Fathers

2 Timothy 3

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But know this: that in the last days, grievous times will come. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, fierce, not lovers of good, traitors, headstrong, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding a form of godliness, but having denied its power. Turn away from these, also. For some of these are people who creep into houses and take captive gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts, always learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. Even as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these also oppose the truth, men corrupted in mind, who concerning the faith are rejected. But they will proceed no further. For their folly will be evident to all men, as theirs also came to be. But you followed my teaching, conduct, purpose, faith, patience, love, steadfastness, persecutions, and sufferings: those things that happened to me at Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra. I endured those persecutions. The Lord delivered me out of them all. Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. But you remain in the things which you have learned and have been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them. From infancy, you have known the holy Scriptures which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith, which is in Christ Jesus. Every Scripture is God-breathed and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction in righteousness, that each person who belongs to God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

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What the Fathers say

2 Timothy 3:10

Eastern Fathers

John Chrysostom

"But thou hast fully known my doctrine." Wherefore be strong; for thou wert not merely present, but didst follow closely. Here he seems to imply that the period had been long, in that he says, "Thou hast followed up my doctrine"; this refers to his discourse. "Manner of life"; this to his conduct. "Purpose"; this to his zeal, and the firmness of his soul. I did not say these things, he says, and not do them; nor was I a philosopher in words only. "Faith, longsuffering." He means, how none of these things troubled me. …

Homily on 2 Timothy 8 ↗

Theophylact of Ohrid

Those, he says, are such, but you know well our relationship, and it is not like that: you did not simply attach yourself to me, but also "followed," that is, spending a long time and sharing everything with me, you attended to all that was mine and became practiced in it. Be then steadfast and fight against the adversaries. "In teaching," that is, in the word. That is, in life and morals. That is, in zeal and manly enthusiasm. For I, he says, not only taught, but also practiced. …

Commentary on 2 Timothy ↗

Oecumenius

But you followed my teaching, my conduct, my purpose, my faith, my patience, my love, my endurance, my persecutions, my sufferings, such as happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, and at Lystra, what persecutions I endured; and out of them all the Lord rescued me. Indeed, those are such, Paul said, but you know that mine are not of this kind. For you did not simply accompany me, but you followed closely, that is, you accompanied me for a long time, and you paid attention to all my teachings. …

Commentary On 2 Timothy ↗

Western Saints

Thomas Aquinas

Then when he says, but you have fully known my doctrine, he shows that Timothy is ready to resist in the face of such dangers: first, he shows that he was fit to be appointed an apostle; second, from his familiarity with the Scriptures, at because from your infancy (2 Tim 3:15). In regard to the first he does two things: first, he shows that he was carefully instructed by the Apostle; second, how he could be instructed by others, at all that will live godly in Christ shall suffer persecution. …

Commentary on 2 Timothy ↗