6/20/19 

II Timothy 3:8

Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, men corrupted in mind and disqualified regarding the faith.

The New Testament is replete with warning about deceitful men in the Christian ministry.  Peter, in II Peter, gives this as a sign of the truth.

The qualifications for a true ministry are just as plain in I Timothy 3 and Titus.  Tried with the sure test of Scripture the Church is still filled with deceivers.

There are at least three levels of false ministers.

1.       There are those who do not have either a call or the gifts of the ministry and are ignorant of it. Their failure usually identifies them and disqualifies them.

2.      There are those who have no call but have enough natural gifts to survive.  They use the ministry merely as a job.  They have no love for the elect or zeal for Christ.  They have a job and may even do it well.  Men such as this may live all their lives in the ministry and others wonder why there is so little life in their efforts.  No Spirit, no life.

3.      This 3^rd category are those who are evil, enemies of Christ and set on the destruction of God’s people.  Peter describes their three failings:  greed, lying, and sensual conduct.

Sounds familiar doesn’t it?