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"
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."
5. "lovers of God"
a. lovers of God [5377 * philotheos; philos-lover; theos-God.]
b. 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.
c. 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."
d. 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."
e. 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;"
f. 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.
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. form [3446 * morphosis] [Zodhiates: To form, it 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.
b. 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.
c. This is not to say that all godliness is a sham. Paul encourages us as believers to practice godliness.
1). 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."
2). The "form of godliness" with out God, is what God's word is condemning, not God inspired godliness.
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.]
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. 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."
e. 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 Christians who habitually exhibit these characteristics. It sounds like I am not to associate with such people.
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 costello.don@gmail.com
I have a blog located at:
www.theophilus-loverofgodsword.blogspot.com/
Article Source:
http://www.faithwriters.com-
CHRISTIAN WRITERS
If you died today, are you absolutely certain that you would go to heaven? You can be! TRUST JESUS NOW
JOIN US at FaithWriters for Free. Grow as a Writer and Spread the Gospel.
