As when God saved Noah and delivered Lot
Reading:

2 Peter 2:4-9

In yesterday’s post, I noted the Apostle Peter’s clear warning against false teachers and their destructive words and ways. Verse 3 closes with the declaration of their coming destruction. In today’s reading, Peter “justifies” God for destroying these corrupted, corrupting teachers by reminding us that God is consistent as well as just: He has a track record of judging corruption.

False teacher, listen up! Those swept up by and swept away with false teachers, listen up!

  1. For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;
  2. And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly;
  3. And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly;
  4. And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked:
  5. (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;)
  6. The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished:

God’s delays in judgment, at least in the judgment of human corruption, do not at all indicate a new flexibility on His part, as though He has finally come to the place of accepting or at last coexisting with ungodliness. God’s delays in judgment are extensions of mercy. Continue reading →

Destructively dividing the church and even denying the Lord
Reading:

2 Peter 2:1-3

Chapter 1 ends with this declaration about the revelation and inspiration of the prophetic Word: “For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost” (2 Peter 1:21).

Despite that amazing revelation of the character and mind of God through His holy men, false prophets brought in contrary perspectives. Turning from truth, the people chose destruction…and those who should have lived by the revealed Word caused it to be blasphemed instead:

  1. But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.
  2. And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.
  3. And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.

“That was then,” Peter tells each reader. “Beware of the coming false teachers among you!”

They slip in and among God’s people, under the radar, skirting along the edges of the main stream. (Think “parachurch”?)

They entice and beguile and mislead with finely crafted words and well-turned ideas.

They drive in destructive heresies (sectarianism, schisms, divisions).

They even come to the place of the denying the Lord who ransomed them. They might not teach it directly or brazenly, but they Continue reading →

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