Paul has something else in mind in 2 Timothy 3.
People will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of GodSounds a bit like today, right? But strangely the end of this description reveals these people are found not 'out there' but rather in the body of believers.
having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power.Now some take this to be talking about the times of tribulation. But Paul understands the last days to be something Timothy will face. He goes on.
Avoid such people.Paul sees the end of days as not some time when the sun starts doing funny things and people/zombies start killing each other randomly, but as the period between Jesus first coming and his second. And just like the tagline to Arnie's movie End of Days, we are to 'Prepare'. How?
But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings.We prepare ourselves by one of the bible passages where the application truly is 'Read your Bible'. Now, part of the problem of the doom and gloomers who do some funky things with the Bible, is the doom and gloom becomes the lens through which they read everything. Paul gives a better way:
you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.I get the sense that if more of the Bible was read through the focus of Jesus' first coming (the lens of salvation) then a lot of the problems associated with the 'end of days' would not be so big a problem. Not that Paul necessarily had the New Testament writings in mind when writing, but the salvation focus of the Scriptures is helpful.
The Scriptures do more than make us wise for salvation to trust in Jesus, as Paul goes on to say, but that framework really will prepare us for the last days in which we now live.
A stimulating sermon last Sunday.
Izaac, I am enjoying reading what you write.
ReplyDeleteYou say "these people are found not 'out there' but rather in the body of believers." ...because of them... "having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power."
I can't see that this qualifies them as believers. I would think that religious non-believers fit this catagory better than believers.
Also, our response should be not only to read the Bible but to also do good works (and exhort other believers to do good works) (Hebrews 10:25)
Cheers for the question Ian. I must clarify I wasn't the preacher so I haven't thought this completely, but off the top of me head.
ReplyDeleteI subconsciously was quite deliberate by describing these people not as 'believers' but as 'in the body of believers'. That is, though we start the list thinking this is a great description of the non-Christian world, I believer the 'having the appearance of godliness' line indicates these are people who are among the church (though it seems not truly believers as you say). Also Timothy has to avoid these people, which assumes he will come into contact with them. This to me further emphasises these people are part of that mixed group that always will be the church on earth.
As for your particular query on if this description is of religious non-believers, that seems like sound logic. Though the call for Timothy to avoid them does for me bring it closer to home. But yeah, your suggestion is a real possibility. It would be interesting to see how Paul uses 'godliness' elsewhere. It seems a very Christian description to me, but the usage elsewhere would clarify this.
A further thought is that Paul might have particular people in mind (he seems to do everything but name them). He might also be referring to Hymenetus and Philetus who say the resurrection has come - which would qualify as 'denying its power' which Paul sees as God's power elsewhere (Might also come up in 2 Timothy??).
Finally, the good works is right there in the passage (no need to go to Hebrews). It's there is 3:17 as the purpose of this work of God's spirit-breathed word - so that the servant of God may be equipped for every good work.
My comment on the Bible reading was just highlighting my joy in finding a bible passage where the stock-standard (and often helpful) application of 'read your Bible' was entirely appropriate for the context.