Jump Start # 976

2 Timothy 3:6-7 “For among them are those who enter into households and captivate weak women weighed down with sins, led on by various impulses, always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.”

The older I get the more I realize that I simply do not understand some people. This is true even of some Christians. A well known Biblical writer who many are acclaiming to be the most brilliant scholar of this generation is winning over too many folks with his clever writings and new insights. His many books are being read and he is on the lecture circuit in many places. I hear many drooling over the things they have discovered because of his books. I don’t get it. I’ve read several of his books. He is not Biblically accurate, on many things, such as: inspiration, salvation, worship, marriage, second coming, Hell. These are not little things. These are core foundation stones. How can someone say, “I don’t agree with everything he says,” when there is so many things to disagree with. I simply do not understand the fascination some have with things like this.

Some folks are tired of old ways and are quick to jump on something that looks new and different. I think that is the basis of our verse today. Long ago, false teachers were busy. Earlier this passage described them as “holding a form of godliness, although they have denied its power.” They are busy spreading their twisted Gospel, their new insights, among those who are not spiritually stable.

Look how Paul defined those who were being captivated by this erroneous poison: weak women; weighed down with sins; led by various impulses. These were the ones who were being held spellbound by the false teachers. The most damaging statement is: “always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.” The knowledge of the truth will make you free. That’s what Jesus promised. That knowledge will lead you out of the land of error. It will bring you to a rich and wonderful relationship with God. That knowledge will drive away fears and doubts. It will bring you spiritual confidence as you walk closer to God each day. Studying the Bible is incredible and the bridge to this knowledge. However, if what is taught in these Bible studies is inaccurate, then the learning will not lead to this true knowledge of God’s word. That was the problem. They were learning, but not growing. What they were learning was not God’s word but a corrupted form that the false teachers were spewing.

Three thoughts here:

First, Why women weighed down with various sins? Why did the false teachers pick that audience? Why not the leaders of the church? Why not the preachers and the shepherds? Do you think possibly they knew they would be exposed as false if someone stable, solid and with a knowledge confronted them? Do you think that this was an easy audience because there was a lack of Biblical knowledge? Do you think that these false teachers were more interested in a following than what they were saying? The gullible are easy targets. Truth never suffers under investigation. Ask questions. Investigate. Look into things. Think. Compare. Most of us would never put ourselves in the category of these weak women, as Paul called them. Yet, error is finding a place among God’s people. Could it be that too much time is spent reading blogs, listening to what others say, reading other books than God’s word? Makes you wonder doesn’t it.

Second, false teachers are always busy. They are never satisfied and they never go away. The shepherds of God’s people must be keen about this. They must know the condition of their flocks. They ought to know what their sheep are reading. They ought to recognize which sheep would be described as “weak…weighed down by sins…led by various impulses.” The various impulses is an interesting way of describing someone who is wishy-washy, unstable spiritually, and changes their beliefs and mind often. We are to be led by God’s word. We are to be led by the Spirit. Various impulses is what gets most of us in trouble. We become worried and off we go. We doubt and off we go. We get discouraged and off we go. Impulses leading us to where ever they take us. No direction. No guidance. Drifting about without an anchor. False teachers recognize this. They didn’t stumble upon weak women by accident. They knew. They knew exactly who to go to and they knew exactly what to say. False teachers are sharp. I wonder if they are sharper than the shepherds who are supposed to be watching the sheep. Maybe the shepherds do not want to admit that some are weak and led by impulses. Maybe they don’t want to deal with those kind of things. False teachers don’t mind. They will visit homes, as our passage describes, just for that very purpose.

Thirdly, God’s word is the answer through all of this. Brethren need to know God’s word. We need spiritually strong Christians. Error doesn’t stand a chance against truth. A twisted statement is caught early and swiftly by those who know. Those who are weak are hurting others. They are prone to spiritual trouble. The solution? Teach God’s word. Get to know the Bible. Quit being weak. Stop being weighed down by sins. No longer be led by impulses. That is the solution. Error has to leave when that happens. It will look for another house.

We should take away from this study the thought that Satan never quits trying to get God’s people. He will use every avenue, including books, sermons and even other Christians to trip us. The battle is on going. Our outcome is based upon how much of God’s book is in us.

I hope this helps.

Roger