April 2025: A Study of 2 Peter 2

False Teachers and Their Destruction

2 But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves. 2 Many will follow their depraved conduct and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. 3 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. 

4 For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell, putting them in chains of darkness to be held for judgment; 5 if he did not spare the ancient world when he brought the flood on its ungodly people, but protected Noah, a preacher of righteousness, and seven others; 6 if he condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by burning them to ashes, and made them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly; 7 and if he rescued Lot, a righteous man, who was distressed by the depraved conduct of the lawless 8 (for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard)— 9 if this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials and to hold the unrighteous for punishment on the day of judgment. 10 This is especially true of those who follow the corrupt desire of the flesh and despise authority. 2 Peter 2:1-10

False teachers usually don’t show up with a sign telling you what they are up to, rather they are undercover so that nobody knows what their true motives are. These false teachers will also have some similar qualities to them, so that we can more easily spot these traits to be on guard. Not only will they try to hide their true identity and agenda, but the things that they teach and preach will be topics that divide people and topics that will bring shame upon you. They will have tall tales, and they will tell you these things to make it easier to take advantage of people. These people are particularly dangerous because there won’t just be one or two followers, but they will lead the masses astray. Most false teachers have a good following because they flatter people about their lustful desires. We are also reminded that the angels are not exempt from God’s judgment, nor was the world that Noah lived in. God’s judgment is for everyone, and you can not escape His judgment. He destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, but Lot was saved because he was righteous. For those who reject God and reject His laws, you will ultimately feel His judgment whether in this life or the next.

Bold and arrogant, they are not afraid to heap abuse on celestial beings; 11 yet even angels, although they are stronger and more powerful, do not heap abuse on such beings when bringing judgment on them from the Lord. 12 But these people blaspheme in matters they do not understand. They are like unreasoning animals, creatures of instinct, born only to be caught and destroyed, and like animals, they too will perish. 

13 They will be paid back with harm for the harm they have done. Their idea of pleasure is to carouse in broad daylight. They are blots and blemishes, reveling in their pleasures while they feast with you. 14 With eyes full of adultery, they never stop sinning; they seduce the unstable; they are experts in greed—an accursed brood! 2 Peter 2:10-14.

We might think, after reading this passage, why is Peter so outraged and irate about false shepherds? He is a pastor whose job is to shepherd his sheep, and when others come and lead them astray, he has to protect his sheep. We don’t know specifically who Peter is talking about, just that there was this threat out there. We see the attitudes of these false teachers; they are bold, arrogant, and unafraid. They are reckless and defiant, and they do not think about what they are doing or the punishment they will receive. They blaspheme everything, things they don’t understand, but those false teachers will be caught in their own traps. As they lead people towards destruction, they too will end up being destroyed. In verse 13 you will notice that these false teachers are so consumed with lust that they can’t wait for the night; they are doing their sinning in broad daylight. These people never stop sinning. We can get a sense of how God feels about these people. It reminds me a lot of the days of Noah or Sodom and Gomorrah. They are accursed brood, which means they are dammed to Hell; they have the curse of God on them. This is difficult information to read about, but God doesn’t give us this information to scare us; He gives it to us so that we can be on the alert and ready for spiritual combat if necessary. Always be ready to fight the Devil, because He is always looking for a way to bring you down with Him.

15 They have left the straight way and wandered off to follow the way of Balaam son of Bezer,who loved the wages of wickedness. 16 But he was rebuked for his wrongdoing by a donkey—an animal without speech—who spoke with a human voice and restrained the prophet’s madness. 17 These people are springs without water and mists driven by a storm. Blackest darkness is reserved for them. 18 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. 2 Peter 2:15-18

Biblical teaching is nourishing, human error is killing. This is why it is so important that we stay cautious of false teachers. It is the primary responsibility of the pastor and elders to help keep their sheep from going astray. Peter warns us of their empty words and empty promises. In the Old Testament, we learn about Balaam and how he was a corrupt prophet who would pronounce blessings or curses to the highest bidder. For him, a dumb donkey had more sense than Balaam did. God was angry with him and used his donkey to speak truth to him. Don’t underestimate God; He will use whatever and however He chooses to get His message across to you. Balaam sought money, fame, and the women they could seduce. These false teachers are springs that have no water. Their follower comes seeking to be refreshed with the Holy water but is left without one drop to quench their thirst. But sadly, their followers keep coming back, hoping to get just a small amount of water.

 19 They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity—for “people are slaves to whatever has mastered them.” 20 If they have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and are again entangled in it and are overcome, they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning. 21 It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than to have known it and then to turn their backs on the sacred command that was passed on to them. 22 Of them the proverbs are true: “A dog returns to its vomit,”and, “A sow that is washed returns to her wallowing in the mud.” 2 Peter 2: 10-22

The spirit enables us to do the duty that God has called us to. If people are telling you that you are free to sin because you are saved, and that you can ignore the 10 commandments because that was from the Old Testament. Those people are slaves of depravity. We are dreadfully sinful and we cannot keep the 10 commandments on our own, but since we have been saved, we have been put on a path of freedom, freedom to do what God has called us to do, not to run around like a pardoned felon, committing whatever sins we so choose. We can choose to follow the straight and narrow, go to bible studies, and turn aside from all of our old sinful patterns. But remember this, my dear brothers and sisters in the Lord, we are saved by Grace, and there will always be false teachers. Pray for God to give you wisdom and discernment. It is better for us to know the dangers that are out there in the world so that we can arm ourselves against their schemes and plots.

When you get done reading this section, it can be easy for you to think that Peter is a bit on the harsh side, but if we think about how we would defend our kids against predators, we can get an idea of why he is so intense. Peter reminds us that these wolves who are after the sheep of the church are described as unreasoning animals who will eventually be put down for their nature. He also warns us that the more we preach the word of God, the more we will be a target for those who blaspheme God. If we were to sit back and worship God in private and not challenge anyone, we wouldn’t be persecuted, but if we live the way that God tells us to, we essentially have a target on our backs to those who oppose God. These people who oppose God get off the narrow path and start to wander the wilderness on their own. Think of how easy it is to get lost in a forest when you wander off the path. Before you know it, you don’t even know where the path was, nor do you have a desire to find it.

Friends, God wants to keep us on the right path so we don’t walk astray, whether in our daily lives or our marriage. He has set up boundaries for us for our safety, not for our misery. If we keep that in mind, we will not only appreciate the boundaries but have a new appreciation of God’s love for us.

As wives, we count on our husbands to guide us in telling right from wrong and spotting those who might pretend to be good. Husbands should be our protectors. If there are concerns about false teachers, discuss them with your husband first. Together, support each other in staying true to God always. See your marriage as a strong partnership, like teammates, not opponents. Pray for strength and unity, and God will bless your marriage with these.