
Resisting False Teaching.
3 But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. 2 For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, 4 treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people. 6 For among them are those who creep into households and capture weak women, burdened with sins and led astray by various passions, 7 always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth. 8 Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, men corrupted in mind and disqualified regarding the faith. 9 But they will not get very far, for their folly will be plain to all, as was that of those two men.
10 You, however, have followed my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness, 11 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. 12 Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, 13 while evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. 14 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it 15 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. 16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. —2 Timothy 3
False Teaching: Any false idea you learn that leads you away from God, His Kingdom and his righteousness.
6 For among them are those who creep into households and capture weak women, burdened with sins and led astray by various passions, 7 always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth. 8 Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, men corrupted in mind and disqualified regarding the faith. —2 Timothy 3:6-8
Big Idea: Our Bible can protect us from destructive teaching if we know how to use it.
16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. —2 Timothy 3:16-17
But this is not the experience many of us are having with our Bibles.
First, we noticed an unprecedented drop in the percentage of Bible Users in the United States. In every study since 2018, Bible Users have accounted for between 47 and 49 percent of American adults; however, the 2022 data showed a 10-percent decrease from the same time in 2021. That means nearly 26 million Americans reduced or stopped their interaction with Scripture in the past year.
Second, our concern deepened when we looked at the Scripture engagement numbers for the United States. One in five Americans left the Scripture Engaged category in the past year (−21% or 14.7 million adults), and two in five left the Movable Middle (−44% or 28.7 million adults). Only the Bible Disengaged category grew, and at an alarming rate, up by 38 percent (45.2 million adults) in a single year. —State of the Bible 2022, American Bible Society
The truth is, for many of us our Bible is like an unused home gym. We’ve had it for years, but we don’t really know how to use it.
How to use your Bible to train effectively:
Understand its purpose: To point you to Jesus and equip you to follow Him.
39 You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, 40 yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life. —John 5:39-40
Understand its functions: Learn how all the parts work together.
The Bible Project app is incredibly helpful in learning how the parts of the Bible work together to tell one story. You can find the app here.
Use your Bible to train.
22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. 24 For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. 25 But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing. —James 1:22-25
Training Tips:
1. Set up a training schedule.
2. Vary your workout routine.
3. Get a personal trainer.
Our goal in all Bible reading is to learn the voice of Jesus.
27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. —John 10:27-28