More Traits of People in the Last Days 2 Timothy 3:4

As he wrote his final letter to Timothy, Paul the apostle listed many characteristics of people who would live in “the last days”. He declared that “perilous times” would come, and in chapter three and verse four of his last words, Paul gave even more traits of people who would be living in those final days where we read:

Traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;

The verse begins, “Traitors, heady, high-minded,...” Paul continued his list with, “traitors” which refers to “betrayers in the sense of giving someone into the enemy's hands”. Paul added, “heady” or “precipitate, rash and reckless” and “high-minded” which literally means “to lift a smoke or wrap in a mist” and metaphorically means “to make proud, puffed up with pride, insolent, haughty, blind with pride and conceit and rendered foolish or stupid”. No doubt Paul had observed these traits in others and knew this was the manner in which people would live in “the last days”.

The verse goes on to say, “...lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;” Paul went on to say, “lovers of pleasure” or “voluptuous and fond of pleasure” “more than” or “to a greater degree and by far, rather and sooner” “than lovers of God” which means “loving and fond of God”. In other words, people in “the last days” will love their pleasure filled activities more than they love God.

As we meditate upon these words from Paul, perhaps we know those who “betray” others, and are “prideful, rash and reckless” with their lives. Maybe we know those who love “pleasure”, and “pleasure seeking” is a priority where “loving God” and serving Him takes a distant second if any thought at all. These characteristics as well as those previously mentioned are evidence that we are living “in the last days”, and as these traits manifest themselves more and more in the coming days, may we be aware of them and know that our Lord Jesus Christ is going to return very soon. Even so, Come quickly, Lord Jesus we pray.

Next time Paul shares how those in the “last days” “have a form of godliness”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

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