Word Count: 705

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2 Timothy 3:4

by Don Costello  
10/10/2013 / Bible Studies

2 Timothy 3:4

Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God;

1. "Traitors"

a. traitors [4273 * predates] [Zodhiates: A betrayer, traitor.

1). Acts 7:52 "Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? And they have slain them which showed before of the coming of the Just One, of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers:"

2). Judas is called this in Luke 6:16.

2. "heady"

a. heady [4312 * propetes; pro-forward; pipto-to fall] [Zodhiates: Rash, careless, it characterizes someone who rushes headlong or out of control into matters.]

3. "high minded"

a. high minded [5187 * tuphoo] [Zodhiates:To swell or inflate with pride.]

4. "lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God;"

a. lovers or pleasure [5369 * philedonos; philos-loving; hedone-pleasure.]

b. Love of pleasure is a lust that will choke the effectiveness of God out in my life.

1). Mark 4:18, 19 "And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word,
And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.

2). Luke 8:14 "And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection."

c. lovers of God [5377 * philotheos; philos-lover; theos-God.]

d. Romans 5:5 says, "the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us." But that love can be choked out by the thornish things mentioned in Mark and Luke.

e. This list of descriptions would not be so shocking if not for the fact that he is referring to last day Christians. No matter if it is for good or evil, we are changed from the inside first, then we are changed on the outside. In the case of these Christians, they opened the door by yielding little by little to these ungodly characteristics. Either that or they allowed them to stay in their heart. I am reminded of what happened to Israel when they went into the promised land, how God warned them to drive out all the inhabitants and not make any leagues with them.

1). Numbers 33:50-53, 55, "And the LORD spake unto Moses in the plains of Moab by Jordan near Jericho, saying,
Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye are passed over Jordan into the land of Canaan;
Then ye shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land from before you, and destroy all their pictures, and destroy all their molten images, and quite pluck down all their high places;
And ye shall dispossess the inhabitants of the land, and dwell therein: for I have given you the land to possess it.
But if ye will not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you; then it shall come to pass, that those which ye let remain of them shall be pricks in your eyes, and thorns in your sides, and shall vex you in the land wherein ye dwell."

f. Every one of the ungodly characteristics mentioned in 2 Timothy 3 can be shown in other areas of Scripture, that they are not to be in our lives as believers. More than a few are mentioned in Titus 3:3.

1). Titus 3:3 "For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another."

g. In context it is said as being before the born again experience.

1). Titus 3:4, 5 "But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared,
Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;"

h. Through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ we have been given an inheritance, not only of heaven as our home, but also to live free and overcoming lives that glorify God and Jesus by living free from the pollutions of the world, and the lusts of the flesh.

My name is Don Costello. Ever since I received Christ in November of 1976 I have had a passion to study and know God's word.My wife Melissa and I have 5 children.

My e-mail address is [email protected]

I have a blog located at:
www.theophilus-loverofgodsword.blogspot.com/

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