Scoffers in the Last Days
2Peter 3:3,4 "First of all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. They will say, 'Where is this ‘coming’ he promised? Ever since our fathers died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.'"
Likewise Jude writes, "'The Lord is coming with thousands upon thousands of his holy ones to judge everyone, and to convict all the ungodly of all the ungodly acts they have done in the ungodly way, and of all the harsh words ungodly sinners have spoken against him.' These men are grumblers and faultfinders; they follow their own evil desires; they boast about themselves and flatter others for their own advantage. But, dear friends, remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ foretold. They said to you, 'In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires.' These are the men who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit." Jude 1:14-19
And Paul writes, "The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons." 1Tim 4:1
It seems to me that these passages are not referring to those who merely outside the faith, but rather of apostates. Paul writes concerning the second coming, "Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs" 2Thess 2:3a The Greek word he uses for "rebellion" is "apostasia" from which we get "apostasy" - those who fall away, defecting away from the faith. Jesus said, "At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people." Matthew 24:10,11
So it's one thing for those outside the faith to deny the second coming. But there will come a times when a large percentage of "Christians" will abandon the faith in the Lord's return and opt to follow their own evil desires, which will prepare the way for the anti-Christ.
2Peter 3:3,4 "First of all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. They will say, 'Where is this ‘coming’ he promised? Ever since our fathers died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.'"
Likewise Jude writes, "'The Lord is coming with thousands upon thousands of his holy ones to judge everyone, and to convict all the ungodly of all the ungodly acts they have done in the ungodly way, and of all the harsh words ungodly sinners have spoken against him.' These men are grumblers and faultfinders; they follow their own evil desires; they boast about themselves and flatter others for their own advantage. But, dear friends, remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ foretold. They said to you, 'In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires.' These are the men who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit." Jude 1:14-19
And Paul writes, "The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons." 1Tim 4:1
It seems to me that these passages are not referring to those who merely outside the faith, but rather of apostates. Paul writes concerning the second coming, "Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs" 2Thess 2:3a The Greek word he uses for "rebellion" is "apostasia" from which we get "apostasy" - those who fall away, defecting away from the faith. Jesus said, "At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people." Matthew 24:10,11
So it's one thing for those outside the faith to deny the second coming. But there will come a times when a large percentage of "Christians" will abandon the faith in the Lord's return and opt to follow their own evil desires, which will prepare the way for the anti-Christ.
