Read or listen Second Epistle to Timothy Chapter 3 online (ESV, Bible Gateway)

People of the Last Days - 2 Tim 3:1-9

“Last days” in the New Testament usually refers to the entire period after Pentecost, the time when the Old Testament prophecies and promises about the Messiah have already been fulfilled (compare 1 Cor 10:11, 1 Tim 4:1, Heb 1:1-2, 1 John 2:18). So Paul was writing about the situation at that moment, not about the distant future (compare verse 5: “Avoid such things!”)

But didn’t Timothy already know that false teachers would come? After all, he had been with Paul when Paul predicted this to the leaders of the church in Ephesus (Acts 20:28-31). After all, Paul had already written to him about it (1 Tim 4:1-5). Yes, Timothy knew about it, but Paul wanted to remind him that opposition to the Christian faith and heresies are not a passing phenomenon, but that they will follow the church throughout its life, until the second coming of Christ. Jesus had also predicted times of trouble for the church (Matthew 24:9-14), which would be accompanied by false teachers (Matthew 24:3-8).

Verses 2-4 list 19 characteristics of the last days (wicked) people. This list is similar to the list of sins in Romans 1:29-31:

"They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless."
(Rom.1:29-31)

These traits could be summed up in two "fundamental sins": selfishness and evil.

Paul had already warned against the love of money (verse 2) in his First Letter to Timothy (1 Tim 6:10, see also Luke 16:14). "Disobedient to their parents" (verse 2) unfortunately describes our time well.

These people claimed to be Christians (verse 5). It is important to see that not all religiosity is Christianity - not even when it is claimed to be. Jesus rebuked the Pharisees for the "hollowness" of their piety; it was just a facade without substance (Matthew 23:25-26). To avoid (verse 5) means not to participate in the evil life of these people (compare 1 Corinthians 5:9-13). To withdraw from the company of heretics was also to them an indication that they were not walking according to the will of God (Titus 3:10, compare 1 Corinthians 5:1-5).

It is important that a person finds "his own church" (verse 7). If you are always looking for new doctrines and experiences, you will eventually end up with new heresies.

Jewish tradition tells us that the Egyptian sorcerers who opposed Moses were named Jannes and Jambres (verse 8, cf. Exodus 7:11-12). They hardened Pharaoh's heart (Exodus 7:13,22) and thus brought destruction upon Egypt.

The magicians of Egypt were able to perform some of the miracles performed by Moses and Aaron, but in the end they had to admit that they had met their winner (Exodus 8:14-15). Heresies may have the some same features as true faith, but in the end, their weakness is revealed: they cannot save people, because they do not have true faith (verse 8).

Where God works, Satan also tries to sow his own seed and lead people astray (Matthew 13:24-30,36-43). False teachers try to fight against the living God, therefore their battle cannot end in victory (verse 9, see also Acts 5:39). For example, Gnosticism did not defeat the true Christian faith, although at times it seemed stronger than the teachings of the apostles.

The Apostle's Own Example – 2 Tim 3:10-13

Paul’s call to follow his example (verse 10) may even seem like boasting. But it is not: every Christian is called to bear witness to his Lord also by his life (Phil 3:17, 1 Thess 1:6). Faith and life cannot be in conflict, they must be in harmony. The fact that the Jews themselves did not live by their teachings, undermined (took away the basis of) their proclamation (see Romans 2:17-29).

We are followers of Christ (Matthew 8:18-22, Luke 9:57-60, John 13:12-17). We want to invite others to this path - not just with words, but also with our lives. Paul saw that he was not calling people to be his followers, but to be followers of Christ (1 Corinthians 11:1).

Verse 10 resembles the lists of virtues in the New Testament (see, for example, Gal. 5:22).

This world does not want to live according to God’s will, so it cannot accept those who do (Romans 12:2). This conflict results in the persecution of Christians (verses 11-12).

Paul had apparently visited Pisidian Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra (verse 11) on all three of his missionary journeys (Acts 13:14-14:20, 15:41-16:6, 18:23). During his first missionary journey, Paul was nearly stoned to death in Timothy’s hometown of Lystra (Acts 14:19-20, 16:1). Timothy may have witnessed the stoning. Paul’s sufferings are summarized in 2 Corinthians 11:23-29.

The end of verse 11 contains the same thought as Ps 34:20: "Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all."

Jesus predicted that his followers would be persecuted for their faith:

"...and you will be hated by all for my name's sake"
(Matthew 10:22)

"If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. But all these things they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me."
(John 15:18-21).

Paul had taught the same in different situations:

"...through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God"
(Acts 14:22)

"For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake..."
(Phil 1:29-30)

The wicked will grow worse and worse (verse 13). Hopefully, the righteous will become more and more righteous, as Revelation 22:11 predicts about the end times:

"Let the evildoer still do evil, and the filthy still be filthy, and the righteous still do right, and the holy still be holy.”
(Rev. 22:11)

Dependent on the word – 3:14-17

Christian faith is built on what God has revealed to us in the Bible (Matthew 7:24-27, 2 Peter 1:19-21). "New revelation" or "new gospel" is not going forward but going away from Christ (Gal 1:6-9, see also Acts 26:22-23, 1 John 2:24, 2 John 9). We should not seek new doctrines and teachers (verse 7), but remain in the apostolic faith (verse 14).

From whom had Timothy learned the gospel (verse 14)? Of course, from Paul, but perhaps this also refers to Timothy's mother Eunice and grandmother Lois (2 Tim 1:5). Jewish children (=boys) began to be taught the Old Testament at the age of five (verse 15).

Already in the Old Testament it was stated that listening to God's will makes a person wiser (verse 15, Ps 19:8, 119:98).

"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom"
(Ps 111:10, Proverbs 9:10).

However, it should be remembered that wisdom does not mean only intelligence, but is a broader concept, it also includes a certain life experience and prudence.

It was clear to Paul that the entire Old Testament was God's revelation (verse 16). Already at that time, the Gospels (1 Tim 5:18) and Paul's letters (2 Peter 3:15-16) began to be considered God's revelation.

The Bible is both human and divine (verse 16, cf. 2 Peter 1:21). We cannot separate the divine from the human, but the entire Bible is simultaneously both human - the writing of men - and divine - God's word to us.

"The man of God" (verse 17) here refers to all Christians. Elsewhere in the Bible the expression is used of Moses (Deut. 33:1), Elijah (1 Kings 17:18), David (2 Chronicles 8:14), and Timothy (1 Timothy 6:11).

The pastoral letters emphasize the importance of good works (verse 17). They are a testimony of faith and at the same time an invitation to faith.