2 Timothy 3:5 (YLT)

Passage

having a form of piety, and its power having denied; and from these be turning away,

Nearby Context

2 Timothy 3:3 without natural affection, implacable, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, not lovers of those who are good,

2 Timothy 3:4 traitors, heady, lofty, lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God,

2 Timothy 3:5 having a form of piety, and its power having denied; and from these be turning away,

2 Timothy 3:6 for of these there are those coming into the houses and leading captive the silly women, laden with sins, led away with desires manifold,

2 Timothy 3:7 always learning, and never to a knowledge of truth able to come,

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "having", "form", "piety", "power", "denied", "turning", and "away". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "having" and "form", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 4's "traitors heady lofty lovers of pleasure more..." into verse 6's "for of these there are those coming...", so "having" and "form" 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 "having" and "form" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.