They are the kind who worm their way into households and captivate vulnerable women who are weighed down with sins and led astray by various passions,
Paul tells Timothy the Church will face terrible diseases that demand uncommon fidelity and watchfulness from her pastors. When all goes well we grow careless; but necessity sharpens us. He prepares Timothy for arduous work ahead.
AI summary
Commenting on 2 Timothy 3:1-17
Timothy must not think it strange if there were in the church bad men; for the net of the gospel was to enclose both good fish and bad, Mat 13:47, Mat 13:48. Jesus Christ had foretold (Mt. 24) that there would come seducers, and therefore we must not be offended at it, nor think the worse of religion or the church for it.
Commenting on 2 Timothy 3:1-9
For of this sort are they which creep into houses,.... Privily and unawares, in a clandestine manner, and insinuate themselves into families, by fawning and flattering, and under specious pretences to knowledge and virtue. The Syriac version uses a word, from whence comes "Chulda", which signifies "a weasel"; suggesting, that their entrance into houses was like to the way of that creature, which is sometimes...