2 Timothy 3:1

Ministry in the Last Days

3:1 But understand this, that in the last days difficult ¹  times will come.

Hebrews 1:2

1:2 in these last days he has spoken to us in a son, ²  whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he created the world. ³ 

Hebrews 1:1

Introduction: God Has Spoken Fully and Finally in His Son

1:1 After God spoke long ago ⁴  in various portions ⁵  and in various ways ⁶  to our ancestors ⁷  through the prophets,

Hebrews 1:5

The Son Is Superior to Angels

1:5 For to which of the angels did God ⁸  ever say, “You are my son! Today I have fathered you”? ⁹  And in another place ¹⁰  he says, ¹¹  “I will be his father and he will be my son.” ¹² 

Hebrews 1:1-2

Introduction: God Has Spoken Fully and Finally in His Son

1:1 After God spoke long ago ¹³  in various portions ¹⁴  and in various ways ¹⁵  to our ancestors ¹⁶  through the prophets, 1:2 in these last days he has spoken to us in a son, ¹⁷  whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he created the world. ¹⁸ 

Hebrews 3:3

3:3 For he has come to deserve greater glory than Moses, just as the builder of a house deserves greater honor than the house itself!

Jude 1:18

1:18 For they said to you, “In the end time there will come ¹⁹  scoffers, propelled by their own ungodly desires.” ²⁰ 

[3:1]  ¹ tn Or perhaps, “dangerous,” “fierce.”

[1:2]  ² tn The Greek puts an emphasis on the quality of God’s final revelation. As such, it is more than an indefinite notion (“a son”) though less than a definite one (“the son”), for this final revelation is not just through any son of God, nor is the emphasis specifically on the person himself. Rather, the focus here is on the nature of the vehicle of God’s revelation: He is no mere spokesman (or prophet) for God, nor is he merely a heavenly messenger (or angel); instead, this final revelation comes through one who is intimately acquainted with the heavenly Father in a way that only a family member could be. There is, however, no exact equivalent in English (“in son” is hardly good English style).

[1:2]  ³ tn Grk “the ages.” The temporal (ages) came to be used of the spatial (what exists in those time periods). See Heb 11:3 for the same usage.

[1:1]  ⁴ tn Or “spoke formerly.”

[1:1]  ⁵ tn Or “parts.” The idea is that God’s previous revelation came in many parts and was therefore fragmentary or partial (L&N 63.19), in comparison with the final and complete revelation contained in God’s Son. However, some interpret πολυμερῶς (polumerw") in Heb 1:1 to mean “on many different occasions” and would thus translate “many times” (L&N 67.11). This is the option followed by the NIV: “at many times and in various ways.” Finally, this word is also understood to refer to the different manners in which something may be done, and would then be translated “in many different ways” (L&N 89.81). In this last case, the two words πολυμερῶς and πολυτρόπως (polutropw") mutually reinforce one another (“in many and various ways,” NRSV).

[1:1]  ⁶ tn These two phrases are emphasized in Greek by being placed at the beginning of the sentence and by alliteration.

[1:1]  ⁷ tn Grk “to the fathers.”

[1:5]  ⁸ tn Grk “he”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[1:5]  ⁹ tn Grk “I have begotten you.”

[1:5]  ¹⁰ tn Grk “And again,” quoting another OT passage.

[1:5]  ¹¹ tn The words “he says” are not in the Greek text but are supplied to make a complete English sentence. In the Greek text this is a continuation of the previous sentence, but English does not normally employ such long and complex sentences.

[1:5]  ¹² tn Grk “I will be a father to him and he will be a son to me.”

[1:1]  ¹³ tn Or “spoke formerly.”

[1:1]  ¹⁴ tn Or “parts.” The idea is that God’s previous revelation came in many parts and was therefore fragmentary or partial (L&N 63.19), in comparison with the final and complete revelation contained in God’s Son. However, some interpret πολυμερῶς (polumerw") in Heb 1:1 to mean “on many different occasions” and would thus translate “many times” (L&N 67.11). This is the option followed by the NIV: “at many times and in various ways.” Finally, this word is also understood to refer to the different manners in which something may be done, and would then be translated “in many different ways” (L&N 89.81). In this last case, the two words πολυμερῶς and πολυτρόπως (polutropw") mutually reinforce one another (“in many and various ways,” NRSV).

[1:1]  ¹⁵ tn These two phrases are emphasized in Greek by being placed at the beginning of the sentence and by alliteration.

[1:1]  ¹⁶ tn Grk “to the fathers.”

[1:2]  ¹⁷ tn The Greek puts an emphasis on the quality of God’s final revelation. As such, it is more than an indefinite notion (“a son”) though less than a definite one (“the son”), for this final revelation is not just through any son of God, nor is the emphasis specifically on the person himself. Rather, the focus here is on the nature of the vehicle of God’s revelation: He is no mere spokesman (or prophet) for God, nor is he merely a heavenly messenger (or angel); instead, this final revelation comes through one who is intimately acquainted with the heavenly Father in a way that only a family member could be. There is, however, no exact equivalent in English (“in son” is hardly good English style).

[1:2]  ¹⁸ tn Grk “the ages.” The temporal (ages) came to be used of the spatial (what exists in those time periods). See Heb 11:3 for the same usage.

[1:18]  ¹⁹ tn Grk “be.”

[1:18]  ²⁰ tn Grk “going according to their own desires of ungodliness.”