2 Timothy 2:17 (ASV)

Passage

and their word will eat as doth a gangrene: or whom is Hymenaeus an Philetus;

Nearby Context

2 Timothy 2:15 Give diligence to present thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, handling aright the word of truth.

2 Timothy 2:16 But shun profane babblings: for they will proceed further in ungodliness,

2 Timothy 2:17 and their word will eat as doth a gangrene: or whom is Hymenaeus an Philetus;

2 Timothy 2:18 men who concerning the truth have erred, saying that the resurrection is past already, and overthrow the faith of some.

2 Timothy 2:19 Howbeit the firm foundation of God standeth, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his: and, Let every one that nameth the name of the Lord depart from unrighteousness.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "word", "doth", "gangrene", "hymenaeus", and "philetus". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "word" and "doth", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 16's "But shun profane babblings for they will..." into verse 18's "men who concerning the truth have erred...", so "word" and "doth" belong inside that flow. In 2 Timothy context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "word" and "doth" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.