“while evil people and imposters will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived” (2Tim 3:13)
These are amazing days. It makes my head hurt when I think about all the advancements over the past few years. The Internet. Smartphones. GPS. Decoding the human genome. The Segway. (Okay, maybe NOT the Segway. By the way, weren’t we promised flying cars by now?)
While the field of science and technology seems to have made the jump to light speed, there’s just one little problem. It’s clear that not everything is headed up and to the right. Have you seen what’s going on out there? A quick Google search of “Darwin Award nominees” will prove the point. Go ahead. Check it out for yourself. Not a pretty sight.
Religious Quacks and Con Artists
Let’s be honest. Religion may have cornered the market on quacks. You’ve probably heard of that weird cult started by a dead science fiction writer made famous by an actor who danced in his underwear. And don’t make the mistake of thinking that just because a church mentions the name of Jesus that everything is on the up and up. An endless parade of con artists and hucksters have realized there’s no business like God’s business.
It’s something Paul saw coming more than 2,000 years ago in a little letter to Timothy. He warns his spiritual son that things will eventually go into the the toilet “while evil people and imposters will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived” (v13). He tells us we can expect a rapid rise of religious con artists who not only fool unsuspecting followers but also fall for their own lies. And it will go from bad to worse.
A Letter from Death Row
Don’t make the mistake of seeing Paul as some wild-eyed weirdo wearing blogging about the end of the world from his parents’ basement. Nothing could be further from the truth. The apostle writes this letter from prison. More specficially, Death Row (2Tim 1:9, 16; 2:9; 4:6-7). Knowing his days are numbered, he’s quickly scribbling down instructions and passing the torch of ministry to a young pastor in Ephesus named Timothy (2Tim 1:2; 2:1-4:5).
A Pain in the Faith
A big focus of the apostle’s epistle is a team of false teachers who’ve weaseled their way into the Ephesian church (2Tim 2:16-18, 24-26; 3:1-9; 4:3-4). These are “evil people and imposters” (v13) he’s talking about. By describing them as “evil,” he drops a word in the original language (Gr. πονηρος/poneros) that means wicked, malicious, morally corrupt, malignant, perilous, and painful. It comes from a root word (Gr. πονος/ponos) meaning intense pain.
Paul wants us to know these folks aren’t simply a pain in the neck. They are intentionally inflicting pain in the faith! Jesus uses it to describe the religious snake pit known as the Pharisees (Mt 12:34-35). A little later, Christ slaps this label on the devil as “the evil one (Gr. πονηρος/poneros)” (Mt 13:19, 38). The Lord literally calls our enemy “The Evil”! Not just any evil. We’re talking THE Evil. When someone like the apostle puts you list as religious bullies and Satan, you’re in serious trouble.
Phonies and Frauds
If they aren’t bad enough, these nasty cats aren’t alone. They’re accompanied by “imposters” (v13). Paul dusts off a word (Gr. γοης/goes) you won’t find anywhere else in the entire Bible. The word paints a picture of a deceiver, charlatan, swindler, cheater, or seducer. It’s somebody who intentionally fools others through lies and pretense. A phony. A fraud. An imposter.
Ancient Greek writers used it to describe wizards or sorcerers who loudly cast spells. Think of somebody who diverts your focus through hocus pocus. These are people who not only know every trick in book but are willing to use it to their advantage. Don’t miss the emphasis on magic. Ephesus is a historical hotbed of occult practices (Acts 19:19). And apparently they’re back in a big way and Tim’s faced with it in the church. You can bet this is a reference to his earlier comparison of them to “Jannes and Jambres” (2Tim 3:8), Pharaoh’s wicked wizards who tried to match God’s miracles through Moses with demonic black magic (Ex 7:11, 22; 8:7, 18-19; 9:11).
Hoodoo and Voodoo
While I don’t want to that guy who freaks out when their kid watches a Harry Potter movie, we do need to be aware of the dangers of dark spirituality. God makes it very clear that His people should never mess with the occult, seances, mojo, voodoo, or any sort of hoodoo (Lev 19:31; 20:6; Dt 18:9-14; Is 8:19). There are some things that seem quite innocent that could crack the door for demonic activity in your life. Why take the chance?
We mentioned before what a pain in the faith these phonies have been in Ephesus. Spiritual snake oil salesmen have been duping people with a false gospel, leading them away from Jesus (2Tim 2:16). Hymenaeus and Philetus are two prime suspects spreading this fast-growing religious cancer in the churches (2Tim 2:17). They’re freaking folks out by telling them they’ve missed Christ’s Second Coming and the resurrection of the dead (2Tim 2:18).
Paul has already warned Tim not to get sucked into word wars with these goofballs (2Tim 2:24). Instead, kill them with kindness and grace in the hope that God may use it to snap them out of it (2Tim 2:24-26).
100% Chance of Danger!
What the apostle has to say in here in verses 12 and 13 is just a restatement of his prophetic forecast of of the last days. There’s 100% chance of danger (2Tim 3:1)! We’re to steer clear of people who appear like like followers of Jesus at first but when we look closer are really self-centered, self-absorbed, self-promoting, and self-obsessed (2Tim 3:2-5).
If that’s not bad enough, some of these pseudo-Christian creeps are nothing more than sexual predators who use every trick in their abusive bag of tricks to oppose the truth (2Tim 3:6-8). Before you throw in the towel and think this is a lost cause, the apostle lets us know God will expose these slime balls for who they really are (2Tim 3:9).
From Bad to Worse
But before that happens, the whole situation “will go on from bad to worse” (v13). Paul literally writes how it will “advance to the worse.” When it comes to false teachers and spiritual hucksters, things are headed in the wrong direction and speeding up. Remember the episode of “I Love Lucy” when Lucy and Ethel are working on the assembly line in the candy factory? The conveyer belt speeds up and they get absolutely overwhelmed. Change candy to cults and that’s exactly what’s about to go down.
Does it seem like there are more and more cults and whacky religions popping up these days? Do you feel like you can’t turn on TV or surf the web without bumping into another flavor-of-the-month heresy or false teacher? Well, there’s a reason for that. This religious garbage will continue to multiply until Jesus comes back. Just one more reason to read and understand God’s Word. When we know the truth of Scripture, we’ll know the one who’s the embodiment of all Truth (Jn 14:6). That’s one way to make sure we don’t get caught into the death spiral of phony religion as things “go on from bad to worse” (v13).
If someone claiming to be a spiritual teacher never mentions Jesus, encourages you to dive into a deeper relationship with Christ, or motivates you to be a firehose of His love and grace, you probably need to drop them like a bad habit. Folks are selling a lot of self-improvement stuff and slapping a Christian label on it. Remember, following Jesus isn’t about behavior modification or becoming a better you. It’s about dying to self and placing your trust in the One who did what we could never do for ourselves.
Victims of Their Own Con
Just in case you think nobody would ever buy the religious garbage they’re selling, Paul makes it clear these con artists are “deceiving and being deceived” (v13). They are making others believe what is false and wrong is actually true and right. But they’ve become victims of their own con. These hucksters not only dupe others but they also fall for their own lies. They’re self-deceived!
When you lead people astray, you go with them. Tell a lie long enough that you eventually believe it yourself. The more you play with the lies, the more you’re comfortable with them. They become victims of their own deception. Don’t hate them. Your heart should break for them. Take Paul’s advice and be unbelievably kind to them and gently correct them when you have the chance. “God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth and they may come to their senses” (2Tim 2:25-26). There’s always a chance for God to miraculously turn them around. Just ask Paul.
In the meantime, we’ll be dealing with a growing problem of false teachers and spiritual con artists. People who are a pain in the faith. People who appear to be spiritual but are actually dabbling in the demonic. It’s going to get worse. And worse. And worse. But never forget the end of the story. God’s Story. He wins. And when He wins, His people win. But until then, we can count on it to go from bad to worse.
These are amazing days. It makes my head hurt when I think about all the advancements over the past few years. The Internet. Smartphones. GPS. Decoding the human genome. The Segway. (Okay, maybe NOT the Segway. By the way, weren’t we promised flying cars by now?)
While the field of science and technology seems to have made the jump to light speed, there’s just one little problem. It’s clear that not everything is headed up and to the right. Have you seen what’s going on out there? A quick Google search of “Darwin Award nominees” will prove the point. Go ahead. Check it out for yourself. Not a pretty sight.
Religious Quacks and Con Artists
Let’s be honest. Religion may have cornered the market on quacks. You’ve probably heard of that weird cult started by a dead science fiction writer made famous by an actor who danced in his underwear. And don’t make the mistake of thinking that just because a church mentions the name of Jesus that everything is on the up and up. An endless parade of con artists and hucksters have realized there’s no business like God’s business.
It’s something Paul saw coming more than 2,000 years ago in a little letter to Timothy. He warns his spiritual son that things will eventually go into the the toilet “while evil people and imposters will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived” (v13). He tells us we can expect a rapid rise of religious con artists who not only fool unsuspecting followers but also fall for their own lies. And it will go from bad to worse.
A Letter from Death Row
Don’t make the mistake of seeing Paul as some wild-eyed weirdo wearing blogging about the end of the world from his parents’ basement. Nothing could be further from the truth. The apostle writes this letter from prison. More specficially, Death Row (2Tim 1:9, 16; 2:9; 4:6-7). Knowing his days are numbered, he’s quickly scribbling down instructions and passing the torch of ministry to a young pastor in Ephesus named Timothy (2Tim 1:2; 2:1-4:5).
A Pain in the Faith
A big focus of the apostle’s epistle is a team of false teachers who’ve weaseled their way into the Ephesian church (2Tim 2:16-18, 24-26; 3:1-9; 4:3-4). These are “evil people and imposters” (v13) he’s talking about. By describing them as “evil,” he drops a word in the original language (Gr. πονηρος/poneros) that means wicked, malicious, morally corrupt, malignant, perilous, and painful. It comes from a root word (Gr. πονος/ponos) meaning intense pain.
Paul wants us to know these folks aren’t simply a pain in the neck. They are intentionally inflicting pain in the faith! Jesus uses it to describe the religious snake pit known as the Pharisees (Mt 12:34-35). A little later, Christ slaps this label on the devil as “the evil one (Gr. πονηρος/poneros)” (Mt 13:19, 38). The Lord literally calls our enemy “The Evil”! Not just any evil. We’re talking THE Evil. When someone like the apostle puts you list as religious bullies and Satan, you’re in serious trouble.
Phonies and Frauds
If they aren’t bad enough, these nasty cats aren’t alone. They’re accompanied by “imposters” (v13). Paul dusts off a word (Gr. γοης/goes) you won’t find anywhere else in the entire Bible. The word paints a picture of a deceiver, charlatan, swindler, cheater, or seducer. It’s somebody who intentionally fools others through lies and pretense. A phony. A fraud. An imposter.
Ancient Greek writers used it to describe wizards or sorcerers who loudly cast spells. Think of somebody who diverts your focus through hocus pocus. These are people who not only know every trick in book but are willing to use it to their advantage. Don’t miss the emphasis on magic. Ephesus is a historical hotbed of occult practices (Acts 19:19). And apparently they’re back in a big way and Tim’s faced with it in the church. You can bet this is a reference to his earlier comparison of them to “Jannes and Jambres” (2Tim 3:8), Pharaoh’s wicked wizards who tried to match God’s miracles through Moses with demonic black magic (Ex 7:11, 22; 8:7, 18-19; 9:11).
Hoodoo and Voodoo
While I don’t want to that guy who freaks out when their kid watches a Harry Potter movie, we do need to be aware of the dangers of dark spirituality. God makes it very clear that His people should never mess with the occult, seances, mojo, voodoo, or any sort of hoodoo (Lev 19:31; 20:6; Dt 18:9-14; Is 8:19). There are some things that seem quite innocent that could crack the door for demonic activity in your life. Why take the chance?
We mentioned before what a pain in the faith these phonies have been in Ephesus. Spiritual snake oil salesmen have been duping people with a false gospel, leading them away from Jesus (2Tim 2:16). Hymenaeus and Philetus are two prime suspects spreading this fast-growing religious cancer in the churches (2Tim 2:17). They’re freaking folks out by telling them they’ve missed Christ’s Second Coming and the resurrection of the dead (2Tim 2:18).
Paul has already warned Tim not to get sucked into word wars with these goofballs (2Tim 2:24). Instead, kill them with kindness and grace in the hope that God may use it to snap them out of it (2Tim 2:24-26).
100% Chance of Danger!
What the apostle has to say in here in verses 12 and 13 is just a restatement of his prophetic forecast of of the last days. There’s 100% chance of danger (2Tim 3:1)! We’re to steer clear of people who appear like like followers of Jesus at first but when we look closer are really self-centered, self-absorbed, self-promoting, and self-obsessed (2Tim 3:2-5).
If that’s not bad enough, some of these pseudo-Christian creeps are nothing more than sexual predators who use every trick in their abusive bag of tricks to oppose the truth (2Tim 3:6-8). Before you throw in the towel and think this is a lost cause, the apostle lets us know God will expose these slime balls for who they really are (2Tim 3:9).
From Bad to Worse
But before that happens, the whole situation “will go on from bad to worse” (v13). Paul literally writes how it will “advance to the worse.” When it comes to false teachers and spiritual hucksters, things are headed in the wrong direction and speeding up. Remember the episode of “I Love Lucy” when Lucy and Ethel are working on the assembly line in the candy factory? The conveyer belt speeds up and they get absolutely overwhelmed. Change candy to cults and that’s exactly what’s about to go down.
Does it seem like there are more and more cults and whacky religions popping up these days? Do you feel like you can’t turn on TV or surf the web without bumping into another flavor-of-the-month heresy or false teacher? Well, there’s a reason for that. This religious garbage will continue to multiply until Jesus comes back. Just one more reason to read and understand God’s Word. When we know the truth of Scripture, we’ll know the one who’s the embodiment of all Truth (Jn 14:6). That’s one way to make sure we don’t get caught into the death spiral of phony religion as things “go on from bad to worse” (v13).
If someone claiming to be a spiritual teacher never mentions Jesus, encourages you to dive into a deeper relationship with Christ, or motivates you to be a firehose of His love and grace, you probably need to drop them like a bad habit. Folks are selling a lot of self-improvement stuff and slapping a Christian label on it. Remember, following Jesus isn’t about behavior modification or becoming a better you. It’s about dying to self and placing your trust in the One who did what we could never do for ourselves.
Victims of Their Own Con
Just in case you think nobody would ever buy the religious garbage they’re selling, Paul makes it clear these con artists are “deceiving and being deceived” (v13). They are making others believe what is false and wrong is actually true and right. But they’ve become victims of their own con. These hucksters not only dupe others but they also fall for their own lies. They’re self-deceived!
When you lead people astray, you go with them. Tell a lie long enough that you eventually believe it yourself. The more you play with the lies, the more you’re comfortable with them. They become victims of their own deception. Don’t hate them. Your heart should break for them. Take Paul’s advice and be unbelievably kind to them and gently correct them when you have the chance. “God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth and they may come to their senses” (2Tim 2:25-26). There’s always a chance for God to miraculously turn them around. Just ask Paul.
In the meantime, we’ll be dealing with a growing problem of false teachers and spiritual con artists. People who are a pain in the faith. People who appear to be spiritual but are actually dabbling in the demonic. It’s going to get worse. And worse. And worse. But never forget the end of the story. God’s Story. He wins. And when He wins, His people win. But until then, we can count on it to go from bad to worse.
Amen!
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