II Timothy 3:13 · Bible study
2 Timothy 3:13 Commentary: Deceiving and Being Deceived
Greek · 11 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Why do evil people and impostors grow worse? Explore the downward spiral of active deception and self-deception in this verse.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Evil people and false teachers will not improve; they will spiral downward, simultaneously leading others astray and being led astray themselves.
- Key words: γόητες (goētes), originally “sorcerer,” then “deceiver”; προκόψουσιν ἐπὶ τὸ χεῖρον, “will advance to the worse,” a future indicative of certainty.
- Main debate: Whether the “evil men” are false teachers within the church (Gill, JFB) or all ungodly persecutors (Barnes), and whether the sorcery term refers specifically to Ephesian magic (Cambridge) or generally to deception.
- Theological theme: The self-reinforcing nature of sin and error, those who deceive others are themselves ensnared by their own lies.
- Best use: As a sober warning that false teaching is not a static error but a dynamic degradation; this verse encourages vigilance and grounding in Scripture.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
while evil men and imposters go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.
WEB World English Bible 2000
But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived.
KJV King James Version 1769
But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
But evil men and impostors shall wax worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
and evil men and impostors shall advance to the worse, leading astray and being led astray.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
But wicked men and juggling impostors shall advance in evil, leading and being led astray.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
But evil men and seducers shall grow worse and worse: erring, and driving into error,
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Mas los malos hombres y los engañadores, irán de mal en peor|strong="G1909, G5501", engañando y siendo engañados.
Mas os que são maus e enganadores irão de mal a pior, enganando e sendo enganados.
Mais les hommes méchants et imposteurs avanceront toujours plus dans le mal, égarant les autres et égarés eux-mêmes.
Mit den bösen Menschen aber und verführerischen wird' s je länger, je ärger: sie verführen und werden verführt.
Doch de boze mensen en bedriegers zullen tot erger voortgaan, verleidende en wordende verleid.
mentre i malvagi e gli impostori andranno di male in peggio, seducendo ed essendo sedotti.
Lecz źli ludzie i zwodziciele postąpią w gorsze, jako zwodzący tak i zwiedzeni.
Злые же люди и обманщики будут преуспевать во зле, вводя в заблуждение и заблуждаясь.
只是 作惡的 和 迷惑人的，必越久越惡，他欺哄人，也 被人欺哄。
Evil and false men will become worse and worse, using deceit and themselves overcome by deceit.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Koine Greek)
New Testament · Koine Greek · II Timothy 3:13
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree that this verse states a grim law of spiritual gravity: evil people and impostors do not stagnate or improve, they advance in the direction of worse. Vincent notes that the verb προκόψουσιν (prokopsousin) is future indicative, expressing certainty, their progress toward deeper evil is not a possibility but a predictable trajectory. The word γόητες (goētes), translated “impostors” or “seducers,” originally meant “sorcerer” or “juggler” (Barnes; Cambridge Bible), a hint at the deceptive arts, feigned miracles, smooth talk, that marked false teachers in Ephesus (Acts 19). The heart of the verse is the double participle: πλανῶντες καὶ πλανώμενοι (planōntes kai planōmenoi), active and passive, “deceiving and being deceived.” Wesley and Bengel (via JFB) capture the paradox: someone who has begun to deceive others becomes less able to recover from his own error and more willing to embrace the errors of others. Barnes adds that the worst victims of delusion are those who try to delude others. The deceiver and the deceived turn out to be the same person. This is evil's self-perpetuating spiral: no one can play the false teacher without first, or eventually, being caught in his own net.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: Evil people and false teachers will not improve but will grow worse; they simultaneously deceive others and are themselves deceived, forming a self-perpetuating spiral of error.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Identity of 'evil men' | They are people opposed to the gospel, whether inside or outside the church, who persecute the godly. | Barnes sees them as general wicked men; Gill and JFB restrict them to false teachers within the professing church. |
| Meaning of γόητες (goētes) | The word originally denoted a sorcerer or juggler who chants spells, and by extension a deceiver. | Cambridge and JFB see a direct allusion to the magic arts of Ephesus (Acts 19); Clarke and Barnes treat the term more broadly as 'impostor'. |
| Direction of causation: deceiving before being deceived | Both states are experienced by the same people; the two participles are simultaneous and inseparable. | Barnes emphasizes that those who deceive others are first under their own delusion; Wesley and Bengel (via JFB) argue that the act of deceiving makes one more susceptible to being deceived in return. |
| Scope of 'worse and worse' | The worsening applies to the moral and spiritual state of the individuals and to the intensity of their opposition to the truth. | JFB adds that this also describes the historical intensification of evil in the last days leading to the final apostasy; others read it as a general principle applicable to any era. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Paul writes from a Roman prison near the end of his life. Timothy serves as a pastor in Ephesus, a city notorious for magic, sorcery, and the “Ephesian letters”, written charms used as amulets (Cambridge Bible). When Paul first preached in Ephesus, many who practiced magical arts burned their scrolls publicly (Acts 19:19). Now, only a few years later, Timothy faces a resurgence: false teachers have crept in, not only resisting Paul’s gospel but actively seducing believers with a display of godliness that denies its power (2 Tim 3:5).
Verse 13 sits within a tightly structured passage. Paul has just warned that “all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution” (v.12). The reason? Evil men and impostors are not going away. On the contrary, they will intensify their opposition. The phrase “will advance to the worse” uses the same verb as v.9 (προκόψουσιν), where the false teachers “will proceed no further”, but there the focus is on their exposure; here it is on their moral descent. JFB (echoing Alford) explains: “the diffusion of the evil was spoken of; here its intensity.”
The term γόητες had a specific sting for Timothy’s congregation. It conjured images of jugglers and sorcerers who chanted incantations (Clarke; Thayer). Gill and JFB see here a foreshadowing of the final apostasy, where sorcery will again deceive the nations (Rev 18:23). The verse thus functions as both a warning of what is already happening and a prophecy of what will worsen. Paul’s point is pastoral: Timothy should not be naive. The darkness around him will deepen. But that is precisely why he must remain anchored in the Scriptures that follow (vv.14-17).
Textual Notes
The verse shows no significant textual variants in the manuscript tradition. All major sources read the same Greek: πονηροὶ δὲ ἄνθρωποι καὶ γόητες προκόψουσιν ἐπὶ τὸ χεῖρον, πλανῶντες καὶ πλανώμενοι. The unanimous reading is uncontested.
Reception History
From the second century onward, this verse has been a key text for identifying and warning against false teachers. Irenaeus and Tertullian used it to expose Gnostic deceivers who combined Christian language with pagan philosophy. During the Reformation, both Catholic and Protestant writers applied it to their opponents: Catholic controversialists saw the “seducers” in the Protestant reformers, while Protestants such as Calvin and the Geneva Bible notes referred it to the false teachers of the medieval church, especially those who performed pretended miracles. Gill explicitly identifies the “juggling impostors” with Roman Catholic ecclesiastics. Wesley, in his revival preaching, treated the verse as an everyday warning against any teacher who trades truth for popularity. In modern evangelical preaching, the verse has been used to caution against the slow drift of liberal theology and the seductions of prosperity teaching. Throughout, the consensus has held: deception spreads, and the deceiver is always its first victim.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- Evil progresses on schedule. The future tense προκόψουσιν shows that worsening is not accidental, it is the characteristic pattern of unrepentant sin. Evil never stands still; it pushes forward, and the push is toward worse, not better.
- Deceivers become the deceived. The active and passive participles side by side reveal the trap. When you consistently lead others away from the truth, your own grip on reality loosens. The lies you tell become the lies you live by.
- The antidote is not shock, but Scripture. Paul contrasts the downward spiral of evil with the upward call to remain (v.14). He does not counsel Timothy to fix the deceivers, he instructs him to stay in the truth he has learned from the God-breathed words (vv.14-16).
Five-point outline
- Two kinds of people, “evil men” (general wickedness) and “impostors” (active deceivers), but both share the same fate: to sink.
- The vocabulary of enchantment, γόητες recalls the sorcerer’s trade. Deception often comes wrapped in the spectacular, the impressive, the religious.
- “Advance to the worse”, the verb προκόπτω elsewhere means honest progress (Gal 1:14, Paul in Judaism). Here it is twisted: the only advance these men make is into deeper darkness.
- The double deception, they deceive (πλανῶντες) and are deceived (πλανώμενοι). No one is immune. The teacher who crafts a false gospel sooner or later believes it himself.
- The counter-word, v.14: Σὺ δέ (“But you”). Timothy’s path runs opposite: not progress into error, but remaining in assured truth.
Illustration hooks
- A fraudulent doctor who begins by faking credentials ends up prescribing deadly treatments he himself believes are real, the patient dies, and so does the doctor’s medical judgment.
- Anyone who has watched a friend descend into an online conspiracy knows the pattern: they start by sounding certain, then they start repeating the propaganda as if it were their own idea. They become part of the noise.
- Church history is full of teachers who began with a small deviation from orthodoxy and wound up constructing entire systems that they defended to death, certain they were the only ones who saw clearly.
Questions your congregation is asking
- How can I tell if I am being deceived by someone who seems sincere?
- Why does false teaching so often get worse over time instead of burning out?
- What do I do when a Christian leader I respect begins to drift doctrinally?
Leading a Discussion
Paul has just reminded Timothy that everyone who lives godly in Christ will suffer persecution (v.12). Then comes a blunt explanation: evil men and impostors will not improve; they will advance into worse. And the worst part is the double deception, they deceive others and are themselves deceived. The passage invites us to see that error is never static. It grows. It infects both the speaker and the hearer. The good news is that Paul does not leave Timothy in this dark room without a lamp: “But you, continue in the things you have learned…” (v.14).
Discussion questions
- What does the phrase “will advance to the worse” reveal about how Paul understood the trajectory of unrepentant evil? Does this match what you observe in the world today?
- Paul uses the Greek word γόητες, which originally meant “sorcerer.” Why might he choose a word with magical connotations when warning Timothy about false teachers?
- The verse says these men are “deceiving and being deceived.” Which comes first in your experience, do people first believe a lie and then spread it, or do they first spread a lie and then come to believe it? How does that change how we guard ourselves?
- How does the warning of v.13 connect to the call in v.14 for Timothy to “remain” in the things he has learned? What does this tell us about the proper response to growing deception?
- Can a Christian be a deceiver? If so, what does this verse suggest about the spiritual health of someone who habitually misrepresents the truth?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Job 12:16 | With him is strength and wisdom. The deceived and the deceiver are his. |
| Isaiah 44:20 | He feeds on ashes. A deceived heart has turned him aside; and he can’t deliver his soul, nor say, “Isn’t there a lie in my right hand?” |
| Ezekiel 14:9 | “‘“If the prophet is deceived and speaks a word, I, Yahweh, have deceived that prophet, and I will stretch out my hand on him, and will destroy him from among my people Israel. |
| Ezekiel 14:10 | They will bear their iniquity. The iniquity of the prophet will be even as the iniquity of him who seeks him, |
| II Thessalonians 2:6 | Now you know what is restraining him, to the end that he may be revealed in his own season. |
| II Thessalonians 2:11 | Because of this, God sends them a powerful delusion, that they should believe a lie, |
| I Timothy 4:1 | But the Spirit says expressly that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to seducing spirits and doctrines of demons, |
| II Timothy 2:16 | But shun empty chatter, for it will go further in ungodliness, |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
11 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke draws attention to the Greek word translated as seducers, which literally means jugglers or pretenders to magical arts. He connects this to people who perform false miracles, a group he says has plagued the church in every age, deceiving themselves and others until their folly becomes obvious.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes explains that wicked people and deceivers grow worse over time as a fixed pattern of human depravity, not merely a possibility. He highlights the Greek word for seducer, which means a juggler or impostor, and notes that those who deceive others are often themselves sincerely deluded.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin explains that Paul gives this warning not just to inform but to sharpen Timothy's diligence. The prediction of terrible troubles ahead is meant to stir pastors toward exceptional faithfulness, watchfulness, and preparation for the hard contests awaiting them. Future difficulties should strengthen resolve, not cause retreat.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The Cambridge Bible notes that the Greek word translated "seducers" carries a double sense: it suggests both a wandering star that leads people off course and an enchanter who bewitches through magic incantations. This points to the common association of Ephesus with sorcery and amulets. The "worse and worse" progress is not forward movement but a downward spiral of deceiving and being deceived.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The note highlights a double downward spiral: wicked people not only grow more evil over time, but they also become both active deceivers and passive victims of deception. The deceit they practice turns back on them, ensnaring them in their own lies.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill identifies the evil men and seducers as not ordinary sinners but those who wear a mask of godliness while being full of malice. He points specifically to the Roman church, teaching that such deceivers will never improve but only grow more wicked in their errors and deception.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB sees the final age marked not just by more sin but by a deepening entanglement in deception. Those who first deceive others become trapped in their own lies, and the evil intensifies toward the end. Sorcery, especially, will characterise this final apostasy.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange stresses that Paul addresses Timothy not to praise him but to appeal to him as a witness that their path directly opposed the false teachers.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry emphasizes that Timothy's full knowledge of Paul's doctrine and personal example, including his sufferings and deliverances, fortified his commitment. The more thoroughly we know apostolic teaching, the more firmly we cling to it; those who knew Paul best loved him most. Such complete knowledge anchors faith in dangerous times.
Vincent's Word Studies Evangelical 1887
Vincent highlights that the Greek word for seducers originally meant a sorcerer who chants spells, then a cheat or impostor. He adds that "shall wax worse and worse" literally means "shall proceed to the worse," and "deceiving" properly means leading astray.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley observes a dangerous cycle: once a person begins deceiving others, they grow less able to see their own mistakes and more open to accepting falsehoods from others. Deception hardens the deceiver’s mind against truth while making it vulnerable to further error.