SCRIPTURE: 2 TIMOTHY 3
MEMORY VERSE:
“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16)
GODLESSNESS IN THE LAST DAYS (vs. 1-9)
- 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 the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lover of God – having a form of godliness but denying its power. (vs. 1-5)
- They 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. (v.. 6)
- They are always learning but never able to acknowledge the truth. (v. 7)
- They oppose the truth and without faith. (v. 8)
PAUL’S CHARGE TO TIMOTHY (vs. 10-17)
You know all about my teaching, my way of life, my purpose, faith, patience, love endurance, persecutions, sufferings – what kinds of things happened to me in Antioch, Iconium and Lystra, the persecutions I endured. Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them. In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil men and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convince of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture if God[-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
THOUGHTS:
The “last days” began after Jesus’ resurrection when the Holy Spirit came upon the believers at Pentecost. The “last days” will continue until Christ’s second coming. That means we are now living in the last days. So we should make the most of the time that God has given us.
Paul warned the believers not to be deceived by people who appear to be Christians. They look religious by going to church, knowing Christian doctrines, using Christian clothes and following Christian traditions. But their inner attitudes of belief, love, and worship are lacking. A real Christian does not give in to society’s pressures. They don’t settle for comfort without commitment. And they stand up against evil by living for Jesus.
Since the women in Ephesian church had no formal religious training, they enjoy their new freedom to study Christian truths. But their eagerness to learn made them a target for false teachers. Paul warned Timothy to watch out for men who would take advantage of these women because ignorance can make them vulnerable to deception.
Paul mentioned about James and Jambres who were two of the magicians who counterfeited Moses’ miracle before Pharaoh. Paul explained that just as Moses exposed and defeated them, God would overthrow the false teachers who were plaguing the Ephesian church.
Timothy became a Christian because his grandmother and mother taught him the Scripture when he was a small child. A parent’s work in teaching small children is very important. As parents, do you take the responsibility and opportunity to teach your children the good news and lead them to Christ?
The Bible was written by people inspired by the Holy Spirit. “It is God breathed and useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness” (v. 16) . It equips us to do good and safeguard against false teachings. It is our source of guidance Develop a plan to read the whole Bible and use its teachings to guide your conduct. God’s Word can strengthen your faith and lead you to do good.