(001) Holy Damnation
2 Peter 2:1-12 – Holy Damnation
July 22, 2007
As you know, I am Micah’s brother. It’s amusing to be known that way. Growing up, Micah was typically known as “Josh’s brother,” but in the past several years, I have introduced myself as his brother more times than I can count. And I’m very proud of that.
For this reason, I was excited when I was invited to speak at The Gathering. I have watched this church from inception and have always held it very near my heart. A little bit of trivia: Marilyn and I were actually the first couple to be married in this building as “The Gathering.”
No/not yet
Q Have you noticed that to young children, “no” and “wait” are synonymous?
Not too long ago, whenever I told Sarah that she had to wait, she would run crying to mommy, “Daddy said no.” I would then remind her that I didn’t say no, I said not yet. Then she started saying, “Daddy said no/not yet.”
· In their frame of reference, 10 minutes is “never.”
· There is no such thing as soon.
Of course, what makes it worse are the times I genuinely mean “soon,” but then I forgot. I feel so small when I promised them something, then forgot but can no longer give it to them.
In the Bible, Jesus promises multiple times that he is returning “soon.” But after 2000 years, is it to feel forgotten.
The early church thought that Jesus return in the lifetime of the apostles, and his delay caused a major crisis of faith. The book of 2 Peter was written to address the fall out from that crisis. It answers the question on everyone’s mind:
· Why hasn’t Christ returned to establish his kingdom and overcome evil?
2000 years later, we are still waiting. And have to be honest I find myself doubting too. I am very grateful for Peter’s answers, because I think it is the only letter written to specifically address the delay.
· I wonder if the church could survive the delay without it.
Chapter 3 covers the reason for the delayed return, but chapter 2 addresses the false teachers who were saying Jesus would not return at all. Let’s begin by reading the entire passage:
1 But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them-- bringing swift destruction on themselves. 2 Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. 3 In their greed these teachers will exploit you with stories they have made up. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping. 4 For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell, putting them into gloomy dungeons to be held for judgment; 5 if he did not spare the ancient world when he brought the flood on its ungodly people, but protected Noah, a preacher of righteousness, and seven others; 6 if he condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by burning them to ashes, and made them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly; 7 and if he rescued Lot, a righteous man, who was distressed by the filthy lives of lawless men 8 (for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard)-- 9 if this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue godly men from trials and to hold the unrighteous for the day of judgment, while continuing their punishment. 10 This is especially true of those who follow the corrupt desire of the sinful nature and despise authority. Bold and arrogant, these men are not afraid to slander celestial beings; 11 yet even angels, although they are stronger and more powerful, do not bring slanderous accusations against such beings in the presence of the Lord. 12 But these men blaspheme in matters they do not understand. They are like brute beasts, creatures of instinct, born only to be caught and destroyed, and like beasts they too will perish. 2 Peter 1:20 - 2:12 NIV
The false teachers
So the first statement is that:
1 But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you.
This is an interesting comparison made between “now and then,” and it doesn’t simply serve as a clever transition, it demonstrates that “there is nothing new under the sun.”
· Ever since there has been truth, there have liars.
Q And just who are these false teachers? What can we tell about them from the texts?
· They are insiders – “secretly introduce” (1) implies they weren’t outsiders sneaking in.
· They were Christians – “sovereign Lord who purchased them” (1).
Q Was this prophecy or not? “There will be false teachers.” (1) This is clearly future tense, yet elsewhere he uses present.
· My theory: the false teachers were just coming on the scene, but Peter was expecting a flood once the apostles died.
Q What did they teach?
The exact teachings are unclear. The thing Peter expressly says about it is that they said Jesus was not returning.
They will say, "Where is this 'coming' he promised? Ever since our fathers died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation. 2 Peter 3:4 NIV
Q Who do you think “the fathers” are?
I think they are the apostles. There was a great expectation that Jesus would return within the lifetime of the disciples.
· The Apostle John had to contradict a rumor that he wouldn’t die, which probably means that Jesus would come back first.
Money & Sex
And so, these false teachers are not seen as naïve or deceived, but rather as sly deceivers. These are not the nice Mormon missionary kids wandering around your neighborhood.
These guys are like Steve Martin’s character in “Leap of Faith,” Jonas Nightingale. Interestingly, these guys are in it for the same reason as Jonas: women and money.
· “Many will follow their shameful ways.” (2) Shameful ways is a direct reference to sexual immorality.
· “In their greed these teachers will exploit you” (3) Exploit specifically means for financial gain.
Even if we don’t know the exact content of their preaching, we know the effect: They are “destructive heresies” (1).
Reading 2 Peter, it’s clear the teaching about Jesus’ return wasn’t some minor point of end time trivia – it was destructive.
· Because they lost sight of the returning righteous judge, they advocated godless living.
· Even with the misuse of eschatology, it is still crucial.
Behavior and belief
Here is an important point: their wrong thinking led to wrong actions. Our behavior flows from our beliefs. Sin is always a result of misunderstanding or distorting God and his character.
Accordingly, it’s crucial that every believer be well equipped to study and understand God’s word, so that we will not be misled by “destructive heresies.”
This is a little bit of a departure, but the principle that behavior follows belief goes hand-in-hand with another:
· Something believed but not lived isn’t truly believed.
In the NT, Christian doctrine is expressed in terms of Christian behavior. It has little interest in creeds and belief statements for their own sake. They must be accompanied by action.
I have been a pastor for almost nine years and I have seen two opposite but equal errors:
· Biblical illiteracy and Biblical arrogance.
Illiteracy is when someone can’t tell the truth from a lie, and arrogance when they’re so busy knowing that they don’t do.
Or as I like to call it: Heresy and hyper-doxy.
· Hyper-doxy is a term of my own coining.
It’s kind of like orthodoxy, but it’s really hyper. Hyper is a Greek prefix meaning “an excess of measure.”
You probably know the type: They can run circles around you quoting the Bible or discussing some nuanced point of theology, but something just ain’t right.
· Initially, they might impress or intimidate you, but the more you get to know them, the less of Jesus you see in them.
And because of seeing these two extremes, I have developed a personal passion to see believer avoid both heresy and hyper-doxy, because both are lethal to the church.
Q Which are you more prone to?
For me, it’s hyper-doxy. I have my Greek and Hebrew, I know my stuff, and I can be incredible puffed up in my knowledge. Of course, that is because I think I need it to be valuable.
· Side note: Hyper-doxy people have not yet fully believed and appropriated accepted God’s love, grace, and acceptance.
· In other words, they are really insecure.
V. 2: The world’s double standard
So back to the passage: in verse 2, Peter says that the false teachers will bring the way of truth into disrepute.
· The Way of Truth most likely means “Christianity,” “The Way” was the earliest name for Christianity.
Q How is the “way of truth” maligned? For acting like Pagans. Remember, “shameful ways” refers to sexual immorality.
Q Among whom does it fall into disrepute? The Pagans.
Like today, the world has a higher standard for us than for themselves. Unfair? Perhaps. But ironically they agree with God on this point. His standards are higher for us than the world.
VV. 3b-9: Promised destruction
Now, the next several verses could be summarized as saying: Heretics are all going to hell. Hallelujah! First he says:
Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping.
But that begs the question: When? If God really opposes them, then why is it that they are just being allowed to wonder around flouting their evil and deceiving God’s children?
Unfortunately, Peter can’t answer that question – he doesn’t know. But he knows that it will happen. As evidence, he looks to other times God has passed judgment:
4 For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell, putting them into gloomy dungeons to be held for judgment;
This event is a little obscure. It may refer to a pre-creation judgment or to judgment against the “sons of God” from Gen. 6.
5 if he did not spare the ancient world when he brought the flood on its ungodly people, but protected Noah, a preacher of righteousness, and seven others;
Here Peter adds that God was saving of the righteous even as he was punishing.
6 if he condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by burning them to ashes, and made them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly;
Peter chooses the Flood and Sodom & Gomorrah because they reflect the totality and means of the final judgment.
7 and if he rescued Lot, a righteous man, who was distressed by the filthy lives of lawless men
Again, the righteous are saved.
8 (for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard)--
This comment is interesting. Genesis does not seem to paint Lot entirely as a righteous man, but for the sake of argument, let’s say he is. Perhaps Peter uses Lot to be an example to us of how we should feel regarding the unrighteousness that we live among.
9 if this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue godly men from trials and to hold the unrighteous for the day of judgment, while continuing their punishment.
This verse is central to the passage, as it answers the question: “How can God be called a just God, if the wicked go unpunished and the righteous are persecuted?”
· This is a problem I have personally struggled with.
This was also a question that psalmists in the OT wrestled with. Psalm 73 is one of my favorite passages in the Bible because it both echoes my doubts, and answers them:
Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart. 2 But as for me, my feet had almost slipped; I had nearly lost my foothold. 3 For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. 4 They have no struggles; their bodies are healthy and strong. 5 They are free from the burdens common to man; they are not plagued by human ills....16 When I tried to understand all this, it was oppressive to me 17 till I entered the sanctuary of God; then I understood their final destiny. 18 Surely you place them on slippery ground; you cast them down to ruin. Psalm 73:1-5; 16-18 NIV
If you place all of your stock in this life, you are forced to say that God is either not just or not capable. The prosperity of the wicked is an effective argument against a good God, UNLESS you hold an eternal perspective.
· Given all of the suffering in this world, the inequality, the evil, this life only makes sense in the light of eternity.
VV. 10-12a Magician or materialist?
10 This is especially true of those who follow the corrupt desire of the sinful nature and despise authority.
Peter now brings it back to the false teachers, and he levels two charges against them, following corrupt desires and despising authority.
· The “corrupt desires” is a reference to sexual immorality.
BTW, he is going to talk more about this in verses 13-14. He uses a literary devise call a “chiasm,” the second item is addressed first and the first is addressed second.
The “despising authority” is a bit more cryptic. Which authorities? The same term is used in Eph. and Col. to mean “dominions.” I think this refers to demonic powers, the “princes of the air,” and the “celestial beings” in the next verse.
Bold and arrogant, these men are not afraid to slander celestial beings; [The authorities] 11 yet even angels, although they are stronger and more powerful, do not bring slanderous accusations against such beings in the presence of the Lord. 12 But these men blaspheme in matters they do not understand.
Q How do these teachers slander and blaspheme demons?
It could mean that they are engaging in some sort of occultic practices. However, unlike Colossians, there’s no other reference to that sort of thing.
My guess is that the false teachers actually didn’t even believe in the demonic powers and the blaspheming was a contemptuous attitude based upon disbelief.
In any case, the point is that if angels are cautious in their dealings with the demonic forces, how much more so should mortal man be wary?
I know that in my Pentecostal days, I saw what could only be described as slanderous speech against demons. We are not called to fear such forces, but a certain respectfulness is in order, as respect for lightning.
Mind you, Satan has no problem being treated this way. As C.S. Lewis once said:
“There are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about the devils. One is to disbelieve their existence. The other is to believe, and to feel an excessive and unhealthy interest in them. They themselves are equally pleased by both errors, and hail a materialist or a magician with the same delight.”
V. 12b: Damned beasts!
They are like brute beasts, creatures of instinct, born only to be caught and destroyed, and like beasts they too will perish.
Peter compares these false teachers to animals. There are two points of comparison: 1) they are senseless (“brute”), meaning ignorant of the spiritual realm, and 2) they are creatures of instinct, again a reference to sexual immorality.
There is a sense is which sexual immoral people are acting like a brute beast. The instinct of animals is to eat and breed. One of the things that makes humans different from the animals is our ability to restrain and redirect these instincts.
· The Christian’s sexual ethics is because they value sex more, not less.
One final thought:
Q Why is Peter so unmerciful towards the false teachings?
Q Why is the tone so different with Paul’s conciliatory tone when he spoke with the philosophers on Mars Hill?
It has everything to do with who we are talking to. Peter is talking to those inside the church (to a certain extent) who are damaging the church. Paul was speaking to those outside trying to bring them in.
· In most cases, Paul’s approach at Mars Hill is a far better example to us of how to approach those outside the church.
Sum it all up
We live in a challenging era, children of the kingdom of God, living in the kingdom of the world.
· We don’t expect that to be easy, even if it is taking long than we thought.
In the meantime, we must equip ourselves to recognize truth from lies and live as the children of light, a shining beacon to a lost and dying world.
prayer
Father, along with your servant Paul, we say, “Come, Lord,” “Maranatha.” We eagerly await your return, and all creation groans awaiting your redemption of your creation.
This world is not like you want it to be, so we pray that we be your light and hands, even while we wait.
If we are too comfortable here, in the midst of evil and suffering, something is wrong. Make us like Lot, tormented by the evil around us, but fervent to reach those stuck in sin.