What does 2 Timothy 4:3 mean by itching ears?

Answer

The apostle Paul wrote a warning for the church: “The time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear” «For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; », (2 Timothy 4:3).

The Greek word translated “itching” literally means “to itch, rub, scratch, or tickle.” To want one’s ears “tickled” is to desire massages rather than messages—sermons that charm rather than challenge, entertain rather than edify, and please rather than preach. The people Paul warns about will have, as one commentator put it, “ears which have to be continually titillated with novelties.”

“Itching ears” is a figure of speech that refers to people’s desires, felt needs, or wants. It is these desires that impel a person to believe whatever he wants to believe rather than the actual truth itself. When people have “itching ears,” they decide for themselves what is right or wrong, and they seek out others to support their notions. “Itching ears” are concerned with what feels good or comfortable, not with the truth—after all, truth is often uncomfortable. Paul’s warning is that the church would one day contain those who only opened their ears to those who would scratch their “itch.”

Those with “itching ears” only want teachers who will assure them that all is well, teachers who say, “Peace, peace . . . when there is no peace” «They have healed also the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace. », (Jeremiah 6:14). Where there is a demand for

or something, the suppliers are not far away. Paul says that not only will there be great demand for watered-down, personalized messages, but there will be “a great number of teachers” willing to provide such pap and steer people away from “sound doctrine.”

Evidence today of people having “itching ears” includes the popularity of messages that people are not required to change, as if repentance were outmoded; that people are basically good; that God is too loving to judge anyone; that the cross, with all its blood, is not really necessary; and that God wants His children to be healthy, wealthy, and content in this world. As people turn their backs on the truth about sin and condemnation, they disregard their need for repentance and forgiveness. And a craving for “new” and “fresher” ideas grows— even though there is “nothing new under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 1:9-10)— accompanied by a longing to feel good about who they are and where they’re going. Messages that tickle ears can fill a lot of churches, sell a lot of books, and buy a lot of time on cable tv.

Some of the early followers of Jesus complained about some of the Lord’s words: “Many of his disciples said, ‘This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?’ . . . From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him” «Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is a hard saying; who can hear it? », (John 6:60,66) «From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him. », (John 6:60,66). Walking away from hard truth is easy to do.

In today’s postmodern church, we see many walking away from the hard truth. Some churches that once preached sound doctrine now teach as acceptable the very evils the Bible condemns. SSome pastors are hesitant to preach on certain passages of the Bible. “Christian feminists” reject God as a heavenly Father, referring to Him as a “she.” “Gay Christians” are not only accepted without repentance into church fellowship but also into the pulpit.

The church’s solution for those with “itching ears” is found in the same verse of 2 Timothy: “Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; correct, rebuke, and encourage— with great patience and careful instruction” «preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. », (2 Timothy 4:2). It is a serious responsibility, given “in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom” (verse 1). It includes all the necessary components to resist the temptation to please ears: preach, correct, rebuke, and encourage. The message of preaching must be the written Word of God, and it should be preached both when convenient and inconvenient. This requires “great patience and careful instruction,” but sound doctrine is invaluable.

The church’s effort to cater to the comfort of its audience should never outweigh the priority of preaching the Word. The fear of upsetting people’s sensitivities should never override the fear of offending God. Instead, the church should emulate the apostles: “We have renounced secret and disgraceful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by openly presenting the truth, we commend ourselves to every person’s conscience in the sight of God” «but have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God. », (2 Corinthians 4:2).

(James 4:2).

The church today, more than ever, needs to re-examine the teachings it endorses. We need to ask ourselves the following questions:

• Are our teachings truly from God or simply desires we want to fulfill?

• Are we standing on solid biblical foundations, or have we allowed the world to shape our beliefs?

• Have we protected ourselves from the strategies of Satan «Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the tricks of the devil. », (Ephesians 6:11)?

• Are we maintaining ourselves “blameless for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” «And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. », (1 Thessalonians 5:23)?

The reality is, God is not interested in fulfilling our desires but in reshaping us into the likeness of His Son (Romans 12:2;2 Corinthians 4:4).