“…know this, that in the 1LAST days 2PERILOUS times will come…” (2 Tim. 3:1) 1eschatos: the FINAL element in a significant series. Peter spoke this on the day of Pentecost, “…this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: “‘In the LAST DAYS, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.” (Acts 2:16-17)
The last days began on the day of Pentecost but what Paul is talking about is the “LAST” or “FINALITY” of the last days is the coming of perilous times 2chalepos: harsh, fierce, savage. The only other New Testament occurrence of chalepos is in the story of the two Gaderene demoniacs who were as savage and untamed as wild beasts and whom Matthew describes as “so exceedingly 2FIERCE that NO ONE could pass that way” (Matt 8:28)
We see numerous terrorist attacks, riots in our streets, attempts to keep us from worshiping together, closing down business and restricting travel. Paul goes on to tell us of many things we are seeing today, “For men will be LOVERS OF THEMSELVES, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, WITHOUT SELF-CONTROL, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, LOVERS OF PLEASURE rather than LOVERS OF GOD, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people TURN AWAY!” (2 Tim. 3:2-5)
So, what must we do? “…if anyone is a hearer of the word and NOT A DOER, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and CONTINUES IN IT, and is not a forgetful hearer but A DOER of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does…Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to KEEP ONESELF UNSPOTTED FROM THE WORLD.” (James 1:23-27)
-Bill Stockham