Last time we looked at what Peter told us we need to do if we want to be a partaker of Christ (Part 2), and how following these seven steps will put us in the place we need to be in order to recognize and guard against the false teaching that would draw us out of His presence should we fall under it. This time we move into Chapter 2 where Peter refutes false teaching. Let’s see if we can find the warnings for the bride of Christ here in America as the day of His return draws ever nearer.
In this chapter Peter doesn’t package his teaching into short little bites but rather he presents a long passage that is hard to divide. In verses 1-19 he tells us how we are to recognize false teaching and then he speaks directly to the doom those false teachers face. Let’s first look at how to recognize false teaching today, as it comes in many forms and approaches and is often presented by very charismatic and gifted teachers.
Today America is being flooded with a message that sounds good and feels good but is not based solidly on the truth. The emergent church or sometimes referred to as the missional church brings the message of “social justice” and that we have the responsibility to reach out with the love of Christ and meet that need. Well, that is true and the Word tells us that we are to do just that:
James 1:27 Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.
But a key part of that verse is tells us that we are to keep ourselves from becoming part of the world we are serving. And for that there is only one antidote — the Holy Spirit. But the Holy Spirit speaks only the truth and the truth is, as Paul put it:
1Cor 2:2 For I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.
And this is the message that the emergent church is ignoring in their push for social justice. People don’t want to hear about sin and the blood of Christ. But without the blood there is no remission of sin and the gospel message is watered down; watered down into a safe and non-offending package.
We cannot afford to “join the world” in its crusade to meet those needs that exist if we don’t bring with us first and foremost the message of the gospel. We cannot simply set the Cross and Christ’s atoning blood aside for fear of offending someone. Yes, their needs are our needs but not at the expense of the Cross. And if we are going to meet those needs as the Lord leads us then we need to be prepared to do it His way and not man’s way. To accomplish that we need to be prepared, equipped, empowered and sent by the Holy Spirit with the “truth” where He leads.
Yes, there are false teachers in the church in America today that in all sincerity believe they are preaching and teaching a message that God has given them. Oh, they may not be teaching sexual immorality but they are teaching a watered down message from the pulpit. It’s a message that appeals to people who — perhaps out of guilt — feel the need to serve others. Or it may be out of a genuine heart to serve others. But nevertheless, without the truth of the gospel being the underlying foundation it becomes nothing more than human “works.” No matter how it is approached, the goal in many, many instances is “church building.” Far too many pastors are out there today concerned with only one thing; how many members do I have. Sadly, far too many seek the solution in the message of the emergent movement and as a result, far too many sheep are being fed a meal that is without “eternal substance.”
As the bride of Christ we need to be fully aware of the false teaching that is out there. it is “very appealing” to those who are searching for answers, but it’s a feel good message that stays away from the topic people don’t want to hear about — sin. Remember, Jesus told us that we are to “make disciples” and the only message that makes true disciples is Jesus Christ and Him crucified. That is a message that cannot be told without addressing sin and the blood of Christ.
With this in mind I want to pass along some thoughts from Paul A. Cedar in his commentary on Peter’s second letter. He breaks down verses 1-19 into some bite size pieces, which he calls 22 clues that will help us identify the false teacher and the false message. We will look at them over the next several weeks. I have paraphrased them for us along with some personal comments and I think you will find that they stand out like a flashing red light at a railroad crossing … danger, don’t go there. The bride needs to be well armed and prepared to deal with these teachings whenever and wherever she runs into them. The lives of many that have and are being mislead depend on it.
2Peter 2:1 But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.
Clue #1 – They will secretly bring false heresies. False teachers (pseudodiadaskalos) are usually not “forthright” in their message as they prefer to sneak up on their audience. They usually present it as “new light” or “new revelation” or something God has revealed to them. The Greek word hairesis are doctrines that contain “some truth” but are blended with a false message. The word heresies can also be translated as “sects” and their messages bring disunity to the bride of Christ. God is not the author of confusion but of peace as in all churches of the saints (1Cor 14:33). Confusion causes disunity and Satan thrives on disunity in the bride. Remember, the truth of the Word of God is “not new,” it is only new to those who have not heard it taught by the Spirit of Truth. Jesus told us in Matt 13 that we are to expect false teachers in the church and they bring liberal doctrines that propagate their opinions rather than the truth.
Clue #2 – They will even deny the Lord. That sounds like someone standing up and apostatizing but that isn’t what it means. To deny — arneomai — means to contradict or reject. There is a “message of comfort” in America today that contradicts the truth of the gospel by denying the blood of the Cross; ignoring it. Yes, there are cults that will come to your door with a heresy denying Christ but there is also a subtle message that twists the truth just as Satan did in The Garden … did God really say?
2Peter 2:3 And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.
Clue #3 – They will exploit you with deceptive words. The word emporeuomai is translated “exploit” — make merchandise of you; buying and selling. False teachers will exploit people as a result of their covetousness (pleonexia), a craving to have larger congregations and more power. The word “feigned” (plastos) is where we get our word “plastic,” which represents something formed, fabricated or molded. That is what false teachers do, they fashion their words in order to deceive people to satisfy their own personal goals. Peter tells us that while we may think that they are not being judged, God will not linger in His judgment but He is also merciful in His patience and gives them time to repent.
Let me insert a thought here regarding how sitting under deceptive teaching can impact a believer. Look for a moment at verses 7-8:
2Peter 2:7-8 And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked: 8 (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds)
Here was Lot, the nephew of the patriarch Abraham. He traveled with Abraham and without a doubt knew Abraham’s God and witnessed the blessings that He had provided. But when given the opportunity he chose the world over separation, which would have kept him close to God. And what did it do to him? Being exposed to the world and its ways “vexed his righteous soul” — basanizo; tormented, tossed, pained. It was their “filthy conversation (anastrophe), their manner of life that tormented him. Today we would call it their “lifestyle.” In fact, as we get to his rescue we see that he didn’t even have any impact on those around him; he had lost his “Christian witness.” That is one of the insidious results of sitting under false teaching. Yes, God delivered him because he was a “righteous man,” but the impact of Sodom had long lasting affects on Lot and Israel (Gen 19:30-38). He had immersed himself and his family in a worldly lifestyle, and as a result he lost it all. Consider that false teaching does not just come from the pulpit or the cult member at your door; it comes from television, radio and the Internet. It comes from one’s lifestyle.
2Peter 2:10 But chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government. Presumptuous are they, selfwilled, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities.
Clue #4 – They walk according to the flesh in the lust of uncleanness. In his first letter Peter warned us against fleshly lusts that war against the soul and encouraged us to live no longer in the flesh for the lusts of men but for the will of God (1Per 4:2). False teachers do not walk in the Spirit, they walk in the flesh and live in the lusts of the unclean flesh. It speaks of something becoming stained, those who were changing their color. They are “self-willed” (authades) or arrogant and are ruled by their own self-interest. They have little respect for anyone or anything other than themselves. The bottom line is that they do not walk in the Spirit but rather live in the flesh, pursuing their own interests, often in the name of the Lord. This Paul loudly warned us of:
Gal 5:16-17 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.
The Holy Spirit is the antidote for false teaching. He is the Spirit of Truth and He will lead you away from the deception the enemy uses to distract and mislead the bride. We ever need to be on guard for his subtle ways, paths that often are followed by teachers who know better, who know the truth but have been blinded by the “bright light” of the enemy.
Next time we will explore more of Paul Cedar’s clues as we continue to arm ourselves with the truth about false teaching. Part of our being conformed into the image of Jesus Christ is to guard against and watch out for the messages that originate with the “angel of light.”
2Cor 11:13-15 For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. 14 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. 15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.
Here are Part 1 of this series and Part 2 of this series