2 Timothy 2:22-3:17 from the daily reading in the One Year Bible

Now flee from youthful lusts and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. ²³ But refuse foolish and ignorant speculations, knowing that they produce quarrels. ²⁴ The Lord’s bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged, ²⁵ with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth, ²⁶ and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will.

3 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. ⁶ For among them are those who enter into households and captivate weak women weighed down with sins, led on by various impulses, ⁷ always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. ⁸ Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, men of depraved mind, rejected in regard to the faith. ⁹ But they will not make further progress; for their folly will be obvious to all, just as Jannes’s and Jambres’s folly was also.

¹⁰ Now you followed my teaching, conduct, purpose, faith, patience, love, perseverance, ¹¹ persecutions, and sufferings, such as happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium and at Lystra; what persecutions I endured, and out of them all the Lord rescued me! ¹² Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. ¹³ But evil men and impostors will proceed from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. ¹⁴ You, however, continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned them, ¹⁵ and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. ¹⁶ All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; ¹⁷ so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work. 

In Yesterday’s text we looked at the last two verses of today’s text which say:  All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.   We acknowledged that the scripture Paul referred to was the Old Testament, not the Gospels or the letters to the churches. The word all as opposed to the word every helps us to understand the importance of reading, interpreting, understanding and applying the truth of scripture as a whole; in the context of what the rest of scripture says, because God’s word will neither change nor  contradict itself. Finally, in the application of all scripture, we know that it is first and foremost for the purpose of revealing God’s plan and is desire for people. It is to reveal the Savior, God’s Son, Jesus Christ who died for our sins, so that we could be reconciled back to a relationship with God and restored to His plan and purpose for our lives. Second then, having come to know Christ as Lord and Savior, scripture also teaches, reproves and corrects us. It trains us and equips us so that we can do good; doing the will and the work God planned and plans for us.

To look at these verses more fully in the context which they were written, in today’s text, Paul says:  Now flee from youthful lusts and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. But refuse foolish and ignorant speculations, knowing that they produce quarrels. The Lord’s bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged, with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will.   As believers, as teachers and examples of Christ, we are to pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace. Certainly those of us who live in our society and culture today know that those things do not come easily, so we understand that if we are to have them and know them, we must pursue them. The pursuit of those things begins with refusing foolish and ignorant speculations. There is no point to our quarreling with others about things which are foolish. 1 Corinthians 3:18-19 says:  Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you thinks that he is wise in this age, he must become foolish, so that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness before God.     1 Corinthians 1:18 says:   The word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.     So, there is no point to quarreling or debating the things which we know are foolish; the speculations and theories, the philosophies of the world. We are to be kind, gentle and patient, but we are to teach and correct those who are in opposition to the truth. Our arguing and debating will not convince them, but Paul says:  our kindness may lead them to the knowledge of truth and to repentance. Romans 2:4 says:   Do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?   There is a saying that states:  You can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar.    We can overcome lies with the sweetness of truth better than with the corrosiveness of debate.

Here is what Paul says:  But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these. For among them are those who enter into households and captivate weak women weighed down with sins, led on by various impulses, always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.     I am not saying that these are the last days, but certainly we are closer to the last days now than when Paul wrote this letter. Throughout history, many people have believed this description fit the culture and society of their time. Surely we must be able to see that this description fits the culture and society of the world, and even sadly within much of the church today.  Surely today we see that people are:   lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God. They hold to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power. Remember what 1 Corinthians 1:18 says:  The word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.     When they deny the cross and its salvation, they deny the true power of God and of His plan to reconcile and restore us to Him and His intention for us.

Paul says:   Evil men and impostors will proceed from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. You, however, continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of         … the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.   As is often the case, things may in fact continue to get worse. Here then is the application for us:     All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.  Flee from youthful lusts and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. But refuse foolish and ignorant speculations, knowing that they produce quarrels. The Lord’s bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged, with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will.

Thank You heavenly Father, Lord Jesus Christ and precious Holy Spirit for scripture and for the revelation of truth, that:   God so loved the world that he gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.   May I be faithful to Your word and to Your purpose for me, revealing Your truth in kindness, gentleness, patience, love; teaching and correcting those who oppose You.   Amen.