Deceiving & Being Deceived
But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. 2 Timothy 3:13-15
“Evil men and impostors” are “…lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God…” (3:2-5). It is important to see them as they really are.
“Will grow worse and worse” and it shouldn’t surprise us. This shouldn’t discourage us but help us use care to draw closer and closer to the truth.
“Deceiving and being deceived” The deception of false teaching can be intentional (they don’t care if what they teach is true or not) or unintentional (they are ignorant of the truth and are sincerely wrong). The possibility of deception should drive us to self-examination and the possibility of being deceived should lead us to examining the source of what we have accepted to be true (and what we are being told is true).
“But you must continue in the things which you have learned” You are responsible for you not being deceived. We must be careful to not continue for the sake of continuing, but to continue in what we have learned because of the source. Don’t throw everything out because of what a deceiver has said. But what is the right source?
“From childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures” The source of faith and our protection against deception is the Holy Scriptures. If we don’t know the truth, how will we recognize error? Knowing the Scriptures since childhood was a big help to Timothy and will help us and future generations discern truth and error.
“Which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus” More and more people seem to base their faith on feelings, traditions, movements, and experiences rather than on what God has revealed. Scripture equips us with all we need for faith and obedience and service (2 Ti 3:16-17; 2 Pe 1:3).
Deceivers have nothing to offer us. We have all we need (and all there is) within the inspired Scriptures. Settle for less and you’ll lose everything. Don’t be deceived! dd