2 Peter, Day 2
Among Us (Heresy in the Church)
2 Peter 2:1 – 11
Peter begins his second letter focusing on several different subjects, including growth as an authentic believer. Peter ends the first chapter of his second letter verifying the Spirit-driven authenticity of the Gospel that was taught by him and other spiritual leaders. He uses the final verse of the chapter to point out that the writers of Scripture wrote every word under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit (I Peter 1:16 – 21).
Peter then pivots from the subject of authentic spiritual leadership and begins a focus on false teachers. These false teachers were infiltrating the church and wreaking havoc with a counterfeit message and an out-of-control lifestyle. He uses the entire second chapter to address the problem of heresy and the evil practices of these charlatans. False teachers were not a new issue for the people of God (I Peter 2:1a). In fact, they are seen all through the story of God’s people in the Scriptures.
In the first few verses of the second chapter, Peter describes the core issue of false teachers and the defining characteristic of their deceptive message: they deny the sovereign Lordship of Jesus and secretly bring in heresies that are destructive to people of faith (2 Peter 2:1b). He also describes their evil behavior in a few sections of the passage: they practice immoral sexuality and blaspheme the way of truth (2 Peter 2:2, 10b); they exploit people with their false words (2 Peter 2:3); and they indulge in the lust of the flesh and resist the authority of the Lord in their lives (2 Peter 2:10a).
Throughout the passage, Peter alludes to the condemnation of false teachers three times: “they are bringing upon themselves swift destruction” (2 Peter 2:1b); “their condemnation from long ago is not idle and their destruction is not asleep” (2 Peter 2:3b); and “He will keep the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgment” (2 Peter 2:9b). These three statements are used by Peter to declare God’s sovereignty over these “bold and willful” false teachers and the judgment that is to come because of their destructive behavior.
Peter encourages his readers by reminding them that when they engage false teachers, they can find confidence in the reality that God is very aware of what is going on, and is in complete control. He reminds them that God “knows how to rescue the godly from trials” and “keeps the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgment” (2 Peter 1:9).
Our responsibility when we engage a false teacher is to recognize the heresy and move quickly to speak truth grounded in Scripture that combats the false theology or sinful behaviors spoken and practiced by a counterfeit spiritual leader. Two very important things to remember as we combat false teachers is that our greatest weapon is a deep and abiding relationship with God and a growing knowledge of His Word. We must also not forget to leverage the power of community discernment that perceives an issue, confronts the problem, and protects believers from the dangerous implications of unchecked heresy.
False teachers are Among Us! They are impostors looking to disrupt the lives of believers with their counterfeit message and destructive behavior. We must rely on the promise of God that He is there when the battle for truth is raging around us.
As we finish the devotion today, I want to challenge you to respond to the message of 2 Peter 1 – 11 in three ways: 1) take some time today to pray that God provides Spiritual discernment when you encounter false teachers; 2) set aside some time in your life to disciple a new believer so that they can be equipped to discern false teaching and leaders and can respond confidently with Spirit-driven insight from God’s Word; and 3) discover ways to encourage the authentic spiritual teachers and leaders in your life. You can start by letting them know you are praying for them as they prepare to teach each week.
God bless you!
Pastor Chuck