God’s News In The News

Week One Hundred-Eighteen

Perilous Times Week Three

Very Similar

Before we continue our word study into Paul’s descriptions of those Timothy would face in the end times, it is interesting to point out that these characteristics are very similar to those brought up in Romans 1:30. This raises the bar on how perilous or dangerous these people are, or in our case will be. The path they are traveling will eventually lead to a reprobate mind which is an eternally deadly condition. And those who have no conscious to prick their them will do all manner of horrible things with the sanctity of life off the table and pride and selfishness driving them. This is yet another reason why we should take what the Apostle tells us very seriously. We live in times that will truly try men’s souls.

Boastful And Proud

In our last lesson we talked about loves of self and money and now we move on two other words which seem a little more benign and that is being boastful and prideful. The Greek word for “boastful” is alazṓn (a masculine noun) – properly, a wandering vagrant (vagabond), boasting to anyone who is foolish enough to take him seriously! This kind of person claims many things he can't really do, so he must always keep moving on to new, naive listeners. [As a masculine noun, (alazṓn) tends to focus on the source of the empty boasting, i.e. the sinful arrogance that drives it.] On its face this characteristic would appear to be a frivolous one, however we are building a profile here and they all aid each other to create the kind of people that both Timothy is facing and, by extension us because of the prophetic nature of these verses. And we must pair it with the other word listed and that is “proud” which is the word hyperḗphanos (from 5228 /hypér, "beyond, over" and 5316 /phaínō, "shine forth") – properly, over-shine, trying to be more than what God directs, i.e., going beyond the faith He imparts. Ok, so they think they are all that and a bag of chips. These people are a dime a dozen some would say, however God feels differently.

God Opposes These People

You’re cheating on God. If all you want is your own way, flirting with the world every chance you get, you end up enemies of God and his way. And do you suppose God doesn’t care? The proverb has it that “he’s a fiercely jealous lover.” And what he gives in love is far better than anything else you’ll find. It’s common knowledge that “God goes against the willful proud; God gives grace to the willing humble.” (James 4:4-6, TMG)

We must always recall that this list is first aimed at believers in the church young Timothy was the pastor. And as we see in the translation, the person who is arrogant and likes to be more than they are, but also trumpets that fact as if they are more than God wants them to be is difficult to deal with. But this goes much farther than that. They are actively working and functioning in places they are not anointed for or even lording that they are anointed above others when they plainly are not. They will say things like “Anyone can be a pastor or worship leader, in fact I’m better than that person or that person.” They also sow seeds of dissension in gullible believers to lead them down the same course of eventual destruction. But the worst thing is that God opposes them and in a military fashion. Churches split when folks like this get a foothold in a church and we not only need to recognize them but combat them. Sadly, these prideful boasters will wear out their welcome and many will move on to another unsuspecting congregation to worm their way into the fold and wreak havoc again and again.

Now It’s Getting Real

Adding to these previous words, Paul says there will be blasphemers in the bunch. This particular word is found in only 4 verses in the New Testament and 2 of them are in the books for Timothy. And in one, Paul says he was formerly one. It is the Greek word blásphēmos – what is blasphemous (reverses spiritual and moral realities.; Evil speakers or revilers. According to Bible commentator David Guzik, such reviling is connected to the previous two words this way:

Boasting, pride, and blasphemy are nothing new; but today, they seem far more prominent than ever.

i. Boasting, pride, and blasphemy each act as if I am the most important person. Each of them say, “You don’t matter and God does not matter. All that matters is me.”

ii. Today boasting, pride, and blasphemy are apparent everywhere, especially among the celebrities that our cultures idolizes. Many people today become wealthy by calculated boasting, pride, and blasphemy.

Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers contrasts the three words this way:

The two vices just mentioned refer to man’s conduct to his brother man; this alludes to his behaviour towards his God. The pride with which he looks down on his fellows develops itself into insolence in thought, if not in word, towards his God: and this is termed blasphemy.

Ellicott strongly infers that what these people act like to the people around them is also how they treat the God who created them.

The Modern Church

As some say, this is where the rubber meets the road and others rightly point out that those listed by Paul think they are so much better than others and think they have no need for help. Alexander Maclaren in his Expositions of Holy Scripture put it this way:

The worse a man is, the less he knows it. The more completely a professing Christian has lost his hold of the substance and is clinging only to the form, the less does he suspect that this indictment has any application to him…. If a man says, ‘Your text has no sort of application to me,’ he thereby shows that it has a very close application to him.

Boastful, arrogant, and blasphemous people both in and out of the modern church fit this description to a tee. It is one reason why the Apostle Paul tells Timothy to not waste his time trying to “fix” them. It’s not that God is giving up on them, but He is saying only Holy Spirit can reach them now. And if we note the pattern in Romans 1 the process needs less instruction and correction and more inspiration and revelation to stop this downward spiral.

Look In The Mirror Next

And on this point we need to root out every single one of these characteristics if they show up in our own lives and do so as early as we can. If we look at people who evidence these attitudes and actions and think we are so much better than the, then we fall into the same trap they fell into. Such introspection must be led and aided by Holy Spirit since it is foolish to do spiritual open heart surgery on ourselves. And what if we are not actively searching ourselves as prescribed? God, in His love will send messengers to us, both human and not to get our attention. It’s just like what the Bible tell us in Hebrews 12:6-11:

For when he punishes you, it proves that he loves you. When he whips you, it proves you are really his child.”

7 Let God train you, for he is doing what any loving father does for his children. Whoever heard of a son who was never corrected? 8 If God doesn’t punish you when you need it, as other fathers punish their sons, then it means that you aren’t really God’s son at all—that you don’t really belong in his family. 9 Since we respect our fathers here on earth, though they punish us, should we not all the more cheerfully submit to God’s training so that we can begin really to live?

10 Our earthly fathers trained us for a few brief years, doing the best for us that they knew how, but God’s correction is always right and for our best good, that we may share his holiness. 11 Being punished isn’t enjoyable while it is happening—it hurts! But afterwards we can see the result, a quiet growth in grace and character. (TLB)

And I’ll also let you know that Paul found mercy when he was exactly like the people he talks about:

I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength to do his work. He considered me trustworthy and appointed me to serve him, 13 even though I used to blaspheme the name of Christ. In my insolence, I persecuted his people. But God had mercy on me because I did it in ignorance and unbelief. 14 Oh, how generous and gracious our Lord was! He filled me with the faith and love that come from Christ Jesus.

15 This is a trustworthy saying, and everyone should accept it: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners”—and I am the worst of them all. 16 But God had mercy on me so that Christ Jesus could use me as a prime example of his great patience with even the worst sinners. Then others will realize that they, too, can believe in him and receive eternal life. (1 Tim 1:12-16, TLB)

I’ll just let that sit there and marinate in your brain.