A.T. Robertson Commentary 2 Timothy 2:25

"in meekness correcting them that oppose themselves; if peradventure God may give them repentance unto the knowledge of the truth," — 2 Timothy 2:25 (ASV)

Correcting (παιδευοντα). See Tit 2:12. "Schooling" (Parry).

Oppose themselves (αντιδιατιθεμενους). Present middle (direct) participle of αντιδιατιθημ, late double compound (Diodorus, Philo) to place oneself in opposition, here only in N.T.

If peradventure God may give (μη ποτε δωιη ο θεος). Here Westcott and Hort read the late form of the second aorist active optative of διδωμ for the usual δοιη as they do in 1:18. But there it is a wish for the future and so regular, while here the optative with μη ποτε in a sort of indirect question is used with a primary tense δε (present) and parallel with an undoubted subjunctive ανανηψωσιν, while in Lu 3:15 μη ποτε ειε is with a secondary tense. Examples of such an optative do occur in the papyri (Robertson, Grammar, p. 989) so that we cannot go as far as Moulton does and say that we "must" read the subjunctive δωη here (Prolegomena, pp. 55, 193).

Repentance (μετανοιαν). "Change of mind" (2 Corinthians 7:10; Romans 2:4).

Unto the knowledge of the truth (εις επιγνωσιν αληθειας). Paul's word "full knowledge" (Colossians 1:9).