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2 Timothy 3 Danger Within during Difficult Times
χαλεπός – chalepos –
- perhaps from G5465 through the idea of reducing the strength; difficult, i.e. dangerous, or (by implication) furious:—fierce, perilous.
But Mark This:

The Apostle Paul continues in his second epistle to pastors, beginning a central section we label, 2 TIMOTHY 3, with a reminder of danger announced in the NIV, “But mark this: ..”

But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days.

2 Timothy 3:1 NIV

You should know this, Timothy, that in the last days there will be very difficult times.

2 Tim 3:1 NLT

This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.

2 Tim 3:1 KJV

But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of stress.

2 Tim 3:1 RSV

The great enemy of God is not Nation or Ruler who turns upon God’s people from without, but the strong-speaking leader weakening the Lord’s elect from within.

Roger@TalkofJesus.com

Last Days and Difficult Times
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The last days — eschatos hēmera, difficult times — chalepos kairos... 
```
We will not speculate (as do so many) when these last days were, are or will be. The emphasis of Paul’s added reminder is NOT the last days, but his long list of evidences found in the unfaithful, whether in the first century, the time of Moses or in the 21st century of this Common Era.

Further HEADINGS of this from various Bibles:
- A warning of what to expect – J.B. Phillips New Testament
- Godlessness in the Last Days – ESV
- The Tasks of a Man of God – New Catholic Bible
  - Repulse the Onslaughts of False Teachers – [sub-heading] NCB
AND in verse 2, Paul immediately gets to his long list of characteristics (or perhaps I should say, lack of character) against which the Apostle warns.

3:2 ἔσονται γὰρ οἱ ἄνθρωποι

For men [anthrōpos – lit. human beings, whether male or female] shall be…

2 Timothy 3:2 gar anthrōpos esomai – For men shall be

Familiar (yet Infrequent) Warnings to the Church

first, from their Greek words and the King James English translation,
1. philautos – lovers of their own selves
2. philargyros – covetous
3. alazōn – boasters
4. hyperēphanos – proud
5. blasphēmos – blasphemers
6. apeithēs goneus – disobedient to parents
7. acharistos – unthankful
8. anosios – unholy
9. astorgos – Without natural affection
10. aspondos – trucebreakers
11. diabolos – false accusers
12. akratēs – incontinent
13. anēmeros – fierce
14. aphilagathos – despisers of those that are good
15. prodotēs – traitors
16. propetēs – heady
17. typhoō – highminded
18. philēdonos mallon – lovers of pleasures more
19. ē philotheos – than lovers of God;
echō morphōsis eusebeia – Having a form of godliness,

de arneomai ho dynamis autos – but denying the power thereof:

2 Timothy 3:2-4,5a Transliterated – KJV – source BLB.org
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Paul urges Timothy not to accept soft faith threating the church like a ship in a storm.
```
kai toutous apotrepō – from such turn away.

2 Timothy 3:1-5

A warning of what to expect

secondly, J.B. Phillips taking these oft-forgotten concepts directed into our more familiar English.

But you must realise that in the last days the times will be full of danger. Men will become

utterly self-centred, greedy for money, full of big words.

They will be proud and contemptuous,

without any regard for what their parents taught them.

They will be utterly lacking in gratitude, purity and normal human affections.

They will be men of unscrupulous speech and have no control of themselves.

They will be passionate and unprincipled, treacherous, self-willed and conceited, loving all the time what gives them pleasure instead of loving God.

They will maintain a facade of “religion”, but their conduct will deny its validity.

You must keep clear of people like this.

J.B. Phillips New Testament

Some English Synonyms and Scriptural Reminders

Considering a few descriptive adjectives:

Honestly, who doesn’t have some love of himself [philautos].. or love of money [philargyros] to pay our creditors?

But do you love me, Jesus asks a disciple?

Now the Pharisees, who were lovers G5366 of G5366 money G5366, were listening to all these things and were scoffing at Him [Jesus}.

Gospel of Luke 16;14
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You likely know the Old Testament command using this same word, covetous:
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Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour’s.

Exodus 20:17 KJV
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[hyperēphanos alazōn] Proud boasters WE know, not only in politics and business but in our own church. 
```
God resisteth the proud, G5244 but giveth grace unto the humble.

Epistle of James 4:6

Blasphemers

Blasphemy is an even more serious offense, much neglected in this Common Era.
- scurrilous
  - once commonly descriptive of those known for vulgar, coarse, or abusive language, especially of a malicious or slanderous nature
- or (specially) impious (against God)
But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation:

Gospel of Mark 3:29 KJV – a warning of Jesus

Disobedient to Parents
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Doesn't seem so serious, does it? 
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5:16 כַּבֵּד אֶת־אָבִיךָ וְאֶת־אִמֶּךָ

Honour thy father and thy mother, as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee

Deuteronomy 5:16a,b – Masoretic text, KJV

Commandment of the LORD and the Law of Israel.

If a man have a stubborn and rebellious son, which will not obey the voice of his father, or the voice of his mother, and that, when they have chastened him, will not hearken unto them: .. lay hold on him, and bring him out unto the elders of his city,.. And they shall say unto the elders of his city, This our son is stubborn and rebellious, he will not obey our voice.. And all the men of his city shall stone him with stones, that he die: so shalt thou put evil away from among you; and all Israel shall hear, and fear.

Deuteronomy 21:18-21 excerpt KJV

Unthankful, Unholy, ‘Unaffectionate’.. unChristian?

Every believer associates with christians who do NOT imitate Christ.
- Are YOU one of them at times?
- Do you lack affection or appear unholy to others?
Other hints of false teachers:
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We cannot cover the entire list.
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Incontinent.
- powerless, i.e. without self-control:—incontinent.
- Lacking sexual restraint; unchaste.
```
Such sins (though known, even obvious to church leaders) remain veiled to the saints, until sudden revelation unveils that their witness for Christ always fell short of the Way and the Truth of JESUS. 
```
Trucebreakers and Traitors.

These christians want to do ‘their own thing’ without public vow, or covenant.

AND they will not be convinced to refrain from such worldly things that malign Christ.

Judas wanted to follow Jesus his own way as long as the Lord led him as a conquering King of Israel.
- We can use that money for better things.
- Why should You sacrifice your Life for sinners?
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Do these descriptions point to some Judas influencing ideas behind a world-like vision of your church?
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διάβολος – diabolos

When you hear, ‘FALSE ACCUSERS’ on Paul’s list, you may not consider the weight of the Apostle’s adjective.

Recognize the ‘accuser of the brethren’ — diabolos.

[Simon Peter responds] And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.

Jesus answered them, Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil? G1228

Gospel of John 6:69-70 KJV

Avoid such people!

YES, they may be prominent members, even Elders, leaders, priests or pastors in Christ’s church where you worship.

They will maintain the outward appearance of religion but will have repudiated its power. So avoid people like these.

2 Timothy 3:5 New English Translation

a Warning to single moms!
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No, you won't find that HEADING for 2 Timothy 3:6-7 in your Bible because the very concept is false teaching of a social gospel. 
```
This danger to a first century Ephesian or Corinthian saint we might label: ‘a Warning to our Widows.’

For of this sort are those who creep into households and make captives of gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts,

always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.

2 Timothy 3:6-7 NKJV
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Those first century saints were vulnerable socially and economically moreso than 21st c. women who lead their husbands, initiate divorce amd refuse to be bound by vows of marriage. 
```
Paul’s point: whether the man or woman claiming Christ, the danger is lusts.

Enemies to the Truth

The Apostle points back to Moses who also faced such opposition, as did Timothy.

John MacArthur in his commentary points out that although Exodus shows no record of Jannes and Jambres, that Paul may know of them from other Jewish writings and traditions.

Because Jannes perhaps means “he who seduces” and Jambres “he who makes rebellion,” those may have been symbolic names given to these men at a later time. Jewish tradition holds that they pretended to convert to Judaism in order to subvert Moses’ divine assignment to liberate Israel from Egypt, that they led in making and worshiping the golden calf while Moses was on Mt. Sinai receiving the Law from God, and that they were slaughtered by the Levites along with the other idolaters (see Ex. 32).

New Testament Commentary 2 Timothy, John MacArthur, p.120

The Apostle then assures the Church and Timothy:

But they won’t get away with this for long.

Someday everyone will recognize what fools they are, just as with Jannes and Jambres.

2 Timothy 3:9 NLT

NEXT: Standing Strong against Apostasy

Talk of JESUS . com

Comment on Scripture – Share the Gospel
January 28, 2026
The Apostles Creed 8 We Believe in the Holy Spirit
And whosoever shall speak a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him;

but whosoever shall speak against the Holy Spirit,

it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, nor in that which is to come.

Gospel of Matthew 12:32 ASV

The Apostles’ Creed — foundational to our Apostolic Christian faith

I BELIEVE or WE BELIEVE IN:

We believe in ..
1. God the Father almighty,
  - Creator of heaven and earth,
2. Jesus Christ
  - God’s only Son, our Lord,
3. who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
  - born of the Virgin Mary
4. Jesus suffered under Pontius Pilate,
  - was crucified
    
    and was buried
5. On the third day He rose from the dead
6. He ascended to heaven
7. He sits in the favored place of God the Father
  - He will judge the living and the dead.
Here, the weightiness of what we have just confessed must certainly convict the faithful soul. Then follows a reiteration and underlining of the same fundamental faith:

(I or WE believe in:)
- The Holy Ghost
- more…
source: apostles-creed.org

The Apostles’ Creed

The Apostles’ Creed and other affirmations of faith were adopted corporately by the Church to refute permeating heresies plaguing believers since the time of the Apostles.

Roger@TalkofJesus.com

As Scripture states:

GOD IS ONE IN ESSENCE,

and as the Gospel reveals,

THREE IN PERSON.

More on Trinity from R.C. Sproul
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Some translations of τοῦ πνεύματος τοῦ ἁγίου - lit. the Ghost the Holy - read: Holy Spirit, while others read: Holy Ghost — hagios- most holy thing, a saint; pneuma. 
```
I believe in

the Holy Ghost

the third Person of the Trinity.

The Holy Spirit, also referred to as the Holy Ghost, is the third Person of the Holy Trinity, co-equal and co-eternal with God the Father and God the Son. The Holy Spirit is a central figure in Christian theology and is integral to the believer’s life and the Church’s mission.

Source: BibleHub.com Topical Encyclopedia

Separate Roles of the Holy Spirit

You may have thought that we had already addressed the Holy Spirit in the Apostle’s Creed.

The Apostles Creed 3- Christ Conceived by the Holy Spirit

In fact, the Creed first brings up the Spirit in relation to His role in the conception of Jesus, the Only Son of the One God, by Mary through her virgin birth of the Christ or Messiah of Israel.

Now the Creed reiterates our belief in the Person of the Holy Spirit mentioned in the Old Testament as well as the Gospels.

Once again, let’s look to the Good News of what the Only Son who has seen the Father tells His Disciples about the Holy Spirit. (And note the context of Jesus’ answers about the Spirit.)

(Possible) Good News of the Holy Spirit
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Returniing to our opening Scripture from the Gospel of Mark from the King James Version.
```
And the scribes which came down from Jerusalem said, He hath Beelzebub, and by the prince of the devils casteth he out devils.

“Verily I say unto you, All sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme:

But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation:”

Because they said, He hath an unclean spirit.

Gospel of Mark 3:22,28-30 KJV
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When the Lord Jesus was baptized by John then began His teaching as the Son of Man:
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And it came to pass in those days, that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized of John in Jordan.

And straightway coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opened,

and the Spirit like a dove descending upon him:

And there came a voice from heaven, saying,

Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

And immediately the Spirit driveth him into the wilderness.

Gospel of Mark 1:9-12 KJV

Gospel of John

For he whom God has sent utters the words of God, for he gives the Spirit without measure.

John 3:34 ESV

Whoever does not love me does not keep my words.

And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father’s who sent me.

These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you.

Gospel of John 14:24-25 ESV – the words of JESUS Christ

But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.
Gospel of John `3:26 ESV

Why Is the Holy Spirit Compared to a Dove?

Receive the Spirit!

God the Father knew you and chose you long ago,

and his Spirit has made you holy.

As a result, you have obeyed him and have been cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ. May God give you more and more grace and peace.

The Apostle Peter, Greeting from his first epistle

In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know how we ought to pray, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groans too deep for words.

The Apostle Paul’s epistle to the Romans 8:26 BSB

Who has directed the Spirit of the LORD?
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The Question is that of God speaking through the Prophet Isaiah, who the Apostle Paul later quotes [64:4] to the saints of the Corinthian church.
```
```
or informed Him as His counselor? 
Whom did He consult to enlighten Him,
and who taught Him the paths of justice?
Who imparted knowledge to Him
and showed Him the way of understanding? 
```
Isaiah 40:13-14 BSB

the mysterious and hidden wisdom of God

But God has revealed it to us by the Spirit.

The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. For who among men knows the thoughts of man except his own spirit within him?

So too, no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.

We have not received the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us.

And this is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom, but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words. The natural man does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God…

Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians 10-14a BSB

NEXT – the controversial CHURCH

Comment on Scripture – Share the Gospel
December 28, 2025
The Apostles Creed 7 He shall Judge the Living and the Dead
The Apostles’ Creed — foundational to our Apostolic Christian faith

I BELIEVE or WE BELIEVE IN:

The Apostles’ Creed

We believe JESUS will JUDGE the living and the dead.

The Quick and the Dead

Death becomes a more serious matter IF WE consider an inevitable after-life of our lifeless flesh and blood and in a prepared place of our created soul.

This failing flesh, weakening sinews, crumbling of bones, flow through our heart and quickness of brain will not endure…

nor will the very breath of our brief mortal life.

And yet.. this created soul will remain…

What then?

Redemption OR Judgment?

Structure of Christian CREEDS

Here’s a brief outline of the fundamental objects of our faith found in The Creed:
1. God
2. Jesus Christ
3. the Holy Spirit
  - and the Virgin Mary
4. Jesus was crucified
  - and was buried
5. He rose from the dead
6. He ascended to heaven
7. Siteth at the right hand of the Father (ye olde English)
8. Whence He cometh to judge the living and the dead
9. more…
source: apostles-creed.org

We believe Jesus will judge the living and the dead
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During His incarnation as the Son of Man and prior to His crucifixion Jesus had confessed:
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ἐγὼ καὶ ὁ πατὴρ ἕν ἐσμεν

“I and the Father are [*] one.”

* One in substance, one and the same.

John 10:30 LSB

As Scripture states:

GOD IS ONE IN ESSENCE,

and as the Gospel reveals,

THREE IN PERSON.

More on Trinity from R.C. Sproul
```
In our last look at the Apostles' Creed we reminded you of these Scriptures: 
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So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them,
was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God.
Gospel of Mark 16:19 ESV

From the Olde English of the King James Version of the Creed:

and sitteth at the right hande of the father: and he shall come again with glory, to judge both the quicke and the dead.

The Book of Common Prayer – 1549

Quicken me

It’s an olde concept (so to speak) found mostly in the Psalms.

My soul cleaveth unto the dust: quicken thou me according to thy word.

Psalm 119:25 KJV

Great are thy tender mercies, O LORD: quicken me according to thy judgments.

Psalm 119:156 KJV

Quicken me, O LORD, for thy name’s sake: for thy righteousness’ sake bring my soul out of trouble.

Psalm 119:11 KJV
```
From the Hebrew:
```
to live – ḥāyâ – חָיָה

But more importantly in the Apostles’ Creed:

to revive, be quickened
- from sickness
- from discouragement
- from faintness
- from death.
```
The Apostle Paul helps us with this look at the judgment of the quick and the dead:
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And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you,

he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.

Paul’s epistle to the Romans 8:10-11 KJV

He raises the dead! (that is, quickeneth)

We know it and recognize the the Apostles borrow this from the Gospel of what Christ has taught during His incarnation.

from the Greek [ζωοποιέω] it more specifically means:
- to produce alive, begat or bear living young
- to cause to live, make alive, give life
and as Jesus used it in a parable pointing to death:
- of seeds quickened into life, i.e. germinating, springing up, growing
For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will.

Gospel of John 5:21 KJV

Think of the implication of this to a mortal like us as we look toward the dust.

An the Lord Jesus assures the faithful:

It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing:
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and you believers with ears to hear, listen to this:
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the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.

Gospel of John 6:63 KJV – the word of Jesus, the son of Man and Son of God

from Christ to the Apostles to Christian Creeds

The Apostle Paul writes to the church in Ephesus — a worldly cosmopolitan city with the temple of the Greek goddess Artemis (the goddess Diana of the Romans) — in about AD 60, quoting the Prophets:

“Awake, you who sleep,
Arise from the dead,
And Christ will give you light.”

See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

Ephesisans 5:14b-16 NKJV

And the risen Christ speaks a warning against turning back from sins and heresies leading to hell, which had seduced many of the Ephesian ‘christians‘:

“Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent.

Revelation of Jesus Christ to John 2:5 NKJV

Their great falling from grace in Ephesus having taken place in the AD 90’s, a mere three decades after the Apostle Paul had pastored their church.

The historical record of the Church beyond the first century AD points to both firm doctrine and similar falling away from Christ.

Augustine of Hippo on the Apostles’ Creed
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Born: AD 354, Augustine lived an early 'willfully, decadent, pagan life' in Carthage, even taking a mistress who bore him a bastard son.  
```
Source: The Confessions of St. Augustine, Rosalie DeRosset – intro

In Carthage, Augustine’s knowledge.. he admits, made him, “swollen up with vanity” (Bk 3, chap. 6). — probably made him prey for the Manichean religion. The chief characteristic of this sect was Gnosticism, an extreme dualism that claimed evil and good as equal.

ibid. pp 13-14
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In just four centuries heresies had encompassed and seeped into the churches. Later after after St. Augustine and the fall of Rome, considerable idolatry and various heresies would invade the Catholic Church and later after Luther, the Protestant Church. 
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READ what Augustine later taught about THE APOSTLES’ CREED:

The Bishop’s text here is taken from the Gospel of Matthew 25:

“Thence He shall come to judge the quick and dead.”

The quick, who shall be alive and remain;

the dead, who shall have gone before.

It may also be understood thus: The living, the just; the dead, the unjust.

For He judges both, rendering unto each his own.

To the just He will say in the judgment, “Come, ye blessed of My Father, receive the kingdom prepared for you from the beginning of the world.” For this prepare yourselves, for these things hope, for this live, and so live, for this believe, for this be baptized, that it may be said to you, “Come ye blessed of My Father, receive the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.”

To them on the left hand, what?

“Go into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels.”

Thus will they be judged by Christ, the quick and the dead.

We have spoken of Christ’s first nativity, which is without time;

spoken of the other in the fullness of time,

Christ’s nativity of the Virgin; spoken of the passion of Christ; spoken of the coming of Christ to judgment.

The whole is spoken, that was to be spoken of Christ, God’s Only Son, our Lord. But not yet is the Trinity perfect.

Source: BibleHub.org –

“Thence He Shall Come to Judge the Quick and Dead. …

Next: A second glace at The Holy Spirit

Comment on Scripture – Share the Gospel
December 27, 2025