Lesson 3 15 November, 2015 Fortification for Perilous Times Lesson Scope: 2 Timothy 3 Unless otherwise stated all references in brackets are from 2Timothy 3 Lesson Focus Paul began this chapter by identifying traits that mark those who are deceived by end-time perils. These traits have identified the ungodly ever since the Fall. As God mercifully withholds judgment to provide the wicked another chance to repent, they often grow more wicked, deceiving and being deceived. God provides all that we need to be victorious over sin, even in the worst surroundings. It is imperative that we remain alert and fortified to withstand the spiritual darkness around us. Paul offers some essential fortifications in verse 10 and following. It is easily possible for any one of us to fall prey to deception, but whoever confesses and forsakes his sin will again find mercy and grace to help in time of need. We dare not think that we can avoid the perils of our day by our own wisdom and power. Almighty God alone possesses sufficient wisdom and power to overcome the forces of evil. In these end times powerful of apostasy sweep many into spiritual ruin. Only by continuing in the truth of Scripture can any individual or group be preserved from deception. Prior to commencing this lesson briefly review from the last lessons the things that need to be avoided so that we can be a good soldier. They include profane and vain babblings (2:16), youthful lusts (2:22), and foolish questions (2:23). Recognizing the perils are important, but even more important is fortifying ourselves so that we do not fall prey to the perils. Lesson Aim: To identify principles that relate to facing end-time perils successfully.
Theme Verse: 2 Peter 3:17. Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness. Lesson Text Perilous Times Shall Come" 2 Timothy 3:1-9 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. "Thou Hast Fully Known" 2 Timothy 3:10-13 10 But thou hast fully known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, charity, patience, 11 Persecutions, afflictions, which came unto me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra; what persecutions I endured: but out of them all the Lord delivered me. 12 Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. 13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived. "Continue Thou" 2 Timothy 3:14-17 14 But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them;
15 And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. 16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17 That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works. Questions for Study "Perilous Times Shall Come" 1. What makes the last times perilous? 2. List some helps to avoid having a powerless religion. 3. Why is resisting the truth dangerous? "Thou Hast Fully Known" 4. What is perilous about men becoming worse and worse? 5. Why is it important to know those who labor among us? "Continue Thou" 6. Discuss the value of the Scriptures. 7. What does it mean to be perfect (3:17)? 8. How do the Scriptures equip us for good works? Analyzing the Passage Perilous times (3:1) are difficult or dangerous. Fierce (3:3) means "wild and savage." False accusers slander others, a sin easily committed when divine love is lacking. Trucebreakers are intolerant and cannot be relied upon. Heady (3:4) signifies a lack of caution, rashness. "Lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God" are not willing to deny self so that they may inherit eternal life. This is a trait of unconverted humanity. A transformed mind is required both to love God and to love others as oneself. See Ephesians 2:3. To be reprobate (3:8) is to be worthless or rejected. Romans 1:28 refers to such people, who did not want to acknowledge God and were given over to a reprobate mind. Even though they knew they were doomed to die, they did not turn to God. Reproof (3:16) means "convict." The same Greek word is translated evidence in Hebrews 11:1. Correction results in straightening or reform-
ing. This is the purpose and goal of chastisement. Principles and Applications "Perilous Times Shall Come" 1. The child of God must be vigilant to avoid the perils of the last days (3:1). The last times are dangerous times. The devil is frantic because he knows his time is short. Paul warned Timothy to beware. Evil men become worse when sin is not punished immediately. People in their darkened state then assume that they have successfully evaded punishment. When iniquity abounds, the temptation for the righteous to become complacent is also great. 2. To avoid deception, we must discern and reject religion that does not provide victory over sin (3:5). Religion may cloak a person in religious attire or plain culture, but unless it renews the mind and transforms the heart, it is hypocritical. Religion that motivates spiritual talk but fails to actively crucify the flesh with its affections and lusts is empty and deceptive. Religion that portrays sin as unavoidable and victory over sin as unattainable is also powerless to save men from the destruction of eternal death. 3. By accepting the absolutes of truth, we avoid the endless quest for other explanations (3:7-9). God's command to Pharaoh was simple "Let my people go" (Exodus 5:1). But Pharaoh asked the question, "Who is the LORD?" If Pharaoh was honestly trying to ascertain whether Moses and Aaron were true men and their message authentic, God provided that proof through the plagues with increasing forcefulness. Many today, like Jannes and Jambres, are resisting God's message and attempting to find other explanations for the plain truths of Scripture. Those who rejected Moses and his message brought destruction upon Egypt. The results will be no less disastrous for those who attempt to discredit God's message through re-studies and deceptive logic. "Thou Hast Fully Known" 4. Sound instruction and godly examples fortify God's people against perils (3:10). Timothy knew the doctrine that Paul taught. He had seen Paul's faith exemplified in daily life, especially in difficulty. One safeguard against deception is to know those who are teaching us and to observe how they live. It is easy to think that some distant preacher's rec-
orded sermons or writings might offer more inspiration than those who labor among us. But if that teacher does not live by the Gospel standard of holiness, his teaching is questionable and could well be deceptive. 5. Willingness to endure suffering for the cause of Christ fortifies God's people against evil (3:12). God uses suffering to purify His people, and sometimes suffering comes in the form of persecution. In persecution we are motivated to look for answers to the hard questions of life. Men of the past who were asked to explain their beliefs wrote the confessions of faith found in Martyrs Mirror. Those written confessions helped to unify the church and fortify believers to remain faithful. Many articles in our church papers originated in someone's struggle. "The trying of your faith worketh patience" (James 1:3). The validity of the Gospel is confirmed by the faithfulness of the child of God under test. "Continue Thou" 6. We can avoid many perils by embracing consistent and proven methods (3:14). God's people are wise to be slow in accepting new technology, lest the accompanying snares lead unsuspecting Christians from the narrow way. When those snares are identified, we must build safeguards through teaching and conviction to limit the danger. If that is not possible, we must say no to the technology. Jesus taught that, when our eternal destiny is at stake, no sacrifice is too great to insure our spiritual safety (Matthew 5:29, 30). We avoid many snares if we honor the safeguards that faithful forebears have put in place and if we accept change only with great caution. 7. Knowing the Scriptures thoroughly and allowing them to shape our lives will fortify us (3:15-17). God's Word is the foundation for faith. It reveals and provides direction to correct our natural tendency to err. The Scripture is the source of instruction in righteousness. Through the study and application of the Scripture, the child of God is changed into the image of his perfect Lord. Important Teachings 1. The child of God must be vigilant to avoid the perils of the last days (3:1). 2. To avoid deception, we must discern and reject religion that does not provide victory over sin (3:5). 3. By accepting the absolutes of truth, we avoid the endless quest for
other explanations (3:7-9). 4. Sound instruction and godly examples fortify God's people against perils (3:10). 5. Willingness to endure suffering for the cause of Christ fortifies God's people against evil (3:12). 6. We can avoid many perils by embracing consistent and proven methods (3:14). 7. Knowing the Scriptures thoroughly and allowing them to shape our lives will fortify us (3:15-17). Answers to Questions 1. What makes the last times perilous? The last times are perilous because sin is deceptive. False prophets and false brethren excuse sin in various ways by simply calling it a sickness or an alternate lifestyle. Most of the self-esteem and self-worth promoted in our day is only pride renamed. Because sin is not punished quickly, it does not seem so bad. Religious confusion allows people to be comfortable in their sin. If sinners prosper while the righteous struggle, sin appears less evil. See Psalm 73; Ecclesiastes 8:11-13; Matthew 24:11-13. 2. List some helps to avoid having a powerless religion. Surrendering wholly to God results in a transformed life and a renewed mind (Romans 12:1, 2). Live and walk in the Spirit (Galatians 5:16, 22-26). To experience the power of the Gospel, we study the Gospel and adjust our lives in obedience to it (James 1:25). To avoid a powerless religion, we must want to know God's message, not reject it as Jannes and Jambres did. 3. Why is resisting the truth dangerous? Resisting the truth is dangerous because it leads to deception. It also brings the wrath of God on us. We have no promise of tomorrow, and our eternal destiny will be determined by our condition at the end of life. 4. What is perilous about men becoming worse and worse? Jesus warned, "Because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold" (Matthew 24:12). If we succumb to the temptation to compare our life with wicked men, we might conclude that we are righteous because we are not nearly as bad as others (see Luke 18:10-14).
5. Why is it important to know those who labor among us? Knowing those who labor among us enables us to observe how they live. Because Paul lived what he taught, he appealed to Timothy to trust his teaching. A faithful life is more convincing than a rousing talk. A person who does not strive to obey God's Word in all areas is not trustworthy, regardless of how good his message sounds. 6. Discuss the value of the Scriptures. The Word of God tells us what we could not know any other way. It defines right and wrong. The Bible tells us about God and His claim on our lives. The Bible reveals our sinful nature and tells us how to be transformed into the image of Christ. The Scriptures also explain the reason for chastisement and how to use suffering to bring glory to God. 7. What does it mean to be perfect (3:17)? Perfect means "complete." To be perfect is to lack nothing, a state we never fully attain in this human body. As we emulate Jesus Christ, we become more and more complete (2 Peter 1:5-8; 2 Corinthians 3:18). 8. How do the Scriptures equip us for good works? The Scriptures reveal God's plan for the sinner to be transformed. The Bible answers man's deepest questions. It defines good and evil, pointing to Jesus as the perfect example of good works. The Scriptures explain that the power of Jesus' resurrection and the infilling of His Spirit are the resources for doing good works. Summarizing the Lesson "And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof' (Romans 13:11-14). Research Guide 1. Use a dictionary or lexicon to look up the meanings of any unfamiliar words in verses 2-4, 10, 11, and 16. 2. Use a Bible dictionary to identify Jannes and Jambres. Read the ac-
count of them in Exodus 7 to see how they withstood Moses. 3. If it is important to identify the last times, Scriptures such as Acts 2:17; 1 Timothy 4:1; Hebrews 1:2; 2 Peter 3:3; 1 John 2:18; and Jude 18 should be sufficient to help us conclude that we are living in the last days, even if the Lord should tarry several thousand years more.