Distressing Times

Photo by Adam Winger

“You must understand this, that in the last days distressing times will come. For people will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, unfeeling, implacable, slanderers, profligates, brutes, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to the outward form of godliness but denying its power. Avoid them! For among them are those who make their way into households and captivate immature women, overwhelmed by their sins and swayed by all kinds of desires, who are always studying yet never able to recognize truth” (2 Timothy 3:1–7 NRSUE).

In the heavily patriarchal ancient Mediterranean world, women were generally viewed as more vulnerable to deception. It is in this context that Paul warns his protégé Timothy of certain persons who seek to deceive whom they can among the Christ community, targeting those believed to be easier prey. While such condescension toward women is surely problematic, the thrust of Paul’s caution here remains true. It is true not only for leaders like Timothy, but for the entire Christian community who, since Jesus rose from the dead some 2,000 years ago, are living in what the New Testament calls “the last days.”

We can probably imagine both men and women who could be accurately described as “immature,” “overwhelmed by their sins,” “swayed by all kinds of desires,” and “always studying yet never able to recognize truth.” But I am thinking particularly here about young people who are often vulnerable to deceptive influences.

It is all too common for an older generation to look at the younger one and worry that this new group has carelessly turned their back upon what is truly good and just and is thus plotting a course toward catastrophe. Indeed, the doomsday scenarios imagined by at least some prognosticators at various points in American history have significantly overstated the proposed cultural degradation that was for one reason or another to occur. And, of course, many cultural observers through the years have correctly pointed to positive developments that have happened because of the new generation taking the helm.

Nevertheless, call me a pessimist, alarmist, old fogy, or worse, I am still deeply troubled by the direction American culture has taken over the course of my adult life and especially the past few years. Unfortunately, as I’ve commonly remarked before, Christian groups are apparently not immune to what might be called a “counterfeit morality”—or perhaps better a “distorted gospel,” which is being propagated in certain segments of the church and is taking hold among many young people.

Written hundreds of years before 2 Timothy, the prophet Isaiah warned God’s people, “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!” (Isaiah 5:20 NRSVUE). As Isaiah’s prophetic words indicate, when people ignore God’s instructions and decide instead to be a law unto themselves judgment is sure to follow.

Accordingly, the Bible emphasizes the need for God’s people to instill God’s instructions to the next generation, being an example to them (see, for example, Deuteronomy chapter 6). In keeping with this solemn responsibility, Jesus also sternly warned his followers that it would be better for them to experience a horrific death than to cause one of his “little ones” (probably referring to new disciples, but clearly applicable to children) to disobey God (Matthew 18:6).

In my view, we are reaching a point of “critical mass” whereby enough youths may go so far down the road of depravity, all the while thinking their way is “good” and “just,” that even if they were to awake from such delusions it may then be too late to avoid the dire consequences. Afterall, “God is not mocked, for you reap what you so” (Galatians 6:7 NRSVUE).  What is therefore desperately needed are voices of reason to speak up—a counter offensive of truthtellers, committed to God’s Word regardless of the cost, and who will diligently seek to influence the next generation in the way of life.

As Timothy heard from Paul, so should our youth hear from us today:

“Wicked people and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving others and being deceived. But as for you, continue in what you have learned and firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have known sacred writings that are able to instruct you for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 3:13–15 NRSVUE).