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2 Timothy 3

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This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.

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For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,

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Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,

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Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;

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Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

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For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts,

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Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.

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Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith.

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But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest unto all men, as theirs also was.

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But thou hast fully known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, charity, patience,

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Persecutions, afflictions, which came unto me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra; what persecutions I endured: but out of them all the Lord delivered me.

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Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.

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But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.

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But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them;

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And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.

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All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

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That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

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2 Timothy 3

Paul prophesies that in the last days difficult times will come with a catalog of vices—lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient—painting a portrait of humanity corrupted by selfishness and severed from virtue. Those having a form of godliness (morphōsis eusebeias) but denying its power epitomize the false teachers Paul targets, maintaining Christian appearance while abandoning Christian substance, the gap between external profession and internal transformation. All who desire godly life will be persecuted—a promise of suffering—establishes that genuine Christianity in a hostile world invites opposition, making persecution an index of authentic faith rather than a sign of failure. Paul's personal historical reference—you followed my teaching, my conduct, my aim, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness, my persecutions—offers himself as the counter-example to the false teachers, his suffering for the gospel proof of authentic Christianity. The assertion that all Scripture is God-breathed (theopneustos) and profitable for teaching, reproof, correction, training in righteousness establishes Scripture's universal applicability and transformative power, making the written word the foundation of doctrinal and moral authority. The charge to be ready in season and out of season, to reprove, rebuke, exhort with complete patience and teaching, positions Timothy as guardian of truth against an increasingly hostile culture, his faithful proclamation the antidote to doctrinal drift.

2 Timothy 3:17

that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. — The telos (purpose): scripture produces the teleios (complete) man of God, exērtismenos (fully equipped) for every good work. Scripturally-formed character becomes functionally capable.

2 Timothy 3:10

You, however, have followed my teaching, conduct, aim in life, faith, patience, love, steadfastness — Timothy contrasts sharply with these deceivers: he has akoloutheo (followed) Paul's didaskalia (teaching), anastroph (conduct), prothesis (aim), pistis (faith), makrothumia (patience), agapē (love), hypomonē (steadfastness). Character traceable through example.

2 Timothy 3:11

persecutions and sufferings that happened to me in Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra. What persecutions I endured! Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them. — Paul particularizes: the diōgmoi (persecutions) and pathēmata (sufferings) in Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra tested his faith yet produced deliverance (rhyomai) by the Lord. Suffering survived becomes testimony.

2 Timothy 3:12

Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted — Paul universalizes: diōgmos (persecution) attends those choosing eusebia (godliness) en Christō Iēsou (in Christ Jesus). Fidelity generates opposition; discipleship involves suffering.

2 Timothy 3:13

while evil people and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. — The counterpoint: evil-doers (ponēroi) and goetes (impostors) progress (prokopō) toward increasing depravity (cheiron), trapped in mutual deception (planaō). Vice perpetuates itself.

2 Timothy 3:14

But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it — Timothy's stability (menō) depends on persisting in didachē (teaching) and pisteuo (conviction) grounded in his pedagogical sources: Paul and earlier believers. Transmitted truth proves trustworthy.

2 Timothy 3:15

and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. — Timothy's formation (apo bromphias) in the hiera grammata (sacred scriptures) equipped him for sozonon sophia (salvation-producing wisdom) through Christ-centered pistis (faith). Scripture's pedagogical function aims at redemption.

2 Timothy 3:16

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness — Paul's theology of scripture: pasa graphē theopneustos (all Scripture God-breathed), characterized by quadruple utility: didaskalia (teaching), elegchos (reproof), epanorthōsis (correction), paideia en dikaiosynē (training in righteousness). Inspiration ensures multipurpose edification.

2 Timothy 3:8

As Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, men of depraved mind, disqualified regarding the faith. — The historical analogy: like Jannes and Jambres (Egyptian magicians opposing Moses) these false teachers anthistēmi (resist) the truth, bearing diephtharmenos nous (corrupted minds) and adokimoi (disqualified) concerning pistis (faith). Spiritual resistance echoes pharaonic opposition.

2 Timothy 3:9

But they will not get very far, for their folly will be plain to all, as was that of those two men. — The assurance: these false teachers' paronoia (progress) will be limited; their anoia (foolishness) will become phanera (evident) to all, mirroring Jannes and Jambres's exposure. Truth ultimately prevails.

2 Timothy 3:2

For people will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy — the sevenfold catalogue of vice diagnoses last-days spirituality: philautoi (self-lovers), philargyri (money-lovers), alazonei (boastful), hyperēphanoi (proud), blasphēmoi (abusive), apeitheis goneusin (disobedient to parents), acharistoi (ungrateful), anosioi (unholy). Internal disorder breeds external transgression.

2 Timothy 3:3

heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good — continuing the vice catalogue: astorgoi (without natural affection), asprouloi (implacable), diabloi (slanderous), akrateis (lacking self-control), anēmerioi (savage), aphilagathoi (haters of good). Vicious interiority manifests in social cruelty.

2 Timothy 3:4

treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God — the final tier: prodotai (traitors), procheiroi (reckless), tetyphōmenoi (puffed up), philēdonoi (pleasure-lovers) rather than philotheoi (God-lovers). Inverted priorities corrupt all relationships.

2 Timothy 3:5

holding to the outward form of godliness but denying its power. Avoid such people. — The decisive indictment: these possess morphōsis eusebeias (form of godliness) but deny its dynamis (power). External religion masks internal apostasy. Timothy must apotropē (turn away from) such counterfeits.

2 Timothy 3:6

For among them are those who make their way into households and capture weak women, burdened with sins and led astray by various passions — the unscrupulous false teachers employ household infiltration: they aichmalōteuō (capture) gynaikaria (women, diminutive suggesting weakness) laden with sins and buffeted by pathē (passions). Social vulnerability makes women targets.

2 Timothy 3:7

always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth. — The tragic portrait: perpetual mathēsis (learning) without arriving at epignōsis (true knowledge). Information accumulates while transformation stalls.

2 Timothy 3:1

But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty — Paul announces eschatalogical warning: the eschatos hēmerai (last days) will bring chalepos kairoi (difficult times). The warning establishes interpretive frame for the list of vices following.