2 Timothy 3:17

That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

That {G2443} the man {G444} of God {G2316} may be {G5600} perfect {G739}, throughly furnished {G1822} unto {G4314} all {G3956} good {G18} works {G2041}.

thus anyone who belongs to God may be fully equipped for every good work.

so that the man of God may be complete, fully equipped for every good work.

that the man of God may be complete, furnished completely unto every good work.

2 Timothy 3:17 concludes a powerful statement about the nature and purpose of Holy Scripture. Following the declaration in 2 Timothy 3:16 that "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable," this verse specifies the ultimate goal of that profitability: to equip believers fully for God's purposes.

Context

This verse is found within Paul's second letter to his spiritual son, Timothy, written from prison and likely his final epistle. Paul is encouraging Timothy to remain steadfast in the face of increasing apostasy and moral decay, which he vividly describes in 2 Timothy 3:1-5. In a world full of dangers and false teachings, Paul points Timothy—and all believers—to the absolute reliability and sufficiency of God's Word as the ultimate guide for faith and conduct. The preceding verse, 2 Timothy 3:16, lays the foundation by asserting Scripture's divine origin and comprehensive usefulness for teaching, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness. Verse 17 then states the direct outcome of this divine equipping.

Key Themes

  • Sufficiency of Scripture: The Bible is presented as completely adequate for all aspects of the Christian life. It leaves no gap in providing what is necessary for spiritual growth and effective service. This highlights the perfection and completeness of God's law.
  • Spiritual Maturity and Wholeness: The phrase "that the man of God may be perfect" highlights God's desire for His people to be complete and mature, not lacking in any spiritual area. This perfection is not sinless flawlessness, but functional completeness for divine purposes.
  • Preparation for Service: The ultimate goal of being "throughly furnished" is for "all good works." This emphasizes that biblical knowledge and spiritual maturity are not ends in themselves, but are meant to empower believers to live lives of active obedience and service to God and others. This aligns with the understanding that we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works.

Linguistic Insights

  • "Perfect" (Greek: artios): This word signifies being complete, capable, or fit for purpose. It implies a state of being fully equipped and well-adjusted, lacking nothing essential for the task at hand. It speaks to a functional completeness rather than absolute moral perfection.
  • "Throughly furnished" (Greek: exartizo): This is an intensified form of artios, meaning to be completely outfitted, fully equipped, or perfectly prepared. The prefix "ex-" emphasizes the thoroughness of the equipping process. Together, artios and exartizo powerfully convey that through Scripture, the "man of God" is made entirely suitable and ready for every good work God calls him to do.

Practical Application

For the modern believer, 2 Timothy 3:17 serves as a profound encouragement and a clear directive. It assures us that God's Word is fully sufficient to guide us through life's complexities and challenges. To be "perfect, throughly furnished" means to be so immersed in and obedient to Scripture that one is ready for any task or trial. This calls for:

  • Diligent Study: Regular, thoughtful engagement with the Bible is not optional but essential for spiritual equipping and growth.
  • Obedience: The purpose of being furnished is to perform "good works." Knowing the Word must translate into living it out in practical acts of love, service, and righteousness.
  • Confidence: We can have confidence that as we commit ourselves to God's Word, He will equip us for every good work He has prepared for us, enabling us to fulfill our calling as a "man of God" (or "person of God," encompassing all believers).
Note: Commentary was generated by an advanced AI, utilizing a prompt that emphasized Biblical fidelity over bias. We've found these insights to be consistently reliable, yet we always encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

  • Ephesians 2:10

    For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

  • 2 Timothy 2:21

    If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, [and] prepared unto every good work.

  • 2 Corinthians 9:8

    And God [is] able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all [things], may abound to every good work:

  • 1 Timothy 6:11

    But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.

  • Hebrews 10:24

    And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:

  • Titus 2:14

    Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.

  • Acts 9:36

    ¶ Now there was at Joppa a certain disciple named Tabitha, which by interpretation is called Dorcas: this woman was full of good works and almsdeeds which she did.

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