2 Peter 2: The Danger Of False Teachers

2 Peter 2 teaches about being wary of false teachers and their teachings. The Bible is very specific about sin and how to find Jesus but these people twist the truth and have deceived many people throughout the centuries.

A good standard for every Christian is to know the bible, so when anybody comes along with new teaching. You can compare it to the bible. A lot of false teachings can be thrown out instantly.

1. If they deny Jesus was the Son of God.
2. Or they say Jesus never rose from the dead.

Knowing those truths will redirect a lot of false teachings. Remember, in John 3:16. John states that Jesus came and died because God loved the world so much.

He then rose again 3 days later. This was proved by more than 500 witnesses over 40 days after he rose from the dead.

One of the first things false teachers like to do is deny the reality that Jesus is the Son of God, and that he died and rose again. Never fall for this, because they try to let that in subtly.

2 Peter 2: The Danger of False Teachers

2 But there were also false prophets in Israel, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will cleverly teach destructive heresies and even deny the Master who bought them. In this way, they will bring sudden destruction on themselves. 

² Many will follow their evil teaching and shameful immorality. And because of these teachers, the way of truth will be slandered. ³ In their greed they will make up clever lies to get hold of your money. But God condemned them long ago, and their destruction will not be delayed.

2 Peter 2: 1-3

2 Peter 2 States That False Teachers Have Always Existed:

From ancient times to today, there are always going to be false prophets. Some of them know what they’re doing and others are deceived like the people they are lying to.

You need to be constantly praying and reading your bible to avoid these false teachings. When you know and understand the heart of God, it’s going to be very difficult for you to be led astray.

I was writing this in a coffee shop and struck up a conversation about conspiracy theories with someone sitting next to me. We talked about the flat earth society, and landing on the moon. Then she got really confused when I told her I believe evolution to be false.

I didn’t have a lot of time, but I did tell her there’s a lot of science against that theory, and she should look into other options. I wish I could’ve explained myself better, but sometimes all you get to do is break a barrier.

The reason I brought this up is twofold.

1. When you don’t have the truth, lies will invade your mind really quickly.
2. The truth will seem crazy or even foreign when you believe a lie.

In light of this, fill your heart with truth, so you don’t have to be shocked when you finally see it.

2 Peter 2: God Rescues Lot And Punishes Angels

⁴ For God did not spare even the angels who sinned. He threw them into hell, in gloomy pits of darkness, where they are being held until the day of judgment. ⁵ And God did not spare the ancient world—except for Noah and the seven others in his family. Noah warned the world of God’s righteous judgment. So God protected Noah when he destroyed the world of ungodly people with a vast flood. ⁶ Later, God condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah and turned them into heaps of ashes. He made them an example of what will happen to ungodly people. 

⁷ But God also rescued Lot out of Sodom because he was a righteous man who was sick of the shameful immorality of the wicked people around him. ⁸ Yes, Lot was a righteous man who was tormented in his soul by the wickedness he saw and heard day after day. ⁹ So you see, the Lord knows how to rescue godly people from their trials, even while keeping the wicked under punishment until the day of final judgment. ¹⁰ He is especially hard on those who follow their own twisted sexual desire, and who despise authority.

2 Peter 2: 4-10

2 Peter 2 Tells Us About The Angels Who Were Punished:

What can we make of the first couple of verses in 2 Peter 2?

1. Angels Can Sin: After all, it’s believed that 1/3 of them chose to follow Satan and were cast from heaven. This means they chose to follow him. I’m not a biblical scholar but do they have free will? There’s probably not enough to go on, and humans are still arguing if we have it or not. (We do, stop questioning it).
2. God Will Judge Everyone: This is scary to me, everything done in public or private will be revealed, and only what’s done for Christ will last. It’s a stark reminder that we need to be living for him every day.
3. The Righteous will be rescued. It might take a while, and you might be in pain for some time, but God will be coming. Psalm 121.

2 Peter 2 is stating a very simple concept that many Christians still need to grasp. God will punish the wicked, and rescue/reward the righteous.

I think our heads get in the way of this concept. Oftentimes we worry or mistrust God so we don’t do what he asks, and might derail God’s plan, for a moment. He doesn’t need us, instead, he chooses to use us. So when we are obedient and let ourselves be used by God, miracles can happen.

2 Peter 2: God Will Punish The Wicked

These people are proud and arrogant, daring even to scoff at supernatural beings without so much as trembling. ¹¹ But the angels, who are far greater in power and strength, do not dare to bring from the Lord a charge of blasphemy against those supernatural beings.

¹² These false teachers are like unthinking animals, creatures of instinct, born to be caught and destroyed. They scoff at things they do not understand, and like animals, they will be destroyed. ¹³ Their destruction is their reward for the harm they have done. They love to indulge in evil pleasures in broad daylight and are a disgrace and a stain among you. They delight in deception even as they eat with you in your fellowship meals. 

¹⁴ They commit adultery with their eyes, and their desire for sin is never satisfied. They lure unstable people into sin, and they are well trained in greed. They live under God’s curse. ¹⁵ They have wandered off the right road and followed the footsteps of Balaam son of Beor, who loved to earn money by doing wrong. ¹⁶ But Balaam was stopped from his mad course when his donkey rebuked him with a human voice.

2 Peter 2: 10-16

2 Peter 2 God Will Punish The Wicked

2 Peter 2:10-16 is the heart of the entire chapter. False teachers are people with no hearts. It even says they’re like animals. Many of them have made deals with the devil because they want power, money, or prestige.

However these people are short-sighted and the only thing that thinks of this world, and forget we enter another one after this life.

One of the issues I have with humanity, (and even more so with Americans) is that we tend to live in the present. The world is big, the solar system is bigger, and the universe is extensive.

However big the physical world is, it pales in comparison to the spirit world. This world is finite, while the spirit world will always go on.

If you don’t understand anything else, I want to grasp this. God loves you, and he created this world. We sinned and he sent Jesus to die for us. Now he’s using us to reach all of his children before they die or he comes back.

To die without Jesus is to be put in a place devoid of his influence. Love, Joy, and Peace all come from him. Picture a world without that.

You’ve just imagined hell I bet.

2 Peter 2: 17-22

¹⁷ These people are as useless as dried-up springs or as mist blown away by the wind. They are doomed to blackest darkness. ¹⁸ They brag about themselves with empty, foolish boasting. With an appeal to twisted sexual desires, they lure back into sin those who have barely escaped from a lifestyle of deception. ¹⁹ They promise freedom, but they themselves are slaves of sin and corruption. For you are a slave to whatever controls you. 

²⁰ And when people escape from the wickedness of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and then get tangled up and enslaved by sin again, they are worse off than before. ²¹ It would be better if they had never known the way to righteousness than to know it and then reject the command they were given to live a holy life. ²² They prove the truth of this proverb: “A dog returns to its vomit.” And another says, “A washed pig returns to the mud.”

2 Peter 2: 17-22

2 Peter 2: Avoid False Teachers And Their Teachings At All Costs

My uncle likes to rephrase our conversations from Good Vs. Evil to Freedom Vs. Slavery. The good guys are always the ones associated with the side you’re on. For example, in the war against the Taliban did the Taliban view themselves as the bad guys? Or the good guys?

This is how we as people tend to think, but people and organizations are much deeper than any of this. Also when you think about freedom vs slavery you’re no longer looking at the lesser of two evils. Instead, you see one slaver, and another who wants to whip you less.

We need to start looking toward freedom because most of us live our lives enslaved and we don’t realize it.

At the moment, I’m enslaved to school loans/credit card debt/ and some other bad choices that I’ve made. However Jesus came to earth so we could be free, and begin living the life he promised. This is what we need to focus on. Freedom through him is the only way we can be truly free.

John 10:10 states that Jesus came so we could experience life to the full. And he wasn’t stating when we get to heaven. He was saying now, here on earth it’s possible. I’m not saying name it claims it, but I am saying that you can live free, with Joy and peace.

2 Peter 2 talked about being free from false teachings and how God will eventually punish the wicked. However, we have to remember that 2 Peter 2 is also about following Jesus. It’s about giving our lives to him and walking with him.

I hope you enjoyed my latest post on 2 Peter 2. Let me know if I got things right, or if you wanted to add anything. If I did write anything that isn’t right. Just remember:

1. Jesus loves you.
2. He died for all of us.
3. He wants to know you.

Nothing else really matters, but I still try to represent him correctly.

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