18 Ungrateful, from 2 Timothy 18 3:2

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I am back to this blog, now writing on Ungratefulness.

In this seventh attribute, which represents these last days, this word “ungrateful,” in 2 timothy 3:2, happens to be lodged between “disobedient to parents” and “unholy,” which, I think, indicates evil days. And indeed, the only other verse in the bible having this word, gives us this indication. The verse is in Luke 6:35. Jesus said here…

But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil men.

Here it seems clear that Jesus is classifying ungrateful men with evil men. He is saying that ungrateful and evil men (or men who are both ungrateful and evil) are those who are not good men and who will not lend anything to others who are in need. Hence, the ungrateful are the same fellows who are disobedient to their parents and who are unholy.

Now, as we delve further into this study, I think it would be prudent to put this word “ungrateful” in the context of this passage in 2 Timothy 3, in order to show the root causes of a man’s ungratefulness. Here are six points that tell us about these ungrateful people.

1. They are consumed by self-love. These evil and selfish ones have an entitlement mentality and view life from the lens of what they believe they are owed, not thinking of those who give to them, even God. They think they deserve what they have. This man you would think is strictly an unsaved man, not having Christ rule his heart. But Christians can also have this ungrateful attitude. If they are not keeping in the Word and in prayer, they may easily fall into this worldly iniquity of self-love and ungratefulness.

2. They are lovers of money. These lovers of money are also lovers of themselves; and so, all they can think of is how much they can gain and spend for themselves. Whether they make it rich or not, they are consumed with greed; and what they have received they regard as receiving it by their own effort and wisdom, leaving no room to thank God or others.

3. They are proud and arrogant. These haughty ones consider themselves self-made and supreme, so they never consider acknowledging anyone else.

4. This person is a reviler. This one who has an evil and depraved mind, is constantly speaking evil of others, especially Christian people and of God. Therefore, it is not in his nature to be thankful or grateful toward anyone who does anything for them—even to God who is kind toward everyone whom He has created (Lu. 6:35).

5. This person does not obey his parents. He is so full of hatred and reviling’s toward others, and at the same time is full of love for self, with pride and arrogance, so that he has no room for anyone else, including his parents who love him.

6. This person is unholy. He has not regarded God’s holiness and sovereignty; therefore, he does not see His provisions as gifts. In fact, he probably does not regard Him at all. He blocks Him out of his

thoughts. Hence, he sees no reason to be grateful to Him who does not exist.

In my biblical search, I could not find much on ungratefulness, or on unthankfulness; so, I decided to go the other way: to look for verses on thankfulness, and extrapolate from those verses how we can keep from being ungrateful. Here are the results of my study, from five verses I used.

2 Samuel 22:50

“Therefore I will give thanks to You, O Lord, among the nations,

And I will sing praises to Your name.

David publicly gave thanks to God for delivering him from his enemies and from Saul, showing us that he was not ungrateful to God.

1 Chronicles 16:7-10

Then on that day David first assigned Asaph and his relatives to give thanks to the Lord.

8 Oh give thanks to the Lord, call upon His name;

Make known His deeds among the peoples.

9 Sing to Him, sing praises to Him;

Speak of all His wonders.

10 Glory in His holy name;

Let the heart of those who seek the Lord be glad.

King David assigned Asaph to write this Psalm of thanksgiving to the Lord after they had defeated the Philistines. They were not ungrateful to Him.

Ezra 3:11

They sang, praising and giving thanks to the Lord, saying, “For He is good, for His lovingkindness is upon Israel forever.” And all the people shouted with a great shout when they praised the Lord because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid.

Ezra and all the people of Israel sang and gave thanks to the Lord after they had laid the foundation of the Tabernacle. They were certainly not ungrateful to God for His goodness to them. It is a shame that in the last days this will not be true.

Psalm 7:17

I will give thanks to the Lord according to His righteousness

And will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High.

This is a song of David. He is thanking the Lord because in His righteousness and justice He has dealt with his enemies (verses 15-16). God has caused David’s enemies to fall into the pit that he had planned for him; his mischief and violence will return upon his own head. David was thankful and grateful to God for His protection in times of great trouble. In later times many will not be so grateful.

Psalm 30:4-5

Sing praise to the Lord, you His godly ones,

And give thanks to His holy name.

5 For His anger is but for a moment,

His favor is for a lifetime;

Weeping may last for the night,

But a shout of joy comes in the morning.

Here again is a Psalm of David in which he gives thanks to Him for keeping him alive (v. 3). In this Psalm David instructs God’s “godly ones”: to praise Him and give thanks to Him. Yes, the godly will be grateful to God; but in the future, in the last days, so many will not be godly and therefore will not be grateful.

Source: From the book I am presently writing, will be entitled, Difficult Times in these Last Days: 19 Attributes that Depict These Days (from 2 Timothy 3:2-5).

Disobedient to Parents, Part 2

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From 2 Timothy 3:2. This disobedience and rebellion toward parents have caused a breakdown of the family; and so, instead of following God’s design in the family authority and structure, each member of the family (children and adults) go their own way in following the path of self-love. This path of the rebel no doubt seems much easier; for it is the way of the old sinful, lustful self. The mentality here is to satisfy my own desires and wants first, before pleasing God and parents. And it follows right along with what the world (and even professionals) are saying—that self-love is most important.

And there is so much in the world to build on this mentality: our entertainment (TV, movies, etc.), social media, many eating establishments to satisfy our body cravings, various forms of pornography to feed our lusts, and of course the world’s emphasis on self-image. It is no wonder that there is a decline in the importance of the family.

The solution to counter the family breakdown, as I see it, must begin with proper training of children. Proverbs 22:6 says, “Train up a child in the way he should go, even when he is old he will not depart from it.”

It is well known that early training will insure lifelong good habits; and the best training is to teach godly principles from God’s word—even to begin a regiment of Scripture memory. Oh, it is so much easier to memorize Scripture when you are young. And when the child has fifty to sixty good verses under his belt, it will make a difference in the way he lives. And I employ you parents to do most of the training yourself. You can let Sunday School programs help with it, but you are responsible for your own children. Don’t let a busy life take you away from the training of your children. Here is a passage to consider:

Deuteronomy 6:4-9

“Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord is one! 5 “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. 6 “These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. 7 “You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up. 8 “You shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontals on your forehead. 9 “You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

Way back, just after Israel received the Ten Commandments, it was the plan of God that each family (the parents and the children) were to memorize, and meditate on, and teach the Scriptures, and to talk about them inside and outside of their house—so that they were on their heart and in their life.

And bible knowledge must be followed up with loving discipline and correction. It can never be the goal just to store up knowledge. It must be our ultimate goal, as it was with Israel, to love the LORD our God with all our heart and soul and might. And the parents must instill this goal in their children. 

Now, even though disobedience toward parents is prophesied for these last days, parents, as well as children must try continually to stop the moral decay of the family and believe that God will be pleased with our effort. Here are some Scriptures to consider.

Colossians 3:20

Children, be obedient to your parents in all things, for this is well-pleasing to the Lord.

This is a good verse for children to memorize. When they see from the holy Scriptures that God commands them to obey their parents in all things, they may be more likely to do it. And also, seeing that it is pleasing to the Lord to obey them, this will encourage them.

Proverbs 1:8-9

Hear, my son, your father’s instruction

And do not forsake your mother’s teaching;

9 Indeed, they are a graceful wreath to your head

And ornaments about your neck.

Here is another good memory verse. Parents ought to instill in their children that their obedience and careful listening will greatly pay off; it will be like earning a medal. And if parents are wise, they will actually award worthy children some kind of award for good conduct that they can display.

Ephesians 6:2-3

HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER (which is the first commandment with a promise), 3 SO THAT IT MAY BE WELL WITH YOU, AND THAT YOU MAY LIVE LONG ON THE EARTH.

Not enough has been said about this truth—that obeying and honoring parents will actually bring us good health and longer life. The evidence that I have seen supports this. Those that have a good family life and who love their parents live long and are happy. But those that are involved in crime and sins tend to die young.

Source: From the book I am presently writing, will be entitled, Difficult Times in these Last Days: 19 Attributes that Depict These Days (from 2 Timothy 3:2-5).

Disobedience to Parents

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As with all of the nineteen points (in 2 Timothy 3:2-5), being disobedient to parents is a prophetic sign of spiritual rebellion and moral decay in these last days. Spiritual rebellion comes first, and then moral decay sets in. And the more one is rebellious, the more he is infected with decay; and they both work toward the sin of disobedience—to God and to their parents.

Now some may ask, why is it rebellion not to obey our parents? Well, for one reason, God has instructed us, ordered us, to obey them (Eph. 6:1-2). And secondly, we should obey them because it is how God designed the family to work—with our parents as the authority figure. Let’s look at two different Scriptures on this subject.

Ephesians 6:1-3

Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2 HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER (which is the first commandment with a promise), 3 SO THAT IT MAY BE WELL WITH YOU, AND THAT YOU MAY LIVE LONG ON THE EARTH.

John MacArthur comments well on verse one.

The child in the home is to be willingly under the authority of parents with obedient submission to them as the agents of the Lord placed over him obeying parents as if obeying the Lord Himself. The reasoning here is simply that such is the way God has designed and required it (“right”).1

In verse two, “HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER,” is a quote from the Ten Commandments (Deut. 5:16). And the promise is that your days may be prolonged and that it may go well with you on the land which the Lord your God gives you.

Certainly, to honor our parents goes along with obeying them. It is at the heart of it (or the attitude of it). If children don’t obey their parents, it is because they don’t honor them and respect them.

Proverbs 6:20-24

My son, observe the commandment of your father

And do not forsake the teaching of your mother;

21 Bind them continually on your heart;

Tie them around your neck.

22 When you walk about, they will guide you;

When you sleep, they will watch over you;

And when you awake, they will talk to you.

23 For the commandment is a lamp and the teaching is light;

And reproofs for discipline are the way of life

24 To keep you from the evil woman,

From the smooth tongue of the adulteress.

In these Scriptures, in verses 20 and 21, is the command from the parent to the child, to observe (and obey) the father and mother. They are to be so diligent in observing and obeying them (in whatever they told them to do) that they should tie a note of some kind around their neck to remind them of what they were told. Perhaps this reminder was of some Scripture, or some words of wisdom. This wisdom would be for a them a guide, and protection, and teaching, and to keep them from evil; especially the son from the evil woman (a prostitute). Hence, we see that the design of God was that the parents are to be the one in authority over the children as their guide and teacher, whom they must obey so that they will be protected from evil and live long.

1 John MacArthur, The MacArthur Study Bible: (Thomas Nelson, Inc., 2006), John MacArthur’s notes on Ephesians 6:1.

Revilers, from 2 Timothy 3:2

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This fifth attribute that depicts these days, is identified by the Greek word blasfeemoi, and means to speak evil of a person, to be slanderous (insulting), reproachful (critical or accusing), railing (attacking and condemning), and abusive.  

It is interesting in comparing some of the most popular bible versions, how many different word translations of the Greek word blasfeemoi are used. The most literal translation is in the KJV and the NKJV as “blasphemers.” The NIV and the RSV use “abusive”; the ASV use “railers”; the NLT use “scoffing at God”; and the translation I prefer, the NASU and the NAS use “reviler.” I think reviler is the best because it tends to include all that is in the definition. I like the NLT and use it often for casual reading, but I think the translation they use, takes a lot of liberty. It is indeed scoffing at God, but it is also scoffing at people, especially Christian people.

The Greek word blasfeemoi is used four times in the New Testament. We will examine each of these references.

Acts 6: 10-11

But they were unable to cope with the wisdom and the Spirit with which he was speaking. 11 Then they secretly induced men to say, “We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and against God.”

Here is where Stephen, being greatly used of God in preaching as well as in works, was persecuted by certain Jewish leaders, and they persuaded men to say that they heard Stephen speak blasphemous words against Moses and God. These are terrible accusations, because if it was true, according to Jewish law, he could be stoned to death. For in Leviticus 24:16 it states that “…one who blasphemes the name of the Lord shall surely be put to death; all the congregation shall certainly stone him.”

Hence, this word “blasphemous” in verse 11, has the connotation of speaking evil of God and is probably how these men justified stoning (Acts 7:58-60). Also, in the context of 2 Timothy 3:2, we definitely see in the word the meaning of speaking evil of God; thus, we see in the word that it is far more than a casual cursing; it is a terrible offense.

1 Timothy 1:12-13

I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because He considered me faithful, putting me into service, 13 even though I was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent aggressor. Yet I was shown mercy because I acted ignorantly in unbelief;

This passage tells us that before Paul was a believer he was a blasphemer and also a persecutor of believers. Paul didn’t realize his sin at that time; he acted ignorantly. I’m sure he would say that he was a believer in God, but he did not see who Christ was. And in truth, since Jesus was God’s son and Himself God, he was speaking against God. Hence, when we speak against Christ we also speak against God.

2 Timothy 3:2

For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy,

Here is the verse we are most concerned with, which in the NASU it is translated as “revilers.” But, if I may repeat it, in the NIV and the RSV it is translated as “abusive,” in the KJV as “blasphemers,” and in the ASV as “railers.” So, in this verse we have a lot of different opinions of what the translation should be.

I also want to say that in observing all the different words/attributes, it may be concluded that they are all in the mind and in the heart. Paul, I think, is showing us the evils of the mind in these last days (men of depraved minds, v. 8). But of course, there is the implication that evil deeds will result. For example, in verse 6, Paul speaks of the unholy actions of some who enter homes and “captivate weak women.” And of course, we know of so many evil deeds in the world—all that result from such men and women with evil, depraved minds. It starts in the mind and will naturally regress to various evil deeds of murder, rape, fornication, burglary, war, and fighting, etc.

2 Peter 2:9-13

9 then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from temptation, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment for the day of judgment, 10 and especially those who indulge the flesh in its corrupt desires and despise authority.

Daring, self-willed, they do not tremble when they revile angelic majesties, 11 whereas angels who are greater in might and power do not bring a reviling judgment against them before the Lord. 12 But these, like unreasoning animals, born as creatures of instinct to be captured and killed, reviling where they have no knowledge, will in the destruction of those creatures also be destroyed,

Here Peter is talking about false teachers of his day who are so corrupt, self-willed and ignorant about the demonic world that they revile them (speak evil of and ridicule them). They probably weren’t aware that even the holy angels did not speak evil of the demons.

Here we get more information about a reviler: they are corrupt, self-willed, and like unreasoning animals that are creatures of instinct. And they, probably all of them, are ignorant of the higher authorities.

Arrogance, Using the word “Proud” 

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Proverbs 16:5 

Everyone who is proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord;

Assuredly, he will not be unpunished.

Here we see how God thinks about pride; it is a disgrace to Him. And God will surely punish it. We also see here that pride comes from the heart—inside the very center of the person. Pride is more of an attitude; the attitude of stubbornness or refusing to bend; whereas arrogance is more vocal. It is the expression of pride, the talking up of self and the talking down of others.

Isaiah 2:11-12

The proud look of man will be abased

And the loftiness of man will be humbled,

And the Lord alone will be exalted in that day.

12 For the Lord of hosts will have a day of reckoning

Against everyone who is proud and lofty

And against everyone who is lifted up,

That he may be abased.

Here we see that a proud person will have his day of judgment, where he will be humbled; for God is opposed to the proud. Here also, we see that the proud one has a certain look about him; a loftiness or a haughtiness.  

Isaiah 13:11

Thus I will punish the world for its evil

And the wicked for their iniquity;

I will also put an end to the arrogance of the proud

And abase the haughtiness of the ruthless.

This time of punishment on the world will be during the seven-year Tribulation. Notice that all three of our words are used. In that time of severe punishment, the man who is proud in heart will be arrogant in his words and haughty in his look. God will put an end to it all before He brings in His holy kingdom where He will reign for one thousand years.   

Daniel 5:20-21

“But when his heart was lifted up and his spirit became so proud that he behaved arrogantly, he was deposed from his royal throne and his glory was taken away from him. 21 “He was also driven away from mankind, and his heart was made like that of beasts, and his dwelling place was with the wild donkeys.

Here is a message and a warning to Belshazzar from Damiel, that he should humble himself before God, and that if he does not, he may become like his father Nebuchadnezzar who became proud and therefore, God took his throne from him and he became like a beast (from Daniel 4:31-32). Notice that both the words proud and arrogant are used: “[He] became so proud that he behaved arrogantly.”  Pride is that condition of the heart, and arrogance is the visible manifestation.  Notice also how God dealt with him to put him in his place.

Luke 1:50-51

“AND HIS MERCY IS UPON GENERATION AFTER GENERATION TOWARD THOSE WHO FEAR HIM.

51 “He has done mighty deeds with His arm;

He has scattered those who were proud in the thoughts of their heart.

In this portion of Mary’s Magnificat, she tells how God scatters those who were proud. Notice that their pride was in the thoughts of their heart.

1 Peter 5:5

You younger men, likewise, be subject to your elders; and all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE.

Here Peter declared, from Proverbs 3:34, that God is opposed to the proud. These same words are recorded in James 4:8

Arrogance

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The attribute of arrogance, seems to be tied closely to the attribute boastful. But it goes beyond boastful. Where the boastful man tries to convince others of his greatness, this man is convinced of it—so much so that he appears ‘stuck up,” and often treats others as lower than himself and with contempt. He even at times despises others.

The Greek word for arrogant in 2 Timothy 3:2 is hypereephanoi, and appears in four other New Testament verses. It is in Romans 1:30 as arrogant. Then it is also in Luke 1:51, James 4:6, and 1Peter 5:5 translated as proud.

In our study I think it would be beneficial to look at some scriptures that portray this attitude of arrogance. I have found that three different words have been used to expose this idea of arrogance: arrogant, proud, and haughty (or a haughty look).

Using the word “Arrogant” 

Psalm 119:51

The arrogant utterly deride me,

Yet I do not turn aside from Your law.

Here the Psalmist (possibly David, Daniel or Ezra) complains that the arrogant deride him (which means to ridicule, scoff, mock or scorn). And it would seem that he is derided for being a believer who follows God’s Word. Yet the Psalmist is strong enough in his faith that he refuses to discontinue his regular practice of following God’s law. Hence, we find that the arrogant person is one that is strongly apposed to the faithful believer, and he will go out of his way to scoff at him. In these last days we will find, more and more, this kind of arrogance.

Psalm 119:69

The arrogant have forged a lie against me;

With all my heart I will observe Your precepts.

Here we find that this arrogant man is not only a derider but a liar. He will gladly lie against a believer in order to shut him up. But the Psalmist is strong enough, in spite of the arrogant person, to observe God’s precepts with all his heart. And that is what every believer needs to do.

Psalm 119:122

Be surety for Your servant for good;

Do not let the arrogant oppress me.

Here the Psalmist reveals to us that the arrogant man wants to and will oppress you—the lover of God. And he does it because he hates God and he hates believers. Hence, when he lies about you, ridicules you, scoffs you, and mocks you, he really intends to oppress you. And maybe he will not admit what he does because he is under the influence of Satan, and he doesn’t always know what he is doing. He maybe is blindly following Satan. Nonetheless, the arrogant one is an oppressor.

But we can overcome him and the devil by the grace of God. Pray and trust God and He will help and guide you so that you won’t fear the arrogant oppressor.

Biblical Examples of Boastful Men

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The Scriptures record many accounts of boastful leaders and individuals, which most often led to their downfall, and which we may see as contributing to the difficult times mentioned in 2 Timothy 3:2.

Sennacherib, king of Assyria. When King Sennacherib came to attack the fortified cities of Judah, he sent a message to king Hezekiah through his personal representative. It wasn’t a secret massage. He stood and shouted the message to many people on the wall of the city in Hebrew so they all could hear it. The messenger boastfully mocked the God of Israel by shouting,

‘Has any one of the gods of the nations delivered his land from the hand of the king of Assyria? 34 ‘Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena and Ivvah? Have they delivered Samaria from my hand? 35 ‘Who among all the gods of the lands have delivered their land from my hand, that the Lord should deliver Jerusalem from my hand'” (2 Kings 18:33-35)?

Well, after King Hezekiah and the prophet Isaiah heard of King Sennacherib’s threats, Isaiah encouraged King Hezekiah to pray for Israel’s deliverance. And God heard his prayers (2 Kings 19:1-35). For it happened that night that 185,000 Assyrians were struck down by the Lord (verse 35).

Haman the Agagite. Haman was promoted by King Xerxes as prime minister, making him the most powerful official in the Persian empire next to the king. One day, he gathered his friends and his wife together at his home just to boast and brag to them about the honors and the promotion the king had given to him over all others. But when his wife and friends suggested that he set up gallows to hang his enemy Mordecai on it, Haman was doomed. For when the king discovered what Mordecai had done for him years ago, saving him from assassination, he planned to publicly honor him. Then, as it happened, when the king found out that Haman was planning to hang Mordecai, he, being enraged, had Haman hung on those same gallows that were meant for Mordecai (Est. 3:1-7:10).

King Belshazzar. While King Belshazzar and his nobles were boastfully celebrating and drinking to honor their Babylonian idols, a hand appeared out of nowhere and wrote a message on a wall. The king was terrified and wondered what it meant. He sent for all his wisest men but they could not interpret the message. Then Daniel was summoned and he easily gave the interpretation.

The word Mene means “numbered”—that God has numbered the days of your reign. Tekel means “weighed”—that you have been weighed on the balances. And Parsin means “divided”—and given to the Medes and Persians.

Well, apparently, the king believed Daniel and immediately dressed him in purple robes, hung a gold chain around his neck, and promoted him to the third highest ruler in the kingdom. And that night Darius took over the kingdom and Belshazzar was killed.

The Prince of Tyre. The prince of Tyre boasted that his city was perfect in beauty (Ezek. 27:3), that he himself was a god (28:2), and that he regarded himself wiser than Daniel—that no secret was hidden from him (28:3). Because of his boastful pride, God brought against him and his city enemy armies until he and his city ended in ruin and death (Ezek. 26:3, 20, 21; 28:7-10).

King Uzziah. At age sixteen Uzziah became the king of Judah and reigned in Jerusalem for 52 years. He was a good and godly king and pleased the Lord (2Chron. 26:4-5). Hence, God gave him success in everything he did.

  • He built towns (v.6-7).
  • He was victorious in wars so that he became powerful (v. 7-9).
  • He dug many water cisterns (v. 10).
  • He had many nerds of livestock (v. 10).
  • He had many farms and vineyards (v. 10).
  • He had many well-trained warriors, war equipment and new war machines (v. 11-15).

In all those things he became boastful and prideful, and he thought he could do anything. So, he sinned by attempting to do the duty of a priest in the temple. When he began burning incense on the altar, suddenly, God caused him to have leprosy, which he was plagued with until his death.

Absalom. The story of Absalom, David’s son, began when he turned against his half-brother Amnon when he heard that he had raped his sister Tamar. So, after two years he commanded his workmen to kill Amnon; and then Absalom fled to his grandfather for safety. Well, David and Absalom did not see each other for over three years, but finely they did come together. And apparently, while Absalom was away for so long, bitterness had built up in him, so much so that he thought he would be a better king than his father. His plan was to build up himself (with boasting of his own beauty, strength, and wisdom) in front of all Israel in order to steal the hearts of all the people. In fact, most of Israel followed Absalom instead of David. But in the end, according to God’s will, Absalom was killed in battle, and David’s throne was restored to him (2 Sam. 13:1-18:15).

The Antichrist. The Antichrist is a futuristic figure who will come on the scene during the seven-year Tribulation, or just before it. His boasting will actually be more than the pretend boasting that we find in 2 Timothy 3:2 from the word alazones. The Hebrew and Greek words for his boasting (from the books of Daniel and Revelation) are simply translated as “great.” I guess we could describe it as a boasting in his own greatness. And he will actually think that he is great. In fact, 2 Thessalonians tells us that he will take his seat in the Temple (the coming Tribulation temple) and will display himself as being God.

The fourth word in 2 Timothy 3:2, translated as arrogance or haughty, (hypereephanoi in Greek), may actually be closer in describing The Antichrist. But since Daniel 7:8, 11 and 25, and Revelation 13:5 describe him as having “a mouth uttering great boasts,” I think we should think of him as being both boastful of himself and very prideful. He will think that he is actually God. And this will be quite reasonable to him since the dragon (Satan) will give him great power and authority, and since the people of the earth will worship him and say to him, “Who is like the beast, and who is able to wage war with him” (Rev. 13:2-4)? I imagine that he will become quite bigheaded.

Now, I have to say, before we go on to the next chapter, much of what I have given you as examples in history of boastfulness may not be exactly true to our text in 2 Timothy 3:2. In fact, you may find that the characters I have given have a combination of boastfulness (alazones) and arrogance (hupereephanoi)—or, as I explained about The Antichrist, thinking and talking about his greatness (even more than Mahammad Ali).

I think that our best bet in finding the true meaning of boastfulness (from our text) will be to go back to Romans 1:30. In this context one who boasts (as well as all the other wicked things that are listed) come from a depraved mind, which are those whom God has given up to their degrading passions. Boastfulness in this light is one of the things (evil things) that we are seeing more and more in these last days.

And, I guess, as far as looking at examples of boasting (like I have given—and more) if we can see in those cases that their boasting is out of a wickedness and carries the same impression of Romans 30:1 (of a depraved mind), then we can use it and see it as how difficult times are upon us. But sometimes, I suppose, it is hard to see the heart for what it is. Only God can see the heart for what it truly is.

Examples of Boastful Men

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The meaning of this word boastful, I think, will becomes clearer for us if we can come up with some examples. We will first look at a few tyrannical leaders and popular figures in secular history; and then some biblical figures.

Julius Caesar (100-44 B.C.). Caesar was known for his ruthlessness in battle. His famous boast followed a military victory in Asia Minor. In three words he said, “Veni, vidi, vici.” (I came, I saw, I conquered).1

Genghis Khan (1162-1227). “Genghis Khan’s most famous boast is a chilling declaration of divine wrath: ‘I am the punishment of God. If you had not committed great sin, God would not have sent a punishment like me upon you.’”2

Adolf Hitler (1889-1945). “The Führer of Nazi Germany openly bragged about his ruthlessness, using historical atrocities to justify his actions and declaring that the victor is above the truth.” He said, “The victor will never be asked if he told the truth.”3

Idi Amin. “The brutal dictator of Uganda famously boasted about his absolute power and even declared himself the uncrowned “King of Scotland”. He said, “There is freedom of speech, but I cannot promise freedom after speech.”4

Salvador Dali (1904-1989). “Salvador Dalí was just as famous for his audacious boasts as he was for his surrealist art. He treated his entire life as a performance, famously proclaiming, ‘The only difference between a madman and myself is I am not mad’. Dalí frequently declared himself a genius, boasting about his own superiority and claiming that his art transcended ordinary human logic.”5

Oscar Wilde (1854-1900). Arriving at the New York customs office in 1882, the famously witty Irish playwright reportedly made his self-worth perfectly clear. He said, “I have nothing to declare except my genius.”6

Muhammad Ali. “Muhammad Ali was as skilled with words as he was in the ring. His poignant sayings about sports and life figure to remain iconic for generations to come alongside the lore of his historic fights.”

Here are a couple of his most well-known boastful quotes:

“I am the greatest. I said that even before I knew I was. I figured that if I said it enough, I would convince the world that I was really the greatest.”

“Float like a butterfly. Sting like a bee. You can’t hit what your eyes don’t see.”7

1 The Best Quotations, at https://best-quotations.com/catquotes.php?categ=0935.

2 YouTube, @ The Art of Thinking 42, July 4, 2023.

3 Tyrants Quotes, at https//www.azquotes.com/quotes/topics/tyrants.html.

4 10 Worst Human Dictators, at https://muc.fandom.com/wiki/10_worst_human_dictators.

5 Surrealism in the Art of Dali, at https://alyakhemji.medium.com/surrealism-in-the-art-of-dali-bf84f7b965d7.

6 Oscar Wilde quotes, at https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0928492/quotes/.

7 Muhammad Ali’s 10 Best Quotes, at https://www.espn.com/boxing/story/id/15930888/muhammad-ali-10-best-quotes.

Boastful – from 2Timothy 3:2

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We come now to the third evil attribute, boastful, followed closely by the next attribute, arrogance. We may note that the first two attributes, to be lovers of self and lovers of money are directed only to self for self-pleasure. It is a self-idolatry or self-worship. Now, in addition to this self-pleasure and self-idolatry, men also in these evil times take on the evils of boastfulness and arrogance, which is more outgoing—or an evil designed to build up self. 

The term boastful comes from the Greek word alazones and has the meaning of “empty pretender.” In other words, it is a person that tries to exaggerate his importance or greatness. He is an empty braggart, but tries desperately to convince others of his greatness. The fourth attribute arrogance has a similar meaning: to speak pridefully of themselves; but they genuinely believe they are better than others; hence, this word for arrogance, hypereephanoi, may also be translated “haughty.” While the boastful man tries to impress others with words, the arrogant or haughty person is convinced (by deception) of his own greatness and acts with contempt toward those around him.

Now, let’s concentrate on this attribute boastful. The Greek word for boastful is found only in 2 Timothy 3:2 and in Romans 1:30. In the Romans passage you really get the flavor for its evil. In this passage (from verses 24 to 32) it speaks of those whom God gives up to their degrading passions: those with a depraved mind, who are filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil, full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents…”  

As you can see, this Romans list is very similar to the list in 2 Timothy. And so, we may conclude that they are both speaking of what people are like in the last days—which are these days, and which are getting worse and worse.

Here are a few more verses on boasting that I found in the Old Testament that may also shine some light on its basic meaning. In all the following verses the word translated boast and boastful are from the Hebrew word halal having the meaning, “To shine; hence, to make a show, to boast; and thus, to be foolish.” This word seems similar to the Greek word alazones; and so, in a general sense of its pridefulness, I think we can use both Hebrew and Greek words for ideas of its basic meaning.

Psalm 49:5-6

Why should I fear in days of adversity,

When the iniquity of my foes surrounds me,

6 Even those who trust in their wealth

And boast in the abundance of their riches?

Here we see the obvious difference in this Old Testament word Halal. Boasting is boasting; it is prideful and foolish. And here it is in one’s wealth. In 2 timothy and Roman it is more in the person of the one boasting.

Psalm 75:3-5

3 “The earth and all who dwell in it melt;

It is I who have firmly set its pillars. Selah.

4 “I said to the boastful, ‘Do not boast,’

And to the wicked, ‘Do not lift up the horn;

5 Do not lift up your horn on high,

Do not speak with insolent pride.'”

Here the one boasting is a wicked man. He does not believe in God. He obviously is boasting about his own strength and beliefs, and he lifts up his “fists in defiance at heaven.” (NLT of the Bible). God plainly tells us not to do that; that He is our creator.

God obviously is against the boastful man of these last times. He is boastful because he is an unbeliever and he is rebelling against God our creator. He boasts because he is making himself a god. He is lifting himself above the true God.

Psalm 97:7

7 Let all those be ashamed who serve graven images,

Who boast themselves of idols;

Worship Him, all you gods.

All of us must be ashamed to have idols (things that we put before God). In the end (in His kingdom) all things will be subject to Him—will give Him worship. We must not boast and brag of all those things, and also about all our gifts and talents and strengths that we have received from God.

Jeremiah 9:23-24

Thus says the Lord, “Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches; 24 but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord who exercises lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things,” declares the Lord.

Verse 23 is very close to the boasting of men in the last days. They will boast in their wisdom, their might and their riches. And they will not think about what they really should boast in—the Lord.