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Assumptions of a Bible detective

B-A-C

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Dec 18, 2008
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2Tim 3:8; Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, men of depraved mind, rejected in regard to the faith.
2Tim 3:9; But they will not make further progress; for their folly will be obvious to all, just as Jannes’s and Jambres’s folly was also.

In the Canonized book of the Bible, these names are only mentioned here. We don't know a lot about Jannes and Jambres, but we know they opposed Moses.

An assumption (could be right or wrong)... but...

Exod 7:10; So Moses and Aaron came to Pharaoh, and thus they did just as the Lord had commanded; and Aaron threw his staff down before Pharaoh and his servants, and it became a serpent.
Exod 7:11; Then Pharaoh also called for the wise men and the sorcerers, and they also, the magicians of Egypt, did the same with their secret arts.
Exod 7:12; For each one threw down his staff and they turned into serpents. But Aaron’s staff swallowed up their staffs.

Exod 7:21; The fish that were in the Nile died, and the Nile became foul, so that the Egyptians could not drink water from the Nile. And the blood was through all the land of Egypt.
Exod 7:22; But the magicians of Egypt did the same with their secret arts; and Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he did not listen to them, as the Lord had said.

The Bible doesn't tell us the names of the sorcerers and magicians that opposed Moses in Exodus. But it is possible these could be people named in 2Timothy 3.

This thread isn't really about Jannes and Jambres so much, but rather is it OK to make assumptions about the Bible?
This is one of those subjects people feel pretty strongly about one way or the other.

There really is no other place in the Bible where people who followed another form of religion opposed Moses. So should we just assume this was Jannes and Jambres?
What would be the down-side to this assumption? Probably not much in this case. But does the Bible expect us to make some assumptions?

This is far from the only place in the Bible that causes for speculation.
Some believe the story of Lazarus and the rich man in Sheol, is also the story of where Martha and Mary's brother went until Jesus raised him from the dead.
Other's do not. The Bible is not really clear on this one way or the other.

Now we have to be careful here. There have been times entire doctrines and theologies have been built on "assumptions". I definitely wouldn't recommend that, but some have done it.
 
I am unsure whether Jannes and Jambres are jewish names or more likely egyptian names or something else, like Median. There were many who rebelled in the desert wanderings, so that they had to spend all their lives in the sinia desert and not reach the promised lands. The Medians, eventually rebelled, not sure of the time frame as to when Moses was around.

I have long believed that when I am unsure about something scripturely (various passages leading in different directions ideology wise), I put it (the subject) on the back burner so to speak. Yet most people of faith feel they "must" know as soon as possible and set that idea/assumption into stone as dogma. I personally think this foolish, and I dont do it, but I have a lot of faith in God that He will eventually make it known to me, and most people have faith in words....
1. Words in scripture, even though taken out of context, or not balanced against other scripture that might lead another direction.
2. Words of an admired scholar of scripture
3. Words of those most charismatic and presents their case with the greatest of flourishes
4. Words of languages long lost or lost in part
5. Words of people long dead, not knowing the context of how it was said and why
6. Any other words that I am not aware of at this time
 
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