2 Timothy / Question
The statement appears in 2 Timothy 3:12. Paul says that everyone who desires to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. In the surrounding verses he contrasts ongoing evil with Timothy’s knowledge of Paul’s persecutions in 2 Timothy 3:10–13.
In 2 Timothy 3:10–13, Paul contrasts Timothy with the “evil men and impostors.” Timothy has closely tracked Paul’s whole pattern of life—what he taught, how he lived, and how he endured opposition. Paul recalls specific past troubles in Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra, noting that the Lord rescued him through them. This unit follows Paul’s warning about difficult times and corrupt influences that appear religious but lack real power (3:1–9). Against that dark backdrop, Paul turns directly to Timothy: “But you…” signals a shift from describing “they” to calling Timothy to remember what he has already seen in Paul.
Paul sets Timothy apart from the “evil men and impostors” by pointing to Timothy’s firsthand knowledge of Paul’s whole pattern: what Paul taught and how he lived (verse 10). The list is deliberately mixed—public ministry (“teaching”) and observable character (“patience, love, steadfastness”). This anchors authority in a visible life, not in claims alone.
A common mistake is to treat this as trivia. Names, places, numbers, and sequence details often carry memory, covenant identity, or narrative movement in the biblical story.
Start with 2 Timothy 3:12, then read the surrounding section so the answer stays connected to the passage's flow.
12Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.