II Timothy 3:1-9 Powerless Opposition.
We know from other passages of scripture that ‘the last days’ is that time of transition between old and new covenant administrations, and the revelatory canonical word associated with it (v. 1 Cf. Dt. 4:30; Heb. 1:2). This period was characterized as a period of great stress. It was also populated by many who showed themselves as “lovers of themselves and lovers of money…lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God” (vv. 2-4). Of all the descriptives which Paul used they all had one thing in common, they had “a form of godliness” but without the power. These were religious people who didn’t know the power of the gospel (Rom. 1:16). The sad truth is there are people who fit this description in every age. We are still called to turn away from such-those who claim to be Christians but live contrary and unrepentant lives (v. 5). These false professors seek out the weak to lead them astray (v. 6). These take great pride in their learning, but are “never able to come to the knowledge of the truth” (v. 7). As Jannes and Jambres opposed the new dispensation of revelation with Moses, even so these were opposed to the apostles and their witness (v. 8 Cf. Ex. 7:11-12, 22; 8:7; 9:11).* However, Paul saw their end as coming as quickly as the former-not over two thousand years (v. 9)!
* “In Jewish tradition these names were given to two Egyptian magicians who opposed Moses before Pharoah (Ex. 7;8).” (NGSB p.1921)
