Explore the Bible Lesson Preview May 20, 2007 "Spiritual Error Is Rampant" Background: 2 Peter 2:1-22 Lesson: 2 Peter 2:1-3, 12-14, 17-22

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1 Explore the Bible Lesson Preview May 20, 2007 "Spiritual Error Is Rampant" Background: 2 Peter 2:1-22 Lesson: 2 Peter 2:1-3, 12-14, Motivation: Peter warns that false teachers will always be with us, secretly trying to infiltrate the church desiring to lead members astray. He provides detailed instructions in how to recognize them, what their goals are and how God will deal with them. Examination: I. Deception of False Teachers (2:1-3) A. Reality "But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you..." (1) 1. False Prophets - They are contrasted with the true prophets of God mentioned in 1: False prophets in the Old Testament include Zedekiah (I Kings 22) and Balaam (Numbers 22). False prophets are condemned by the prophets themselves in Jeremiah 6:14, Ezekiel 13:16, Micah 3:11, and Isaiah 28:7. (Deut. 18:20-22) 2. False Teachers - The Greek term pseudo-didaskalos is used only here in the New Testament. They appear as learned teachers but they don't have the genuine product. Peter warns us not to be naïve; false teachers will always be around (Titus 1:10-16,; I Timothy 6:3-5) Jesus said, "B eware of false prophets; who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravaging wolves" (Matt. 7:15) Paul said to the Ephesian elders "Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock,... for I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. Therefore, watch and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears." (Acts 20:29-31) B. Rebellion "who will secretly bring in destructive heresies" - A key indicator of false teaching is rejection of authority. These people do not want to be accountable to anyone for what they teach. If accountability groups or boards exist, they're usually filled with relatives. Typically, they do not want to work within the framework of the local church. They're above the rules. Therefore their work in God's church must be done 1 / 5

2 "secretly" without the approval of God's authority figures. Notice in the latter part of verse 10; they " despise authority." C. Rejection "even denying the Lord who bought them." Look at all the major cults; the main error is a rejection of Jesus Christ as God. Typically false teachers who claim to be Christians want to avoid teaching about the character of Christ. They have a new doctrine concerning "gifts" or "prophecy" or "behavior" that departs from fundamental Bible doctrine. "who bought them " does not imply that those false teachers were once Christians who have fallen from grace; in fact, they are actors. Although salvation is offered as a gift, bought by the shed blood of Christ (I Peter 1:19), these teachers have rejected His message and salvation. D. Ruin "and bring on themselves swift destruction" (1) "For a long time their judgment has not been idle, and their destruction does not slumber." (3) We are to be alert for false teaching, to point it out. However, God will do the judging and punishing. E. Results 1. Outward Results "many will follow" visible popularity is no test of biblical truthfulness. Paul warned Timothy of "perilous times" characterized by false teachers deceiving gullible people (2 Timothy 3:1-9). 2. Inward Harm "because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed" (2) False teachers ultimately hurt God's church by their errors, predatory style, immoral ways, and public manner. Weak believers are led astray and non-believers are repelled from the truth. F. Regime - What characterizes them? 1. "destructive ways" (1) This description is variously translated "pernicious", "sensual", "lascivious", "licentious", and "wanton". Later, Peter compared them to the dwellers of "Sodom and Gomorrah" (6), referred to "Those who walk according to the flesh in the lusts of the flesh, through lewdness" (18). Their teaching is rooted not in the Bible but in Greek thought: Spirit is good - matter is evil. Since God is Spirit, he doesn't care what we do with our evil bodies. We see the modern day equivalent of this in teachers who proclaim an absence of moral absolutes. 2 / 5

3 2. "covetousness" (3) Paul describes them as "lovers of money" (2 Tim. 3:1) and ones "who suppose that godliness is a means of gain." (1 Tim. 6:5-6); Micah said "It's priests teach for hire" (Mic. 3:4); Paul wrote to Titus of ones teaching "for the sake of dishonest gain" (Titus 1:11). Peter had written earlier that teachers of the truth serve "not for dishonest gain but eagerly" (1 Pet. 5:2). An obvious tip-off to false teachers is their source of motivation. (Col. 3:5; Isa. 56:10-12). 3. "exploit" (3) False teachers have a predatory mindset that seeks to gratify themselves at the expense of others. Rather than using their ministry to build people, they use people to build their "ministry". 4. "deceptive words" (3) Ultimately, false teachers are liars. They claim to speak for God, but contradict His Word with their own. They search for those with "itching ears" (2 Tim. 4:3) who are eager for a new truth that makes them feel good about their sin. II. Descriptions of False Teachers (4-17) A. False Teachers Will Be Judged (2:4-10a) 1. God will not spare judgment because of apparent spiritual rank- the angels (4) (Col. 2:18) Believer's Study Bible, p. 1777: 2:4 "Peter uses the Greek verb tartarosas (to hold captive in Tartarus) to indicate where the sinning angels were sent. The word translated hell' (from tartarosas ) is used only here in the N.T. The reference is to the place in which some fallen angels who did not keep their proper domain' (Jude 6) are kept awaiting judgment. The sin which the fallen angels committed probably occurred prior to the Fall of Adam and Eve (cf. Gen 3). If this is correct, we have no information as to the nature of the sin or why only certain evil angels are confined while others remain free. An alternate view is that the sin described is a reference to Gen 6: 1-4, where the sons of God (i.e., fallen angels) are said to have intermarried with the daughters of men (human women). This latter view, however, is unlikely, since it does not appear that angels (spirit beings) can have sexual relations with women (cf. Luke 20:34-36; Matt. 22:29-30). 2. God will not spare judgment because of the numbers to be judged - the floods (5) 3. God will not spare judgment because of a "mixed multitude" - Sodom and Gomorrah (6-10a) False teachers should not rely on the church to spare them from judgment. Just because they have an official standing and may be in the midst 3 / 5

4 of redeemed people, they should not doubt God's ability to separate the just from the unjust. B. False Teachers Live in Wrong Ways (2:10b-17) 1. Full of themselves "presumptuous, self-willed, not afraid to speak evil..." (10b) An identifying mark of false teaching is pride. Their teaching results in glory for the teacher, not for God. They literally tread where angels fear to go. (Jude 9; Prov. 16:18) 2. Full of Lust "those who count it pleasure to carouse in the daytime" (13) Peter seems to imply that even lost pagans will wait for cover of darkness to sin. (John 3:19; 2 Tim. 3:6) These false teachers are so blatant (or perhaps anxious) that they cannot wait for the sun to go down. 3. Full of Emptiness "wells without water" (17) (Jude 12) These false teachers had nothing of value to offer. They had "forsaken the right way" (15), and "loved the wages of unrighteousness" (15). Like Balaam, they loved money more than truth and had less spiritual perception than a donkey. III. Doom of False Teachers (18-22) A. False Teachers Use Wrong Methods (2:18-19) Jesus said of the Pharisees that they were like the blind leading the blind (Matt. 15:14), and like whitewashed tombs, "beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men's bones" (Matt. 23:27) 1. Sexual Freedom - "they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through lewdness" (18) Not only do the false teachers engage in immorality, they teach it openly to attract new students! Rather than living by God's moral laws, they revel in the freedom to do as they please. 2. Academic Freedom - "great swelling words" (18), "they promise them liberty" (19) The buzzword on today's campuses is "tolerance." No one has the right, they say, to judge or condemn anyone else. (John 14:6) "If it feels good, do it." God's Word says that such a philosophy ultimately produces slavery and reduces us to the moral level of animals. (12) B. False Teachers Bring Doom (2:20-22) Believer's Study Bible, p. 1778: 2:20-22 "Teachers are being discussed in this passage. In fact, the entire discussion of chap.2 concerns false teachers. These are not people who were once saved and then forfeited that salvation. The scathing denunciation within this passage closely parallels the words of Jesus with the reference to the Pharisees (Matt. 15:14; 23:27). These false teachers, knowing the truth, yet being entangled again in the things of the world, find their latter state of guilt to be worse than when they knew nothing at all." (James 3:1) Application 1. Christians are to be able to recognize false teachers. 4 / 5

5 2. Christians are to rebuke false teachers. 3. Christians are to relinquish judgment and punishment to God. Adult Teachers Packet: Item 22: Poster: Lesson Outline Biblical Illustrator (no article) Notes: **You may now access David's Lesson Preview in MP3 format at: cbiblestudy.org/ ; also, the Highpoint Bible Study (Downtown) is also on MP3 at the HFBC site under the Highpoint link/downloads. Dates: May 20 - Sunday School Leadership Appreciation Day; May 24 - FBA 8 th Grade Graduation; May 24 - First Kids Pre-K Graduation; May 27 - Memorial Day, both a.m. services (SS opt.) 6:30 Ascend; May 31 - Celebration Dinner - AEM; May 30 - June 3 - Middle School Camp; May 31 - HCHS Graduation; June 1 - First Things First, Summit; June 1 - Spanish language concert in WC; June 2 - Inspire Training Conf.; June 6/4-8 - Vacation Bible School; 6/14-8/16 - METRO live on Thurs.; 6/ High School Camp; 5 / 5