Paul the
apostle knew “in the last days, perilous times shall come”.
He wrote to Timothy his “dearly beloved son” concerning
people who would “have a form of godliness” but would
“deny the power thereof”. In addition to creeping into
“houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away
with divers lusts” they would also be “ever learning, and
never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.” In chapter
three and verse eight of this final letter to Timothy, Paul continues
his thought by saying these are “men of corrupt minds” where
we read:
Now as
Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the
truth:
men of
corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith.
The verse begins, “Now
as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the
truth:” Paul
began this verse with the examples, “now
as Jannes”
which means “he vexed” “and
Jambres”
which means “foamy healer” who were “two
Egyptian magicians who in the presence of Pharaoh imitated the
miracles of Aaron in order to destroy his influence with the king.”
Paul added that these men “withstood”
or “set themselves against, resisted and opposed” “Moses”
whose name means “drawing out”. Moses was “the legislator of
the Jewish people and in a certain sense the founder of the Jewish
religion and was the writer of the first five books of the Bible
which are commonly referred to as the Books of Moses”. Paul
continued, “so do these also resist”
which is the Greek phrase “anthistēmi
houtos kai anthistēmi” and
refers to the people who “have
a form of godliness, but deny the power thereof” “setting
themselves against, opposed to and withstanding” “the
truth” which
is “what is true in things appertaining to God and the duties of
man, moral and religious truth”. Rather than abiding in, going
along with and complying with “the
truth”,
these godless men “resist”
it in the same manner as “Jannes and
Jambres”.
The
verse continues, “men of corrupt minds, reprobate
concerning the faith.” Paul
went on to add that these were “men of corrupt” or
“depraved, destroyed and perished” “minds” which
means “that which comprises of the faculties of perceiving
and understanding and those of feeling, judging and determining”.
Paul added, they were “reprobate” or “not standing the
test, approved, unfit and spurious” “concerning” or
“pertaining to, about and on account of” “the faith”
which is “the conviction that God exists and is the creator and
ruler of all things, the provider and bestower of eternal salvation
through Christ”. Those who opposed “the faith” were
unfit, unapproved and absent of understanding “concerning”
the fact that God exists as Creator and Savior through Jesus Christ
our Lord.
While we
meditate upon Paul's words, let us allow the Holy Spirit to show us
any area in our lives that may be “opposed to the truth”
lest me become as these of whom Paul writes. We must align ourselves
with “the faith” of God who is the Creator and Savior of
our souls, and anyone who resists Him, resists their own salvation.
May the Lord help us to not be as “Jannes and Jambres” who
not only put their own lives in peril, but also were responsible for
the demise of many others beside.
Next
time Paul tells how these people“shall proceed no
further”, so read ahead, and
we shall join together then.
Until
tomorrow…there is more…
Look
for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From
Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be
Married”, and the new devotional “One Year in the Sermon on the
Mount” in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com
; http://www.barnesandnobles.com
; download to e-books, and find it locally at
http://www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.
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