For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
What does 2 Timothy 3:2 mean?
Even in gospel times there would be perilous times; on account of persecution from without, still more on account of corruptions within. Men love to gratify their own lusts, more than to please God and do their duty.
Key themes
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Keep this verse inside 2 Timothy 3:1-5 and alongside a few nearby related passages.
Commentary on 2 Timothy 3:2
For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, For men shall be lovers of their own selves - It shall be one of the characteristics of those times that men shall be eminently selfish - evidently under the garb of religion; 2 Timothy 3:5 . The word here used - φιλαυτος philautos - does not elsewhere occur in the New Testament. It means a lover of oneself, "selfish." Such a love of self as to lead us to secure our salvation, is proper. But this interferes with the rights and happiness of no other persons.
Key words
- lovers
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"Coveteous"; lovers of silver, greedy of filthy lucre, doing nothing but for money; everyone looking for his gain from his quarter; making merchandise of the souls of men; and which are reckoned among the wares of Babylon, the Romish antichrist, Revelation 18:13 .
- boasters
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Boasters; of their wealth and riches, of their honour and grandeur; I sit a queen, &c.
Context in 2 Timothy 3
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2 Timothy 3 belongs to the late movement of the book, especially the section often described as dangerous times and Scripture. Second Timothy is a final appeal to courage, endurance, sound teaching, and fidelity to Scripture under suffering. Read this chapter with the wider themes of endurance, scripture, and courage in view so the individual verses keep their proper weight.
Related topics
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A guided collection of passages on God’s love, neighbor-love, steadfast covenant love, and the shape of love in Christian life.
Bible verses about suffering and trials
Key passages on grief, endurance, lament, divine mystery, and the Christian claim that suffering is neither final nor meaningless.
Passages on peace with God, peace in the heart, peace in community, and the biblical difference between true peace and false reassurance.
Passages on lowliness, modesty, the contrast between pride and humility, and the way God exalts those who humble themselves.