View 2nd Timothy 3 in the note window.
1: In the last days - The time of the gospel dispensation,
commencing at the time of our Lord's death, is peculiarly
styled the last days. Grievous - Troublesome and dangerous.
2: For men - Even in the church. Will be - In great numbers,
and to an higher degree than ever. Lovers of themselves - Only,
not their neighbours, the first root of evil. Lovers of money
- The second.
3: Without natural affection - To their own children.
Intemperate, fierce - Both too soft, and too hard.
4: Lovers of sensual pleasure - Which naturally
extinguishes all love and sense of God.
5: Having a form - An appearance of godliness, but not
regarding, nay, even denying and blaspheming, the inward power
and reality of it. Is not this eminently fulfilled at this
day?
6: Of these - That is, mere formalists.
7: Ever learning - New things. But not the truth of God.
8: Several ancient writers speak of Jannes and Jambres,
as the chief of the Egyptian magicians. Men of corrupt minds
- Impure notions and wicked inclinations. Void of judgment
- Quite ignorant, as well as careless, of true, spiritual
religion.
9: They shall proceed no farther - In gaining proselytes.
12: All that are resolved to live godly - Therefore count
the cost. Art thou resolved? In Christ - Out of Christ there is
no godliness. Shall suffer persecution - More or less. There is
no exception. Either the truth of scripture fails, or those
that think they are religious, and are not persecuted, in some
shape or other, on that very account, deceive themselves.
13: Deceiving and being deceived - He who has once begun to
deceive others is both the less likely to recover from his own
error, and the more ready to embrace the errors of other men.
14: From whom - Even from me a teacher approved of God.
15: From an infant thou hast known the holy scriptures - Of
the Old Testament. These only were extant when Timothy was an
infant. Which are able to make thee wise unto salvation,
through faith in the Messiah that was to come. How much more
are the Old and New Testament together able, in God's hand, to
make us more abundantly wise unto salvation! Even such a
measure of present salvation as was not known before Jesus was
glorified.
16: All scripture is inspired of God - The Spirit of God
not only once inspired those who wrote it, but continually
inspires, supernaturally assists, those that read it with
earnest prayer. Hence it is so profitable for doctrine, for
instruction of the ignorant, for the reproof or conviction of
them that are in error or sin, for the correction or amendment
of whatever is amiss, and for instructing or training up the
children of God in all righteousness.
17: That the man of God - He that is united to and approved
of God. May be perfect - Blameless himself, and throughly
furnished - By the scripture, either to teach, reprove, correct,
or train up others.
