“But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come” (2 Tim. 3:1).
These words are somewhat surprising, for they were verbalized by a man who had faced multifarious sufferings, a man who had lived a life fraught with danger and persecutions. Here are his words:
Are they ministers of Christ?—I speak as a fool—I am more: in labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, in deaths often. 24 From the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus one. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep; 26 in journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of my own countrymen, in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; 27 in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness” (2 Cor. 11:23–27).
Although Paul had experienced perilous times recurrently, he affirmed that things were going to worsen in the last days. “Know this”, he told Timothy. Paul’s prediction was not merely anchored in human wisdom, but rather in a divine revelation. He knew for certain that opposition would intensify and therefore wanted to prepare Timothy for this parlous prospect.
The nature of the perils
Paul wrote that these perilous times would come in the last days. But which form will they take when they come? Or could it be they are already here, disguised in somniferous discretion?
Actually the apostle states clearly the nature of the perils: “For men will be…” The verb is in the future tense because Paul could anticipate—on the basis of a divine revelation—a decline in human morals that was going to be unprecedented. In the same epistle he writes:
But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived” (2 Tim. 3:13).
According to Paul the peril was going to reside in a greater actualization of the amoral potential inherent in man.
In what follows I will present three giants which are presently at work among us; giants that might well mark the perilous times Paul was talking about.
The first giant: Indifference
The present moral decay has giving rise to a coldness and hardness of heart never experienced before. Jesus had already evinced the existing relation between morals and apathy when he said:
And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold” (Matt. 24:12).
These words, embodied in today’s social make-up more than ever before, should stir up our awareness and help us to understand the times. Granted that the world has always been reluctant to embrace the Gospel, the present days exhibit a level of indifference that is, by all standard, unparalleled. To speak of God, sin, and repentance has become a taboo in most milieus, and as the Psalmist writes, most people are like the deaf cobra that stops its ear, which will not heed the voice of charmers, charming ever so skillfully (Psalm 58:4,5).
An impressive dismissal
Actually people are not only disinterested, they are—in many cases—on the defense and regard the Gospel as something intrusive. In fact, the multitudes are hardening their heart to such an extent that the day will come in which a third of the population of the world will be killed and the rest will persist in their evil ways as if nothing had happened. Imagine! The death of 2.6 billion people—according to the present world’s population—i.e., 8 times the population of the United States, will prove to be insufficient to trigger a reappraisal of man’s moral behavior.
By these three plagues a third of mankind was killed—by the fire and the smoke and the brimstone which came out of their mouths. 19 For their power is in their mouth and in their tails; for their tails are like serpents, having heads; and with them they do harm.
But the rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, that they should not worship demons, and idols of gold, silver, brass, stone, and wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk. 21 And they did not repent of their murders or their sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts” (Rev. 9:20).
One would think that such a turn of events should cause men to reconsider their ways and repent. But nothing of it will happen; on the contrary, they will blaspheme God all the more (see Rev. 16:8–11 & 21).
This is nothing less than crystallized indifference, an absolute refusal to reassess their ways.
The bad thing about it all is that many Christians find themselves intimidated by these intolerants and brought to near silence. The Gospel message is thus muzzled and God’s salvation cornered in the arena of daily living. I am not saying this state of affairs covers the whole globe, but it is spreading as measles and the situation is becoming alarming, at least, as far as the West is concerned.
Entertainments
Another form of indifference is brought about by the fact that people are being entertained more than ever before. Thousands of sources of amusement are hypnotizing the masses, and this, in a rate unheard in the annals of human history. The question echoes on the walls of the subways:
“Why to listen to a preacher when we can give our ears to something infinitely more interesting?”
That unbelievers arrive to such conclusions should not surprise us. After all we, Christians, are often caught up in the same web at the point of losing sight of our priorities. What I am saying is that the mind of many is being tamed and drawn away from the Gospel message.
Facing the challenge
That most people are insouciant about their spiritual state can hardly be denied, for their carelessness is confirmed by the nonchalance of their ways. But it is precisely here we Christians must be careful, for we can fail to realize that there is a remnant which differ from the multitudes. There are still sheep to be found. Hence, the peril we are facing resides in a possible forsaking of our responsibility in a time God wants to gather His own.
Recognizing the difficulties
I believe it is important to be honest with the facts. There is no point to put pink glasses on and say: “People are hungry for the Gospel”. It is simply not the case—at least in the West. The faster we realize this truth the better off we will be.
Yes! Many will walk away and tell us to shut up. But there are others, few as they may be, that are awaiting the voice of a preacher. These will become our brothers and sisters and will be grateful to whosoever dared to present the Gospel amidst opposition and persecution. Without a doubt there will be tears in the process, but don’t forget:
He who continually goes forth weeping, bearing seed for sowing, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him” (Psalms 126:6).
“He who continually”, says the Scripture. There must be continuity. But the Scripture adds: “shall doubtless come again with rejoicing”. This is our faith and hope on this side of eternity.
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