2 Timothy 3:5

2 Timothy 3:5 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
• New International Version (NIV)having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people.
• English Standard Version (ESV)having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.
• New King James Version (NKJV)having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!

Context of 2 Timothy 3:5

3They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control. They will be cruel and hate what is good. 4They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God. They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Stay away from people like that! 6They are the kind who work their way into people’s homes and win the confidence of vulnerable women who are burdened with the guilt of sin and controlled by various desires. 7(Such women are forever following new teachings, but they are never able to understand the truth.)

2 Timothy 3:5 word by word

ἔχοντες μόρφωσιν εὐσεβείας, τὴν δὲ δύναμιν αὐτῆς ἠρνημένοι. καὶ τούτους ἀποτρέπου.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·καίkai · andG2532
• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• Havingἔχωechō · to have/beG2192
• a formμόρφωσιςmorphōsis · formG3446
• of godlinessεὐσέβειαeusebeia · pietyG2150
• butδέde · thenG1161
• denyingἀρνέομαιarneomai · to denyG720
• the powerδύναμιςdunamis · powerG1411
• thereofαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• fromἀποτρέπωapotrepō · to avoidG665
• suchοὗτοςhoutos houtoi hautē hautai · this/he/she/itG3778

Cross-references for 2 Timothy 3:5

• Isaiah 29:13And so the Lord says, “These people say they are mine. They honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. And their worship of me is nothing but man-made rules learned by rote.
• Isaiah 48:1“Listen to me, O family of Jacob, you who are called by the name of Israel and born into the family of Judah. Listen, you who take oaths in the name of the Lord and call on the God of Israel. You don’t keep your promises,
• Isaiah 58:1“Shout with the voice of a trumpet blast. Shout aloud! Don’t be timid. Tell my people Israel of their sins!
• Ezekiel 33:30“Son of man, your people talk about you in their houses and whisper about you at the doors. They say to each other, ‘Come on, let’s go hear the prophet tell us what the Lord is saying!’
• Matthew 7:15“Beware of false prophets who come disguised as harmless sheep but are really vicious wolves.
• Matthew 23:27“What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs—beautiful on the outside but filled on the inside with dead people’s bones and all sorts of impurity.
• Romans 2:20You think you can instruct the ignorant and teach children the ways of God. For you are certain that God’s law gives you complete knowledge and truth.
• 1 Timothy 5:8But those who won’t care for their relatives, especially those in their own household, have denied the true faith. Such people are worse than unbelievers.
• 2 Timothy 2:16Avoid worthless, foolish talk that only leads to more godless behavior.
• Romans 16:17And now I make one more appeal, my dear brothers and sisters. Watch out for people who cause divisions and upset people’s faith by teaching things contrary to what you have been taught. Stay away from them.
• Ephesians 4:14Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth.
• 2 Thessalonians 3:6And now, dear brothers and sisters, we give you this command in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ: Stay away from all believers who live idle lives and don’t follow the tradition they received from us.
• 1 Timothy 6:5These people always cause trouble. Their minds are corrupt, and they have turned their backs on the truth. To them, a show of godliness is just a way to become wealthy.
• 2 John 1:10If anyone comes to your meeting and does not teach the truth about Christ, don’t invite that person into your home or give any kind of encouragement.

Commentaries on 2 Timothy 3:5

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 5Having a form of godliness - The original word signifies a draught, sketch, or summary, and will apply well to those who have all their religion in their creed, confession of faith, catechism, bodies of divinity, etc., while destitute of the life of God in their souls; and are not only destitute of this life, but deny that such life or power is here to be experienced or known. They have religion in their creed, but none in their hearts. And perhaps to…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 5Having a form of godliness - That is, they profess religion, or are in connection with the church. This shows that the apostle referred to some great corruption in the church; and there can be little doubt that he had his eye on the same great apostasy to which he refers in 2 John 1:10-11; see the notes at 2 Corinthians 6:17.Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 5such as these: These people rejected good teaching. They denied the power that could make them live as God desires (3:2–4; see 1 Timothy 1:5–11; Colossians 2:16–23).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 55. form--outward semblance. godliness--piety. denying--rather as Greek, "having denied," that is, renounced. the power--the living, regenerating, sanctifying influence of it. turn away--implying that some of such characters, forerunners of the last days, were already in the Church.Read the comment

Topics related to 2 Timothy 3:5

• Apostasy
• Character
• Commandments
• Company
• Fellowship
• Formalism
• Hypocrisy
• Minister, Christian
• Wicked (People)
• Worldliness

In the dictionaries

• Correction
• Creep
• Doctrine
• Godly
• Inspiration
• Reprobate
• Unholy
• Wise
• Worse
• Form

Commentaries on 2 Timothy 3

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings