2tim9

Week 9

by Rev. Stanley L. Derickson Ph.D.

II Timothy 3.8-13

A FAITHFUL SERVANT IS EXAMPLED (Paul was Timothy’s example)

“8 Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith. 9 But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest unto all [men], as theirs also was. 10 But thou hast fully known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, charity, patience, 11 Persecutions, afflictions, which came unto me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra; what persecutions I endured: but out of [them] all the Lord delivered me. 12 Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. 13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.”

Vs. 8 “Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith.”

Even clearer - these are those that reject the truth - they are not seeking, nor following God, thus worthy to be avoided.

Reprobate seems to relate to not coming up to the standard - rejected - not standing the test - castaway. Something, when examined, which is found wanting in some manner.

This in effect is saying the person has been found wanting in truth. There seems to be an evaluation on the part of others in the determination of the person’s credibility.

To those that do not want us to judge others - well this seems to be a clear command to “evaluate” the teachings of others and class them according to the truth found within.

Jannes and Jambres were, according to tradition the magicians that withstood Moses before Pharoah and imitated the miracles. (Ex. 7.11-12, 22; 8.7; 9.11 speaks to the events, but does not name the men involved.) There is nothing in the Bible dictionaries that I checked that would indicate the truth or falsehood of what is assumed by many. (Jannes means “he vexed” and Jambres means “foamy healer”)

The two are named in some of the older traditional sources including the Latin Vulgate translation of the Bible. These names come to us from Tradition, but Paul knowing that tradition of the Jews knew of the men and that the old Jewish teachers had held the two names to be authentic. Since they are in the inspired New Testament, we know the names of the men to be true from God via Paul. Not as if we need tradition to prove it.

A note of further information about these men - the term “corrupt” is a verb and is presented in the perfect tense, thus these are men of corrupt minds - minds that will remain corrupt into the future to a corrupt end - at least this is Paul’s “evaluation” of them.

To seek to reconcile them might be a total waste of time and this should be considered before going to them.

Vs. 9 “But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest unto all [meni, as theirs also was.”

It seems Paul’s “evaluation” is that these will not go far - they will be shown for what they are — false — fake - worthless.

There have been modem day cultists that seem to grow and prosper, but seldom do they go very far before they are revealed for their falsehood — some by their Messianic bent, others by their suicide and criminal behavior. Some do it themselves, via the outlandish lifestyle, others by their evil treatment of their followers.

We had one such rise up in central Oregon years ago - all eyes were upon him as his following grew and his collection of Rolls Royces grew. He and his cult declined almost as quickly as it had arisen out of the dust of Oregon. He and his followers were shown for the false prophets they were by their actions and their deeds.

The problem with false teachers is that they stir in their falsehood with their Scripture teaching and the general public often is taken in. They see the validity of most of what is said from the Word but they just accept the rest which has no basis in the Word.

Then there are those that think they are preaching truth, think they are following the Lord, yet by their lack of study or lack of thinking blurts out brief comments that have no basis in the Word — result — many will not compare the comment with Scripture and will suck it in as truth.

I think this is most frustrating — to have a good man/woman teaching false items with their offhanded comments that they don’t really think through.

Vs. 10 “But thou hast fully known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, charity, patience, 11 Persecutions, afflictions, which came unto me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra; what persecutions I endured: but out of [them all the Lord delivered “

We have a series of personal items then two items that were without Paul. Is he giving us to lists of qualities, or just including the persecutions and afflictions as just a part of who he is? The later seems to be quite consistent.

Now a word from our sponsors, so to speak, Paul has laid out the false prophets, now he wants the people to understand where the truth is coming from.

Paul sets about listing his qualifications to be heard as one with authority.

Doctrine: This is the normal term for teaching, doctrine, or that which is taught. Paul reminds the reader of his teaching - teaching that is based on the revelation of God via the Old Testament as well as personal revelation in the wilderness from Christ Himself.

Now, personally that is enough to lead me to want to listen intently to what he has to offer, yet he continues on with other marks of his authority.

Manner of life: One of the clearest of passages to show that our life before the world and before the church is of utmost importance. Paul called upon this as a basis for others to listen to him, how can we think we should be any different?

If you have questions about how to live your life, go to the epistles and see if you can find out how Paul lived his. He mentions we are to use him as an example. We are also to use Christ as our example - what question can remain in our minds as to how to live, if we look at these two as our example for life?

The question might come to mind - if you were trying to gather support for something you were telling someone, could you call upon your life before them as an example? If not, then possibly you need to seek some changes in your life.

In essence, whether you call yourself as an example when teaching or preaching, you are being examined as such. We are automatically using our life as backing for what we say. If people see our life lacking, then they will also see our teaching and preaching as lacking.

Purpose: What was Paul’s purpose? He was always about the preaching of the coming kingdom and bringing people into a proper relationship to Christ. In the final chapter of Acts in the final days of his life, he is still preaching the kingdom (Acts 28.30-31 “30 And Paul dwelt two whole years in his own hired house, and received all that came in unto him, 31 Preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ, with all confidence, no man forbidding him.”)

Faith: By faith Paul walked across Asia and Europe, in and out of prison preaching and setting up churches. What a testimony to his faith are the churches he planted.

We may not plant many churches, but we can certainly walk by faith and see what God can do. If we don’t step out in faith to do the small things for Him there is no way that He will do great things with us.

It is our steps of faith that allow God to use us. It is the lack of steps of faith that limit our usefulness to Him.

What is really sad is that as we step out for Him, He provides the way and means for anything He requests - we don’t have to do anything - only take the step in faith and He does the rest — and yet many do not take that first step for Him.

Longsuffering: I assume that he references his suffering physically primarily - the ship wreck, the beatings, the jailings etc. However there is also the longsuffering for the churches/believers mentally. He took all he was involved with seriously and all this was also a burden to be dealt with.

A brief look at the book of Colossians will show that he was burdened for the people and that he was praying for them. If he was concerned for the Colossians, you can be sure the other churches were on his mind as well.

Charity: The love he had for the people and churches are most likely exhibited in the longsuffering mentioned above. It is the Greek word agape or self-sacrificing love. This is clear in his life - he was willing to suffer for those he reached with the Gospel, indeed, he also suffered for those that rejected his message. He suffered so he could spread the Gospel to all that he found.

Another point of application - suffer for all, both lost and saved if you are going to use Paul as your example.

Patience: This term can be translated steadfastness as well as patient. His steadfastness in ministry is quite plain in the New Testament.

His patience with believers is also evident in his writings. He put up with their following of false teaching and patiently reminded them of good doctrine. He sent workers to the churches to help them straighten out problems that they were having. He could have blasted them, but he taught them as he found their problems.

Persecutions: He endured persecutions at the cities listed, we won’t go into that but a quick look at a concordance will give you further information. He suffered all these things and the people knew of what he had been through. His persecution and afflictions are due to his doctrine and his work - part of who he was at that point in his life. This was one of his credentials - he was the real thing - he was withstanding the Devil’s wiles for the Lord’s sake.

Verse eleven ends with the following “I endured: but out of [them] all the Lord delivered me.” He not only endured all that was sent his way, but he realized it was the Lord that delivered him. Thus it must be today when we fall into less than nice times - allow God to deliver you rather than to take things into your own hands.

Vs. 12 Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.

Now this is a bold statement of fact - not a hypothesis but his opinion of what is the expected thing. If you live godly - you will suffer persecution.

That word “will” is a present tense verb as is “live.” A continued life for Christ will result in persecution. The persecution is a future tense, so it may not be immediate, but it will come.

It indicates an act of the will to decide to live for God as well as an active lifestyle following that act of the will.

Some might accidentally live for God now and then, but this is a lifestyle - a person committed to living as close to the word as is possible.

It is of note that the source of the persecution is not really specified. It might be of note to go back and see who it was that persecuted Paul - if memory serves me correctly it was the religious establishment. Yes, Acts 14.19 shows it to have been the religious establishment – the Jews. This is not all that untrue today either.

When we were on deputation, I had a short thought in our prayer letter each time relating to things I was seeing in churches that were counter to Scripture. A friend of mine was in a large church in southern California and the pastor asked him about me. They talked and ultimately the pastor said, “You know Derickson is right but he is a missionary and he doesn’t have the right to say that. That is why he will never be in my church.” Hummm, I thought it was Christ’s church.

I suspect many would agree that the worst times come from the religious establishment that doesn’t like the waves you are making. Yes, persecution will come from without, but much will come from within - a sad commentary indeed upon the establishment.

Few there are that really buck the main stream of their day. Those few that do not conform to the mainstream established religious community of the day seldom are heard of outside of their small personal geographical and ministry areas. Those that conform often are known far and wide.

Vs. 13 “But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.”

This truth is seen in many of the cults. The leader starts out relatively benign, but as power comes their way and they like it, they usually increase their power and their evil bent leads them even deeper and deeper into evil. Several have gone as far as calling for the death of their followers.

Not only does their evil increase, but their followers become further entrenched in the falsehood and evil.

Just how many can you think of that are in this mode of operation today? People that are waxing worse and deceiving others as they go.

There are those that “minister” to homosexuals — they run their churches in an effort to bring them together and to raise them spiritually. They are continuing to go deeper

APPLICATION:

1. It is of note that Paul laid out such a list of qualifications — qualifications he held which should qualify him as a teacher of truth, yet we have believers today that reject what he taught in the New Testament.

During his campaign for president Jimmy Charter — a Christian and member in good standing of one of the major denominations —was asked what he thought of the apostle Paul’s comments relating to women preaching in the church. He smiled and said, “Well that is one place where I would disagree with the apostle Paul.”

He isn’t the only one; many today relegate items that they don’t want to hold as truth to a disagreement with Paul.

My one little observation — they don’t disagree with Paul, they disagree with God the author of what Paul taught. I for one would be a little uncomfortable with such a position.

2. It was mentioned that Paul used his own character as reason for others to listen to him. A question to make application of this truth might be good.

If, in your life you listen to a teacher/preacher and find that there are discrepancies between what he teaches and what is going on in his life — should you continue to listen to that man?

We had a young preacher in chapel make a big case that small churches in small towns deserved good preachers. He went to great lengths to make his point throughout his message. He mentioned that he had committed himself to the small church in a small town when he was in school. It was quite a surprise when a few months later he accepted the pastorate in a city rather than in a small town in a fairly large church instead of a small church.

He was still a good preacher, but somehow his preaching seemed a little hollow in light of his previous actions/comments.

When we were in the Midwest, I worked for a man that was involved in a divorce. His wife had gone off into the world to find herself and left him with the bills and the divorce papers.

He requested, before the divorce was final, that the church they were members of bring church discipline upon her to see if the wife might wake up to her error. The church board deliberated right along until after the divorce was final. The remedy of the board was to issue a letter stating that divorce happens and that the couple would continue to work with the youth even though they were no longer together.

Does it seem wise to remain in a church that allows such action or inaction in this case?

3. I have observed something that is of interest to me. We mentioned earlier that persecution often comes from the church establishment. There is also the truth that some of the smaller cults are started by men that were shunned by the church establishment.

I have to wonder if there is a correlation between the two items. I have to wonder if the establishment had taken a little further effort to bring that one back into the norm if the cult would have been averted.

I am not saying that the establishment is always right and proper, but it is the norm for the time.

I personally have been evaluated by more than one “religious establishment” as being outside their parameters. I personally take this as badges of accomplishment for the most part, but I realize how easy it would be for me to get off track either spiritually or doctrinally since I often have no spiritual/doctrinal norm to go by.

When I see that I am outside their parameters, I compare myself to Scripture to see if I need to go back or remain where I am.

I am not speaking ill of the Independent Baptist movement, but I wonder if the independence hasn’t been the catalyst for some of those churches going into movements where they don’t belong, buying into systems of belief that they normally would have rejected.

If we find ourselves at variance with the church or movement that we are associated with it is serious business to either remove ourselves from or remain with the group. It should be a serious decision to make, not something we do on the spur of the moment.

Let’s list some quick principles to guide us in such decision making.

A. Is the item of contention one that normally in the Word brings separation? Is it a personality conflict, is it a philosophy of ministry conflict or is it a real Scriptural item of division.

We said in the previous lesson that we are to turn away those that are living like the world – we are to turn away from those that are deceiving others. Paul also mentions the reality of separating from one that causes division. Is there a Scriptural reason to separate?

B. If you remain will you have opportunity to make a positive difference in the church/group? A long-lasting change.

C. If you leave, what are your alternatives? Do you have a group that you feel comfortable with? Are they Scriptural in nature? Can you make it as an independent?

D. Are you leaving because of hurt feelings? This is not a proper basis for leaving.

E. When you are ignored, ostracized or asked to leave – this may be the time to make a move.

F. If you aren’t offered positions when you have made it known to the higher ups that you are looking, it may be time to move on.

4. Separation is not an ugly word, some of our great movements of the past came from separation over doctrinal and practical divisions. It is of interest that now those same movements are the ones condemning people for leaving them J. Separation to them is wrong – now.

Some of the movements were started due to the compromise that they saw in their denominations, but many of them are now in the midst of the same type of compromise and call it progress.

5. Do you know anyone that fits Paul’s comments about the bad guys?

People that resist the truth:

People with corrupt minds: I have worked with many that live here. Their mind is always in the gutter; they have no time for spiritual things and seldom have anything good to say. Their lives are centered in filth and vile thinking and activity.

People reprobate concerning the faith:

Indeed, most lost fit this criterion quite well.

6. Do you know anyone that fits any of the characteristics that Paul set forth as his own?

Solid in Doctrine: Quite a number of men come to mind in this area, men that have taught me over the years and ministered to me as pastor.

Good manner of life: When growing up I knew many in my hometown that were good clean-living people. They would assist when needed, they were there to help and care. One stands out amongst all of them. He was the family dentist, and he and my father belonged to the same service club. They weren’t the best of friends outside the club, but he was there for my father.

My father had to go to Rochester, MN years ago when the dollars were really tight for the folks and just before they left the dentist handed my father a number of checks all made out for one hundred dollars – signed and ready to be cashed. He told my father that they were his to spend as he had need, but if he did not need them all to return them. They were a gift, not a loan.

Purposeful: Many of the early missionaries were great in this area. They had God’s direction toward a path and that was their life’s purpose until they were able to accomplish it for their Lord.

Faithful: Again many of the missionaries of the past fill this ticket. Especially Hudson Taylor. He was supporting several hundred missionaries on faith alone. They did not go on deputation, they just went to the field and the Lord supplied their needs through his speaking and reporting of what God had been doing on the field.

Longsuffering:

Charitable:

Patient:

Persecuted:

7. Now for the hard one, do you know anyone in your past that filled all of these characteristics?

I think one man, well his wife as well, were about the closest I’ve seen to filling this bill. One of the pastors that we knew in our early spiritual walk seems to stand tall in this line of thought.

They were straight on doctrinally, they were quiet in life, they were purposeful in their work for the Lord over the years, they stepped out on faith to begin a new church in a new city, they suffered many things in their work toward a solid church, they showed great love to everyone that they met, they showed great patience in how they dealt with people – even those that opposed them. I don’t know that they suffered great persecution or affliction but it wouldn’t surprise me to find that they did. I am sure that they did face opposition from not only the Devil but from those that did not want to see this church planted.

I know personally he put up with a lot from a new Christian that had no idea which way was up even though I thought I did. He showed me great love and patience while showing me gently toward the Lord and His work.

In my grade school days my folks sent me to the local barber now and then to get a hair cut. I was always fascinated with the mirrors in the shop. The entire wall had a mirror on both sides of the long narrow shop. You could look into that mirror and see an endless series of reflections of yourself and the walls.

I feel that being an example is like these mirrors. We may only be an example to one person, but that person will probably take on some of your characteristics, thus reflecting your example to them, onto those that might take that person as an example and so on down the line.

I trust if you take nothing else away from this section it is the fact that you are an example whether you try to be or not and that the example you set will most likely be passed on to others, giving you a lot of responsibility before the Lord for how you live before man.