2 Timothy 3:1-9 Question 7-8; QC and SG accountability

 7. These people make their livings but exploiting the weaknesses of a certain kind of woman. Verses 6-7 describe such a woman's character. How would you paraphrase that description?

• 'weak willed': Literally 'weak'  Easily influenced, no convictions. Always changing their minds.unable to say ‘no’.
• 'loaded down with sins' ; have a bad conscience about many matters - their hearts are always condemning them so they are never at peace.
  
• 'swayed by all kinds of evil desires': unable to control their fleshly appetites
  
• 'always learning but never able to acknowledge the truth' : always looking for the newest fad or teaching, so that they don't have to deal with their refusal to live their lives according to basic truths

Are women weaker than men?

In some ways.  

"Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered." (1 Pet 3:7). This almost certainly means physically weaker, in which case the man will be tempted to dominate their wives in a wrong way. It probably also means that women are more emotionally sensitive 

 

“For Adam was formed first, then Eve; and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor” (1 Tim 2:13–14) i.e. Adam received the fruit from Eve, whereas it was Eve who was deceived by Satan (Gen 3:13). The creation order was subverted. Women are more prone to deception when they take on a leadership role against the created order.

Do women like the ones in verses 6-7 live in our community? If so, what can the church do to help them resist clever deluders?

 

8. In what sense do men like those described in 2 Tim 2:6-18 and 3:1-9 'oppose the truth'? (3:8)

They not only mishandle (2:15), but 'have swerved' (2:18) from and do not have a true 'knowledge' (2:15) of the truth. (c.f. Tit 1:16).

• They used the truth for their own purposes and followed their own opinions.
  
• 'Corrupted in mind' and 'disqualified regarding the faith' (3:8) further clarify that these are not true believers, although they present themselves as such. The first tells us that their error begins from wrong thinking.
  
•  Pharaoh's magicians (Exo 7:8-13) "did the same [as Moses] by their secret arts". They replicated an authentic work of God, although they could not match its power. Yet they were able to result in Pharaoh's heart becoming hardened.
• Do they know what they are opposing? The fact that they 'mishandle' and 'swerve from' it implies that they may know or have some grasp of the truth, but still choose to fight against it for their own reasons.

a) What is a 'depraved mind'?

A mind that is corrupt, perverted from its original purpose to acknowledge and honour God

b) Compare Paul's description of depraved people in 3:2-8 to another in Rom 1:28-32. How are they similar and different?

²⁸ And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. ²⁹ They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, ³⁰ slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, ³¹ foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. ³² Though they know God's righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.Rom 1:28-32

 All are bad characteristics. But Rom 1 speaks of the world as a whole; 2 Ti 3 speaks of apparent Christians who are not so obviously evil.

c) What kind of mind should a Christian have? 

 A renewed mind

Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.(Rom 12:2)

to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.(Eph 4:22-24)

A mind focused on spiritual realities, not on earthly realities 

If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. ³ For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.(Col 3:1-3)

 

 

 If we had lived in the time of Jesus, how would we know that He was who He claimed to be?
 
 Jesus pointed to at least 3 lines of evidence that He was truly the Messiah:
1. The testimony of the Scriptures
"You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me" (Jn 5:39)

2. The miracles He did
“I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father's name bear witness about me" (Jn 10:25)"but if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.” (Jn 10:38)

 3. The unique authority of His teaching 

"And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, for he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes." (Mt 7:28-29)

"And they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, “What is this? A new teaching with authority" (Mk 1:27a) 

The officers answered, “No one ever spoke like this man!” (Jn 7:46)

 

4. The quality of His moral character
"Which one of you convicts me of sin?" (Jn 8:46)
 You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? "So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit." (Mt 6:16-18)
 

We would not accept in our time that anyone,  even those who appear to fulfill these characteristics, would be the Messiah unless there was a visible manifestation of God's glory at His return.

"So, if they say to you, ‘Look, he is in the wilderness,’ do not go out. If they say, ‘Look, he is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather."(Mt 24:26-28)

 

We celebrated Joyce's birthday (tomorrow)