2 Timothy 3:2-4

‘For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, swaggeringly arrogant (professing loudly about themselves what is not true), boastful (having an all consuming desire, often secret, to control others), abusive, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, implacable, slanderers (backbiters), without self-control, fierce (uncontrollable), no lovers of good, treacherous, headstrong, puffed up, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,’

Paul then lists the reasons why these days in which they are living are so grievous. The picture is in fact one of men in all ages, and it is certainly equally relevant to our own day. It is a description of what is in the heart of man. Compare Mark 7:21-23; Romans 1:26-32; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10; Galatians 5:20-21, although it is noticeable that here the gross sins of murder, adultery and sexual misbehaviour do not have attention drawn to them. The emphasis is more on their daily attitudes towards each other (outside their own intimate circles), and the attitude of men’s hearts towards God. Firstly they are idolaters, although their idols are self and money. They think only of what they can get for themselves, and what they can grab out of life. Then they are totally selfish, having high opinions of themselves while at the same time being objectionable towards others, being swaggeringly arrogant (professing loudly about themselves what is not true), boastful (having an all consuming desire, often secret, to control others) abusive, and contemptuous of the views of their parents. Then they have no time for either what man thinks or for God. They are ungrateful to society (thankless), and offend against all decency (anosios), as well as being ungrateful to God, and thus thankless and ‘unholy’ (not giving God a decent thought, or if they do it is in some way off religion). Then they are hard and unyielding, being without natural affection, implacable (hard hearted, hostile), slanderers (gossipers and talebearers), and without self-control. Thus they easily give way to ‘fierceness’ and belligerence. And finally they have no love for what is truly good, and instead are treacherous, headstrong, and puffed up about themselves, being lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God. Note how having begun with ‘lovers of self and lovers of money’ he has ended with ‘lovers of pleasure and not lovers of God’. The whole heart of those described is set in the wrong direction. They love themselves, they love mammon and they love pleasure, but they have no time for God and His ways.

The list is in the form of a chiasmus. Lovers of self and lovers of money parallel lovers of pleasure, not lovers of God. Swaggeringly arrogant parallels those who are puffed up. A desire to control others parallels headstrong. Abusive parallels treacherous. Disobedient to parents parallels not lovers of good. Those who are ungrateful parallel those who are uncontrollable. Those who offend against all decency parallel those who are without self-control. Those who are hard and unyielding parallel those who are so hard that they gossip about, and bear tales about, others. Those who are without natural affection parallel those who are slanderers. And implacability, that is an unwillingness to be tolerant, takes central place. It is the very opposite of what a Christian leader should be (2 Timothy 2:24-25 a).