The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Timothy — Section 49

unholy &re those who b&ve no rr,·crence or love in their he&rlll for these cverlRsl i 11i: MnC'tities. ln the grievous times the most s11crcd bonds &re to bedisreg1udcd. "With• out n&turRl Rffortion." Affection 1s thl\t which sweciens life. In the grievous timeH l\ffection is tn die ont, e,·r11 for those for whom nl\ture spC'cially claims affecl ion. Parents will act unnaturally to,rnrd their children. "Implacable." The word supposes a elate of v&riauce. In the p:ricvous times men are not to come to terms with those who have given them offence, but are to pursue them with all the might of their venaeance. "::-.landerers.• They are not to be content with pouring contempt Rnd bitterness ~n one another in ordinary evil-speaking, but they are to attack one another with falsehood•. Thus the diabolic character is to be developed in the grievous times. "Without self- cm1trol." With self-will uncurbed in early life, it is not to be wondered at that the men of the !!fievous times are to be men who hnve lost self-control. 11 Fierce." In the !!rievous times there will he loss of self-control, proceeding to deeds of violenoe. 11 No lovers of ,zood." ln ke,-ping wiLl1 the personal reference before and after, we prefer to trausl~te, "no lovers of good men." With evil so active in them, the presence of good me11 will be burdensome to them. They are therefor11 likely to make the times grievous to the good, by unjustly treating them. "Traitors." Fidelity is the sacred bond that joins friena to friend. In the grievous times friend will be often found betraying friend. "Headstrong." ln the grievous times men will µ:o to daring lengths. "Puffed up." The explanation of their daringness is, that they have no right sense of their own position before God-their insignificance, impotence, and responsibility. "Lovers of pleasure rather than lovers or God." Men will be daring especially in sensual gratification. Pleasure will be preferred to God. "Holding a form of godliness, but having denied the power thereof." The remarkable thing is that the men who have been described (we do not need to thi11k of the characteristics being all combined) should bold a form of godliness. The relation of the form of godliness to the men who make the grievous times, is that it conceals their true character. 1t is self throughout, in a more or less hateful form, and therefore the real power of godliness is denied. But it does not appear so nakedly and hatefully to be self where there is a form of acknowledging God. 'l'he relation of the form of godliness to the grievous times is, that it allows evil to work more insidiously. It ill not so difficult to meet pure heathenism as it is to meet a Christianity that has become heathenish. .Advice. "From these also turn away." Paul would have things put on a basis of reality. Bt'tween Timothy and such men there could be no sympathy. Why kt'ep up a semblance of fellowship? Both for them and for him it was better that the line of demarcation should be drawn, and that all fnrther intercourse should proceed on the footing that they clid not belong to the same Christian society. II. THE MEN OF THE GRIEVOUS TlllES ANTICIPATED. .. For of these." 'fhe apostle follows up his description of tile men of the evil times by the advice to turn away from them, as though they were already present. The explanation he gi ,·es is that there were forerunners of them, men of the 1111me spiritual kith. Characteristics. 1. lnftu- ena, vntA women. (1) Manner of their influence. "Are they that creep !nto houses, and take captive silly women." Their c<'nverts were among women, which W118 not matter of reproach to them. But it was matter of reproach that it W118 women so habitually tbat they sought to infiueuce, and that they did not go openly about the work of infiuencing them. They crept into houses, as though they did not wish to be seen. And tlult mode of entrance suggested the employment of other methods than the direct force of truth. By the methods employed they got the women completely into tbeir power. It was matter of reproach to the women that they gave themselves up to sucb teacher,, and therefore they are called silly women. (2) E:i;pl,a,nation of their inftu- el'Ull. "Laden with lllllll, led away by divers Juste, ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth." 'l'bey were uot women of the right ■tamp. In relation to their past they were iaden with sins. In relation to their present they were led away by divers lusw--led away to divers, and even confiicting, sources of ~atification_. T~ey [leeded a salve for their conscience, and yet a salve that allowed ooutrnued grat1ficat1on. This salve was supplied by the false teachers. 'l'bey were always getting some new point from them, which gave satisfaction for the time, but they never came any ~~arer resting i.u the truth. The reason was that they had not the right moral cond1t1ona. rheir object was, not to get such truth (to be found in. the goHpel) as would have 1elivered them from the guilt of their aina and the power of their lW1us, hut to bave on. 111. 1-17.] THE SECOND EPIS'fLE TO TIMOTHY. 63