2 Timotius 3:10--4:8

Continue in What You Have Learned

3:10 You, however, ¹  have followed my teaching, my ²  way of life, my purpose, my faith, my patience, my love, my endurance, 3:11 as well as the persecutions and sufferings ³  that happened to me in Antioch, ⁴  in Iconium, and in Lystra. ⁵  I endured these persecutions and the Lord delivered me from them all. 3:12 Now in fact all who want to live godly lives in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. 3:13 But evil people and charlatans will go from bad to worse, ⁶  deceiving others and being deceived themselves. ⁷  3:14 You, however, must continue ⁸  in the things you have learned and are confident about. You know ⁹  who taught you ¹⁰  3:15 and how from infancy you have known the holy writings, which are able to give you wisdom for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 3:16 Every scripture ¹¹  is inspired by God ¹²  and useful for teaching, for reproof, ¹³  for correction, and for training in righteousness, 3:17 that the person dedicated to God ¹⁴  may be capable ¹⁵  and equipped for every good work.

Charge to Timothy Repeated

4:1 I solemnly charge you before God and Christ Jesus, who is going to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: 4:2 Preach the message, ¹⁶  be ready ¹⁷  whether it is convenient or not, ¹⁸  reprove, rebuke, exhort ¹⁹  with complete patience and instruction. 4:3 For there will be a time when people ²⁰  will not tolerate sound teaching. Instead, following their own desires, ²¹  they will accumulate teachers for themselves, because they have an insatiable curiosity to hear new things. ²²  4:4 And they will turn away from hearing the truth, but on the other hand they will turn aside to myths. ²³  4:5 You, however, be self-controlled ²⁴  in all things, endure hardship, do an evangelist’s work, fulfill your ministry. 4:6 For I am already being poured out as an offering, and the time for me to depart ²⁵  is at hand. 4:7 I have competed well; ²⁶  I have finished the race; I have kept the faith! 4:8 Finally the crown of righteousness is reserved for me. The Lord, the righteous Judge, will award it to me in that day – and not to me only, but also to all who have set their affection on ²⁷  his appearing.

[3:10]  ¹ sn There is a strong emphasis on the pronoun you in contrast to the people described in vv. 2-9.

[3:10]  ² tn The possessive “my” occurs only at the beginning of the list but is positioned in Greek to apply to each of the words in the series.

[3:11]  ³ tn Grk “persecutions, sufferings,” as a continuation of the series from v. 10.

[3:11]  ⁴ map For location see JP1 E2; JP2 E2; JP3 E2; JP4 E2.

[3:11]  ⁵ sn In Antioch, in Iconium, and in Lystra. See Acts 13-14 for the account of these persecutions.

[3:11]  map For location see JP1 E2; JP2 E2; JP3 E2

[3:13]  ⁶ tn Grk “will advance to the worse.”

[3:13]  ⁷ tn Grk “deceiving and being deceived.”

[3:14]  ⁸ tn Grk “but you, continue,” a command.

[3:14]  ⁹ tn Grk “knowing,” giving the reasons for continuing as v. 14 calls for.

[3:14]  ¹⁰ tn Grk “those from whom you learned.”

[3:16]  ¹¹ tn Or “All scripture.”

[3:16]  sn There is very little difference in sense between every scripture (emphasizing the individual portions) and “all scripture” (emphasizing the composite whole). The former option is preferred, because it fits the normal use of the word “all/every” in Greek (πᾶς, pas) as well as Paul’s normal sense for the word “scripture” in the singular without the article, as here. So every scripture means “every individual portion of scripture.”

[3:16]  ¹² sn Inspired by God. Some have connected this adjective in a different way and translated it as “every inspired scripture is also useful.” But this violates the parallelism of the two adjectives in the sentence, and the arrangement of words makes clear that both should be taken as predicate adjectives: “every scripture is inspired…and useful.”

[3:16]  ¹³ tn Or “rebuke,” “censure.” The Greek word implies exposing someone’s sin in order to bring correction.

[3:17]  ¹⁴ tn Grk “the man of God,” but ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpos) is most likely used here in a generic sense, referring to both men and women.

[3:17]  ¹⁵ tn This word is positioned for special emphasis; it carries the sense of “complete, competent, able to meet all demands.”

[4:2]  ¹⁶ tn Or “the word.”

[4:2]  ¹⁷ tn Or “be persistent.”

[4:2]  ¹⁸ tn Grk “in season, out of season.”

[4:2]  ¹⁹ tn Or “encourage.”

[4:3]  ²⁰ tn Grk “they”; the referent (the people in that future time) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[4:3]  ²¹ tn Grk “in accord with.”

[4:3]  ²² tn Grk “having an itching in regard to hearing,” “having itching ears.”

[4:4]  ²³ sn These myths were legendary tales characteristic of the false teachers in Ephesus and Crete. See parallels in 1 Tim 1:4; 4:7; and Titus 1:14.

[4:5]  ²⁴ tn Or “sober,” “temperate.”

[4:6]  ²⁵ tn Grk “of my departure.”

[4:7]  ²⁶ sn The expression I have competed well (Grk “I have competed the good competition”) uses words that may refer to a race or to a boxing or wrestling match: “run the good race” or “fight the good fight.” The similar phrase in 1 Tim 1:18 uses a military picture and is more literally “war the good warfare.”

[4:8]  ²⁷ tn Grk “all who have loved.”