---
title: 2 Timothy 3:14
url: https://jw-apologetics.app/verses/2-timothy-3-14/
markdown: https://jw-apologetics.app/verses/2-timothy-3-14.md
type: verse
perspective: Protestant (historic Nicene) response to Jehovah's Witness teaching
reference: 2 Timothy 3:14
testament: NT
section: Letters
index: https://jw-apologetics.app/llms.txt
---

# 2 Timothy 3:14

## Text (Berean Standard Bible)

> But as for you, continue in the things you have learned and firmly believed, since you know from whom you have learned them.

## JW Usage

"You, however, continue in the things you learned and were persuaded to believe, knowing from what persons you learned them" is read by JWs as a charter for trusting "Jehovah's organisation" as the source from which one was taught. Witnesses are trained to remember who taught them the "truth" — usually a conducting publisher or elder — and to remain loyal to that chain of transmission. The "persons you learned them" clause is taken as an endorsement of the Watchtower teaching structure itself.

## Protestant Usage

Paul is telling Timothy to hold on to what *Paul* personally taught him — and the next verse makes explicit what that content is: "the holy writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus" (2 Timothy 3:15, NWT). The "persons you learned them" are apostolic eyewitnesses and scripture-anchored teachers, not a later institutional successor. Timothy's loyalty is to the *content*, not to an office.
The apostolic foundation is poured once (Ephesians 2:20). Paul hands Timothy Scripture and sound doctrine, plus the qualifications for elders (1 Timothy 3, Titus 1) — not an apostolic charism, not a permanent ruling council, not new revelation. Eldership transmits; apostleship does not. When the Watchtower moves from "continue in what you learned" to "continue in what the Governing Body teaches now," it conflates these two categories — and claims an authority the apostles never transferred.

## Arguments Using This Verse

- [The Berean Test — Scripture Is Sufficient Without an Organisation](https://jw-apologetics.app/arguments/berean-test-scripture-sufficiency.md) — Acts 17:11 / 2 Timothy 3:16-17 / Matthew 15:9 / 1 Corinthians 4:6 [Authority]
- [Foundation Laid Once — Apostles Are Not a Perpetual Office](https://jw-apologetics.app/arguments/apostles-foundation-eph220.md) — Ephesians 2:20 — A foundation is poured once, and the building stands on it forever [Authority]