Men of corrupt minds] It appears as if the apostle were referring still to some Judaizing teachers who were perverting the Church with their doctrines, and loudly calling in question the authority and doctrine of the apostle.

Reprobate concerning the faith.] adokimoi? Undiscerning or untried; they are base metal, unstamped; and should not pass current, because not standard. This metaphor is frequent in the sacred writings.

John Gill's Bible Commentary

And the same paraphrase on ( Exodus 1:15) calls them by the same names; and this shows from whence the apostle had these names, which are not mentioned in any place in the Old Testament; namely, from the traditions and records of the Jews, with which he was well acquainted: there is no need to say he had this account by divine revelation, for some of the Heathens had knowledge of this story some such way. Numenius; the philosopher, speaks of Jannes and Jambres as Egyptian scribes, and famous for their skill in the magic art; and who opposed themselves to Moses when the Jews were driven out of Egypt f11 . Pliny also makes mention of Janme and Jotape as magicians; though he wrongly calls them Jews, and places Moses with them f12 , as Jannes likewise is by Apuleius f13 . It is commonly said by the Jews f14 , that these were the two sons of Balaam, and they are said to be the chief of the magicians of Egypt f15 ; the latter of these is called in the Vulgate Latin version Mambres; and in some Jewish writers his name is Mamre by whom also the former is called Jochane or John; and indeed Joannes, Jannes, and John, are the same name; and R. Gedaliah says, that their names in other languages are John and Ambrose, which is not unlikely. Mention is made of the sons of Jambri in the Apocrypha: �But the children of Jambri came out of Medaba, and took John, and all that he had, and went their way with it.� (1 Maccabees 9:36) these things are not to be depended on: however, certain it is, that they withstood Moses by their enchantments, and hardened Pharaoh's heart, so that, for a while, he would not let the children of Israel go. Now between these magicians, and the Papists before described, there is a very great agreement; as these men were Egyptians, so the Papists may be called, since Rome is spiritually called Sodom and Egypt, ( Revelation 11:8) as the one were, so the other are idolaters, who worshipped devils, idols of gold, silver, brass, stone, and wood, ( Revelation 9:20) and both sorcerers, using the magic art; ( Revelation 9:21) and they both pretended to miracles; though what they did were no other than lying wonders, ( 2 Thessalonians 2:9 Revelation 13:13,14) and both agreed to keep the people of God in bondage, as much, and as long as they could: and particularly, as the magicians of Egypt withstood Moses, whom Josephus calls the sons of Amaraeus. These are said to be the persons that told Pharaoh, that a child should be born among the Israelites, by whom the whole land of Egypt should be destroyed, and which was the reason of Pharaoh's giving such a charge to the Hebrew midwives f19 ; also the making of the golden calf is ascribed to them f20 ; for, according to the Jews, they afterwards became proselytes; but so do these also resist the truth ; the truth of one God, by their worshipping of images; and of one Mediator, by making use of angels, and saints departed, to intercede with God for them; and of justification by the righteousness of Christ, by introducing the doctrine of works, of merit, and supererogation; and of pardon and cleansing by the blood of Christ, and atonement by his sacrifice, by their pardons, indulgences, penance, purgatory, and the sacrifice of the Mass; yea, they resist the Scriptures of truth, not allowing them to be a sufficient rule without their unwritten traditions, and even Christ, who is truth itself, in all his offices, prophetic, priestly, and kingly. Men of corrupt minds , of bad principles, holding antichristian tenets, derogatory to the grace of God, and glory of Christ; giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; like Jannes and Jambres, who were given to magic arts, and were under the influence of Satan: reprobate concerning the faith ; men of no judgment in the doctrine of faith; who have not their senses exercised to discern good and evil, to try things that differ, and approve the more excellent, but call good evil, and evil good: or as those who are disobedient and wicked in their lives, are said to be to every good work reprobate, ( Titus 1:16) so these are said to be reprobate to the faith; that is, to have no liking of it, or value for it, but despise it, hate it, and reject it; and upon that account, as they are like reprobate silver, whom God has rejected, they ought to be rejected by men.

Matthew Henry Commentary

Greek Textus Receptus

Of corrupt minds (katefqarmenoi ton noun). Better, corrupted in mind. The verb, N.T.o . Comp. diefqarmenwn ton noun corrupted in mind, 1 Tim. vi. 5.

Reprobate (adokimoi). In Pastorals only here and Tit. i. 16. A Pauline word. See on Rom. i. 28, and castaway, 1 Cor. ix. 27.

Robertson's NT Word Studies