2 Peter Chapter 2
Many would like to believe that after one becomes a Christian, life will be a bed of roses. Jesus will take care of us. Nothing bad will ever happen. Everyone in church is good.
We like to believe and want to believe that only good exists in the house of God.
But…
And it is a very big BUT … Peter tells us otherwise. Here are a few truths in 2 Peter 2:
This is Not a New Problem
But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you…
~ 2 Peter 2:1a
Peter laid it out very clearly – the problem of false prophets was there in the past and will be there going forward. The enemy of God has been deceiving and misleading the people of God since the start of mankind and the chosen nation.
Even before Israel entered the promised land of Canaan, God already gave His people commands on how to identify and handle the false prophets that will surely come (Deut 18:20-22; Deut 13:1-5).
And Peter was certain that this was real problem.
See how Peter phrases it: “There WILL BE false teachers among us”.
Remember what Jesus said when His disciples came to Him asking for the sign of the end of age and His coming? What was Jesus’ first reply?
“Take heed that no one deceives you”
~Matt 24:4~
And Jesus went on to speak about false prophets more than any other sign of the last days. (See Matt 24).
Peter was not the only author in the New Testament that spoke of a great increase in false teachers in false prophets in the last days. Many others did too.
Not Without But Within!
The second point to note – which is quite and more scary – is that the problem is not without but within!
It is easy to identify what are false religions but when they are from within the church, it makes it more difficult to spot.
Peter says they shall be among you. Jesus said that they would look like the real thing. Paul said that they may even appear as if angels of light!
They are indeed wolves dressed in sheep’s clothings! (Matt 7:13-20)
So how do we spot these wolves who come disguised as harmless sheep?
Jesus tells us that we can detect them by the way they act, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit. We know the principle – a good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit. So every tree that does not produce good fruit is chopped down and thrown into the fire.
But we must also learn to spot what is a good fruit. The fruit of the Holy Spirit is a start.
The Gospel of Grace & Peace Is Now Abused
… who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction. And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed. By covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words; for a long time their judgment has not been idle, and their destruction does not slumber.
~ 2 Pet 2:1b – 3
False teachers introduce false teachings very secretly… many a times using the very same words found in the Bible. This is hardly surprising when we recall how Satan tried to tempt Jesus three times using the Scriptures twisted in his own way.
And so if we do not know the Word of God properly, we may not even be aware that some things you heard are actually false teachings.
While, thankfully, I have not seen this happening in our church, Peter also speaks about these false teachers who pander to the desires and lusts of the believers and change the gospel of grace to one of greed.
Read through this chapter so that you are aware of the characteristics and motives of such people and let the Word of God be the light to our path and show us who the false teachers are!
The Lord Watches, Judges, and Saves.
2 Pet 2:4-9 tells us that God is not going to leave us alone to face these false prophets. God watches and He deals justly according to what He sees.
To quote the above “then the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment,” (2 Peter 2:9)
God showed this in the days of Noah. And also in the days of Lot.
And He still does it today!
The false teachers may think that they can say what they want, live like they want, and do what they want.
But as it says in verse three ‘”their judgment has not been idle, and their destruction does not slumber.”
As a conclusion (not sure why I wrote so much!), if we were to read 2 Peter 2 by itself, it could be quite disheartening.
But when you read it in the context of the whole Bible, you find that there are many examples that will spur you on in the midst of these false teachers and prophets.
Just read what Paul said when he was making a defence for his belief in Acts 20:22-37.
Contrast the life of Paul with those false teachers and prophets we read in 2 Peter 2. Hi attitude, beliefs and heart of service as a true shepherd of the flock of the Lord is a huge example for us today.
Look at his dedication to the truth of the gospel. See how he intensely want to accomplish the works that God has set of him. Feel his concern for the flock in the face of wolves that he knew would surely come. Wonder at his lack of greed or covetousness and his love for the members.
He is a real man of God! Not like any of these false prophets and teachers here.
Let us strive together to recognize the false prophets and teachers by reading more about the Word of God and study it in the new year that is to come.