Person New Testament
Philetus
Philetus, along with Hymenaeus, was a false teacher who had strayed from the truth and taught that the resurrection had already taken place. Mentioned once in Scripture, at 2 Timothy 2:17.
Why it matters. False teacher who opposed Paul
- Primary passages
- Last reviewed
- 2026-08-30 by the FaithGraph team
About Philetus
Philetus is mentioned in 2Ti.2.17 as one of two individuals, along with Hymenaeus, who had strayed from the truth and were promoting false teachings in the early Christian church. According to Paul, their message was spreading like gangrene, causing spiritual harm to those who listened to them.
The specific false teaching promoted by Philetus and Hymenaeus was that the resurrection had already taken place (2Ti.2.18). This belief contradicted the Christian doctrine of a future bodily resurrection and threatened to undermine the faith of some believers.
Paul's mention of Philetus and Hymenaeus serves as a warning to Timothy, and by extension, to all Christians, about the danger of false teachings and the importance of adhering to sound doctrine. The passage also emphasizes the need for church leaders to confront and correct those who spread false teachings, in order to protect the spiritual well-being of the church.
Description from STEPBible TIPNR (Tyndale House, Cambridge), CC BY 4.0, lightly reformatted. This is background reference material, not Scripture and not a FaithGraph editorial claim.
Connections
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Appears in Scripture
Named in 1 verse across 1 book. Occurrence data from STEPBible TIPNR (CC BY 4.0); references only, no translation text.
2 Timothy (1 verse)