DECEIVING AND BEING DECEIVED

2TIM 3:13

Morning Meditations 12/25/14

Paul begins this chapter by saying in verse one: “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.” This is the context in which verse 13 was written. It is a last day prediction. I recently did a Meditation on the word apostasy. I believe this is another statement that describes the condition of those affected by the apostasy. This text says: “But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.”

The words “But evil men” identify those who are in opposition to the Word and those who persecute believers as stated in verse 12: “Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.” God calls men evil when they persecute His people. He says it is inevitable. When we as believers are surprised and complain at persecution, we are simply confessing our ignorance of God’s word and our “little faith” in what God has said. We are living in an age of “soft Christians.” It takes hardly anything to offend fragile believers into a pouting stance and withdrawal from church. They think they can serve God at home sitting in front of a TV watching their favorite preacher perform for his audience. The Bible says, “Unto him be glory in the Church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.” If we are going to serve the Lord we need to get our thumb out of our mouth and get back in Church where God intends us to “submit to one another in the fear of God.” (Eph 5:21). “Evil men” are unbelieving men. They do not believe what the Christian believes. They are evil. They do not just do evil things. God says the ARE evil.

The words “and seducers” tell what these evil men do. The word “seducers” (goes) means “a wailer, a howler, a juggler, enchanter (because incantations used to be uttered in a kind of howl).” (Strong). These evil men wail and howl against the truth. They juggle words and ideas in order to distort the thinking of believers. They will use “incantations” to brainwash people against the truth. These evil men are not satisfied to remain evil and allow others to believe God’s word. They go on the attack and use all sorts of methods to lead believers away from the truth. God says they are “seducers.”

We have a good illustration of the way these evil men operate in Acts 14:2-4: “But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles, and made their minds evil affected against the brethren. Long time therefore abode they speaking boldly in the Lord, which gave testimony unto the word of his grace, and granted signs and wonders to be done by their hands. But the multitude of the city was divided: and part held with the Jews, and part with the apostles.” Note that the unbelieving Jews made their “minds evil affected.” The Jews were not satisfied to oppose Paul when he came to their town. They would follow him around to different places and oppose his gospel (Acts 14:19). The “evil men and seducers” are not neutral.

Have you noticed when you have a mass suicide like has just happened in Southern California, the experts and the news media try to put fundamental Bible believers in the same category with that deceived crowd? Don’t complain. We would do the same thing if we were unbelievers. I’m just telling you that God has rightly identified them as “evil” in their very nature and “seducers” as they live out their lives of unbelief.

The words “shall wax worse and worse” shows the progress of the whole of evil men. I believe it means two things. First, it means there will be more of them. Second, it means that there is a deepening of evil. The verb here is prokopto. It means to beat forward; to lengthen out by hammering (as a smith forges metals).” It is the same piece of metal but the blacksmith keeps working on that metal and beating it until it lengthens and covers a much greater area. It is a future active indicative verb. This means Paul is speaking of the “latter times” of verse one. Is there any question that he is speaking of our day? The words “worse and worse” speak of the progress of this evil and seduction. It is where the worse gets worse. You think it is as bad as it can get until tomorrow arrives and you hear the next statement and see the next attempt to deceive. The family films of television are yesterdays’ porn. If my wife and I had been sitting in front of a T.V. screen when we were dating, and they had brought on the “depends” commercial, I would have been so embarrassed, and so would she, the date would have ended until we had gotten recomposed. And the “depends” commercial is very mild as you know.

The words “deceiving and being deceived” describe the effects of their efforts on others and on themselves. The word for “deceive” (planao) means to cause to stray, to lead astray, lead aside from the right way; to go astray, wander, roam about.” It is a present active participle. The present tense speaks of the continual action of these at the time of their evil work. The active voice means that they made the choice to do it. Their work is to cause people to go astray, to lead people astray, to lead people aside from the right way. Now you have to be doing right for this to happen. These evil men are not satisfied to let one believe the right thing. They are missionaries for their evil ideas. They can’t be satisfied with Christians believing the Genesis account of creation. They can’t be satisfied with Christians believing in the inerrancy of the Scriptures. To them the virgin birth is impossible and they will not let the case rest with a simple denial. They will attempt to undermine the faith of believers by the use of sophistry and science so-called. Their purpose is to deceive. But what about them? Do they really believe in their cause? Are they deceivers who know they are wrong? The words “being deceived” is the same word (planao) only here it is in the passive voice. The passive voice is where the subject (the deceivers) is acted upon. When they deceive, they do it in the active voice. When they are deceived, it is in the passive voice. It means two things. A deceiver is vulnerable to deception because they have no standard of right and wrong. This is the reason that science has to rewrite their text books every few years. What they pound on the desk and say is true today, they deny two or three years from now. Second, it means they believe the lie they are telling. Does the pope believe his lie? Sure he does. Does the Jehovah’s witness believe the lie he tells? Sure he does. Does the professor in a college or university teaching young preachers that the Bible is not the inerrant, verbally inspired Word of God believe the lie he tells? Sure he does. And he is rattled at his wicked foundation when someone suggests that he is a liar and a tool in the hands of Satan to pervert the minds of his students. He is a perverse and wicked man “deceiving and being deceived.” And any so-called believer who takes up for him is in the boat with him. God help men who commend those whom God calls wicked.

We are living in the last days. Thank God we have a standard that is inerrant. There is an authority for right and wrong. It is the Word of God. Amen!!!

May God bless these words to our hearts.

In Christ

Earl White