Catholic Commentary on 2 Timothy 3

"All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." (2 Timothy 3:16-17)

Evil in the Last Days

Paul warns that in the last days terrible times will come: people will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. Timothy is to have nothing to do with such people. They are always learning but never able to come to a knowledge of the truth, opposing the truth as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses. Such people will not get very far, for their folly will be clear to everyone.

Timothy has followed Paul's teaching, way of life, purpose, faith, patience, love, and endurance, and Paul's persecutions and sufferings. Everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evildoers and impostors will go from bad to worse. But Timothy is to continue in what he has learned and become convinced of, knowing those from whom he learned it, and how from infancy he has known the Holy Scriptures.

All Scripture Is God-Breathed

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. The Catechism identifies this as the foundational text of the Church's doctrine of biblical inspiration: Scripture has God as its author, who inspired the human authors to write what he wanted written, while fully using their own faculties and capacities. Every word of Scripture is therefore both fully divine and fully human (CCC 106). And it is useful: not merely beautiful, not merely historically interesting, but useful for the four specific purposes named: teaching what is true, rebuking what is false, correcting what has gone wrong, training in the righteous life.

Living the Word

Brothers and sisters, all Scripture is God-breathed. Pick up the Bible and read it with that conviction today. Not as an ancient text of historical interest. As the breath of God, still warm, still living, still able to teach, rebuke, correct, and train. The servant of God who is thoroughly equipped for every good work is the one who has let this God-breathed word do its four-part work on them consistently over a lifetime.

Prayer

Lord God, your word is God-breathed. Let it teach us, rebuke us, correct us, and train us in righteousness. May every servant of the Gospel be thoroughly equipped by your Scripture for every good work you have prepared. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

3
Evil in the Last Days
1 But understand this: In the last days terrible times will come. 2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 unloving, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, without love of good, 4 traitorous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. Turn away from such as these!
 
6 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, 7 who are always learning but never able to come to a knowledge of the truth.
 
8 Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses,* 3:8 See Jasher 79:27. The Book of Jashar or the Book of the Upright One is often cited as Jasher. so also these men oppose the truth. They are depraved in mind and disqualified from the faith. 9 But they will not advance much further. For just like Jannes and Jambres, their folly will be plain to everyone.
All Scripture Is God-Breathed
(Hebrews 4:12–16)
 
10 You, however, have observed my teaching, my conduct, my purpose, my faith, my patience, my love, my perseverance, 11 my persecutions, and the sufferings that came upon me in Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra. What persecutions I endured! Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them. 12 Indeed, all who desire to live godly lives in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, 13 while evil men and imposters go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.
 
14 But as for you, continue in the things you have learned and firmly believed, since you know from whom you have learned them. 15 From infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for instruction, for conviction, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 so that the man of God may be complete, fully equipped for every good work.

*3:8 3:8 See Jasher 79:27. The Book of Jashar or the Book of the Upright One is often cited as Jasher.

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