that should come when men would turn away their ears from the truth and be

turned unto fables.  We said earlier that the characteristics of these last

days of 2 Timothy 3 were like those of the early days of paganism.  We gather

this from a comparison of 2 Timothy 3:1 -4 with Romans 1:28 -32.

'Boasters' alazon (30).

'Boasters' alazon (2).

'Proud' huperephanos (30).

'Proud' huperephanos (2).

'Disobedient to parents'

'Disobedient to parents'

goneusin apeitheis (30).

goneusin apeitheis (2).

'Without natural affection'

'Without natural affection'

astorgos (31).

astorgos (3).

'Implacable' aspondos

'Truce breakers' aspondos (3).

(31, in the Received Text).

'Reprobate' adokimos (28).

'Reprobate' adokimos (8).

In addition to these six words that are repeated from Romans 1, we

read: 'lovers of their own selves, lovers of money (covetous), blasphemers,

unthankful (which finds an echo in Romans 1:21, neither were thankful),

unholy, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are

good, traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of

God'.  Standing out prominently in this dreadful list is one word 'love'.  We

have indicated it in the structure, but must draw attention to it again:

'Lovers of their own selves' philautoi.

'Lovers of silver, or money (covetous)' philarguroi.

'Not loving those that are good' aphilagathoi.

'Lovers of pleasure' philedonoi.

'Lovers of God' philotheoi.

We see there had been erring from the 'truth' (2 Tim. 2:18) and

resisting the 'truth' (2 Tim. 3:8) and turning away from the 'truth' (2 Tim.

4:4); there were also some who had made shipwreck concerning 'faith' (1 Tim.

1:19); there was to be a departure from the 'faith' (1 Tim. 4:1); some had

erred from the 'faith' (1 Tim. 6:10,21); others were reprobate concerning the

'faith' (2 Tim. 3:8).

When, however, the apostle comes to the outstanding characteristic of

'the last days', he does not speak of faith or truth, but goes deeper, and

speaks of love.  It was his constant practice to associate faith with love.

To the Galatians he spoke of 'faith which worketh by love' (Gal. 5:6).  To

the Colossians he wrote, linking their 'faith in the Lord Jesus' with their

'love unto all the saints' (Col. 1:4).  Did he speak to the Thessalonians of

that 'work of faith'? then he coupled it immediately with their 'labour of

love' (1 Thess. 1:3).  The good tidings that rejoiced his heart were

concerning their 'faith and love' (1 Thess. 3:6), and the very breastplate

was dual, it was a 'breastplate of faith and love' (1 Thess. 5:8).  So also

when writing to Timothy the apostle spoke of his own commission as being

'with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus' (1 Tim. 1:14), and when he

would exhort Timothy, he links 'faith and love' together (1 Tim. 6:11), and

points to his own life as an example of 'faith, longsuffering, love' (2 Tim.

It may be that some reader has expected a fuller analysis of the

dreadful times that are ahead of us, and is disappointed because we have not