Chapter 3
The Dangers of the Last Days. 1 But understand this: there will be terrifying times in the last days.(A) 2 People will be self-centered and lovers of money, proud, haughty, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, irreligious,(B) 3 callous, implacable, slanderous, licentious, brutal, hating what is good, 4 traitors, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 as they make a pretense of religion but deny its power. Reject them.(C) 6 For some of these slip into homes and make captives of women weighed down by sins, led by various desires,(D) 7 always trying to learn but never able to reach a knowledge of the truth.(E) 8 Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so they also oppose the truth—people of depraved mind, unqualified in the faith.(F) 9 But they will not make further progress, for their foolishness will be plain to all, as it was with those two.
Paul’s Example and Teaching. 10 You have followed my teaching, way of life, purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance, 11 persecutions, and sufferings, such as happened to me in Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra, persecutions that I endured. Yet from all these things the Lord delivered me.(G) 12 In fact, all who want to live religiously in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.(H) 13 But wicked people and charlatans will go from bad to worse, deceivers and deceived. 14 But you, remain faithful to what you have learned and believed, because you know from whom you learned it,(I) 15 and that from infancy you have known [the] sacred scriptures, which are capable of giving you wisdom for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.(J) 16 All scripture(K) is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for refutation, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 so that one who belongs to God may be competent, equipped for every good work.(L)
Footnotes
- 3:1–9
- 3:10–17
- 3:16–17
- 3:16
Cross references
- 3:1 : 1 Tm 4:1; 2 Pt 3:3; Jude 18.
- 3:2–4 : Rom 1:29–31.
- 3:5 : Rom 2:20–22; Ti 1:16.
- 3:6 : Ti 1:11.
- 3:7 : 2:25.
- 3:8 : Ex 7:11, 22; 1 Tm 6:5.
- 3:11 : Acts 13:50; 14:5, 19 / Ps 34:20.
- 3:12 : Jn 15:20; Acts 14:22.
- 3:14 : 2:2.
- 3:15 : Jn 5:39.
- 3:16 : Rom 15:4; 2 Pt 1:19–21.
- 3:17 : 2:21.
