The two statements contained in the title of this article come directly from the Bible, in Paul’s second letter to Timothy.

Here are the words of Paul describing “the last days.”

As you read the text in this letter written over 2000 years ago, see if they describe the culture we are currently living in here in 2023.

“But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days.

People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God–having a form of godliness but denying its power.

Have nothing to do with them.

They are the kind who worm their way into homes and gain control over weak-willed women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires, always learning but never able to acknowledge the truth.

Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so also these men oppose the truth–men of depraved minds, who, as far as the faith is concerned, are rejected.

But they will not get very far because, as in the case of those men, their foolishness will be clear to everyone.” (2 Timothy 3:1-9)