2 Timothy 3

3:1Paul's reference to the “last days” reveals his sense of urgency. The last days began after Jesus’ resurrection when the Holy Spirit came upon the believers at Pentecost. The “last days” will continue until Christ's second coming. This means that we are living in the last days. So we should make the most of the time that God has given us (Ephesians 5:16; Colossians 4:5).

3:1ffIn many parts of the world today, being a Christian is not especially difficult—people aren't jailed for reading the Bible or executed for preaching Christ. (However, this kind of persecution is very real for many believers.) Paul’s descriptive list of behavior in the last days describes our society—even, unfortunately, the behavior of many Christians. Check your Sife against Paul's list. Don’t give in to society's pressures. Don’t settle for comfort without commitment. Stand up against evil by living as God would have his people live.

3:4Why is it so tempting to “love pleasure rather than God”? Neasure is something we can control; God cannot be controlled.

3:8,9According to tradition, Jannes and Jambres were two of the magicians who had counterfeited Moses’ miracles before Pharaoh (Exodus 7:11, 12). Paul explained that just as Moses had exposed and defeated them (Exodus 8:18, 19), God would overthrow the false teachers who were plaguing the Ephesian church.

3:9We can hide our sin for a while, but eventually the truth will be revealed. Sooner or later, distraction, opposition, anger, or fatigue will wear us down, and our true hearts will be exposed. The trials of life will conspire against our efforts to maintain a religious front. We can't pick when and where we will be tested by adversity. Build your character carefully because it will come out under stress. Live each day as if your actions will one day be known to everyone. It is useless, in the middle of a test, to acknowledge that you should have prepared. Now is the time to change anything you wouldn't want revealed later.

3:11In Lystra, Timothy's hometown, Paut had been stoned and left for dead (Acts 14:19); and this was only one incident among many. in 2 Corinthians 11:23-33 Paul summarized his lifetime of suffering for the sake of the Good News. Paul mentioned his suffering here to contrast his experience with that of the pleasureseeking false teachers.

3:12In this charge, Paul told Timothy that people who obey God and live for Christ will be persecuted. Don't be surprised when people misunderstand, criticize, and even try to hurt you because of what you believe and how you live. Don’t give up. Continue to live as you know you should. God is the only one you need to please.

3:13Don't expect false teachers and evil people to reform and change on their own. Left alone, they will go from bad to worse. If you have the opportunity, correct them so as to bring them back to faith in Christ. Fight for the truth, especially to protect younger Christians.

3:14Besieged by false teachers and the inevitable pressures of a growing ministry, Timothy could easily have abandoned his faith or moditied his doctrine. Once again Paul counseled Timothy to look to his past and to hold to the basic teachings about Jesus that are eternally true. Like Timothy, we are surrounded by false teachings. But we must not allow our society to distort or crowd out God's eternal truth. Spend time every day reflecting on the foundation of your Christian faith found in God’s Word, the great truths that build up your fife.

3:15Timothy was one of the first second-generation Christians: He became a Christian, not because an evangelist preached a powerful sermon, but because his mother and grandmother had taught him the holy Scriptures when he was a small child (1:5). A parent's work is vitally important. At home and in church, we should realize that teaching small children is both an opportunity and a responsibility. Jesus wanted little children to come to him (Matthew 19:13-15). Like Timothy’s mother and grandmother, Eunice and Lois, do your part in leading children to Christ.

3:15For Timothy, the “holy Scriptures” were the books of the Old Testament. The Old Testament is important because it points to Jesus Christ. At the same time, faith in Christ makes the whole Bible intelligible.

3:16The Bible is not a collection of stories, fables, myths, or merely human ideas about God. It is not a human book. Through the Holy Spirit, God revealed his person and plan to certain believers, who wrote down his message for his people (2 Peter 1:20, 21). This process is known as inspiration. The writers wrote from their own personal, historical, and cultural contexts. Although they used their own minds, talents, language, and style, they wrote what God wanted them to write. Scripture is completely trustworthy because God was in control of its writing. Its words are entirely authoritative for our faith and life. The Bible is “God-breathed.” Read it, and use its teachings to guide your conduct.

3:16,17The whole Bible is God's inspired Word. Because it is inspired and trustworthy, we should read it and apply it to our life. The Bible is our standard for testing everything else that claims to be true. It is our safeguard against false teaching and our source of guidance for how we should live. It is our only source of knowledge about how we can be saved. God wants to show you what is true and equip you to live for him. How much time do you spend in God’s Word? Read it regularly to discover God’s truth and te become confident in your life and faith. Develop a plan for reading the whole Bible, not just the familiar passages.

3:17In our zeal for the truth of Scripture, we must never forget its purpose—to equip us to do good. We should not study God’s Word simply to increase our knowledge or to prepare us to win arguments. We should study the Bible so that we will know how to do Christ's work in the world. Qur knowledge of Gad’s Word is not useful unless it strengthens our faith and leads us to do good.