But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you..
2 Peter 2:1a – King James Version
Accepting Apostolic Testimony OR Following False Prophets
After presenting his Apostolic testimony to wavering preachers, elders, and marginal followers of “The Way,” Simon Peter now alerts the church to dangerous heresies taught by some seeking to undermine the true Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.
The Trustworthy Prophetic Word, reads the heading in this section of 2 Peter 1 of the Christian Standard Bible, also citing testimony from all the synoptic Gospels [Matthew, Mark & Luke].
For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty.
We have also a more sure word of prophecy; where unto ye do well that ye take heed..
For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.
2 Peter 1:17-21 excerpt KJV
The Apostle now warns of pernicious perils of false prophets and false teaching of those who deny Apostolic testimony.
2 Peter 2:
There were indeed false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you.
2 Peter 2:1a – Christian Standard Bible
Peter, Apostle of Jesus, provides familiar examples from the Jewish Bible (Old Testament):
- and if he didn’t spare the ancient world, but protected Noah v.5a
- and if he reduced the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to ashes v.6a
- and if he rescued righteous Lot, v.7a
Compare yourself to Noah. Or compare yourself to Lot, Paul suggests, a righteous man living in Sodom surrounded by every wickedness conceived by evil men in charge of his community.
Are Sodom and Gomorrah not the cities of our home churches to whom Simon Peter writes once again?
And doesn’t our world reminiscingly resemble that near to destruction in the time of Noah?
Take heed that we have survived thus far only be saved from the final judgment of fire by Christ’s righteousness!
How do the Apostle’s examples from Genesis apply to us?
The believers to whom Peter writes live in Asian and Roman and new worldly cities not unlike Sodom — as do we in our towns and churches susceptible to every evil tolerated and encouraged by leaders of every gathering in our home community.
Destructive Doctrines
HEADING from the New King James Version
WATCH OUT! warns the Apostle in his second epistle.
.. even as there will be false teachers among you, – v.1b – NKJV
You know these preachers and elders who CLAIM JESUS.
Some saints succumb to their subtle sweet tolerance. For their deceptive doctrine suggests Christ while discounting His lordship over our saved SELF’s still flourishing in the flesh of this life.
Pernicious Preachers of Their Own Doctrines
ψευδοδιδάσκαλος – pseudodidáskalos, psyoo-dod-id-as’-kal-os; from G5571 and G1320; a spurious teacher, i.e. propagator of erroneous Christian doctrine:—false teacher.
No, it isn't only the preacher in the pulpit who purveys false doctrine, though some succumb at times as the Apostle fears.
They will bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, and will bring swift destruction on themselves.
– 2:1c CSB
.. who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them.
2 Peter 2:1c King James Version
And many shall follow their pernicious ways
Time to define a key word Paul uses FIVE TIMES in his Second Epistle (translated in 2 Peter 2:2 KJV as "pernicious ways").
ἀπώλεια – apōleia –
The KJV translates Strong‘s G684 in the following manner: perdition (8x), destruction (5x), waste (2x), damnable (1x), to die (with G1519) (1x), perish (with G1498) (with G1519) (1x), pernicious (1x).
The Apostle Peter chooses STRONG language to describe these sins against the Lord.
And in fact, Jesus had spoken the same to describe Judas Iscariot!
While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; G684 that the scripture might be fulfilled.
Gospel of John 17:12 KJV – the words of Jesus
What must Peter — one of the Twelve — have thought when Judas took the cup the Lord shared at their last Passover meal?
The Lure of their Depravity
Common Era preachers may draw in the multitudes to gatherings of those seeking an advantage in the life of proclaiming Jesus.
(Judas, who minded their money, was like that.)
Peter continues in his second epistle warning the faithful:
And in their greed they will exploit you with false words, their judgment from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.
2 Peter 2:3 LSB
The Apostle describes how to spot false teachers scemingly opposed to all Truth:
- Bold, arrogant people!
- They are not afraid to slander the glorious ones [2:10b LSB]
- go after the flesh in its corrupt lust
- and despise authority.
- (even that of the Lord’s Apostles, Peter implies)
- Daring,
- self-willed,
- they do not tremble when they blaspheme [angels] glorious ones 2:10 LSB
- (We’ll continue Peter’s mention of angels momentarily.)
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.
2 Peter 2:18 LSB
The APOSTLE’S WARNING!
These people are springs without water, mists driven by a storm. The gloom of darkness has been reserved for them.
For by uttering boastful, empty words, they seduce, with fleshly desires and debauchery, people who are actually escaping from those who live in error.
2 Peter 17-18 CSB
Peter has already presented his powerful case of his authority as an Apostle of Jesus Christ — who IS the only Son of GOD the Father and One with the Holy Spirit.
Won’t you obey an Apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ?
“For when he received honor and glory from God the Father, and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory, “This is my beloved Son,with whom I am well pleased,”
2 Peter 1:17 ESV
OR
Will you subtly slide back into the vomit of your former overindulgence in every sin of this world?
What the true proverb says has happened to them:
“The dog returns to its own vomit, and the sow, after washing herself, returns to wallow in the mire.”
2 Peter 2:22 ESV
Like a dog that returns to his vomit
is a fool who repeats his folly.Do you see a man who is wise in his own eyes?
There is more hope for a fool than for him.Proverbs 26:11,12 ESV
GOD, Angels, Men, Apostles, creatures & authority
FOLLOW PETER'S LOGIC:
- In the beginning, God [ĕlōhîm] created the heavens and the earth. – Genesis 1:1
- The apostle of Jesus Christ.. stands [in] the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ: – 2 Peter 1:1
- Jesus is associated with righteousness, highlighting His sinless nature and the moral perfection that He imparts to believers.
- 2 Peter 2:1 The term “Master” is used in the context of false teachers denying “the Master who bought them.” It underscores Jesus’ ownership and authority over believers, as well as the cost of redemption.
- ibid.
- Peter introduces himself as a servant [doulos] of Jesus
- 2 Peter 1:1
- and in his first epistle the Apostle instructs those chosen in Christ:
Servants [oiketēs, a domestic], be subject to your masters [despotēs – also translated as Lord or used for husband] with all respect, not only to the good and gentle but also to the unjust.
1 Peter 2:18 ESV
The Apostle Peter, as servant of the Lord and witness to God in the flesh embraces great responsibility for the faith of those chosen as elect saints in Jesus Christ.
Creation, its creatures and Angels
For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;
… The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished:
2 Peter 2:4,9 KJV
The Apostle connects evil men affecting the righteous like Noah and Lot within a lengthy tirade citing angels that sinned. Though we know little of the unseen messengers (evil or good), Peter reminds us of a comparison of Jesus to Adam, who was tempted into our fall by a most-powerful angel.
Once again:
FOLLOW PETER’S LOGIC:
- God did not spare angels when they sinned – v.4
- .. and his angels he charged with folly: – Job 4:18b KJV
- .. but cast them into hell..
“How you are fallen from heaven,
O Lucifer,[lit. Day Star] son of the morning!
How you are cut down to the ground,
You who weakened the nations!
For you have said in your heart:
‘I will ascend into heaven,
I will exalt my throne above the stars of God;
..
Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol,
To the lowest depths of the Pit.
- and committed them to pits of darkness, held for judgment…
- [2 Peter 2:4b NASB]
These cunning false teachers speaking against Apostolic Authority — granted through the same Holy Spirit of God by which the Prophets spoke — do not tremble when they revile angelic majesties [Doxa] – ‘they blaspheme the glorious ones’ – v.10
FALSE TEACHERS, who are no better than evil men who refused to listen to GOD’s Prophets speaking by the Holy Spirit and less powerful than angels, will also suffer the judgment of angels who turned against the Creator.
.. whereas angels, though greater in might and power,
do not pronounce a blasphemous judgment against them before the Lord.
2 Peter 11 ESV
Balaam, False Prophets and Pernicious Popes!
YES, we are still addressing the warning of the Apostle Peter in his second epistle to the 1st century church.
If you have noted in 2 Peter 2 that I quoted Scripture including men the Apostle lists as negative examples, but I missed a false prophet mentioned only once, you would be right.
Peter’s full list (chronologically) includes:
- Angels – vs.4 & 11
- mankind, except Noah – v.5
- community of mankind in Sodom and Gomorrah, except Lot – v.6
- the Prophet Balaam – vs. 15-16
ALL these are WARNING SIGNS from the LAW of Moses — cited by the Apostle Peter, servant of God and JESUS Christ, sent by true direction of the Holy Spirit — to BELIEVERS in the first century churches AND those including a Lot from Common Era elect yet to be born into the body of Christ before the Day of Judgment.
I have nearly bogged down in the mire of Moses’ serious warning in the book of Numbers concerning Balaam.
Moses, Prophet and Lawgiver of Israel, sheds light enough on such men and women who cunningly lead communities of the faithful away from the Lord our God — from then nearer the Beginning until the Day of Jesus Christ.
What Popes, you may ask?
Which false prophets since Jesus, you may wonder?
AND what do these have to do with the Apostle’s example of Balaam in 2 Peter 2?
NEXT – We will examine the timeless application of Balaam to Peter’s prophesies of false teachers and HERESIES already evident to the Common Era church.
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