day 5

2 Timothy 3

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20Timothy+3&version=NIV

3:1–9 Paul reminded Timothy that men will love themselves (3:1–5). The “last days” refers to the last part of this present age (the age of promise), which anticipates the age to come (the age of fulfillment). The New Testament writers regarded Christians as living in the “last hour” (1 John 2:18; Acts 2:16–17, “last days”). The apostates referred to in 3:2–5 were the unsaved who met with the church.

Paul continued by showing that these opponents to truth would come to a bad end (3:6–9). Jannes and Jambres (3:8) are not named elsewhere in Scripture, although they are named in the Targum of Jonathan on Exodus 7:11, 22. The Jewish Targums are free renderings of the Hebrew text into Aramaic. These men were Egyptian magicians who performed counterfeit miracles in opposition to Moses. Their names were preserved by Jewish tradition and thus known to Paul.

3:10–17 Timothy was to follow Paul’s example (3:10–13). But he also had the greater example of the Scriptures (3:14–17). Timothy had a lifetime acquaintance with the Scriptures due to the faithful teaching of his mother and grandmother (3:15; 1:5).

Second Timothy 3:16 is a very important verse for the doctrine of Scripture. Paul declared that “all” (not some) of Scripture is inspired by God. This term refers to the source of Scripture. It came from God (as if it were his breath) to the men who wrote it (cf. 2 Pet. 1:21). This means that God so directed the human authors of Scripture that, using their individual interests and literary styles, his complete thought for man was recorded without error. As a result, the Bible is inerrant (an accurate record) and infallible (a reliable guide).

In theory the doctrine of inspiration relates only to the original manuscripts. But Paul was not being theoretical here. He was saying that even the Greek translation of the Old Testament, the Septuagint, which he consistently used in his quotations, was inspired by God. His point was not a technical discussion of original versus present copies of Scripture. His point was to emphasize the God-breathed profitability that comes from opening up the Scriptures and humbly applying them to life. Because it finds its source in God, it is profitable. And it was that profitability that was being eroded by the careless attitudes fostered in the last days (3:1–13). But the Bible has the wisdom that leads to salvation (3:15) and profitability in godly living (3:16–17). No element of doubt exists. When believers go to Scripture, they will be met with divine profit.

Discussion question
In the list of sins in this chapter, is there one that stands out above the rest? Is there one that is the root of all the others?