2 Timothy 2:16 (GNV)

Passage

Stay prophane, and vaine babblings: for they shall encrease vnto more vngodlinesse.

Nearby Context

2 Timothy 2:14 Of these things put them in remembrance, and protest before the Lord, that they striue not about wordes, which is to no profit, but to the peruerting of the hearers.

2 Timothy 2:15 Studie to shewe thy selfe approued vnto God, a workeman that needeth not to be ashamed, diuiding the worde of trueth aright.

2 Timothy 2:16 Stay prophane, and vaine babblings: for they shall encrease vnto more vngodlinesse.

2 Timothy 2:17 And their worde shall fret as a canker: of which sort is Hymeneus and Philetus,

2 Timothy 2:18 Which as concerning ye trueth haue erred from the marke, saying that the resurrection is past alreadie, and do destroy the faith of certaine.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "stay", "prophane", "vaine", "babblings", "shall", "encrease", "vnto", and "vngodlinesse". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "stay" and "prophane", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 15's "Studie to shewe thy selfe approued vnto..." into verse 17's "And their worde shall fret as a...", so "stay" and "prophane" 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 "stay" and "prophane" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.