2 Timothy 3:9
“But they will proceed no further. For their folly will be evident to all men, as theirs also came to be.”
What does 2 Timothy 3:9 mean?
Paul is reassuring Timothy that false teachers may cause trouble for a while, but they won't ultimately succeed. Their deceptive ideas will eventually become so obviously wrong that everyone will recognize them for what they are, just as people came to see through the foolishness of the Egyptian magicians (the reference Paul makes to Jannes and Jambres earlier in the chapter). There's a comfort here for anyone feeling discouraged by lies or harmful teachings spreading around them: truth has a way of prevailing, and those working against God's way won't keep gaining ground forever. The exposure of their folly doesn't require us to do everything, just to remain faithful and let reality speak for itself.