Metaphysical Bible Interpretation of II Timothy Chapter 3
Metaphysically Interpreting II Timothy 3:1-9
3:1But know this, that in the last days grievous times shall come. 3:2For men shall be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, haughty, railers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3:3without natural affection, implacable, slanderers, without self-control, fierce, no lovers of good, 3:4traitors, headstrong, puffed up, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God; 3:5holding a form of godliness, but having denied the power therefore. From these also turn away. 3:6For of these are they that creep into houses, and take captive silly women laden with sins, led away by divers lusts, 3:7ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. 3:8And even as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also withstand the truth. Men corrupted in mind, reprobate concerning the faith. 3:9But they shall proceed no further. For their folly shall be evident unto all men, as theirs also came to be.Metaphysically Interpreting II Timothy 3:10-17
3:10But thou didst follow my teaching, conduct, purpose, faith, longsuffering, love, patience, 3:11persecutions, sufferings. What things befell me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra; what persecutions I endured. And out of them all the Lord delivered me. 3:12Yea, and all that would live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. 3:13But evil men and impostors shall wax worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. 3:14But abide thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them. 3:15And that from a babe thou hast known the sacred writings which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. 3:16Every scripture inspired of God is also profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for instruction which is in righteousness. 3:17That the man of God may be complete, furnished completely unto every good work.June 13, 1897: II Timothy 3:14-17
14. After once learning the doctrines of Truth we must “continue in them,” “knowing of whom we have learned them,” for the things of the Spirit no man can show or teach us; “flesh and blood cannot reveal them unto us, but my father which is in heaven.”
15. When the Spirit reveals to us the interior meaning of the Scriptures they make us “wise unto Salvation.”
16. Because “all Scripture, given by inspiration of God, is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.”
17. That the man of God may know his perfection in Being, and so “be thoroughly furnished for all works.”
May 16, 1915: II Timothy 3:14
The things which we have truly “learned and are assured of” are not written in any book. Truth does not come from without, but from a conviction within the mind based upon understanding. A doctrine based upon Scripture alone is fallible and changeable. We can never be established in Truth, until we see clearly that it is founded upon Universal Law, and open to the minds of all who seek for it, whether they have ever seen the Scriptures or not. The Scriptures do not make Truth; they are the statements of those who have found the Truth and who want to tell about it for the edification of others.
“Knowing of whom thou hast learned them.” Jesus said the Holy Spirit the Comforter, should come and lead into all Truth. This is the “One” referred to by Paul. The Scriptures as we have them today were not in existence; much of the New Testament had not been written. The Revised Version says: “Every Scripture inspired of God is also profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for instruction, which is righteousness.” This is very different from the statement in the Old Version that all Scripture is inspired. “Given by inspiration of God” is literally “God-breathed.” If God ever breathed into the mind of man, is he not now breathing? We open ourselves to this inspiration or inbreathing of God by our thoughts and words. If our minds are filled with the idea that inspiration ceased with Moses or Jesus or Paul, or some modern high priestess or priest, then we stop up the stream of God-thought flowing to us, and no revelation comes direct. What we get is second-handed; we measure it by the authority which we have set up as the final Word of God to man.
– UNITY magazine.
September 21, 1919: II Timothy 3:14-17
What is the result of abiding in spiritual life, light and love? The result is full and free salvation; that salvation which comes through sustaining, unconquerable faith in Christ Jesus.
What is gained though laying hold of the spiritual meaning contained in inspired Scripture? All Good is gained. Spiritual light opens the way for the triumphant march of the Christ through the soul. Thus the spiritual meaning contained in Scripture inspired of God paves the road which leads into the kingdom.
September 23, 1923: II Timothy 3:14-15
Paul urges Timothy to abide in the things which he has learned and has been assured of, and “knowing of whom thou hast learned them.” Explain. An abiding state of consciousness is the result of faithful loyalty to Truth in thought and in deed. We learn primarily from the spirit, but we are assured by some teacher of that which we spiritually know.
In verse 15 Paul says: “From a babe thou hast known the sacred writings.” How could Timothy have known the sacred writings when he was a babe? The language used by Paul is metaphorical. The meaning is that Timothy had been a faithful student of the sacred writings from the time his spiritual understanding was opened. So those who have come into the light of Truth count their years from that date instead of the date on which they were born in the flesh.
What are the sacred writings “which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus”? At the time Paul wrote this letter, the sacred writings of the New Testament were not yet in existence. The only sacred writings were parts of the Old Testament. Consequently the sacred writings referred to by Paul must be the word of Truth which is revealed by the Spirit of truth promised by Jesus in John 16:13: “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he shall guide you into all the truth.”
January 16, 1927: II Timothy 3:14-17
Did Paul teach that all Scripture is inspired of God? Verse 16 in today's lesson reads: “Every Scripture inspired of God is also profitable.” In the King James version this verse reads, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable” which is a wrong translation.
[TruthUnity editor's note: As you can read above, the ASV, from which Unity quoted, reads "All scripture inspired by God". However the NRSV, which is most often used in Unity today, reads "All scripture is inspired by God" and the New Interpreter's Study Bible commentary, which is used by Unity School, (p.2141) says "The Greek lacks the verb is. ]
February 3, 1929: II Timothy 3:14-17
Did Paul write to Timothy that all Scriptures were given by inspiration of God? According to the revised New Testament Paul said, “Every scripture inspired of God is also profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for instruction which is in righteousness.” This implies that there may be Scriptures that are not inspired, and the only way to determine the question of their inspiration is to get the truth concerning them through spiritual understanding.
April 28, 1935: II Timothy 3:14-17
What are the Holy Scriptures? The Bible is a part of the Holy Scriptures but the greater part is written in the annals of Divine Mind, where it bears witness to the Christ consciousness.
July 27, 1941: II Timothy 3:14-17
When may a person be helped by the advice or instruction of others? When he is inexperienced in thinking things through for himself, he may find the convictions of those whom he trusts of great value. “But abide thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them.”
What are the chief uses to which inspired scriptures can be put? They are useful in teaching those who have failed to keep the divine law and who must be helped to see their mistake (“for reproof, for correction”). They also instruct those who are trying to discern what is right and to follow the right course.
Who is “the man of God,” and how is he “furnished completely unto every good work”? Every person who desires to understand and to express Truth is a “man of God.” The Christ Spirit and true ideas “furnish” him completely for these undertakings.
November 8, 1942: II Timothy 3:14-15
On what does the keeping of the truth as we have learned it depend? On faith as it is in Christ. We hold fast to Truth through faith in embodied Truth, the Christ as made manifest in Jesus and potentially in us.
October 28, 1945: II Timothy 3:14-15
How does habitual reading of the “sacred writings” and meditation on them make us “wise unto salvation through faith”? Reading and meditation on the truth that others have discerned and recorded inspires us to seek Truth in our own right. Prayer and meditation quickens our faith with our intuitive or perceptive powers, so that we are saved from the superstition that lack of understanding creates in the mind and heart.
September 26, 1948: II Timothy 3:14-15
What work did Paul expect Timothy to do in Ephesus? He expected him to arouse in those to whom he ministered a desire to express Christ.
October 3, 1948: II Timothy 3:16-17
Of what practical help are the teachings of the Bible? They are a guide and an incentive to right thinking and living. We may follow them to both our spiritual and our material advantage and profit, proving each teaching for ourselves.
July 8, 1951: II Timothy 3:14-15
Is childhood training in spiritual truth desirable? Yes. Every child should be trained in spiritual truth and taught to have reverence for eternal values, for this is his birthright. Life is wrapped in mystery, and Being transcends human understanding. The child is entitled to be made acquainted with the truth of this transcendence as soon as he begins to inquire into the nature of the world and of life. The ministry of Timothy illustrates the value of early childhood training in Truth.Transcribed by Lloyd Kinder on 01-11-2014
