Paul Instructs Timothy - Part 9

Paul next brings up people who are “fierce” and are defined by Webster as being “furious, violent, unrestrained…ready or eager to kill or injure, and of a nature to inspire terror.” Those who possess this trait are often incontinent, without natural affection, and lovers of self. I hate it when the reputation of the “church” is marred by those claiming to be “Christian” who use warped reasoning to defend their actions—i.e., the church group from Kansas that has picketed the funerals of those killed in the war in Iraq and individuals who have murdered doctors who perform abortions. When the “church” capitulates to using terror tactics as a means of promoting its message, it will have become a false religion on par with the fanatic followers of Islam today.

“Despisers of those that are good” or “hostility to those who are virtuous” as defined in the Greek is identified as another dominating characteristics of the last days. It used to be that this definition could in no way be connected to those in the “church,” but that is no longer the case today. This is due in large part because they have redefined what is good and virtuous due to their rejection of the inerrancy and truth of God’s word and destroyed our moral foundation in the process. The scripture defines what is good.

Mic. 6:8 He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?

We have no problem embracing the first two, but to embrace the last requires that we accept as true God’s will as revealed in His word. You can’t walk “with” someone unless you are choosing to fellowship with him as you journey toward the same destination in unity of spirit.