From Bad to Worse

“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.

Accept No Substitutes

“If anyone teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that accords with godliness” (1Tim 6:3).

It looks like the real deal. It sounds like the real deal. But there’s just something about it that doesn’t pass the sniff test. You know what we’re talking about, don’t you? A product is so wildly successful that many others want to get in on the action. Imitators crank out all sorts of phonies with the evil intent of fooling you and me. 

According to Paul, it’s no different when it comes to the Gospel. God’s incredible offer of grace, forgiveness, and abundant life in Jesus has turned the world upside down. The only way we access His salvation is through trusting in Christ and Christ alone. But spiritual con artists have been selling their snake oil for more than 2,000 years. They spin their counterfeit gospel by slapping a lot of Jesus on it and sprinkling in a few verses from the Bible.

In a letter to his protege, the apostle tells Timothy not to fall for the fake. He teaches the young Ephesian pastor how to identify their scam. “If anyone teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the sounds words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that accords with godliness” (v3). There are two warning signs of this religious ripoff. One, it doesn’t square with what Jesus said. Two, it sends folks further from the Father. When it comes to the Gospel, accept no substitutes.

The problem of a fake gospel was a clear and present danger for Pastor Tim and the church of Ephesus. A team of spiritual hucksters had weaseled their way into positions of influence and spread a crazy concoction of goofy myths, confusing genealogies, lies, and downright demonic doctrine (1Tim 1:3-7; 4:1-2). Just a few verses down the page, we’ll read that they were nothing more than money-grubbing windbags (1Tim 6:4-10). Paul has left Tim in charge of getting this church out of the ditch and back following Jesus again. 

The apostle alerts the young preacher to keep his eyes and ears peeled in case “anyone teaches a different doctrine” (v3). This phrase is actually one Greek verb: heterodidaskaleo. It means to teach something other than what should be taught, instruct error as if it was truth, or teach a false doctrine. This word only appears one other time in the Bible and it happens to be earlier in this very same letter. “As I urged you when I was going to Macedonia, remain at Ephesus so that you may charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine (Gr. heterodidaskaleo)” (1Tim 1:3). These hucksters had duped believers into thinking they had to follow a certain set of rules to ensure their place in God’s family.

Don’t be fooled. There is only ONE Gospel. There is single message of Good News. The only way to have a relationship with God is by trusting in who Jesus and what He’s done for us that we could never do for ourselves. In case your keeping score, He followed God’s Law perfectly. I’ve failed miserably. He died the death on a cross for my disobedience. It’s the death I should have died. He rose to new life. I absolutely don’t deserve it. He does it all for me and you. There’s absolutely nothing left for us to do to seal the deal of our salvation. It’s the reason Jesus shouted for the world to hear from the cross, “It is finished! (Jn 19:30). Instead of counterfeit not-so-good news, we to place our trust in the “Gospel of the glory of the blessed God” (1Tim 1:11). Accept no substitutes.

The first way to recognize a rogue doctrine is when it “does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ” (v3). In other words, our teaching must line up with the message of the radical Carpenter/Rabbi from Nazareth. In case you’re wondering where you might find that, God gave us four bios at the beginning of the New Testament called Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Interestingly, one of those writers is a physician. Dr. Luke uses the word we see here as “sound” (Gr. hugiaino) in a medical context, meaning healthy, strong, and whole. It comes from a root word describing healthy and vibrant growth.

When the religious police get their undies in a bundle at Jesus attending a party with a guest list loaded with sinners, the Lord says, “Those who are well (Gr. hugiaino) have no need for a physician, but those who are sick” (Lk 5:31). FYI, if you’re constantly pointing out just how sinfully sick everybody else is, you’re the one who needs to make an appointment to see the Great Physician. When Christ heals Roman army officer’s nearly dead employee, the good doctor describes how folks got back home and “they found the servant well (Gr. hugiaino)” (Lk 7:10).

Earlier in this letter, Paul made the point that God’s law is good when used properly, especially when applied to those who lived “contrary to sound (Gr. hugiaino) doctrine” (1Tim 1:10). Jesus’ teaching is the ultimate source of wellness. His Gospel causes us to grow in healthy ways. When we’re connect to Christ, we thrive. “I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in Me and I in Him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing” (Jn 15:5). Did you catch that? We can’t do a single thing of lasting value without Him. When we stay hooked up to Jesus, He produces all sorts of fruity goodness in our lives. In case you’re wondering what that looks like, check out what Paul calls Holy Spirit fruit. “Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control” (Gal 5:22-23). Healthy teaching produces a healthy harvest.

That’s in sharp contrast to that sick stuff peddled by the false teachers. Their spiritual snake oil not only doesn’t heal but it makes actually makes people sicker than they were before. Any false gospel garbage not only stinks up the joint but is incredibly unhealthy for everyone around it. It can’t continue. It needs to be cleaned up and taken to the dump. Accept no substitutes.

Here’s an important part of church life that some of us don’t like to talk about. There are critical times when you have to confront folks who are teaching something other than the true Gospel of Jesus. Yeah, we want the church to be a place of love and grace. But in order to get there, evil and wrong must be dealt with. Jesus places pastors and church leaders in the position to protect His flock. When wolves infiltrate and start spreading their stinking thinking, drastic measures are required. They must be confronted. They must be shut down. Radical measures must be taken. 

The second warning sign of a garbage gospel is when it drives us and those around us further from the Father. The legit Good News is “the teaching that accords with godliness” (v3). Paul uses a Greek word for “godliness” (Gr. eusebeia) that means reverence toward God. It’s actually a compound word: “good (eu-) worship (-sebeia).” This is a powerful reminder that our worship isn’t limited to singing a few of our favorite songs on Sunday morning led by a guy in skinny jeans holding an acoustic guitar. We worship the Lord with how we live our lives, love our families, and work our jobs. That’s godliness. Good worship urges us to move closer to God.

Godliness is reverence toward God in all that we do. Everything we do is an act of worship to Jesus. It’s living life with our eyes on heaven. You’ve probably heard about someone who was so heavenly minded that they were no earthly good. Nothing could be farther from the truth. We become effective spreaders of His salt and shiners of His light when we remember all that He’s done for us that we could never do for ourselves.

The idea of godliness is one of the really big ideas in this letter. We’re to pray for our political leaders “that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly (Gr. eusebeia) and dignified in every way”(1Tim 2:2). Paul may have written a huge chunk of the NT, but even he can’t wrap his brain around the “mystery of godliness (Gr. eusebeia)” (1Tim 3:16). If you’re a follower of Christ, you should “train yourself for godliness (Gr. eusebeia)” because “godliness (Gr. eusebeia) is of value in every way” (1Tim 4:7-8). 

Spiritual hucksters have cooked up a scheme to make a fast buck because they think that “godliness (Gr. eusebeia) is a means of gain” (1Tim 6:5). What they’ve missed is “godliness (Gr. eusebeia) with contentment” is the key to true success and satisfaction in life” (1Tim 6:6). Instead piling up cash, we should be sprinting after “righteousness, godliness (Gr. eusebeia), faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness” (1Tim 6:11). Good worship draws us closer to God. Phony teaching drives us further from the Father.

The bad news is there’s a lot of crap out there. Two thousand years later, there’s still a ton of bad teaching that people peddle as truth. Want to know how to tell the difference between Jesus’ legit message of Good News and every fraud posing as real faith? Paul says listen for a couple of alarms. First, does it line up with everything Jesus said and taught in the Gospels? Two, does provoke a lifestyle of good worship or send folks further from the Father? When it comes to the Gospel, accept no substitutes.