In this episode of Add Bible, explore the timeless wisdom of 2 Timothy 3 with us. Learn how adherence to Scripture equips us for every good work, even amidst the chaotic conditions of the last days. Through thoughtful journal reflections and practical advice, find encouragement to engage more deeply with God’s Word and consider its vital role in nurturing spiritual resilience.
Welcome to Add Bible, an audio daily devotion from the Ezra Project. Allen J. Huth shares a Bible passage with comments from over 35 years of his personal Bible reading journals and applies the Word of God to our daily lives.
SPEAKER 03 :
Today we are in 2 Timothy chapter 3. This is one of my favorite chapters of all of Scripture. So let’s listen to Faith Comes by Hearing’s reading of the 17 verses of 2 Timothy 3.
SPEAKER 02 :
2 Timothy 3 But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good— Treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness but denying its power. Avoid such people. For among them are those who creep into households and capture weak women, burdened with sins and led astray by various passions, always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth. Just as Janus and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men also opposed the truth, men corrupted in mind and disqualified regarding the faith. But they will not get very far, for their folly will be plain to all, as was that of those two men. You, however, have followed my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness, my persecutions and sufferings that happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, and at Lystra, which persecutions I endured. Yet from them all the Lord rescued me. Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil people and imposters will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it, and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.
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Okay, here we go with some insightful journal entries from 1992, 2002, and 2012. We’ll begin with that first one in 1992. Listen to this. We must be in the last days because we have all these problems. And I was referring to verses 1 through 9. Children disobedient to parents, ungrateful, lovers of money, S&L scandal, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, AIDS, abortion, a form of godliness, religion without Christ, always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. And I wrote, going on all over our country. Then I quoted verse nine, but they will not make further progress. And then I wrote, amen, stop them, Lord. But you follow my teaching. Yes, Lord. So all the way back in 1992, I was saying we must be in the last days because we have all the problems listed in the first nine verses of this chapter. It’s 25 years later. These problems are probably more evident today than then. By the way, SNL scandal was the savings and loans scandal going on back then. Well, let’s see if it gets any better in 2002. I wrote, Godly living is not easy living. Paul suffered greatly. Many have for the cause of Christ. If Christianity is not the only way, why suffer? If everybody is going to make it anyway, who cares about doctrine, manner of life, etc.? ? Christianity would be no threat to anyone then. So why persecute it? Because it shines truth in darkness and darkness doesn’t like light. Wow, that’s kind of profound, isn’t it? That was in 2002. Let’s see what I said in 2012. In 2012, I divided up this chapter. So I read the first nine verses on one day and the rest of the chapter the second day. And I wrote, I wonder if every generation since Paul and Timothy saw these characteristics. We certainly would say these verses apply to us today. Again, today there is information overload, but little knowledge of the truth. Paul calls fake teaching folly. We have much of it today. And then on the second day I wrote, What is Christianity like? And I quoted verse 12. All who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. I wrote, all will be while evil people get away with their behavior. Life is not fair. Then I continue to write, Scripture unveils salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. And then, all Scripture is God-breathed. It is His Word, not the words of men. I mentioned in the introduction to the book of 2 Timothy that there would be a description of the last days, and it would be more true than anything we’d see in a Hollywood movie. Well, here it is in the first nine verses of this chapter. Let’s see what Paul says the condition of the world will be like in the last days. As I go through this list, you kind of mentally check them off if you think that they are applicable today. Here we go. Lovers of self. lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness but denying its power. I don’t know about you, but I think I did a mental checkmark on every one of those things. And there’s one more. Always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth. We are in the information age. There is more knowledge, more access to information on our smartphones than we’ve ever had in the history of the world. We can ask Google anything. But does Google really have the answers to life? Paul’s warning is clear. In the last days, we will always be learning, but never able to arrive at the knowledge of the truth. May I offer you a thought today? Might you spend more time in the truth, and that’s where? That’s God’s Word, than in Google. We can all have a knowledge of the truth. John 17, 17 says, sanctify them in the truth. Thy word is truth. And how do we know that God’s word is truth? Well, this chapter declares it. Verse 16 says, all scripture is breathed out by God. That means the Bible, from cover to cover, is God’s Word. And because it’s God’s Word, it is profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work. So if you’re concerned about the last days, if you’re concerned about knowledge, but without knowledge of the truth, if you want to be trained in righteousness, if you want to be equipped for every good work in this life, then spend time in God’s Word each and every day. Yes, Lord, we may be in the last days. We see the evidence by the characteristics described by Paul all around us. But you also tell us right here, we can know truth. We thank you that you loved us enough to provide truth, your word. Holy Spirit, draw us into it each and every day of our lives. And as you do, teach us, train us in righteousness, equip us for every good work. Thank you. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen. If you believe that in the last days the world is going to need truth, God’s Word, join the Ezra Project in making that possible. These AdBible podcasts can outlive all of us. Maybe God will use them as a beacon of truth in the last days, whenever they may be. Will you help us? The Ezra Project is a small yet very efficient ministry. Every financial gift matters to our success. Invest in the last days. Invest in AdBible. Visit EzraProject.net to do so. And we will thank you for your partnership. Thanks for listening to AdBible today. You know, sometimes we need a plumb line, a true north, a solid basis of truth to live life. We’re not going to find it in the media or in social media or Google or your friends, but it is available right at your fingertips. Pilate asked Jesus in John 18, 38, what is truth? The chapter before, Jesus had answered the question in his prayer to God for his disciples. In the 17th verse, Jesus pleads with the Father, Sanctify them in the truth. Thy word is truth. So what would it be like if everyone, everywhere, read the Bible every day? Wow, it might be heaven on earth. What would it be like if every Christian read the Bible every day? Would we be better ambassadors for Christ? What would it be like if everyone in your community read the Bible every day? Would we have greater impact in our communities? And what would it be like if you personally read the Bible every day? Could you use a closer walk with Jesus? Could you use a light unto your path and a lamp unto your feet to walk through this life? Could you use a spiritual power surge in your life? Matthew 22, 29, Jesus speaking to the Sadducees said, You are mistaken not understanding the Scriptures or the power of God. Yes, the Scriptures can give us power to live this life. So I’m going to give you three easy action steps to make the Bible worth your time each and every day. Number one, commit to daily Bible readings. Commit to seek God and His Word daily, every day. And if you miss a day, start again the next day. Change your belief about God’s Word to behavior in God’s Word. Use any of our Ezra Project resources to help you. Visit EzraProject.net to get an Ezra Project Bible reading journal. or one of our day-by-day through the Bible books. Commit today and visit EzraProject.net for easy-to-use resources for your daily time in God’s Word. Number two, be intentional. Decide what you want out of your Bible reading. I got to visit the headquarters of Back to the Bible once in Lincoln, Nebraska, and in one hallway down one side, they had scribbled all the reasons people say they don’t read the Bible. On the other side were all the reasons people do read the Bible, and I want to give you some of those to encourage you. On that wall, it said, God wants me to. Yes, God wants you to read the Bible. Do you want to meet with Him daily? Because He’ll meet with you every day through His Word. Number two, it changes me. Where could you be in one year with more Bible reading in your life? Number three, it improves my outlook on life. Yeah, turn out the bad news and saturate yourself with good news from the Word of God. Number four, it keeps me grounded. Yes, when the storms of life come, and they will, can you stand? Yes, you’ll stand better and more solid because you’re in the Word of God. Next, it keeps my heart soft. Yeah, Nehemiah 8, when people heard the word, they wept and they worshipped. You will do the same as the word softens your heart. Lastly, on the wall it said, it keeps my daily focus on God. Yeah, that’s a great reason to read the Bible. You’ll gain the spiritual power to live life in our secular world. And then thirdly and lastly, feed your soul. Let God minister to your soul. Hebrews 4.12 says the Word of God pierces between your soul and your spirit, between joints and marrow, and is the discerner of the thoughts and intents of your heart. Nothing else goes that deep. I don’t know where the place is between my soul and my spirit, but I want to put the Word of God there each and every day of my life. I hope you do too. God bless you as you spend time in God’s Word.
