J.C. Ryles said “We are witnessing a major famine in the Earth and it’s not one of food It’s a famine of the knowledge of the Word of God.”
Amos 8:11 “Behold, the days are coming,” declares the Lord GOD,
“when I will send a famine on the land—
not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water,
but of hearing the words of the LORD. (Bible Gateway ESV 2026)
Daniel 12 :4 But you, Daniel, shut up the words and seal the book, until the time of the end. Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase.” (Bible Gateway ESV 2026)
2 Timothy 3: “But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. 2 For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, 4 treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people. 6 For among them are those who creep into households and capture weak women, burdened with sins and led astray by various passions, 7 always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth” (Bible Gateway ESV 2026)
The Bible warns us not to be deceived 16 times. We are being deceived every day. I don’t know what is true and what is not true now.
When I think of always learning, I think of Artificial Intelligence or A.I. A.I. has the ability to learn at an astounding pace. It grows smarter by the day, even every few hours. We have an endless amount of information at our fingertips. We are learning but, what are we learning? Are we learning things that are useful, in this case the most important thing we can know, is Jesus and a having a saving relationship with Jesus Christ, making Jesus the Lord of our lives.
Theological interpretations suggest a strong correlation between the knowledge of good and evil (the fall) and the condition of being “always learning but never coming to the truth” in the last days. This connection is often framed as the transition from God-centered truth to human centered moral autonomy.
- The source of knowledge; God vs. Self
The beginning: the “knowledge of good and evil” in Genesis represents humanity’s desire to act as independent arbiters of morality, deciding for themselves what is right and wrong instead of relying on God’s guidance.
The last days: the phrase “always learning” in 2 Timothy 3:7 describes a similar state where people seek endless new teachings, self-satisfying philosophies, and “itching ears” advice rather than foundational truth.
- Intellectual Futility and the “Darkened Understanding”
The Curse of the Fall: The fall resulted in a “darkened understanding” and a “futile mind”. While humans gained the capacity to discern; their sin-based nature made them unable to perfectly embrace or act on that good without divine help.
The Last Days Symptoms: This futility manifests in the last days as an accumulation of information without a spiritual foundation. People are described as “ever learning” because they are disconnected from the “spiritual truth”, making them unable to reach the definitive knowledge of God required for salvation. - Deception as a Recurring Theme
The Serpents Lie: The initial deception was that gaining “knowledge” apart from God would lead to godhood and enlightenment.
End-Times Deception: In the last days, “spiritual swindlers” and false teachers use this same intellectual pride to control followers, offering “new” of “great” spiritual teachings that never lead to actual truth.
Feature – Knowledge of Good and Evil
Primary Goal – Moral autonomy being like God
Result – shame, Spiritual death and separation of God
Underlying Problem -Trusting self over the Creator’s Word
Always Learning – 2 Timothy 3
Satisfying “itching ears” and personal desires
Vulnerability to deception; instability to find truth
Reliance on human wisdom instead of the Holy Spirit
In essence, the “always learning” state is viewed as the final, matured consequence of the initial choice to define truth independently from God.
Carry the Load 