2 Timothy 2.15

type: passage created: 2026-05-06 updated: 2026-05-06 book: 2 Timothy chapter: 2 verses: "15" translation_default: ASV / WEB / KJV / YLT tags: [scripture] citation_count: 1 enriched: false

Quoted in

2 Timothy 2.15

Book: 2 Timothy · ASV / WEB / KJV / YLT

Immediate context (±2 verses)

ASV (ASV)

"13. if we are faithless, he abideth faithful; for he cannot deny himself. 14. Of these things put them in remembrance, charging them in the sight of the Lord, that they strive not about words, to no profit, to the subverting of them that hear."

"15. Give diligence to present thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, handling aright the word of truth."

"16. But shun profane babblings: for they will proceed further in ungodliness, 17. and their word will eat as doth a gangrene: of whom is Hymenaeus and Philetus;" (2 Timothy 2:13-17, ASV)

WEB (WEB)

"13. If we are faithless, he remains faithful. For he can’t deny himself.” 14. Remind them of these things, charging them in the sight of the Lord, that they don’t argue about words, to no profit, to the subverting of those who hear."

"15. Give diligence to present yourself approved by God, a workman who doesn’t need to be ashamed, properly handling the Word of Truth."

"16. But shun empty chatter, for it will go further in ungodliness, 17. and those words will consume like gangrene, of whom is Hymenaeus and Philetus;" (2 Timothy 2:13-17, WEB)

KJV (KJV)

"13. If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself. 14. Of these things put them in remembrance, charging them before the Lord that they strive not about words to no profit, but to the subverting of the hearers."

"15. Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."

"16. But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness. 17. And their word will eat as doth a canker: of whom is Hymenaeus and Philetus; ^{canker: or, gangrene}" (2 Timothy 2:13-17, KJV)

YLT (YLT)

"13. if we are not stedfast, he remaineth stedfast; to deny himself he is not able. 14. These things remind [them] of, testifying fully before the Lord, not to strive about words to nothing profitable, but to the subversion of those hearing;"

"15. be diligent to present thyself approved to God, a workman irreproachable, rightly dividing the word of the truth;"

"16. and the profane vain talkings stand aloof from, for to more impiety they will advance, 17. and their word as a gangrene will have pasture, of whom is Hymenaeus and Philetus," (2 Timothy 2:13-17, YLT)

Setting

Speaker: Paul the Apostle (final imprisonment)
Audience: Timothy
Location: composed in Roman imprisonment (final); addressed to Timothy in Ephesus
Time period: composed c. AD 66-67

Theological reading

Key words

G0225 - aletheia, aletheia (Strong's G225). Also appears in: Mark 12, Luke 22.54-62, John 1.14.
G2316 - theos, theos (Strong's G2316). Also appears in: Matthew 1.23, Matthew 3.16, Matthew 5.9.
G3056 - logos, logos (Strong's G3056). Also appears in: Matthew 7.24-27, Matthew 8.5-12, Matthew 8.16.

Why these four translations

ris3n chose ASV, WEB, KJV, and YLT for two reasons together. They are the most literal English translations available (formal-equivalence: word-for-word renderings that preserve the Hebrew and Greek grammar rather than smoothing it into modern dynamic-equivalence idiom). And they are in the public domain in the United States, which means fair-use quotation at any length requires no publisher license. Modern licensed translations (NASB95, ESV, NIV) restrict volume of quotation under their copyright terms, so they are not used at stub-level coverage here. NASB95 appears only on hand-curated rich passage hubs under Lockman Foundation's fair-use allowance.

The four:

ASV (American Standard Version, 1901). The basis of the modern critical-text English tradition.
WEB (World English Bible, contemporary). Public-domain revision in the ASV line, in current English.
KJV (King James Version, 1611). Reformation-era, Textus Receptus base.
YLT (Young's Literal Translation, Robert Young, 1862). Hyper-literal preservation of Hebrew and Greek grammar; useful for word-study work even where English reads stiff.

See Bibles for the full per-translation history, translators, textual basis, strengths, and weaknesses.