In the Last Days (2 Timothy 3:1-9)

 

“In the Last Days”

 

Excerpts from a sermon preached by Dr. Joe Alain on September 29, 2024 at Carrollwood Baptist Church.

 

2 Timothy 3:1-9, NIV

¹ But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. ² People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, ³ without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, ⁴ treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— ⁵ having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people.

 

⁶ They are the kind who worm their way into homes and gain control over gullible women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires, ⁷ always learning but never able to come to a knowledge of the truth. ⁸ Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so also these teachers oppose the truth. They are men of depraved minds, who, as far as the faith is concerned, are rejected. ⁹ But they will not get very far because, as in the case of those men, their folly will be clear to everyone.

 

This passage is a straightforward and blunt assessment of the perilous times predicted for the “last days.” There is also an encouragement to persevere in the faith. “Believers must guard against the deception of the last days and remain faithful in a world of corrupt and counterfeit religion.”

 

I. The Peril of the Last Days (3:1)

              -Prediction, “there will be terrible times in the last days.” Despite the future tense used in this list of vices, these were already at work in Paul’s day. These conditions have been present throughout the church age; however, they will be more intensive and extensive as the end approaches (cf. Matt. 13:30).

-Period, “there will be terrible times” or “times of difficulty” (ESV). The “Day of the Lord” (as the Jews saw it) was to be preceded by a time of increasing evil and violence that would shake the very moral and physical foundations.

              -Perception, “But mark this” or “understand” (ESV) or “know” (NKJV) or “realize” (NASB). Believers are to perceive what is occurring, to pay attention so that they can guard against the deception of the last days and remain faithful to God and fulfill his purposes.

 

II. The Portrait of the Corrupt (3:2-5)

In these three verses we find 19 vices that will characterize people in the “last days.” It’s difficult to categorize these but it might be helpful to see them under the following five areas.

1. Self-centered sins (lack of love for others)

-“Lovers of themselves” (3:2). “As Chrysostom commented long ago, self-love rather than love of God opens the way to all human faults.” “Love of self is the basic sin, from which all others flow.” The essence of Christianity is not “self” on the throne, but Christ!

-“Without love” (3:3). This literally means without family affection, “heartless” (ESV). In the last days people will be so set on self that even the closets ties will be nothing to them.

-“Without self-control” (3:3). The ungoverned person acts on their desires.

-“Treacherous” (4:4). Word was used of Judas Iscariot (Lk. 6:16). “Traitors” (NKJV), “Disloyal” (CEB). Describes people who abandon others because they have abandoned God.

-“Brutal” (3:3). The word is more appropriate to describe a wild beast, “fierce” (RSV), “brutes” (NRSV). These are “carnal” people.

-“Conceited”(4:4). Inflated with a sense of their own importance.

2. Materialistic (sins of covetousness)

-“Lovers of money” (3:2). There is danger when people assess prosperity or success by material things. Far more people lose their soul over prosperity rather than adversity (cf. Matt. 16:26).

-“Boastful” (3:2). Literally, “imposters.” They pretend to have qualities that they do not possess or possess in a lesser degree. They promise what they cannot deliver.

-“Proud” (3:2). This is the arrogant person who shows contempt for everyone except themselves.

“Lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God” (4:4). The pursuit of pleasure, of self is the driving force of their lives. Self is their god.

 

3. Rebellious (sins of disobedience)

“Disobedient to their parents” (3:2).When children lose all respect for their parents, their elders, it is a sure sign of the breakdown of the family, and a sign of a decadent civilization.

-“Ungrateful” (3:2). To God and to others. They will refuse to recognize the debt they owe both to God and to others. Failure to recognize the source of your blessings leads to further emptiness and darkness (cf. Rom. 1:21).

-“Unholy” (3:2). They are totally without respect for God. This word describes the person who has no fellowship with God because God is essentially holy. They are living separated from God.

-“Rash” (4:4). Literally, “falling forward” came to mean “hasty” “rash” “reckless” (ESV). “Will do foolish things without thinking” (NCV).

 

4. Perverse (sins of corruption in relationships)

“Perverse” means to distort, to corrupt, to turn away from what is right.

-“Abusive” (3:2). This can also be translated “blasphemers” (NKJV). And it can mean “evil speaking.” The abusive person has a love of insult. They wound with words.

“Slanderous” (3:3). Means prone to slander, to accuse falsely. This word often occurs in the New Testament as “adversary” and with the definite article it is translated “the devil.” We might say that the devil is the patron saint of all slanderers and of all slanderers he is chief.

“Unforgiving” (3:3). An unwillingness to reconcile with others.

-“Not lovers of the good” (3:3). Their lawlessness makes them “Haters of good” (NASB). Corrupt people, sinful people hate the good and resist those who do good.

 

5. Pretenders (religious hypocrisy)

-“Having a form of godliness but denying its power” (4:5). The final condemnation is that they have the forms of outward religion but deny its power. They are not really as spiritual as they pretend. They go through the motions, the rituals, the externals of faith, but they do not know the dynamic life-changing power of God that changes lives. Timothy must “have nothing to do with such people” (3:5).

 

III. The Practice of Deception (3:6-7)

These false teachers are like “prowlers,” “They are the kind who worm their way into homes.” The idea is that it is done stealthily and destructively. Here, the false teachers have apparently charmed some women who were “gullible.” Paul is not making a case for all women, but obviously there was a problem with some in Ephesus that he has in mind. The false teachers used “persuasion” to “gain control over [“capture,” ESV; “captivate,” NASB, NRSV] gullible women.” These women had a deep sense of guilt (“loaded down with sins”) which made them liable to be persuaded and “captivated” by the false teachers. So, they were “swayed by all kinds of evil desires.” These women became easy prey for the false teachers. Paul says that the result of this was that they were “perpetually” (“always”) “learning [whether they were sincere of not] but never able to come to a knowledge of the truth.”

 

IV. The Pattern of Rebellion (3:8-9)

There is a parallel between the present false teachers and those in the past. They are not named in the Old Testament but Jewish tradition said that Jannes and Jambres were two of the Egyptian magicians who withstood Moses and Aaron (see Ex. 7:11; 8:7; 9:11). In literature they became legendary figures typifying all those who opposed the purposes of God and the work of his true leaders. Paul likens the false teachers at Ephesus to these ancient magicians. Furthermore, Paul says that “They are men of depraved minds, who, as far as the faith is concerned, are rejected.” Faith refers both to the Christian faith and to personal commitment to that faith. They possess a counterfeit faith. They worship self, and they have a “form of godliness” but they are spiritually dead.

 

Evidence of their character is and will be public knowledge. Paul says, “Their folly will be clear to everyone.” Timothy can be confident that these men will advance no further in their deceit. So we can say that they are depraved (in character), rejected (by God), and exposed as false (to the people). There is one simple test for that which is false, “you will know them by their fruits” (Matt. 7:20, NASB). “The way to identify a tree or a person is by the kind of fruit produced” (TLB). Why would people follow teachers like what Paul describes? And yet, millions do. Either ignorance of scripture, or their own sinful desires, people desire to hear what they want to hear and surround themselves with people and messages that affirm them.

 

Applications

*Be spiritually vigilant. Be discerning, stay grounded in Scripture, see the world around you through the lens of God’s word and be aware of the cultural drift towards sinfulness.

 

*Avoid self-centeredness. Many of the vices stem from self-centeredness. We must guard against this. Practice humility, generosity, serving, avoiding the pursuit of self-gratification.

 

*Cultivate gratitude and obedience. Develop the habit of thankfulness toward God and others. Practice obedience with a heart that honors God.

 

*Be discerning of false godliness. This is a warning against superficial religiosity. Examine your own faith. Are you living by the power of the Holy Spirit? Or merely going through the motions? Avoid hypocrisy, strive for genuine spiritual growth.

 

*Protect yourself from deception. False teachers target the vulnerable. We must be rooted in the truth to avoid being led away by falsehoods. Be cautious about who you allow to influence your faith.

 

*Focus on personal integrity. Many of these characteristics reflect destructive attitudes that break down relationships and dishonor God. Cultivate holiness and integrity in all your relationships. Choose forgiveness over bitterness, peace over conflict, and kindness over harshness in your dealings with others.

 

“Believers must guard against the deception of the last days and remain faithful in a world of corrupt and counterfeit religion.”