The love of an affectionate friendship is of great value. Represented in the Bible by the Greek verb “phileo,” it is the kind of love that Mary, Martha, and Lazarus knew the Lord Jesus had for them (Jn. 11:3). The expression is found in many beautiful contexts, even describing the love between the Father and the Son (Jn. 5:20). But here in 2 Timothy 3, that love has gone wrong. Our English phrase “lovers of themselves” is the translation of one Greek term which combines “philos” with the word for “self.” If our greatest object of affection is ourselves, the outcomes are tragic.

Those tragedies are expressed in a New Testament catalog of similar words. Perhaps we will be lovers of money (cf. 2 Tim. 3:2). This was the character of the Pharisees, who mocked the Lord’s teaching that one cannot serve both God and riches—whereas, in truth, the love of money leads to all kinds of evil (Lk. 16:13–14; 1 Tim. 6:10).

Alternatively, we might love to be first, like Diotrephes (3 Jn. 9–11), who manifested that type of self-love through malicious words and controlling behavior. Closely related is the love of strife. This was the atmosphere when the disciples had a dispute about which of them was the greatest (Lk. 22:24). Disagreement is one thing, but it is truly harmful if someone simply loves a good argument (1 Cor. 11:16). Others become lovers of pleasure (2 Tim. 3:4). Certainly our senses were created by God, and there is much we can enjoy; but if pleasures become an end in themselves, they choke the Word and lead us into conflict (Lk. 8:14; Jas. 4:1).

All of these loves lead ultimately not to satisfaction but to self-destruction. What a contrast with the invitation to become a lover of God (2 Tim. 3:4)! Cultivate a loving, comfortable, affectionate friendship with Him. He will never harm you, and His love will never change.