Passage
For men shall be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, haughty, railers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
2 Timothy 3:2 (ASV)
Nearby Context
2 Timothy 3:1 But know this, that in the last days grievous times shall come.
2 Timothy 3:2 For men shall be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, haughty, railers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
2 Timothy 3:3 without natural affection, implacable, slanderers, without self-control, fierce, no lovers of good,
2 Timothy 3:4 traitors, headstrong, puffed up, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God;
Study Lenses
The verse centers on "shall", "lovers", "self", "money", "boastful", "haughty", and "railers". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "shall" and "lovers", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.
The nearby context moves from verse 1's "But know this that in the last..." into verse 3's "without natural affection implacable slanderers without self-control...", so "shall" and "lovers" 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 "shall" and "lovers" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.