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| 2 Timothy 3:7 |
Ever learning, and never able to come
to the knowledge of the truth.
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Note:
before doing a study on any
single verse, read all the verses from the beginning
of the chapter to this point and maybe a verse or
two beyond. Do this so you have the verse in context
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This section consists of two verses.
2 Timothy 3:6-7
6 For of this sort are they which creep into houses,
and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led
away with divers lusts,
7 Ever learning, and never able to come to the
knowledge of the truth.
Let us begin with the Barclay
SEDUCTION IN THE NAME OF RELIGION
First the verses paraphrased.
2 Timothy 3:6–7
For from among these there come those who enter into
houses, and take captive foolish women, laden with
sins and driven by varied desires, ready to listen
to any teacher but never able to come to a knowledge
of the truth.
THE Christian emancipation of women inevitably
brought its problems. We have already seen how
secluded the life of the respectable Greek woman
was, how she was brought up under the strictest
supervision, how she was not allowed ‘to see
anything, to hear anything, or to ask any
questions’, how she never appeared alone on the
streets, even on a shopping expedition, and how she
was never allowed even to appear at a public
meeting. Christianity changed all that, and a new
set of problems arose. It was only to be expected
that certain women would not know how to use their
new liberty. There were false teachers who were
quick to take advantage of that.
Irenaeus [i'ruh-NEE-uhs],
who was the Bishop of Lyons at the end of the second
century, draws a vivid picture of the methods of
just such a teacher in his day. True, he is telling
of something which happened later than this; but the
wretched story would be the same (Against Heresies,
1:13:3). There was a certain heretic called Marcus,
who dealt in magic. ‘He devotes himself specially to
women, and those such as are well-bred, and
elegantly attired, and of great wealth.’ He tells
such women that by his spells and incantations he
can enable them to prophesy. One woman protests that
she has never done so and cannot do so. He says:
‘Open your mouth, speak whatsoever occurs to you,
and you shall prophesy.’ The woman, thrilled to the
heart, does so and is deluded into thinking that she
can prophesy. ‘She then makes the effort to reward
Marcus, not only by the gift of her possessions (in
which way he has collected a very large fortune),
but also by yielding up to him her person, desiring
in every way to be united to him, that she may
become altogether one with him.’ The technique would
be the same in the days of Timothy as it was in the
later days of Irenaeus [i'ruh-NEE-uhs].
There would be two ways in which these heretics in
the time of Timothy could exert an evil influence.
We must remember that they were Gnostics and that
the basic principle of Gnosticism was that spirit
was altogether good and matter altogether evil. We
have already seen that that teaching resulted in one
of two things. The Gnostic heretics taught either
that, since matter is altogether evil, a rigid
self-denial must be practised and all the things of
the body as far as possible eliminated, or that it
does not matter what we do with the body, and its
desires can be indulged in to the limit because they
do not matter. The Gnostics who were infiltrating
the churches would teach these doctrines to
impressionable women. The result would often be
either that the woman broke off married
relationships with her husband in order to live the
life of self-denial, or that she gave her physical
instincts full play and abandoned herself to
promiscuous relationships. In either case, home and
family life were destroyed.
It is still possible for some teachers to gain an
undue and unhealthy influence over others,
especially when those people are impressionable.
It is Paul’s charge that such people are ‘willing to
learn from anyone, and yet never able to come to a
knowledge of the truth’. E. F. Brown has pointed out
the danger of what he calls ‘intellectual curiosity
without moral earnestness’. There is a type of
person who is eager to discuss every new theory, who
is always to be found deeply involved in the latest
fashionable religious movement, but who is quite
unwilling to accept the day-to-day discipline – even
drudgery – of living the Christian life.
No amount of intellectual curiosity can ever take
the place of serious moral resolve. We are not meant
to titillate our minds with the latest intellectual
crazes; we are meant to purify and strengthen
ourselves in the moral battle to live the Christian
life. ~Barclay Commentary
Let us go to the other commentaries. We will begin
with the general and go to the specific as we
usually do.
The Matthew Henry commentary in this area covers
verses 1-9 and what follows is me jumping into the
commentary for verse 6 and going through verse 7.
III. Here Paul warns Timothy to take heed of certain
seducers, not only that he might not be drawn away
by them himself, but that he might arm those who
were under his charge against their seduction.
1. He shows how industrious they were to make
proselytes (2 Timothy 3:6): they applied themselves
to particular persons, visited them in their houses,
not daring to appear openly; for those that do evil
hate the light, John 3:20. They were not forced into
houses, as good Christians often were by
persecution; but they of choice crept into houses,
to insinuate themselves into the affections and good
opinion of people, and so to draw them over to their
party. And see what sort of people those were that
they gained, and made proselytes of; they were such
as were weak, silly women; and such as were wicked,
laden with sins, and led away with divers lusts. A
foolish head and a filthy heart make persons,
especially women, an easy prey to seducers.
Quoted verse:
John 3:20
For every one that doeth evil hateth the light,
neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should
be reproved.
2. He shows how far they were from coming to the
knowledge of the truth, though they pretended to be
ever learning, 2 Timothy 3:7. In one sense we must
all be ever learning, that is, growing in knowledge,
following on to know the Lord, pressing forward; but
these were skeptics, giddy and unstable, who were
forward to imbibe every new notion, under pretence
of advancement in knowledge, but never came to a
right understanding of the truth as it is in Jesus.
~Matthew Henry Main
Now to the Matthew Henry Concise. We have read this
before as it covers verses 1-9 and must be a part of
the record for each lesson covering those verses.
Even in gospel times there would be perilous times;
on account of persecution from without, still more
on account of corruptions within. Men love to
gratify their own lusts, more than to please God and
do their duty. When every man is eager for what he
can get, and anxious to keep what he has, this makes
men dangerous to one another. When men do not fear
God, they will not regard man. When children are
disobedient to their parents, that makes the times
perilous. Men are unholy and without the fear of
God, because unthankful for the mercies of God. We
abuse God's gifts, if we make them the food and fuel
of our lusts. Times are perilous also, when parents
are without natural affection to children. And when
men have no rule over their own spirits, but despise
that which is good and to be honoured. God is to be
loved above all; but a carnal mind, full of enmity
against him, prefers any thing before him,
especially carnal pleasure. A form of godliness is
very different from the power; from such as are
found to be hypocrites, real Christians must
withdraw. Such persons have been found within the
outward church, in every place, and at all times.
There ever have been artful men, who, by pretences
and flatteries, creep into the favour and confidence
of those who are too easy of belief, ignorant, and
fanciful. All must be ever learning to know the
Lord; but these follow every new notion, yet never
seek the truth as it is in Jesus. Like the Egyptian
magicians, these were men of corrupt minds,
prejudiced against the truth, and found to be quite
without faith. Yet though the spirit of error may be
let loose for a time, Satan can deceive the nations
and the churches no further, and no longer, than God
will permit. ~Matthew Henry Concise
I want to share some things from the Biblical
Illustrator that speaks to what this verse is
talking about. What the Biblical Illustrator does
for each verse is to compile any number of
dissertations on the subject or subjects of the
verse. This verse is about individuals engaging in
learning but not finding the truth.
Resultless study
What would be thought of a chemist who should
conduct an experiment day after day, making a number
of little variations in his method, but always
withholding the deciding element from the crucible,
or else persistently refusing to look at the result?
Or what would be thought of a merchant always
reckoning up his figures, but never writing down the
final sums? Or what of a captain who should sail his
ship in a circle? Or of a traveller always on the
road, never reaching home or inn?
~Biblical Illustrator
Here is another piece from the commentary.
Ever learning, never attaining
This is one of the features of the “perilous times”
of the “last days.” “Men shall be selfish.” This
lies at the root of all. Self enthroned where God
ought to be—self pampered, to the neglect alike of
duty and charity—this will explain anything in the
longest and blackest list of vices. The text
presents another characteristic of the perilous
times. These selfish men, without natural affection,
despisers of all that is good, lovers of pleasures
more than lovers of God, yet tenacious [tuh-ney-shuh
s] of the form
of that godliness of which they have utterly set at
naught the power, shall exercise a strange empire,
none the less, over the homes and over the lives and
over the consciences of women. Professing themselves
religious, calling themselves teachers of truth,
they will insinuate themselves into houses, and
captivate by their offers of an indulgent and
accommodating Christianity, just those who need
above all others a discipline of plain
speaking—silly women laden with sins, led this way
and that way by divers lusts. It is of these
captives, these victims, of a debased and degenerate
teaching, that the words of the text were written.
There are those who, though they are ever learning,
are never able to arrive at this sort of knowledge
of truth. They are not careless hearers, they are
not inattentive readers, they are not uninterested
inquirers. If they were this, the wonder of the
non-attainment would be at an end. But there is a
wonder. The cry and the complaint is, “I am always
learning. I never allow a new book, which promises
light upon some part of the truth, to escape my
notice. I am athirst for knowledge; I would give all
I possess to be quite sure.”
1. There is in some minds an impatience of process
and progress, fatal of itself to safe and solid
attainment. “By little and little” is the motto of
the spiritual dealing, whether it be in the “putting
out of enemies” or in the discovery of truth.
2. Another cause of disappointment lies in confusion
of thought as to the nature of spiritual certainty.
If God speaks, certainly He will give me proof of
it; but a proof in the same region and in the like
material with the thing to be proved; not an
evidence of sight, touch, or smell, as to things
which, by their very hypothesis, lie outside it, but
an evidence appealing to conscience, heart, and
soul, as He made each; satisfying the whole (not
one part) of me, that the thing of which
He gives me the information is beneficial, is
wholesome, is good for me—and, because good,
therefore also true.
3. A further error contributes, in many, to this
defeat of knowing, and it is the want of instant
action on the footing of the thing learned. Many men
listen to a sermon without the slightest intention
of doing any one single thing in consequence. A man
has been interested in a treatise upon Prayer, upon
Inspiration, upon the Atonement. He closes the book
with a feeling of satisfaction—now he can give a
reason for the hope that is in him. Yet he feels
that he has not “come to the knowledge” of that
truth. It is not a part of him. It does not enter
into his thought, mind, and life. It does not
influence him; it has not flowed into him—for that
is influence; it will not flow out from him into any
one else. Why is this? Because he has not acted upon
the thing learned. He has not carried out the
acquisition of the head into the heart, if that is
its province; or into the conduct, if its region of
operation is there. A man powerfully impressed with
the reasonableness of prayer will instantly set
himself to pray with a new stimulus and a new
intensity. If he does not he may have “learned”—as
Paul would have us distinguish—but he cannot be said
to “know.” A man who has received a new instruction
on the subject of inspiration, forthwith opens his
Bible, kneels on his knees with it, feels the breath
of God in it all as he reads, and echoes each
sentence of it in earnest prayer.
~Biblical Illustrator
Let us go now to the specific commentaries.
The verse is broken out in two parts though most
commentaries speak to only one of these parts.
Ever learning - That
is, these “silly women;” for so the Greek demands.
The idea is, that they seem to be disciples. They
put themselves wholly under the care of these
professedly religious teachers, but they never
acquire the true knowledge of the way of salvation.
And never able to come to the
knowledge of the truth - They may learn many
things, but the true nature of religion they do not
learn. There are many such persons in the world,
who, whatever attention they may pay to religion,
never understand its nature. Many obtain much
speculative acquaintance with the “doctrines” of
Christianity, but never become savingly acquainted
with the system; many study the constitution and
government of the church, but remain strangers to
practical piety; many become familiar with the
various philosophical theories of religion, but
never become truly acquainted with what religion is;
and many embrace visionary theories, who never show
that they are influenced by the spirit of the
gospel. Nothing is more common than for persons to
be very busy and active in religion, and even to
“learn” many things about it, who still remain
strangers to the saving power of the gospel.
~Barnes Notes
Let us look at the Adam Clarke:
Ever learning - From
their false teachers, and never able to come to the
knowledge of the truth, because that teaching never
leads to the truth; for, although there was a form
of godliness, which gave them a sort of authority to
teach, yet, as they denied the power of godliness,
they never could bring their votaries [voh-tuh-ree--devoted
following, worshipping adherent of God] to the
knowledge of the saving power of Christianity.
There are many professors of Christianity still who
answer the above description. They hear, repeatedly
hear, it may be, good sermons; but, as they seldom
meditate on what they hear, they derive little
profit from the ordinances of God. They have no more
grace now than they had several years ago, though
hearing all the while, and perhaps not wickedly
departing from the Lord. They do not meditate, they
do not think, they do not reduce what they hear to
practice; therefore, even under the preaching of an
apostle, they could not become wise to salvation.
~Adam Clarke
We will finish with the John Gill:
Ever learning - Some
new notion and practice or another: and never able
to come to the knowledge of the truth; partly
because of the teachers, which they heap up to
themselves, who are unapt to teach, are blind and
ignorant guides, and know not the truth, but are
enemies to it, and resist it; and partly because of
themselves, the sins they are laden, and the lusts
they are led away with, which hinder them from
coming to the knowledge of the truth.
~John Gill |
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