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2 Timothy 3:5

by Don Costello  
10/12/2013 / Bible Studies

2 Timothy 3:5

Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

1. "Having a form of godliness"

a. A shocking realization is that these appear to be church folks, professing Christians, pretend Christians that have a mere outward appearance of godliness, of Christianity. Jesus spoke very strongly to those who just try to clean up the outside and neglect the inside.

1). Matthew 23:25-28 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess.
Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also.
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness.
Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.

2). The people Paul is writing about are nothing more than New Testament Pharisees.

b. form [3446 * morphosis] [Zodhiates: To formit denotes primarily the process or activity of forming and shaping. In 2 Timothy 3:5, morphosis is used ironically referring to that godliness which is merely a form and simply an external appearance. Such godliness is a sham and devoid of any real power to break the power of sin.

c. godliness [2150 * eusebeia] [Zodhiates: The word eusebeia literally means well directed reverence, but does not imply an inward, inherent holiness. It is actually an externalized piety. Paul uses it only in the Pastoral Epistles.]

1). In Paul's first letter to Timothy, Paul speaks of true godliness and encourages Timothy to live in it. I cannot remember where I got the following definition of godliness, but it is a good one. Please forgive me for not remembering the source. Godliness is a "well directed reverence that springs from an internal holiness, a behavior that springs from a sanctified heart and spirit." It is a life lived in obedience to the Scriptures.

a). 1 Timothy 4:7-9 But refuse profane and old wives fables, and exercise thyself rather unto godliness.
For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having the promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.
This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation.

d. In 2 Timothy 3:5 Paul is speaking of "form of godliness" that is just an outward show, a godliness without a relationship.

1). I am not speaking here of individuals who are struggling with sin and are crying out for help. We are surely commanded to come along side of them and pray, comfort, direct and help them. I am speaking of people who attend churches and they are never changed for the better because their ministers do not preach the Scriptures.

2). In America, there are 23 million men and women boys and girls, who attend churches governed by administrations that are pro-abortion. Within these same churches and others like them are millions of church folk who do not believe the Bible is the Word of God. They believe that modern man has more knowledge than the writers of the Scriptures and as such they have in some cases contempt for many of the positions of Scripture, such as the value of human life and Biblical morality.

2. "but denying the power thereof:"

a. denying [720 * armomai] [Zodhiates: Used as with something as its objective, to reject anything, retract, renounce, deny, disown, depending on the context.

b. power [1411 * dunamis] [Zodhiates: Power, especially achieving power.]

1). Surely part of their denial centers on the effects of godliness that the Apostle Paul wrote about in 1 Timothy 4:8, "having the promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come." They are those who deny the benefit in living a godly life now and/or deny the life to come. Personally I would stay as far away from these pretend Christians and their churches as I could get.

c. Believing the gospel of Jesus Christ brings the power of God to bear on any situation, any need, including resisting temptation to sin.

1). Romans 1:16 "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek."

d. The power of the gospel will free men and women from any sin or any bondage.

1). 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,
Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.
And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.

e. We can deny God by our works.

1). Titus 1:15, 16 "Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled.
They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate."

2). Matthew 10:33 "But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven."

f. These people have a form of godliness but they deny the power of it, by walking in the fleshly characteristics mentioned in the first 4 verses of the chapter.

3. "from such turn away."

a. turn away [665 * apotrepo] [Zodhiates: To turn away from, avoid, shun.]

b. It reads like I am to shun these so-called Christians who habitually exhibit these characteristics, I am not to associate with such people. I personally believe that churches that do uphold the Scriptures should not work with churches that do not uphold the Scriptures. There are other examples but one that comes up first is Pro life churches should not work together with churches that are pro-abortion. We are also to avoid individuals who divide through their doctrines.

1). Romans 16:17, 18 Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them.
For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.

c. Institute Of Creation Research Daily Devotional 1/20/13 The Lord is long-suffering, and those who speak in His name should be also. There do come times, however, when further witness becomes useless or even harmful, or when continued interaction merely invites contamination with ungodliness. In such cases we must simply leave such people alone, following them with prayer and trusting God alone to deal with them. Such was the ten-tribe nation of Israel, led by the tribe of Ephraim, just before God sent them into Assyrian captivity. God, through the prophet Hosea, told Judah in Hosea 4:17 ["Ephraim is joined to idols: let him alone."] they were hopelessly given over to pagan evolutionist idolatry. The words "joined to" in today's verse mean, literally, "under the spell of." The Lord Jesus used similarly harsh language in reference to the hypocritical Pharisees of His own day: "Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch" (Matthew 15:14). There are other similar warnings. Of those who come, "having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof," Paul says, "from such turn away" (2 Timothy 3:5). He has also warned us to "shun profane and vain babblings |that is, the empty philosophizing of those who reject God|: for they will increase unto more ungodliness" (2 Timothy 2:16). "And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them" (Ephesians 5:11). Most, if not all, such warnings seem in context to apply especially to people who once knew and understood the truth, perhaps even professing to accept it for a time, and then knowingly rejected it. When such men oppose our testimony, God says to let them alone; He can deal with them better than we. HMM

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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