Two additional dangers of false teachers...

Last week, we began to look at a section of a letter that is recorded for us in the New Testament called the book of 2 Peter. In 2 Peter 2, we discover a timeless reminder in that we need to be reminded of the danger of false teachers. In 2 Peter 2:1-22, we see Peter reveal for us four different dangers of false teachers that followers of Jesus need to be reminded of.

Last week, we discovered that the danger of false teachers is demonstrated in their influence among people. In addition, we saw Peter reveal for us the reality that the danger of false teachers is demonstrated by the condemnation that awaits them. Today, we will see Peter reveal two additional dangers of false teachers that followers of Jesus need to be reminded of in the second half of verse 10b-16:

Daring, self-willed, they do not tremble when they revile angelic majesties, ¹¹ whereas angels who are greater in might and power do not bring a reviling judgment against them before the Lord. ¹² But these, like unreasoning animals, born as creatures of instinct to be captured and killed, reviling where they have no knowledge, will in the destruction of those creatures also be destroyed, ¹³ suffering wrong as the wages of doing wrong. They count it a pleasure to revel in the daytime. They are stains and blemishes, reveling in their deceptions, as they carouse with you, ¹⁴ having eyes full of adultery that never cease from sin, enticing unstable souls, having a heart trained in greed, accursed children; ¹⁵ forsaking the right way, they have gone astray, having followed the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness; ¹⁶ but he received a rebuke for his own transgression, for a mute donkey, speaking with a voice of a man, restrained the madness of the prophet.

In these verses we see Peter describe the nature and character of the false teachers of his day that we attempting to influence people away from the true message and teachings of Jesus and toward their false message and teachings. And it is here that we see Peter reveal for us the reality that the danger of false teachers is demonstrated by the character that defines them. Peter here reveals for us several character traits that often serve to define such false teachers.

False teachers often have a character that demonstrates an audacious arrogance. False teachers often have a character that demonstrates a stubbornness that places themselves first. False teachers often have a character that demonstrates a lack of fear of supernatural beings. False teachers often have a character that demonstrates a lack of reason that results in them being destined for destruction. False teachers are destined for destruction as a result of a lack of knowledge. False teachers are destined for destruction as a result of an inward depravity. And false teachers are destined for destruction as wages for their wickedness.

In addition, false teachers often have a character that delights in living an openly self-indulgent lifestyle. False teachers often have a character that discolors those around them. False teachers often have a character that always looks to engage in adultery. False teachers often have a character that always looks to entice those who are weak. False teachers often have a character that always desires what is more than one's due.

And as Peter points out in verse 15, false teachers always have a character that departs from the message and teachings of Jesus. Peter pointed the readers of his letter to an event from history that is recorded for us in a letter in the Old Testament of the Bible, called the book of Numbers, that involved that actions of a false teacher named Balaam. In this event from history, a prophet named Balaam was so blinded by greed that he attempted to curse the Jewish people on behalf of an enemy nation. Peter pointed to this event from history because false teachers often follow the example of Balaam, who was financially rewarded for rejecting what was right in the sight of God. And Peter pointed to this event from history because, just like Balaam, God has the ability to intercede supernaturally to restrain the results of their foolishness.  In the case of Balaam, God interceded supernaturally through a talking donkey.

Peter then concludes this section of his letter by revealing a fourth danger of false teachers that followers of Jesus need to be reminded of in verse 17-22:

 ¹⁷ These are springs without water and mists driven by a storm, for whom the black darkness has been reserved. ¹⁸ For speaking out arrogant words of vanity they entice by fleshly desires, by sensuality, those who barely escape from the ones who live in error, ¹⁹ promising them freedom while they themselves are slaves of corruption; for by what a man is overcome, by this he is enslaved. ²⁰ For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world by the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and are overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first. ²¹ For it would be better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn away from the holy commandment handed on to them. ²² It has happened to them according to the true proverb, "A DOG RETURNS TO ITS OWN VOMIT," and, "A sow, after washing, returns to wallowing in the mire."

Peter here uses two different word pictures to reveal the fourth danger of false teachers that followers of Jesus need to be reminded of. First, Peter paints a word picture of springs without water to reveal the reality that the message that was being proclaimed by these false teachers was empty and without meaning. Peter then paints a second word picture, of mists driven by a storm, to reveal the reality that the message that was being proclaimed by these false teachers was going to drive them towards destruction. 

And it is in these verses that Peter reveals for us the reality that the danger of false teachers is demonstrated by the consequences they bring on their followers. The timeless reality is that those who follow false teachers are relying on a message that is empty of meaning. And those who follow false teachers are relying on a message that brings destruction. Those who follow the message of false teachers are enticed by arrogant words that are without use or value. Those who follow the message of false teachers are enticed by a desire within them for something that is forbidden. Those who follow the message of false teachers are enticed by the promise of a lifestyle of license that violates all bounds of what is socially acceptable. Those who follow the message of false teachers are enticed as a result of being viewed as easy targets for error.

And, as Peter points out in verse 19, those who follow the message of false teachers are enticed by the promise of freedom that only results in a slavery that leads to condemnation. Peter uses the word picture of becoming entangled in something, in this case the shameful deeds that flow from those things in the word that are hostile to God and that place themselves in opposition to God, to reveal that reality that followers of false teachers become enslaved to the inward corruption that is within them as a result of being defeated by that inward corruption. And, as Peter points out in verse 20, to become enslaved to the inward corruption from within after being exposed to the true freedom offered by the gospel results in those who follow false teachers being worse off than before they heard of Jesus.

Peter’s point is that those who follow false teachers after being exposed to the truth of the message and teachings of Jesus would have been better off not hearing about Jesus. They would have been better off not hearing about Jesus because, as Peter points out in verse 21, the timeless reality is that the greater the amount of revelation that we have received about Jesus, the greater the responsibility we have when it comes to how we respond to the revelation we have received about Jesus. Peter’s point is that those who have been exposed to the message and teachings of Jesus and then choose to reject Jesus to follow false teachers have no excuse. I mean what excuse are they going to use? I didn’t know? But they did know. They were exposed to the message and teaching of Jesus. And because they have been exposed to the message and teachings of Jesus and have rejected the message and teachings of Jesus to follow false teachers, Peter explains that they are in a worse state than they were before they heard about Jesus.

Peter hammers this point home by quoting from two very familiar proverbs of the day in verse 22. The first proverb, "A DOG RETURNS TO ITS OWN VOMIT," is found in a section of a letter that is recorded for us in the Old Testament of the Bible called the book of Proverbs, in Proverbs 22:6. The second proverb, "A sow, after washing, returns to wallowing in the mire" was a common proverb of the day. Both proverbs point to how tempting it can be to leave the truth to embrace false teaching.

Just like a dog which vomits, and instead of walking away from the vomit goes back and takes a sniff of the vomit; just like a pig who washes itself clean only to be unable to resist the temptation to get dirty again, false teaching tempts us to leave the truth of the message and teachings of Jesus to embrace false teaching, especially a false teaching that promotes a lifestyle of license. However, the result of embracing that false teaching is condemnation and punishment. 

Because, as we have discovered, we need to be reminded of the danger of false teachers. We need to be reminded of the danger of false teachers because the danger of false teachers is demonstrated in their influence among people. We need to be reminded of the danger of false teachers because the danger of false teachers is demonstrated by the condemnation that awaits them. We need to be reminded of the danger of false teachers because the danger of false teachers is demonstrated by the character that defines them. And we need to be reminded of the danger of false teachers because the danger of false teachers is demonstrated by the consequences they bring on their followers.

So here is a question to consider: How are you responding to the temptation of false teachers and their false teaching? And what are you doing to make sure that you would be able to recognize false teachers and their false teaching?