2 Timotius 3:5-9

3:5 They will maintain the outward appearance ¹  of religion but will have repudiated its power. So avoid people like these. ²  3:6 For some of these insinuate themselves ³  into households and captivate weak women ⁴  who are overwhelmed with sins and led along by various passions. 3:7 Such women are always seeking instruction, ⁵  yet never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth. 3:8 And just as Jannes and Jambres ⁶  opposed Moses, so these people – who have warped minds and are disqualified in the faith ⁷  – also oppose the truth. 3:9 But they will not go much further, ⁸  for their foolishness will be obvious to everyone, just like it was with Jannes and Jambres. ⁹ 

2 Timotius 4:3-4

4:3 For there will be a time when people ¹⁰  will not tolerate sound teaching. Instead, following their own desires, ¹¹  they will accumulate teachers for themselves, because they have an insatiable curiosity to hear new things. ¹²  4:4 And they will turn away from hearing the truth, but on the other hand they will turn aside to myths. ¹³ 

[3:5]  ¹ tn Or “form.”

[3:5]  sn Outward appearance. Paul’s contrast with power in 3:5b shows that he regards this “form” to be outward, one of appearance rather than reality (cf. 1 Cor 4:19-20; 1 Thess 1:5).

[3:5]  ² tn Grk “and avoid these,” with the word “people” implied.

[3:6]  ³ tn Grk “For from these are those who sneak.”

[3:6]  ⁴ tn Or “silly women.”

[3:7]  ⁵ tn Grk “always learning,” continuing the description of the women from v. 6. Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.

[3:8]  ⁶ sn Jannes and Jambres were the traditional names of two of Pharaoh’s magicians who opposed Moses at the time of the Exodus.

[3:8]  ⁷ tn Grk “disapproved concerning the faith.”

[3:9]  ⁸ tn Grk “for they will not progress any more.”

[3:9]  ⁹ tn Grk “as theirs came to be,” referring to the foolishness of Jannes and Jambres. The referent of “theirs” (Jannes and Jambres) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[4:3]  ¹⁰ tn Grk “they”; the referent (the people in that future time) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[4:3]  ¹¹ tn Grk “in accord with.”

[4:3]  ¹² tn Grk “having an itching in regard to hearing,” “having itching ears.”

[4:4]  ¹³ 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.