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2 Timothy 3:7

in 2 Timothy 3

who are always learning but never able to come to a knowledge of the truth.

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.

KJV

Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.

This verse in 2 Timothy 3

Commentary

13 notes on this verse

A commentator

Irenaeus

Against Heresies Book V · Written before 202.

Those, therefore, who desert the preaching of the Church, call in question the knowledge of the holy presbyters, not taking into consideration of how much greater consequence is a religious man, even in a private station, than a blasphemous and impudent sophist.

This site's exposition

worm their way into households

on 2 Timothy 3:6-7

The method is infiltration, since they worm their way into households. Their prey is named with a diminutive, gunaikaria, vulnerable women of a particular sort, weighed down with sins and led astray by various passions.

This site's exposition

always learning

Matthew Henry separates two kinds of learning. Every believer keeps growing in knowledge, but these chase each new notion and never reach a right understanding of the truth. Theophylact adds that their sins had dulled their reason.

The record, by era

The Church Fathers3 voices

A commentator

Oecumenius

COMMENTARY ON 2 TIMOTHY · Written before 550.

proposed

For from these are those who enter into households and lead captive young women burdened with sins, who are driven by various lusts: always learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. Behold, all their secret and shameless plotting was revealed …

A commentator

Augustine of Hippo

TRACTATES ON JOHN 63.1 · Written before 430.

proposed

Let us give our mind's best attention, and, with the Lord's help, seek after God. The language of the divine hymn is: "Seek God and your soul shall live." Let us search for that which needs to be discovered, and into that which has been discovered. He whom we need to discover is concealed, in order to be sought after; and when found, is infinite, in order still to be the object of our search. Hence it is elsewhere said, "Seek His face evermore." For He satisfies the seeker to the utmost of his capacity; and makes the finder still more capable, that he may seek to be filled anew, according to the growth of his ability to receive. Therefore it was not said, "Seek His face evermore," in the same sense as of certain others, who are "always learning, and never coming to a knowledge of the truth;" but rather as the preacher saith, "When a man hath finished, then he beginneth;" till we reach that life where we shall be so filled, that our natures shall attain their utmost capacity, because we shall have arrived at perfection, and no longer be aiming at more.

A commentator

Jerome

Letters 130.17 · Written before 420.

proposed

It is a good thing … to defer to one's betters, to obey those set over one, to learn not only from the Scriptures but from the example of others how one ought to order one's life, and not to follow that worst of teachers, one's own self-confidence. Of women who are thus presumptuous the apostle says that they "are carried about with every wind of doctrine," "ever learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth."

The Medieval Church2 voices

A commentator

Thomas Aquinas

Commentary on 2 Timothy · Written before 1274.

proposed

In regard to the fourth he says, ever learning, and never attaining to the knowledge of the truth. For curiosity is ever on the alert for news, and refuses to concentrate; hence he says, ever learning: a foolish woman and clamorous and full of allurements …

A commentator

Theophylact of Ohrid

Commentary on 2 Timothy · Written before 1107.

proposed

They may be worthy of indulgence? By no means; on the contrary, they are all the more undeserving of it. Since they were mired in sins and lusts, their reason also became dulled, so that their inability to know the truth is not a natural …
5 more voices on this verse

The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

In one sense we must all be ever learning, that is, growing in knowledge, following on to know the Lord, pressing forward; but these were sceptics, giddy and unstable, who were forward to imbibe every new notion, under pretence of advancement in knowledge, but never came to a right understanding of the truth as it is in Jesus.
Ever learning,.... Some new notion and practice or another: and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth; partly because of the teachers, which they heap up to themselves, who are unapt to teach, are blind and ignorant guides, and know not the truth, but are enemies to it, and resist it; and partly because of themselves, the sins they are laden, and the lusts they are led away with, which hinder them from coming to the knowledge of the truth.

The Nineteenth Century3 voices

Ever learning - That is, these “silly women;” for so the Greek demands. The idea is, that they seeM to be disciples. They put themselves wholly under the care of these professedly religious teachers, but they never acquire the true knowledge of the way of salvation. And never able to come to the knowledge of the truth - They may learn many things, but the true nature of religion they do not learn. There are many such persons in the world, who, whatever attention they may pay to religion, never understand its nature.

A commentator

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

1802–1910

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)

Ever learning--some new point, for mere curiosity, to the disparagement of what they seemed to know before. the knowledge--Greek, "the perfect knowledge"; the only safeguard against further novelties.

A commentator

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible · Written before 1832.

proposed

Ever learning - From their false teachers, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth, because that teaching never leads to the truth; for, although there was a form of godliness, which gave them a sort of authority to teach, yet, as they denied the power of godliness, they never could bring their votaries to the knowledge of the saving power of Christianity. There are many professors of Christianity still who answer the above description. They hear, repeatedly hear, it may be, good sermons; but, as they seldom meditate on what they hear, they derive little profit from the ordinances of God. They have no more grace now than they had several years ago, though hearing all the while, and perhaps not wickedly departing from the Lord. They do not meditate, they do not think, they do not reduce what they hear to practice; therefore, even under the preaching of an apostle, they could not become wise to salvation.

The words behind it

9 Greek words

Every 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.

  • πάντοτεalways

    pantoteG3842 →

  • μανθάνονταlearning

    manthanontaG3129 →25 times

  • καὶand

    kaiG2532 →9120 times

  • μηδέποτεnever

    medepoteG3368 →

  • εἰςto

    eisG1519 →1755 times

  • ἐπίγνωσινa knowledge

    epignosinG1922 →

  • ἀληθείαςof [the] truth

    aletheiasG225 →109 times

  • ἐλθεῖνto come

    eltheinG2064 →628 times

  • δυνάμενα.¶being able.

    dunamenaG1410 →207 times

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

The walk

8 stops

Each 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

    1 Timothy 2:4

    who wants everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

    it leads to

    • Ezekiel 18:32

      For I take no pleasure in anyone’s death, declares the Lord GOD. So repent and live!

    • 2 Peter 3:9

      The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise as some understand slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish but everyone to come to repentance.

    • Ezekiel 18:23

      Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked? declares the Lord GOD. Wouldn’t I prefer that he turn from his ways and live?

    • Titus 2:11

      For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to everyone.

    • Ezekiel 33:11

      Say to them: ‘As surely as I live, declares the Lord GOD, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked should turn from their ways and live.…

  • Through

    Ephesians 4:14

    Then we will no longer be infants, tossed about by the waves and carried around by every wind of teaching and by the clever cunning of men in their deceitful scheming.

    it leads to

    • Hebrews 13:9

      Do not be carried away by all kinds of strange teachings, for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace and not by foods of no value to those devoted to…

    • Romans 16:17–18

      Now I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who create divisions and obstacles that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Turn away from them.

    • 1 Corinthians 14:20

      Brothers, stop thinking like children. In regard to evil be infants, but in your thinking be mature.

Where this verse is studied

About 2 Timothy

Saint Timothy in the Temple, Willem Drost, 1648. Public domain.
Saint Timothy in the Temple, Willem Drost, 1648. Public domain.
This page draws on 12 works. Open the list of works

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes on the New Testament; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Augustine of Hippo, TRACTATES ON JOHN 63.1; Irenaeus, Against Heresies Book V; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Letters 130.17; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Oecumenius, COMMENTARY ON 2 TIMOTHY; Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on 2 Timothy and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on 2 Timothy.