2 Timothy — Chapter 3

The Last Days and the Inspired Scripture

"All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness."

— 2 Tim 3:16

2 Timothy 3 describes the moral deterioration of the last days and presents Scripture as the sufficient resource for faithful ministry.

⚠️ The Last Days (3:1-9)

2 Tim 3:1-5

"But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power."

The list of 19 vices of the last days begins and ends with self-love (philautoi) and love of pleasure (philedoni) opposed to love of God (philotheos). The most frightening: 'having the appearance of godliness' — religiosity without transformation.

📖 The Inspired Scripture (3:14-17)

2 Tim 3:16-17

"All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work."

Theopneustos — divinely inspired (literally 'breathed out by God'): Scripture is God's breath in the form of words. The four functions: teaching (doctrine), reproof (error), correction (wrong conduct), training in righteousness (positive formation). The result: the man of God 'complete' (artios) — equipped, whole.