2 Timothy 3 Pt. 1 Perilous Times Are Coming. Be ready!

This chapter begins with an extremely strong warning about moral depravity increasing when the end times draw near.

I posted a series of lessons on the End Times October 27 2020 through January 19, 2021. 

I posted a series of lessons from April 14, 2023 through June 14, 2023 on the Second Coming Of Jesus Christ

You may find these lessons by going into the archive section of this blog, clicking on the appropriate year and month, and the scrolling through the posts. 

Godlessness and depravity go hand in hand and Paul's warning to Timothy is as graphic as the one he sent to the church at Rome (See Romans 1:18-31).

On guard against the works of the flesh.

Galatians 5:19-21  Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, 20)  Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, 21)  Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. 

Paul warned about the lust of the flesh when writing to churches in the Roman province of Galatia. 

He warned about many different aspects of fleshly lusts that describe what is in the human heart because of the fall of man into sin.

This being the case, Paul warns Timothy because as a pastor, he will need to discern these sins and confront them with God's truth.

The last days will bring perilous times. 

2 Timothy 3:1-5  This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. 2)  For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3)  Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, 4)  Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; 5)  Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. 

We must hear and heed Paul's warning about sin exponentially exploding in the last days. 

Our culture is full of idolatry, immorality and open depravity. 

Sexual perversion is promoted as "normal" instead of deviant. 

Beneficial institutions established by God are under relentless attack (Marriage, the family unit, the church and government).

What does the phrase "in the last days" mean?

Let us think about the unfulfilled prophecies as revealed in scripture. 

The resurrection of life and rapture of the Church.

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18  But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. 14)  For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. 15)  For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. 16)  For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 17)  Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 18)  Wherefore comfort one another with these words. 

The very next event that will happen is one that can occur at any moment: The rapture of the church. Prophetically, nothing else needs to happen before the rapture of the church. 

Thus, at any moment we could hear the voice of Jesus Christ and the trumpet of God sounding forth.

This glorious event is described in detail in John 5:24-29; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 and 1 Corinthians 15:50-58.

Jesus will return to earth, stopping in the heavens. He will descend with a mighty shout of victory, and the trumpet of God last heard at Mount Sinai, will give a mighty blast heard throughout the world. 

The voice of the archangel will be heard and the resurrection of life will happen, where all believers who have died, are raised from the grave with resurrected bodies.

All Christians who are living when Christ returns, will be caught up in the air, having their bodies changed, to meet with all other saints of all ages in the heavens.

The words "caught up" literally mean to be seized and conveyed away suddenly with overwhelming power. The omnipotent power of God! 

This is where the term "rapture" comes from: Jesus suddenly snatching away all resurrected saints and living believers and taking us home to heaven. 

After the resurrection of life occurs, and the living saints are caught up, Jesus will take us to our heavenly home, and the marriage supper of the Lamb will happen.

Jesus Christ will present His church to Himself as a glorious bride without spot or blemish (See Matthew 22:1-14; Ephesians 5:22-27; Revelation 19:1-10).

The last days begin after the resurrection of life and rapture of the church. The last days encompass what many refer to as the 7 years of great tribulation.

All the prophets anticipate this great and overwhelming day of ultimate judgment from Jehovah. Please refer to the lessons in the archives to gain a better understanding.

The tribulation period begins when the church is taken out of this world. Israel and other nations will sign a 7 year peace treaty with the antichrist. 

The first 3 1/2 years will be relatively peaceful even prosperous. then, the Satanic antichrist and the false prophet will attempt to exterminate the Jewish nation. 

A faithful remnant will be preserved, and God will still cause His Word to be preached, but the whole world will reject it. 

Strong judgment will issue forth from heaven in three series of seven judgments: the seals, the trumpets and the bowls.

When all the wrath of God has been poured out upon a totally depraved Christ rejecting world, then Jesus will return on a white horse, in flaming fire as the irresistible King and Judge.  

Depravity and open rebellion against God will occur. 

2 Timothy 3:1-5  This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. 2)  For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3)  Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, 4)  Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; 5)  Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. 

Thus, when Paul speaks of perilous times, the application seems to be two fold. 

Generally every culture is plummeting into moral depravity and it seems to be a more rapid decline.

Specifically, all the horrible, sinful and rebellious actions Paul mentions, will be fully and completely manifest without restraint in the last days. 

Lovers of their own selves.  People will be selfish, seeking to satisfy their own desires without any regard to the welfare of others.

Covetous means people will be lovers of money, because of the influence which riches can procure. Remember, Paul already warned us that the love of money is the root of all evil.

Boasters means that people will be filled with vain , empty or foolish thinking. They will be self conceited, valuing themselves above all others.

Proud means people will be like the self righteous Pharisee, loving externals so that they can manipulate people's perception of them. 

Blasphemers are those who speak injuriously of God and who do not hesitate to profane sacred things.

Disobedient to parents describes how the God ordained family unit will collapse during the end times. Children will be entrenched rebels who refuse to listen to their parents.

Unthankful people will abound during the last days. They never thank anyone for anything, and certainly do not thank God for the common provisions that He faithfully made for all living things. 

Unholiness will mark those who live during the last days. They will have absolutely no fear of God and no reverence for anything but themselves.

People will be without natural affection which parents have for their children. Such an affection is common to every class of life so men without it are worse than brutes.

They will be truce-breakers who are bound by no promise, held by no engagement, obliged by no oath. They will readily promise any thing, because they never intend to perform.

False accusers will abound and this Greek word is translated Devils in other places. Satan is the master of false accusations striving to ruin the characters of others.

People will be incontinent in a moral sense. They will have lost all capacity for self government.

They will be known for being fierce, wild, impetuous, and doing whatever is contrary to meekness and gentleness.

They will be despisers of those that are good. Those who do not love the good must be radically bad themselves.

People will be traitors who betray or deliver up innocent people, like Judas Iscariot. They will deliver up to any enemy any person who has put his life in their hands.  

They are going to be heady and act impulsive with rash and inconsiderate actions.  

High-minded means they will be so full of themselves, that they are empty of all good.

Lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God. Their life is devoted to seeking pleasure and sensual gratification. They live for debauchery and depravity as they will be slaves to sin..

Having a form of godliness which signifies they will claim some type of religion but are destitute of the life of God in their soul. 

They will deny that such life or power can be experienced or known.  

From such turn away. Do not imitate them, and have no fellowship with them. They are extremely dangerous people.

Paul's warning is a reminder that there are people in every generation to whom these very words of diabolic character could apply.

We see it today almost in every nation. Jesus warned us that these things will only worsen as the end times and last days draw closer.

This is why we must share the gospel with the lost. We cannot change the world by reforming government. We cannot moralize the culture with rules and regulations.

Gospel preaching is the instrument from God that will radically change lives.

We must live by the gospel, be witnesses of the gospel, and we must tell others about the gospel.

We must pray for our lost loved ones that we will have time to share the gospel truth with them, and that God will save them.

Very wicked times are fast approaching. Are you ready? Jesus said you must be born again. Hear and heed what the King says.

Bob