Scripture Studies : 2 Timothy 3:1-5
"But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: 2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, 4traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!"
- 2 Timothy 3:1-5
How well does this verse mirror today's society? It is a sobering passage. One part that stood out for me was "Disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy". How saddening it must have been for the Lord knowing that this time would come. We see it in the rebellion of today's youth: parents have no hold over their children at all, and the children choose not to give any respect to their parents. Reading this has shown me just how blessed my siblings and I are to have had had the discipline and training our parents gave us.
Another part my family were discussing in this chapter was this verse:
"Having a form of godliness but denying its power." (2Tim3:5a)
What does this mean? The initial thought would be people who were "Sunday Christians": people who on the outside appeared to be doing everything right but on the inside having no living relationship with the Lord. Hence, the form of godliness (e.g. going to church on Sunday, appearing righteous) but denying its power (e.g. denying the Lord's working in their lives).
However, I suddenly saw this verse in another light.. What if the form of godliness was also meaning a form of god-like power? Could it also mean having a form of godliness in the sense of practising satanic powers in their own "god-like" way? From the little I've learnt about Wicca, the majority of those practitioners deny that they worship the devil, saying their power comes from themselves. Could this then be having a form of godliness (e.g. having satanic, and in their own mind, "god-like" power) but denying its power (e.g. denying the power of Satan behind them, manipulating them)?
That may have been a bit of a deep start to my Scripture studies, I'm sorry. I found it intriguing to think about, anyway!
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