2 Timothy 3:8-9, “Now as Jannes and Jambres resisted Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, disapproving concerning the faith; but they will progress no further, for their folly will be manifest to all, as theirs also was.”
Within a given church, there are those who receive the truth,
those who are indifferent to it, and those who actively resist it. It’s
troubling to consider that there are those among us who actively resist the
truth, knowing it for what it is yet believing they know better or that they’ve
found a better way.
It’s not that they don’t understand the truth; it’s that they
do not receive it, and by not receiving it, they do not allow faith to do its
good work in their hearts.
Depending on how deep down the rabbit hole one desires to go,
there is enough information about Jannes and Jambers, historically speaking, to
allow us an outline of who these two were and why Paul named them by name when
describing those who resisted the truth, and are disapproving concerning the
faith.
Throughout the entirety of the gospel, these two men are only
named once. Paul, whose upbringing and the fact that he once was a Pharisee
born of Pharisees lends weight to his mentioning them within the context of men
of corrupt minds. Jewish tradition tells us that Jannes and Jambers were the
two chief magicians who withstood Moses and Aaron in Pharao’s court, being able
to duplicate both Aaron’s staff turning into a snake, changing water into
blood, and the production of frogs.
It’s not that these men were powerless. They had power, but
the source of their power was corrupt and not of God. Whatever power they
possessed was likewise limited because they could not replicate any of the
other plagues visited upon the Egyptians.
Anyone who insists that the enemy or the servants thereof
possess no power is either ignorant of the truth or concludes as much because
they themselves possess no power. The takeaway from every interaction between
the light and the darkness isn’t that those of the darkness have nothing but
empty words, but rather that every time, the power of our God is greater by
far.
Traditionally, it is also said that Jannes and Jambres left
Egypt with the Israelites after the first Passover and were later instrumental
in promoting the worship of the golden calf while Israel wandered in the
desert. They had crept in unnoticed, bidden their time, and when they had the
opportunity, they attempted to turn the hearts of God’s people away from Him,
insisting that a golden calf made by human hands was more worthy of worship
than the God who had saved them from captivity and bondage.
Sure, He might have saved you from bondage, but it wasn’t as
easy as it could have been. I mean, walking through the desert is no picnic,
and there is no bounty of fish, cucumbers, melons, and leeks. Remember them?
But why was no one recalling how it was being beaten and whipped and forced to
work until their bodies gave out? It’s never the pain, despair, and hopelessness
that come to mind when looking back on our time in bondage, at least when the
flesh attempts to remind us of it; it’s always the things that were pleasing to
the flesh.
The more things change, the more they stay the same. No,
we’re not wheeling out literal golden calves onto the stage for the people to
worship, but an idol is still an idol, even if it does not possess a physical
form. Whatever men place on the throne of their hearts that subverts the
authority, glory, supremacy, and majesty of the One True God is, by definition,
an idol. Tell me what the desire of your heart is, and I’ll tell you who or
what you worship. Tell me what consumes your time, your every waking hour, what
you sacrifice all else in pursuit of, and I can put a name to your idol in five
seconds flat.
Another thing worth noting is that just like Jannes and
Jambres, those among God’s people who are not of God’s people will be
disapproving concerning the faith. Paul doesn’t tell us they will be ignorant
of the faith but rather that they will express an unfavorable opinion of it. There
are countless individuals roaming about, seminary diplomas in hand, who attempt
to twist, distort, or otherwise reimagine the faith because they are
disapproving concerning the true faith.
Whether that’s relegating Jesus to the back of the bus,
stripping Him of His lordship and supremacy, or widening the narrow path
because they deem it too constricting or legalistic, those who harbor
unfavorable opinions about the faith for which they claim to be ambassadors are
growing bolder and more vocal.
So what is the proper
response? What does turning away from such people entail? Turning away from
such people does not mean that they become our enemies, nor does it mean that
we treat them with arrogance and spiritual superiority, refusing to speak to
them or acknowledge their presence. What it does mean is that we do not follow
suit. If the choice is turning away from Jesus or from such people, you turn
away from such people and embrace Jesus all the more.
We can try to reason with, even plead with, those who stray
from the way, but some will refuse to see the error of their ways no matter how
often you point to Scripture and insist that what they are doing is
antithetical to what it says. Some people won’t acknowledge the sun is shining
even if their skin starts to blister because they can’t allow for the
possibility that they may be wrong about something.
One of the tactics widely employed by those who wander from
the truth is trying to guilt those who do not follow suit into believing that they
are in the wrong. It can be phrased differently, from I feel like our
friendship has cooled, you seem distant, to you walked away from the bond of
fellowship. The underlying assertion, however, is always the same: you chose
not to follow where they led. Therefore, you are no longer walking side by
side.
Regardless of how it’s phrased, always remember your
position. You are firmly anchored in Christ, unwavering and unyielding. It’s
not you who strayed but those who pulled away and wandered. This truth should
give you the strength to resist the pressure to conform to their ways.
1 Corinthians 15:33, “Do not be deceived: “Evil company
corrupts good habits.”’
But I’m stronger than everyone else. I can remain true to the Word while keeping evil company. Do not be deceived, even if the deception is self-deception. Evil company corrupts good habits. Perhaps incrementally at first, perhaps even imperceptibly, but eventually, given enough time, the evil company one keeps will corrupt good habits thoroughly.
With love in Christ,
Michael Boldea, Jr.
Posted on 13 August 2024 | 11:17 am
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