2Ti 3:2-9 | NETfull | STEP | For people will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy,

2 Timothy 3:2-9

2 For people ^{▼▼ Grk “men”; but here ἄνθρωποι (anqrōpoi) is generic, referring to both men and women.} will be lovers of themselves, ^{▼▼ Or “self-centered.” The first two traits in 2 Tim 3:2 and the last two in 3:4 are Greek words beginning with the root “lovers of,” and so bracket the list at beginning and end.} lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 unloving, irreconcilable, slanderers, without self-control, savage, opposed to what is good, 4 treacherous, reckless, conceited, loving pleasure rather than loving God. 5 They will maintain the outward appearance ^{▼▼ Or “form.”} ^{▼▼ Outward appearance. Paul’s contrast with power in 3:5b shows that he regards this “form” to be outward, one of appearance rather than reality (cf. 1 Cor 4:19–20; 1 Thess 1:5).} of religion but will have repudiated its power. So avoid people like these. ^{▼▼ Grk “and avoid these,” with the word “people” implied.} 6 For some of these insinuate themselves ^{▼▼ Grk “For from these are those who sneak.”} into households and captivate weak women ^{▼▼ Or “silly women.”} who are overwhelmed with sins and led along by various passions. 7 Such women are always seeking instruction, ^{▼▼ Grk “always learning,” continuing the description of the women from v. 6. Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.} yet never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth. 8 And just as Jannes and Jambres ^{▼▼ Jannes and Jambres were the traditional names of two of Pharaoh’s magicians who opposed Moses at the time of the Exodus.} opposed Moses, so these people – who have warped minds and are disqualified in the faith ^{▼▼ Grk “disapproved concerning the faith.”} – also oppose the truth. 9 But they will not go much further, ^{▼▼ Grk “for they will not progress any more.”} for their foolishness will be obvious to everyone, just like it was with Jannes and Jambres. ^{▼▼ Grk “as theirs came to be,” referring to the foolishness of Jannes and Jambres. The referent of “theirs” (Jannes and Jambres) has been specified in the translation for clarity.}