. It is about whether you believe in and have accepted the Lordship of Jesus Christ. The final area that Paul writes to Timothy about within this portion of his letter is the religion of the false teachers.
The religion of the false teachers (vv.8-9)
8 Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith. 9 But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest unto all men, as theirs also was.
As Paul writes to Timothy to address the false teachers he compares him to two Old Testament characters, Jannes and Jambres. While we might not know who they are by name, we do know who these two shady characters are. Within the book of Exodus, chapters 7-11, we find reference and description of the 10 plagues that God placed on Egypt to force pharoah to release the people of Israel. Specifically, in chapters 7-9, we find reference to the sorceress of pharoah. These sorceress of pharoah are traditional known as Jannes and Jambres, the two men that Paul is mentioning within his letter to Timothy.
As you look at these two men from context of chapters 7 through 9 of the Old Testament book of Exodus, you find some clarification of the religion of the false teachers that Paul is telling Timothy to flee from.
The false teachers’ religion is a copycat religion
Everything about the cultic religions and anti-religions, which are religions within themselves, is a copy of what God has already done. They are simply pseudo religions. They are copycat religions. We see this through the testimony of Jannes and Jambres in the book of Exodus.
Moses was able to turn his staff into a serpent and so were they
Moses turned the Nile into blood and so did they
Moses caused frogs to come over all the land and so did they
However, in the midst of God’s plagues, there is a break in what Jannes and Jambres are able to copy. This is the same for the enemy.
The false teachers’ religion is a powerless religion
Paul writes to Timothy and states that this false religion being propagated by these false teachers is a religion that matchers their heart and their spirituality.
They resisted the truth and so does their religion - ‘…these men also oppose the truth...’
They were drive by depraved mindsets and so was their religion - ‘…men of depraved minds...’
They were bankrupt in the faith and so was their religion - ‘…worthless in regard to the faith...’
As Paul wrote earlier about the converts of these false teachers, so was their religion and their faith, powerless. He wrote, holding to a form of godliness although they have denied its power.
Their religion had form but no function, no power.
Form is no good. Function and power are what is needed.
The false teachers’ religion is a doomed religion
When the Jannes and Jambres tried to copy the plague of lice, they could not copy this plague, and we find within the testimony of Scripture...
18 And the magicians did so with their enchantments to [bring forth] lice, but they could not: so there were lice upon man, and upon beast.
This testimony is followed up by their own testimony that this plague was from God alone
19 Then the magicians said unto Pharaoh, This is the finger of God: and Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he hearkened not unto them; as the Lord had said.
Paul writes to Timothy, But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest unto all men, as theirs also was.
Conclusion
Where are you this morning? Do you find yourself with the same character of the false teachers. You have love, but it’s not love for God or people, it’s a love of self, money, and pleasure. Do you find yourself with a heart problem rooted in pride that affects your relationships and is exposed through your spirit or nature? Do you find yourself weak-willed toward the world and strong-willed toward God? Do you find yourself continuously searching for that missing piece in your life and not able to find it?
There is only one way to change course in our life. There is only one way to change course in our love. There is only one to change course and leave pride and embrace humility. There is only one course to heal your family, your relationships, your spirit. There is only One that will fill that empty void in your life.
That One is not religion. That One is not a denomination. That One is Jesus Christ. He is the One. As John writes...
6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: [no man] cometh unto the Father, but by me.
As the Luke wrote in the book of Acts...
12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
Will you not do as Paul tells us to do in the book of Romans...
13 For whosoever shall [call upon] the name of the Lord shall be saved.
For Jesus Christ is the only One that make all things right. Will you not your pew and finally surrender the Lordship of Jesus Christ?
