Wenstrom Bible Ministries Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom Thursday July 2,

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1 Wenstrom Bible Ministries Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom Thursday July 2, Second Timothy: Second Timothy 3:5a-Paul Lists the Final Two Vices Characterizing Unrepentant, Apostate Christianity During the Last Days Lesson # 66 2 Timothy 3:1 But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. 2 For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, 4 treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these. (NASB95) Holding to a form of godliness is composed of the following: (1) nominative masculine plural present active participle form of the verb echō (ἒχω), holding (2) accusative feminine singular form of the noun morphōsis (μόρφωσις), a form (3) genitive feminine singular form of the noun eusebeia (εὐσέβεια), godliness. The verb echō means to exhibit since the word in this context pertains to outwardly displaying publicly a particular characteristic which is identified by the expression μόρφωσιν εὐσεβείας, a form of godliness. The noun eusebeia does not refer to attitude and conduct that honors or worships God which is indicated by the fact that Paul modifies this word with the noun morphōsis which speaks of an outward appearance. Therefore, this godliness is an outward show of godliness and thus it is not authentic godliness but inauthentic godliness since apostate Christianity rejects the only means possible to produce godliness in one s life, namely, the gospel, Paul s apostolic teaching. Rather, the noun refers to a religious profession of adhering to the Christian faith, i.e. doctrine William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 1

2 The noun morphosis means, that which resembles since in context it pertains to external show or semblance and expresses the idea of an outward appearance of something but not in accordance with reality. Although they have denied its power is composed of the following: (1) conjunction de (δέ), although (2) articular genitive feminine singular form of the noun dunamis (δύναμις), power (3) third person genitive feminine singular form of the intensive personal pronoun autos (αὐτός), its (4) nominative masculine plural perfect middle participle form of the verb arneomai (ἀρνέομαι), they have denied. The post-positive conjunction de is marking a contrast between apostate Christianity living in the last days exhibiting that which resembles godliness and their denying the power of authentic godliness. The verb arneomai means to reject since it pertains to refusing to accept or submit to something and here the word is used in relation to the power which produces godliness in the Christian, namely the gospel which is the power of God for salvation (cf. Romans 1:16). The noun dunamis means power and refers to the divine omnipotence of God which is manifested in the gospel which Paul describes in Romans 1:16 as the power of God for salvation. Second Timothy 3:1 Indeed continue making it your habit of taking note of this, namely that dangerous circumstances interacting will exist during the last days. 2 For out of selfishness, people will be characterized as self-centered, lovers of money, braggarts, arrogant, slanderous, disobedient to the detriment of their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 devoid of natural affection, implacable, malicious gossips, self-indulgent, brutal, opposed to what is good, 4 treacherous, reckless, conceited, hedonists rather than lovers of God. 5 They exhibit that which resembles godliness. However, they reject for themselves its power. (Author s translation) In Second Timothy 3:2, the apostle Paul makes eight assertions about these unrepentant, apostate Christians living during the church age and then in Second Timothy 3:3, he makes six more and in Second Timothy 3:4, he makes five more assertions William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 2

3 Now, here in Second Timothy 3:5, he makes two more which complete the list of vices of apostate Christianity living in the last days between the First and Second Advents of Jesus Christ. The two assertions he makes here in verse 5 are that apostate Christianity exhibits that which resembles godliness and that they reject the power of godliness. In this verse, Paul solemnly warns Timothy that apostate Christianity living in the last days would exhibit that which resembles godliness but they reject for themselves its power. What is godliness? It refers to the worship of God through one s conduct that is based upon knowledge of and faith in the Word of God resulting in obedience to God s Word, which reveals His character, ways and will. It refers to proper Christian attitude and conduct that is produced by the Holy Spirit as a result of exercising faith in the Word of God resulting in obedience to the Word of God. Therefore, a Christian can live a godly life by the power of the Holy Spirit when they conform their thinking and conduct according to the Father s will, which is revealed by the Holy Spirit in the Word of God (Romans 12:1-2). Godliness means that the Christian is conforming their attitude and conduct to the will of the Father as a result of faith in the Spirit s teaching in the Word of God resulting in obedience to the Father s will. The Christian s faith in the Word of God appropriates the power of the Holy Spirit resulting in conformity of their attitude and conduct to the will of the Father, which is revealed by the Spirit in the Word of God. This constitutes worshipping God. In other words, godliness refers to the Christian way of life, which is experiencing eternal life by appropriating by faith the Spirit s teaching in the Word of God that the Christian is crucified, died, buried, raised and seated with Christ. It speaks of the Christian way of life but from the perspective that it is conduct that honors God because it is based upon an accurate knowledge of His character, ways and will William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 3

4 It also denotes that this conduct honors God because it is in obedience to His commands and prohibitions and is empowered by His Spirit. This conduct expresses one s reverence for God and is thus an act of worshipping Him. Godliness is the result of appropriating by faith the Spirit s teaching in the Word of God that the Christian is in union with Christ identified with Him in His crucifixion, death, burial, resurrection and session. This results in obedience to the commands and prohibitions in the Word of God that is inspired by the Spirit. It also results in godly conduct that honors the Father and reflects His perfect norms and standards. Also, it manifests the character of Christ in the life of the believer as well as the omnipotence of God in that exercising faith in the Spirit s teaching that one is in union with Christ and identified with Him appropriates the omnipotence of God. Now, in Second Timothy 3:5, Paul warns Timothy that apostate Christianity in the last days exhibits that which resembles godliness. He is referring to a counterfeit godliness or in other words he is speaking of a godliness which it not authentic. It is inauthentic and a counterfeit because it is not the result of obedience to the teaching of the Lord Jesus Christ and His apostles and which teaching is recorded in perfect accuracy in the original language of the Greek New Testament. This counterfeit godliness is nothing but hypocrisy on the part of these apostate Christians living in the last days. Apostate Christianity living in the last days make a pretense of having godly character which they do not possess. Now, in Second Timothy 3:5, Paul is speaking with regards to apostate Christianity in the last days which he asserts rejects this omnipotence in the sense that they refuse to appropriate this omnipotence by exercising faith in the gospel William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 4

5 Therefore, these apostate Christians reject the power which produces godliness in the Christian by refusing to appropriate by faith the gospel which is the power of God to transform the Christian into the image of Jesus Christ. The Christian is identified with Jesus Christ in His crucifixion, death, burial, resurrection and session which not only provided them deliverance from sin and Satan but also gave them the power needed to experience this victory over sin and Satan in time before their death or the rapture, whichever comes first. It provides them power to experience godliness or in other words to live a godly life which reverences God and is an act of worshipping Him. By appropriating by faith this power by exercising faith in the gospel, they can experience godliness, victory and deliverance over sin and Satan. They do this by considering themselves dead to the sin nature and alive to God (Romans 6:1-12). Apostate Christianity living in the last days refuses to appropriate this power which will enable them to experience victory and deliverance over sin and Satan and enable them to experience godliness. The gospel communicates to the Christian that they have the power available to them which enables them to experience sanctification, salvation and godliness since it communicates to them that they are identified with Jesus Christ in His crucifixion, death, burial, resurrection and session. All of which provide them deliverance from sin and Satan and all of which sanctify them positionally and all which provide them the power to live godly lives. Authentic godliness manifests itself in the life of the Christian when they are being transformed into the image of Christ by appropriating by faith their union and identification with Jesus Christ which the gospel communicates to them. This faith appropriates the omnipotence of the Spirit who then transforms them into the image of Christ and who also empowers them to obey His commands and prohibitions in the gospel William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 5