2 Timothy 3:2 (LSB)

Passage

For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy,

Nearby Context

2 Timothy 3:1 But know this, that in the last days difficult times will come.

2 Timothy 3:2 For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy,

2 Timothy 3:3 unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, without gentleness, without love for good,

2 Timothy 3:4 treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "lovers", "self", "money", "boastful", "arrogant", "blasphemers", and "disobedient". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "lovers" and "self", 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 "unloving irreconcilable malicious gossips without self-control without...", so "lovers" and "self" 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 "lovers" and "self" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.