Chapter 3 Verse: 1 2 Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. 1-7 In the last days, dangerous times will come., through people. People will be lovers of themselves (selfish), lovers of money (greed- the root of all evil), boasters (trusting in self, bragging about self etc), proud (exalting self), blasphemers (rejecting the Holy’s Spirit’s promping continually & speaking against God), disobedient to parents (breaking the command that says honour parents), unthankful (God says to be thankful in everything), unholy (God says to be Holy as He is), Unloving (God says if we don’t love one another, we don’t know Him, for He is love, also He says to love our neighbour as ourselves- the greatest commandment there is), unforgiving (unwillingness to reconcile), slanders (falsely accusing people or bashing them behind their backs), without self-control (giving in to whatever the flesh desires), brutal (savage, no mercy, mean-opposite of gentle), despisers of good (hostility to good, the don’t like it- calling evil good and good evil), traitors (unreliable, betraying truth and others), headstrong (stubborn), haughty (pride, arrogance, thinking you’re above others), lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God (choosing self-gratification), having a form of godliness but denying its power (outwardly appearing religious but denying its power- untransformed, remaining stagnant spiritually). And from these we are told to turn away from. These types of people take advance of the weak spiritually, teaching them falsehood like “ur ok in ur sins) leading them to even more sins. Always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth (being loaded up with information but no knowledge (intimately knowing God- relationship with Him) just being hearers of the word, not doers. 8-9 Just as Jannes and Jambres (pharaoh’s magicians) resisted Moses, so do these also resist the truth (coming also supernatural things to have people deceived- but not from God), men of corrupt minds (messed up mindset, truth has tainted, corrupted, ruined), disapproved concerning the faith (they don’t align with the truth). But their deception will go no further, their foolishness/deception will be manifest/revealed to all, as also the magicians- as the magicians were able to imitate the power of God, they were later not able to do some, God/the truth prevailed, and they acknowledged that God is God, and thyre powerless before Him. The previous has shows a description of the group against God and about self & falsehood, and this next list is a description of the group after God/truth. 10-12 But you have carefully followed my doctrine (in contrast to the other group) he was following the truth, and Paul’s manner of life (imitating him as he imitates Christ), purpose, faith, long-suffering etc (this group is not just performing/acting, having a form of godliness, they are actually being transformed by this power and have the fruits of the Holy Spirit evident in their lives), thyre willing to go through persecutions and afflictions (these happened to Paul-a true follower of God and was also to be the same thing for them as the true group), and out of them all, the Lord delivered him- God’s people will have to go through the fire but will be delivered (Psalms 34:19, and also the Hebrew boys who had to go through the fiery furnace & Daniel in the lion’s den), deliverance doesn’t just mean from suffering, but also through suffering, like sometimes we gotta go through it like Paul before receiving relief. Yes and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution (it can’t be prevented, it’s inevitable, genuine godliness= suffering/persecution. If they persecuted Jesus, so will they those who imitate Him, unless ur not copying Him, cause servant is not greater than the master- but blessed are those persecuted for righteousness sake- He rejoice when this happens. 13-15 But evil men and imposters (evil men: intentionally causing harm without empathy, imposter: wolf in sheep’s clothing, within the group, but out to harm them), will grow worse and worse (it may start off lightly but it gets worse, more evil and more deceitful), and the impostors starts to believe their own lies, giving heed to the decieving spirits. This is what false people are doing But YOU must continue in the things which you’ve learned (in the truth) being fully confident in it. That which you were taught from childhood (by mom and grandma) and growing now, Paul. You’ve known the Holy Scriptures, and the scriptures are able to make you wise for salvation, able to give instruction on how to be saved, how? Jesus, they point to Jesus the saviour- provides all we need for salvation - Jesus- John 5:39- the scriptures testify of Him, they reveal all we need for salvation- they reveal Christ our saviour, only way to life eternal. 16-17 After saying scripture shows us/gives us wisdom to salvation, it now shows us how. Scripture is given by inspiration of God, humans writing as they’re inspired by God, as God speaks/God-breathed. It’s useful for doctrine (teaching us what is true), for reproof (exposes what’s wrong cz it discerns and rivals the thoughts and intentions of the heart), correction (not just telling us that we’re wrong but shows us to return to what’s right), it instructs us in righteousness (shows us what holy living is- thy word is a lamp unto my feet and light unto my oath- so it shows us how to live holy lives)- it teaches, exposure, correction & training. Why? 17 its goal is to make us complete/mature, thoroughly equipped for every good work- this is its power (that the false people don’t have- cz they don’t have this produced), the word of God gets us to the level of gold (from clay and wood and silver to gold-talked about in previous chapter) fit for the Master’s work. Application: - Reflect on what we love the most/ our priority whether it’s ourselves or God - whatever has our most energy and attention= has the throne, where your treasure is, there your heart is also. - Self examine - do we only have a form of godliness, no real transformation, are we only learning about truth but refusing to obey? - Be doers and not just hearers of the word - James 1:22 - Hold on to the truth and not be deceived (even by signs and wonders) - Continue in what we’ve learnt, not just looking for new always but continue to maximise on what we’ve learnt - Immerse ourselves in the word of God so we can be produced/made holy through vs 16.