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Weak and vulnerable
If you’re one of the people I pay to be my friends and regular readers, then you’ve probably noticed that I’ve stopped blogging my daily devotions. This is because I began to realize that they weren’t very well polished—I hadn’t taken the time to consider what I was writing. So instead, my plan is to journal my devotions and then post a summary of what I’m learning about twice a week.
2 Timothy 3:5-9
5 …Avoid such people [false teachers]. 6 For among them are those who creep into households and capture weak women, burdened with sins and led astray by various passions, 7 always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth.
Certain women in the Ephesian church which Timothy pastored were identified by Paul as “weak.” They were susceptible to false teachers, who presumably took advantage of them for money, influence, and possibly sex. Even today, many false teachers (some televangelists, for example) do the same thing.
So what made these women weak and vulnerable? Paul identifies three factors:
- They were “burdened with sins” (v. 6). They were weighed down by sinful habits; thus, their spiritual discernment was dulled, and they were likely looking for a “silver bullet” that would magically eliminate their sinful behaviors.
- They were “led astray by various passions” (v. 6). Their passions led them to further sin; moreover, these passions may have caused them to lust after the flashy, trendy, fine-sounding words of the false teachers who peddled a new-and-improved gospel.
- They were “always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth” (v. 7). The above passage runs in parallel to 4:3-4, which explains that people love to “accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions”; rather, they “will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.” While the women Paul mentions are eating up the things these teachers say, they are arriving not at truth but at falsehood.
So here’s how we can guard against vulnerability to false teaching:
- Flee sin. There is no such thing as a harmless sin; every sin is a gateway to a world of evil. Every foolish choice leads to more foolish choices down the road. Eventually, we place ourselves in a position where we cannot discern right from wrong or truth from error. We may become desperate for something, anything to help us escape the pain that results from opposition to our Lord. It is far better to prevent this from happening in the first place…as the old proverb goes, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
- Beware of our natural lust for catchy slogans, charming leaders, and clever (but non-biblical) teachings. We so easily mistake professionalism, prosperity, and charisma for truth and spiritual maturity.
- Be careful where we direct our zeal. Just because I’m enthusiastically digging into an appealing teaching doesn’t mean that I am growing in the knowledge of the truth. If we are to know God more, our delight must lie in the truth of His Word (3:15-17).
I love myself!
…And that’s not a good thing.
2 Timothy 3:1-2
1 But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. 2 For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy…
One of the sacred cows of popular psychology is that most of your confidence problems can be attributed to a failure to love yourself. Biblically, however, the problem is not loving yourself; in fact, the Bible teaches that we naturally love ourselves. This is evidenced by the fact that we take care of ourselves (Ephesians 5:29), making sure we get enough to eat or drink, seeking pleasure, avoiding pain, etc. Even someone who commits suicide is doing so out of his own interest — he believes that ultimately it will relieve himself of pain.
The problem is that love for ourselves can in fact be a problem. It can overshadow our love for others, in violation of God’s commandment: “In humility count others more significant than yourselves” (Philippians 2:3). It can be a symptom of pride — that we treasure ourselves more than we treasure others — more than we treasure God himself.
This kind of thinking is a major source of sinful behavior. I see it in myself when I succumb to laziness or when my words are intended to build up my own reputation rather than building up others. Quite frankly, I love myself a lot, and I don’t need other people to tell me to do it more. Rather, I need to be reminded of the greatest commandment: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself” (Luke 10:27).
Trouble from within
2 Timothy 3:1-9
1 But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. 2 For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, 4 treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people. 6 For among them are those who creep into households and capture weak women, burdened with sins and led astray by various passions, 7 always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth. 8 Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, men corrupted in mind and disqualified regarding the faith. 9 But they will not get very far, for their folly will be plain to all, as was that of those two men.
It’s easy to hold to an “us vs. them” mentality in regard to the world outside the church. We could look at the moral standards of our culture and complain about the lack of godliness around us — while forgetting that we as Christians are called to be shining lights for Christ. Too often, the trouble comes from within; the focus in 2 Timothy seems to be primarily on people from within the church who oppose the truth. This is one of the devil’s favorite tactics — to divide congregations, each man against his brother (Ephesians 4:25-27). Often these divisions are avoidable, sometimes they are necessary, but always they are tragic. One important thing I’ve learned as part of a pastoral staff and as a pastor’s son is that the most dangerous enemy of sound doctrine and church unity usually comes not from outside, but from inside the church. So we must always be on guard for the souls of others, teaching, encouraging, and confronting in love; moreover, we need to keep watch on our own souls as well, so no “root of bitterness” (Hebrews 12:7) develops within us.
Evangelism of the elect
2 Timothy 2:10
Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.
Rather than being a deterrent to evangelism, unconditional election should be a doctrine which encourages us to bring the gospel to the world. Why? Because there are many elect in the world who will “obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus.” It becomes less intimidating to realize that many unbelievers whom we interact with may be elect — that God has determined to save them. So we can bring the gospel to the world with confidence, knowing it is not up to us to persuade others with glitzy presentations or fine arguments, but rather to bring the gospel message regardless of our inadequacy.
I’m not trying to knock the means we use…obviously, God uses means to accomplish his purposes, and we are commanded to let our speech “always be gracious, seasoned with salt” (Colossians 4:6). Thankfully, though, we can still impact others’ lives without half of our church budget going to the band, a laser show, and the church coffee bar. It’s God’s Spirit that changes hearts. That’s a cause that we can “endure everything” for.
It’s amazing how I have failed to believe and live out these implications of unconditional election. May God continue to teach us and conform us to his Word.
Friends
“May the Lord grant mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, for he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains, but when he arrived in Rome he searched for me earnestly and found me—may the Lord grant him to find mercy from the Lord on that Day!—and you well know all the service he rendered at Ephesus.” –2 Timothy 1:16-18
“Luke alone is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is very useful to me for ministry.” –2 Timothy 4:11
“Greet Prisca and Aquila, and the household of Onesiphorus. Erastus remained at Corinth, and I left Trophimus, who was ill, at Miletus. Do your best to come before winter. Eubulus sends greetings to you, as do Pudens and Linus and Claudia and all the brothers.” –2 Timothy 4:19-21
What fun would it be just to dwell on rejection? A neat thing about Christianity is the fellowship we have with one another. The fact that we hold this fundamental thing in common — the kingdom of God – unites us like nothing else can. It’s wonderful to be able to go to other countries and spend time with people you’ve never met, yet experience the bond of love that unites us all in the body of Christ. Other believers can encourage, aid, and equip us in our service for God.
It would be a serious mistake to adopt a “just me and Jesus” mentality. If we try to be Lone Ranger Christians, we neglect the body of Christ and therefore Christ himself. Moreover, we neglect our own spiritual health. Thank God for the friends that he brings into our lives!
