2 Timothy 3: Equipped by God-Breathed Scripture
Paul warns of grievous last days and people with a form of godliness, then anchors Timothy in the Scriptures that equip for every good work.
2 Timothy 3 (WEB)
1 But know this, that in the last days, grievous times will come.
2 For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
3 without natural affection, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, fierce, not lovers of good,
4 traitors, headstrong, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God;
5 holding a form of godliness, but having denied its power. Turn away from these, also.
6 For some of these are people who creep into houses, and take captive gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts,
7 always learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.
8 Even as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so do these also oppose the truth; men corrupted in mind, who concerning the faith, are rejected.
9 But they will proceed no further. For their folly will be evident to all men, as theirs also came to be.
10 But you did follow my teaching, conduct, purpose, faith, patience, love, steadfastness,
11 persecutions, 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.
12 Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.
13 But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived.
14 But you remain in the things which you have learned and have been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them.
15 From infancy, you have known the holy Scriptures which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith, which is in Christ Jesus.
16 Every Scripture is God-breathed and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction in righteousness,
17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.
2 Timothy 3 (KJV)
1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,
4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
6 For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts,
7 Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.
8 Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith.
9 But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest unto all men, as theirs also was.
10 But thou hast fully known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, charity, patience,
11 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.
12 Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.
13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.
14 But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them;
15 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.
16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.
2 Timothy 3 (ASV)
1 But know this, that in the last days grievous times shall come.
2 For men shall be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, haughty, railers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
3 without natural affection, implacable, slanderers, without self-control, fierce, no lovers of good,
4 traitors, headstrong, puffed up, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God;
5 holding a form of godliness, but having denied the power thereof: from these also turn away.
6 For of these are they that creep into houses, and take captive silly women laden with sins, led away by divers lusts,
7 ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.
8 And even as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also withstand the truth; men corrupted in mind, reprobate concerning the faith.
9 But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be evident unto all men, as theirs also came to be.
10 But thou didst follow my teaching, conduct, purpose, faith, longsuffering, love, patience,
11 persecutions, sufferings; what things befell me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra; what persecutions I endured: and out of them all the Lord delivered me.
12 Yea, and all that would live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.
13 But evil men and impostors shall wax worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived.
14 But abide thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them;
15 and that from a babe thou hast known the sacred writings which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
16 Every scripture inspired of God is also profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for instruction which is in righteousness:
17 that the man of God may be complete, furnished completely unto every good work.
Summary
Paul warns Timothy that grievous times will come in the last days. He paints a stark portrait of people consumed by self-love and the love of money and pleasure: boastful, arrogant, ungrateful, unholy, without natural affection, slanderous, without self-control, treacherous, and conceited—holding a form of godliness while denying its power. Timothy is to turn away from such people. Some of them creep into households and capture the vulnerable, always learning yet never coming to the knowledge of the truth; like Jannes and Jambres who opposed Moses, they oppose the truth, corrupted in mind and rejected concerning the faith, though their folly will become plain to all. By contrast, Timothy has followed Paul's teaching, conduct, purpose, faith, patience, love, and steadfastness, including the persecutions Paul endured at Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra, from which the Lord delivered him. Paul states plainly that all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution, and that evil people and impostors will grow worse and worse. So Timothy must continue in what he has learned and been assured of, knowing the holy Scriptures from infancy that are able to make him wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. For every Scripture is God-breathed and profitable for teaching, reproof, correction, and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.
Key Figures
- Paul — The apostle who warns of coming corruption and offers his own persecuted yet delivered life as a model, pointing Timothy to the Scriptures as his sure foundation.
- Timothy — The pastor who has followed Paul's teaching and known the holy Scriptures from infancy, called to continue steadfastly in what he has learned amid worsening times.
- The godless of the last days — People who love self, money, and pleasure rather than God, holding a form of godliness while denying its power, ever learning yet never reaching the truth.
- Jannes and Jambres — Figures remembered as opposing Moses, used by Paul as a picture of those who resist the truth, corrupted in mind and ultimately exposed as frauds.
Key Verse
2 Timothy 3:16 (WEB)
Every Scripture is God-breathed and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction in righteousness,
Lessons Learned
- Difficult times come when people love self, money, and pleasure more than God (2 Timothy 3:1-4).
- An outward form of godliness can mask a heart that denies its power (2 Timothy 3:5).
- All who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus should expect to suffer persecution (2 Timothy 3:12).
- Scripture, known and trusted, is able to make us wise for salvation through faith in Christ (2 Timothy 3:15).
- Because Scripture is God-breathed, it fully equips the servant of God for every good work (2 Timothy 3:16-17).
- Discern the marks of a godless age. People become "lovers of self, lovers of money… lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God" (2 Timothy 3:2-4, WEB). Misplaced loves are the root of cultural decay.
- Beware empty religion. Some hold "a form of godliness, but having denied its power" (2 Timothy 3:5, WEB). Outward religion without inward transformation is to be turned away from.
- Expect opposition for godliness. "All who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution" (2 Timothy 3:12, WEB). Faithfulness and hardship often travel together.
- Continue in what you have learned. "You remain in the things which you have learned and have been assured of" (2 Timothy 3:14, WEB). Stability comes from holding fast to trusted truth, not chasing novelty.
- Trust the sufficiency of Scripture. "Every Scripture is God-breathed and profitable" to make the servant of God "complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work" (2 Timothy 3:16-17, WEB). God's word is enough.
- What kinds of disordered love stand behind the list of vices Paul describes in verses 2-4?
- What does it mean to hold "a form of godliness, but having denied its power" (3:5), and how do we guard against it?
- Why does Paul connect godly living with suffering persecution (3:12)?
- What does Paul mean that Scripture is "God-breathed" (3:16), and how does that ground its authority and usefulness?
- Where do you most need Scripture to teach, reprove, correct, or train you right now, and what would it look like to let it do that work?
- The vice list flows from three corrupted loves named at the start and end: love of self, love of money, and love of pleasure rather than love of God (3:2-4). When self, possessions, and pleasure take God's place, relationships and character break down. Help the group trace the symptoms back to these root affections.
- It describes religion that keeps the outward shape—attendance, language, appearances—while denying the power that actually changes lives (3:5). We guard against it by seeking real transformation through the gospel, not mere performance. Invite gentle self-examination about where form may have outrun substance.
- Living visibly for Christ confronts a world at odds with him, so opposition is to be expected, not seen as failure (3:12). Paul's own persecutions, from which the Lord delivered him (3:11), show that suffering and God's faithfulness go together. This reframes hardship as part of the path, not a detour from it.
- "God-breathed" means Scripture is breathed out by God himself—his own word, not merely human reflection (3:16). Because it comes from God, it carries his authority and is profitable to teach, rebuke, correct, and train, equipping us completely for every good work. Its usefulness rests on its divine origin.
- This is a personal-application question. Encourage members to identify which of Scripture's four ministries—teaching, reproof, correction, training—they most need now, and one practical way to sit under the word so it can do that work. As leader, model openness and keep the focus on grace rather than guilt.