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Chosen no: R-4438 a, from: 1909 Year. |
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Like Unto Jannes And Jambres
"NOW as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses,
so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning
the faith. But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest
to all men, as theirs also was. But thou hast fully known my doctrine, manner
of life, purpose, faith, long suffering, charity, patience, persecutions,
afflictions, which came unto me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra; what
persecution I endured; but out of them all the Lord delivered me. Yea, and all
that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. But evil men and
leaders astray shall wax worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. But
continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of,
knowing of whom thou hast learned them."--2 Tim.
3:8-14.
We are asked whether or not this
Scripture is applicable to the present time; and, if so, how we shall
understand the expression, "Men of corrupt minds"? Shall we look for
these amongst moral reprobates?
We reply that we should understand
this Scripture to be applicable at the present time. We should be able to find
classes today corresponding to Jannes and Jambres. The Apostle distinctly says
in introducing these words, "This know also that in the last days [of the
age] perilous times shall come." Undoubtedly the Apostle meant that we
should look for the fulfillment of his declaration in the "harvest"
or end of the Gospel Age.
We are not to expect these leaders
astray in the Church to be moral lepers, reprobates. Assuredly Satan would be
too wise to use such as his tools, knowing that he could effect his purposes
better through those who outwardly, at least, would be moral and religious. Notice
that the Apostle did not say reprobate as respects morals, but reprobates as
respects the faith. It does not say men of corrupt morals, but does say men of
corrupt minds--men whose minds have become perverted, changed, altered, as
respects the Truth. He who does not see any fulfillment of this prophecy and
who yet believes that we are living in the close of the Gospel Age should
certainly at once begin to look for them and endeavor to locate them.
This passage, in harmony with many
other Scriptures, assures us of the trials of faith to be expected in this, our
day. Remember the Apostle's words respecting the fire of this day, which shall
try every man's work, of what sort it is--gold, silver, precious stones, wood,
hay, stubble. Remember the Prophet Malachi's declaration that in this time the
special Messenger of the New Covenant would sit as a refiner and purifier of silver.
Remember the Prophet David's explanation of our day with its arrows,
pestilences, stumbling blocks, etc., and the declaration that a thousand would
fall at our side.
Let us not forget either our Lord's
positive assurances, that he would keep his very own, his elect--those making
their calling and election sure. Remember the declaration respecting this elect
Body of Christ that a thousand shall fall at thy side, ten thousand at thy
right hand, but it shall not come nigh thee, because thou hast made the Lord
thy refuge and habitation. The shielded ones will be those who live very near
to the Lord--not only outwardly, but in their heart experiences. These very
elect have the assurance that God will give his messengers charge concerning
them, so that the feet shall not be dashed against the stumbling stone, but be
borne up, lifted higher by the Divinely appointed agencies of Jehovah.--Psalm 91.
Remember again the assurance of the
Apostle that although this day shall come upon many "as a thief and as a
snare," and that they should not escape the snares, nevertheless the
faithful would not be in darkness. Remember our Lord's assurances that although
trials and difficulties are to be expected which would deceive, if it were
possible, the very elect, yet it will not be possible to deceive the very
elect. So close will they be in sympathetic fellowship with the great Shepherd
that they will discern his voice and not be deceived by others, of the Jannes
and Jambres class.--Mark 13:22.
Remember also the Apostle's words,
"Take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in
the evil day, and, having done all, to stand." (Eph.
6:13.) He pictures the armor, the protection that would be granted to a certain
class--the helmet, the breastplate, the shield, the sword of the spirit. He
expressly indicated that these defences would be provided for "the evil
day" with which our age would close. He specially advised that while this
armor was available to all of God's people and to be had [R4439
: page 221] for the putting on, nevertheless only those who will put it on
will be safe. Why so, is it asked? We reply that this is one of God's tests by
which he would prove our love, our devotion, our loyalty to him. Those of
little love will be careless respecting the details of the Divine Plan of the
Ages. "They will not have time" to search the Scriptures. They will
not be disposed to make use of the agencies which God will use for providing
this armament in this evil day. They will have preference for some sectarian
brand of armor or insist that it must come from some particular quarter, or
refuse to wear any armor that they have not manufactured for themselves, or
refuse assistance in putting on the armor of light.
All such objections, we may be sure, would mean to the Lord disloyalty,
headiness, self-will, lack of humility, etc., incompatible with the conditions
of his "call." He is looking for those who humble themselves, and who
are glad to have his Truth at any cost, and whose hearts, long famished, hunger
and thirst for the Truth, and who know the Shepherd's voice, and who find in
his message that which "satisfies their longings as nothing else could
do." These will gladly accept the armament and by becoming faithful
students will make it their own--will put it on. These will
be kept while others will fall at their side.
Those who fall away after once
having been partially enlightened, for the most part, are those who never
properly applied themselves to know, to understand the Divine Plan. Their disobedience
to the words of the Lord through the Apostle, their neglect to put on the
armor, proved that they are not of the class whom the Lord prefers in the
present "election."
On the other hand it must not
surprise us either, that some, after wearing the armor, they tell us for
eighteen years and preaching to others its value and necessity, should put it
off now, in the closing hours as it were. And now, while the Enemy is about and
the fight in progress, they assure us that this armor is proving unreliable,
that they themselves have been deceived and have deceived others and that they
now have taken it off, exchanging it for a new kind of their own make and
brand. We are sorry for such.
Doubtless there were many people in
Moses' day who were not at all in sympathy with him and his presentations, but
who let him alone and hindered him not. Jannes and Jambres, on the contrary,
specially opposed Moses and sought to bring to naught the force of his
presentations to Pharaoh and the Egyptians, by imitating his doings to a certain
degree. It is not known if these two men were Hebrews or not. Their names are
nowhere else mentioned in the Scriptures, though they are mentioned in the
Jewish Talmud, where the Hebrew names given justify the inference that they
were Hebrews who, to curry favor with Pharaoh or to add to their own fame,
resisted Moses and his presentations of Divine Truth, seeking to nullify the
influence of the latter. Have we not some similarity in the conditions of the
present day? Are there not some whom St.
John describes as having gone out from us because they
are not of us? Do not these, instead of assisting with the Harvest Work, now
seek by every power they possess to oppose it, to nullify it, to belittle its
influence? But St. Paul
declares that they shall not go far in this opposition until "their folly
shall be made manifest," as that of Jannes and Jambres was--by their
failure to hinder the Lord's work.
Let us leave such matters with the
Lord to reward and to rectify in his own time and way. Let us seek by patient
perseverance in well-doing, loyalty, faithfulness, to make our calling and
election sure.
W.T. R-4438 a : page 221 – 1909 r.