2 Peter 2

COMMENTS

I was talking with someone recently, and she was “expounding” against a subject that she felt strongly about.  When she paused, I teasingly said, “Why don’t you tell me how you REALLY feel about it.”  We had a good laugh over that.  We could ask Peter that same question; but somehow, I doubt there would be any laughter. 

NOTES

The entire second chapter of 2 Peter deals with false teachers, and he doesn’t mince words!  As I was reading it, I decided to jot down some of the terms he uses in describing them:  (V. 1) false, (V. 2) shameful, (V. 3) greed, exploit, (V. 10) corrupt, despise authority, bold and arrogant, (V. 12) brute beasts, (V. 13) blots and blemishes, (V. 14) an accursed brood, (V. 17) springs without water, mists driven by a storm, and (V. 19) slaves of depravity. 

In addition to those descriptive terms of the men themselves, Peter also describes their reprehensible actions:  (V. 1) secretly introduce destructive heresies; denying the sovereign Lord who bought them; bring the way of truth into disrepute, (V. 3) exploit you with stories they have made up, (V. 10) not afraid to slander celestial beings (which even angels will not do!), (V. 12) blaspheme in matters they do not understand, (V. 13) carouse in broad daylight; reveling in their pleasures while they feast with you, (V. 14) never stop sinning; seduce the unstable, (V.15) have left the straight way and wandered off to follow the way of Balaam, (V. 18) mouth empty, boastful words; appeal to the lustful desires of sinful human nature; entice people who are just escaping from those who live in error, (V. 19) promise freedom while they themselves are slaves of depravity.

Look at the words Peter uses.  He is describing terrible people who are doing terrible things!  Please forgive me for giving you such long lists to read, but no “summary” would have the impact this does.  Did Peter feel strongly about the false teachers?  That would be an emphatic “YES”!!! 

Why did he despise them so much?  It was because they were distorting the Truth and making a mockery of Jesus’ love and sacrifice—and all for personal gain.  If they could succeed, they would be powerful and able to do anything they wanted.  Those early disciples were commissioned by Jesus Christ Himself to spread His Truth and His church to “all nations” (Matthew 28:19).  None of them, including Peter, were going to stand by and allow anything to prevent or distort that!

Early in the chapter, Peter noted that there had been false prophets in the days of old, and that false teachers would be among them in that day.  I hate to tell you this, but false teachers still invade our churches today and “appeal to the lustful desires of sinful human nature” and “entice people who are just escaping from those who live in error” (2:18).  If you will review those two lists, you will see that nothing has changed!

So, that brings about an important question:  How do I know whether what I’m being taught is Truth or falsehood?  Just as Peter taught us in Chapter 1, he reminds us of the answer in 2 Peter 2:20, which says, “If [we] have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ…”.

I was a business major in college; and as I was reading and thinking about this passage, I remembered something one of my professors told us.  He said that bank tellers are taught how to recognize counterfeit bills by handling real bills over and over and over.  If you’re familiar enough with the real thing, you instinctively recognize a fake, even if you can’t explain exactly what’s wrong.  I believe our Christian faith is just like that.  If we “handle” our Bibles, our prayer time, and our relationship with our Lord “over and over and over”, we’re going to recognize the “fake” Christianity.  “Fake” comes in many forms, but there is only one Truth!

Repeatedly throughout this chapter, Peter reminds us that the unrighteous will be punished and the godly will be rescued (V. 1, 3, 9, 12, 13, 17, 20, 21).

Obviously, this is a serious subject; and we have received a severe warning.  We MUST remember such an admonition, but there is also hope and encouragement here.  Let’s end by looking at 2:9a:

“if this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue godly men from trials…”

Rescue us, O Lord!  Grant us wisdom to know the Truth, discernment to recognize and escape evil, and courage to boldly proclaim Jesus Christ!