2 Peter 2:1-3 Podcast
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. (2 Peter 2:1-3)
In 2 Peter 2:1-3 Peter is describing the ways of the false teachers. In 2 Peter 2:4-10, he describes their destiny.
In 2 Peter 2:1, Peter reveals that these false teachers will always be among us. They look the part of a Christian, they say all the right things, but they don't really believe in the Lord Jesus. These false teachers bring the false in
alongside the true. Their message doesn't appear to be different. The false mesmerizes it's hearers, so that if we do not know the truth for ourselves, we will be caught in its grasp.
The word "heresies" used in v.1 means to make a
choice. The writers of the Bible used this term because to them any choice other than the gospel was heresy. What we believe about the cross of Jesus Christ is the bottom line choice. Peter tells us these men "deny the sovereign Lord who bought them."
In v.2 Peter describes the morality of these false teachers. "Many will follow their depraved conduct and will bring the way of truth into disrepute." This word "depraved" refers
to anything that has to do with the senses. Sensual people base their lives on what tastes
good, what looks good, what feels good.
Such people live for the now. Now-money, now-cars, now-clothes, now-prestige, now-power. Power, fame and the latest fad is the focus of the
sensual person's thinking. They use people to win things instead of using things to win people to Christ.
In v.3 we see they exploit people's hunger for God. They will spiritually rip them off with
plastic words. Our word "plastic" comes from the Greek word which is translated here as "false." They tell people what they want to hear. They manufacture words
in order to appeal to them, and they will exploit them.
Peter says, "Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping." God will judge people who live out that sort of lifestyle, who teach others to live
sensually. Their judgment will not go down with the sun.
