2 Timothy– Chapter Three XIX

by Ed Urzi

“But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived” (2 Timothy 3:13).

The passage quoted above is barely more than a dozen words but offers a great deal of insight for those who are willing to prayerfully reflect upon it.

We should first note the two types of individuals mentioned here: “…evil men and impostors.” The first refers to those who are actively engaged in wicked behavior. The second represents others who appear to be moral, ethical, or virtuous but are really something different. This unfortunate reality should come as no surprise, for as we were reminded earlier in 1 Timothy 5:24, “Some men’s sins are clearly evident, preceding them to judgment, but those of some men follow later.”

We’re next told that those who comprise these groups “…will grow worse and worse.” In other words, those who are evil will become more aggressive in their attitudes and behaviors while those who are imposters will grow more convincing in their appearance. The first group is visible and obvious, while the second group is largely hidden and anonymous. Nevertheless, both groups are equally destructive, each in their own way.

Finally, the individuals within these groups will deceive others while being deceived as well. Thus, they become living examples of the wisdom contained within the Biblical book of Proverbs: “If you set a trap for others, you will get caught in it yourself. If you roll a boulder down on others, it will crush you instead” (Proverbs 26:27 NLT).

So those who fit these categories are both agents and objects of deception. This is important because deception usually involves some form of lying- and it has been said that if a lie is told often enough, many will begin to accept it as truth. This seems to be an accurate portrayal of those who are described for us here in 2 Timothy 3:13. Over time, they will begin to believe their own lies, thus being deceived by the deception they sought to spread among others.

We can largely avoid a similar fate by remembering that “truth” can be defined as “that which corresponds to reality.” Whenever we are called upon to evaluate a teaching or idea, we can ask, “Does this accurately reflect Biblical truth?” Some additional questions to ask might also include the following…

  • Does this teaching focus upon a small portion of God’s Word and neglect others?
  • Does this idea contradict what the Bible says about God?
  • Does this teaching or idea glorify the teacher or Christ?

Asking these questions now can help us avoid deception later.