“People will be selfish and love money. They will brag, be arrogant, and use abusive language. They will curse their parents, show no gratitude, have no respect for what is holy, and lack normal affection for their families. They will refuse to make peace with anyone. They will be slanderous, lack self-control, be brutal, and have no love for what is good. They will be traitors. They will be reckless and conceited. They will love pleasure rather than God” (2 Timothy 3:2-4 GNB).
As we continue our look at the characteristic qualities associated with the last days, we now come to several rapid-fire attributes…
- Disobedient to parents (NKJV). This phrase expresses an attitude of unruliness, rebellion, and/or insubordination towards a legitimate authority figure.
- Unthankful, ungrateful (AMP), or “utterly lacking in gratitude” (Phillips). This describes those who fail to appreciate the blessings that God has extended to us. One commentator adds, “Many people receive kindnesses from others without even thinking of thanking them. And they accept everything from God without ever returning thanks to Him.” (1)
- Unholy, a reference to those who act in a manner that is opposed to God and His character.
- Unloving (HCSB), a word that indicates a lack of natural affection. This word appears in only one other place in the original language of the New Testament. That place is Romans 1:31 where it is translated “heartless” (ESV). Nevertheless, it’s important to note that those who exhibit this quality will not be entirely devoid of love. As we saw earlier, these individuals will be “lovers of themselves.”
- Unforgiving (NIV), a consequence that naturally follows a failure to recognize or appreciate how God has forgiven us in Christ.
- Slanderous. This refers to a false statement that is intended to damage the reputation of someone else. This word also forms the basis for our modern-day word “diabolical.” As another source observes, “There is a sense in which slander is the most cruel of all sins. If a man’s goods are stolen, he can set to and build up his fortunes again; but if his good name is taken away, irreparable damage has been done.” (2)
- Without self-control, brutal. We can associate these qualities with a person who is self-indulgent while holding others to a standard that he or she would never personally seek to attain. In other words, “The persons noted here have no restraint or self-control in anything, none of their ambitions, passions, lusts, appetites or desires being under any discipline whatever.” (3)
(1) J. Vernon McGee, Thru The Bible with J. Vernon McGee, “2 Timothy 3:1-9 Apostasy In The Last Days” Copyright 1981 by J. Vernon McGee
(2) Barclay, William. William Barclay’s Daily Study Bible, “The Qualities Of Godlessness (2Ti_3:2-5 continued)”
(3) Coffman, James Burton. “Commentary on 2 Timothy 3”. “Coffman Commentaries on the Bible”. https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/eng/bcc/2-timothy-3.html. Abilene Christian University Press, Abilene, Texas, USA. 1983-1999