2 Timothy– Chapter Three X

by Ed Urzi

“For of this sort are those who creep into households and make captives of gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts” (2 Timothy 3:6).

This passage offers a glimpse into an effective strategy employed by those who promote heretical teachings. You see, 2 Timothy 3:6 tells us how false teachers work their way into people’s lives. In fact, the tactics described within this verse may be more effective today than they were in the days of the first century.

We can begin by noting that the heretical teachers of the New Testament era were partially successful in their efforts to smuggle false doctrine into the churches of Ephesus. Nevertheless, a healthy church would never permit an aberrant belief to gain widespread acceptance within its congregation. Paul the Apostle’s counsel to “Avoid such people” (2 Timothy 3:5 ESV) would also serve to limit the options available to those who sought to promote such teachings.

Therefore, these heretics opened a second tactical front. In addition to their efforts to introduce these aberrant beliefs to others within the church, they also worked to gain access to private homes that were inhabited by those who lacked the ability to discern between truth and error. Once they had convinced someone to adopt their teachings in that manner, that person subsequently became a follower and supporter. They also acquired access to that person’s circle of friends, thus increasing the potential to add more followers and new avenues of support.

It’s important to note that false teachers continue to employ this strategy today. But unlike the false teachers of the first century, modern-day heretical teachers never have to set foot within a private home. Instead, he or she can reach countless individuals through the technological advances that characterize our modern day world.

Some of the more obvious transmission paths into a private home include social media, broadcast media, and streaming media. It might also include books, magazines, and various other forms of written communication. As it was in the days of the first century, these methods permit false teachers to “creep into households” and “…mislead whole families by teaching for dishonest gain what ought not to be taught” (Titus 1:11 NET). The difference is that today’s false teachers now have the advantage of 21st century technology to market and package their messages in a far more effective manner.

Thus, it is easy to be taken captive by such teachings if we aren’t diligent to prayerfully read the Scriptures each day. Those who neglect to do so place their spiritual lives at risk.