The Perilous Times Are Here

By Bud Hancock

We are indeed living in dangerous times, “perilous” times as the Apostle Paul called them
when he was writing his second letter to his spiritual son, Timothy. From all historical
accounts, both from God’s word as well as from many non-Biblical accounts presented by
observers throughout history, dangerous times have often appeared since the fall of man,
so what makes these times we now live in any more dangerous than past “perilous
times”? An examination of the word “perilous” as used by Paul offers more insight into,
and provides a better answer to this question.
The word “perilous” in 2 Timothy 3:1, is the English translation of the Greek word
chalĕpŏs (Strong’s 5467, pronounced khal-ep-os’) and it is possibly derived from the
Greek word “chalaō (Strong’s 5465, pronounced khal-ah’-o), defined as “to lower, as into
a void”, “let down”. The word “chalĕpŏs” is defined as a reducing of strength, difficult,
dangerous. Both words are linked to the base of the Greek word “chasma” (Strong’s 5490,
pronounced khas’-mah), which is defined as a “chasm”, a “vacancy”, a “gulf” and an
“impassable interval”.
So what does this mean for the Christian living in these current perilous times? For one
thing, it is interesting to note that this is the only time the word is used in the entire
Bible. Paul must have been emphasizing that the end times coming, would be especially
dangerous for Christians. The important question is “why?” And the next most important
question might be: “What event(s) will usher in the perilous times”?
In the end times, Satan will be ramping up his attempts to destroy anything that God
loves. Christians fit this bill, so the danger to Christians will increase as the end times
progress. Paul emphasized the timing of the appearance of the Antichrist, the human
who will be Satan-possessed, the most evil person who ever lived on this Earth, with the
increase in apostasy among believers. Interestingly, the King James version translated
“apostasy” as a “falling away”, and the word for “perilous” used in 2 Timothy 3:1 is
defined as a ”lowering”, as into a void. Even more interesting is the definition of the base
word for “perilous”, a “vacancy” or an “impassable gulf”.

Do you remember, in Luke 16, the account of the rich man who, when he had died, was
suffering in hell, he lifted up his eyes to Father Abraham, asking him to send the poor
beggar, Lazarus, to cool his burning tongue with water? Abraham told the rich man:
…”Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus
evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.
26 And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which
would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from
thence.” Unsurprisingly, the word “gulf” used in Luke 16 is the Greek word “chasma”
(Strong’s 5490).
It appears that the perilous times mentioned by Paul refers to the danger of hell, known
as a “chasm” or “gulf”. Is it possible that Paul was warning believers to be aware of the
apostasy that could send them to hell, the great gulf and chasm that separated true
believers from unbelievers? The apostasy, the “turning away”, or turning back from the
faith, will have profound consequences for all who become apostate.
In Paul’s writings, in several places, he mentions comparisons between Jews and
Gentiles, including the advantages of being one or the other. The Jews advantages are
significant: From Romans 3: 1-2, “What advantage then hath the Jew? or what profit
is there of circumcision? Much every way: chiefly, because that unto them were
committed the oracles of God”.
From Romans 9:4-5, …”Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and
the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises;
Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is
over all, God blessed forever. Amen.
Paul, as the Apostle to the Gentiles, reminds them that their main advantage seems to be
the falling aways of the Jews so that salvation could be offered to non-Jewish people. This
is a reminder that would serve the Body of Christ well today, that had it not been for that
“falling away” of the Jews, no Gentile would be saved.
As Paul stated in Romans 11:15-21, “For if the casting away of them be the reconciling of
the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead? For if the firstfruit be
holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches. And if some of the
branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert grafted in among them, and
with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree; Boast not against the
branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee. Thou wilt say then,
The branches were broken off, that I might be grafted in. Well; because of unbelief they were
broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear: For if God spared not
the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee”.
For the Jewish people, perilous times began when they forsook God, rejected their
promised Messiah, Jesus Christ, and tried to get by on their own righteousness. For their
rejection, God blinded their eyes to the truth, making it impossible for the nation of Jews
to be saved; however, individual Jews who hear th gospel and receive Jesus as their
saviour are granted God’s mercy and become part of God’s universal Church.
But what about the Church, made up mostly of Gentiles, who have heard and received
the gospel of truth? Where do the perilous times come in? Paul expressed the answer to
that question in his second letter to Timothy:

“This know also that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers
of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to
parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false
accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady,
highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; having a form of
godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. For of this sort are
they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led
away with divers lusts, ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of
the truth” (2 Timothy 3:1-7).
The human behavior detailed in the verses above offer a clear view of what has now
become commonplace in this evil world. When added to the words of Jesus in Matthew
24, wherein Jesus, answering the question from his disciples: “Tell us, when shall these
things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?” (Matthew
24:3), the picture of what we now call “the last days” becomes ever more clear from
Jesus’s words recorded in Mathew 24: 4-12,
“And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. For many
shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. And ye shall hear of
wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to
pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against
kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All
these are the beginning of sorrows. Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall
kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake. And then shall many be
offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. And many false prophets
shall rise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many
shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.”
These verses describe a group of people who are either already in apostasy, or are
allowing the evil in the world to lead them into it. Now, go back to the second paragraph
in this article and carefully study the word defined as “perilous”. The word, having come
from the Greek word “chasma”, it becomes ever more clear that the perilous times that
are so near refer to far more than just persecution of Christians by non-believers. As bad
as that persecution might be, the perilous times in 2 Timothy 3:1 offers a glimpse into the
future of all those who allow apostasy to take over their lives. The “chasm” Paul
mentions, the “gulf”, the “vacancy” and the “impassable interval” is also made clear
when considering the definition of the word “interval”. From the Merriam Webster
Dictionary: Interval: a space of time between events or states”.
Remember the “gulf” (Greek “chasma”) mentioned in Luke 16:26, where the rich man
was told that there exists a great gulf between two “spaces”, or “states”, with no one
being able to pass between them? This is the “impassable interval”, a place where
apostasy ends and eternity begins; certainly not a place where anyone would desire to
go, and goes a long way in determining the danger, or peril, of standing on the edge of a
chasm, a void, a gulf from which there is no escape.
I implore all to think very carefully about the perilous times that are soon to overtake the
world. Please understand the consequences of the apostasy, and the true peril involved,
and avoid the final destination of apostasy by any means. For the true believer, the times
of the end need not be perilous, but should be glorious, waiting for the return of Jesus to
take us all home!
Blessings and Maranatha

Born and raised in a small textile town in North Carolina, Bud’s family moved to Michigan in the hope of finding better employment with General Motors.  After graduating from high school, Bud began an apprenticeship with General Motors to become a Metal Modelmaker.  Retiring after a 30 year career, which included an eight year stint as a Metrologist (Science of high precision measurement), he and his wife moved back to North Carolina to be near his elderly parents.  Shortly thereafter, with both of his parents having passed, he began a new career in the bank security/ATM business, advancing from an entry level technician to one of two North Carolina customer service managers for his employer.  Retiring again after 13 years, he and his wife of 51 years relocated to Tennessee where Bud began writing articles emphasizing Biblical teaching and geopolitical issues.  At age 75, he and his wife relocated to South Carolina with their Miniature Schnauzer, Baxter.  Bud continues to study God’s word and write articles on Christian living and geopolitical issues from the Biblical end times  perspective.