Finally in 2 Timothy we have the warning concerning

a 'spirit of cowardice' that would be ashamed of the testimony of the Lord or

of Paul His prisoner, and also the necessity to hold fast a form of sound

words received from Paul (2 Tim. 1:7,8,13).  In chapter 2 we have the many

hindrances that are found in the path of him who would run for the crown.

There are the 'entangling affairs of this life' and 'the denying of the Lord'

(2:4,12).  Great emphasis is placed upon the principle of 'right division' so

that the workman shall have no need for shame (2:15); 'profane and vain

babblings' are once more mentioned (2:16), and the figure of the great house

is introduced to urge the believer to 'purge himself' so that he may be a

vessel unto honour (2:19 -21).  The avoidance of youthful lusts, foolish and

unlearned questions, and strife are enjoined (2:22 -24).  2 Timothy 3 adds to

the Spirit's 'express' statement of 1 Timothy 4 by saying:

'This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.  For

men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud,

blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without

natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce,

despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, high minded, lovers

of pleasures more than lovers of God; having a form of godliness, but

denying the power thereof: from such turn away' (2 Tim. 3:1 -5).

'Evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being

deceived' (3:13).

This awful revelation is supplemented in chapter 4 by the words:

'The time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after

their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching

ears; and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be

turned unto fables' (4:3,4).

The forsaking of Paul by Demas because he 'loved this present world'

(verse 10) must be included as a warning and a symptom in this dreadful

foreshadowing of the perilous times that must surely come.

Here, as contributory causes to this one dreadful end, we have such

widely divergent agencies as spiritual wickednesses and the matter of woman's

dress, and usurpation of authority over the man.  We have doctrines of demons

closely associated with the matter of diet.  We have bodily exercise, young

widows, water drinking, neglecting the body, ruling the house well, all

closely allied with rightly dividing the word of truth, and being unashamed

of the testimony of the Lord's prisoner.

A survey of the causes that lead to such an end is surely humbling to

us all, and we realize that we all have shared in the downward movement.  The

only reference to 'repentance' in Paul's later ministry occurs in 2 Timothy

2:25, and possibly none can read this article without feeling cause for

repentance in many particulars.

We do not intend to dwell on these passages; they have been assembled

so that we shall see what the age will be like when the church of the One

Body is complete, the dispensation closes, and when prophetic times once more

begin to run their destined course.