‏ 2 Timothy 3:1-3

CHAPTER 3

2Ti 3:1-17. Coming Evil Days: Signs of Evil Already: Contrast in the Doctrine and Life of Paul, Which Timothy Should Follow in Accordance with His Early Training in Scripture.

1. also--Greek, "but."

last days--preceding Christ's second coming (2Pe 3:3; Jude 18). "The latter times," 1Ti 4:1, refer to a period not so remote as "the last days," namely, the long days of papal and Greek anti-Christianity.

perilous--literally, "difficult times," in which it is difficult to know what is to be done: "grievous times."

shall come--Greek, "shall be imminent"; "shall come unexpectedly" [Bengel].

2. men--in the professing Church. Compare the catalogue, Ro 1:29, &c., where much the same sins are attributed to heathen men; it shall be a relapse into virtual heathendom, with all its beast-like propensities, whence the symbol of it is "a beast" (Re 13:1, 11, 12, &c.; 17:3, 8, 11).

covetous--Translate, "money-loving," a distinct Greek word from that for "covetous" (see on Col 3:5). The cognate Greek substantive (1Ti 6:10) is so translated, "the love of money is a (Greek, not 'the') root of all evil."

boasters--empty boasters [Alford]; boasting of having what they have not.

proud--overweening: literally, showing themselves above their fellows.

blasphemous--rather, "evil-speakers," revilers.

disobedient to parents--The character of the times is even to be gathered especially from the manners of the young [Bengel].

unthankful--The obligation to gratitude is next to that of obedience to parents.

unholy--irreligious [Alford]; inobservant of the offices of piety.

3. truce-breakers--rather as the Greek is translated in Ro 1:31, "implacable."

false accusers--slanderers (1Ti 3:11; Tit 2:3).

incontinent, fierce--at once both soft and hard: incontinently indulging themselves, and inhuman to others.

despisers, &c.--"no lovers of good" [Alford]; the opposite of "a lover of good" (Tit 1:8).