2 Timothy 3:17
in 2 Timothy 3so that the man of God may be complete, fully equipped for every good work.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
that the man of God may be complete, furnished completely unto every good work.
KJV
That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.
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This verse in 2 Timothy 3
Commentary
14 notes on this verseHere is why meditation on the law is necessary, my beloved, along with an uninterrupted conversion with virtue: "that the saint may lack nothing but be perfect to every good work." For by these things comes the promise of eternal life, as Paul wrote to Timothy, calling constant meditation exercise, and saying, "Exercise yourself unto godliness."
This site's exposition
given by inspiration of God
on 2 Timothy 3:16-17
The word is theopneustos, God-breathed: all scripture is breathed out by God, the strongest statement of inspiration in the Bible, and the rendering question is old and honest, all scripture is God-breathed and profitable against every God-breathed scripture is also profitable, with the first reading carrying most translators and the doctrine standing on either. What Scripture is breathed for follows in four offices, doctrine, reproof, correction, instruction in righteousness, teaching what is true, exposing what is false, restoring what is broken, training what is young. The end is a workman equipped, that the man of God may be perfect, artios, complete, throughly furnished unto all good works, and 2 Peter 3:16 already ranks Paul's own letters with the other scriptures this verse describes.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers4 voices
All Scripture is God-breathed and profitable for teaching, for criticism, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. All Scripture is God-breathed [θεόπνευστος] and profitable. Having spoken many ways of comfort, Paul now …
A commentator
Philoxenus of Mabbug13 Ascetic Discourses, Discourse 8 -- First Discourse on Poverty · Written before 523.
proposed
Jesus wished and desired this service, so that all the children of men might arrive at perfection. And His coming into the world took place that He might deliver to the children of men the life and rule of spiritual beings, even as also the …
"All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works." All what Scripture? all that sacred writing, he means, of which I was speaking. This is said of what he was discoursing of; about which he said, "From a child thou hast known the holy Scriptures." All such, then, "is given by inspiration of God"; therefore, he means, do not doubt; and it is "profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works." "For doctrine." For thence we shall know, whether we ought to learn or to be ignorant of anything. And thence we may disprove what is false, thence we may be corrected and brought to a right mind, may be comforted and consoled, and if anything is deficient, we may have it added to us. "That the man of God may be perfect." For this is the exhortation of the Scripture given, that the man of God may be rendered perfect by it; without this therefore he cannot be perfect. Thou hast the Scriptures, he says, in place of me. If thou wouldest learn anything, thou mayest learn it from them. And if he thus wrote to Timothy, who was filled with the Spirit, how much more to us! "Thoroughly furnished unto all good works"; not merely taking part in them, he means, but "thoroughly furnished."
A commentator
Desert FathersThe Desert Fathers, Sayings of the Early Christian Monks · Written before 500.
proposed
The hermits used to say, 'God demands this of Christians: to obey the inspired Scriptures, which contain the pattern of what they must say and do, and agree with the teaching of the orthodox bishops and teachers.'
The Medieval Church1 voice
But its final effect is to lead men to the perfect good; for it produces not just any good, but a perfect good: let us go on to things more perfect (Heb 6:1). Hence he says, that the man of God may be perfect, because …
7 more voices on this verse
The Medieval Church1 voice
Correction, he says, comes through Scripture, so that the man who lives according to God may lack nothing good. So if you too desire to become equally well-fitted (artios), that is, perfect, sound, and always even in all things, not despairing in sorrowful circumstances and …
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
That the man of God - He that is united to and approved of God. May be perfect - Blameless himself, and throughly furnished - By the scripture, either to teach, reprove, correct, or train up others.
That the man of God may be perfect,....
The Christian, the minister, is the man of God. That which finishes a man of God in this world is the scripture. By it we are thoroughly furnished for every good work.
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
That the man of God may be perfect - The object is not merely to convince and to convert him; it is to furnish all the instruction needful for his entire perfection. The idea here is, not that any one is absolutely perfect, but that the Scriptures have laid down the way which leads to perfection, and that, if any one were perfect, he would find in the Scriptures all the instruction which he needed in those circumstances.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
man of God--(See on 1Ti 6:11). perfect, throughly furnished--Greek, "thoroughly perfected," and so "perfect." The man of God is perfectly accoutred out of Scripture for his work, whether he be a minister (compare 2Ti 4:2 with 2Ti 3:16) or a spiritual layman. No oral tradition is needed to be added.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
That the man of God - The preacher of righteousness, the minister of the Gospel, the person who derives his commission from God, and always appears as his herald and servant. May be perfect - Αρτιος· From αρω, to fit or adapt. It properly signifies an integer or whole number in arithmetic, to which nothing needs to be added to make it complete. Throughly furnished - Εξηρτισμενος· From εξ, intensive, and αρτιος, complete; see above. Not only complete in himself as to his integrity, religious knowledge, faith in Jesus, and love to God and man, but that he should have all those qualifications which are necessary to complete the character, and insure the success of a preacher, of the Gospel. Timothy was to teach, reprove, correct, and instruct others; and was to be to them a pattern of good works. From what the apostle says here concerning the qualifications of a Christian minister, we may well exclaim: Who is capable of these things? Is it such a person as has not intellect sufficient for a common trade or calling? No. A preacher of the Gospel should be a man of the soundest sense, the most cultivated mind, the most extensive experience, one who is deeply taught of God, and who has deeply studied man; one who has prayed much, read much, and studied much; one who takes up his work as from God, does it as before God, and refers all to the glory of God; one who abides under the inspiration of the Almighty, and who has hidden the word of God in his heart, that he might not sin against him. No minister formed by man can ever be such as is required here. The school of Christ, and that alone, can ever form such a preacher.
The words behind it
12 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ἵνα | ina | so that | G2443 → | 668 times |
| ἄρτιος | artios | complete | G739 → | |
| ᾖ | e | may be | G1510 → | 2333 times |
| ὁ | ho | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| τοῦ | tou | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| θεοῦ | theou | of God | G2316 → | 1312 times |
| ἄνθρωπος, | anthropos | man, | G444 → | 549 times |
| πρὸς | pros | toward | G4314 → | 700 times |
| πᾶν | pan | every | G3956 → | 1235 times |
| ἔργον | ergon | work | G2041 → | 168 times |
| ἀγαθὸν | agathon | good | G18 → | |
| ἐξηρτισμένος.¶ | exertismenos | fully equipped. | G1822 → |
ἵναso that
inaG2443 →668 times
ἄρτιοςcomplete
artiosG739 →
ᾖmay be
eG1510 →2333 times
ὁthe
hoG3588 →19766 times
τοῦ<the>
touG3588 →19766 times
θεοῦof God
theouG2316 →1312 times
ἄνθρωπος,man,
anthroposG444 →549 times
πρὸςtoward
prosG4314 →700 times
πᾶνevery
panG3956 →1235 times
ἔργονwork
ergonG2041 →168 times
ἀγαθὸνgood
agathonG18 →
ἐξηρτισμένος.¶fully equipped.
exertismenosG1822 →
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Ephesians 2:10For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance as our way of life.
it leads to
- Philippians 2:13
For it is God who works in you to will and to act on behalf of His good purpose.
- Colossians 1:10
so that you may walk in a manner worthy of the Lord and may please Him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God,
- Hebrews 13:21
equip you with every good thing to do His will. And may He accomplish in us what is pleasing in His sight through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.
- 2 Corinthians 5:17
Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away. Behold, the new has come!
- 2 Corinthians 9:8
And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things, at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.
- Philippians 2:13
Through
2 Corinthians 9:8And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things, at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.
it leads to
- Ephesians 3:20
Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us,
- Philippians 4:18–19
I have all I need and more, now that I have received your gifts from Epaphroditus. They are a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, well-pleasing to God.
- Ephesians 3:20
Through
Hebrews 10:24And let us consider how to spur one another on to love and good deeds.
it leads to
- 1 Thessalonians 5:11
Therefore encourage and build one another up, just as you are already doing.
- 1 Thessalonians 5:11
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies4
About 2 Timothy
This page draws on 14 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Athanasius of Alexandria, FESTAL LETTERS 11.7; Desert Fathers, The Desert Fathers, Sayings of the Early Christian Monks; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Chrysostom, Homily on 2 Timothy 9; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Oecumenius, COMMENTARY ON 2 TIMOTHY; Philoxenus of Mabbug, 13 Ascetic Discourses, Discourse 8 -- First Discourse on Poverty; Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on 2 Timothy and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on 2 Timothy.