Articles
False teachers - 2 Peter 2
False teachers 2 Peter 2
There has always been such false teachers and always will be such. There also also will be people who are deceived and follow them. Peter gives us warning by describing some of their characteristics.
Secretly - they often hide and conceal their corruptive teaching knowing that it is not acceptable.
Destructive - the end result of their work AND THEM.
· destructive / destruction - 1 *
· destruction - 3
· destroyed/destruction - 12,
· utter gloom reserved for them - 17
Sensuality -
· Indulge in the lust of defiling passion - 10
· Revel in the daytime - 13
· Eyes full of adultery - 14
· Insatiable for sin
· Entice others by sensual passions of the flesh. 18
Greed (14) - love the gain from wrongdoing - 15
Despise authority (in particular - God, Jesus, God’s word)
· Bold - what starts as ‘secret’ become bold when they have built a base of followers.
· Willful - while in one sense they themselves are deceived, it is also a choice they make of what they believe, what they teach, and how they act.
· Like irrational animals -
· Behavior is ruled by instinct and not righteous judgment -
False teachers AFFECT others - those who believe their lies and error!
· Promise freedom - but enslave… 19-20
· Latter end —> worse
Peter’s admonition is that we as God’s people need to know the truth so that we can detect and avoid such wrong-headed teaching. Therein lies the biggest danger for those who are ignorant, they cannot discern the difference and are thus easily mislead with devastating eternal consequences. He concludes this letter instructing us to “... grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen. (2 Peter 3:18) Be Not Deceived.
Hugh DeLong
