Lovers of Pleasures

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Second Letter of Paul to Timothy

2 Timothy 3:1–17 “1 But know this, that in the last days difficult times will come, 2 for people will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, arrogant, slanderers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 hardhearted, irreconcilable, slanderous, without self-control, savage, with no interest for what is good, 4 traitors, reckless, conceited, loving pleasure rather than loving God, 5 maintaining a form of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid these people. 6 For from these are those who slip into houses and captivate foolish women loaded down with sins, led by various kinds of desires, 7 always learning and never able to come to a knowledge of the truth. 8 And just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so also these oppose the truth, people corrupted in mind, disqualified concerning the faith. 9 But they will not progress to a greater extent, for their folly will be quite evident to everyone, as also the folly of those two was. 10 But you have faithfully followed my teaching, way of lif…”

The Complete Book of Who’s Who in the Bible Jannes and Jambres

JANNES AND JAMBRES

Two of Pharaoh’s magicians, who opposed Moses and tried to show that they were as effective as he at working miracles (Ex 7–9). Jewish legend regarded Jannes and Jambres (somewhat improbably) as sons of Balaam, the Midianite prophet of Numbers 22–24. Curiously, the Exodus chapters do not identify them by name. The only biblical reference to them appears in the NT. The apostle Paul saw similarity between Jannes and Jambres and the false teachers of debased intellect who were enemies of the truth in his day (2 Tm 3:6–8).

Pleasures are not all Bad

Psalm 16:11 “11 You will make known to me the path of life. In your presence is fullness of joy. At your right hand are pleasures forever.”

Isaiah 22:13 “13 But look! Joy and gladness, the killing of oxen and the slaughtering of sheep, the eating of meat and the drinking of wine! “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!””

These scriptures show that God wants us to enjoy His presence and His gifts, but not to love them more than Him or to misuse them in sinful ways. He wants us to seek His kingdom and His righteousness first, and then He will add all these things to us (Matthew 6:33). He also wants us to honor Him with our bodies, which are His temples, and to use them Traitors are those who act like traitors. They betray their friends, their country, or their faith. They are disloyal, unfaithful, and dishonest. They are like Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Jesus for money (Luke 6:16).Heady means rash, reckless, or impulsive. They do things without thinking or caring about the consequences. They are daring, bold, and arrogant. They are like the people of Sodom and Gomorrah, who indulged in wickedness and violence (Genesis 19:4-11).Highminded means puffed up with pride or conceit. They have a high opinion of themselves and a low opinion of others. They are vain, haughty, and boastful. They are like the Pharisees, who trusted in their own righteousness and despised others (Luke 18:9-14).

These words show how evil people love themselves more than God or others. They are selfish, greedy, and sinful. They do not obey God’s commands or respect His authority. They do not love God or their neighbors as themselves (Matthew Boasters are people who brag or boast about themselves, their achievements, their possessions, or their abilities. They are often arrogant, proud, and self-centered. They may exaggerate or lie about their qualities or accomplishments to impress others. They may also look down on or belittle others who are less fortunate or successful than them.

The Bible warns us against being boasters, as it is a sign of ungodliness and wickedness. In 2 Timothy 3:2, the apostle Paul lists boasters among the characteristics of evil people in the last days, who will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, and so on. He tells us to avoid such people, as they are enemies of the truth and the gospel (2 Timothy 3:5-9).

Instead of being boasters, we should be humble, thankful, and honest. We should not think of ourselves more highly than we ought to, but rather with sober judgment (Romans 12:3). We should not seek our own glory, but rather the glory of God who gives us everything (1 Corinthians 10:31). We should not compare ourselves with others, but rather examine ourselves by God’s standards (2 Corinthians 10:12-18). We should not boast in ourselves, but rather in the Lord who is our strength and salvation (Psalm 20:7; Jeremiah 9:23-24; 1 Corinthians 1:31.

2 Timothy 3:2

For men shall be lovers of their own selves Not in a good sense, as men may be, and as such are who love their neighbours as themselves, and do that to others they would have done to themselves; and who take all prudent and lawful care to preserve the life and health of their bodies, and seek in a right way the salvation of their immortal souls: but in a bad sense, as such may be said to be, who only love themselves; their love to God, and Christ, and to the saints, being only in pretence, not in reality; and who do all they do in a religious way, from a principle of self-love, and to selfish and mercenary ends; either to gain glory and applause from men, or to merit something for themselves at the hands of God, without any view to the glory of God, the honour and interest of Christ, and the good of others; and ascribe all they have and do to themselves, to their industry, diligence, power, free will, worth, and merit, and not to the grace of God: and this character may be seen in the principles and practices of the church of Rome, in their doctrines of merit and free will, in works of supererogation &c. "Coveteous"; lovers of silver, greedy of filthy lucre, doing nothing but for money; everyone looking for his gain from his quarter; making merchandise of the souls of men; and which are reckoned among the wares of Babylon, the Romish antichrist, ( Revelation 18:13 ) .

headstrong

Headstrong (Rv), Heady (Av):

lit. means "falling forwards" (from pro, "forwards," and pipto, "to fall"); it is used metaphorically to signify "precipitate, rash, reckless," and is said

(a) of persons, 2 Ti 3:4; "headstrong" is the appropriate rendering;

(b) of things, Act 19:36, RV, "(nothing) rash" (AV, "rashly").

There is Balance in the word of God and we have to be honest in identifying the truths in relation to Pleasures and separate the Good and the Bad, and live accordingly to the Word of God as God requires.

God Blessings on you mightily.