Tuesday, August 11, 2009

2nd Timothy study, Part 16

Hi everyone! I hope y'all are having a good day so far! Remember to pray before we start today!

These verses are kind of depressing, yet true, just to warn you.

6. For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts,

7. Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.

8. Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith.

9. But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest unto all men, as theirs also was.

This is a, um, odd subject, and one that I really don't want to get into here. Anyways, I am going to do it the same as all of the others, just not as in depth, just because I don't know much about it.

Verse six is split up by first saying who it is talking about, "For of this sort are they..." Of what sort? The sort talked about in the first five verses of this chapter! Remember how horrible these people are described as?! That is the sort of people Paul is talking about.

Next he says what they do, he says that they "creep into houses." Who creeps into houses? A burglar is all I can think of! But I am not sure if he means it the way it sounds. I think that Paul means that they don't "creep into houses," but that they creep into the family or household or a certain person's life.

Why would they creep into houses/lives/households/families? The next part says it, to "lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts." What in the world does that mean? And why does he purposely say "women?" Because women believe things easier, and are attracted by "silly" things more than men.

What is clear about the women? That they are "laden with sins." They have already sinned greatly, and now they are an easy target for these people to lead away and take captive.

Paul says that these people "lead captive.....with divers lusts." Now, divers in this verse, is not referring to a person who scuba dives. Divers means "several; various; sundry." So, they are lead away by lots of things that are wanted or pursued or desired.

Now, what does verse seven say about them? It says, "Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth," or "ready to listen to any teacher but never able to come to a knowledge of the truth." These women are very easily taught, they are ever learning and ready to listen to any teacher. Did you hear that? "Any." They will listen to any teacher! But yet, they are not, and never able, to come to the knowledge of the truth. What is the knowledge of the truth? The belief that God is the one and only Creator and the one and only God. That is the truth.

Verse eight tells us of two people that stood against Moses, they were his enemies. Jammes and Jambres. Who were these two men? Well, (thank God for cross referencing notes!) my Bible cross referenced to Exodus 7:11-12. Let's read and find out! It says, "Then Pharaoh also called the wise men and the sorcerers: now the magicians of Egypt, they also did in like manner with their enchantments. For they cast down every man his rod, and they became serpents: but Aaron's rod swallowed up their rods." What?! Why would it cross reference to this? I think that Paul knew the name of two of the magicians! For, he writes that they resist the truth and they have corrupt minds. Also that they were enemies of Moses. This fits perfectly!

The end of that verse says, "reprobate concerning the faith." What does that mean? Dictionary.com defined it as: "a depraved, unprincipled, or wicked person." So, they are "unprincipled" concerning the faith. The faith Paul is speaking of is faith in God. I think that he means that, although they are very learned, they don't believe in God, they are enemies of God and His people, as is clear in Exodus.

Last verse for today is verse nine. It tells us more of these two non-believing, enemies of Moses. It says that they will not, "proceed...farther: for their folly shall be manifest unto all men, as theirs also was." I don't completely understand this verse, but what I grasp from it is that these two men will not be able to deceive people anymore, and their false faith will be made known. Which, it was, they died like all other human beings (with the exception of Elijah, for he was taken to heaven in a fiery chariot!), and now we know, through the Bible, that they had a false faith, that they didn't have faith in God.

What Barclay writes about these two people is quite interesting. Take a look.

"A whole collection of stories gathered round their names. They were said to be the two servants who accompanied Balaam when he was disobedient to God (Numbers 22:22); they were said to have been part of the great mixed multitude who accompanied the children of Israel out of Egypt (Exodus 12:38); some said that they perished at the crossing of the Red Sea; other stories said that it was Jannes and Jambres who were behind the making of the golden calf and that they perished among those who were killed for that sin (Exodus 32:28); still other stories said that in the end they became proselytes to Judaism. Amidst all the stories one fact stands out-Jannes and Jambres became legendary figures typifying all those who opposed the purposes of God and the work of His true leaders."

That's all for now. God bless y'all today!

In Him,
Buttercup :)

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