Picture of Pastors Jim and Marie Watt
Pastors Jim and Marie Watt

Two Are Better Than One

(From: 2 TIMOTHY #3 - 3:1-4:8)


3. 3:1-17 THE WORD IN HANDLING EVIL TEACHERS

a. 3:1 But know this, that in thelast days grievous seasons shall come.

TOUto de GIno-ske, HOti en esCHAtais [2078]heMErais enSTEson-tai [1764]kaiROI cha-lePOI [5467].


b. 3:2-5 TURN AWAY FROM THE FOLLOWING:

Eson-tai gar hoi ANthro-poi PHIlau-toi [5367], phiLARgu-roi [5366], a-laZOnes [884], hu-peREpha-noi [5244],

For :men shall be self-lovers, money-lovers, boastful, haughty,

BLASphe-moi [989], goNEUsin[1116] a-peiTHEIS [545], aCHAri-stoi [884], aNOsi-oi [462],

railers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,

Astor-goi [794], Aspon-doi [786], diAbo-loi [1228], a-kraTEIS [193], aNEme-roi [434], a-phiLAgo-thoi [865],

3without natural affection, implacable, slandereres,without self-control, fierce, no lovers of good,

proDOtai [4273], pro-peTEIS [4312], te-tu-phoMEnoi [5187], phiLEdo-noi [5369]MALlon ephiLOthe-oi [5377];

4traitors, headstrong, puffed up, pleasure-lovers rather than God-lovers;

Echon-tes MORpho-sin eu-seBEIas, ten de DUna-min auTES er-neMEnoi [720]: kai TOUtous a-poTREpou.

5having a form of godliness, but havingdenied its power: from these also turn away.


c. 3:6-7 SEDUCERS

ek TOUton GAR ei-sin hoi enDUnon-tes [1744]eis tas oiKIas,

For of these are they that creep into :houses,

kai aich-ma-loTIzon-tes [162]gu-naiKAri-a se-so-reuMEna ha-marTIais, aGOme-na e-pi-thuMIais poiKIlais,

and capture small women laden with sins, led by diverse lusts,

PANto-te manTHAnon-ta [3129], kai meDEpo-te eis ePIGno-sin [1922]a-leTHEIas elTHEIN duNAme-na.

7ever learning, and never able to come to a knowledge of truth.


d. 3:8 RESISTING THE TRUTH

hon TROpon de IanNES kai IamBRES anTEste-san [5158]Mo-uSEI,

And in the same manner as Jannesand Jambres withstood Moses,

HOUtos kai HOUtoi anTHIstan-tai [436] te a-leTHEIa;

so these also withstand the truth;

ANthro-poi ka-teph-tharMEnoi [2704] ton noun, aDOki-moi [96] peRI ten PIstin.

men corrupted in :mind, disapproved concerning the faith.


e. 3:9 THE END TO FOLLY

all' ou proKOpsou-sin [4298] ePI PLEIon:

But they shall proceed no further:

he gar Anoi-a [454] auTON EKde-los [1552] EStai PAsin, hos kai he eKEInon eGEne-to.

for their :folly shall be evident unto all, as :theirs also came to be.


f. 3:10-11 PAUL'S MANNER OF LIFE IN CONTRAST

su de pa-re-koLOUtheSAS [3877] mou te di-da-skaLIa [1319], te a-goGE [72],

But you did follow my :teaching, :conduct,

te proTHEsei [4286], te PIstei, te ma-kro-thuMIa [3115], te aGApe, te hu-po-moNE [5281],

:purpose, :faith, :longsuffering, :love, :patience,

tois di-ogMOIS [1375], tois paTHEma-sin [3804];

11:persecutions, :sufferings;

HOI-A moi eGEne-to en An-ti-oCHEIa, en I-koNIo, en LUStrois;

such as befell me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra;

HOIous di-ogMOUS [1375] huPEneg-ka [5297]: kai ek PANton me eRUsa-to [4506] ho KUri-os.

such persecutions as I endured: and out of all the Lord delivered me.


g. 3:12 Yes, and all that would live godly in Christ Jesus shall be persecuted.

kai, PANtes de hoi THElon-tes zen eu-seBOS [2198] en ChrisTO IeSOU di-ochTHEson-tai [1377].


h. 3:13 EVIL MEN AND IMPOSTERS

po-neROI de ANthro-poi kai GOe-tes [1114] proKOpsou-sin [4298] ePI to CHEIron [5501],

But evil men and impostors shall wax :worse,

plaNONtes [4105 kai plaNOme-noi.

deceiving and being deceived.


i. 3:14-15 SACRED SCRIPTURES

su de, MEne [3306] en hois Ema-thes [3129] kai e-piSTOthes [4104],

But you, abide in what thingsyou have learned and have been assured of,

eiDOS [1492] paRA TInon Ema-thes;

knowing of what persons you have learned;

kai HOti aPO BREphous [1025] hi-eRA [2413] GRAMma-ta [1121] OIdas

15and that from a babe you have known thesacred writings

ta duNAmeNA se soPHIsai [4679] eis so-teRIan [4991] diA PIste-os tes en ChrisTO IeSOU.

which can make you wise unto salvation through faith which isin Christ Jesus.


j. 3:16-17 INSPIRATION

PAsa graPHE [1124] TheOpneu-stos [2315],

Every scripture isGod breathed,

kai oPHEli-mos [5624] pros di-da-skaLIan [3809], pros e-legMON [1650], pros e-paNORtho-sin [1882],

and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction,

pros paiDEIan [3809] ten en di-kai-oSUne [1343]:

for discipline which is :in righteousness:

HIna ARti-os [739] e ho tou TheOU ANthro-pos, pros pan ERgon a-gaTHON e-xer-tisMEnos [1822].

17that the man of :God be complete, furnished completely unto every good work.


4. 4:1-5 THE WORD AS A PLUMBLINE

a. 4:1-2 CHARGE

Di-a-marTUro-mai [1263] eNOpi-on tou TheOU kai ChrisTOU IeSOU,

I charge before God and Christ Jesus,

tou MELlon-tos KRInein [2919] ZONtas [2198] kai neKROUS [3498],

who shall judge theliving and dead,

kai ten e-piPHAnei-an [2015] auTOU kai ten ba-siLEIan [932] auTOU:

and by his :appearing and his :kingdom:

KEru-xon [2784] ton LOgon; ePIste-thi [2186] euKAIros [2122], aKAIros [171];

2preach the word: be urgent in season, out of season;

Eleg-xon [1651], e-tiTIme-son [2008], pa-raKAle-son [3870], en PAse ma-kro-thuMIa [3115] kai di-daCHE [1322].

reprove, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.


b. 4:3-4 SOUND DOCTRINE

EStai gar kaiROS HOte tes hu-gi-aiNOUses [5198] di-da-skaLIas [1319] ouk aNExon-tai [430];

for a season will be when they will not endure the sound teaching;

alLA, kaTA tas iDIas e-pi-thuMIas [1939] he-auTOIS,

but, having itching :ears,

e-pi-soREUsou-sin [2002] di-daSKAlous [1320], kneTHOme-noi [2833] ten a-koEN [189];

will heap to themselves teachers after theirown lusts;

kai aPO men tes a-leTHEIas ten a-koEN a-poSTREpsou-sin [654], ePI de tous MUthous [3454] ek-traPEson-tai.

4and will turn away theirears from the truth,and turn aside unto the fables.


c. 4:5 WATCHFULNESS

su de NEphe [3525] en PAsin, ka-koPAthe-son [2553],

But you be sober in all things, suffer hardship,

ERgon POIe-son eu-ag-ge-liSTOU [2099], ten di-a-koNIan [1248] sou ple-roPHOre-son [4135].

do an evangelist's work, fulfil your :ministry.


5. 4:6-8 THE REWARD FOR FAITHFULNESS

a. 4:6 For I am already being offered, and the season of my :departure is come.

E-GO gar Ede SPENdo-mai [4689], kai ho kaiROS tes eMES a-naLUse-os [359] ePHESte-ken [2186].


b. 4:7-8 THE REWARD OF FAITHFULNESS

ton kaLON aGOna [73] eGOnis-mai [75], ton DROmon [1408] teTEle-ka [5065], ten PIstin teTEre-ka [5083]:

The good fight I have fought, the course I have finished, the faith I have kept:

loiPON, aPOkeiTAI [606] moi ho tes di-kai-oSUnes STEpha-nos [4735],

8For therest, the crown of :righteousness is laid up for me,

hon a-poDOsei [591] moi ho KUri-os en eKEIne te heMEra, ho DIkai-os kriTES [2923];

which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give to me at that :day;

ou MOnon de eMOI, alLA kai PAsin tois e-ga-peKOsi [25] ten e-piPHAnei-an [2015] auTOU.

and not to me only, but also to all that have loved his :appearing.


NOTE: 3: 3:1-17 - This is the third paragraph in Paul's reasoning with Timothy, in grooming him as a successor. Do you think a young successor to one like the apostle Paul is likely to run into evil teachers? If it was a serious problem 2000 years ago, is is much moreserious today! Just look at Paul's terrible list of evil teachers in 3:2-5! And to Timothy he says, “From such turn away!” Amen! Don'tdialogue with them! He continues on up to 3:9 unmasking these hypocrites. Notice the word he uses about them in 3:8 - “aDOki-moi” - disapproved! This is a most serious word, and gives little hope to those in this category. Next Paul contrasts his examplebefore Timothy with those above. And - he outlines the persecutions and suffering he endured for walking in the Spirit of Jesus Christ. He also concludes that all who live godly in Christ Jesus shallbe persecuted! One young man told me in 1951 in Western Canada: “I worked all summer in the woods, and experienced nopersecution.” “What did they say when they found you were a Christian?” I asked. “O - I never told them,” he replied! Is your“take” on this the same as mine was?


3:16-17 is one of the very important verses of Scripture. Everyscripture isGod breathed!”The Greek syntax here is very clear. However, a number of translators have been most deceptiveat this point. Going against all they have done correctly with this construction wherever else it has appeared, they dishonestlytranslateit here- “Every scripture that is God breathed is profitable” - making out, that not allscripture isGod-breathed. Thisis dishonesty in the ultimate. Check the various translations. You will know which ones you can trust by the way the translators have handled these 2 verses.


4:4-1-5 - God's word is a truePlumbline, whether it is received as such or not. One day all the evil and false teachers will appear before Christ at his BEma - “His Judgment Seat”, upon His return. I would notwant to stand in the shoes of those who have so callously mishandled the translation of 3 :16-17. But we are to do what Timothy did, and be faithful in presenting the true message of what God says in His Word, whether it is received or not. Oswald Chambers had great faith that when we clearly and simply present the Cross in the “Finished Work” of Christ, it will with most, havean effect. And God in Ezekiel says, “Whether they hear - or whether they reject - you mustset forth My Word, that when the day comes that they stand before My Judgment Seat - they will be without excuse!


5. 4:4-8 - Now we see clearlythat Paul is indeedPassing the Torch! It is a marvelous testimony of the faithfulness of this servant of Christ to the Assignment he received on the road to Damascus. His reward is sure! But we alsomay enter into his reward as we emulate hisfaithfulness. - J.A.W.