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The Pastoral Epistles of Saint Paul
Talk by Metropolitan Jonah (Paffhausen), part 37, 2 Timothy 3-4
May 16, 2023

Topics include: 
(1) Our culture is well described: greedy, worldly, loveless; 
(2) "Having a form of godliness but denying its power" includes those who reject the power of the Sacraments; 
(3) "Lovers of self," the essence of all other sins: not taking thought for others, but all about "Number One"; 
(4) We must see ourselves in this list (3:2-5) and repent --- it's a good list for the examination of conscience prior to confession. As Paul says later, Scripture is good for reproof and correction; 
(5) Temptations from the Church are also from the "Right": false Traditionalism and Patristicism: e.g., "Corrective Baptism": deprecating conversion to Orthodoxy by Chrismation only, by Episcopal economia, and trying to force those folks to be baptized, not just chrismated, even if they have been Orthodox and have received the Sacraments for years. This is a serious issue now in ROCOR. It is schismatic, and sows doubt in the authority of the Bishop and his Priests. Again, there are too many "Catechumen Theologians", those who claim to know almost everything but in fact, know very little; 
(6) Paul addresses weak-willed women caught up in gnostic sects, led astray by false teachers .. gnostic cults that appeal to people's passions. Somewhat similar to New Age cults today. 
(7) Jannes and Jambres: Egyptian magicians. The interesting thing here is that Paul references external sources to the Old Testament. A discussion of such material, which gave context to the Old Testament, such as the Book of Enoch and 2 Esdras, and some which did not survive. Dates of our oldest manuscripts.
(8) 4:10, Paul talks about himself as an *example* of faith --- he is *not* trying to create a personality cult. He glorifies God, Who rescued him, and warns us of the certainty of persecution for the godly. Unlike many false Christians who create personality cults for themselves, who deceive others for their own gain and are in fact, self-deceived; 
(9) The importance and profit of knowing and being immersed in Scripture; 
(10) Paul's exhortation to Timothy to reprove, rebuke and exhort with all patience and teaching; 
(11) "Itching ears": accumulating teachers from TV, radio, and the internet (and from 70K Protestant denominations!) to suit our own passions. 
(12) Paul's faithful testimony in 4:7-8 &18. Paul was abandoned by all at his first defense (before Nero's court), but not by the Lord; 
(13) Discussion of the various names mentioned in Chp 4, such as Luke and John, and Prisca.