Introduction:

Dr. Chester Pierce Professor of Education and Psychiatry at Harvard believes that every child entering school is essentially mentally ill because the child comes to school with certain allegiances to our Founding Fathers. When you take a look at who influences our public education system, it should come as no surprise that socialism is luring our American youth away from capitalism on a daily basis. Children have been taught the principles of socialism since the mid-1900s, right under the noses of their parents and caregivers and now they are pushing CRT in our colleges and schools. Paul expounds in this passage on how these deceitful false teaching creep into the home and church.

In our last two messages we discussed some 18 different characteristics of people in the world in the last days. This will be a terrible time when people will be lovers of their own selves and covetous doing every evil imaginable. Yet, another sign of the last days will be an increase in deception through false preachers, teachers and cults.

We live in the deception of the last days, which includes secular humanism. Up to 10,000 cults exist today in the United States, according to psychologist Steve Eichel. He is a recognized international cult expert. The fastest growing religions in America are the cults. Cults begin with charismatic leaders who indoctrinate members with unorthodox beliefs. Cults include groups that claim to be Christian but have authoritative books other than the Bible and teach a way of salvation other than by faith alone in Jesus Christ. In this passage, Paul graphically gives us the information we need for detecting deceivers by describing the procedures of deceivers, the profile of deceivers, and the plight of deceivers.

I The Ploys of Deceivers (3:6-8a)

1. False teachers creep into homes (3:6a). The word translated creep means to sneak in. It is using devious methods or strategies to gain entry into homes for the purpose of teaching. . Paul knew that these dangers were in the world in his day and would be increasingly present in the last days before the return of Jesus. Today this is done primary through social media, radio, TV, printed cultic materials and indoctrinations in our schools. However, he seemed especially concerned that these would creep into households. It is one thing to have such evil present in the world; it is another thing to allow it into your home.

2. Cults have perfected the art of getting into homes through deception. They creep into homes with books called “truth” or “another testament of Jesus Christ,” which means another gospel of Jesus. Paul warned us to beware of these false teachers in Galatians 1:8.

3. They also lead captive silly women (2 Timothy 3:6a). The phrase lead captive means to “capture” someone like a prisoner of war. Paul’s words about women were not a general statement about women but referred to a certain type of women in Ephesus. The word translated silly women refers to spiritually immature women. These are women who are laden (weight down)with sins (3:6b). Paul describes how a small group of men from the world infiltrated the church and were able to prey upon the spiritually weak. In this case, the prey were weak-willed women who were literally “heaped with sin and fed by various lusts”.

Apparently they were so overwhelmed with guilt from their past sins they were attracted to deceptive religious quacks. Some of the women had probably served as prostitutes in the Temple of Diana, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, where sex was part of worship. They were led away with divers (all kinds of) lusts, which may mean they were sexually involved with the false teachers.

a. Do not let the guilt of your past overwhelm you. Our guilt makes us gullible to false teaching that makes us feel better by telling us there is more we can do to earn forgiveness and a home in heaven. God knows all about our guilt so don’t let Satan hold you a captive. Remember, if our heart is captive, we will not be able to protect the next generation. If you are enslaved and deceived ask God to forgive you. Don’t doubt God’s goodness, He loves you. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9).

4. Paul writes that these people are ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth (2 Timothy 3:7). People who are spiritually weak are always willing to listen to any charismatic teacher who comes along. They want to be a part of the latest religious movement, but they are never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. They only want to hear the sensational, not the spiritual. They want to pose as enlightened and appear to be more spiritually enlightened than the rest of us, when in fact they are ignorant of the truth. Such people are easy prey for deceivers. Detecting deceivers requires we know the

II The Profile of Deceivers (3:8b)

1. To illustrate the profile of the deceivers of the last days, Paul writes: Now as Jannes [Jan iz] and Jambres [Jam brez] withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth (3:8a). Jannes and Jambres are not mentioned in the OT but Jewish tradition says they were the Egyptian magicians who sought to duplicate Moses’ miracles in order to discredit him. When Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh to demand that he let the Israelites go, Aaron threw his staff down in front of Pharaoh, and it became a snake. Then, Pharaoh summoned his magicians. Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses with their magicians’ rods. -2 Peter 3:15-16
False teachers today fit the same profile. The magicians’ rods looked just like Aaron’s, and they seemed to have the same power. In the same way, deceivers use the same Bible and speak the same Christian cliches. The work of Satan is always to counterfeit God. Many appear to duplicate the miracles of Christ through trickery, such as fake healing services.

a) I have studied of secular news investigators who uncover secret communication devices and people paid to appear sick or crippled and then “healed” in these services. Deceivers today also tell of visions God has given them that require us to give money for God’s work to be done. Jesus describe this kind of deceiver “Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves”. Matthew 7:15

2. They are men of corrupt minds (2 Timothy 3:8b), which refers to an unchangeable condition. This means even when exposed or confronted with the truth, they will remain unchanged. Paul describes such corrupt charlatans by writing: in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils (1 Timothy 4:1).

3. Paul adds that these people with corrupt minds are reprobate concerning the faith (2 Timothy 3:8c).The word-translated reprobate was used of metals that did not pass the test of purity and were discarded. It refers to rejection because of a counterfeit or fake faith. Detecting deceivers requires we know the ploys of deceivers, the profile of deceivers, and…

III. The Plight of Deceivers (3:9)

1. While deceivers will be a problem to the church, the Bible says: But they shall proceed no further … (3:9a). Neither in Paul’s day nor ours will they strike a fatal blow against the true church. Deceivers go more and more in the direction of deceit and ungodliness. Their foolish minds become darkened, and their temporary success inflates their egos so they believe they can get by with anything. As a result, their pride and foolishness shall be manifest unto all men. They will be exposed for the true liars they are.

The Bible teaches that deceivers will intensify in numbers and efforts as the second coming draws closer. This means we must test every message we hear with God’s written Word. In this passage Paul graphically gives us the information we need for detecting deceivers by describing the procedures of deceivers, the profile of deceivers, and the plight of deceivers.

Conclusion:
Paul uses the comparison to both warn Timothy and affirm him. The warning is that people have always opposed the truth of God and those who stand with God. The affirmation is that they will not win the war.