QT 6/3/2024 2 Tim 3:1-5, Civilized society is not getting better

2 Timothy 3:1–5 (ESV) — 1 But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. 2 For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, 4 treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.

 

NOTE: I believe that this passage represents our day and culture. The argument I hear against this view is that things have been as bad or worse back in history. And no doubt, today's media does portray that. Certainly, in an uncivilized societies, life is cruel and chaotic. Paul was writing from an area of the world that had been civilized for many centuries. On the outskirts of the Roman empire, there was still barbaric practices, and war always brings out the worst in people. But I think what makes this passage important and different, is that rather than seeing society get better, we will see a moral decline from a time of relatively moral behavior as we approach the end times. In civilized society, we have seen this transition from community to narcissism over the last two millennia, and I would argue most of the change has occurred in the last half century. Consequently, while life has been more barbaric in the past, civilized society has not degenerated so much in such a short time. Yes, we did see Nazi Germany try to destroy a people group out of pure antisemitism, but the behavior of the majority was not narcistic. Today, we are seeing a wholesale descent of the culture into narcissism (or me-first). We see it driving during rush hour. We see it in our politics. We have seen rage rise to levels not seen in our civilized society. Where we should be getting better, or evolving as the world suggests, we are devolving.

 

PONDER:

1. Am I angry? Why?
2. Am I becoming more like Christ in gentleness and love, or more like a self-centered child?

 

PRAYER: Father, I pray to live differently before others. I pray that my life would attract people to Jesus. Protect me from the ways of the world, the sin of the world, and the selfishness of the world.