2 Peter 3:1-18, The Day of the Lord

2 Peter 3 (New International Version, ©2011)

2 Peter 3

The Day of the Lord

 ¹ Dear friends, this is now my second letter to you. I have written both of them as reminders to stimulate you to wholesome thinking. ² I want you to recall the words spoken in the past by the holy prophets and the command given by our Lord and Savior through your apostles. ³ Above all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. ⁴ They will say, “Where is this ‘coming’ he promised? Ever since our ancestors died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.” ⁵ But they deliberately forget that long ago by God’s word the heavens came into being and the earth was formed out of water and by water. ⁶ By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. ⁷ By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly.
 ⁸ But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. ⁹ The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
 ¹⁰ But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare.^[a]
 11 Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives ¹² as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming.^[b] That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. ¹³ But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells.
 ¹⁴ So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him. ¹⁵ Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him. ¹⁶ He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction.
 ¹⁷ Therefore, dear friends, since you have been forewarned, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of the lawless and fall from your secure position. ¹⁸ But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.

Footnotes:

1. 2 Peter 3:10 Some manuscripts be burned up
2. 2 Peter 3:12 Or as you wait eagerly for the day of God to come

--Commentary www.christnotes.org--

Chapter Contents

The design here is to remind of Christ's final coming to judgement. (1-4) He will appear unexpectedly, when the present frame of nature will be dissolved by fire. (5-10) From thence is inferred the need for holiness, and stedfastness in the faith. (11-18)

Commentary on 2 Peter 3:1-4

The purified minds of Christians are to be stirred up, that they may be active and lively in the work of holiness. There will be scoffers in the last days, under the gospel, men who make light of sin, and mock at salvation by Jesus Christ. One very principal article of our faith refers to what only has a promise to rest upon, and scoffers will attack it till our Lord is come. They will not believe that he will come. Because they see no changes, therefore they fear not God, Psalm 55:19. What he never has done, they fancy he never can do, or never will do.

Commentary on 2 Peter 3:5-10

Had these scoffers considered the dreadful vengeance with which God swept away a whole world of ungodly men at once, surely they would not have scoffed at his threatening an equally terrible judgment. The heavens and the earth which now are, by the same word, it is declared, will be destroyed by fire. This is as sure to come, as the truth and the power of God can make it. Christians are here taught and established in the truth of the coming of the Lord. Though, in the account of men, there is a vast difference between one day and a thousand years, yet, in the account of God, there is no difference. All things past, present, and future, are ever before him: the delay of a thousand years cannot be so much to him, as putting off any thing for a day or for an hour is to us. If men have no knowledge or belief of the eternal God, they will be very apt to think him such as themselves. How hard is it to form any thoughts of eternity! What men count slackness, is long-suffering, and that to us-ward; it is giving more time to hisown people, to advance in knowledge and holiness, and in the exercise of faith and patience, to abound in good works, doing and suffering what they are called to, that they may bring glory to God. Settle therefore in your hearts that you shall certainly be called to give an account of all things done in the body, whether good or evil. And let a humble and diligent walking before God, and a frequent judging of yourselves, show a firm belief of the future judgment, though many live as if they were never to give any account at all. This day will come, when men are secure, and have no expectation of the day of the Lord. The stately palaces, and all the desirable things wherein wordly-minded men seek and place their happiness, shall be burned up; all sorts of creatures God has made, and all the works of men, must pass through the fire, which shall be a consuming fire to all that sin has brought into the world, though a refining fire to the works of God's hand. What will become of us, if we set our affections on this earth, and make it our portion, seeing all these things shall be burned up? Therefore make sure of happiness beyond this visible world.

Commentary on 2 Peter 3:11-18

From the doctrine of Christ's second coming, we are exhorted to purity and godliness. This is the effect of real knowledge. Very exact and universal holiness is enjoined, not resting in any low measure or degree. True Christians look for new heavens and a new earth; freed from the vanity to which things present are subject, and the sin they are polluted with. Those only who are clothed with the righteousness of Christ, and sanctified by the Holy Ghost, shall be admitted to dwell in this holy place. He is faithful, who has promised. Those, whose sins are pardoned, and their peace made with God, are the only safe and happy people; therefore follow after peace, and that with all men; follow after holiness as well as peace. Never expect to be found at that day of God in peace, if you are lazy and idle in this your day, in which we must finish the work given us to do. Only the diligent Christian will be the happy Christian in the day of the Lord. Our Lord will suddenly come to us, or shortly call us to him; and shall he find us idle? Learn to make a right use of the patience of our Lord, who as yet delays his coming. Proud, carnal, and corrupt men, seek to wrest some things into a seeming agreement with their wicked doctrines. But this is no reason why St. Paul's epistles, or any other part of the Scriptures, should be laid aside; for men, left to themselves, pervert every gift of God. Then let us seek to have our minds prepared for receiving things hard to be understood, by putting in practice things which are more easy to be understood. But there must be self-denial and suspicion of ourselves, and submission to the authority of Christ Jesus, before we can heartily receive all the truths of the gospel, therefore we are in great danger of rejecting the truth. And whatever opinions and thoughts of men are not according to the law of God, and warranted by it, the believer disclaims and abhors. Those who are led away by error, fall from their own stedfastness. And that we may avoid being led away, we must seek to grow in all grace, in faith, and virtue, and knowledge. Labour to know Christ more clearly, and more fully; to know him so as to be more like him, and to love him better. This is the knowledge of Christ, which the apostle Paul reached after, and desired to attain; and those who taste this effect of the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, will, upon receiving such grace from him, give thanks and praise him, and join in ascribing glory to him now, in the full assurance of doing the same hereafter, for ever.

--Commentary by www.raystedman.org--

Commentary on 2 Peter: Chapter Three

by Ray C. Stedman

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Wait For the Lord's Coming

3:1 THIS SECOND EPISTLE: Peter now returns to his exhortations to the believers, addressing them as beloved or "dear friends" as some versions translate. He uses the same affectionate title in 3:8, 14 and 17. It is a sharp contrast to the sternness which he employed concerning the heretical teachers. It is natural to take the first epistle which he refers to here as designating I Peter. However 1 Peter is not really a letter of reminder as he suggests here, and it is sent to a wide range of readers living in five different provinces of the Empire (see 1 Peter 1:1) while this letter seems addressed to a single church (or closely situated churches) whose people and circumstances Peter knows well. For these reasons many take the first letter to be a letter written to the same readers but which is now lost to us. It would be similar to the reference Paul makes in 1 Corinthians. 5:9 to a previous letter which is also lost. In both of Peter's letters to this congregation he sought to awaken their pure minds, (i.e. sincere, uncluttered minds) to the dangers they face from the phony leaders in their midst who claim to be Christian. 

3:2 WORDS. . .SPOKEN BEFORE: The only way these readers could recognize the errors of the heretics would be by comparing their teaching with the teaching of theholy prophets and apostles, i.e. the scriptures of the Old and New Testaments. This is always the test of error and the ground of confidence for believers. As Peter has already reminded them in 1:21 the holy prophets spoke words given to them by the Holy Spirit, which were, therefore, utterly reliable. The commandment of the apostles (lit., "your apostles" NKJV margin) probably refers to the new commandment which Jesus gave, that believers should love one another (John 13:34-35). As the apostles developed that in their writings it is clear that such love was to be pure and clean, free from sexual wrongdoing (see e.g. 1 Timothy. 1:5). 

3:3 SCOFFERS WILL COME: A primary motivation for clean living was always the expectation of the return of Jesus to earth (see 1 John 3:2-3). But the unforeseen delay in that coming would soon produce scoffers who would mock the coming because they desired to live self-indulgent lives. This suggests that the scoffers and the heretical teachers of chapter two are one and the same. The apostles had predicted such scoffing would occur (see 2 Timothy. 3:1f, James 5:3, Jude 18), so that this denial of theparousia ("presence" of Christ) was itself a proof of its certainty. The last days designates the present age (Hebrews 1:2), and it has proved true through the centuries that scoffers have denied the second coming whenever hedonism and humanism have prevailed in the churches. 

3:4 ALL THINGS CONTINUE: The philosophy of uniformitarianism has gripped both the scientific world and the scholastic world for a long time. The basis of denying a supernatural reappearance of Jesus is that nothing of that nature has occurred in the past. Several Christian and even secular documents of the first two centuries report the dismay that spread among Christians when the promise of Jesus about coming soon seemed unfulfilled. The fathers who fell asleep refer to the Old Testament patriarchs, as every other use of this term in the N.T. indicates. 

3:5-6 THEY WILLFULLY FORGET: Peter rebuts the uniformitarian argument by recalling the very Old Testament event that would disprove their claims. The Flood was a supernatural event which came suddenly and unexpectedly upon the world, just as the parousia will come. The scoffing teachers chose to overlook this event, just as many today choose to overlook the evidences for the Flood which still exist today. They do not want to recognize that it is the word of God which sustains the earth and that it was by His word that God called the world into existence out of a watery waste (Genesis. 1:2); that the land emerged from the water by means of that same word (Genesis. 1:9); and that it was by water that the world of Noah's day perished, at the same word of God (Genesis. l7:23). 

3:7 BY THE SAME WORD: Peter expands his prophetic look from the world that then existed to the heavens and the earth which now exist. Water was the chief element in the world before the Flood; fire is the destructive force in the present universe. But as the water of the preflood world was under the control of God, so the fire of the present age is kept in store (in restraint) by that same word. The fire is just as literal as the water was in v. 5. Since the explosion of the hydrogen bomb men have little reason to doubt this prediction. We cannot take for granted that our environment will continue to support human life forever. Everywhere scripture predicts a coming day of judgment when the ungodly will be made to submit forever to the horror they have chosen of existence without God.

3:8 ONE DAY. . .THOUSAND YEARS: Again Peter reminds his readers that there is something they must keep in mind when thinking of the parousia of Christ. First, vv. 1-7 have assured them that the scoffing unbelief they hear is itself proof of the fact; now, second, vv. 8-9 recall to them the nature of God as different from men. Time and Eternity are two quite different entities, and since God is eternal and man finite, they look at time in different ways. The quote is from Psalm 90:4 where man is pictured as "numbering his days" while God is "from everlasting to everlasting." In eternity there is no time, i.e. past or future, but only the present. Thus "time" and "delay" are virtually meaningless to God, and man must learn to adjust to that. This should help us greatly in facing the centuries that have passed since New Testament times. 

3:9 LONGSUFFERING TOWARD US: Peter's opponents explained the seeming delay in the parousia as proof that God is untrustworthy in fulfilling his promises. Many today take the same position. But Peter's answer is that it is not faithlessness or even slowness which delays the coming of the end, but patience! The word ismakrothumos, "that quality by which God bears with sinners, holds back his wrath, refrains from intervening in judgment as soon as the sinner's deeds deserve it, though not indefinitely" (Bauckham). His mercy moves Him to prolong the day of salvation. Behind His apparent delay is a heart that is not willing that any should perish. Many scriptures establish that fact, notably 1 Timothy. 2:4, Romans. 11:32, 2 Corinthians. 5:19, and Ezekiel. 18:23. He has made provision for all to come to repentance, but if they exercise their God-given free will to refuse He cannot prevent it, for it is that free will which marks us out as men and not animals or robots. 

3:10 THE DAY OF THE LORD: But despite the merciful patience of God, the Day of the Lord will come! Having just been reminded that with the Lord "one day is as a thousand years" (v. 8), it is clearly possible to think of that Day as covering a lengthy period of time, and not a few brief days. Here Peter telescopes together events that other scriptures indicate cover perhaps as long as 1000 years, as he does also in Acts. 2:14-21. The coming as a thief in the night is used by both Jesus and Paul to refer to the initial appearance of the Lord to take the church to be with himself (see Matthew. 24:36-43, 1 Thessalonians. 4:13-5:5, Revelation. 3:3). As a thief removes treasure from a house without the knowledge of its inhabitants, so the Lord will remove his church from the world. His presence (parousia) then continues on earth behind the scenes of judgment until his unveiling (apokalupsis) in power and great glory, when every eye will see him (Matthew. 24:29-30, Revelation. 1:7). During that time the terrible predictions of the prophets concerning the darkening of the sun and moon, and the falling of the stars, will be fulfilled. This is followed, according to many, by a thousand years of the righteous rule of Christ over the earth (judging evil with a rod of iron), and then occurs the event which Peter now describes---the destruction of the present heavens and earth. It would be as previously stated, by fire. The structure (Gk. stoichea) of the universe would melt and the present civilization of men would disappear. This would complete the predictions of the prophets concerning the Day of the Lord. 

3:11 WHAT MANNER OF PERSONS: With striking incisiveness Peter returns to his exhortation to godly living, set against the fearful background of the Day of the Lord. Personal character is all that will be left after the destruction of the heavens and the earth. His appeal is to the desire in each of us to live worthwhile, meaningful lives. Holy behavior toward others and genuine worship toward God are the two qualities that will survive and be honored beyond the conflicts of time. 

3:12 -13 THE DAY OF GOD: This is not the same as the Day of the Lord of v. 10. It is what believers wait for and even, by godly living, hasten in its coming; and it is the reason why the present heavens and earth must be destroyed (Gk. di hen "because of which"), but it is described as the new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. It is, therefore, the eternal state, pictured in vivid imagery in the New Jerusalem of Revelation. 21 and 22. In the present age, righteousness is under constant attack; in the millennium righteousness will be the dominant lifestyle, though evil is present; in the new heavens and earth, righteousness will dwell, i.e. be at home, in its natural environment, without having to struggle with sin or weakness. 

3:14 BE DILIGENT: Peter now returns to his word of 1:5 and 1:10 "be diligent," to urge a practical result of their forward-looking hope. Jesus is coming again, it could occur at any moment, what will you be like when He returns? That is his question. Jesus himself had raised the question: "When the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth? (Luke 18:8). He left the question hanging in the air, waiting for each hearer to answer in his own heart. Peter suggests a diligent response that seeks to avoid the shame of the false teachers ("spots" and "blemishes"), has dealt biblically and honestly with any personal failure and therefore has found peace that passes understanding. Peace is the heritage of Christians and its presence indicates one whose expectation of the return of Christ has given a sense of balance and proportion despite whatever chaos the world may present.

3:15 OUR BELOVED BROTHER PAUL: Peter here returns to the theme of v. 9, the reason for the delay of the parousia. It is to permit greater opportunity for salvationamong men, as the gospel spreads throughout the earth (see Romans. 2:4). Paul, too, had written of this salvation and its effect upon the behavior of those who find it. That Peter speaks of Paul with great affection confirms the dating of this letter in the late sixties of the first century when tradition places them together in Rome. Probably several of Paul's letters had reached Peter's readers and they were well aware of both his wisdom, and as v. 15 indicates, something of the difficulty experienced in understanding his penetrating insights. 

3:16 THINGS HARD TO UNDERSTAND: How many of Paul's epistles Peter had read it is impossible to know. Certainly there was nothing unusual in the apostle's reading of one another's letters, for after the meeting of Paul with James, Peter, and John, described in Galatians. 2:9, there was full acceptance of Paul's apostleship among the Twelve. What he here calls things hard to understand probably describes Paul's discussion of justification by faith (See Romans. 3:5-8, 6:1 and Galatians. 3:10) for Paul himself admits that his teaching of freedom from the law was often twisted to condone license to sin. This was exactly what the heretical teachers of 2 Peter were doing. He has already said that their abuse of Christian teaching was leading to their own destruction (2:12). Not only did they twist Paul's teaching, but also the rest of the Scriptures. This phrase puts Paul's epistles on a par with the writings of the prophets, calling them equally Scripture. All the apostles were aware that what they taught was inspired by God (see 1 Thessalonians. 2:13). 

3:17 BEWARE: The knowledge of the truth which Peter has shared with his readers puts the responsibility on them to watch themselves carefully so they do not fall away from Christ. He speaks with great affection (beloved) and yet once again reminds them that it is possible for even stable Christians to be led astray if they listen to the teaching of those whose lives do not measure up. 

3:18 GROW IN THE GRACE AND KNOWLEDGE: On the other hand, the purpose of salvation, of scripture, and of Christian teaching is to bring one into deeper and more intimate experience of Christ. Knowledge of Christ and knowledge about Christ are not the same thing, though the latter is necessary to achieve the former. It is fitting that Peter should end his letter with an acknowledgment that glory belongs to Jesus, for he had seen Him in shining glory on the Mt. of Transfiguration. To worship, praise and obey Him is to give Him the glory due to His name in this present life. It should continue to the day of the age, translated here forever. What Peter means is till theparousia of Christ, when believers will see His face and be with Him forever. That was Peter's great expectation and desire, and one he seeks to bring his readers to share. Let us say Amen with him! 

2 Peter 2:17-22, The Word of Truth is the water of life

2 Peter 2:17-22 (New International Version, ©2010)

 ¹⁷ These people are springs without water and mists driven by a storm. Blackest darkness is reserved for them. ¹⁸ For they mouth empty, boastful words and, by appealing to the lustful desires of the flesh, they entice people who are just escaping from those who live in error. ¹⁹ They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity—for “people are slaves to whatever has mastered them.” ²⁰ If they have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and are again entangled in it and are overcome, they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning. ²¹ 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. ²² Of them the proverbs are true: “A dog returns to its vomit,”^[a] and, “A sow that is washed returns to her wallowing in the mud.”

Footnotes:

1. 2 Peter 2:22 Prov. 26:11

-- Commentaries from www.christnotes.org

The word of truth is the water of life, which refreshes the souls that receive it; but deceivers spread and promote error, and are set forth as empty, because there is no truth in them. As clouds hinder the light of the sun, so do these darken counsel by words wherein there is no truth. Seeing that these men increase darkness in this world, it is very just that the mist ofdarkness should be their portion in the next. In the midst of their talk of liberty, these men are the vilest slaves; their own lusts gain a complete victory over them, and they are actually in bondage. When men are entangled, they are easily overcome; therefore Christians should keep close to the word of God, and watch against all who seek to bewilder them. A state of apostacy is worse than a state of ignorance. To bring an evil report upon the good way of God, and a false charge against the way of truth, must expose to the heaviest condemnation. How dreadful is the state here described! Yet though such a case is deplorable, it is not utterly hopeless; the leper may be made clean, and even the dead may be raised. Is thy backsliding a grief to thee? Believe in the Lord Jesus, and thou shalt be saved.

-- Commentaries from www.intothyword.org

2 Peter 2: 17-22

By Dr. Richard J. Krejcir

False Teachers are Deceptive!
General idea: The false teacher is depicted as absolutely useless and downright dangerous! In an arid environment where thirst is great, there is nothing worse than coming upon an expected stream of fresh water and finding that is has dried up. The trek and energy wasted can be insurmountable. A false teacher is someone who has a clever plan and show, seeking to water those who thirst, but their water is bitter and dangerous. The real, needed water is absent. The people of God need to be watered and fed upon the precepts of His incredible Word. When we teach what is wrong, we waste not only good opportunities, but we contribute nothing of real value. We only deceive, harm the flock, and bring ill repute to God’s glory and reputation.
In Peter’s day, the real, sincere philosophers were often overshadowed by uneducated, whimsical, and manipulative people called “pseudo-philosophers” who claimed and propagated ideas, using rhetoric and sensationalism to move the people in debauchery. These are the people who led in the downfall of the Roman Empire! Goodness was ridiculed while sin was upheld. Virtue was scoffed at while indulgence was taught and sought by conniving men. These manipulative men put down knowledge, goodness, virtue, and the real philosophers who proclaimed them. Socrates, who taught ethical knowledge and confronted the loose mores of his day, was accused of immorality and corrupting others; then, he was sentenced to death. He was teaching virtue when the governing leaders were living in extreme “un-virtuous” lives. The Jews and Christians were attacked for the same reasons. They stood for virtue and morality in a society that abhorred it. How little has changed since 400 B.C.!
Vs. 17-19: When we deliver nothing to the people in our churches, we miss not only His call, but we forsake our own faith and obligations. We have to see the seriousness of this. God’s Word tells us that false teachers are doomed to the blackest darkness of Hell. Why would anyone want to tread on such thin and dangerous ice?
· Springs without water/waterless springs means barren wells that the parched traveler, expecting water, would have trekked hard and far for, only to be deceived by finding them empty. Water in the Palestine area is a precious resource; a dried-up well is useless and frustrating. Referring to water to feed our physical body, our spiritual life needs to be watered by what is nutritious and good for us, and that is the truth of God’s uncorrupted Word. Living Water is a continual theme used in Scripture and by John in particular. A false teacher will promise fulfilling truth, but he can only offer cruel deceptions by misleading, disappointing, and frustrating people, giving them dried-up and useless water (Prov. 13:14; Jer. 14:3; John 4:13-15).
· Mists refers to the fine water a storm blows that is so dispersed it can’t be caught or used. This also means storm clouds that in a time before irrigation just go overhead and never drop their water to the needy people below. False teachers cannot provide needed spiritual nourishment (Jude 12).
· Blackest darkness/gloom of utter/outer darkness was sometimes a symbol of Hell and torment. Here the false teacher’s destiny is Hell!
· They mouth empty words/loud boasts of folly means that they may use words to persuade, but, under careful examination, the words are empty and meaningless.
· Entice people. This is referring to luring people back to sin after they have escaped it by turning to Jesus. When we are new to the faith or not grounded enough in the faith to know His principles, we can be easily deceived.
· Promise freedom. The false teachers were twisting the concept and reality of grace, saying that because of it, we are no longer bound to the Law but rather have the liberty to do as we please and God will forgive. But, the point is that we are notfree from His moral law and we do have responsibility and obligations. True freedom is to flee indulgences and sin not seek and engage them (Rom. 6:15-18; 1 Cor. 9:21; Gal. 3:25; 5:13-18; 2 Pet. 3:16).
· Slaves of depravity/corruption means that we can become too entrenched in our passions and sin so that we see no way out and even do not desire to come out of it. The slave here refers to the captives of an invading army, who desperately desire freedom. The theme is ironic, as they do not want their freedom. Passions that drive us will soon overtake us. The passion of exploiting others is evil; this is prostitution. Sin captivates us when we seek freedom from God. Rather, we should be joyful slaves to God so we can be freed from sin (Rom. 6:15-18).
Have you ever actually seen a dog vomit and then go back and try to eat it? How is this like sin? This is disgusting, but Scripture uses this metaphor as a Proverb for a reason. Returning to sin or to bad ideas that we escaped from is the same. False teachers will lure you with sin or corruption, telling you it is liberty. They even lure those who turned away from the pagan practices to return to them, saying it is OK. They trip them up, right back into the prison from which they made their escape by God’s jailbreak. The irony is these false teachers who teach about knowledge and freedom are themselves trapped in their own prison of nonsense, empty of God’s instruction.
Vs. 20-22: What enslaves you? What enslaves us is what controls us, whether it is a bad codependent relationship, an actual jail sentence, or following sensationalism and faulty ideas. It will all trap and blind us. If we leave it, it is still there following us at a distance, seeking to lure us back. The devil will use this powerful means as well as your will and desires. We must be strong and hold onto our faith with assurance and confidence, or we will be like the dog that returns to its vomit!
· Escaped the corruption refers to professing Christ and then retuning to the ways of the flesh, seeking falsehoods and not righteousness. They were being superficial and naïve at best and blatantly evil and manipulative at worst. Both the false teachers, if they were really saved, and the people they infected jumped from the frying pan of sin into Jesus loving lap, only to go ahead and jump into the fire below! They had His freedom, grace, and knowledge, but rejected it for that which is dark, foolish, and foreboding.
· Better not to have known. It is better not to have known real truth than to know it and then reject it. This is the ultimate idiocy¾to have something great and true, then to trade it in for what is fallacious and evil. We have responsibly as Christians. We know the truth and we are responsible to follow the truth (Luke 12:47-48).
· The way was the original name for Christians and the Church. The name Christian, once a derogatory term, did not take hold until many years later.
· Turn their backs. We are called to persevere in the faith and preserve the faith (John 10:26-30; 1 John 2:19).
· A dog…pig. Dogs in the first century were not the beloved pets we have now. They were mostly wild, mangy, roamed the streets, and were regarded with contempt. Some dogs were used for guarding homes, and pigs were for feeding Gentile travelers. Pigs were considered the most filthy and unclean of all animals. These animals preferred the filth to cleanliness. This was casting a very derogatory picture of how bad false teachers were, calling them utter fools because they were enticing others to be in filth (Ex. 22:31; Lev. 11:7; Prov. 26:11; Isa. 65:4; Math. 7:6; Rev. 22:15).
· Washed means that just because we appear clean on the outside, that is no guarantee that we are clean on the inside¾unless Jesus has washed us clean! Religious traditions, rituals, and piety are no real proof of a person’s faith, whereas one’s character and visible fruit is.
Many of Peter’s people knew the truth of Christ and remained in His truth, but some of them decided to reject the truth for new, more exciting teachings that gave them comfort and excitement without personal responsibility or obedience. They sought the honor of their own thoughts and teachings and rejected the real honor of being in Christ. When we claim to be Christians and do not act like it we will hinder the Gospel’s message and lead others astray from The Way. This gives Christianity a bad name and reputation. We are called to practice exceptional behavior and excellence so we can show Christ through our lifestyles without even using words. Then, when we do use words, they will have impact (1 Tim. 6:1; Titus 2:5-10).
A false teaching is anything proclaimed that compromises the Person and Nature of God or His teachings. We do this by seeking our own insights and ungrounded rationales, and not the precepts of Scripture. By relying on intuitions rather than realities and facts, people are led astray. We must always compare what we think to the principles of Scripture, never to others who may be of like minds, because “group-think” will take over. Groupthink absorbs the decisions made by a group or charismatic leader, manipulating all to think alike. It is exemplified by the gullible approval and conformity to the “group’s” popular opinion and not facts or rationale. This type of thinking minimizes individual responsibility and is used to rationalize one another’s faulty views as well as sin. We are also to pay attention to Balaam’s error in the previous passage and not make our ministry and life a game or get caught up in sin. Rather, we are to see the importance of who Christ is and what He taught so we can emulate Him and His ways, not ours.
False doctrines usually come to us in the disguise of new nuances and revelations that others in the past just did not see before. This could be something like a new or deeper understanding of a Greek word, or a meaning that was hidden, but is now fully revealed to us. Such counterfeit new ideas are false because they contradict or pervert. We do get new insights and applications from understanding customs, history, word meanings, exegetical insights, and the like, but they never twist or contradict what is already clearly revealed. The bottom line is there has been nothing new since the close of the Canon of Scripture. What has been new is how many ways people have been deceived and led astray! The Bible says what it says and means what it means; there is nothing new under the Son. It is only our pride that needs to be fed by what is new so to point to the good fortune and insights of what we have found. However, if you pay attention, these new insights usually do not last long and lead many, many astray. The fruit is noise and strife, not trust and obedience. If the greatest Christian minds who ever lived in an eighteen hundred year period of time did not find what you think you have, pray carefully that it is not your pride that is being revealed. If you think you have something new, oh my, what pride lays inside you; my, oh my, how you have been deceived by it. Please don’t deceive others, too!
Teaching what is clearly wrong is wrong! It is corruption at its worst; it is prostitution as in atrocious sin. The root of all this, and what is most scandalous before our God of grace, is our heinous pride! What comes from a person who is a false teacher who is based on pride? It is absurdity! A person grounded in the Word should be able to detect and discourage others from following him or her. However, we succumb to the emotionalism and slick enticement and forget about our God of Truth.
Never think that popularity or the numbers of followers are signs of authenticity, as people can easily be swayed to believe lies. There is no real comfort in crowds, only in the truth of our Lord Jesus Christ! Do not let false teachers prey upon the people in your church! Name them and claim them as being of Satan and boot them out of your church, because they are not of God. Use their words against them and show them the door!
The Essential Inductive Questions (for more Inductive questions see Inductive Bible Study):
1. What does this passage say?
2. What does this passage mean?
3. What is God telling me?
4. How am I encouraged and strengthened?
5. Is there sin in my life for which confession and repentance is needed?
6. How can I be changed, so I can learn and grow?
7. What is in the way of these precepts affecting me? What is in the way of my listening to God?
8. How does this apply to me? What will I do about it?
9. What can I model and teach?
10. What does God want me to share with someone?
Additional Questions:
1. Have you ever actually seen a dog vomit and then go back and try to eat it? Yes, this is disgusting. How is this like sin? Sin is disgusting!
2. How does being very thirsty compare to the desire and thirst for God’s real and true Word? How have you seen people exploit the passions of others?
3. How are false teachers dangerous? How do personal responsibility and/or obedience come into play?
4. Why do you think some people will ridicule goodness? Why would someone scoff at virtue while teaching indulgence?
5. Can you name some ways of sensationalism and how and/or why it is appealing to some people? How does discernment play a role here?
6. How does it make you feel that false teachers taught and were sought by conniving men in ancient times just as in our day? How and why does what Socrates went through typify what goes on in some churches that seek to destroy good teachers and bring in false teachers?
7. How can you tell a false promise or a mistaken or half-truth? Why is it that false teachers cannot provide the needed spiritual nourishment?
8. How and why are people who have escaped sin and turned to Jesus lured back to their old ways? How and why are they so easily deceived?
9. What enslaves or controls you? What do you have to watch out for that can trap and blind you?
10. Why is it better not to have known real truth then to know it and then reject it?
11. Why would someone profess Christ and then return to the ways of the flesh? What can your church do to make sure this does not happen in your church?
12. What can you do to be fed and watered with the percepts of His incredible Word? How can you be on guard against faulty and misguided sensationalism?

© 2005 R. J. Krejcir Ph.D. Into Thy Word Ministries www.intothyword.org

1 Kings 3:1-15, Solomon Asks for Wisdom

1 Kings 3:1-15 (New International Version, ©2010)

1 Kings 3

Solomon Asks for Wisdom

 ¹ Solomon made an alliance with Pharaoh king of Egypt and married his daughter. He brought her to the City of David until he finished building his palace and the temple of the LORD, and the wall around Jerusalem. ²The people, however, were still sacrificing at the high places, because a temple had not yet been built for the Name of the LORD. ³ Solomon showed his love for the LORD by walking according to the instructions given him by his father David, except that he offered sacrifices and burned incense on the high places. ⁴ The king went to Gibeon to offer sacrifices, for that was the most important high place, and Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings on that altar. ⁵ At Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon during the night in a dream, and God said, “Ask for whatever you want me to give you.”
 ⁶ Solomon answered, “You have shown great kindness to your servant, my father David, because he was faithful to you and righteous and upright in heart. You have continued this great kindness to him and have given him a son to sit on his throne this very day.
 ⁷ “Now, LORD my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David. But I am only a little child and do not know how to carry out my duties. ⁸ Your servant is here among the people you have chosen, a great people, too numerous to count or number. ⁹ So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?”
 ¹⁰ The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for this. ¹¹ So God said to him, “Since you have asked for this and not for long life or wealth for yourself, nor have asked for the death of your enemies but for discernment in administering justice, ¹² I will do what you have asked. I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be. ¹³ Moreover, I will give you what you have not asked for—both wealth and honor—so that in your lifetime you will have no equal among kings. ¹⁴ And if you walk in obedience to me and keep my decrees and commands as David your father did, I will give you a long life.” ¹⁵ Then Solomon awoke—and he realized it had been a dream.
   He returned to Jerusalem, stood before the ark of the Lord’s covenant and sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. Then he gave a feast for all his court.



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Commentaries from www.studylight.org


Chapter 3
Solomon marries Pharaoh's daughter, 1,2. He serves God, and offers a thousand burnt-offerings upon one altar, at Gibeon, 3,4. God appears to him in a dream at Gibeon; and asks what he shall give him, 5. He asks wisdom; with which God is well pleased, and promises to give him not only that, but also riches and honour; and, if obedient, long life, 6-14. He comes back to Jerusalem; and offers burnt-offerings and peace-offerings, and makes a feast for his servants, 15. His judgment between the two harlots, 16-27. He rises in the esteem of the people, 28.
Notes on Chapter 3
Verse 1. Solomon made affinity with Pharaoh
This was no doubt a political measure in order to strengthen his kingdom, and on the same ground he continued his alliance with the king of Tyre; and these were among the most powerful of his neighbours. But should political considerations prevail over express laws of God? God had strictly forbidden his people to form alliances with heathenish women, lest they should lead their hearts away from him into idolatry. Let us hear the law: Neither shalt thou make marriages with them; thy daughter thou shalt not give unto his son, nor his daughter shalt thou take unto thy son; for they will turn away thy son from following me, Exodus 34:16; ;Deuteronomy 7:3,4. Now Solomon acted in direct opposition to these laws; and perhaps in this alliance were sown those seeds of apostacy from God and goodness in which he so long lived, and in which he so awfully died.
Those who are, at all hazards, his determinate apologists, assume, 1. That Pharaoh's daughter must have been a proselyte to the Jewish religion, else Solomon would not have married her. 2. That God was not displeased with this match. 3. That the book of Canticles, which is supposed to have been his epithalamium, would not have found a place in the sacred canon had the spouse, whom it all along celebrates, been at that time an idolatress. 4. That it is certain we nowhere in Scripture find Solomon blamed for this match. See Dodd.
Now to all this I answer, 1. We have no evidence that the daughter of Pharaoh was a proselyte, no more than that her father was a true believer. It is no more likely that he sought a proselyte here than that he sought them among the Moabites, Hittites, positively against such matches, he could not possibly be pleased with this breach of it in Solomon; but his law is positively against them, therefore he was not pleased. 3. That the book of Canticles being found in the sacred canon is, according to some critics, neither a proof that the marriage pleased God, nor that the book was written by Divine inspiration; much less that it celebrates the love between Christ and his Church, or is at all profitable for doctrine, for reproof, or for edification in righteousness. 4. That Solomon is most expressly reproved in Scripture for this very match, is to me very evident from the following passages: DID NOT SOLOMON, king of Israel, SIN by these things? Yet among many nations was there no king like him, who was beloved of his God, and God made him king over all Israel; nevertheless even him did outlandish women cause to sin; Nehemiah 13:26. Now it is certain that Pharaoh's daughter was an outlandish woman; and although it be not expressly said that Pharaoh's daughter is here intended, yet there is all reasonable evidence that she is included; and, indeed, the words seem to intimate that she is especially referred to. In 1 Kings 3:3it is said, Solomon LOVED THE LORD, walking in the statutes of David; and Nehemiah says, Did not Solomon, king of Israel, SIN BY THESE THINGS, who WAS BELOVED of HIS GOD; referring, most probably, to this early part of Solomon's history. But supposing that this is not sufficient evidence that this match is spoken against in Scripture, let us turn to1 Kings 11:1,2, of this book, where the cause of Solomon's apostasy is assigned; and there we read, But King Solomon loved many STRANGE WOMEN, TOGETHER WITH THE DAUGHTER OF PHARAOH, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites: of the nations concerning which the Lord said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall not go in unto them; neither shall they come in unto you; for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods: SOLOMON CLAVE UNTO THESE IN LOVE. Here the marriage with Pharaoh's daughter is classed most positively with the most exceptionable of his matrimonial and concubinal alliances: as it no doubt had its predisposing share in an apostacy the most unprecedented and disgraceful.
Should I even be singular, I cannot help thinking that the reign of Solomon began rather inauspiciously: even a brother's blood must be shed to cause him to sit securely on his throne, and a most reprehensible alliance, the forerunner of many others of a similar nature, was formed for the same purpose. But we must ever be careful to distinguish between what God has commanded to be done, and what was done through the vile passions and foolish jealousies of men. Solomon had many advantages, and no man ever made a worse use of them.
Verse 2. The people sacrificed in high places
Could there be any sin in this, or was it unlawful till after the temple was built? for prophets, judges, the kings which preceded Solomon, and Solomon himself, sacrificed on high places, such as Gibeon, Gilgal, Shiloh, Hebron, Kirjath-jearim, was erected, it was sinful to offer sacrifices in any other place; yet here it is introduced as being morally wrong, and it is introduced, 1 Kings 3:3, as being an exceptionable trait in the character of Solomon. The explanation appears to be this: as the arkand tabernacle were still in being, it was not right to offer sacrifices but where they were; and wherever they were, whether on a high place or a plain, there sacrifices might be lawfully offered, previously to the building of the temple. And the tabernacle was now at Gibeon, 2 Chronicles 1:3. Possibly the high places may be like those among the Hindoos, large raised-up terraces, on which they place their gods when they bathe, anoint, and worship them. Juggernaut and Krishnu have large terraces or high places, on which they are annually exhibited. But there was no idol in the above case.
Verse 5. The Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream
This was the night after he had offered the sacrifices, (see 2 Chronicles 1:7,) and probably after he had earnestly prayed for wisdom; see Wisdom 7:7: Wherefore I prayed, and understanding was given me: I called upon God, and the spirit of wisdom came to me. If this were the case, the dream might have been theconsequence of his earnest prayer for wisdom: the images of those things which occupy the mind during the day are most likely to recur during the night; and this, indeed, is the origin of the greater part of our dreams. But this appears to have been supernatural.
Gregory Nyssen, speaking of different kinds of dreams, observes that our organs and brain are not unlike a musical instrument; while the strings of such instruments have their proper degree of tension, they give, when touched, a harmonious sound, but as soon as they are relaxed or screwed down, they give no sound at all. During our waking hours, our senses, touched by our reason, produce the most harmonious concert; but as soon as we are asleep, the instrument is no longer capable of emitting any sound, unless it happen that the remembrance of what passed during the day returns and presents itself to the mind while we are asleep, and so forms a dream; just as the strings of an instrument continue to emit feeble sounds for some time after the musician has ceased to strike them.-See GREG. NYSS. De opificio hominis, cap. xii., p. 77. Oper. vol. i., edit. Morell., Par. 1638.
This may account, in some measure, for common dreams: but even suppose we should not allow that Solomon had been the day before earnestly requesting the gift of wisdom from God, yet we might grant that such a dream as this might be produced by the immediate influence of God upon the soul. And if Solomon received his wisdom by immediate inspiration from heaven, this was the kind of dream that he had; a dream by which that wisdom was actually communicated. But probably we need not carry this matter so much into miracle: God might be the author of his extraordinary wisdom, as he was the author of his extraordinary riches. Some say, "He lay down as ignorant as other men, and yet arose in the morning wiser than all the children of men." I think this is as credible as that he lay down with a scanty revenue, and in the morning, when he arose, found his treasury full. In short, God's especial blessing brought him riches through the medium of his own care and industry; as the inspiration of the Almighty gave him understanding, while he gave his heart to seek and search out by his wisdom, concerning all things under the sun, Ecclesiastes 1:13. God gave him the seeds of an extraordinary understanding, and, by much study and research, they grew up under the Divine blessing, and produced a plentiful harvest; but, alas! they did not continue to grow.
Verse 7. I know not how to go out or come in.
I am just like an infant learning to walk alone, and can neither go out nor come in without help.
Verse 9. Give-an understanding heart to judge thy people
He did not ask wisdom in general, but the true science of government. This wisdom he sought, and this wisdom he obtained.
Verse 12. I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart
I have given thee a capacious mind, one capable of knowing much: make a proper use of thy powers, under the direction of my Spirit, and thou shalt excel in wisdom all that have gone before thee; neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee. But, query, Was not all this conditional? If he should walk in his ways, and keep his statutes and commandments, 1 Kings 3:14. Was it not to depend upon his proper use of initiatory inspirations? Did he ever receive all this wisdom? Did not his unfaithfulness prevent the fulfilment of the Divine purpose? Instead of being thewisest of men, did he not become more brutish than any man? Did he not even lose the knowledge of his Creator, and worship the abominations of the Moabites, Zidonians, proof of the grossest stupidity? How few proofs does his life give that the gracious purpose of God was fulfilled in him! He received much; but he would have received much more, had he been faithful to the grace given. No character in the sacred writings disappoints us more than the character of Solomon.
None like thee before thee
That is, no king, either in Israel or among the nations, as the following verse explains.
Verse 16. Then came there two women-harlots
The word zonoth, which we here, and in some other places, improperly translateharlots, is by the Chaldee (the best judge in this case) rendered pundekayan, tavern-keepers. (See on Joshua 2:1.) If these had been harlots, it is not likely they would have dared to appear before Solomon; and if they had been common women, it is not likely they would have had children; nor is it likely that such persons would have been permitted under the reign of David. Though there is no mention of theirhusbands, it is probable they might have been at this time in other parts, following their necessary occupations; and the settling the present business could not have been delayed till their return; the appeal to justice must be made immediately.
Verse 25. Divide the living child in two
This was apparently a very strange decision, and such as nothing could vindicate had it been carried into execution; but Solomon saw that the only way to find out the real mother was by the affection and tenderness which she would necessarily show to her offspring. He plainly saw that the real mother would rather relinquish her claim to her child than see it hewn in pieces before her eyes, while it was probable the pretender would see this with indifference. He therefore orders such a mode of trial as would put the maternal affection of the real mother to the utmost proof; the plan was tried, and it succeeded. This was a proof of his sound judgment, penetration, and acquaintance with human nature; but surely it is not produced as a proof of extraordinary and supernatural wisdom. We have several similar decisions even among heathens.
Suetonius, in his life of the Emperor Claudius, cap. xv., whom he celebrates for his wonderful sagacity and penetration on some particular occasions, tells us, that this emperor discovered a woman to be the mother of a certain young man, whom she refused to acknowledge as her son, by commanding her to marry him, the proofs being doubtful on both sides; for, rather than commit this incest, she confessed the truth. His words are: Feminam, non agnoscentem fllium suum, dubia utrinque argumentorum fide, ad confessionem compulit, indicto matrimonio juvenis.
Ariopharnes, king of Thrace, being appointed to decide between three young men, who each professed to be the son of the deceased king of the Cimmerians, and claimed the crown in consequence, found out the real son by commanding each to shoot an arrow into the body of the dead king: two of them did this without hesitation, the third refused, and was therefore judged by Ariopharnes to be the real son of the deceased. Grotius, on this place, quotes this relation from Diodorus Siculus; I quote this on his authority, but have not been able to find the place in Diodorus. This is a parallel case to that in the text; a covert appeal was made to the principle of affection; and the truth was discovered, as in the case of the mother of the living child.
Verse 28. They feared the king
This decision proved that they could not impose upon him; and they were afraid to do those things which might bring them before his judgment-seat.


They saw that the wisdom of God was in him
They perceived that he was taught of God, judged impartially, and could not be deceived. What was done to the other woman we are not told; justice certainly required that she should be punished for her lies and fraud.

2 Peter 2:1-9, False Teachers and How God will rescue the godly from trials

2 Peter 2:1-9 (New International Version, ©2010)

2 Peter 2

False Teachers and Their Destruction

 ¹ 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. ² Many will follow their depraved conduct and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. ³ In their greed these teachers will exploit you with fabricated stories. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping. ⁴ For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell,^[a] putting them in chains of darkness^[b] to be held for judgment; ⁵ 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; ⁶ 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; ⁷ and if he rescued Lot, a righteous man, who was distressed by the depraved conduct of the lawless ⁸ (for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard)— ⁹ if this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials and to hold the unrighteous for punishment on the day of judgment.

Footnotes:

1. 2 Peter 2:4 Greek Tartarus
2. 2 Peter 2:4 Some manuscripts in gloomy dungeons

-- Commentaries from www.christnotes.org

Though the way of error is a hurtful way, many are always ready to walk therein. Let us take care we give no occasion to the enemy to blaspheme the holy name whereby we are called, or to speak evil of the way of salvation by Jesus Christ, who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. These seducers used feigned words, they deceived the hearts of their followers. Such are condemned already, and the wrath of God abides upon them. God's usual method of proceeding is shown by examples. Angels were cast down from all their glory and dignity, for their disobedience. If creatures sin, even in heaven, they must suffer in hell. Sin is the work of darkness, and darkness is the wages of sin. See how God dealt with the old world. The number of offenders no more procures favour, than their quality. If the sin be universal, the punishment shall likewise extend to all. If in a fruitful soil the people abound in sin, God can at once turn a fruitful land into barrenness, and a well-watered country into ashes. No plans or politics can keep off judgments from a sinful people. He who keeps fire and water from hurting his people, Isaiah 43:2, can make either destroy his enemies; they are never safe. When God sends destruction on the ungodly, he commands deliverance for the righteous. In bad company we cannot but get either guilt or grief. Let the sins of others be troubles to us. Yet it is possible for the children of the Lord, living among the most profane, to retain their integrity; there being more power in the grace of Christ, and his dwelling in them, than in the temptations of Satan, or the example of the wicked, with all their terrors or allurements. In our intentions and inclinations to commit sin, we meet with strange hinderances, if we mark them When we intend mischief, God sends many stops to hinder us, as if to say, Take heed what you do. His wisdom and power will surely effect the purposes of his love, and the engagements of his truth; while wicked men often escape suffering here

-- Commentaries from www.intothyword.org

2 Peter 2: 1-3

By Dr. Richard J. Krejcir

The Problem of False Teachers!"General idea: We are living in a time where the pulpits and airways are filled with impiety, licentiousness, vain prophesies that do not come true, and shameful counterfeit truths by false teachers and their distorted teachings. It is a darkness that is unprecedented; those who love the Lord and are following His precepts in servanthood become more and more rare while shallow thinking, seeking hidden meanings, emotionalism, social trends, and the latest and greatest ideas take center stage. False teachers are a way of the Christian life. Not THE Way; rather, it seems they have always been with us and they will always be with us. There is something wrong with human nature, as we want to put ourselves in the story as the main character. We want to be the center of attention and thus lead others to ourselves and not to Christ. We tend to do this in life and in ministry. We love to proclaim our ideas, fantasies, and dreams and rationalize them as truth, conniving others into following them, while Christ stands at the door and knocks.
Peter is giving us a “false teacher detector” in this chapter. Peter is warning us of how deceptive and tricky they are, so we can be on guard and root them out. Consider that a true follower of God is humble and operates in the virtues Peter has already set in the first chapter as a template for us. A false teacher sneaks and schemes in our churches, and starting to manipulate others, seeks to lead others to their camp, which is pitched in deceptions and falsehoods. God is put down and they are lifted up. Fanciful ideas and personalities are shown rather than Christ crucified or as LORD. The end result is the destruction and desolation of the church¾those people who followed even though they knew better. But take heed; the false teachers will get their judgment in the end. In the meantime, we have to be on security alert to protect the flock, not allowing them in to get a foothold on His sheep. Sheep will run astray. As shepherds, we are called to guard the sheep¾even when they do not want to be guarded!
Vs. 1: Heresies come from the minds of people who are not in Christ, who refuse to know Him, or who do not have the conduct of Christ, even though they may be Christians, saved by grace. They rely on opinions and not facts. The end result is divisiveness and conflict in the church while Christ and the work He has called us to do goes unmet and undone.
· False prophets refer to people who make up stories of future events, claim to have visions when they did not, or confuse a vision from their imaginations as being from God. In contrast, real prophets were humble and proclaimed what God had clearly revealed, His heart to ours without contradiction or personal gain and power (2 Kings 18:19; Isaiah 9:13-17; Jer. 5:31; 14:14; 23:16-32, Ezek. 13:3-10).
· False teachers refer to counterfeit or blatant heresy as teaching what was not revealed by the Apostles at that time or by God’s Word for our time. False teaching is not just about doctrine; it is also about character, virtue, and faithfully following Christ and living for Him. True teachers correct what is false and do not appeal to people’s vanity; rather, they seek to glorify Christ (Matt. 24:4-5, 11; Acts 20:29-30; Gal. 1:6-9; Phil. 3:2; Col. 2:4, 8, 18, 20-23; 2 Thess. 2:1-3; 1 Tim. 1:3-7; 4:1-3; 2 Tim. 3:1-8; 1 John 2:18-19, 22-23; 2 John 7-11; Jude 3-4).
· Among you. God, in many places, warns of false teachers. They are already amongst us and will still come to us.
· Destructive refers manly to moral, spiritual, and social damage because of the failure to have good Christian conduct.
· Heresies is a Greek term meaning to convey a truth that is not aligned to accepted truth, or another group玍s proclaiming something different or referring to different sects of religion. Peter and Paul used this term to illustrate that our responsibility is to real Truth and we must fight anything that departs from what Christ has modeled and taught, or it will lead to judgment (Acts 24:5; 1 Cor. 11:9; Gal. 5:20)!
· Denying the sovereign Lord/Master. This means denying who and what Christ is and has done. They were teaching and practicing immorality. This is not about losing our salvation; if once saved, you are always saved (John 10:28-29; Rom. 8:28-39). This means their profession of faith was possibly spurious at best, or fictitious at worst (1 John 2:3-4, 19). Some have used this passage to mean Christ s death was for all, not just the elect, which would allow for universalism. This view falls away from other passages (John 6:37-40; 10:14-15; 27-29; 11:51-52; Rom. 5:8-10; 8:28-29, 32; Gal. 2:20-21; 3:13-14; 4:4-5; 1 John 4:9-10; Rev. 1:4-6; 5:9; 22:17).
· Who brought/accept them refers to people who are in Christ, saved by grace. These are Christians who were once of the faithful, but who turned their backs on correct doctrine, denied His Lordship, and/or did not continue in faithful living. This is betrayal to Christ Himself, to receive the Blood of the Lamb and then throw water on it to dilute it and wash it away (Heb. 6:4-9; 10:26-29; 2 Pet. 2: 10-19; 1 John 2:3-4)! This is what we call backslidden in doctrinal or moral mindsets (Prov. 14:14; Acts 21:21; 2 Thess. 2:3; 1 Tim. 4:1; Heb. 6:4-6; 10:38, 39).
· Swift destruction refers to judgment and accountability to God that will happen, not necessarily in a human, immediate, timely way but in God’s perfect timing. The calamity can mean physical death or our Lord's second coming (Matt. 24:50-51; 2 Thess. 1:9).
The references to false teachers, or those who follow such teachings, do not necessarily mean that people who follow them were not real, sincere, saved Christians when they got hooked, as many true followers are led astray and even good teachers can be misled. And, there are those who purposely seek to be deceiving, claiming to be believers when they are not. Good intentions or not, be warned. When we do get hooked in to what is false, Christ is the One who is pushed away! The end result s the same; people are led astray. If this happens to you, run¾do not walk¾away from them! If you are a leader, confront them. If they refuse to heed, get rid of them until they stop and make obvious repentance.
Vs. 2-3: False doctrines are extremely destructive! Why is the teaching of false doctrines wrong? Because it distorts Christ, and God is a God of Truth. When we do not realize His truth, we will error in other ways too, thus leading us away from His Ways and Truth while bringing disrepute and chaos to all we do.
· Shameful ways/sensuality means “debauchery” as in reckless, incorrigible, unrestrained, sensual indulgences of sexual immorality. This is about seeking sinful, physical gratification, or giving into one’s desires. This leads to being merciless and unscrupulous in one’s dealings with others!When we fight against one another, especially in the church, it is hurtful and even pathetic in God’s eyes (Gen. 4:8; Duet. 25:17-19; Joshua 7; Matt. 21: 1-17; Luke 9:54; Rom. 13:13; 2 Cor. 12:21; Eph. 4:19; 1 Pet. 4:3).
· This also refers to “shame,” something that is often foreign in our society. It means we feel guilty because of our sin or our failure to live as Christ has called, and it affects our self-identity. This, in context, is profiteering at another’s expense, oppression, and gaining profit from twisting truth, stealing, or manipulating like pirates of the sea (Gen. 3:7-8; 2:25; Psalm 31:17; 35:36; 44:7; 119:30-31; 132:18; Rom. 3:23-24).
· Disrepute/blasphemed means we dishonor Christ and His Church. Because of immorality, a lack of accountability, and rationalizing that the sin is OK, we miss the point of Christianity.
· Greed means to love the gain of wealth over all else. It refers to being motivated by the desire for money and seeking whatever means to get it, as in “fleecing the flock.” Today, it can mean to commercialize the Christian faith for personal gain rather than to glorify Christ. This abuses the church, abuses the position of leadership, brings distrust to the standing of the church, and brings dishonor to Christ (1 Cor. 9:14-15; 12:17-18; 1 Tim. 5:17-18; 6:5; 1 Pet. 5:2).
· These teachers referred to people who traveled from one place or church to another and charged fees to perform divinations, visions, occult practices, or held new theories in theology that did not come from the Apostles or the Old Testament. They were about exploiting people for the money and glory by perverting the truth (Prov. 28:23; 29:5; 1 Thess. 2:1-6)!
· Not been sleeping. It seems false teachers have the money, fan base, and advantage, but God is not asleep; judgment is at hand for them!
The Bible warns us that when the clever lie, appealing to people玍s lust for what is new and counterfeit and appealing to vanities by fake flattery, and the deceit of the false teachers does not take hold, they will resort to claiming that what is true is false. Because their ideas are divorced from sound reason or scriptural foundation, they will scoff and scorn the real Truth and the tenets of the faith. They will make fun of it and twist it so the truth becomes the lie and the lie becomes the truth. Their goal is to take you away from Christ as Lord and enslave you to vain philosophies and ideas that glorify people and the self rather than Christ. Christ is their enemy. It is all about control. Will it be God, you, or them (Col. 1:16-17; Heb. 1:1-2)?
How can you tell if someone is a false teacher? Simply by the fact that what they teach is not rooted in the precepts of God’s most precious Word! Just as a bank teller must learn what a real hundred-dollar bill looks and feels like so when the fake comes he/she will be prepared, so it is regarding false teachers. However, most Christians may not be able to tell what is truth compared to what is fable or false. There is also another way to tell, and that is how they are in disposition and Fruit. False teachers are typically self centered, egotistical, and manipulative; life is all about them. The Fruit of the Spirit is not flowing, and in its place are pride and strife. They tend to have charismatic personalities so people become enamored by their celebrity and persona while they ignore their goods. In contrast, our example is humbleness and virtue, love and kindness, as well as strength under control¾and that is our Lord Jesus Christ. Is he/she acting like a servant, or positioning self for power and prestige? Rather than in flashy manipulative personalities, in bait and switch, or in secretive or scheming teachers, the truth of God is revealed in the character and in words that are spoken by the teacher. Rarely if ever have I seen a false teacher be humble, caring, or loving, or have a servant玍s heart. It is all about them; God may be proclaimed, but the message will be so rare or watered down, it is diluted beyond being usable.
What is to stop false teachers is our discipleship and accountability with others? Being immersed in the Word so we follow His percepts, not ours or those of another person.
The Essential Inductive Questions (for more Inductive questions see Inductive Bible Study):
1. What does this passage say?
2. What does this passage mean?
3. What is God telling me?
4. How am I encouraged and strengthened?
5. Is there sin in my life for which confession and repentance is needed?
6. How can I be changed, so I can learn and grow?
7. What is in the way of these precepts affecting me? What is in the way of my listening to God?
8. How does this apply to me? What will I do about it?
9. What can I model and teach?
10. What does God want me to share with someone?
Additional Questions:
1. What do you consider to be false teachings? Why do you suppose they have always been with us?
2. How would you describe shallow thinking? Why do you suppose people prefer not to think or examine something carefully to see if it is true or not?
3. What teachings are in the Church that, in your opinion, need to be confronted and countered?
4. Have you ever been attracted to false teachings? If so, how and why? If not, how have you guarded yourself from them?
5. Why do you suppose that many pulpits and airways are filled with false prophecies and false teachings?
6. Why would a church be taken in by social trends, fanciful ideas, personalities, or the latest and greatest ideas that are contrary to God’s Word? How do false teachers connive others into following them?
7. How do false teachers work to undermine the real work of Christ? What is an example of their use of deception and manipulation? How do they twist God’s truth?
8. What is an example of what they teach? What is the difference between what is essential and orthodox, what we can agree to disagree about, and what is counterfeit that needs to be fought and removed?
9. What does it mean to be motivated by the desire for money? How are false teachings a betrayal to Christ Himself?
10. How do people become enamored by a false teacher’s celebrity and persona while they ignore their goods? What can the church do to better educate people to avoid them?
11. When we fight against one another, especially in the church, how is this impacting our communities for the gospel? It is important to know when to fight and when to let it go so it does not divert others from Him.
12. What can you do to be on guard against false teaching? What should your church do if a pastor or any other person teaches what is false and misleading and refuses to repent? True teachers correct what is false and do not appeal to people’s vanity; rather, they seek to glorify Christ. What are you going to do about this?

© 2005 R. J. Krejcir Ph.D. Into Thy Word Ministrieswww.intothyword.org