Part X
LEAD AWAY FROM THE HOME
"For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts" (II Timothy 3:6).
Note carefully that according to II Timothy 3:6, the religious system will lead believers "away." But where will they be lead away from? "Houses"! This was the Pauline pattern of the gathering of the church. Paul, even unto the end, emphasized "the church in thy house." And it is also important to note the time frame of which Paul speaks. He was speaking of the "last days"of the body of Christ. And even then the Scriptural place for the gathering of the church is still in "houses."
Some would lead us to believe that the "primitive" church gathered in homes because that is all that they could do. They would have us believe that when the church became older it progressed passed those "primitive" concepts. But Paul shows us that even unto the "last days," the biblical pattern of the gathering of the saints is in the home! And a spiritual warfare surrounds the abandonment this domestic position.
And why do we say that this is spiritual warfare? Because in the context, saints are being "lead captive" from "houses." They are prisoners of war!
So, Paul describes a wholesale abandonment of "the church in thy house" in the "last days." And the saints are being lead off to the religious system, where they are kept in bondage.
Interestingly, Paul specifically speaks of the woman being lead. This is because women are especially vulnerable to the subtle pull of the religious system. But, ultimately this is not an indictment against the women so much as it is the men. For, where are the men in this verse?
If the women can be pulled from the home, it is because their husbands are not providing the spiritual leadership that is their responsibility! Does not all this sound familiar? It sounds like we have heard a similar account in Genesis chapter three. The serpent has come for the woman, and the man stands there in silence!
The adversary accomplishes this captive leading from the home through religious "lusts." They are "led away with divers lusts." We know that these lusts are "religious" because verse six does not end with a period, but with a comma. ". . . Led away with divers lusts, ever learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth." The lusts here are for knowledge. Does this sound familiar again? Satan came to Eve with the temptation of the "tree of the knowledge of good and evil." With their husbands' silent abdication of their God given responsibility, the women are draw as silly (Paul's word!) "groupies" to these organized knowledgefests.
In fact, women are so strongly effected by these lusts, or passions, that they will become so emboldened, as to disregard the plain teachings of Paul (I Corinthians 14:34,35; I Timothy 2:11-15), and begin to take leadership roles, even teach the Scriptures in these systems themselves!
Now, all of this is done under the guise of "godliness" (II Timothy 3:5). But is only a form, an appearance, and things are not always as they appear. That is why those coming into the "houses" to lead the silly women out captive are said to be creepers (creeps!) "For of this sort are they which creep into houses. . ."
The woman is the first line of the Satanic attack to lead the church out of the home, and into the religious system, captive. Therefore, from the satanic viewpoint, the woman is at the heart of the religious system - and her husband, with ring-in-nose, submissively follows suit! Remember the account of Genesis? ". . . And gave also unto her husband with her, and he did eat" (Genesis 3:6b).
This also reminds us that "Babylon" is called "she" in Revelation chapter 18. It is a feminine system. Remove the woman's presence, work and influence from the system, and it will die.
Perhaps for years, many of us would read verse six and scratch our heads, "What in the world is Paul talking about?" But, how wonderful context is! For, with context comes the floodlight of understanding!
Now, once again, the indictment in verse six, is not so much against "silly women," as it is against their rebellious heads! It is time for us husbands to stop abdicating the divine responsibility that is ours. It is time to stop taking our families off to be trained by the worldly religious system. This is our responsibility, and it is one that cannot be delegated to others. Let's repent of our failure to be the spiritual leaders of our homes. With Bible in hand, let's bring our families out of Babylon, and back home, leading our wives and children in the Lord's nurture and admonition.
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