False Teachers!

Introduction

Last week, we ended with the first couple of verses in chapter 2 of 2 Peter. Today we want to continue our study of the false teachers that Peter describes. If you have your Bibles, I want to encourage you to turn with me to 2 Peter 2. As we begin, let’s read the first couple of verses.

2 Peter 2:1–3 NIV84

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. Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. 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.

Last week we talked about the fact that these false teachers were always among us. They were always here!

As I was preparing this message I came across a current false teacher. A pastor out of Nashville, Tennessee, Joshua Scott. In a sermon on February 7th, Pastor Scott stated:

“As Progressive Christians we’re open to the tensions and inconsistencies in the Bible. We know that it [the Bible] can’t live up to impossible modern standards. We strive to more clearly articulate what Scripture is and isn’t. The Bible isn’t: the Word of God, self-interpreting, a science book, an answer/rule book, inerrant or infallible.”

Now, just because Pastor Scott (and many others like him) do not believe these things, does not make them any less true. This is but one example of a false teacher in our world today.

As we begin our section for today we are going to see that Peter explain the danger of being a “false teacher” by comparing how God has dealt with those in times past had turned their backs on him.

Examples of God’s Judgment

1. Angels

2 Peter 2:4 NIV84

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;

There are several things that seem to cause confusion in this passage.

A. The word translated “hell”.

This is the Greek word tartus which is a word that comes out of Greek mythology—literally, gloomy dungeon.

B. Who are these angels?

Most likely they are the same ones mentioned in Jude 6.

Jude 6 NIV84

And the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their own home—these he has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day.

Some have suggested that it is the same group of angels in Genesis 6:1-4. Scholars come to this conclusion because the other two examples that Peter is going to use in the next couple of verse come from Genesis.

This could be a reference to Ezekiel 28:15.

Ezekiel 28:15 NIV84

You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created till wickedness was found in you.

C. These angels were placed in dark chains

—gloomy dungeons, waiting for the coming judgment.

These are not part of Satan’s demonic force. But rather are fallen angels that seem to be currently held for final judgment.

2. The Ancient World

2 Peter 2:5 NIV84

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;

The story of Noah and his family is found in Genesis 7. There we read that the entire world was ungodly. All except one man, Noah. Peter calls him a preacher of righteousness. We know the story that Noah, his wife, three sons and their wives were the only ones that were saved from the destruction of the flood.

3. Sodom & Gomorrah

2 Peter 2:6 NIV84

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 moves from the destruction of the entire world, to the destruction of two cities that were known for their sinfulness. This story if found in Genesis 19.

4. Rescuing the Righteous

Listening to these three stories—the fall of angels, the destruction of the entire world, and the destruction of two cities—could cause despair, but there is hope! God saved Lot.

2 Peter 2:7–9 NIV84

and if he rescued Lot, a righteous man, who was distressed by the filthy lives of lawless men (for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard)— 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.

God knows how to care for His people (children) who are surrounded by evil.

QUESTION: Does the unrighteousness around us torment us? Or are we just accepting of unrighteousness, and evil?

False Teachers

Peter now begins to expose the character of these false teachers.

2 Peter 2:10 NIV84

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;

1. Follow the corrupt desires of the sinful nature.

2. They despise authority.

3. Bold

—daring, audacious, presumptuous.

4. Arrogant

—willful, stubborn, proud.

5. Not afraid to slander celestial beings

—not afraid, without fear, without reason, without consequential thinking. These people don’t tremble in the face of divine beings!

—slander, blaspheme, defame, malign.

—celestial beings, Greek doxas, literally glorious ones. Perhaps the best understanding is that these are beings that have been in the presence of the Lord, but now they have fallen (demonic) beings.

2 Peter 2:11–12 NIV84

yet even angels, although they are stronger and more powerful, do not bring slanderous accusations against such beings in the presence of the Lord. 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.

Peter tells us that by contrast to these false teachers, angels do not bring the kind of accusations against the celestial beings—even though they are much stronger.

6. Blaspheme

They blaspheme (same word in verse 10) about things they have no understanding!

Their goal is to get mankind to live without any restrain towards sin!

7. Brute beasts

The kind that devour anyone or anything that gets in their way.

8. Creatures of instinct

They do whatever feels good to them! They live instinctually by the idea, “If it feels good do it!”

9. Born to be capture and destroyed

2 Peter 2:13 NIV84

They will be paid back with harm for the harm they have done. Their idea of pleasure is to carouse in broad daylight. They are blots and blemishes, reveling in their pleasures while they feast with you.

Peter reminds us that God is keeping track of what they do and he says that they will be paid back for the harm they have done.

10. They carouse in broad daylight.

These people have NO shame!

11. They are blots and blemishes

—on all of humanity!

12. Revel in pleasure

These people are all about self-pleasures to the point of sinning in the midst of participating in celebrations of the Lord.

2 Peter 2:14 NIV84

With eyes full of adultery, they never stop sinning; they seduce the unstable; they are experts in greed—an accursed brood!

13. Full of adultery

14. Never stop sinning

15. Seducers of the unstable

These people go after those who are spiritually weak!

16. Experts in greed!

—experts, Gk. gymanazō from which we get the English word “gymnastics” and well trained.

—greed, exploitation.

17. Accursed brood

—lit. children of the curse. These false teachers are people living under the curse of Adam!

2 Peter 2:15–16 NIV84

They have left the straight way and wandered off to follow the way of Balaam son of Beor, who loved the wages of wickedness. But he was rebuked for his wrongdoing by a donkey—a beast without speech—who spoke with a man’s voice and restrained the prophet’s madness.

18. Left the straight way

This implies that they may have once participated in the Gospel message, but now they have wandered off.

Balaam was known as a prophet of God, but wanted to speak words that God did not give him. In the process of going to Balak the king of the Midianites, his donkey protected him from God’s angel. The donkey ended up talking to Balaam to correct his actions.

2 Peter 2:17–19 NIV84

These men are springs without water and mists driven by a storm. Blackest darkness is reserved for them. For they mouth empty, boastful words and, by appealing to the lustful desires of sinful human nature, they entice people who are just escaping from those who live in error. They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity—for a man is a slave to whatever has mastered him.

19. False teachers are as useless as dried up springs

20. As effective as mists driven by a whirlwind

21. Boastful with their words

22. Entice people with lustful desires

23. Proclaim freedom—but lead to slavery to moral corruption

—depravity

2 Peter 2:20 NIV84

If they have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and are again entangled in it and overcome, they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning.

Some scholars make the “if” as hypothetical. So if this could happen they would end up being worse off than when they started.

However, Peter uses the “if” in the rest of the book (vv. 4, 6, and 7) the if is applied to real situations.

It seems best to see these false teachers as people who have heard, known, and understood the good news of Jesus. And either they rejected the gospel, or accepted it but never took root in their lives [apostasy](which makes them even more dangerous) and thus they have become even more entangled in sin and have been overcome by sin. Thus, because they heard and understood but rejected the gospel, they are now overwhelmed by sin, they are worse off than they were in the beginning. In fact, Peter tells us in verse 21 how bad their faith is now.

2 Peter 2:21 NIV84

It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than to have known it and then to turn their backs on the sacred command that was passed on to them.

This is an incredibly sad statement. They have rejected any hope of God in their lives! In fact he gives to proverbs—one in Scripture, and one from another ancient source.

2 Peter 2:22 NIV84

Of them the proverbs are true: “A dog returns to its vomit,” and, “A sow that is washed goes back to her wallowing in the mud.”

Dog returns to if vomit

Proverbs 26:11—

A pig wallows back in the mud

A proverb of unknown origin.

Conclusion

1. False Teachers are always with us!

2. These teachers pray on those who are spiritually weak.

3. They lead others back to being entangled and overcome by evil

4. They are like dogs returning to their vomit.

5. They are like pigs that go back to the mud.

So how about you?

Are you entangled in sin?

Are the pleasures of this world more appealing to you than being committed to Jesus?

Do you know what you believe?