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2 Timothy 3

Paul confronts corrupt religion and deception by directing Timothy toward faithful endurance and Scripture’s wisdom for salvation and good works.

Paul warns Timothy that grievous times will come, marked by self-love and religious appearances that conceal corruption. He describes deceivers who exploit vulnerable people and oppose the truth, comparing them with Jannes and Jambres, who opposed Moses. Paul then recalls the teaching and suffering Timothy has witnessed in his life. He urges Timothy to remain in what he has learned, grounding that charge in the Scriptures he has known from infancy and their God-given purpose.

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1But know this: that in the last days, grievous times will come.
2For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
3without natural affection, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, fierce, not lovers of good,
4traitors, headstrong, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,
5holding a form of godliness but having denied its power. Turn away from these, also.
6For some of these are people who creep into houses and take captive gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts,
7always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.
8Even as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these also oppose the truth, men corrupted in mind, who concerning the faith are rejected.
9But they will proceed no further. For their folly will be evident to all men, as theirs also came to be.
10But you followed my teaching, conduct, purpose, faith, patience, love, steadfastness,
11persecutions, and sufferings—those things that happened to me at Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra. I endured those persecutions. The Lord delivered me out of them all.
12Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.
13But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived.
14But you remain in the things which you have learned and have been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them.
15From infancy, you have known the holy Scriptures which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
16Every Scripture is God-breathed and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction in righteousness,
17that each person who belongs to God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.
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Key verses
2 Timothy 3:15Timothy’s childhood knowledge of Scripture anchors Paul’s charge to remain faithful, with salvation found through faith in Christ Jesus.
2 Timothy 3:12Paul extends his own experience of persecution to all who desire a godly life in Christ Jesus.
2 Timothy 3:1This opening warning frames the corrupt conduct and deceptive religion that Timothy must recognize and turn away from.
Where this chapter reaches

Romans shares the themes of Scripture’s instruction and salvation through faith, while Hebrews shares the connection between faith and endurance under suffering. 2 Peter likewise warns about corrupt teachers and deception, and links the prophetic word with its divine source.

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After reading the whole chapter

What contrast stands out between the conduct Paul condemns and the life Timothy has seen in him?

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Where might Scripture’s teaching or correction bear on a good work before you?

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Questions people ask about 2 Timothy 3

What are the last days in 2 Timothy 3?

Paul describes the last days as grievous times marked by corrupt conduct and deceptive religion. He also tells Timothy to turn away from such people, showing that the warning bears on Timothy’s own circumstances. The chapter gives no timetable or date for the end.

What does God-breathed mean in 2 Timothy 3:16?

Calling Scripture “God-breathed” identifies God as its source. Paul connects that divine origin with Scripture’s usefulness for teaching, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness. The stated goal is a person equipped for every good work. The preceding verse also connects Scripture with wisdom for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.

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Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY). Scripture from the World English Bible (public domain). Arc diagram after Chris Harrison and Christoph Römhild (2007).