November
28th 2 Peter 2 Beware of False teaching
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. 4: 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; 5: 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;
6: 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; 7: And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the
wicked: 8: (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing,
vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;) 9: The
Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the
unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished: 10: But chiefly them that walk
after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government.
Presumptuous are they, selfwilled, they are not afraid to speak evil of
dignities. 11: Whereas angels, which are greater in power and might, bring not
railing accusation against them before the Lord. 12: But these, as natural
brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that
they understand not; and shall utterly perish in their own corruption; 13: And
shall receive the reward of unrighteousness, as they that count it pleasure to
riot in the day time. Spots they are and blemishes, sporting themselves with
their own deceivings while they feast with you; 14: Having eyes full of
adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; beguiling unstable souls: an heart
they have exercised with covetous practices; cursed children: 15: Which have
forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the
son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness; 16: But was rebuked for
his iniquity: the dumb ass speaking with man's voice forbad the madness of the
prophet. 17: These are wells without water, clouds that are carried with a
tempest; to whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever. 18: For when they
speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the
flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who
live in error. 19: While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the
servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he
brought in bondage. 20: For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the
world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are
again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than
the beginning. 21: For it had been better for them not to have known the way of
righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment
delivered unto them. 22: But it is happened unto them according to the true
proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed
to her wallowing in the mire.
Peter now warns his readers of the
False Prophets who will come in and bring with them Damnable heresies. Will these
men always be prophets! Because a prophet says that they have a new revelation
from God. Those who stick to the scriptures are much less prone to errors.
Peter describes their career. They make money, lots of it, out of their
adherents. Peter reminds his readers of the Judgment of God in the days of Noah
and in the Days of Sodom. The Lord is able to deliver the righteous as he did
deliver Lot from Sodom.
He goes on to describe them as men who live after the flesh in the lust of
uncleanness. They despise lawful government. They are presumptuous,
self-willed, and they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities. Even angels do
not speak ill of others. These men are ‘natural brute beasts’, reserved for judgment,
They speak evil of the things that they understand not. They are ignorant. They
will perish in their own corruption. He says, they are Spots in your feasts. He
says, they having eyes full of adultery, and they cannot cease from sin. They
lead people astray. They are like Balaam who lived for money. They are wells
which promise water but they are dry. They are like clouds without rain. They
promise great things they allure through the lusts of the flesh. Strangely they
promise liberty yet they are the servants of corruption, because who a man is
overcome by he is in bondage to. Those who profess forgiveness if they have
escaped the pollutions are again entangled again in the world their latter end
is worse than their beginning. It would have been better for them that they
never were cleansed if they are to return to the mire. They are like dogs who
eat their own vomit and sow who having been washed return to wallow in the mud.
This is the very case of the Hebrews of the letter to the Hebrews who return to
Judaism after supposedly accepting Christ as their Messiah.
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