Paul's Exhortations & Instructions to Brother Timothy 2nd Letter Volume 44

Paul Tells Timothy to Preach the Truth of the Word of God Part 3

2 Timothy 4:4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. KJV

Paul now declares the end result of these false christians not wanting to hear and heed the true Word of God and that will be as detailed with these words, "And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables." (2 Timothy 4:4) (KJV). The English phrase 'they shall turn away' is translated by the Greek word apostrephō which means to turn away from or to turn back or to pervert that which is truth. The English phrase 'their ears' is translated by the Greek word akoē which means the hearing (the act, the sense or the thing heard). In other words, the false christian or the make believer will at some point in their presence in the Church of God become agitated, annoyed, and aggravated with the truth declared in God's Word in His House (the Church) which is the place where Divine Truth must be embraced and welcomed for it is as Paul already detailed to Timothy in his first letter with these words, "But if I should delay, that you may know how you ought to behave in the house of God, which is the Church of the Living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth." (1 Timothy 3:15) (Modern King James Version).

The account of the recorded first (1st) martyr (Stephen) of the Church of our Lord, Master, and Savior Jesus Christ is an example of what can occur when people don't want to hear the truth, "And hearing these things, they were cut to their hearts. And they gnashed on him with their teeth. But being full of the Holy Spirit, looking up intently into Heaven, he saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. And he said, Behold, I see Heaven opened and the Son of Man standing on the right hand of God. And crying out with a loud voice, they stopped their ears and ran on him with one accord. And throwing him outside the city, they stoned him. And the witnesses laid their clothes down at the feet of a young man named Saul. And they stoned Stephen, who was calling on God and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. And kneeling down, he cried with a loud voice, Lord, do not lay this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep." (Acts 7:54-60) (Modern King James Version). Note: "Although these Jews that Stephen spoke to were not in the Church of God, yet they have the same temperament or disposition as the man or woman in visible churches who are without God the Holy Spirit indwelling them."

When Paul writes 'from the truth' he means the inspired Word of God. The English word 'from' is translated by the Greek word apo a primary particle; meaning 'off', that is, away (from something near); In composition (as a prefix) it usually denotes separation, departure, cessation, completion, reversal, etc. The idea is that the natural man cannot and does not want to hear that which is true, just as Paul wrote with these words to the Corinthian believers, "But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." (1 Corinthians 2:14) (Modern King James Version). Our Lord Jesus warned the early disciples of this very thing and is likewise warning us of these professing christians who are devoid of the Spirit of God, for He is the Spirit of Truth and here are the words spoken by our Lord Jesus concerning the Spirit of Truth, "If you love Me, keep My commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, so that He may be with you forever, the Spirit of Truth, whom the world cannot receive because it does not see Him nor know Him. But you know Him, for He dwells with you and shall be in you. I will not leave you orphans. I will come to you." (John 14:15-18) (Modern King James Version). He also said this concerning God the Holy Spirit, that is, the Spirit of Truth, "I have yet many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. However, when He, the Spirit of Truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth. For He shall not speak of Himself, but whatever He hears, He shall speak. And He will announce to you things to come. He will glorify Me, for He will receive of Mine and will announce it to you. All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and will announce it to you." (John 16:12-15) (Modern King James Version).

So, instead of listening to the truth of the Word of God, Paul writes that these people (false christians or make believers) 'shall be turned unto fables'. The English phrase 'shall be turned' is translated by the Greek word ektrepō meaning to deflect, that is, turn away (literally or figuratively): - avoid, turn (aside, out of the way). The English word 'fables' is translated by the Greek word muthos meaning a tale, that is, fiction ('myth'): - fable. Here is what Matthew Henry had to say about these false christians or make believers, "'There will be those who will heap to themselves corrupt teachers, and will turn away their ears from the truth; and therefore secure as many as thou canst, that, when these storms and tempests do arise, they may be well fixed, and their apostasy may be prevented.' People must hear, and ministers must preach, for the time to come, and guard against the mischiefs that are likely to arise hereafter, though they do not yet arise. They will turn away their ears from the truth; they will grow weary of the old plain Gospel of Christ, and then they will be greedy of fables, and take pleasure in them, and God will give them up to those strong delusions, because they received not the truth in the love of it, 2 Thessalonians 2:11, 2 Thessalonians 2:12. Observe, These teachers were of their own heaping up, and not of God's sending; but they chose them, to gratify their lusts, and to please their itching ears. People do so when they will not endure sound doctrine, that preaching which is searching, plain, and to the purpose; then they will have teachers of their own. There is a wide difference between the Word of God and the word of such teachers; the one is sound doctrine, the Word of Truth, the other is only fables. Those that are turned unto fables first turn away their ears from the truth, for they cannot hear and mind both, any more than they can serve two masters. Nay, further, it is said, They shall be turned unto fables. God justly suffers those to turn to fables who grow weary of the truth, and gives them up to be led aside from the truth by fables."

If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ and His amazing healing power, pray this from your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ (you speaking directly to Him), Dear Lord Jesus, I confess to You that I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness. I believe You shed Your Blood and died for my sins. I believe that You rose from the dead proving that You alone are God. I repent of my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I ask You Dear Lord Jesus to come into my heart and take control of my life. I want You to be my Lord, Savior, and my God. Amen...

Sincerely in Christ,

Clifford D. Tate, Sr.

Author of “Silent Assassins of the Soul - Are you Broken by Pornography and Masturbation? You can be Restored by the Lord Jesus Christ and brought into Deliverance, Freedom, and Victory! A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs” e-book available now @ Amazon Kindle, @ Apple I Bookstore for IPod, Barnes and Noble for Nook, Reader Store for Sony Reade, Kobo, Copia, Gardners, Baker and Taylor, and eBookPie…