False teachers, conclusion

This last post on false teachers is going to raise some eyebrows, I know. It's going to be brutally frank - and that is not the way things are usually done, nowadays.
So now, you've been warned, and let's begin!
We've seen so far that we can know false teachers when they teach false doctrines, when they lead lives of immorality, and when they are greedy, motivated by money.

I hope you have read the second chapter that we are studying....verse ten says that the false teachers despise authority. They don't want to be accountable to anyone; they want to be the final word on what they do and say -- a law unto themselves, so to speak. About a decade ago, here in the United States, a Senate investigation utilized tax return data and looked at six extremely large ministries that were suspected of possible fraudulent practices. They were asking specific questions, not just casting a net to see what they found. The names of the people investigated read like a "Who's Who" of the evangelical world today. (Or like a cable television listing, if you prefer!) Randy and Paula White (Without Walls International Church), Eddie Long (New Birth Missionary Baptist Church/Ministries), Kenneth and Gloria Copeland, and Creflo and Taffi Dollar. . . . want to know what happened? These ministries declined to be open and transparent. Accountability? No way. They gave incomplete answers or simply refused to give any information at all.  These ministries receive and control millions of millions of dollars, mostly from people who have very little to live upon, themselves. Instead of at least answering enough to prove they are honest and above-board, these people did not want any accountability. Instead of providing just enough information to be Biblically correct in their relationship to authority, they avoided authority completely, and cast real shadows on their own honesty and integrity.

False teachers not only despise authority, but they have a foolhardy way of looking at problems. What do I mean? Verse ten also tells us that the false teachers are bold and arrogant; their focus is on themselves.
If you are listening to (or watching) a false teacher, you may hear the words, "I bind Satan," for example. As if! We cannot control the adversary.....of course, it's true that Satan does not have power over us, but here's the difference -- we are not the ones who have power over Satan! God does. If we check the book of Jude in the New Testament, we read that the archangel Michael, when he was disputing with the devil, didn't bring an accusation against him. Instead, he said, "The Lord rebuke you!" But some false teachers will claim to have the ability to bind and control all of the forces within the demonic realm. And sometimes they speak foolishly of "shaking off serpents" (alluding to the serpent that bit Paul and then was shaken off into the fire) as if health issues and financial problems can be gone that simply..... they are speaking of things that they really don't understand.

In verse twelve, Peter says that they are like brute beasts -- what does he mean? Well, scholars say that the difference between humans and animals is our power to reason and make rational decisions. Perhaps Peter is referring to a false teacher's inability to be rational or logical in their speech and their teachings. Their arguments do not make sense, especially if we are comparing what they say to the scriptures, as we need to do.

Verses thirteen and fourteen say that false teachers are shameless. This is very similar to the charge of immoral living in the previous verses. They think nothing of the wrong they do. Verse eighteen is along the same lines; let's look at both of them:

With eyes full of adultery, they never stop sinning; they seduce the unstable;they are experts in greed—an accursed brood! ......For they mouth empty, boastful words and, by appealing to the lustful desires of the flesh, they entice people who are just escaping from those who live in error.  (v 14, 18)

Their consciences are cold and calloused. They think nothing of sinning "in broad daylight." They have no shame. What's Peter talking about, when they entice people who are just escaping?  We studied earlier that the first century was dominated by worship of Greek and Roman gods and goddesses. Their worship was actually sexual sins and perversion. Orgies were considered to be a way of worshiping these false gods and goddesses. In fact, going to one of their temples to worship would either involve having sex with a prostitute, or participating in an orgy.
The new believers were just emerging from this pagan way of life. But some false teachers were luring them back - promising sexual orgies with Christians, the scholars note. The teachers were justifying all of this, and acting on whatever their lustful hearts desired. We see this today in the Mormon church. Even today we hear of underage girls being married to older men who have multiple wives; these men think nothing of forcing these young girls to submit to sexual relations. It's happening in our country in the name of following God. We don't like to think about it, but we know it happens because some of the girls escape to tell their stories. We also know that there are many godly, Spirit-led believers in the Mormon church, too. We have to remember that as humans, we are all sinners, and we must point out wrong when and where we see it.

We do have false teachers all around us -- we must be aware of the dangers that we face!
Sometimes we may ask, "Why would God allow this? Why allow false teachers in the world today?" Well, we do live in a sinful world -- it's easy to get down and bummed out about it. But Peter encourages us with two important thoughts:
First, God will rescue the godly. Noah and his family were saved from the flood, and Lot's family escaped the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah.
Secondly, God will make sure the ungodly are judged. A favorite psalm for believers under pressure is Psalm 37. David looks at the wicked all about him, but he is reminded that he doesn't need to stress out about them - the wicked will be destroyed and the godly will be rescued.

The wicked lie in wait for the righteous,    intent on putting them to death; but the Lord will not leave them in the power of the wicked    or let them be condemned when brought to trial. (Psalm 37:33-34)

In their greed these teachers will exploit you with fabricated stories. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping. (II Peter 2:3b)

Their destruction will come....it will not be delayed.

For the revelation awaits an appointed time;    it speaks of the end
    and will not prove false.Though it linger, wait for it;    it will certainly come    and will not delay. (Habakkuk 2:3)

I hope this study has been profitable to all of us this week. We must beware of false teachers.

“Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. 16 By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thorn-bushes, or figs from thistles?17 Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them." (Matthew 7:15-20)

It's easy sometimes to be taken in by them:

..and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people.  (Matthew 24:11)

Peter has spent this entire chapter -- I know, we divided things into chapters; he did not. (Grin) Anyway, he is giving us reminders of what we already know. We need to reject false teachers, and to do that, we must identify them! Let's commit ourselves to being students of the Word, and not hearers only, so that we may be like the Bereans. We can compare things to the scriptures and we will be certain whether teachings are true or if they are false!