2 Timothy 3
1 Now, understand this: in the last days, there will be harda times. 2 You see, people will care only about themselves and about money, being pretentious frauds and arrogant, who speak disrespectfully, who refuse to be persuaded by parents, being ungracious, without regard for what is sacred,b 3 heartless,c relentless,d slanderers, without restraint, cruel, opposed to what benefits others, 4 betrayers, reckless, deluded,e caring about pleasure more than God, 5 and people who go through the motionsf of respectfulness but disregarding its power. Especially avoid these people. 6 You see, from among them are those who creep into the House and take captive vulnerable womeng who have been piled high with deviationsh and are being led by various desires, 7 always learning and never being able to come to an understanding of the truth. 8 Similarly, like Jannes and Jambresi competed against Moses, these people compete against the truth in the same way, people whose minds have been corrupted, disingenuous about faithfulness. 9 However, they won’t go the distance because their mindlessness will be obvious to everyone, just like also happened for Jannes and Jambres.j
10 You, however, have followed my teaching, my way of life, presentation, commitment, patience, love, endurance, 11 persecutions, sufferings, such as what happened to me in Antioch, in Iconium, and in Lystra, and the Lord rescued me from all the persecutions like these that I have born. 12 Everyone who wants to live respectfully to the standard of Christ Jesus will also be persecuted, 13 but people who inflict harm and charismatic imposters keep getting worse, misleading and being misled. 14 But you, stay present to what you learned and with which you were entrusted, knowing the people from whom you learned, 15 and that from infancy you have known the sacred texts, which are able to make you wise for liberation through the faithfulness that is connected with Christ Jesus. 16 Every scripture is of the Life-Breath of God and useful for teaching, for investigation,k for improvement,l for training people like childrenm regarding justness, 17 so that they may be ready and equipped for every kindn action.
FOOTNOTES:
a Or ‘harsh’ or ‘dangerous’
b Or ‘outrageous’ or ‘unconsecrated’ or ‘vile’ or ‘contemptible’
c Or ‘cruel’ or ‘unloving’
d Or ‘unopen to a truce’ or ‘unopen to reconciliation’
e Traditionally, ‘puffed up with pride’ or ‘puffed up with conceit’ or ‘having become arrogant.’ While the delusion may be of their own grandeur, the Greek word tuphoo is more about confusion than arrogance.
f Literally, ‘having the form/shape/appearance’
g Literally, ‘little women,’ used to describe status, not size. Traditionally, this has been translated as ‘weak women’ in a way that implies flawed character, but it is not about character. In fact, the Bible never uses ‘weak’ as a condemnation.
h The word in Greek here is hamartia, traditionally translated ‘sin.’ The actual meaning is an archery term for missing the target; it’s a metaphor. ‘Deviations’ shows something is out of place, not in sync with something, which is pretty close to what is intended, and keeps with the ubiquitous theme of walking a path, deviating from the path is veering off course, which leads eventually to missing the destination. It leaves open numerous possibilities for how things are out of place, and there are many, including behaving in ways out of step with the Lord’s teaching or having a life impacted by others living out of step with the Lord’s teaching or even something like being disabled, which has nothing to do with behavior but still leads to being ritually unclean for temple worship, as well as mistreating others or other ways of living that do not align with the path outlined in Torah.
i Jannes and Jambres are the names traditionally ascribed to Pharoah’s court magicians in Exodus 7-8.
j ‘Jannes and Jambres’ has been added for clarity.
k Or ‘exposing.’ The idea is looking into the conduct, typically of leaders or those with high status, to expose misconduct and call them out publicly.
l Or ‘restoration’ or ‘correction’
m This is the word for ‘childrearing.’
n Traditionally, ‘good’