2 Peter 2:1-22
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, putting them in chains of darkness 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. 10 This is especially true of those who follow the corrupt desire of the flesh and despise authority.
Bold and arrogant, they are not afraid to heap abuse on celestial beings; 11 yet even angels, although they are stronger and more powerful, do not heap abuse on such beings when bringing judgment on them from the Lord. 12 But these people blaspheme in matters they do not understand. They are like unreasoning animals, creatures of instinct, born only to be caught and destroyed, and like animals they too will perish.
13 They will be paid back with harm for the harm they have done. Their idea of pleasure is to carouse in broad daylight. They are blots and blemishes, reveling in their pleasures while they feast with you. 14 With eyes full of adultery, they never stop sinning; they seduce the unstable; they are experts in greed—an accursed brood! 15 They have left the straight way and wandered off to follow the way of Balaam son of Bezer, who loved the wages of wickedness. 16 But he was rebuked for his wrongdoing by a donkey—an animal without speech—who spoke with a human voice and restrained the prophet’s madness.
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,” and, “A sow that is washed returns to her wallowing in the mud.”
Late in St. Peters life he was rightfully worried about false teachers teachings about Jesus...Peter had been with Jesus for three years and was an Original Disciple and knew His Majesty's Teachings and Ways...And Peter had seen false teachers, not speaking the whole truth of who Jesus was and what He taught...These false teachers would cleverly tell their lies about God, turning against even their Master who saved them from their own sins...Many will follow their evil teachings and believe everything they say, or most of the things they say...And many false teachers will scoff at Jesus' Teachings...These false teachers in their greed will tell you anything to get hold of your money and want them to follow them...But God condemned them long ago and their destruction is on the way...For God did not spare even the angels who sinned, but threw them into hell, chained in gloomy caves and darkness until the judgment day...And God did not spare any of the people who lived in ancient times before the flood except Noah, the one man who spoke up for God, and his family of seven...At that time God completely destroyed the whole world of ungodly, wicked men with the vast worldwide flood...Later, God turned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into heaps of ashes and blotted them off the face of the earth, making them an example for all the ungodly in the future to look back upon and fear...But at the same time the LORD rescued Lot out of Sodom because he was a good man, sick of the terrible wickedness he saw everywhere around him day after day...So the LORD can and does rescue the righteous from the temptations that surround us, and continue to punish the ungodly until the day of final judgment comes...He is especially hard on those who follow their own evil, lustful thoughts, and those who are proud and willful, daring even to scoff at the Glorious Ones without so much as trembling, although the angels in heaven who stand in the very presence of the LORD, and are far greater in power and strength than these false teachers, these false teachers and believers who do not follow the Truth never speak out disrespectfully against these evil Mighty Ones, even though they should be warning others of the One True Teacher...
So as we read Peter's statements we see that false teachers and prophets are nothing new...As we listen to the new false teachers of the world, we not only must be honest to others, but we must remain honest with ourselves...Are false teachers following Jesus' Word...We must take the Truth seriously and take the Word of God seriously, for the Word of God is Truth...So recognize the false teacher's lies and cling fast to God's Truth...
Some false teachers will have know hints of Jesus Teachings and Words and will walk a fine line with the Truth, but they still maybe a wolf in sheep clothing...And what they say and teach only comes close to hints of the Truth...But it will not be the Truth, and the Way to live your Life...
Let us not be fooled by teachers who do not follow God and His Son...Some false teachers will be very clever and can seemingly do many things...St. Luke writes about a certain man called Simon, who previously practiced sorcery in a city who had astonished the people of Samaria, claiming that he was someone great, to whom they all gave heed, from the least to the greatest, saying, “This man is the great power of God.”...And they heeded him because he had astonished them with his sorceries for a long time...But when they believed Philip as he preached the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were baptized...Then Simon himself also believed; and when he was baptized he continued with Philip, and was amazed, seeing the miracles and signs which were done...The sorcerer Simon had sinned...Now when the apostles who were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the Word of God, they sent Peter and John to them, who, when they had come down, prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit...For as yet He, the holy Spirit, had fallen upon none of them...They had only been baptized in the name of LORD Jesus...Then they laid hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit...And when Simon saw that through the laying on of the apostles’ hands the Holy Spirit was given to them, he offered them money, saying, “Give me this power also, that anyone on whom I lay hands may receive the Holy Spirit.”...But Peter said to Simon, “Your money perish with you, because you thought that the gift of God could be purchased with money!...You have neither part nor portion in this matter, for your heart is not right in the sight of God...Repent therefore of this your wickedness, and pray God if perhaps the thought of your heart may be forgiven you...For I see that you are poisoned by bitterness and bound by iniquity.”...Then Simon the sorcerer answered and said, “Pray to the LORD for me, that none of the things which you have spoken may come upon me.”...
Jesus spoke out against these false prophets and said: “Watch out for false prophets...They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves...By their fruit you will recognize them...Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?...Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit...A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit...Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire...Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them...And often you can recognize a false teacher by his words and deeds...
So we need to recognize those trying to deceive us, because of their lies and behavior...A bad tree cannot bear good fruit...So let us be aware and on guard against these false teachers...Watch and beware of the leaven of the these false teachers and false prophets...This leaven can easily spreads to others...We are to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the teachings of Jesus...We are to avoid them, because their teachings can spread like gangrene...And a time will come when people will not endure the True Sound Doctrine; but search after their own beliefs, lusts, and wanting people to share their own dogmas and they shall heap and rally among themselves with these false teachers, having itching ears; and they shall turn away their ears from the Truth of Jesus...They will not come in the unity of faith with others, and they will not believe in the Teachings of Jesus and not acknowledge the knowledge and wisdom of the Son of God...
Toward the end of Jesus' Ministry the Disciples came and ask Him about questions of the future of His Teachings...Jesus told them: “Watch out that no one deceives you...For many will come in My Name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many...You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed...Such things must happen, but the end is still to come...Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom...There will be famines and earthquakes in various places...All these are the beginning of birth pains...“Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of Me...At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people...Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved...And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come...
This group would not listen to Jesus...Jesus was handed over to His death by the Jewish Religious Group and He was crucified...They would not listen to the Truth...