But know this, that in the last days, grievous times will come. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, fierce, no lovers of good, traitors, headstrong, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God; holding a form of godliness, but having denied its power. Turn away from these, also. For some of these are people who creep into houses, and take captive gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts, always learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. Even as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so do these also oppose the truth; men corrupted in mind, who concerning the faith, are rejected. But they will proceed no further. For their folly will be evident to all men, as theirs also came to be.
Thoughts
Is it just me or does it sound like we’re living in “the last days”? The scariest portion of this passage to me is the part about “holding a form of godliness, but having denied its power.” The church, at least in this country, doesn’t seem really powerful. Most of the social programs in this country are run by the government; there aren’t healings and mass conversions being covered by CNN; and politically—how the church has insinuated itself into government in some instances… don’t get me started. I suppose there are pockets of God’s power at work among God’s people here in this country as well as all over the world. I long to see it. When we can point to the power of God at work among us, then testimony takes on its real strength—not a story any longer, but a pointing, a witnessing of God at work right beside us.
Questions
- Do you think we are, in what Paul referred to as “the last days”?
- Do you know people who are “lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, fierce, no lovers of good, traitors, headstrong, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God”? Do they go to church with you?
- What do you think Paul meant when he said, “holding a form of godliness, but having denied its power”?
- Is it just me or does “For some of these are people who creep into houses, and take captive gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts, always learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth” sound a whole lot like what some televangelists do?
- Do you know the story behind Jannes and Jambres? If not, check it out. How did they oppose Moses?
Experience
There have always been people like this—we come hard-wired to act this way as human beings. We come to God, we join the church, to overcome this type of behavior. So, what’s Paul trying to warn us of here? I’ve got to think that he’s warning us about tolerating this type of behavior within the confines of the church body. But what better place for people that act this way than church where they can see the difference God makes in our lives? Nowhere. I believe that is why it is so important that Christ followers play major roles in each other’s lives. Not so much to tell each other how to live, but to demonstrate it. Do you have strong, committed Christ followers in your own life—those who are much deeper in their faith and demonstrating it daily in their lives?
Prayer
Father, Lord Jesus, and Holy Spirit, I pray that you will fill my life and scrub me clean of all these things Paul talks about with Timothy in this passage. Help me to fully embrace godliness as a lifestyle and fully embrace your power. May godliness saturate my life and seep out so that others can see the true blessing of following you whole-heartedly. Make my life a hard-core example of what it means to follow you—without any reservations—with suffering, with persecutions, with humility, justice, mercy, and power—God-glorifying power. Amen.
