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6 They are the kind who worm their way into homes and gain control over gullible women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires, 7 always learning but never able to come to a knowledge of the truth. 8 Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so also these teachers oppose the truth. They are men of depraved minds, who, as far as the faith is concerned, are rejected. 9 But they will not get very far because, as in the case of those men, their folly will be clear to everyone. ~ 2 Timothy 3:6-9
We return to Paul's description of the End Times Man. As we have said before, the emphasis in 2 Timothy 3 is about acquiring a healthy biblical worldview because the days are increasingly evil. At the beginning of this chapter, the Apostle gives the background information on the false teachers that were present in Ephesus when this letter was written, in order to magnify the truth that he shares throughout the chapter.
In v.6 we read, "They (false teachers) are the kind who worm their way into homes and gain control over gullible women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires."
In Ephesus, at the time of the writing of this letter, there were certain women were particularly gullible because they lacked the wisdom that a lifetime of studying God's word renders in our lives. They had come out of sexually loose lifestyles and these false teachers were taking advantage of them. The words "evil desires" at the end of v.6 is also translated "divers lusts” in the King James Version. These women were probably involved in the prostitution ring that was being run at the Temple of Diana before they were exposed to the truth.
The words “worm their way in” are used to describe how these men duped these weak women, something God is very much against. These false teachers promised quick and easy solutions to these women. I find it quite instructive that these women were on the heart of Paul, for it reveals the Lord's heart for these women. Throughout the Scriptures we see that God has the biggest heart for the most vulnerable among us.
In v.7 we read, "always learning but never able to come to a knowledge of the truth."
These false teachers were devoid of truth. They didn’t have the epignÅsis which is Greek for a deep understanding of truth. They didn’t know either justification or sanctification because they lacked a personal relationship with the God of the Bible through His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. They lacked this because "they were unwilling to have this Man (Jesus) to rule over them."
Napoleon once said, "Jesus Christ was more than a man, He asks for the human heart. He demands it unconditionally. And all who sincerely believe in Him experience that remarkable supernatural love toward Him. Time, the great destroyer, is powerless to extinguish this sacred flame. This it is, which proves to me, quite convincingly, the divinity of Jesus Christ."
Paul writes in v.8 of today's text, "Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so also these teachers oppose the truth. They are men of depraved minds, who, as far as the faith is concerned, are rejected."
In Exodus 7 we read that when Moses was sent by God to Pharaoh, his brother Aaron performed miraculous signs in order to impress Pharaoh that he was dealing with the Living God, not just a couple of strange shepherds from the country. There were magicians in Pharaoh's court whose names were Jannes and Jambres, and they did miracles, just like Aaron.
Finally, Aaron cast Moses' rod down and it became a snake. These magicians cast their rods to the ground and they appeared, too, to turn into snakes. But they did it by sleight of hand. Any good magician can pull rabbits out of hats, or snakes out of sleeves. These magicians imitated the miracles of the Living God.
This kind of counterfeit faith is what we run into in times of stress, such as we are living in today. They offer to do what only God in Christ can do; give peace of mind, an untroubled heart, and a sense of purpose in life. And, many fall for their sleight of hand, and for a while they think they have found the truth. But, in the long run, the truth is born out and the enemy shows his hand of deceit and destruction.
In addition, the Apostle describes these false teachers as men with depraved minds. They had been made perverted and corrupt because they had believed the lies of the devil. Having refused the truth, they became unable to receive the truth which delivers us from the false. And then, of course, when tested by the true faith they were rejected because they lack a personal relationship with the God of the Bible who initiates, when we are willing, this personal relationship with Him. God's rejection of these false teachers was a result of their rejection of the truth.
In v.9 we read, "But they will not get very far because, as in the case of those men, their folly will be clear to everyone."
When the serpent which Aaron's rod had formed saw the other two snakes, it ate them up. This was a visible sign that God's power is always more powerful than the devil's. This is what happens with counterfeit groups. But, we must not panic, because evil always has its limits. The devil always overreaches and his success at winning converts will ultimately leave them so empty, so hungry, and still searching for the truth that they are made more likely to be open to the appeal of the gospel of Jesus Christ. This is happening today in America. In fact, Bible sales are out of the roof.
In v.9 we read, "their folly will be clear to everyone." The progress of false teachers is more apparent than real because all that the Father gives to the Son will come to Him and He will build His church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it. They can suck the life, the joy and the power out of the church, and, they can weaken the testimony of the church. But, they cannot damn the redeemed. Their power and progress is more apparent than real and they will never be able to stop the work of the living God in the lives of the willing.
