Pseudo-Christian Creeps

“For among them are those who creep into households and capture weak women, burdened with sins and led astray by various passions, always learning but never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth” (2Tim 3:6-7).

Some dudes just give you the willies. You know the ones. They try WAY too hard with the ladies and clearly up to no good. And these sleaze balls have a type. They’re constantly on the prowl for women who are weak and vulnerable. They’re really nothing more than self-absorbed sexual predators. Let’s call it like it is. They’re creeps.

Don’t make the mistake of thinking the natural habitat for the lowlife is limited to the singles bar. They’re not just lurking on Tinder. These dirtbags are anywhere and everywhere. I hate to say it but church is one of their favorite hunting grounds. If you’ve ever been to any singles ministry mixer, you know EXACTLY what I’m talking about!

Like the cockroach, the rat, and the shark, this species has been stalking the planet for thousands of years. For instance, did you know that Paul and Timothy had to deal with an infestation of creeps at the church in Ephesus? Yeah, you read that right. Creeps are literally in the Bible.

In his second letter to a young pastor named Timothy, the apostle spends a good bit of time addressing a team of false teachers and their impact on the Ephesian church. It’s obviously a VERY big deal. Why else would Paul take the time to address these slime balls in the last letter he will ever write?

You see, the man from Tarsus is walking the Green Mile. He’s on Death Row in Rome at the infamous Mamertine Prison. The apostle knows a date with the executioner is right around the corner (2Tim 4:6-7). He pleads with his protege to make one last visit before it’s too late (2Tim 4:9, 21). Paul spends the rest of this epistle passing the torch of spreading the Gospel to his spiritual son (2Tim 1:1-2; 2:1-4:5).

There’s no doubt that spiritual hucksters have weaseled their way into the Ephesian church. Their destructive message is spreading like an aggressive cancer (2Tim 2:16). Instead bringing people together, they tearing people apart (2Tim 2:14, 23). Instead of getting up in their grill, Paul tells Tim to treat them gently. You never know, “God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth” and snap out of it (2Tim 2:25-26).

If you think it’s bad now, just you wait. The apostle tips us off that things are going really go off the rails “in the last days” (2Tim 3:1). That’s when the false teachers and their followers become self-absorbed, self-centered, self-obsessed, self-worshipers (2Tim 3:2-5). Seen Instagram lately? Looks like we’re well on our way. Well, buckle your seat belts, boys and girls. Things will soon spiral completely out of control.

Paul lets us know that a significant percentage of these snake oil salesmen have something else up their sleazy sleeves. “For among them are those who creep into households and capture weak women” (v6). The ESV uses the phrase “those who creep” as the translation for the Greek verb ενδυνω (enduno). It means to enter on the sly with ulterior motives, worm your way into, or secretly slip in.

One ancient translation of this verse in the Syriac language actually uses the word “weasel” here. A commentator by the name of Bloomfield says Paul is comparing them to snakes. These infiltrators can slither through the smallest openings. If you’re starting to get the willies, you get the drift. The apostle pulls no punches when talking about these pervs. He calls them creeps.

Not buying it? Don’t believe one of the writers of the Bible would stoop to this kind of name-calling? Well, take one look at who these lowlifes are targeting. They’re hoping to “capture weak women” (v6). Creepy enough for you? Paul uses a verb here (Gr. αιχμαλωτιζω/aichmalotizo) that’s actually a military term describing the capture prisoners of war.

Check out its other uses in the NT. Jesus paints a bleak picture of how the last days will go down when many “will fall by the edge of the sword and be led captive (Gr. αιχμαλωτιζω/aichmalotizo) among all nations” (Lk 21:24). Paul uses it to describe his own internal firefight and it’s “make me captive (Gr. αιχμαλωτιζω/aichmalotizo) to the law of sin that dwells in my members” (Rom 7:23). The apostle tells the Corinthians that the followers of Jesus must win the war over the voices in their heads and “take every though captive (Gr. αιχμαλωτιζω/aichmalotizo) to obey Christ” (2Cor 10:5).

Is Paul comparing these First Century creeps to those van-driving dirtbags who kidnap young women and hold them hostage for years in the basement? I’ll let you make that call. One way or the other, the apostle is not exactly describing a guy looking out for a lady’s best interest. These false teachers look to control and manipulate their victims. It’s really no more than low grade human trafficking.

These sexual predators set their sites on “weak women” (v6). The apostle once again doesn’t waste his time with P.C. language. He dusts off a word (Gr. γυναικαριον/gunaikarion) that’s not exactly a compliment. It paints a picture of a frivolous and foolish female who is morally immature. You might say a desperate housewife. This is a woman whose situation in life has left her prone to temptation. Desperate for a little attention. Easily flattered. Emotionally available.

How long has this stuff been going on? A long time. A VERY long time! Flip back to our first parents first days on the planet. That’s when Satan duped Eve into believing God was holding out on her and Adam (Gen 3:1-7). From what we’ve seen in 2 Timothy, it should come as no shock that our enemy showed up as a talking snake. The devil used a little scriptural slight of hand to fool Eve into chomping into the forbidden fruit and then handing it to her husband.

Ever since, pseudo-Christian creeps have been twisting Scripture so that their victims will be “burdened with sins and led astray by various passions, always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth” (v6-7). They overwhelm these women with all sorts of teaching that sounds like it comes from the Bible but is really nothing more than spiritual bondage. Their counterfeit gospel entices people further from our Heavenly Father, not closer. They pile on condemnation instead of leading them under the waterfall of God’s grace.

A word to the women and then to the men. Ladies, could there be a stronger encouragement to deepen your walk with Jesus and have a fuller understanding of God’s Word? That’s the best way to protect yourself from these creeps. When we know the Gospel, we much less likely to fall for something phony. Don’t let anyone try to convince you that he has the secret formula for salvation.

Remember, Jesus lived the perfect life we failed to live. He died the death for our sin we should have died. He rose to the glorious new life we don’t deserve. We place our trust in what He’s done on our behalf. We trust in His leadership and lordship of our lives. We obey God’s commands as an act of gratitude for what He’s done, not in order to earn our way into heaven. It really is that simple.

Ladies, don’t look for any other savior. Don’t subtly substitute the need for a boyfriend or husband for the place reserved only for Jesus. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with those relationships…EXCEPT when they become the ultimate object of worship. Idolatry is a lot more than bowing down to some handcrafted statue. Anytime we take a good thing and make it a god thing, that’s a bad thing.

Gentlemen, now can I have your attention for just a moment? First of all, if you feel like Paul’s getting personal here, now is the time to repent and ask for the forgiveness that only comes through Christ. We’re to see the women who follow Jesus as our sisters, not targets. As their brothers, we look out for their best interest. That means protecting them from creeps and any other sexual predators who are on the prowl.

And now a specific word for the husbands. Paul is not just talking about the single ladies here in 2 Timothy. Our wives need us to be fully involved in our marriages. That means our day isn’t done when we walk in the door from work. Instead of plopping down on the couch and watching SportsCenter, we love and serve our wives. She gets our best.

Just a reminder. God not only expects us to treat her the same way Jesus treated His bride, the church (Eph 5:25-33). I’m to love her. Give myself for her. Wash her in God’s Word. That does NOT mean guilting and manipulating her into doing what you want and when you want. When we do that, we’re really no better than the pseudo-Christian creeps Paul writes about.

Creeps, Pervs, and Deniers

“For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ” (v4).

Creeps. Perverts. Deniers. Not the kind of language you would expect to find in the Bible, is it? Maybe your mom told you not call people names. Well, clearly God doesn’t have a problem with it when it’s true. Throughout the Bible, He uses strong language to make very strong warnings. A close look at God’s Word lets us know without a doubt that Scripture doesn’t pull any punches. And in this case, these folks are creeps, perverts, and deniers. Well, that’s EXACTLY the labels Jude slaps on the bad guys here in his letter. He warns the folks he loves that there are people out there doing a ton of damage to local churches. They creep in under false pretenses. They pervert the goodness of God. They deny the authority of Christ. So there you have it. Creeps. Perverts. Deniers.

In the previous verse, Jude encourages us to “contend for the faith” (Jude 3). We must be FOR Jesus. We don’t just simply fight AGAINST things. Be careful going around leading boycotts and fighting ungodly causes without telling folks Who and what you’re FOR. Let’s face it, the followers of Jesus have become famous for what we’re against and not Who we’re FOR. “Contend FOR the faith” (Jude 3, emphasis added). Contend FOR Jesus!

But to fight FOR something, you do have to fight against something or someone. Jude lets us know who those someones are. They are “certain people…ungodly people” (v4). These people don’t give a rat’s rear end about God. There is no awe of Him. There is no worship of Him. They are irreverent, unholy, profane, and ultimately godless. But don’t be to quick to throw these folks under the church bus. We need to remember that Jesus went to Calvary them too. We need to remember that we fit that label before Christ saved us from ourselves. “For while were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly” (Rom 5:6). At one time, we were the “certain people.” Before Jesus got busy in our lives, we were the “ungodly people.”

Jesus’ kid brother says this particular godless gang is up to something. Something very devious. Something very destruction. They “have crept in unnoticed” (v4). This is all summed up when he uses the Greek verb pareisduo. It means to sneak in under false pretense, slip in unnoticed, or join secretly with evil intent. It’s a compound word that literally means to sink in next to something. They are infiltrators who worm their way into local churches to tear them apart from the inside out. This is spiritual espionage. They’re moles. Double agents. They use stealth to sneak in under the radar. They creep in. And if you creep in, you know what that makes you? A creep.

It’s not exactly as if this was a new tactic by the opponents of Jesus. Pete wrote a sequel warning of “false teachers…who will secretly bring in destructive heresies” (2Pet 3:1). It happened down in Galatia. Paul tips off believers about “false brothers…who slipped in to spy out our freedom that we have in Christ Jesus so that they might bring us into slavery” (Gal 2:4). And 2,000 years later, it’s still going on. 

Jude tells us that his big Brother isn’t going to be caught off guard by this inside job. Jesus slapped the label of guilt on them way ahead of time. These folks were “long ago were designated for this condemnation” (v4). God knew this was going to happen a long, long time ago. He used His prophets and apostles to hang spiritual wanted posters for this godless gang. He put out a BOLO alert. Be on the look out for these moles. We can be absolutely sure that the infiltrators will get caught and punished. If you think Jack Bauer can take out the trash from inside CTU, wait until you watch our Savior go to work. The Apostle Peter made it very clear that the long range forecast for these creeps is going to be a hot one. “The heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly” (2Pet 3:7). Fire. Judgment. Destruction. Condemnation. Jesus will make sure these creeps won’t get away with it.

After these sneak inside our churches, they have one purpose. “Pervert the grace of our God into sensuality” (v4). They twist the truth of His overwhelming goodness into a get-out-of-hell-free card. They distort the Good News as the license to do whatever you want with whoever you want whenever you want. Make absolutely NO mistake here. This is NOT the overwhelming and abundant life that Jesus promises (Jn 10:10). The grace of Jesus isn’t a license to get away with sin. It’s freedom FROM it. Can we talk honestly here? We’re perverts too. We bend and contort the Gospel and to my advantage like a game of spiritual Twister. I tell myself that I can do this or that because I’m under His grace. But there’s a small problem with that view. THAT’S NOT GRACE! That makes God’s mind-blowing and overflowing goodness all about us. While His grace is certainly for you and me, it’s not all about you and me. Grace doesn’t put us on the throne. It focuses us on the lavish generosity of God. These pervs misuse, misapply, and misrepresent His grace. 

Just in case you think these false teachers aren’t THOSE kind of perverts, Jude lets us know that’s EXACTLY what they are. They corrupt the message for sexual pleasure and “sensuality” (v4). The author busts out the Greek word aselgeia. It means debauchery and lustful indulgence in general, and outrageous sexual behavior specifically. Paul makes it VERY clear that the followers of Jesus must not allow their libido behind the steering wheel. “Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in sexual immorality and sensuality (Gr. aselgeia)” (Rom 13:13). Sexual sin had done huge damage in the Corinthian church. Paul was concerned that his friends there had “not repented of the impurity, sexual immorality, and sensuality (Gr. aselgeia) that they have practiced” (2Cor 12:21). 

In the words of those great theologians Salt ’N’ Pepa, let’s talk about sex. Well, at least in how it relates to following Christ. Sin has completely corrupted our view of sexual intimacy. God’s original design is for a husband and wife to be hot and bothered for each other. But when we’re horny for someone other than our spouse, we do one of two things. First of all, we doubt God. Or in the words of Jesus’ kid brother, we “deny our only Master and Lord Jesus Christ” (v4). We don’t believe in Him because we don’t want to do what He says. Especially when He’s trying to keep me from a roll in the sack. We give Him the Heisman because He’s keeping us from sexual pleasure. Second, we pervert the Gospel as a license to shag. That’s what these creeps and pervs are up to. Don’t think that the first century false teachers cornered the market on sleeping around in the church. It still goes on today. God’s Word is loud and clear. “Flee from sexual immorality” (1Cor 6:18). Beat feet like our boy Joseph (Gen 39:12). It’s not like God is some sort of cosmic killjoy. He’s protecting us from ourselves. “The sexually immoral person sins against his own body” (1Cor 6:18). He knows the destruction it causes within us.

Jude tells us to be on the look out. Watch out for creeps. Watch out for perverts. Watch out for deniers. We should recognize them. They probably look a lot like us.