Animal Wrongs (2 Peter 2:10-16)

If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it’s a duck. This folksy bit of common sense was probably coined by a late 19th century American poet named James Riley.^[1] In the 20th century, it became a repeated warning of the dangers of communism, both domestically and internationally.

Elementary school was full of lessons on how to tell different animals apart. Is it an alligator or a crocodile? Is it a seal or a sea lion? Frog or toad? Tortoise or turtle? Moth or butterfly?

I don’t really want to cross paths with an alligator or a crocodile in the wild. But sometimes we learned what might make a life or death difference between two creatures.

It was at an outdoor field trip of some sort that I learned the famous rhyme, “Red on yellow, kill a fellow. Red on black, venom lack.” It helps you differentiate between coral snakes and king snakes. The colors are the same, the order is different. King snakes are considered harmless, whereas coral snakes have the most potent venom of any snake in North America. Forewarned, forearmed.

Peter has been warning us about the danger of false teachers. How they infiltrate the church. They will infiltrate Christian communities and culture. And their words are deadly venom.

He’s been warning us in a general sense. Now he starts teaching us how to spot the false teachers. And Peter does not pull any punches. Frankly, he says they act like animals. They claim to have deeper understanding of all the most important questions of life. But Peter says, “Look how they waddle. Hear how they quack. These are not great oracles of truth. They are vipers to be avoided.”

We pick up in the middle of verse 10, where Peter begins showing us how to spot them.

2 Peter 2:10b-11 – Bold, arrogant people! They are not afraid to slander the glorious ones; ¹¹ however, angels, who are greater in might and power, do not bring a slanderous charge against them before the Lord.

These verses leave us with a few questions. Who are the “glorious ones” (your version may say “dignitaries” or “celestial beings”)? Who is having a slanderous charge brought against them? Scholars debate the grammar, the context, and the fact that these verses overlap with Jude.

A smaller percentage of commentators think the “glorious ones” refer to church or civil authorities. I tend to think Peter wouldn’t use that title for himself or other human servants of God. The dominant view among scholars is that Peter is referring to angelic beings – either good or bad.

We don’t exactly know what they were saying,^[2] and that’s ok. Often times, the epistles will leave texts like this somewhat broad so that we don’t obsess over the specifics of the situation. The ambiguity is important.^[3] Peter wants us to focus on a principle, not the specific predicament.

So, we aren’t told exactly what these guys were saying, but we can see how they were behaving. They had no respect and no restraint.^[4] They were brash and blasphemous. Peter says they were bold, arrogant people.

But wait: Aren’t Christians supposed to be bold? Didn’t Peter and the other apostles and the Christians in Jerusalem pray for boldness?^[5] They did. But that’s not the boldness Peter is talking about here. In Acts, they prayed that the Lord would empower them to, “speak His word with all boldness.” What Peter is talking about here is arrogance, and headstrong recklessness.^[6] They were self-willed. Their goal was not please God, but pleasing themselves.^[7]

Peter contrasts these false teachers with the angels of heaven. Angels always show a great deal of restraint. Now, think about that for a moment: A heavenly angel has amazing power. They’ve got full access to God Himself. They are supernatural beings that can move between the heavenly realm and the earthly realm. They know so much more than we do about what God is doing. But they are extremely careful about what they say and do. They are not brash or headstrong.

Standing before God, they won’t even bring a slanderous charge against the guilty. Whether the “them” in verse 11 is evil angels or if it’s referring to the false teachers, either way the good angels know they’re guilty. But they know God is in charge and that He is merciful. So, they do not act like Lucifer, who came before God to accuse Job. Jude tells us that Michael the Archangel wouldn’t bring a condemning word against the devil himself. He said, “The Lord rebuke you.”

We would do well to be more careful about the words we speak. James has a lot to say about that in his letter. Jesus Himself said that, “on the day of judgment people will have to account for every careless word they speak.”^[8] The angels are certainly careful. We should be, too. One way to identify these false teachers was by their rash, brutish, blasphemous speech. Arrogant and irreverent.

We can also know them by the patterns of their personal lives. As always, a tree is known by its fruit.

2 Peter 2:12-13a – ¹² But these people, like irrational animals—creatures of instinct born to be caught and destroyed—slander what they do not understand, and in their destruction they too will be destroyed. ¹³ They will be paid back with harm for the harm they have done.

Peter is not calling them names. He’s exposing how these people were living life on a base level of selfish hedonism. A life of self-indulgence, driven by sinful, human urges. While they were raising themselves up, parading themselves as experts and gurus and keepers of secret truth. In reality, they lived like animals, not driven by morality but by desire.

Animals aren’t moral. Go into the wild and you will find the coral snake does not feel bad about biting you at all. It’s driven by animal instinct. It makes decisions based off natural urges.

When Peter says they are “creatures of instinct,” he uses a word that means “belonging to nature.”^[9] The sin nature. But friends, we’re not meant to belong to the sin nature. We’re meant to enjoy a supernatural relationship to God and man. God raises us up above the cares and the corruption of this world, with our thoughts set on the Spirit^[10] and the Gospel and the work of God in our lives.

The false teachers, living on this base, animal level, would reap what they sowed. They destroyed the lives of others, so they would be destroyed. One of the wonders of the Christian life is that we get to reap what Christ has sowed in us. His life. His word. His peace. His comfort. His grace.

Now, don’t read verse 12 and think that these false teachers were determined to be evil. We read that they were, “Born to be caught and destroyed.” This isn’t teaching that God predestined them for Hell. Because, remember: All of us are born dead in trespasses and sins. All of us are born of the flesh and if we live according to the flesh, we are going to die.^[11] This is not a verse about predestination. It is a reminder of the only prescription that can cure the disease.

Do you want to be set free and saved from destruction? Do you want a life not captive to natural urges but lived on the higher plane of God’s grace? Then you need to be born again. And once you are born again, you no are no longer obligated to the flesh, to live according to the flesh like these false teachers. But instead you have the mind of Christ. The heart of Christ. You walk the way of Christ, not toward destruction, but toward life. How are we born again? Through belief.

2 Peter 213b-14 – They consider it a pleasure to carouse in broad daylight. They are spots and blemishes, delighting in their deceptions while they feast with you. ¹⁴ They have eyes full of adultery that never stop looking for sin. They seduce unstable people and have hearts trained in greed. Children under a curse!

Here, Peter lists their mentality and activity. It’s an ugly rap sheet. They slander, they carouse, they deceive, they seduce, they’re full of greed.

Theirs was a habitual lifestyle of sin. Of course, they saw it as one big party. Not just on Saturday night, but during the workday. In fact, not only during the work day, but they were bringing their drunken, self-indulgence into church services, too. As God’s people came together to share a meal and to celebrate communion, here are these guys, scoping every lady as someone they wanted to seduce and looking for all the ways to get more of everything for themselves.

They were trained in greed. We know they wanted people’s money, but the term also refers to a lust for more of everything.^[12] In fact, Peter used a word that referred to athletic training in the gymnasium.^[13] They had chest and arms day, leg day, and greed day.

They never stopped looking for sin. But notice what form that took: It wasn’t just sin in a vacuum. They indulged their appetites by exploiting and devouring the Christians around them. Unstable people were being “seduced.” That’s a term that refers to catching prey with bait.^[14]

This is why back in chapter 1, Peter says, “I’m writing so you can be established in the truth.” He wants us to be firmly anchored in the word of God, in the truth of God, so that we’re not easy prey.

You’ve watched nature shows. Planet Earth. Wild America. When the lions want to grab a gazelle, who do they target? The strong? The alert? No. It’s the weak ones straggling behind the herd.

Getting grounded in the word of God is not just about knowing more things. The Bible explains that this is the way we anchor our lives on Christ so that when the storms come, when the winds blow, when our enemy comes – who is a prowling lion seeking someone to devour – we will be strong. We will be secure. We will not be knocked down and destroyed, but continue growing and thriving in the love of God and the protection of His truth. Being established in the truth shields us and sets us free. It directs us and fortifies our lives.

2 Peter 2:15-16 – ¹⁵ They have gone astray by abandoning the straight path and have followed the path of Balaam, the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of wickedness ¹⁶ but received a rebuke for his lawlessness: A speechless donkey spoke with a human voice and restrained the prophet’s madness.

Peter uses an Old Testament character as an example of what these false teachers were doing. Balaam’s story is an interesting one. He pops up more than we realize. He’s referenced in Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, Nehemiah, Micah, 2 Peter, Jude, Revelation.

Balaam was this guy who you could pay to do divination. The Moabites wanted to curse the Israelites, so they hired Balaam. God told him, “Don’t take the job,” but Balaam really wanted the money. He ended up going. On the way, an angel of the Lord stood in the path to kill him. But the donkey he was riding could see the angel, and she turned away to try to help Balaam. He got really angry, started beating the donkey, and the Lord miraculously opened the donkeys mouth and allowed her to say, “Why are you beating me? I’m trying to save you!”

Now Balaam still doesn’t get the hint, he wants the money, so he tries to curse Israel. But every time he opens his mouth, God makes a blessing come out instead. Remember: the Lord knows how to rescue the Godly from their troubles.

After all that, Balaam is still greedy for the money. So he tells the Moabites, “Look, I can’t curse them. But we might be able to convince them to commit sin themselves, which will bring God’s judgment on them.”^[15] And that’s exactly what happens.

Balaam kept following this path of sin and greed, and in the end he was destroyed. Along the way, God kept giving him a chance to turn back. Pitstops of mercy and choice. It was like God put all these signs in which said, “Dead end. Not a through road.” The same is true for any sinner today. God doesn’t want you to perish, but for you to repent. To turn around and walk on the straight path – the path of righteousness. It’s madness to continue on a road you know ends in death.

But you have to choose whether you’re going to walk in the light or stay in the dark. Sadly, many people love darkness rather than light. But as Peter is so quick to remind us: The end of the path of unrighteousness is death. Destruction. Judgment. Hell.

These false teachers seemed like they were having a good time. They were telling people that they knew more than angels, more than apostles. In reality, they lived like animals. They were spots and blemishes in the church of God.

In the last chapter, Peter is going to bring that image back when he tells us to not be led away by these false teachers and to make every effort to be found without spot or blemish in Christ’s sight. How? By walking with Him, not them. By making progress on the path of righteousness. By not living an animal life of sin, but the Christian life of purity, grace, power, and truth. Looking at my life in the mirror, is there any spot cleaning I need to do?

Peter’s warning is that there are Balaam’s out there who want to bring curse and ruin into our lives. God knows and is keeping an account. He will deal with them for the harm they cause. But our part is to watch out for their venom. Now, we should be aware but we don’t need to be afraid. Consider the example of Balaam: Balaam couldn’t do anything to Israel, no matter how hard he tried! The trouble only came when they decided to follow his advice. That’s when ruin came.

In the mean time, we’re not donkeys with human words. We’re sheep with the Lord’s word on our lips. We can not only keep ourselves from being seduced by the lies of the false teachers, but we can warn others of the coming judgment. And we can warn those false teachers themselves when we run into them. God extended mercy to Balaam. He didn’t take it, but he could have. God has mercy for you and me and those around us today. Keep to the path of mercy, the path of righteousness. It is the path that leads to life, to glory, to all we need to enjoy the supernatural plans God has for us.

Here Comes The Judgment (2 Peter 2:4-10)

In the United States, nearly 98% of criminals walk free.^[1] It’s not that we don’t try. In fact, we spend about $300 billion every single year to fund police, courts, jails, prisons, probation, and parole.^[2]

Here in California, only 12% of burglary cases are even solved, let alone perpetrators punished. Only 10% of auto thefts, and a dismal 9% of larcenies and property crimes.^[3]

Human society reveals that we’re no good at righteousness – not on our own. But God is righteous, He is holy, He is just, and He demands righteousness, holiness, and justice of His creation.

In this text, Peter warns of God’s coming justice. He will repay the unrighteous for the evil they have done. Don’t believe it? Peter gives us a list of historic examples that each foreshadow and guarantee the final judgment after Christ’s return. He has absolute jurisdiction. It is universal. There is no place, there is no creature, there is no circumstance that falls outside of His judicial review and power. He judges on the celestial level, the global level, the local level, and the personal level.

These verses are one long if/then sentence. If God judged the wicked and delivered the righteous in these past examples, then He will do so again. That’s what God has promised and He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. But here is the theological hope: Judgment is inevitable, but it is not inescapable.^[4] Each and every one of us can be rescued from death, saved for life and live a life of righteousness, which brings us refuge, hope, and strength even in the hardest circumstances.

2 Peter 2:4 – ⁴ For if God didn’t spare the angels who sinned but cast them into hell, and delivered them in chains of utter darkness to be kept for judgment;

Last week we heard Peter’s warning about false teachers and how their lies ruined lives. Now, he drives the point home that those who deny Christ, those who refuse the the path of righteousness and go another way, are going to be judged and condemned in the end.

Peter illustrates the certainty of God’s coming judgment with three stories from Genesis. In verse 4, he starts on the celestial level – when God brought judgment on angels.

In Genesis 6 we read the story of how angelic beings known as Watchers came to earth and produced offspring with human women.^[5] These offspring were known as the Nephilim. They were violent giants, who worked wickedness on the earth.

In response, God judged this group and sent them to a holding place where they await their sentence. Now, most English translations say they were cast into “hell,” but Peter uses a specific word here – in fact, he’s the only New Testament writer to name it. It’s a place known as Tartarus.^[6]

We covered this in our studies in Mark recently, but in the Bible there are a variety of places we would put in the category of the afterlife. There is Hades, Sheol, Gehenna, Tartarus, Heaven.

When we put this verse with passages in Jude, Revelation, and Luke, we learn Tartarus is an abyss of gloomy dungeons in the depths of Hades where angelic beings are held for final judgment.

Never think that hell is ruled by the devil and his minions. That’s not a biblical idea. In fact, in the Gospel of Luke we see that the demons are afraid of Tartarus, not to mention the Lake of Fire.^[7]

Peter describes Tartarus as a place of darkness and chains. Interestingly, the Greeks also talked about Tartarus from time to time. Plato and Homer both reference it. They, too, described it as an under-underworld of gloom and chains. They said that the monstrous Titans were held there.

2 Peter 2:5 – ⁵ and if he didn’t spare the ancient world, but protected Noah, a preacher of righteousness, and seven others, when he brought the flood on the world of the ungodly;

Peter moves from the celestial to the global. After Genesis 6, looking down on creation, God saw that human wickedness was widespread on the earth – that every inclination of the human mind was nothing but evil all the time.^[8] And so, He sent a global flood to wipe out that generation.

But Noah found grace in the eyes of God. Noah and his family believed God and walked His path of righteousness. As a result, God protected them.

If you, by faith, live out God’s righteousness, you will find refuge. David wrote,

Psalm 31:1 – LORD, I seek refuge in you; let me never be disgraced. Save me by your righteousness.

Psalm 34:19 – ¹⁹ One who is righteous has many adversities, but the LORD rescues him from them all.

How was Noah protected from the flood? His faith was not only intellectual beliefs. It was a living faith. Noah did not go the way of the world, but actively followed the callings and leadings the Lord gave him. Build an ark. Hew the trees. Fashion the planks. Mix the tar together to cover all 100,000 square feet. Through that faithful participation in God’s will, Noah and his family were protected.

2 Peter 2:6 – ⁶ and if he reduced the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to ashes and condemned them to extinction, making them an example of what is coming to the ungodly;

Peter moves forward chronologically again, now moving from a global example to a local example. The story of God’s judgment on Sodom and the cities of the plain can be found in Genesis 19.

Josephus, the first century historian, recorded that physical evidence of Sodom’s destruction was still available during his lifetime. Philo of Alexandria said the same thing.^[9] These cities were dramatically judged by God for their wickedness. The telling of Genesis 19 focuses on their sexual immorality, which was a key reason for God’s action. But that wasn’t all:

Ezekiel 16:49-50 – ⁴⁹ Now this was the iniquity of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters had pride, plenty of food, and comfortable security, but didn’t support the poor and needy. ⁵⁰ They were haughty and did detestable acts before me, so I removed them when I saw this.

Sodom and Gomorrah is an object lesson for what will one day come on the whole earth. You see, after the flood, God promised Noah that He would never again destroy the world with floodwater.^[10] But, as Peter will later reveal, God will destroy this world with floodfire. Sodom is not only a warning of the judgment of the Great Tribulation and the destroying of this earth, but also a warning of the eternal judgment found in the second death of the lake of fire and sulphur.

2 Peter 2:7-8 – ⁷ and if he rescued righteous Lot, distressed by the depraved behavior of the immoral ⁸ (for as that righteous man lived among them day by day, his righteous soul was tormented by the lawless deeds he saw and heard)…

We’ve gone from celestial to global to local, now to a personal view of judgment and deliverance.

The big reveal for us is that Lot is called a righteous man. Not once but three times. We have a hard time with that, don’t we? We’re shocked by Lot’s choices, his behavior, and his compromise.

And yet, he was a believer. Weak. Compromised. Polluted by the culture he purposefully immersed his family into. Not someone we admire or aspire to follow. But when we are faithless, God remains faithful.^[11] A God of that much grace that He would not only save Lot, but looking back, God still credits righteousness to him. Such grace! Such mercy! The God of the Bible is a God Who wants to rescue. He wants to save us from judgment, from our own weakness and failures. The God Who did not spare angels for their sin sent angels to deliver Lot and his family.

2 Peter 2:9 – ⁹ then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials and to keep the unrighteous under punishment for the day of judgment,

So after seeing these examples, if this, if this, if that, then be confident. Be hopeful. Be sure that the Lord can and does rescue His people from trials.

God’s people maybe saved from the wrath of judgment, but that doesn’t mean life is always clear sailing. Consider what Noah and Lot had to face. Peter was facing imminent martyrdom. Both he and James explain that Christians will face “various” trials. Douglas Moo writes, “[Peter means] all those challenges to faith that Christians experience in this world.”^[12]

In the face of trials, our God is an Advocate. He is a Rescuer. An ever-present help in times of trouble.^[13] He is the God of all comfort. The Father of mercies. The God of hesed, agape love.

At times, we worry that God must not know what we’re up against. We worry that He’s not going to arrive in time with the help we need. And yet, He proves again and again that He sees Noah’s family as the rain starts to fall. He sees Lot while the mob press on the doors. He sees Moses floating in a basket on the Nile. He sees Joseph, falsely accused in a dungeon. He sees David standing before the giant. He sees the people of Judah, besieged by the Assyrians. He sees Daniel in the lion’s den. He sees the young prophet, who lost a borrowed ax head he couldn’t afford to repay. He sees the hungry, the hurting, the bankrupt, the lost, the brokenhearted.

At the same time, the Lord also sees the unrighteous. If you’re not a Christian, not only are you missing out all that God wants to give, He’s also watching you, because your sin must be repaid.

Revelation 20:12 – ¹² I also saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life, and the dead were judged according to their works by what was written in the books.

So in verse 9 we see two distinct groups: The Godly and the unrighteous. The Godly are those who believe God and receive His salvation and all that comes with it. The unrighteous are those who reject the truth, go their own way, and face judgment.

That judgement can be escaped. Jesus Christ took our place by dying on the cross. The Lord punished Him, putting on His own Son the iniquity of us all. He was taken away for judgment, struck for our rebellion.^[14] The only way for you and I to be rescued from the inevitable judgment that is coming on the wicked is to have our names written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.

2 Peter 2:10a – ¹⁰ especially those who follow the polluting desires of the flesh and despise authority…

How do I know if I’m in the righteous group or not? Evaluate the fruit of your life. It’s not only whether you believe God exists. The conduct of your life matters. A tree is known by its fruit.

I do want to draw attention to those closing words: “Especially those who…despise authority.”

You know, we live in a time and culture that despises authority in just about every form. The Christians here today need to make sure we’re cultivating a proper, Godly, Biblical attitude toward authority. That doesn’t mean we don’t speak up when we see corruption – our system is set up for that kind of civic activity – but remember that Peter writes under the rule of Caesar Nero.

But for anyone here who is not a believer, this is the message: Judgment is coming. And you don’t know when. In Noah’s time, there was 30 to 75 years of delay.^[15] For Sodom? One night.

Have you heard of the Doomsday Clock? Since 1947, it has been a tool to try to warn people about how close we are to destroying the world. Right now, they say we’re 85 seconds till “midnight.” Although, the founder first set it at 7 minutes to midnight because it “looked good to [her] eye.”^[16]

God is not guessing. He is working. His wrath and judgment are an inevitable part of His work. He wants to save you from your sin. He wants to save you from death, the grave, and eternity in hell.  The only way out is to receive righteousness through faith in Jesus Christ.

Proverbs 12:28 – ²⁸ There is life in the path of righteousness, and in its path there is no death.

The majority of us in the room are Christians. Let’s talk about walking the path of righteousness.  This morning, Peter gave us two human examples: Noah and Lot. Both were righteous, but consider the difference righteousness made in their lives.

Noah walked the walk and his whole family was saved. Lot, who picked up so much pollution from the sinful culture, hesitated till the last possible moment. The angels had to drag him out so he wouldn’t be destroyed with the city. His sons-in-law stayed behind and died. Lot’s own wife longed for Sodom and was judged. Lot was bothered by sin, but didn’t bother to live out his faith.

Noah had a harder set of circumstances. His was the only Godly family on planet earth! Lot was enamored of wealth, culture, and position. It wasn’t about circumstances, it was about commitment.

Are we making progress on the path of righteousness? Are we serving God? Are we preaching the Good News through the activity of our lives? We don’t have any record of Noah giving prophecy, but he lived prophetically. He knew the flood was coming and that knowledge changed his life. His living faith led to deliverance and grace from God and provision for their needs and a future.

And so we might close this way: Noah’s righteousness preached. Lot’s was paralyzed. The Lord was faithful to both, but it’s clear which example we want to follow. Let’s walk the road of righteousness faithfully today. That’s the path of rescue, of communion with God, the path of life.

Teacher’s Vet (2 Peter 2:1-3)

Never underestimate the impact of a teacher. Most of us can think back to a teacher who not only made a subject come alive, but awakened wonder in us and a desire to truly grow in our learning. Along the way, whether they said it or not, it was clear that they actually cared about us.

Even more vivid is our memory of the bad teachers. The discouragement we felt walking into the classroom. This teacher stopped caring long. Rather than strengthen our understanding, they undermined it. Their influence didn’t foster any wonder in your mind, only weariness.

But worst of all is a bad teacher that you don’t know is a bad teacher. They can do a lot of damage. My first year at my Christian college, every student had to take this class called Jesus In The Christian Community.  On the first day of that class, the professor stood at the front with a smile on her face and proceeded to explain that much of what we had been told about Jesus, the Bible, and Christianity was not, in fact, true. That the Scriptures were not infallible. That there was truth to be gleaned in other religious systems as well. I knew it was going to be a long semester.

I watched friends join the Bible department at this school. While there were some faithful, orthodox teachers, the dominant philosophy among the theology staff was the same as that JCC teacher.

I look back now more than 20 years later and I can think of quite a few former friends who received theology degrees, Bible degrees, specialist training in Hebrew and Greek, yet many now openly deny Christ. Among those my age, that seems to be the rule, rather than the exception. That was the product of the Bible department. What a difference teaching can make.

That’s the main point of our text today. Really, it’s the main point of Peter’s message in this letter: Watch out for those teachers whose ideas lead to spiritual and eternal ruin. Of course, it’s not all doom and gloom. Peter began by encouraging us that we have all we need for a vibrant spiritual life, for Godliness, for days full of hope and confidence as we trust in the Lord and wait on Him.

But now in chapter 2, he moves into the main body of his message, which is to warn us of the danger of false teachers, help us know how to identify them, and how to not be knocked off balance by the misdirections they smuggle into the Church.

2 Peter 2:1 – ¹ There were indeed false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, and will bring swift destruction on themselves.

Peter packs so much into every sentence! This one verse alone touches on a wide variety of Biblical connections, prophecy, doctrines, philosophy, and practical insight.

His main point is that false teaching always has been and always will be an issue for the people of God. Some problems in life are ever-present. For example, 95-100% of adults carry the roseola virus in their body.^[1] We’re up against spiritual viruses as well. Things like pride and doubt and fear. False teaching will always be a spiritual contagion seeking to afflict believers. Don’t let that knowledge discourage you. Instead, this knowledge helps us fortify ourselves so we can develop spiritual antibodies and immunity. That’s why Peter is warning us.

Now, in this letter, Peter speaks both empirically and prophetically. There were false teachers doing their thing right then and the will be more in the future. In fact, Peter uses the word “will” 6 times in these 3 verses. There will be false teachers, they will bring in their heresies, many will follow them, and it will bring defamation on the name of Jesus.

It was a problem in the Old Testament, it was a problem in the first century, it is still an issue today. But before we look closer at these teachers and their teachings, some good news: No matter what era a believer finds themselves in, they can stay rooted in the truth. They can be part of what the Bible calls the “remnant.” The remnant are those who hold to their faith in God, no matter the pressure from the culture, no matter how influential the false teachers are – no matter what.

There were times in the Old Testament when the false prophets absolutely dominated the airwaves. But there were always those who kept walking with God. In 1 Kings 18, there was a man named Obadiah. His job was to manage the palace for the wicked King Ahab and Queen Jezebel. But Obadiah greatly feared the Lord. He was like a 9th century B.C. Oscar Schindler. He saved and protected 100 true prophets of the Lord. He was not polluted by the lies that dominated his nation.

In the time of Jeremiah, an era dominated by idolatry and false prophecy, we see the Rechabites – this faithful family who would not compromise their beliefs or behavior. There’s a whole chapter of Jeremiah dedicated to them.^[2] They stayed true when all their neighbors followed a lie.

You and I can stand strong in truth. We can share in the Divine nature and escape the corruption in the world. To do so, we have watch out for the lies that undermine God’s Word and His directives.

Peter says these teachers are going to bring in destructive heresies. That almost never takes the form of someone walking in and saying, “You should abandon Christianity,” or, “Let’s perform human sacrifice to Baal.” It’s always more subtle than that. In fact, the term Peter uses for “bring[ing] in” can mean to smuggle,^[3] or to bring them in alongside the orthodox doctrines of the Church.^[4]

Doctrine, by the way, simply means instruction or precepts. Teachings about the truth.

Peter is describing a person or group gaining influence in the Church who present new understanding, a new school of thought. It masquerades as true Christianity, but is actually putting you on a different path altogether.

One way to identify this kind of teacher is if they are sectarian. They create a faction and always trying to add numbers.^[5] Always working to exclude others and siphon people off to their group.

But the main way to verify a teaching is to see how it treats Jesus Christ. In this case, they “deny the Master Who bought them.” At the time, this was happening in two ways. The false teachers denied that Christ was going to return and they were denying His moral imperatives – the way Christ commanded us to live. It was a new way of living. A redefinition of truth, morality, and spirituality.

If a teacher has a wrong Christology, everything else is going to to be off-base. So, for example, when someone says that Jesus’ was limited by His first century culture, or that Jesus’ commands on how to live life are now outdated, or if they say that Jesus’ teachings and His word are not enough, but that we need other ‘truths’ added in, they’re denying the Master.

Before moving on, take a moment to notice how Peter said that Christ bought these false teachers through His death on the cross. This indicates that Christ’s atonement was not limited, but that Christ’s atoning work was for every human to ever exist. These false teachers were not born again, though they claimed to follow the Lord, yet His blood was shed for them all the same.

But let’s get back into the danger of their teaching. And, let me be clear: We’re not talking about differences of opinion on non-essential areas of Bible doctrine. This isn’t about various preferences in style of worship or modes of baptism or church government. This is about teachings and teachers that actually lead people off the path of truth, off the path of righteousness, onto another path, typically of selfishness, license, and man-centered theology, one outside faith in Christ.

That path, Peter explains, is destructive for lives now and for eternities in the future. In the here and now, these false teachings lead to lives that are corrupted, exploited, and ruined. A spiritual life which is the equivalent of a dog eating its own vomit.

But these teachings also lead to eternal destruction. Jesus Christ is the way, the truth, the life. And when a person goes another way, no matter how good it looks or sounds, the end is destruction.

One source notes, “Bringing swift destruction on themselves is not a simple extinction of existence…but an everlasting state of torment and death”^[6] ‘Swift’ here makes reference to what we call the doctrine of imminence^[7] – that Christ can return at any moment with deliverance for His people and judgement for His enemies. Peter’s warning is serious – it’s life and death.

2 Peter 2:2 – ² Many will follow their depraved ways, and the way of truth will be maligned because of them.

The sad news is that false teachers are often very effective. Which means we can’t just look at the size of a church or a ministry or a teacher’s influence to verify their message.

Large numbers do not necessarily equal spirituality. Jeremiah had very few followers. Now, there are times when God does a great work of revival and great masses of people fill faithful churches. But just because a podcaster says they’re a Christian and has a million subscribers does not mean their message is the truth. You have to evaluate the teaching. Where do their directions lead?

But here’s the good news: God has given you a mind. If you’re a Christian, He’s given you His Holy Spirit to be your Teacher – to help you understand the truth.^[8] God has promised to not withhold wisdom from you if ask for it. So, no matter who is trying to teach you, no matter how impressive or influential they seem to be, do what the Bereans did. They heard this guy Paul teach a message about God, then they took what he said and examined the Scriptures to see if it was true. Acts 17 says they did so daily.^[9] It wasn’t that they had closed minds, they had critical minds. Not just drinking the draught because they were impressed by the person offering it.

You and I are called to be wise, to be discerning, to be careful about which well we drink from, spiritually speaking. False teachers present themselves as expert navigators, but their directions don’t lead to abundant life. Their path is a crooked path of depravity and spiritual disease.

Often the form these heresies take is in personal license – you can indulge however you want, you can live how you want. There’s frequently an embrace of all sorts of sexuality outside the commands of Scripture. A lack of moral restraint.^[10] And as people walk this road while claiming to be Christians, it causes the unbelieving world outside the Church to say, “Those ‘Christians’ are a bunch of hypocrites!” It brings shame on the name of Jesus. The truth is maligned.

When professing Christians disobey Christ, when we sin before a watching world, it contributes to a blaspheming world digging themselves further into their unbelief. Now you are not responsible for someone else’s choices, but you influence them. And God takes that really seriously.

In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus says those who put an obstacle in the faith of others have done a terrible thing. It would be better to have a millstone put on your neck and be thrown into the sea!

2 Peter 2:3 – ³ They will exploit you in their greed with made-up stories. Their condemnation, pronounced long ago, is not idle, and their destruction does not sleep.

They offer “freedom,” they offer “pleasure,” they offer “enlightenment,” but all you really get from them is entrapment, exploitation, corruption, and blindness.

Now notice what Peter says: “They will exploit YOU.” This isn’t just a theory in a lab. This is a real danger out there. He doesn’t say this to make us afraid, but to make us aware. So we can be firm in the truth. Remember what he said in chapter 1: He’s reminding us of things we already know so that we will be established in the truth. Because God wants life for you. He wants strength for you. He wants to protect you from exploitation. To save you from being spiritually robbed.

In many cases, these false teachers was literally taking resources from people. In that time, as well as ours, false teachers often charged fees and begged money from their listeners.^[11] And Peter says here that the false teachers were trying to make merchandise out of Christians.^[12]

Beware commercialized religion. Now listen, our church is supported through donations. We don’t bring in tax revenue. We don’t make profit from selling products or services. The things we do sell, we sell at a loss. Giving financially to God’s work is part of the Christian life. We are so thankful for those of you who have and do give to our local church family here.

But that’s not what Peter is talking about. He’s talking about money grubbing and greed. He’s talking about things like the Texas megachurch pastor who offers life-coaching classes for $84,000 a year. Only millionaires are allowed to apply. That’s real, by the way. He also offers marriage counseling for $36,000 a year.^[13] He’s talking about leaders who fleece their flocks every week so they can buy a jet. He’s talking about those who hide the Gospel behind a paywall.

We try hard to not pressure people to give because so many churches have been influenced by worldly methods of fund raising. And it’s not right to constantly shake God’s people down for money. That constant pressure for giving is part of the false teacher playbook. That doesn’t mean every church that puts up a thermometer is part of the false teacher group, but it’s a methodology that should make us pause and evaluate carefully.

Now, Peter says, “Listen, these guys are just making up stories.” Interestingly, that’s what they accused Peter and the other apostles of doing. It was just projection and misdirection. Meanwhile, as we saw last time, Peter and the apostles had a message that was in line with Scripture, that was humble and loving, one that was submitted to and in line with the teachings of Jesus Christ.

So, now that we know these false teachers are out there, what do we do about it? It’s interesting – by the end of the letter, Peter doesn’t tell us to stone them or shout them down. Actually, all he tells us to do is escape them. Get away from them. Be on guard. Don’t be led away. Don’t be afraid but be aware and be advancing in the truth, in grace, in the strength given to you by God as you follow Him.

Witness’ Stand (2 Peter 1:16-21)

In the 40’s and 50’s, if you needed an expert, you might go to Fred Demara. His resume is unlike anything you’ve ever heard. As a teen, he became a Catholic monk. He served in the army and the navy. He was a deputy sheriff and assistant prison warden. He became a lawyer, but wanted to teach. He taught 4th grade, but repeatedly found his way to higher education. He became a cancer researcher and a celebrated psychologist and child care expert.^[1] He published a well-received booklet titled, How to Bring Up Your Child.

He worked in Arkansas, Los Angeles, Kentucky, Maine, Chicago, Texas, and Milwaukee, among other places. In Eerie, PA, he served as Dean of School of Philosophy at Gannon College. In Washington, he founded the St. Martin’s Student Psychological Center.^[2] This guy had answers!

But one day the FBI finally found Fred. He hadn’t been going by “Fred” for quite some time. He was living as Dr. Robert French, a “religion-oriented psychologist.” He took that name after faking his suicide and deserting the navy.

It was all lies. He had been thrown out of his Catholic monastery at age 18. He used a friend’s name in the army and went AWOL in 1942. He moved so often because he always on the run.

He served 18 months for desertion…and then went right back to his old ways! He assumed another identity in Maine, where he founded a college which is still a university today!

But we’re not done. In Maine, Fred befriended a surgeon. He took his friend’s documentation, assumed his identity, and joined the Canadian Navy. During the Korean war, he served as the only doctor on a destroyer. “As the wounded arrived, he ordered personnel to prep them for operation. Disappearing to his room, he would read quickly on how to perform the next procedure. Then he would return to the operating table.” Is that what you want your surgeon to do?

“When desiring a new ‘career,’ Fred would obtain a few pertinent textbooks, memorize the required info, and then present himself with bogus credentials and supreme confidence.” Above all, he wanted prestige and status.^[3]

One of the major reasons Peter is writing this last letter to the Christian world is to warn us of phonies and liars who want to set themselves up as experts over you. Meanwhile, these false teachers were saying Peter was the liar and quack. They claimed to have real expertise – that their teachings would free people from the oppressive mentality and morality of the apostles. But these ideas did not enlighten those who bought into them – they entrapped them. These were “destructive heresies” that wrecks lives. Like Fred Demara stealing his friends’ identities for his own glory, these false teachers were exploiting and polluting Christians out of greed and jealousy.

Peter writes to counteract their lies with the truth. He’s been using dramatic language to impress on our minds how important this message and his warnings are. By the end of our text today, he’s going to say that these truths he and the other apostles gave the Church are like a light in the dark – they will give us the illumination and clarity necessary for the life ahead.

But why should we trust him? And why should we trust the Bible? All around us, there are plenty of people who claim to have truth, who claim to know the secrets you need for happiness, who claim to have the enlightenment that will unlock life’s mysteries. Who is reliable and who is the imposter?

In our text, Peter defends the validity of his testimony, the apostolic authority to speak for God, and the reliability of Scripture.

2 Peter 1:16 – ¹⁶ For we did not follow cleverly contrived myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ; instead, we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.

We read the Bible and can’t help but admire the apostles. But there were people in the first century who subverted these guys and what they taught.

In this case, they were saying that Peter and the other apostles, were making up fairytales when it came to God’s morality and God’s plan for the future. We’ll see in chapter 3 that one of their main claims was that Jesus was not going to return again.

It is Christ’s second coming that Peter is referring to in this verse.^[4] The future, bodily second coming of Jesus Christ to rule and reign over a literal Kingdom was a bedrock and essential teaching for the apostles. Peter talks about it. Paul talks about it. John talks about it. Hebrews talks about it. James talks about it. Jude talks about it.^[5]

Think about all the expertise Peter had on the first coming of Jesus. And, naturally, he instructed the Church in those things. But here, at the end of his life and ministry, he takes the time to remind us of the importance, the primacy, the motivating factor of the return of Jesus to earth.

You see, the Gospel is not only about what Jesus has done, but what He is doing, and what He will do. Peter explains that, when Christ comes, it will be in power. It is not a secret coming. The Kingdom is not just spiritual – it’s not just an allegory. Christ comes with absolute power. He will rule with a rod of iron. Every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. He will restore creation. If you want to know more of what His Kingdom will be like, read Psalm 2. Read Ezekiel 40-48. Read Isaiah. Read Revelation 20-22. The day is coming. The Kingdom is coming. And Peter said, “Listen – I am an eyewitness of these things.” Remember: he, along with James and John, saw the Lord in His Kingdom glory – just a glimpse.

2 Peter 1:17-18 – ¹⁷ For he received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased!” ¹⁸ We ourselves heard this voice when it came from heaven while we were with him on the holy mountain.

This refers to the Transfiguration, which we read about in Matthew, Mark, and Luke. It was a momentary preview – a coming attraction – of Jesus in His glorified authority.

Peter explains that they saw Jesus in His glorification and they heard God the Father speak from heaven. If you’re trying to determine which teacher is bonafide and which is not – if one person is telling you the resurrection has already happened and the “Millennial Kingdom” is just an old wives tale, and the other person says, “I’m an eyewitness. I’m an earwitness,” which is more reliable?

Our justice system relies on witnesses. When you bring a case to court, the court calls witnesses to testify about what they’ve seen and heard – to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

Sometimes people who don’t want to believe in Jesus will say, “I have to see it for myself.” But that would be like a judge saying, “Well, I can’t decide the case because I wasn’t there to see it.” But here’s all the evidence. Here are the witnesses!

Now, another key revelation of the transfiguration is that Christ’s Kingdom is literal and bodily. Jesus was truly transfigured. It’s not just a state of mind. It’s not just a philosophical ideal. Moses and Elijah were there, speaking with Him. It was the prelude to His real, future arrival.

2 Peter 1:19 – ¹⁹ We also have the prophetic word strongly confirmed, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.

On top of being an eyewitness, Peter says here’s another reason to believe the apostles’ teaching, rather than the Judaizers or the Gnostics or the Nicolaitans or any of the other groups seeking to dominate the Church: The apostles’ teaching lined up with the Bible, which is absolutely reliable.

Specifically, Peter references Old Testament prophecy. But he’s not only referring to the books after Song of Solomon. There is prophecy – even prophecy about the future Kingdom – all over the Old Testament. In Genesis, in Numbers, in Psalms, in Deuteronomy, in Job, in Ecclesiastes.

And Peter points out that Old Testament prophecy has been “strongly confirmed.” It is not only proved to be true, but to be literal.

There are some today, even in the Church, who say that Bible prophecy isn’t literal. What they  mean is the prophecies about the future from our spot on the timeline aren’t literal. They’re allegorical. They’re figurative.

But, were the prophecies about the Messiah’s first coming literal? That He would be born of a virgin? That He would be born in Bethlehem? That He would be a Nazarene? That He would be betrayed and suffer and die?

There are more than 300 specific prophecies about the Messiah that Jesus literally fulfilled.^[6] It’s only possible if He really is God and the Bible really is true. But now, some say, “The prophecies of the Kingdom aren’t literal.” Peter says, these things are strongly confirmed! More than that, he tells us how important it is to be students of Bible prophecy. “You will do well to pay attention to it.”

The Word of God is a lamp shining in a dark place. Peter is specifically referring to Old Testament prophecy here, but all of Scripture is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path.^[7] It illuminates our lives so we can see where to go – how to step – what’s ahead of us.

Life on this side of eternity is shrouded in darkness.^[8] That is a regular description of our world in the New Testament.^[9] Peter uses a term here that refers to the squalor and gloom of a dungeon.^[10] It’s a fallen world in which good is called evil and evil is called good and there is separation between God and man. And so, the Lord has given us the 66 books of the Bible, so that we can know Him, know His ways, know His will, see His doings in the past, the present, and the future.

The Bible is not only about ethic, but also prophetic. And knowing the future should have a great impact on how we behave in the present. In chapter 3, Peter’s going to say, “Since God has shared the future with you, it is clear what sort of people we should be.” Paul says something similar in Romans 13:

Romans 13:12 –  ¹² The night is nearly over, and the day is near; so let us discard the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.

When the night is over and the day dawns – meaning when Christ returns and sets up His Kingdom, well then everything in us and around us will be totally illuminated by the Morning Star – Who is Christ Jesus. He is the Light Bringer. That’s what the term “morning star” literally means.^[11] Jesus Christ is the light at the end of the tunnel. By His word, we can see. By God’s word, we can navigate.

In the here and now, there will be some things we’ll be left in the dark about. Why did God allow that situation? Why didn’t God intervene in this way? One day, all will be lit up. That is the day when Christ returns to rule and reign. Meanwhile, if you find yourself in a dark tunnel, if you are walking through the valley of the shadow of death, head toward the Light. You can be sure the Lord is good and can be trusted.

2 Peter 1:20-21 – ²⁰ Above all, you know this: No prophecy of Scripture comes from the prophet’s own interpretation, ²¹ because no prophecy ever came by the will of man; instead, men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

Scholars divide over Peter’s main idea. He could be saying that the Old Testament prophets did not come up with their writings on their own. Their messages came from God. That is absolutely true.

But the phrasing can also mean that we, as readers, do not have the luxury of just coming up with our own interpretation on the Biblical text.^[12]

Let’s take that second idea first. As we read the Bible, whether it’s a prophetic section or any other passage, we cannot just decide what it means by our own whims. This is where the cults come from. The Bible doesn’t mean what you want it to mean. If you’ve ever been in a Bible discussion group and the leader says, “Let’s all go around and say what this verse means to us,” really, that’s not a great mentality. “To me this means A.” “Well, to me this means Q!” The question is never, “What does this text mean to me,” the question is, “What does this text mean?”

The false teachers of Peter’s time were taking the Scriptures and twisting them to fit their own agendas and desires. But our job is not to superimpose our own ideas or agendas on God’s Word, but to submit ourselves to what God has revealed.

But now turning to that first way of understanding these verses: The Old Testament writers did not just come up with stories and ideas and messages of their own. God’s word is inspired. And to help us understand that miracle, Peter says the writers were “carried along.” It’s a term that can refer to a boat with her sails full, driven by the wind.^[13]

The Holy Spirit operated in power through the authors who cooperated with God to deliver His word, while still retaining their own style, vocabulary, and ability. They weren’t in a trance as God wrote the words through their hands. But what they wrote was absolutely originated from God.

The Bible is plenary, verbally, fully inspired without error in the original writings and is the infallible

rule of our faith and practice as Christians. It is the most reliable written work of all history. It has been proven accurate again and again and again in century after century, case after case, life after life. If you are here and you struggle to believe that the Bible is the word of God Himself, you don’t have to take my word for it. Go read The Case For Christ. Go read Evidence That Demands A Verdict. Read A Biblical Case For Total Inerrancy, or Can I Trust The Bible?

God has spoken so that we might know Him. So that we might know the truth and the truth would set us free. Peter and the other apostles laid down their lives for this truth. And they shared this truth with us so that we could be liberated and illuminated, not so they could lord over anyone.

It’s a shame that people were accusing Peter of being like Fred Demara. Peter was the real deal. He wrote this defense not to make us think more highly of him, but so that we wouldn’t be shipwrecked by the lies trying to break their way into our hearts. Lies that lead not to enlightenment, but deeper into the dark.

As we close, one moment of application for we who are Christians here this morning. Peter was able to be powerfully used to spread the truth – to bring light to those who needed it – because he had a reliable personal witness. He said to this audience, “I saw God work. I heard Him. I walked with Him.”

Peter stepped into eternity 2,000 years ago. Now YOU are the witness called to the stand. You get to be the one to proclaim to those in the dark that you have seen the light. That you have heard from God and have seen Him work in your midst. Now we get to have the sails of our lives filled by the Holy Spirit.

Live a life that is worthy of the witness stand. Join with God in the testimony-building He wants to do in and through you. You don’t have to steal someone else’s identity. He’s made you to shine the light of the truth. Let your light shine by moving closer to the Light, Himself, and illuminating your heart, your mind, your experience with the brilliance of His word.