Itchy Ears

2 Timothy 4:3,4

After telling Timothy that his authority to preach comes from God and how preaching must be carried out, Paul now warns him how many will respond to his preaching. “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables” (1 Tim. 4:3,4).

Paul knew that a time would come when Christians in Ephesus would no long love and appreciate the preaching of the Truth. The word “time” (kairos) has the same root as the words translated “season” in verse two, it will reappear in verse six referring Paul’s coming death. Therefore, when this time came Timothy was to just keep on preaching the way he had been commanded.

Jesus encouraged his disciples by saying, “You shall know the truth and the truth will make you free” (Jn. 8:32). Aldous Huxley describes for us the negative response to the preaching of truth when he wrote, “You shall know the truth and the truth shall make you mad” According to some surveys the world does not believe truth.

• 53 percent believe that there are moral truths that are absolute
• 43 percent say there is no such thing as the Holy Spirit
• 33 percent believe that Jesus never had a physical resurrection
• 19 percent believe Jesus sinned while on earth

Many so-called “Christians” of the twenty-first century desire their “truth” over God’s sound doctrine. The world says abortion is a choice; God’s Word tells us it is murder. They say homosexuality is an alternative lifestyle; the Bible says it is not a lifestyle pleasing to God. The world says sleep around, just be careful not to get pregnant or a sexually transmitted disease; God’s Word tells us to not even think lustful thoughts and have sex only with you marriage partner (Matt. 5:28f; Heb. 13:4).

Preaching sound doctrine in times like these must continue. Even though they cannot endure or tolerate such preaching God wants someone to be brave and loving enough to convince, rebuke and exhort.

Why is preaching the truth so intolerable to so many? Is it because the style of preaching is so outmoded or outdated? Is it because we live in a more loving and tolerant age? Paul tells us that the motive for rejecting sound preaching has nothing to do with the message or the messengers. The audience has “itching ears.” They like having their ears tickled. It is only human nature to want to do what feels good or sounds good. Most people would much rather hear Susan Boyle sing than to hear finger nails scape across a black board. We much rather hear preaching that says, “I’m okay and you’re okay.” We want someone to tell us that God wants us to be rich and happy and have an abundant life filled with all our hearts’ desires.

Preaching is not designed by God to make people feel good about themselves. Preaching is to convince people that they are WRONG. Sound doctrine or teaching is to rebuke them for being WRONG and warn them of the dangers of being WRONG. God ordained preaching exhorts men and women to stop being WRONG and get right with Him.

This tolerant age will not long tolerate true preaching. Instead they will reject those men who faithful follow the charge given to Timothy. Finding acceptable replacements is not hard. Throughout time teachers who will smile and tell people what they want to hear are easily found in abundance. Their ego-massaging messages will hit the spot with those who live a self-indulgent materialist life. They will tell people to just go right on being wrong because “God will understand.”

People who find themselves involved in a lifestyle or practice that is contrary to the Will of God will go shopping for some “wise” man who can reassure them that their circumstances or motives make them an special exception to God’s Law. Once a sister in Christ in her early sixties called me up and asked me if she had a right to marry this man who had been previously divorced for committing adultery. I simply asked her to get her Bible out and we read together what Jesus taught in the Gospel of Matthew. After asking her a few questions to make sure she understood what God’s will was on the matter, she thanked me. Later, I found out that she had accepted this adulterer’s marriage proposal and was leaving for Michigan. It wasn’t that she did not understand the teaching of Jesus. However, she called up three other preachers and they told her it would be okay to marry the man. This sort of thing happens all too often even among those who claim to be faithful children of God.

Paul had warned Timothy of the problems with myths (1 Tim. 4:7; cf. Tit. 1:14). Those who reject the truth cannot find another truth. There is only one truth not many truths. However, there are many myths or fables. After a while, those who reject the truth and accept lies will become deaf. Those who have ears that literally itch will sometimes use dangers objects to stick in their ears and scratch in order to find relief. However, there is a danger that the constant use of a pen or key to scratch those itching ears will result in ear damage and deafness. If people keep rejecting the Truth and turning to false teachers to scratch their ears with fables, sooner or later, they will grow deaf to the truth

– Daniel R. Vess