In the last days men will be BLASPHEMERS

II TIMOTHY 3:1-5

The word ‘blaspheme’ comes from the Greek word blasphemos which can mean sluggish, slow, stupid. Stupid is the opposite to wisdom and we know that in proverbs it tells us that the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom so these people who blaspheme do not fear God. How do we fear God? By remembering God’s presence every second and so these people forget that God is watching everything.

The word Greek Blapto means to hurt and the Greek word Pheme means reputation or fame. So blaspheme means to hurt some ones reputation with reports or words. Malice is another word to describe blasphemy and it’s Greek word Kakoetheia means an ill nature that takes everything with an evil connotation and giving a malicious interpretation of the actions of others. That nature is evil and makes one suspect evil in others. It is a habit of the mind. To be pure we must ask God to help us control our thoughts and mind and then our bodies will follow.


TO HURT THE REPUTATION OF OTHERS: slander, malice & false witness

I Corinthians 4:13, servants of God will be slandered for their faith.

Titus 3:2, malign no one. Malign means to hurt the reputation of so therefore we should say nothing against anyone to anyone, only pray and go to that person, this is Godly living.

Mark 7:22, out of the heart of evil men proceed …… slander (lets not be among the evil men by speaking negatively against others).

Ephesians 4:31 & Colossians 3:8, remove malice/slander (it’s a command)

I Timothy 6:4, those who don’t agree with Jesus will use abusive language (we want to be among those who agree with Jesus not disagree)


AGAINST GOD

Mathew 27:29, those who hurled abuse at Jesus as He hung on the cross

Luke 22:65, at the arrest of Jesus, people blasphemed against Him

Revelations 13:6, the beast will blaspheme God

AGAINST THE WORD OF GOD

Titus 2:5, a woman must behave in a certain way so that the Word of God cannot be blasphemed. This means our actions can cause people to talk negatively about the Word of God and as we know the Word of God is God (John 1:1) so we also cause people to slander God through our actions.


AGAINST MAN

Acts 13:45, the Jews blasphemed Paul because of Jealousy
When we talk negatively about others we are destroying their reputation and this is blasphemy. Many times I have seen this as a result of jealousy. One time I bought something really nice and it was very cheap, I told a friend and because of jealousy she started to talk about me behind my back, ‘o did you see that, she is too cheap’. I have even seen this with friends who like the same man, and when that man chooses one and not the other, the one left behind becomes jealous and you will hear stories from her that are just not true, ‘o he chose her because she is a prostitute’.


AGAINST THE HOLY SPIRIT
Mark 3:28&29, “Truly I say to you, all sins shall be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they utter; but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin”.

Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit means to resist the convicting power of the Holy Spirit to repentance. Without repentance we can never be forgiven. We blaspheme because we disagree with God, we don’t believe that we have sinned and therefore call Him a liar. This destroys God’s reputation to call Him a liar. Until we agree with God that we have sinned and ask for forgiveness, we can never be forgiven and therefore blasphemy against the Holy Spirit can never be forgiven.

As this verse says, ‘in the end times people will be blasphemers’ and I think we are living in an age where people can easily blaspheme, especially God. There was a time when no body could blaspheme God but now it’s normal.

IN SUMMARY

- Blasphemy means to destroy the reputation of someone through our words
- Blasphemy can be against - God
- The Word of God
- People
- The Holy Spirit
- Blasphemy is a sign of the end times
- God commands us to not blaspheme
- Stupid people blaspheme (those who do not fear God)

By Hayley Boud