What does 2 Timothy 4:3 mean by itching ears? Why is the truth of the Word of God often the last thing people want to hear?

OLAADEGBU:
What does 2 Timothy 4:3 mean by itching ears? Why is the truth of the Word of God often the last thing people want to hear?

Itching ears means you hear only what you want to hear. That's why all sort of pastors rise today and no matter what they preach they still have followers. Take for example, a girl who has no skirts in her wardrobe, she will only attend a church where they dont preach against trouser wearing. Her ears are itching to hear that which justifies her heart. In Naija, we are so into believing that our misfortunes are caused by others. So when you see a pastor that tells you witches are the ones causing the reouble your are in, you believe he is God sent...

eagleccentric:


Itching ears means you hear only what you want to hear. That's why all sort of pastors rise today and no matter what they preach they still have followers. Take for example, a girl who has no skirts in her wardrobe, she will only attend a church where they dont preach against trouser wearing. Her ears are itching to hear that which justifies her heart. In Naija, we are so into believing that our misfortunes are caused by others. So when you see a pastor that tells you witches are the ones causing the reouble your are in, you believe he is God sent...

Why is this the case?

that "itchy ear" must be something paul was addressing in context and we cant just generalize... a deeper life may have "itching ear" of only kumuyi, a redeemed may have "itching ear" for adeboye etc..so it implies "itching ear" must be read from the context by the enlightement of the Spirit to fully grasp why paul used such a word.

The phrase, 'itching ears'when considered contextually especially with the clause,"heap to themselves" in the same passage means that they will run after, listen to, buy tapes and literatures of etc 'pastors' that will tell them what they love to, and are itching to hear.

Especially words that subtly :
1. Tell them Gain is godliness (Laodicean Church);
2. Encourages a form of godliness without the power thereof;
3. Makes merchandise of them through covetousness;
4. makes them mind earthly things;
5. tell them they are what they are not never mind what the holistic perspective of the Bible says
etc

One interesting characteristic of these pastors and their unfortunate followers is that they generalise a lot and gain public approval! Just like this:

They (Korah, Dathan and Abiram) came as a group to oppose Moses and Aaron and said to them, “You have gone too far! The whole community is holy, every one of them, and the Lord is with them. Why then do you set yourselves above the Lord’s assembly?” Numbers 16:3,

After they(3) were judged, you would have though the eyes of the Israelites will be opened but no, deception sticks fast:

41 The next day the whole Israelite community grumbled against Moses and Aaron. “You have killed the Lord’s people,” they said.

Num 16:41

The same people that wanted to stone Moses that preached the Truth, stuck their necks out for the false ones!