PERILOUS TIMES

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

The phrase "last days" must be understood by the context in which it is used. In this passage it seems to indicate a future time. But since all these dire things were happening at the time of this writing these "last days" could well be descriptive of the last dispensation or age of religious history rather than something to come at a future date. We have the Patriarchal age and the Mosaical age followed by the Gospel age which is the age in which we now live. This age is referred to in Acts 2:17 in the quoted prophecy of Joel as "this is that."

Various historians and philosophers have described most all of these conditions as being in existence in ancient history. These are certainly not new sins that will be introduced in time to come. This is a warning that the same things that people were guilty of then would continue to beset and beguile people as time progressed. As we look at the list we recognize nearly all of them in those round about. But these are things that we can all be guilty of. Some of them are more prevalent than others: "lovers of self, disobedient to parents, unthankful, trucebreakers, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God."

We need to give ourselves constant, honest examinations to be sure that we are not afflicted with any of these. We are living in "perilous times."

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