“But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived.”
2 Timothy 3:13
Paul warns Timothy that there will be “evil men” and “impostors” that will work to destroy the church. These two groups aren’t the same. The term “Evil men” refers to those who will attack the church from the outside. They will pass laws and ordinances that openly are anti-Christian. They will do everything in their power to persecute the church and Christians.
The term “Impostors” refers to those who claim to be Christian but work to destroy the church from the inside. These people are more difficult to spot. They have a religious sense about them, but they have no real relationship with the Lord. These are the people who teach “compromise with the world.” They tend to be more liberal in their belief of Scripture, believing that the Bible is a book of moral suggestions rather than the very Word of God.
Both groups are being deceived and are actively deceiving others. It is sad to be deceived, but it is worse when you deceive others. Jesus said that it would better that a millstone be tied around your neck and be cast in the sea, than to deceive one of His little ones. Beloved, I consider it an awesome responsibility to teach God’s Word. We are accountable to the Lord for everything we teach.
Paul warned that these two groups would increase as time went on. Beloved, we see it today in our society. We need to stay faithful to following the Word of God.
- Pray for those who hurting
- Pray for the Lost to hear the Gospel
- Pray for Churches