“But understand this, that in the last days difficult times will come” (2 Timothy 3:1 NET).
Here in 2 Timothy chapter three, Paul the Apostle will offer some additional detail regarding the societal degradation that will characterize the last days. One commentator offers an insightful perspective upon this portion of Scripture that warrants a lengthy excerpt…
“Many people take the phrase, ‘these last days,’ to refer to the time just before Christ’s return, but the biblical usage of that phrase indicates that it refers to the whole period of time between the first coming of our Lord and his second coming. In other words, for 2,000 years we have been living in the last days…
In the account in Acts 2, we read that, on the Day of Pentecost, Peter quoted the prophecy of Joel, in which the prophet said that “in the last days” God would pour out his Spirit upon all flesh, (Acts 2:17). That, Peter said, was beginning to be fulfilled on the Day of Pentecost, almost 2,000 years ago. The first words of the book of Hebrews are: ‘In many and various ways God spoke of old to our fathers by the prophets; but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son,’ (Hebrews 1:1-2a RSV).
So it is clear, from that, that ‘the last days’ is a period which has now grown to 2,000 years’ duration. The Apostle Paul is saying that within this extended period of time there will come repetitive cycles of distress, times of stress, perilous times, when all the conditions which he describes with these chilling words will obtain.” (1)
As noted in the Scripture quoted above, this time period will be “terrible” (NIV), “difficult” (HCSB), “perilous” (KJV), or “grievous” (ASV). As another source observes, this word “…is used only one other time, in connection with the demoniacs in the country of the Gergesenes, describing them as ‘exceeding fierce’ (Matthew 8:28).” (2)
In addition to the characteristics that will follow in 2 Timothy 3:2-5, the Biblical book of Romans offers a further glimpse into the human mindset behind these perilous conditions…
“And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful” (Romans 1:28-31).
This sets the stage for our look into the characteristic elements of the last days beginning next.
(1) Excerpted with permission from Dangerous Times © 2021 by Ray Stedman Ministries. All rights reserved. Visit www.RayStedman.org for the complete library of Ray Stedman material. Please direct any questions to webmaster@RayStedman.org https://www.raystedman.org/new-testament/timothy/dangerous-times
(2) Institute for Creation Research, New Defender’s Study Bible Notes [2 Timothy 3:1] https://www.icr.org/bible/2Timothy/3/01/