The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Timothy — Section 50

lcngtheneil out to them II mingling of Rens11al and intellectual gratificati.,n. 2. With- 1ta11din_q the truth. (1) 'l'ype of their o-ppo,s,:tion. "And like aR Jannes anrl Jambres withstood Moses, BO do these 11leo withst!lnd the truth; 111e11 corrnptc,I ;r, min-1, repru• hate co11cerning the faith." 'fhe o.poetle here rnnkcs uHe nf Hel,rew tr-•diti0n. Jannes and Jambres a.re not mentioned in the Old Testamrnt, but Hebrew tradition identifies them with the chief of the magicians who withstood Moses. Aaron cast down his rod before Pharaoh, and it became a serpent; and the magici,rns "they also did in lik,· manuer with their enchantments." It is Riso recorded that they sncceeded in imitating the first two plagues. 'fhey thns withstood Moses--stood between him and the effect which his miracles were intended to produce oo PIJR.raoh. So the false teachers produced a spurious imitation of the truth, teaching what resembled the gospel without being the gospel. As the gospel teachers had also to a late perio<l (Gal. iii. 5) the power of working miracles, so we can understand that these teachers made nse of magical arts in confirmation of their quasi-gospel teaching. They thus withstood the truth--came between the gospel and the ,-ffect it was 6t1ed to pro Ince. In thus acting they were corrupted in mind; their motives were not good. Their object was not to advance the truth, or to benefit those whom they taught, but to advance themselves and to obtain their own ends with their female converts. They were also reprobate co11cerning the faith; they were m"lling it ab11nclantly clear that their adherence to the faith was a complete failurl'. (~) Type of their defeat. "But tbey shall proceed no further: for their fully shall be evident unto a.II men, as theirs also came to be." So Luther u.sed to say of the priests by whom l,e was opposed. The false teachers used secret and spurious methods with success; but, though they might wax worse and worse themselves (ver. 13), the tirue of their exposure was come. So was it with Jannes a11d Jambres. Tiley were in u11disturbccl poss,•ssion of power till Moses appeared en the scene. They seemed to be succeeding when they turned their own rods into serpents; but they suffered defeat when Aaron's rod swallowe,I up their rods. Tbey seemed to be recovering their success when they in,itated the first plague, and again when they imitateJ the second pla"ue; but they were baffled in their attempt to imitate the third pl"gue. They were in con- nection with another plague shown to be defeated, when they could not stand before Moses because of the boils. Moses succeeded in getting the chil,lren of Israel out of Egypt; and Hebrew tradition tells that Jannes and Jambres perished in the Red Sea. This is the history of all false teaching, of all spiritual trickery. It may succeed for a time, but its very success o[ten works its ruin. The time comes when its impostnres are found out, and it can proceed no further. So we can believe that the ~reat develop- ment of -,vii in the last days will end in complete exposure, and in the brilliant triumph of good. 111. CONTRAST IN TIMOTHY. 1. Timothy reminded of hia condnct at aformer period, which was a foUowing of Paul as his guiding star. (1) .A leadiug up to sufferings. "But thou didst fotic,w my teaching, conduct, purpose, faith, ioug-suffering, love, patience, persecutions, sufferings." The period referred to is Timothy's early ministry. He then acted as assistant to l'aul, and what Paul gratefully calls to mind was bis close following of him as a disciple. He not only foll.,wed him so as to be familiar with details, but followed him so as to direct his course by what he saw in him. The great lines of his teaching, the great linee of his conduct, Timothy made bis own. The special purtJoSe of his life (ruling so many details), which was to spread the gospel of Christ, was also after Paul. St>, too, was his disposition towards Christ, viz. faith, especially in his power to make his gospel to tell upon men. So, too, was his dis(-IO• 1ition toward opponents, viz. his long-suffering with their bitter opposition. So, too, was hie disposition toward those in whose interest be laboured, viz. love for their souls. So, too, was his disposition under a.II the adverse conditions of his mini.try, as appuinted for him, viz. patience. 'l'his forms a point of transith.in to past troublous times when Paul was persecuted, and persecuted so as to be a sufferer in many ways. Even to the apostle's persecut-ions and sufferings Timothy's following extended; i.e. be, thoroughly appreciated the fidelity which led to them and brave bearing under ti.am. They may have had to do with his joinin 5 the apostle, an,d determined his own re_lation to perse- cutionw and sufferings. (2) Suffering, specified . ." Wnat things befell me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra; what persecutions I endured." At Antioch he suffered expul- 11011. At Iconium he had to flee from mo.ltrPatment, particularly stoning. At Lystra, 16  THE SECOND EPISTLE TO TIMOTHY. [cu. m.1-17.