Dr. Bingham’s Lesson for July 4, 2010
Beginning of Series on The Nature of Scripture
“Lovers of Self & Pleasure reject the Truth” – 2 Timothy 3
Paul probably wrote this letter to Timothy from one of two places in Rome, Marmertine Prison (Carcere Marmertino) or Abby of the Three Fountains (Monestery Complesso dell’Abbazia Tre Fontane).
2 Timothy 3:1-9
Paul begins this chapter by telling Timothy to pay close attention to what he is going to say; it is very important.
For Paul, the last days began with the coming of Christ.
Paul wants Timothy to know that, although he may have some good days, the times in which we all live are terrible times.
Paul gives two characteristics of the last days — people love in perverted ways and people relate to truth in a perverted way.
People of the last days are lovers of self and money to the point of not loving anyone else and totally without virtue of any kind and loving pleasure rather than loving God. They are always learning but never acknowledge the truth and are even against the truth.
Don’t think our times are wonderful. Terrible times require devotion to trustworthy teaching.
2 Timothy 3:10-12
Paul points to himself as a man not described by the above verses. Our first obligation is not to be like the people in the above verses. If you do live a Godly life in Christ, that is the opposite of those described above, you will suffer and be persecuted.
2 Timothy 1:8
Paul tells Timothy not to be ashamed of him but join him in suffering for the gospel.
2 Timothy 1:11-12
Paul is suffering because he was appointed to be a proclaimer of the gospel, an apostle, and a teacher.
2 Timothy 1:15
Everyone in Asia Minor has deserted Paul.
2 Timothy 2:8-9
Paul is suffering for the gospel to the point of being chained like a criminal.
2 Timothy 4:9
Demas, because of his love of the world, has deserted Paul; so Paul wants Timothy to come to him quickly. Things got too uncomfortable for those helping Paul.
We need to understand that John 10:10, in speaking of having life abundantly, does not mean we have an easy time; but, rather, that we experience abundance in spiritual matters.
2 Timothy 3:14-16
Paul exhorts Timothy to continue in what he has learned and what he has been convinced because he knows the ones from whom he has learned it and has known the holy scriptures since he was a child, which are able to bring salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.
Paul calls the scriptures “holy” because these writings are as different from any other writing as God is different from all His creatures. What we hold from Genesis to Revelation are holy writings able to make us wise but not to deliver us from suffering, persecution, and desertions.
All of scripture is God-breathed. This is what makes scripture unlike any other writing. They have their origin in the God who spoke the universe into existence. God used human beings to write the scriptures within a cultural and historical context but they didn’t come up with it.
Some translations use the word, inspired, in place of God-breathed, but it is not like an artist being inspired by something in his surroundings or by some piece of knowledge or by his emotional response to something.
The scriptures are entirely capable of themselves to thoroughly equip us for every good work. We do not need anything else to equip us; we do not need a private vision. We don’t need God to speak to us privately. All we need are the words written from the beginning of Genesis to the end of Revelation because they have their origin in God. But remember that living your life according to the holy scriptures turns on the heat of suffering and persecution.
A book published by Crossway, entitled Why, O God?, has an article by Dr. Douglas Blount, which gives the best Christian perspective on suffering and evil to come along in years.
