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.

McGee, J. V. (1991). Thru the Bible commentary: The Epistles (1 and 2 Timothy/Titus/Philemon) (electronic ed., Vol. 50, pp. 116–119). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

In my book Reasoning Through Romans, I define these sins, but it is enough to say here that this is what the human family is doing today. I used to tell the students in my classes to buy any of our metropolitan daily newspapers, sit down, and find a headline for every sin that is mentioned here. This is the condition, not only in Cairo, not only of Calcutta, not only of Beijing, but also of the United States today. How much longer will God tolerate it and be patient with us? He has judged great nations in the past who have gone in this direction.

McGee, J. V. (1991). Thru the Bible commentary: The Epistles (Romans 1-8) (electronic ed., Vol. 42, p. 42). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.