#398

Perilous Times Week Three

Similar To Romans

And so we're continuing on with a closer look at perilous times seen in that famous scripture in 2 Timothy 3. Bur before we continue our lesson on 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. Paul was writing these books from prison and Romans and First and Second Timothy were all written about the same time. So while Paul's incarcerated he gives a list in Romans 1:30 that's similar to the one we're studying here. So something else to know is that this raises the bar on how perilous or dangerous these people are because the path they are traveling will eventually lead to a reprobate mind, which is an eternally deadly condition. And those who have no conscience to prick them will do all manner of horrible things with the sanctity of life off the table and pride and selfishness driving them. The reason I bring that up is as a parallel because you can read in Romans 1 the process of getting to a reprobate mind. They’re the same characteristics as Paul is mentioning here. That should make us perk up because that's how dangerous it is. These people will eventually be given over to a reprobate mind, which basically means their conscience is turned off. That's a really bad place to be. People that are in that state don't have scruples. They don't have sanctity of life. They just do whatever they want to do, and they don't see it as being a problem. That's a big thing here. So, this is yet another reason why we should take what the Apostle Paul tells us very seriously. We live in times that will truly try men's souls.

The Next Two Words Are Boastful And Proud

For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers… (2 Tim 3:2, NKJV)

In our last lesson, we talked about the loves of self and money. And now we move on to two other words which seem a little more benign, and that is being boastful and prideful. The Greek word for “boastful” is alazón (al-ad-zone'), properly a wandering vagrant, vagabond, boasting to anyone who is foolishly enough to take him seriously. This kind of person claims many things he can't really do, but he must always keep moving on to new naïve listeners. As a masculine noun, it tends to focus on one source of the empty boasting, i.e., the sinful arrogance that drives it. That's the HELP Study Bible description. 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. That word is huperephanos (hoop-er-ay'-fan-os) and it means beyond, over, and shine forth, properly, over shine, trying to be more than what God directs, for example, going beyond the faith he imparts. These people are a dime a dozen, as some would say. However, God feels differently.

God Opposes The Proud

God says, since this word is the same as the word that’s used in James 4:4-6, that He actually opposes these people and in the scripture I mentioned, 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? Proverbs say that He’s a fiercely jealous lover, and that 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. That's in the Message version, and I know some people don't like the Message version, but it does hit home. So, these people may be annoying to some people, but God opposes them because, remember, this listing here is not the people outside the church. It's the people inside the body of believers that Timothy was facing. So, these are some people that we would see in the pews of our church. They are boastful and prideful, arrogant, and God opposes them. I don't know about you, but I don't want to be on God's bad side. And that's what the scripture is pointing out. It's the same word used in James 4 as is used in 2 Timothy 3. James confirms it and says, look, God opposes these kinds of people.

These Words Are Aimed At Believers

We must always recall that this list is first aimed at believers in the young church Timothy was the pastor of, and we see the that this person not only is arrogant and likes to be more than what they are, but also trumpets the fact that they are more than God wants them to be and this makes this difficult to deal with. They're working and functioning in places they’re not anointed for and even lording that they are anointed above others when they plainly are not. These people might say some of these things: anyone can be a pastor, worship leader. In fact, I'm better than that person or that person. They actually not only talk badly about these people, but also say I'm better than that. I can do what they're doing. If you give me a chance, I can do it. Now, that's just one part. 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 if you look at the original language, it's in a military fashion. He is militantly opposing them. Churches split when folks like this, these get a whole foothold in the 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 other unsuspecting congregations to worm their way into the fold and wreak havoc again and again. If you've been a Christian long enough, and I hate to say this, but you know exactly the kind of people. You've seen them. You've seen what damage they can do. So, it's not that they're just arrogant, prideful, boastful, but they're tearing down the Church of God at the same time. They're going to split bodies and they’re going to sow division. They will draw people to them and they're not going to want to leave the church alone. They're going to take a crowd with them. And this is the danger of what Paul was saying to Timothy. He said you’ve got to be careful about these people. Here's what to look for and when you see it, you recognize it, pray, and then, of course, as Paul told Timothy, don't try and change him because only God can do that.

Now It’s Getting Real

Now let's move on to the other word there. We have prideful, and boastful, but adding to these previous words, Paul says there are blasphemers in the bunch. This particular word is found in only four verses of the New Testament, two of them are in the books for Timothy, and in one, Paul says he was formerly a blasphemer. We'll get to that later. It the Greek word blasphémos (blas'-fay-mos), what is blasphemous (reverses spiritual and moral realities), evil speakers, or revilers. According to the 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. For one, boasting, pride, and blasphemy each act as if “I am the most important person.” Each of them says, you don't matter, and God does not matter. All that matters is me. They're cloaked in a false humility. They say they are closer to God, but in reality, what they're doing, they're blaspheming God. Today, boasting, pride, and blasphemy are apparent everywhere, especially among the celebrities that our culture idolizes. Many people today become wealthy by calculated boasting, pride, and blasphemy.

Another commentary, Ellicott's Comment Commentary for English Readers, contrasts these three words this way:

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

Now, another place this word is used is when Jesus is accused of being a blasphemer because He not only healed a person but He forgave their sins. Ellicott strongly infers that how these people act around them is also how they treat the God who created them. I'll say it again. Ellicott strongly infers that that what these people act like to the people around them is also how they treat the God who created them.

The Modern Church

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 McLaren in his Expositions of the Holy Scripture put it this way:

Though 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 his 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 T and 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. So, what Paul is telling Timothy, and by extension us is pointing these people out not so that you can go up and try and correct them, but so that you can stay away from them and spend your time on other things. Let Holy Spirit deal with these people. Now, some may be called to be a messenger to these people. That happens. But to Timothy, he said, look, turn them over to God and shun them, run away from them because they're only going to waste your time. That is a harsh thing, but when the hound of heaven chases people, he will catch up to them. Now, what they do once he gets their attention, it could be like Balaam and the donkey and the angel, or it could be other things. But it could also be Peter talking to Ananias and Sapphira. You know, at some point, the finger of God shows up, but it's always going to be something that's going to be done. We don't know how God's going to get their attention, but Paul is saying, look, you’ve got to be careful, run away from these people.

Look In The Mirror Next

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. The problem that people like this have is they don't have introspection. They don't look in the mirror. When they look in the mirror, they are boastful, selfish, arrogant, prideful, blasphemous. That's not what they see, but how they act. They see themselves as saints, but they're really not. But we need to look in the mirror, in a metaphorical way and say, look, are these things showing up in my life? And if they are, even if they're little seeds, we need to root them out. And there's only really one good way to do that. That's through the Bible, reading Scripture and letting it minister to us. We need to say, Holy Spirit, do you find any evil way within me, any wicked way in me, as, as the hymn goes? Even the best of us can have the worst growing in us if we're not careful. So, if we look at people who evidence these attitudes and actions and think we are so much better than them, 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 when we think we can lift ourselves up by our own bootstraps. We're saying, hey, God, I see I need open heart surgery. Give me a scalpel. I'll take care of it. Nobody would do that in the physical. We should instead find a good surgeon who’s trained to do it. That's Holy Spirit's role in our lives and that's the Word's role in our lives. So, again, our part is to realize, submit, and say, God, deal with this, and then let Him do the procedure. So, let the Holy Spirit do that work earlier, so it doesn't have to be such a hard surgery later.

What If We Are Not Actively Searching Ourselves?

God in His love will send messengers to us, both human and not, to get our attention. Let's read this scripture. It's just like what the Bible says 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)

Quiet, not boastful, arrogant, or proud. We need to take that correction however God sends it to us. And again, as the scripture says here in the Living Bible, it hurts. But it does do something for us. Being punished isn't enjoyable while it is happening; it hurts. But afterward, we can see the result, a quiet growth in grace and character.

Paul Was On The Same Path

It must be pointed out that Paul admits this is the path he was on when he's describing these people. It's because he's seen it in himself. What he says in 1 Timothy 1:12-17 is that he found mercy. And then he said this:

 And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has enabled me, because He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry, 13 although I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man; but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. 14 And the grace of our Lord was exceedingly abundant, with faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. 15 This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief. 16 However, for this reason I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show all longsuffering, as a pattern to those who are going to believe on Him for everlasting life. 17 Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen. (NKJV)

So, we can see that Paul wasn't telling Timothy that this is a person he’s seen. Quite the opposite. He's saying not only do I recognize him, I recognize him because I used to be that person. But he says he found mercy. And that's what we need to find, and this is what we pray for those who are in this list. They find mercy, however, God sends it to them. He will send inspiration to them, and revelation which only comes from Holy Spirit. That's what we need to pray for these people. And then go from there.