2 Timothy 3:1-8
Godlessness in the Last Days
1But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. 2People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, 4treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— 5having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them.
6They are the kind who worm their way into homes and gain control over weak-willed women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires, 7always learning but never able to acknowledge the truth. 8Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so also these men oppose the truth—men of depraved minds, who, as far as the faith is concerned, are rejected. 9But they will not get very far because, as in the case of those men, their folly will be clear to everyone.
St. Paul is writing Timothy about the last days...Some thought after the Messiah arrived the end times were near...The Messiah would be here Revelation...Jesus, the Messiah, had come...Were we near the end of age?...Some thought we were or at least the start of the end times...St. Peter even says the end of times are near, two thousand years age (1 Peter 4:7)...Since part of God's plan was to have the Messiah come and die for us and our sins, (some think) the end times are in process...
St. Paul tells us that during the last days will be terrible times...Humanity will slide down hill ethically and morally...The end times will be terrible, but there are those who have started this slide...St. Paul tells Timothy what to watch and what to avoid...
At the end of age, people will become more about self and thinking about themselves, instead of God and their neighbor...People will become boastful, proud, and abusive instead of being humble...The children will become disobedient to their parents, instead of honoring them...Man will take on the characteristics of ungratefulness, not being holy, no love, no forgiveness, slanderous, no self-control, and being brutal...The affection for others will have left...The love for his neighbor will have gone, and he will be only thinking of himself and satisfying his desires, pleasures, and lusts that burn within him...Some will know the powers of God, but will deny Him and not accept the Son...
These sins separate us from God...St. Paul tells Timothy, if and when he (and us) meets people like this, who are beginning the slide downhill, to have nothing to do with them...There are people who are constantly learning but never acknowledge the truth...God is the truth...The truth is unchanging...The LORD is unchanging, yesterday, today, and tomorrow...He is eternal...These people will not acknowledge that they are sinners, and reject faith and the grace of God and only do what they want to do to satisfy there needs of the day...
Evil, corruption, and wickedness were there in St. Paul's time...He tells Timothy to have nothing to do with it...Evil, pride, a lack of self-control, and selfishness will increase as time goes on... Our thoughts will be increasing on our pleasures and not on loving or following God...Our guards must be up for corruption...We cannot forget evil is out there and be tolerant of it as it increases...As we learn we must acknowledge what we learn...There is a difference between good and evil and we are to acknowledge that fact, not just tolerate the fact...
As we move along the path of life, we are to be watchful, avoid evil, acknowledge the truth, and keep the faith...As things change, time marches toward the end of age...We must look for the truth that does not change...Jesus is the truth...The Father and the Son are unchanging...Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrew 13:8)..."I am the Alpha and the Omega", says the LORD, God, "who is, who was, and who is to come, the Almighty"...