2 Timothy 3:1-17
1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,
4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
6 For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts,
7 Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.
8 Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobatea concerning the faith.
9 But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest unto all men, as theirs also was.
10 But thou hast fully known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, charity, patience,
11 Persecutions, afflictions, which came unto me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra; what persecutions I endured: but out of them all the Lord delivered me.
12 Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.
13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.
14 But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them;
15 And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.
Clearly seeing trouble coming from the teaching of those who were ''holding a form of godliness, but having denied the power thereof," the apostle referred to his own manner of life and service as affording an example of what Timothy's experience must necessarily be. He referred to his "teaching," his "conduct," his "purpose," and his "faith," his 'longsuffering," his 'love," and his "patience." The results of such life and service had been persecution and suffering. Out of all these things he had been delivered, for while the difficulties of the pathway had been great, the strength and faithfulness of the Lord had been greater.
Finally, in this connection the apostle turned to Timothy's responsibility concerning the truth. The first word marking that responsibility is the word, "abide." The apostolic teaching at this point reveals Paul's estimate of the qualities which constitute the values of the, Scriptures. "Teaching” refers to the authoritative quality which constitutes the foundation on which the building is to go forward. "Reproof" is testing. "Correction" refers to bringing back into the true line. "Instruction" refers to training by discipline, toward consummation. The Scriptures, therefore, provide the foundation on which to build, a method for testing the building in course of erection, a force equal to correcting mistakes, and the supply for carrying out the enterprise to perfection.
The purpose throughout is to make complete the man of God, but this perfection of the instrument is not the ultimate goal. That is reached in the work which the complete man of God is to perform. The sequence is suggestive, and if we study it from the effect to the cause we see what was evidently in the mind of the apostle. The matter of supreme importance was the work committed to Timothy. In order to do this he must himself be complete. In order to reach this completeness his character must result from the power of the Holy Scriptures. In order to obtain this he must abide therein.