2 Timothy 3

Know this as well: in the last days, dangerous times will come.

1This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.

Note"The last days" was a fixed phrase for the final stretch of history before God's decisive intervention. "Perilous" does not mean merely difficult: the Greek word means harsh or dangerous, and the only other place the King James uses it is Matthew 8:28, of two violent men who were "exceeding fierce."

2People will love themselves. They will love money, brag, and be full of pride. They will speak abusively, disobey their parents, be ungrateful, and have nothing holy about them.

2For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,

Note"Blasphemers" has narrowed in English to mean speech against God. The Greek word covers abusive, insulting, slanderous speech aimed at anyone. "Covetous" here translates a word that means specifically money-loving, not a general desire for what belongs to others.

3They will have no natural affection for their own families. They will break agreements, spread lies about people, and have no self-control. They will be brutal, and they will hate what is good.

3Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,

NoteFour items in this list need unpacking. "Without natural affection" is one Greek word for lacking the ordinary bond of love within a family. "Trucebreakers" renders a word meaning unwilling to enter or keep an agreement; it belongs to the language of treaties. "False accusers" is the Greek word diabolos, slanderer, the same word used elsewhere as a title for the devil. "Incontinent" in 1611 English simply meant lacking self-control; the modern medical sense did not exist yet.

4They will betray others, act recklessly, and think far too highly of themselves. They will love pleasure instead of loving God.

4Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;

Note"Heady" meant rash or headlong, plunging ahead without thought. "Highminded" in 1611 was not a compliment: it meant swollen with self-importance, the opposite of its usual modern sense of noble-minded.

5They will keep the outward form of religion but deny its power. Turn away from people like these.

5Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

Note"A form of godliness" uses a Greek word for the outward shape or visible appearance of a thing. "Godliness" translates a term for religious devotion expressed in daily practice, the kind of piety a community could observe from outside.

6Some of them are the kind who work their way into homes and take control of vulnerable women who are loaded down with sins and pulled along by all sorts of desires.

6For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts,

Note"Creep into houses" means working their way into households. Early Christian congregations met in private homes, so a household was also a meeting place. "Silly" in 1611 meant weak, helpless or easily imposed upon, not foolish; the Greek noun is a diminutive of "women" and carries a belittling tone, which is why translators differ over how much contempt to reproduce. "Divers" is the old spelling of "diverse," meaning various.

7Such women are always learning, but they are never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth.

7Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.

NoteIn the Greek the description "ever learning" hangs grammatically on the women just mentioned in verse 6, which is why the rendering names them again here.

8Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses long ago, and in the same way these men oppose the truth. Their minds are corrupt, and they fail the test when it comes to the faith.

8Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith.

NoteJannes and Jambres are not named anywhere in the Old Testament. Jewish tradition gave these names to the Egyptian magicians who matched Moses trick for trick before Pharaoh in Exodus 7 and 8, and then could go no further. Paul assumes his reader knows the story. "Reprobate" translates a word from metal testing: coin or ore that has been assayed and rejected as not genuine, so "failed the test" rather than "wicked."

9But they will not get much further. Their foolishness will become plain to everyone, just as the foolishness of those two men did.

9But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest unto all men, as theirs also was.

10You, though, have followed my teaching closely, and my way of life, my purpose, my faith, my patience with people, my love, and my endurance.

10But thou hast fully known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, charity, patience,

Note"Doctrine" here just means teaching, with no sense of a formal system. "Charity" in 1611 English meant love; the narrowing to mean giving money to the poor came later. "Longsuffering" and "patience" render two different Greek words: the first is restraint with difficult people, the second is holding out under difficult circumstances. "Fully known" translates a verb meaning to follow alongside something closely, as an eyewitness or a student would.

11You know the persecutions and the sufferings that came to me in Antioch, in Iconium, and in Lystra. You know what persecutions I put up with, and the Lord rescued me out of every one of them.

11Persecutions, afflictions, which came unto me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra; what persecutions I endured: but out of them all the Lord delivered me.

NoteAntioch (the one in Pisidia), Iconium and Lystra were towns in what is now central Turkey, visited on Paul's first missionary journey and described in Acts 13 and 14. He was driven out of the first two and stoned and left for dead at the third. Lystra was also Timothy's home town, so these were events he had grown up hearing about or had seen.

12In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.

12Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.

13Meanwhile evil people and frauds will go from bad to worse, fooling others and being fooled themselves.

13But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.

Note"Wax" is the old verb meaning to grow or become, as in a waxing moon. "Seducers" translates a Greek word that originally meant a wandering sorcerer or chanter of spells, and came to mean a swindler or impostor generally.

14But as for you, keep on in the things you have learned and have become sure of, because you know the people you learned them from.

14But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them;

Note"Of whom" is plural in the Greek, so the teachers are more than one person. Earlier in the letter Paul mentions Timothy's grandmother Lois and his mother Eunice alongside his own instruction.

15Since you were a small child you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.

15And 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.

Note"From a child" translates a word normally used of an infant or a very young child. "The holy scriptures" means the Jewish Scriptures, what Christians later came to call the Old Testament; the New Testament writings did not yet exist as a collection Timothy could have been raised on.

16All Scripture is breathed out by God. It is useful for teaching, for showing people where they are wrong, for setting them straight, and for training them in right living.

16All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

Note"Given by inspiration of God" is a single Greek adjective, theopneustos, literally God-breathed. The sentence has no verb in the Greek, so it can be read either as "All Scripture is God-breathed and is profitable" or as "Every God-breathed Scripture is also profitable," and translators divide over which. "Reproof" means showing someone that they are in the wrong; "correction" means setting them straight afterward. "Righteousness" here is right conduct, living as one should.

17The purpose is that the person who serves God may be complete, fully equipped for every good work.

17That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

Note"Perfect" in 1611 English meant complete or fully finished, not morally flawless. "Throughly" is simply the older spelling of "thoroughly." "Man of God" is a phrase carried over from the Old Testament, where it describes someone commissioned to speak and act for God, such as Moses, Elijah or Elisha.