Chapter Three

The coming of difficult times (1–9). The example of the Apostle Paul (10–12). Exhortation to Timothy (13–17).

2 Timothy 3:1. But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of stress. “The last days.” Christians of the apostolic age believed that they had already entered the “last days” (Heb 1:2; cf. Acts 2:17). And here the apostle undoubtedly understands not some very distant times, but in general the “subsequent” days. This is proved by the fact that the apostle advises Timothy to “keep away” from people who will live in these last days: it is clear that Timothy will see them (2 Tim 3:5). The same thing is indicated by the use of the present tense in speaking of future false teachers (2 Tim 3:6 and 2 Tim 3:8).

2 Timothy 3:2. For people will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 2 Timothy 3:3. heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, 2 Timothy 3:4. treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, “People”—mankind in its masses. “Lovers of themselves.” Self-love is the chief driving cause of human corruption.

2 Timothy 3:5. holding the form of godliness but denying its power. Avoid such people. “Avoid such people,” that is, all the above-mentioned people. Obviously, the apostle saw that similar people were already present in the midst of the society in which Timothy lived, namely in Christian society (cf. 2 Thess 2:7). With time this ungodliness (2 Tim 2:16) will only reach its highest degree of intensity. But in the last days the wicked will not act so openly as they did in the time of the Apostle Paul, openly, for example, claiming that the resurrection has already taken place.

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 desires, 2 Timothy 3:7. always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth. The apostle speaks with contempt of women who will follow false teachers (women—diminutive—a contemptuous expression instead of “women”). Women will seek from these false teachers instruction on how to achieve holiness and free themselves from the burden of sin in the easiest way, and these false teachers will respond with importance to their questions, trying to reconcile the demands of Christianity with the rather low passions from which the women did not wish to free themselves.

2 Timothy 3:8. As Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these people also oppose the truth—people of depraved mind, unfit regarding the faith. The names of the magicians who opposed Moses the apostle certainly learned from Jewish tradition. No doubt these names were frequently mentioned in the Ephesian Christian community by the false teachers active there.

2 Timothy 3:9. But they will not progress much further, for their folly will become plain to all, as was the case with those two. 2 Timothy 3:10. Now you have observed my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness, 2 Timothy 3:11. my persecutions, my sufferings, what I suffered in Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra. What persecutions I endured! Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them. 2 Timothy 3:12. Indeed, all who want to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. Timothy has always followed the example of the Apostle Paul in bearing suffering and in other virtues. The apostle reminds him of this now to encourage him to continue to keep away from false teachers. “What persecutions I endured!...” A possible translation: “What sufferings have come upon me!...What persecutions I have endured. And the Lord rescued me from all of them.” “In Antioch”—see Acts 13:14. “In Iconium”—Acts 14:2 and following. “In Lystra”—Acts 14:19 and following. “Indeed, all who want to live a godly life”—cf. Matt 5:10 and following.

2 Timothy 3:13. But wicked people and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving others and being deceived. 2 Timothy 3:14. But as for you, continue in what you have learned and firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it, While false teachers will have success in misleading people who are themselves deceived, Timothy should stand firm in the teaching which he has received from the Apostle Paul (“knowing from whom you learned it”).

2 Timothy 3:15. and how from childhood you have known the sacred writings that are able to instruct you for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 2 Timothy 3:16. All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 2 Timothy 3:17. so that everyone who belongs to God may be competent, equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 1:5. Timothy will also be helped in this case by his familiarity with Scripture, which he studied from childhood, obviously under the guidance of his mother and grandmother (cf. 2 Timothy 1:5). Scripture testifies to Christ (John 5:39 and following). “Instruct you for salvation”—that is, in respect to the essence of salvation; they will give him the correct understanding of what salvation consists in. And this salvation is achieved through faith in Jesus Christ (cf. Rom 3:25 “cleansing through faith”). “All Scripture” can be translated “every Scripture inspired by God is also profitable for teaching, reproof...” Thus the word “and” should be omitted, as it is omitted in the Peshitta, in some manuscripts of the Vulgate, and by many ancient commentators. The expression (without the article) cannot mean the whole collection of Old Testament books (they are called in the New Testament, for example in the Gospel Matt 21:42, “scriptures”), but means any inspired Scripture whatever, including New Testament books, some of which already existed at that time. The apostle could call his own writings inspired, since he spoke of the oral preaching of himself and other apostles as having the Holy Spirit as its source (2 Cor 3:3). “So that everyone who belongs to God may be competent...”,” that is, one must read inspired Scripture in order to become a good minister and preacher of Christ.