"This knows also." Paul is telling Timothy something very important that he wants him to know. He is telling him what to expect and what is to be the future of the church—it is not a very bright future for the organized church.

"The last days" is a technical term used in several places in the New Testament; it speaks of the last days of the church, immediately preceding the rapture of the church. The last days of the church are not the same as the last days of the nation Israel, which is mentioned repeatedly in the Old Testament. In the Old Testament the last days are called the "end of the age" or "the time of the end," which is the Great Tribulation period. That is quite different from the last days of the church, which precede the rapture of the church.

The apostasy that began in the church in Paul’s day will continue. Paul warned the church at Ephesus that false leaders would enter the church after his decease. He told them in Acts 20:29–30: "For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them." They won’t give out the Word of God but will fleece the congregations. Believe me, false teachers shear the sheep pretty close!

"Perilous times shall come," which means grievous or desperate times are coming. That doesn’t look like the conversion of the world, does it? It doesn’t appear that the church is going to bring in the Millennium or is going to convert the world. The Bible doesn’t teach that it will. That is the pipe dream of a great many idealists and a great many folk who have lived with their heads ostrich–like in the sand and have never faced reality.

Instead, notice what will be coming in the last days. We have nineteen different descriptions given in the next few verses. It is an ugly brood, but we want to look at them because they present the best scriptural picture of what is happening today. We are, I believe, moving into the last days of the church. My reason for saying this is that the things mentioned in these verses have appeared today. If you look back in the history of the church, you could certainly find some of these things in evidence, but I don’t think you could ever find a period in which all of them are so manifested as they are today. I believe we are now in these "perilous" days which are described in this section. I don’t know how much longer it will last, but I’m sure it’s going to get worse, not better.

There are nineteen words or phrases used to describe the last days.

1. "Lovers of their own selves"—self–lovers. This is very much in evidence in our culture today. An article by a newspaper correspondent who had covered Washington, D.C., for many years, noted that the one thing which has characterized Washington for the past twenty years is that those who are in position want the reporters to praise them. In fact, they insist upon it. That is not confined to Washington. Hollywood is probably one of the greatest places for scratching each other’s backs. One actor will publicly say something nice about another, then the other one will return the favor. You find this in every walk of life. Even schools have self–love. If a man boosts a school, then the school boosts him by giving him an honorary degree. Also, you can find this in the churches. Paul goes on to say, in chapter 4, verse 3, that congregations will follow teachers "having itching ears." These teachers want their ears scratched—they want to be complimented. To be complimented, you have to compliment. So the teachers compliment their congregations and their boards of officers. They don’t tell the people that they are sinners and need a Savior; they tell them how wonderful they are. It is interesting that the love of self characterizes our contemporary society. Probably there has never been a time when it has been so common.

2. "Covetous" means lovers of money. This follows self–love, because lovers of self become lovers of money. This old nature likes to have a lot of money spent on it. Remember that Paul said in 1 Timothy 6:10, "… the love of money is the root of all evil…." Money itself is not bad. The problems come in our attitude toward our money. Covetousness reveals itself not only in the acquisition of wealth but also in the use of it.

3. "Boasters." That word has in it the idea of swaggerers. You can sometimes tell a proud man by the way he walks. He walks like a peacock; he swaggers.

4. "Proud" means haughty.

5. "Blasphemers" is better translated railers. I remember the story of a fellow whose wife said to him, "Everyone in town is talking about the Smiths’ quarrel. Some of them are taking her part and some are taking his part." He chimed in, "Well, I suppose a few eccentric individuals are minding their own business." Well, railers include those who are always poking their noses into somebody else’s business.

6. "Disobedient to parents." Certainly this is self–evident. Oh, the thousands of boys and girls and teenagers who are in complete rebellion against their parents!

7. "Unthankful." Many people receive kindnesses from others without even thinking of thanking them. And they accept everything from God without ever returning thanks to Him.

8. "Unholy" is profane. They are actually against God in their conversation and in their manner of life.

9. "Without natural affection" means having abnormal relationships. We are living in a day when homosexuality is being accepted as normal conduct. Yet in Romans 1:24 Paul clearly states, "Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves." Humanity sinks to its lowest level when it accepts homosexuality.

10. "Trucebreakers" are people who are impossible to get along with. They are irreconcilable—they won’t let you get along with them. I recall seeing a little sign in a restaurant out in West Texas which read, "We can’t please everybody, but we try." Well, you can’t please everybody; there are folk who are impossible to please.

11. "False accusers" certainly abound today!

12. "Incontinent" means without self–control. That, again, characterizes a large segment of our contemporary society.

13. "Fierce" means savage. In our day the city streets have become asphalt jungles. Many of them are unsafe even in the daytime.

14. "Despisers of those that are good" is better translated haters of the good. We see evidence of that abroad!

15. "Traitors" are betrayers. There are some folk whom you don’t dare trust.

16. "Heady" means reckless.

17. "Highminded" means blinded by pride or drunk with pride.

18. "Lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God." This actually characterizes mankind in our day. Never has there been a time when so much money has been spent in order to provide pleasure. Look at the athletic and entertainment events today. These are the things that are attracting millions of people. That is exactly the route Rome took when it went down. The mob was provided with grain and circuses, and then Rome fell. That same thing is happening today. I have always loved to participate in athletics, but I could never understand this type of athletics that just sits and beholds. I never thought that it was very exciting to go out to the coliseum and sit with 85,000 people to watch twenty–two men working for $25,000 (or more) apiece. Of course I would like to be out there myself, but I am not interested in watching them as much as I would be in watching a ditchdigger because he is not as money hungry. I don’t blame any man for making as much money as he can, but the point is that billions of dollars are being spent for entertainment because men are lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God.

19. "Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof." They go through the rituals of religion but lack life and reality.

"From such turn away" means that the believer is to avoid them. Let me ask you a question: If you are in a dead, cold, liberal church, and you are a true believer, what are you doing there when the Word of God says to avoid those things? All across this country there are wonderful pastors who are faithfully preaching the Word of God. Why aren’t you supporting and standing with these fine men?

"Silly women" means silly women of both sexes. There are some people who have attended Bible conferences for years, but they don’t know any more about the Word of God now than they did when they began. They have never matured. Their lives are not changed. Friend, if you find yourself in that category today, get down on your knees and ask God to forgive you!

McGee, J. V. (1991). Thru the Bible commentary: The Epistles (1 and 2 Timothy/Titus/Philemon) (electronic ed., Vol. 50, pp. 115–119). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

 

 

What a picture of that which is happening in our contemporary society! When judgment is not executed, men do more and more evil work, because evil is in the hearts of men. Even men who call themselves Christian continue in sin, saying, "Look, I’ve been in sin for five years, and God has done nothing about it" Well, that already reveals His judgment upon you. He has done nothing about it because He is way down the road waiting for you. In fact, He can wait until eternity—you can’t. "… Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation" (2 Cor. 6:2). God grants you today so that you can turn to Him.

McGee, J. V. (1991). Thru the Bible commentary: Poetry (Ecclesiastes/Song of Solomon) (electronic ed., Vol. 21, p. 63). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.