False Prophets and False Teachers
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction. And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of truth will be blasphemed. And in their greed they will exploit you with false words. Their condemnation from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.
Explanation
Explanation
2 Peter 2:1 “But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction.”
False prophets and false teachers, so far as we are concerned, are very similar but slightly different.
False prophets use God’s name to legitimize their false message.
False teachers corrupt God’s word to legitimize their false message.
False prophets arose throughout the Old Testament. God condemns their actions continually. One specific instance is Ezekiel 13.
The word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel, who are prophesying, and say to those who prophesy from their own hearts: ‘Hear the word of the Lord!’ Thus says the Lord God, Woe to the foolish prophets who follow their own spirit, and have seen nothing! Your prophets have been like jackals among ruins, O Israel. You have not gone up into the breaches, or built up a wall for the house of Israel, that it might stand in battle in the day of the Lord. They have seen false visions and lying divinations. They say, ‘Declares the Lord,’ when the Lord has not sent them, and yet they expect him to fulfill their word. Have you not seen a false vision and uttered a lying divination, whenever you have said, ‘Declares the Lord,’ although I have not spoken?”
Therefore thus says the Lord God: “Because you have uttered falsehood and seen lying visions, therefore behold, I am against you, declares the Lord God. My hand will be against the prophets who see false visions and who give lying divinations. They shall not be in the council of my people, nor be enrolled in the register of the house of Israel, nor shall they enter the land of Israel. And you shall know that I am the Lord God. Precisely because they have misled my people, saying, ‘Peace,’ when there is no peace, and because, when the people build a wall, these prophets smear it with whitewash, say to those who smear it with whitewash that it shall fall! There will be a deluge of rain, and you, O great hailstones, will fall, and a stormy wind break out. And when the wall falls, will it not be said to you, ‘Where is the coating with which you smeared it?’ Therefore thus says the Lord God: I will make a stormy wind break out in my wrath, and there shall be a deluge of rain in my anger, and great hailstones in wrath to make a full end. And I will break down the wall that you have smeared with whitewash, and bring it down to the ground, so that its foundation will be laid bare. When it falls, you shall perish in the midst of it, and you shall know that I am the Lord. Thus will I spend my wrath upon the wall and upon those who have smeared it with whitewash, and I will say to you, The wall is no more, nor those who smeared it, the prophets of Israel who prophesied concerning Jerusalem and saw visions of peace for her, when there was no peace, declares the Lord God.
From this passage I have a few questions: (1) What did the false prophets say? (2) How does God describe what they have done? (3) What will God do to them?
Side Note: Not all false prophecy is unspiritual (Ez 13:17-23). It just does not come from the Lord.
In the same way, false teachers are arising in the churches that Peter addresses.
They are smuggling in a false teaching in the name of right doctrine and teaching.
When I went to India, one of the most problematic things that I brought was the curriculum that I was teaching the pastors. I hid it in the bottom of my suitcase. The only time I got worried was the time that the customs agent saw the seminary sticker on my computer.
I underestimated a lot of things early in ministry. One of the things I underestimated the most was the amount of errant doctrine I would correct.
What can we know for certain about heresies?
Heretics are not saved.
Heretics are destructive.
Heretics deny Jesus with their own form of Jesus.
Heretics will be destroyed.
2 Peter 2:2 “And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of truth will be blasphemed.”
What is the motivation of heretics? The benefit of themselves and their own sensuality.
Remember from 1 Peter 1 - Peter is confronting a group of people who are saying that Christ will not return. If Christ isn’t returning, it does not matter how you live.
They were using their teaching to live in a way that was contrary to the holiness that God had called them to live.
“The way of truth will be blasphemed.”
False teachers have an uncontrollable appetite.
You can often distinguish when one desires to make one a follower of himself rather than Jesus.
False teachers refuse to submit to Christ’s authority yet claim to be part of his household.
2 Peter 2:3 “And in their greed they will exploit you with false words. Their condemnation from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.”
Because they are focused on themselves, they will exploit others with their untruth.
False teachers have a way of exploiting the weaknesses of others for profit.
God is not passively watching them. God will not ignore what they do and what they teach.
When I was at FBC Magnolia, Dr. Barry Ward was the pastor there.
He one stated that on his examination of the Bible, the most severe words of punishment are for those who (1) harm children and (2) lead others astray from the truth.
Invitation
Invitation
Be careful little ears what you hear.
Be wary of someone who doesn’t open their Bible.
Be wary of someone who cannot be criticized.
Not all false teaching is heresy.
Heresy is false teaching, but it is also false living.