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Here is what I want you to know. There will be terrible times in the last days. People will love themselves. They will love money. They will brag and be proud. They will tear others down. They will not obey their parents. They won’t be thankful or holy. They won’t love others. They won’t forgive others. They will tell lies about people. They will be out of control. They will be wild. They will hate what is good. They will turn against their friends. They will act without thinking. They will think they are better than others. They will love what pleases them instead of loving God. They will act as if they were serving God. But what they do will show that they have turned their backs on God’s power. Have nothing to do with these people.

They are the kind who trick their way into the homes of some women. These women are ready to believe anything. And they take control over these women. These women are loaded down with sins. They give in to all kinds of evil desires. They are always learning. But they are never able to come to know the truth. Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses. In the same way, the teachers I’m talking about oppose the truth. Their minds are twisted. As far as the faith is concerned, God doesn’t accept them. They won’t get very far. Just like Jannes and Jambres, their foolish ways will be clear to everyone.

Paul Gives a Final Command to Timothy

10 But you know all about my teaching. You know how I live and what I live for. You know about my faith and love. You know how patient I am. You know I haven’t given up. 11 You know that I was treated badly. You know that I suffered greatly. You know what kinds of things happened to me in Antioch, Iconium and Lystra. You know how badly I have been treated. But the Lord saved me from all my troubles. 12 In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be treated badly. 13 Evil people and pretenders will go from bad to worse. They will fool others, and others will fool them. 14 But I want you to continue to follow what you have learned and are sure about. You know the people you learned it from. 15 You have known the Holy Scriptures ever since you were a little child. They are able to teach you how to be saved by believing in Christ Jesus. 16 God has breathed life into all Scripture. It is useful for teaching us what is true. It is useful for correcting our mistakes. It is useful for making our lives whole again. It is useful for training us to do what is right. 17 By using Scripture, the servant of God can be completely prepared to do every good thing.

Avoid people like this

Understand that the last days will be dangerous times. People will be selfish and love money. They will be the kind of people who brag and who are proud. They will slander others, and they will be disobedient to their parents. They will be ungrateful, unholy, unloving, contrary, and critical. They will be without self-control and brutal, and they won’t love what is good. They will be people who are disloyal, reckless, and conceited. They will love pleasure instead of loving God. They will look like they are religious but deny God’s power. Avoid people like this. Some will slither into households and control immature women who are burdened with sins and driven by all kinds of desires. These women are always learning, but they can never arrive at an understanding of the truth. These people oppose the truth in the same way that Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses. Their minds are corrupt and their faith is counterfeit. But they won’t get very far. Their foolishness will become obvious to everyone like those others.

Take Paul as your model

10 But you have paid attention to my teaching, conduct, purpose, faithfulness, patience, love, and endurance. 11 You have seen me experience physical abuse and ordeals in places such as Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra. I put up with all sorts of abuse, and the Lord rescued me from it all! 12 In fact, anyone who wants to live a holy life in Christ Jesus will be harassed. 13 But evil people and swindlers will grow even worse, as they deceive others while being deceived themselves.

14 But you must continue with the things you have learned and found convincing. You know who taught you. 15 Since childhood you have known the holy scriptures that help you to be wise in a way that leads to salvation through faith that is in Christ Jesus. 16 Every scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for showing mistakes, for correcting, and for training character, 17 so that the person who belongs to God can be equipped to do everything that is good.

But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days.(A) People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money,(B) boastful, proud,(C) abusive,(D) disobedient to their parents,(E) ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous,(F) rash, conceited,(G) lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— having a form of godliness(H) but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people.(I)

They are the kind who worm their way(J) into homes and gain control over gullible women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires, always learning but never able to come to a knowledge of the truth.(K) Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses,(L) so also these teachers oppose(M) the truth. They are men of depraved minds,(N) who, as far as the faith is concerned, are rejected. But they will not get very far because, as in the case of those men,(O) their folly will be clear to everyone.

A Final Charge to Timothy

10 You, however, know all about my teaching,(P) my way of life, my purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance, 11 persecutions, sufferings—what kinds of things happened to me in Antioch,(Q) Iconium(R) and Lystra,(S) the persecutions I endured.(T) Yet the Lord rescued(U) me from all of them.(V) 12 In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,(W) 13 while evildoers and impostors will go from bad to worse,(X) deceiving and being deceived.(Y) 14 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it,(Z) 15 and how from infancy(AA) you have known the Holy Scriptures,(AB) which are able to make you wise(AC) for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is God-breathed(AD) and is useful for teaching,(AE) rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,(AF) 17 so that the servant of God[a](AG) may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.(AH)

Footnotes

  1. 2 Timothy 3:17 Or that you, a man of God,

Perilous Times and Perilous Men

But know this, that (A)in the last days [a]perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, [b]unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, (B)traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, (C)having a form of godliness but (D)denying its power. And (E)from such people turn away! For (F)of this sort are those who creep into households and make captives of gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts, always learning and never able (G)to come to the knowledge of the truth. (H)Now as Jannes and Jambres resisted Moses, so do these also resist the truth: (I)men of corrupt minds, (J)disapproved concerning the faith; but they will progress no further, for their folly will be manifest to all, (K)as theirs also was.

The Man of God and the Word of God

10 (L)But you have carefully followed my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, love, perseverance, 11 persecutions, afflictions, which happened to me (M)at Antioch, (N)at Iconium, (O)at Lystra—what persecutions I endured. And (P)out of them all the Lord delivered me. 12 Yes, and (Q)all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. 13 (R)But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. 14 But you must (S)continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, 15 and that from childhood you have known (T)the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.

16 (U)All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, (V)and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for [c]instruction in righteousness, 17 (W)that the man of God may be complete, (X)thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Timothy 3:1 times of stress
  2. 2 Timothy 3:3 irreconcilable
  3. 2 Timothy 3:16 training, discipline