1Know this: in the last days grievous times will come. [3:2] For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful arrogant braggarts, malicious accusers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, [3:3] without natural affection, irreconcilable, without self-control, fierce, haters of good, [3:4] traitors, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, [3:5] holding a form of godliness but having denied its power — from these turn away. [3:6] For from among these are those who slip into households and capture weak-willed women loaded down with sins, led by various passions, [3:7] always learning and never able to come to a full knowledge of the truth. [3:8] In the same way that Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so also these oppose the truth — men corrupted in mind, disqualified concerning the faith. [3:9] But they will not advance further, for their folly will be plain to all, as it was with those men also.
2TI 3:1-9
Evil in the Last Days
In the world it was spoken into
In the 1st century, the phrase 'last days' would have evoked eschatological expectations common in Jewish and early Christian thought, signaling a time of upheaval and moral decay before divine intervention. The list of vices—self-love, greed, arrogance, and disobedience—reflects behaviors antithetical to Greco-Roman and Jewish social ideals of piety, familial duty, and communal harmony. The mention of 'weak women' burdened by sins and led astray by passions taps into cultural stereotypes of women as morally susceptible, a trope present in both Jewish and Greco-Roman literature. The reference to Jannes and Jambres, figures from Jewish tradition associated with opposing Moses, underscores the theme of deception and resistance to divine truth. The critique of those who have 'a form of godliness but deny its power' aligns with contemporary concerns about hypocrisy and false teachers in early Christian communities, who exploited households for personal gain or influence.
›See the receipts
How other translations render this
2TI 3:1
- KJV
- This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
- BSB
- But understand this: In the last days terrible times will come.
- Koinōnos
- Know this: in the last days grievous times will come.
2TI 3:2
- KJV
- For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
- BSB
- For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy,
- Koinōnos
- For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful arrogant braggarts, malicious accusers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy,
2TI 3:3
- KJV
- Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,
- BSB
- unloving, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, without love of good,
- Koinōnos
- without natural affection, irreconcilable, without self-control, fierce, haters of good,
2TI 3:4
- KJV
- Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
- BSB
- traitorous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,
- Koinōnos
- traitors, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,
2TI 3:5
- KJV
- Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
- BSB
- having a form of godliness but denying its power. Turn away from such as these!
- Koinōnos
- holding a form of godliness but having denied its power — from these turn away.
2TI 3:6
- KJV
- For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts,
- BSB
- They are the kind who worm their way into households and captivate vulnerable women who are weighed down with sins and led astray by various passions,
- Koinōnos
- For from among these are those who slip into households and capture weak-willed women loaded down with sins, led by various passions,
2TI 3:7
- KJV
- Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.
- BSB
- who are always learning but never able to come to a knowledge of the truth.
- Koinōnos
- always learning and never able to come to a full knowledge of the truth.
2TI 3:8
- KJV
- Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith.
- BSB
- Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so also these men oppose the truth. They are depraved in mind and disqualified from the faith.
- Koinōnos
- In the same way that Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so also these oppose the truth — men corrupted in mind, disqualified concerning the faith.
2TI 3:9
- KJV
- But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest unto all men, as theirs also was.
- BSB
- But they will not advance much further. For just like Jannes and Jambres, their folly will be plain to everyone.
- Koinōnos
- But they will not advance further, for their folly will be plain to all, as it was with those men also.
Only verses where the wording diverges meaningfully are shown. Identical phrasings are suppressed.
Where the historical framing draws from
- Josephus, WarsWars 2.13.4
›Josephus, Wars Wars 2.13.4
“These were such men as deceived and deluded the people under pretense of Divine inspiration, but were for procuring innovations and changes of the government”
Cited to ground: The critique of those who have 'a form of godliness but deny its power' aligns with contemporary concerns about hypocrisy and false teachers in early Christian communities, who exploited households for personal gain or influence.
Translator's notes
2TI 3:1
- times:The word translated 'times' here refers to a specific, opportune, or critical period, rather than just a general span of chronological time.
2TI 3:2
- boastful,:The word translated 'boastful' describes someone who is an arrogant braggart, often making false claims about themselves or their achievements.
2TI 3:3
- slanderous,:The word translated 'slanderous' implies someone who is a malicious accuser or backbiter, actively working to undermine others through false charges.
2TI 3:6
- <the>:The word translated as '<the>' (referring to women) is a diminutive form, carrying a derogatory sense of 'silly women' or 'weak-willed women,' not simply 'women.'