A Meditation on 2 Timothy 3:1-4:8
No cross, no crown! No conflict, no saving Christianity!
Holiness by JC Ryle (296)
But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty.
2 Timothy 3:1
In his letter to a young preacher named Timothy, the apostle Paul warns of the apostasy, or the desertion of the principles of faith, which was beginning to plague the church. This remains an evil we fight today. Paul’s warning is clear: “In the last days there will come times of difficulty” (2 Tim. 3:1). The “last days” are the span of days from the crucifixion of Christ to the glorious day of Christ’s return, where He will put an end to Satan’s power once and for all. The follower of Christ is promised to know difficulty. Therefore, Christians should not be afraid of tough days or wish they would not happen, because heaven is ahead for the believer in Jesus Christ, and God ordains all that occurs in our lives to work for our good (Rom. 8:28).
The history of Christ’s true church has always been one of conflict and war. It has been constantly assailed by a deadly enemy, Satan, the prince of this world… He is ever urging the children of this world to do his will, and to injure and harass the people of God… If he cannot rob the believers of heaven, he will vex them by the way.
Holiness by JC Ryle (295)
Christians look forward to heaven, where we will be with God forever and without any difficulty ever again. For me, this is a wonderful promise because my body will be healed and all my earthly struggles will be no more. In Revelation 21:4, we are given a description of heaven and God’s design for that time: “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” All evil will cease. Can you imagine no more sinful thoughts or actions? Love and good deeds from pure motives will never cease. Everyone will live in a constant state of joy in the presence of God for eternity. It will be the perfection of Eden without temptation or tempter. For those of us struggling in our earthly body, we have the great promise that our bodies in heaven will be transformed into a glorious, perfect body like Jesus Christ’s (Phil. 3:20-21).
We are greatly helped in the last days if we keep our minds and hearts focused on the coming of our Savior. God, in His mercy, desires to give you this life to look forward to (1 Tim. 2:3-4). If you haven’t already done so, repent of your sins and pray for Jesus to redeem you so that you may be saved from Hell and eternal separation from God in His benevolence. It is only with the help of God that we can meaningfully endure life’s hardships. In Hell, there is continual, unbearable torment. Jesus described Hell as “the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (Mt. 13:42-43). The difficulty of the last days will continue into eternity with far greater intensity if one does not know God.
This passage was written to instruct all believers in how they are to live until Christ comes again. We are not to live in fear of the power of evil, because the Holy Spirit who lives in us is greater than those who are evil in this world (1 Jn. 4:4). Christian, be sobered by the power of sin and its evil intent to destroy. Do not participte in it, but instead live in preparation of heaven. We do not know when Christ will return, but we are certain it is God’s plan, and nothing stops His plan. Therefore, we must understand the evil in the last days and know how we must live.
The Difficulty of Living in the Midst of Ungodliness
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.
2 Timothy 3:2-5
What makes life difficult in the last days? Man’s sin. We think we know better than God, but the result is heartache. Satan continues to tempt man to disobey God with what seems to be better than God’s way, but when we give in to temptation, it leads to no good thing. Satan only lies to us because he would rather see us destroyed than following Christ.
To help us be on the alert for what is against God’s will, but will mark the last days, Paul writes out a list of sins to watch for. The list describes people as lovers of self, arrogant, and lovers of money. People will be proud of themselves and their possessions. They will also abuse others and themselves, showing no fear of God as they desecrate God’s image. The list even contains disobedience to parents, because doing so not only breaks God’s command to honor fathers and mothers, but reveals that we will not honor our heavenly Father until we honor our earthly parents. The rest of the list describes people who are not holy, those who are living in sin and unbelief as the fruit of a hard heart. Ungrateful people show discontentment that is often related to the sin of covetousness. Slander is another byproduct of an arrogant, heartless person who has no regard for anyone or the consequences of their actions. The last days will be filled with those who may be characterized simply as lacking self-control. Those without self-control are brutal. They don’t love that which is good, and they act treacherously, recklessly, and with swollen pride.
The description of people in AD 67 describes contemporary people as well. We cannot stand in pride that we are better people. We need God’s help to endure the violence and hatred of our day. For those who profess to be followers of Christ, we also need God’s help to live above the chaos. This is only possible with the Holy Spirit helping and convicting us of our sin. Man may try to fake godliness through rituals, but he will not experience the joy that comes with godly living. Paul warns Timothy to avoid “evil people and impostors who go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived,” (2 Tim. 3:13) because they seek to destroy. May I be so immersed in God’s Word that I grow in wisdom, and am not fooled by false living or false teaching.
The Difficulty of Facing Persecution
Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.
2 Timothy 3:12
Paul also warns Timothy of the persecution to be faced by those who live a godly life. Paul was repeatedly persecuted, sometimes even to the point of death, but the Lord continually rescued him (2 Tim. 3:11). God did not choose to prevent the suffering; He did save and sustain Paul. JC Ryle echoes Paul’s teaching concerning the struggle in this life, “The time present no doubt, is not a time of ease. It is a time of watching and praying, fighting and struggling, believing and working. But it is only for a few years. The time future is the season of rest and refreshing. Sin shall be cast out. Satan shall be bound. And, best of all, it shall be a rest for ever” (Holiness, 107).
Paul is extraordinary because he lived as both persecutor and persecuted. He was a Pharisee who boasted in his good works and adherence to the Law while he was murdering Christians. Then, he had a direct encounter with God on the way to Damascus, where he was to murder more Christians. His life was immediately changed. Paul acknowledged Christ for who He is, and was humbled by his own wretchedness. Paul was saved that day from the penalty of his sins, but this did not earn Paul a life of ease. In his letter to the church in Corinth, Paul tells them, “Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; on frequent journeys, in danger from drivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure” (2 Corinthians. 11:24-31). All of this did not defeat Paul or lessen his love for God. He knew Christ died to save him while he was an enemy, and in gratitude he would walk in obedience no matter the earthly cost.
How Should We Then Live?
Live like citizens of heaven. Let your light shine before men, so that the world may profit by your conduct. Let them know whose you are, and whom you serve.
Holiness by JC Ryle (302)
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, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for trainning in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.
2 Timothy 3:14-17
Paul encourages Timothy, and us by extension, to not be deceived and to remember all the Scripture we have learned. God did not leave us helpless; He has personally given instructions in the Bible for how to live in an apostate world. Everything written in Scripture is to teach, warn, correct, and train us to live righteous lives (2 Tim. 3:16). God equips us for every good work through biblical teaching, so Paul charges Timothy to always be ready to preach the Word (2 Tim. 4:2). Christians can face difficulty in the world through the instruction of the Word of God, which is known through private Bible reading, listening to pastoral sermons in the local church, and the exhortations of fellow believers.
Like Timothy, I have women (and men) who have taught me God’s Word since I was born (2 Tim. 1:5). These are the people who pray for me continually to fight the good fight, obey God’s Word, patiently endure suffering, and act as a witness for the gospel. I want my life to show that Jesus Christ is irresistably wonderful, and I want to proclaim that He paid the price for man’s sin. All must know that we are justified before God by faith in Christ alone.
I would like to end with a benediction given by Paul as a prayer for all of those in Christ: “May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Jesus Christ, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God” (Romans 15:5-7).
This post is an adaptation of my submission for a class assignment in December 2016 at Biola University.
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Keys for the Kingdom 