1Here is what I want you to know. There will be terrible times in the last days. 2People will love themselves. They will love money. They will brag and be proud. They will tear others down. They will not obey their parents. They won’t be thankful or holy. 3They won’t love others. They won’t forgive others. They will tell lies about people. They will be out of control. They will be wild. They will hate what is good. 4They will turn against their friends. They will act without thinking. They will think they are better than others. They will love what pleases them instead of loving God. 5They will act as if they were serving God. But what they do will show that they have turned their backs on God’s power. Have nothing to do with these people.
6They are the kind who trick their way into the homes of some women. These women are ready to believe anything. And they take control over these women. These women are loaded down with sins. They give in to all kinds of evil desires. 7They are always learning. But they are never able to come to know the truth. 8Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses. In the same way, the teachers I’m talking about oppose the truth. Their minds are twisted. As far as the faith is concerned, God doesn’t accept them. 9They won’t get very far. Just like Jannes and Jambres, their foolish ways will be clear to everyone.
Paul Gives a Final Command to Timothy
10But you know all about my teaching. You know how I live and what I live for. You know about my faith and love. You know how patient I am. You know I haven’t given up. 11You know that I was treated badly. You know that I suffered greatly. You know what kinds of things happened to me in Antioch, Iconium and Lystra. You know how badly I have been treated. But the Lord saved me from all my troubles. 12In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be treated badly. 13Evil people and pretenders will go from bad to worse. They will fool others, and others will fool them. 14But I want you to continue to follow what you have learned and are sure about. You know the people you learned it from. 15You have known the Holy Scriptures ever since you were a little child. They are able to teach you how to be saved by believing in Christ Jesus. 16God has breathed life into all Scripture. It is useful for teaching us what is true. It is useful for correcting our mistakes. It is useful for making our lives whole again. It is useful for training us to do what is right. 17By using Scripture, the servant of God can be completely prepared to do every good thing.
末世的情形
1你要知道，末世必有艱難的日子， 2因為那時的人都自私自利、貪愛錢財、狂妄自誇、驕傲自負、說毀謗話、違背父母、忘恩負義、心不聖潔、 3冷漠無情、不願和解、好說讒言、毫無節制、蠻橫兇暴、不愛良善、 4出賣朋友、任意妄為、自高自大、沉溺享樂、不愛上帝， 5虛有敬虔的外表，卻無敬虔的實質。你要避開這樣的人。
6這些人溜進別人家裡，哄騙那些意志薄弱的婦女。那些婦女心中充滿罪惡，受各種邪情私慾的驅使， 7雖然常常學習，卻不能明白真理。 8現在這些人敵對真理，就像從前雅尼和佯庇反對摩西一樣，他們的心思壞透了，他們的信仰是虛假的。 9不過，他們猖狂不了多久，因為他們的愚昧行徑必暴露在眾人面前，就像雅尼和佯庇的下場一樣。
聖經的益處
10但你熟知我的教導、言行、志向、信心、忍耐、愛心、毅力， 11也知道我在安提阿、以哥念、路司得遭遇了何等的迫害和苦難。但主從這一切患難中救了我。 12其實凡立志在基督耶穌裡過敬虔生活的人都會受到迫害。 13而惡人和騙子會變本加厲地迷惑人，也被人迷惑。
14但你要把自己所學的、所篤信的記在心裡，因為你知道是跟誰學的， 15並且你從小就熟悉聖經。聖經能給你智慧，使你藉著信基督耶穌得到拯救。 16聖經全部是上帝啟示的，有益於教導、督責、使人歸正、培養人行義， 17使屬上帝的人得到充分的裝備，去行各種善事。
