2 Timothy 2:25 (LSB)

Passage

with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may give them repentance leading to the full knowledge of the truth,

Nearby Context

2 Timothy 2:23 But refuse foolish and ignorant speculations, knowing that they produce quarrels.

2 Timothy 2:24 And the Lord’s slave must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged,

2 Timothy 2:25 with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may give them repentance leading to the full knowledge of the truth,

2 Timothy 2:26 and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "gentleness", "correcting", "opposition", "perhaps", "give", "repentance", "leading", and "full". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "gentleness" and "correcting", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 24's "And the Lord s slave must not..." into verse 26's "and they may come to their senses...", so "gentleness" and "correcting" 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 "gentleness" and "correcting" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.