Expect a Rebellious Generation. 2 Timothy 3:1-4.
But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, Treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God.
Dear Royal Priesthood,
Paul wants to encourage Timothy but he also wants him to be prepared for reality. Things are going to get worse.
Warning (v. 1). The reality of what is coming is that life will not be easy. “Last Days” is a term that covers the whole spectrum from the period immediately after Paul wrote the letter to the future just preceding the Second Coming of Christ. Timothy did encounter the “times of difficulty,” as has every generation of believers since. It will only get worse as the end nears.
Wrong Affections (v. 2a). Instead of loving God and fellow man, people will love themselves. The popular modern cliche “self-love” is not biblical. Paul already warned before about the love of money (1 Timothy 6:10).
Wrong Actions (v. 2b). The pride of the rebellious is demonstrated in arrogance, abusiveness, and disobedience to parents. This may also refer to the violation of the values they were taught as children.
Wrong Attitudes (vv. 2b-3a). Ungrateful may be related to disobedience to parents in that the rebellious fail to support their parents, but it also has the general meaning of people who take others for granted and expect to be served but show no appreciation in return. Unholy is simply having no respect for things of God, while heartless implies that they have no compassion. Unappeasable means that no matter what one does, one can never please them. These are people who think that the world owes them.
Wrong Attentions (vv. 3b-4). The things that occupy the time and attention of the rebellious – slander and all manner of inhumanity, as stated here, the pursuit of pleasure at the expense of love for God and the whole focus on self are contrary to the selflessness that Christ modeled and expects his followers to emulate.
Your Loving Pastor Chris.