II Timothy Chapter IIIb

Biblical Translation: The Orthodox New Testament Vol. II., Holy Apostles Convent, Buena Vista, CO, 1999

6 For of these are those who creep into the houses and take captive little women who have been heaped up with sins, being led away by various desires, 7always learning and never able to come to a full knowledge of the truth.

The deceit of hypocrite seek to take advantage of other’s weakness
Chrysostom: “He does not accuse nature (gender), for it is not women simply, but such women as these, that he blames. And why "various desires,” by that are implied their various faults, their luxury, their disorderly conduct, their wantonness. . . that is, of glory, of wealth, of pleasure, of self-will, of honor: and perchance other vile desires are implied.”

Sin blinds a person to sin
Chrysostom: “He does not say thus to excuse, but to threaten them severely; for their understanding was callous, because they had weighed themselves down with lusts and sins.”

8Now in which manner Jannes and Jambres stood against Moses, thus also these stand against the truth, men who have been utterly corrupted in mind, reprobate concerning the faith.

Jannes … Jambres—traditional names of the Egyptian magicians who resisted Moses (Ex 7:11, 22), derived from "the unwritten teaching of the Jews" [THEODORET].

The oral Tradition of the Church
In a point so immaterial as the names, where Scripture had not recorded them, Paul takes the names which general opinion had assigned the magicians. EUSEBIUS [Preparation of the Gospel], quotes from NUMENIUS, "Jannes and Jambres were sacred scribes (a lower order of priests in Egypt) skilled in magic." HILLER interprets "Jannes" from the Abyssinian language a trickster, and "Jambres" a juggler"
Chrysostom: “Who are these? The magicians in the time of Moses. But how is it their names are nowhere else introduced? Either they were handed down by tradition, or it is probable that Paul knew them by inspiration.”
9But they shall advance no further; for their want of understanding shall be quite clear to all, as also that of those came to be.

Errors in Doctrine eventually cannot be hidden - Western Christians discovering Orthodoxy
Chrysostom: “For if errors flourish at first, they do not continue to the end, for so it is with things that are not fine by nature, but fine in appearance; they flourish for a time, and then are detected, and come to naught. But not such are our doctrines, and of these you are a witness, for in our doctrines there is no deceit, for who would choose to die for a deceit?”

10But you have closely followed my teaching, conduct, purpose, faith, long-suffering, love, patience, 11persecutions, sufferings, such as happened to me in Antioch, in Iconium, in Lystra—what persecutions I endured! And out of them all the Lord delivered me.

God delivers us from all things
Chrysostom: “There are two things that disquiet a teacher, the number of heretics, and men's deficient fortitude to endure sufferings. And yet he has said much about these, that such always have been, and always will be, and no age will be free from them, and that they will not be able to injure us, and that in the world there are vessels of gold and of silver.”

12Yes, and all those who wish to live piously in Christ Jesus shall be persecuted.

The “persecutions” of Christians
Chrysostom: “But why, he says, should I speak only of myself? Each one that will live godly will be persecuted. Here he calls afflictions and sorrows, ‘persecutions,’ for it is not possible that a man pursuing the course of virtue should not be exposed to grief, tribulation, and temptations. For how can he escape it who is treading in the strait and narrow way, and who has heard, that ‘in the world you shall have tribulation (John xvi. 33.).’ If Job in his time said, "The life of man upon earth is a state of trial (Job vii. 1, Gr.)” how much more was it so in those days?

The Nature of Spiritual Growth
Origen: “When you flee Egypt, you come to these steep ascents of work and faith. You face a tower, a sea and waves. The way of life is not pursued without the waves of temptation.”

Faith & Godliness
Athanasius: “Then, to help prevent people from renouncing godliness when they are persecuted, he urges them to cling to faith. . . just as brothers become strongly knit together when one helps another, so faith and godliness, coming from the same family, cohere together. A person who gives his attention to one of the two is strengthened by the other.”

13But evil men and cheats shall advance to the worse, leading astray and being led astray.

Our rewards are in heaven
Chrysostom: “Let none of these things, he says, disturb you, if they are in prosperity, and you in trials. Such is the nature of the case. From my own instance you may learn that it is impossible for man, in his warfare with the wicked, not to be exposed to tribulation. One cannot be in combat and live luxuriously; one cannot be wrestling and feasting. Let none therefore of those who are contending seek for ease or joyous living. Again, the present state is contest, warfare, tribulation, straits, and trials, and the very scene of conflicts. The season for rest is not now; this is the time for toil and labor. No one who has just stripped and anointed himself thinks of ease. If you think of ease, why did you prepare to fight?”

God’s punishments are to correct and instruct and to save us
Chrysostom: “If no wicked man was ever punished, no one would believe that God presides over human affairs. If all were punished, no one would expect a future resurrection, since all had received their due here. On this account He both punishes, and forbears to punish. On this account, the righteous suffer tribulation here, because they are sojourners, and strangers, and are in a foreign country. The just therefore endure these things for the purpose of trial. . . let us give thanks to God. For both are beneficial. He does nothing in hatred or enmity to us, but all things from care and consideration for us.”