2 Timothy 3

2 Timothy 3


We arrive early this morning in Kampala and the home of my friend: Rev. Davis Matovu.

The last days were to bring deep and significant trouble. I love the list of evidence of how distressing it will be in the last days. It runs from lovers of themselves (Self) lovers of money (Greed), to disobedient to parents and on through the kicker which reads: “holding to the outward form of godliness but denying its power”(5). What an amazing description of so much of modern religion. We have the religious activities, we have the religious forms, we do the things we need to do to comfort ourselves and feel good . . . but we are not living into the kingdom of the heavens. We are denying any of the power that God intends for us to live our lives.

Paul charges his young protégé with keeping and passing on what he has learned (13) after reminding him that striving to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will lead to persecution (12). Paul’s own life and his journey through hardship and difficulty for the sake of preaching the gospel is recorded elsewhere. For a modern preacher who works from the comfort of a nice building and a nice office and who is well paid and protected . . . I have no idea of the difficulties that our first generation Christians had to endure.