The Second Letter of St. Peter
To the Christians
Who Are the “False Teachers”?
2 Peter 2
1…there will be false teachers among you,
who will introduce destructive heresies
and even deny the Master who ransomed
them, bringing swift destruction on
themselves. 2Many will follow their
licentious ways, and because of them the
way of truth will be reviled.
What Do False Teachers Teach?
αἵρεσις
hairesis
hah'ee-res-is
properly a choice, that is, (specifically)
a party or (abstractly) disunion:—heresy
[which is the Greek word itself], sect.
Who Are the “False Teachers”?
Matthew 24:11-12
11Many
false prophets will arise
and deceive many;
12and because of the increase of
evildoing, the love of many will
grow cold.
Who Are the “False Teachers”?
Matthew 7:21-23
21“Not
everyone who says to me,
‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of
heaven….22Many will say to me on that
day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy
in your name? Did we not drive out
demons in your name? Did we not do
mighty deeds in your name?’
Who Are the “False Teachers”?
Matthew 7:21-23
23Then
I will declare to
them solemnly, ‘I never
knew you. Depart from
me, you evildoers.’
Who Are the “False Teachers”?
These, then, were Christians
who were outwardly devout
but lived sinful [to say the
least!] lives.
Who Are the “False Teachers”?
The attack on the false prophets includes
those disciples who perform works of
healing and exorcism in the name of Jesus
but live evil lives. Entrance into the
kingdom is only for those who do the will
of the Father. On the day of judgment the
morally corrupt prophets and miracle
workers will be rejected by Jesus.
(footnote Mt 7:21 NABre)
Who Are the “False Teachers”?
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus
taught about the marks of a false
prophet and the consequences of
being one (Matt. 7:15-23). He also
cautioned His followers to beware of
false prophets who would arise during
times of tribulation and in the end
times (Matt. 24:11, 24; Mark 13:22).
Who Are the “False Teachers”?
He said to be careful when the world loves
a prophet’s words, because a prophet who
is false is apt to be popular (Luke 6:26).
The apostles instructed believers to be
diligent in faith and understanding of
Christian teachings, in order to discern
false prophets when they arise (2 Pet.
1:10; 1:19-2:1; 1 John 4:1).
Who Are the “False Teachers”?
The tests of a prophet are:
• 1) Do their predictions come true?
• 2) Does the prophet have a divine
commission?
• 3) Are the prophecies consistent
with Scripture
• 4) Do the people benefit spiritually from
the prophet’s ministry
What Will Happen to the “False
Teachers”?
Punishments for false prophets were
as severe in the New Testament as
they were in the Old. Paul caused a
false prophet to be stricken
with blindness (Acts 13:6-12), but
most other punishments were more
permanent in nature.
What Will Happen to the“False
Teachers”?
Jesus said the false prophets would be cut
down and burned like a bad tree (Matt.
7:19). Second Peter 2:4 describes being
cast into pits of darkness. The ultimate
punishment appears in Revelation
19:20; 20:10—the false prophet, the beast,
and the devil will be thrown into a lake of
fire and brimstone and be tormented
forever.
What Will Happen to the “False
Teachers”?
21For
it would have been better for
them not to have known the way of
righteousness than after knowing it to
turn back from the holy
commandment handed down to them.
(2 Peter 2:21)
Scoffers!
2Peter 3:3-4
…in the last days scoffers will
come, scoffing and indulging
4
their own lusts and saying,
“Where is the promise of his
coming?
Scoffers!
The false teachers tried to justify their
immorality by pointing out that the
promised coming of the Lord has not yet
occurred, even though early Christians
expected it in their day. They thus insinuate
that God is not guiding the world’s history
anymore, since nothing has changed and
the first generation of Christians, our
ancestors, has all died by this time.
Scoffers!
The Bible should be taught, but
emphatically not as reality. It is
fiction, myth, poetry, anything but
reality. As such it needs to be
taught because it underlies so
much of our literature and our
culture. –(Richard Dawkins)
Scoffers!
The author replies that, just as God
destroyed the earth by water in the flood, so
he will destroy it along with the false
teachers on judgment day. The word of
God, which called the world into being and
destroyed it by the waters of a flood, will
destroy it again by fire on the day of
judgment.
But just you wait!
But do not ignore this one fact,
beloved, that with the Lord one
day is like a thousand years, and
a thousand years are like one
day. (2 Peter 3:8)
And Remain Obedient
You therefore, beloved, since
you are forewarned, beware
that you are not carried away
with the error of the lawless
and lose your own stability.
(2 Peter 3:17
Questions
• What is the “way of Balaam”? (2:15)
• What is a heresy? What does Peter say about
sexual impurity? Are the False Teachers free?
• Who are the “scoffers”? What do they claim?
• What is the problem with St. Paul’s writings?
• Are there false teachers today? What are they
saying? What would Peter say to them?