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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