But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For 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 God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people. For among them are those who creep into households and capture weak women, burdened with sins and led astray by various passions, always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth. Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, men corrupted in mind and disqualified regarding the faith. But they will not get very far, for their folly will be plain to all, as was that of those two men.—2 Timothy 3:1–9

Introduction

Second Timothy sermons aim to see an “example” of the Christian life. Earlier when we went through 1 Thessalonians, we saw an example of a Christian church.

2 Timothy Setting

Paul in prison under a death sentence. These are his last words to his beloved disciple Timothy. No fluff, all Christian life “concentrate.”

Today’s text is heavy and is the furthest thing from a “pep talk.” I remember when I first came to Christ and the whole Christian thing was new to me. I was in college and a lot of my fellow students had a poster of “Footprints” poem on their wall. Very sweet. No one ever had 2 Timothy 3:1–9 on the wall. And yet, God has given us his word so that we will know and grow in him. This text is for us. We need it. Let’s look at it and grow together.

Context for This Passage

Paul’s deep burden and hope for Timothy is that he continue on as a faithful minister of the gospel. Of course, this is a battle. The summary of the battle is to be strengthened by grace: “You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 2:1). The battle takes place on two fronts: within and without.

Paul exhorts Timothy to fight the battle within, by grace, with the examples of the soldier, athlete, and farmer in vv. 2–6. There is a battle within against distraction, the lies of the world and the devil, the weakness of the flesh, the counterfeit offers of happiness by sin. Paul exhorts Timothy to fight the battle without by presenting himself as an approved worker (v. 15), avoiding irreverent babble (v. 16), flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, love and peace (v. 22), avoid foolish and ignorant controversies (v. 23)

Chapter 3 outlines the types of behaviors that he will encounter that he needs to avoid

Let’s dive in …

‘But understand this, that in the last days ...’ (3:1)

These things are happening now. Paul is reminding Timothy that he is in the “last days.” This reinforces the thrust of Paul’s letter, which is that Timothy continue on as a faithful minister of the gospel. There is urgency. The battle is joined. There is no time or place for trifling away your life.

Briefly, why I believe Paul is not referring to a short period just before Christ’s return: 

Examples in Scripture

• Peter’s sermon where he quotes the prophet Joel:

And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams.—Acts 2:17

• Connected to the pouring out of the Holy Spirit at the day Pentecost:

Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, [2] but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world.—Hebrews 1:1–2

• Cannot mean the days immediately before Christ’s return because in verse 1, we see, “In the last days,” and in verse 5, “Avoid such people.” It wouldn’t make sense to avoid people that you wouldn’t need to avoid.
• These things are just plain observable. Have you read the news lately? 

The Difficulty (v.1)

Since we have established that the last days Paul is referencing are the very days of Paul and Timothy’s lives and extend to our lives now, we must be honest about the fact that these are difficult days. Difficult does not mean apocalyptic, like a scene from a movie where civilization is regressed to the stone age. However, the battle is real. This is not “difficult” like a difficult math problem. This is “difficult” like a strong opponent who is bent on denying you. 

What makes this exceedingly difficult is the attack on the church. Paul’s discipleship of Timothy was always about the church:

If I delay, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth.—1 Timothy 3:15

He sent Timothy to Ephesus to establish elders for the health of the church. The burden is constantly for the church. Evangelizing, establishing new believers in the faith, and equipping the people for ministry. So, the difficulty of the last days is not merely a generic cultural decay but is specifically the encroachment of ungodliness on the church. We expect the world to display this sin and brokenness but not the church. 

The List (vv. 2–5) 

Now we see 19 descriptions of rebellion against God and his gospel. Some have attempted to categorize the list in different ways. While not absolutely comprehensive, a lot of ground is covered here. Each item of the list is not meant as completely distinct and independent from the others. There’s a lot of overlap—like a Venn diagram.

Summarized in lovers of self. You see the contrast of being loving self as opposed to loving God. We see this in 2 Corinthians 5.

For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; [15] and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.—2 Corinthians 5:14–15

Paul also teaches that Christians are ones who have embraced Christ’s death for them.They’re no longer seated on the flimsy puppet throne of their own life but are now freed as followers of Christ.

(Note: loving self in this way is different than the normal self-preservation that God gives everyone by common grace; this is a loving self at the expense of others and the antithesis of loving God. See verse 4: “lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God.” In contrast, Paul teaches in Ephesians 5:33 that husbands are to love their own wives the way that they love themselves.)

The Examples the ‘Weak Women’ (vv. 6–7)

What we can say here is that the lovers of self are seeking victims that they can exploit to their own selfish ends. One group of those victims is women. “Weak women” is probably not the best translation. There is really not an English word that is the equivalent. The NIV says “gullible.” But the women are not merely gullible, they are immature. They are easy targets for the self-loving deceivers.

Paul is not seeking to establish women as particularly weak-willed or prone to deception. (I have heard some talk this way. It is at best misguided and at worst plain ignorant and unloving to attempt to use this verse to minimize the contribution of women to the body of Christ.) The point is not that they are women, but that these types of women are already living in opposition to the lordship of Christ and now the deceivers are sweeping in to capitalize.

Jannes and Jambres (v. 8)

These two magicians of Pharaoh who defied Moses are examples. Moses was God’s chosen leader, commissioned to lead the people away from the defilement of false worship and to the true worship of the living God.

The common point in these examples is that deception and lies reign over truth. The women are not able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth. The men are oppose the truth. Of course, this prompts us to remember that Jesus claimed to be the truth (John 14:6). There is no truth apart from Jesus. There is not Jesus apart from truth. 

Application

How do you live your life, how do you handle yourself in these difficult last days?

• Ask yourself with straight up brutal honesty. Is this me? Two ditches: 1) “not at all” 2) if I have any hint of these things in my life, it means I’m hell-bound.

A Christian response will recognize a battling of sin in some, or even many of these areas, but the believer can point to God’s empowering faithfulness and is not overcome.

A Christian response will include a self-examination, an honest recognition, worship over Christ’s redeeming power in one’s life, a sadness over the state of the world, a hopefulness in Christ.

• Be on guard against religious people whose lives and message contradict the gospel. I don’t mean folks who are struggling with doubt or are teachable, but those who are entrenched in their godlessness and would seek to bring others with them. This is hard but important. The “avoid” in verse 5 should be done in the context of the church under the leadership of the elders. Paul and Timothy’s work was in the context of the church.
• Be biblical about #2. We will always need to guard against the type of godlessness outlined here. We also need to guard against recklessly accusing each other. If your brother or sister has a perspective and you don’t like it, be careful about slinging around verses to put them in their place. Have you put in the effort to truly understand them? Have you asked them to consider biblical texts? Have you asked for help from the body in general and maybe the elders specifically? Have you prayed for them? Have you engaged them respectfully?

The Promise

But they will not get very far, for their folly will be plain to all, as was that of those two men.—2 Timothy 3:9 

How can Paul say this so confidently? He has just said that times will be difficult. He has just listed 19 ways that people will live. He has delivered potentially crushing discouragement to the church. He has illustrated this with those who take advantage of women and oppose the truth. Then he concludes that they will not get very far and their folly will be plain to all. How?

Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God, who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began, and which now has been manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, for which I was appointed a preacher and apostle and teacher.—2 Timothy 1:8–11

Why will this difficulty not overcome us? Because Jesus has overcome.

Why will we not be consumed by evil? Because Jesus defeated evil at the cross.

Why should we not just give up and give in? Because Jesus saved us and called us.

Why should we not despair? Because Jesus abolished death.

What is our hope? That Jesus brought life and immortality to light.

How did he do this? Through the gospel.

No lies, no liar, no scheme, no false doctrine can defeat the one who triumphed over death. Yes, these days are difficult and we must remain vigilant, but the victory has been won, our hope is secure. Let us press on through these difficult days because of the promise that is ours in Christ.