Perilous Times (II Timothy 3:1-9)

(Class Notes)

• Paul warns that in the last days perilous times shall come (II Timothy 3:1) with the RELIGIOUS world having an OUTWARD form of godliness, but denying its real essence (II Timothy 3:5)
  • Their words say one thing, but their lives say something else (Titus 1:16)

• Paul earlier warned that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith and embrace the doctrines of demons and teach lies with a dead conscience (I Timothy 4:1-2)
  • The FALSE TEACHERS of the Law (I Timothy 4:3-5) revert to the types of the Law and DENY the GRACE which defines the relationship of the Church to its Head - note Paul's four-fold warning against legalism (Colossians 2:4-7; Colossians 2:8-15; Colossians 2:16-17; Colossians 2:18-23)

• BAD doctrine produces BAD fruit and GOOD doctrine produces GOOD fruit (Matthew 7:15-20)
  • LEGAL TEACHING reveals MAN'S INHERENT SINFULNESS (I Timothy 1:8-11 cf. Romans 3:19-20; Romans 7:5,7,9,11,13)
  • GRACE TEACHING produces CHRIST'S RIGHTEOUS LIFE (Titus 2:11-13 cf. Galatians 2:20; Ephesians 5:9;
    John 1:4

• The BAD fruit characterizong the religious world at the end of the age of grace (II Timothy 3:2-4) is remarkably similar to the EVIL works manifested by the religious world after the Flood and prior to the call of Abraham (Romans 1:28-32) and by the Pharisees prior to the destruction of Jerusalem (Matthew 23:25-28,37-39)
  • Lovers of SELF and pleasures rather than lovers of God (II Timothy 3:2,4) is what becomes of those who change the truth of God into the LIE, i.e they "worship and serve the creature more than the Creator" (Romans 1:25)

• FALSE religious teachers "creep into houses" and beguile women as Satan beguiled Eve (II Timothy 3:6 cf. II Corinthians 11:1-4)
  • These FALSE teachers of the Law "SUBVERT whole houses" for money (Titus 1:10-11)
  • They are "EVER learning and NEVER able to come to the knowledge of the truth" (II Timothy 3:7) much like the excessively "superstitious" (i.e. "religious") Athenians who spent their time either in the telling or the hearing of something new (Acts 17:18-23)
  • They are reprobate concerning the truth like Pharaoh's magicians (Jannes and Jambres) who withstood Moses and Aaron (II Timothy 3:8 cf. Exodus 7:11-12)
  • Their folly of unbelief will be manifested unto ALL (II Timothy 3:9) just as was the case with Pharaoh's magicians when they were no longer allowed to imitate God's work Exodus 8:18-19)

Study Outline

Audio Message #1

Audio Message #2