3:62 Timothy 3:6

Paul prophetically describes the professed people of God in the last days, and the present condition of the popular churches and the world answers to that description as a sign that the end is near.4SP 239.1+1 To creep into houses is to infiltrate even respectable homes and bring sin-burdened, easily misled persons into control and captivity, and those led away are those enslaved by indulged, ungoverned desires of many kinds who reject sound teaching that condemns their conduct and favor flattering teachers.4SP 239.1+4 These deceivers are licentious agents of Satan working under pretense of representing Christ, entering with apparent piety, claims of new light and divine leading, and personal influence, mixing professed Sabbath and Bible truth with soul-destroying heresies and wresting Scripture from its true meaning.Ms 9, 1880, par. 9–13+4 They stupefy conscience so that damnable heresies are received as truth and revolting sins as righteousness, deliberately laying plans to separate husband and wife and lead the unwary into sin and ruin, a control of one mind by another that God forbids and that works destruction and not restoration even when begun innocently to relieve nervous minds.Lt 121, 1901, par. 15–16+4 Every word of this warning applies now to all the churches and ministers, calling brethren to wake from slumber, trim their lamps with grace and fit up a people to stand in the day of the Lord, while those held by misplaced confidence are to use wisdom, foresight and judgment to reject the deceiver.20MR 317.6–318.1+2

The verse is part of Paul's prophetic description of the professed people of God in the last days, applied to the popular churches, and the signs of the times and the condition of the world correspond to that description and indicate that the earth's present state is nearing its close.4SP 239.1+1 It is included among the sins that can be hidden beneath a profession of Christianity.4SP 239.1 It belongs to the warning that many have departed from the faith.RH Jul 18, 1907 It belongs also to the instruction to heed the dangers of the last days and false teaching and to meet error decidedly.RH Jul 18, 1907+1

It stands in Paul's charge that all Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be perfect and thoroughly furnished unto all good works.Ms 89, 1898, par. 25–27 Timothy is charged before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom, to preach the word, to be instant in season and out of season, to reprove, rebuke, and exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine, to watch in all things, to endure afflictions, to do the work of an evangelist, and to make full proof of ministry.Ms 89, 1898, par. 25–27 The reason given is that the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine but after their own lusts will heap to themselves teachers having itching ears and will turn away their ears from the truth to fables.Ms 89, 1898, par. 25–27 It belongs to the instruction that ministers must reject carnal devices to please and attract people and instead preach the truth as it is in Jesus, Jesus Christ and Him crucified, keeping close to the work of preaching the Word with reproof, rebuke, and exhortation.Lt 9, 1892, par. 25–29

To creep into houses means to infiltrate and insinuate into homes, even respectable homes and families, and to draw sinful, easily misled women into control and captivity.4SP 239.1+2 The phrase silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts means persons burdened by sin and led by varied desires.4SP 239.1+1 Divers means varied and not merely one kind of lust.Ms 9, 1880, par. 9–13 It includes professed Christians who have indulged their desires until enslaved by ungoverned passions and who therefore reject sound teaching that condemns their conduct and favor teachers who flatter instead of rebuking their sins.Ms 9, 1880, par. 9–13+1

The creeping into houses is the work of licentious, deceitful agents of Satan who do their worst harm while pretending to represent Jesus Christ, a single sinner dressed as an angel of light able to do incalculable damage, seen concretely in a professedly godly adulterer who gathers women around him and draws them into danger and ruin.5T 139.2–140.3+1 They insinuate themselves even into respectable families and homes, leading captive women laden with sins and led by lusts.5T 139.2–140.3+1 By deceptive wiles and intrigues they lead astray conscientious persons and guide others in the paths of hell.5T 139.2–140.3

Entrance is gained under religious pretenses and the appearance of piety, with apparent religious zeal put forward to deceive and control the unsuspecting and unwary.Ms 9, 1880, par. 9–13+1 Claims of new light on the Bible and claims of being led of God are used as cover, with sanctity masking corrupt desires.5T 139.2–140.3+1 Personal influence is employed to enter women's lives, and those held are held by misplaced confidence.Ms 106, 1894, par. 6+1 Divers lusts means varied lusts, not merely one kind.Ms 9, 1880, par. 9–13

To win the confidence of the unsuspecting, truth is mixed with defiling, soul-destroying heresies.5T 139.2–140.3+1 The seventh-day Sabbath and kindred truths are professed, and new light is claimed as if from God's leading, while the Scriptures are wrested from their true meaning.5T 139.2–140.3 To those deceived the claims seem holy, while to those untainted by the corrupt doctrines they appear absurd.Ms 106, 1894, par. 6

Conscience is confused and stupefied so that damnable heresies are received as truth.Ms 9, 1880, par. 9–13+1 The most serious and revolting sins come to be committed as acts of righteousness.Ms 9, 1880, par. 9–13+1 This reaches the point of teaching that the adultery condemned in the law of God does not mean what is generally understood, that it is not offensive to God for wives to be untrue to their marriage vows, and that such unfaithfulness does not break the seventh commandment.5T 139.2–140.3

Dark plans are deliberately laid to separate husband and wife, and the unwary are led into sin with grave crimes committed.5T 139.2–140.3+1 Such deception brings unhappiness and ruin, harms souls, and becomes a stumbling block to others who might accept the truth.5T 139.2–140.3+1 What begins as religious influence ends in destruction of the home and hindrance of the truth.Ms 106, 1894, par. 6+1

Those who accept the error include cases where one mind exercises complete control over another mind, which God forbids and for which He has given no light or encouragement and not one ray of light.Lt 121, 1901, par. 15–16 This covers the mind-cure when exercised by Christian physicians upon patients in health institutions, even when entered upon innocently to relieve tension upon the minds of nervous invalids.Lt 121, 1901, par. 15–16 Innocent though it may appear, in its development it is for destruction and not restoration, and must find no place and be allowed no particle of standing-room.Lt 121, 1901, par. 15–16 It is one of Satan's greatest sciences and the science of Satan's working, bringing great temptation to physicians, making the controlled mind a machine in the controller's hands with one acting out the will of another.Lt 121, 1901, par. 15–16 It is as when Satan takes possession of body, mind, and soul when he entices men to sell the soul for liquor so that Satan and not the man acts, with Satan's cruelty and violence expressed as when the drunkard lifts his hand to strike down the wife he promised to love and cherish as long as life shall last.Lt 121, 1901, par. 15–16

Every word of the third chapter applies at this time to all the churches and to every minister throughout the world.20MR 317.6–318.1+1 That present application means the perilous conditions described are present now.20MR 317.6–318.1+1 The call is for brethren, including brethren in America, to wake out of lethargic slumbers.20MR 317.6–318.1+1 They are to trim their lamps with the grace of God and let them shine in clear, bright rays to a world in darkness.20MR 317.6–318.1+1 They are to do the great work of fitting up a people to stand in the day of the Lord by coming up to the help of the Lord against the mighty.20MR 317.6–318.1+1

Women held captive by such deception are held by misplaced confidence.Ms 9, 1880, par. 1–5 They should use wisdom, foresight, and judgment to reject the deceiver's conduct.Ms 9, 1880, par. 1–5 Such deception brings unhappiness and ruin, harms souls, and becomes a stumbling block to others who might accept the truth.Ms 9, 1880, par. 1–5