Charles Ellicott Commentary 2 Timothy 3:6

"For of these are they that creep into houses, and take captive silly women laden with sins, led away by divers lusts," — 2 Timothy 3:6 (ASV)

For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women.—The corrupting influence of these hypocritical professors of the religion of Jesus must have already been great, and the danger to all real, vital godliness in Ephesus imminent, for Paul here specifies one of the most—perhaps the most—successful works of these toilers for Satan: the power they were acquiring over women.

As we shall see, these unhappy men busied themselves in securing popularity among the female members of the flock in the Ephesian Church. The way they won their popularity was by supplying soothing remedies for the guilty consciences of these women, laden, we are told, with sins.

The expression “which creep into houses,” although perfectly natural and one that, even in these Western countries, could be used appropriately to describe the method by which these deceiving and perverting men make their way into households, yet, when we remember the relative seclusion in which women usually lived and still live in Eastern lands, the words used by Paul acquire an increased force. Special fraud and deceit were necessary for these false teachers to creep into the women’s apartments in Asia.

The Greek word translated “lead captive” is a peculiar one and is only found in comparatively later Greek. It is supposed to be a word of Alexandrian or Macedonian origin. Here, it represents these women as wholly under the influence of these bad men, to the utter destruction of all true, healthy home life.

The Greek word translated “silly women,” in the Vulgate “mulierculas,” is simply a diminutive expressing contempt. There is no doubt that the older Heresiarchs made great use of women in the propagation of their new and strange systems.

They worked more easily, perhaps, on the impulsive and emotional female mind; but what has never been sufficiently taken into account is the reaction that was then taking place among women, so long relegated to an inferior and subordinate position, and now, by the teaching of Christ and His Apostles, raised to a position of equality with men as regards the hope of future glory.

In many instances, in the first ages of Christianity, there is no doubt that they misunderstood their position; they claimed work they could never do, and aimed for an influence they could never exercise. And thus, no doubt, in these first feverish years, many a woman fell a comparatively easy prey to these proselytizers, who, laying claim to a higher and deeper wisdom, proposed now to lead some into the knowledge of profound and hidden mysteries, now offered ease of conscience to others if they would only follow them.

Irenaeus, in the second century, speaks of the special power that the Valentinian Gnostic Marcus had acquired over women; and Epiphanius, in the same century, also refers to the Gnostics’ deceitful influence with women. Jerome, in an interesting though rhetorical passage (Epist. ad Ctesiphontem), cites a number of instances in which a woman shared in the baleful influence exercised by the leading masters of heresy in doctrine and laxity of life.

Simon Magus, he tells us, was accompanied by the wicked Helen. Nicolas of Antioch, a teacher of immorality, gathered around him what Jerome calls choros fæmineos. Montanus is associated with the well-known names of Maximilla and Prisca. Donatus is coupled with Lucilla. He speaks of Marcion, Arius, Priscillian, and other Heresiarchs, famous in the annals of the early churches, as being intimately associated with or supported by female influence.

Laden with sins, led away with divers lusts.—This gives us some insight into the source of the power that these false teachers acquired over those women of Ephesus who in name were Christians. They had accepted the faith of Christ but were unable to live His life; they had no mastery over their passions and lusts. “Laden with sins” and “led away with divers lusts,” these weak women fell an easy prey to men who procured for them, by means of their lying doctrines, a false peace. By their words, they seemed to have lulled the consciences of their female listeners to sleep. They showed them, no doubt, how in their school they might still be Christians and yet indulge their divers lusts.