2 Timothy 3:5 (GNV)

Passage

Hauing a shewe of godlinesse, but haue denied the power thereof: turne away therefore from such.

Nearby Context

2 Timothy 3:3 Without naturall affection, truce breakers, false accusers, intemperate, fierce, no louers at all of them which are good,

2 Timothy 3:4 Traitours, headie, high minded, louers of pleasures more then louers of God,

2 Timothy 3:5 Hauing a shewe of godlinesse, but haue denied the power thereof: turne away therefore from such.

2 Timothy 3:6 For of this sort are they which creepe into houses, and leade captiue simple women laden with sinnes, and led with diuers lustes,

2 Timothy 3:7 Which women are euer learning, and are neuer able to come to the acknowledging of the trueth.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "hauing", "shewe", "godlinesse", "haue", "denied", "power", "thereof", and "turne". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "hauing" and "shewe", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 4's "Traitours headie high minded louers of pleasures..." into verse 6's "For of this sort are they which...", so "hauing" and "shewe" 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 "hauing" and "shewe" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.