II Timothy 4:3: “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;”

We have all heard this verse quoted, especially by preachers who feel they are the ones with the sound doctrine. These are the preachers who teach about hell, sin, and the wrath of God. Obviously, no one enjoys hearing these topics and would prefer nice teachings on loving your neighbor, flowers, and puppy dogs. 

Don’t get me wrong, I grew up on these hell, fire, and brimstone preachers and I have no cause against them. Some people need to be scared into salvation, but not everyone. Many people have come to the Lord through love and compassion. I tend to think that “sound doctrine” is more than just fire and brimstone. 

I remember hearing a pastor who had once been a rank liberal preacher. He even questioned the existence of God until one day he had an encounter with the love of Jesus Christ and accepted Him as his personal Savior.  He said: “Don’t listen to what a preacher says.  What he says may be wonderful and beautiful.  He will preach all about loving your neighbor, rescuing children from human trafficking, helping the poor and needy, etc.  You need to listen to what he does not say. He will not preach on the blood of Jesus Christ, salvation by faith, and surrender of one’s life to God.”  

So, what is this “sound doctrine?”  In the Greek is it hygiainouses from the root word huglianino which is where we get our English word hygiene. It speaks of being in good condition, in good working order.  Doctrine is didaskalias in Greek from the root word didaskalia which is the word for teaching, instruction, and conveying information.  So sound doctrine is teaching what is good and healthy.  There is another word to look at, it is the word endure which is anexoneai which means to endure, have patience with or persist. That doesn’t make sense to me that people will have no patience or endurance with teaching that is good and healthy. It seems to me the messages of fire and brimstone and the wrath of God are not good and healthy.  All this talk of the wrath of God, fire, and brimstone creates fear and that is not healthy.  I grew up in a climate of fear, always worried I would die and go to hell because I was never certain of my sincerity in repentance. I worried sick over a rapture occurring and I would be left behind. I was not getting healthy teaching but teaching that created fear in me and does not the Bible say that perfect love will cast out all fear (I John 4:18)?  

The words “sound doctrine” in Aramaic is chalima’ dalivalpana’.   Dalivalpana is a word for teaching.  Chalima’ comes from the same root as the word for dreaming. Dreams are outside the physical realm, it is not reality.  The Gospel of Jesus Christ is outside our physical realm, it is not a reality in our realm only in the spiritual realm.   By reality, I mean that which exists in our physical state or realm.  People will not endure the teachings of the spiritual.  Indeed, people would prefer to hear only teachings which apply to the physical realm, healing, helping your fellow man, feeding the hungry, world peace, saving our environment, etc.  You will find many sermons on this but few that deal with the spiritual realm as repentance to God, the blood of Jesus, redemption, atonement, etc. 

The real key is in the word used for enduring. In Aramaic, the word that is used is lo nashatama’ which comes from the root word shama’ and is in a reflexive form. Shama’ means to hear and obey. Lo means no or not.  There will come a time when people will not hear and obey teachings on the supernatural realm of God.  It is more than fire and brimstone, it is the loving message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the message of the cross, the message of redemption from sin, and the atoning work of Jesus Christ.  It is not that they will not endure this message, they just will not listen to or hear it. 

Paul further states that “in their own lust” they will take on teachers.  Lust is an unfortunate English word to use here because when we hear that word in our 21st Century of English we think of a strong, perverted sexual desire. In old English lust simply means what the Greek word epithymias and the Aramaic word ragag means and that is simply your own personal desires, what you want and not necessarily what others or even God would want. 

So, there will come a time, when people will reject any teaching on the Gospel, the message of repentance, salvation, atonement, the blood of Jesus, and the cross, and will hire teachers to teach what they want.  This could include everything from flowers, apple pie, and puppies to teachings on politics, astrology, or anything that is not of this world.  Then, of course, these people will have itching ears. The word itching in Aramaic is chatach which is to stir up embers in a fire, that is to stir up your passions and emotions.  The word ears are the word shama’ which is hearing or listening. In other words, people will hire teachers that will teach what will stimulate them and get them all charged up.  They will hire teachers that conduct services like a pep rally, a political event with a lot of cheering and shouting where they will leave like they just attended an exciting athletic event or a political rally. 

The Bible says there will come a time when such a thing will happen. Has that time arrived?  I don’t think I will go there, I will just leave it to you and your quiet time alone with God to decide if such a thing exists today, if it even exists in your own life.

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