How To Spot False Teachers - PART 2

2 Peter 2:12-16 NLT
12 These false teachers are like unthinking animals, creatures of instinct, born to be caught and destroyed. They scoff at things they do not understand, and like animals, they will be destroyed. 13 Their destruction is their reward for the harm they have done. They love to indulge in evil pleasures in broad daylight. They are a disgrace and a stain among you. They delight in deception even as they eat with you in your fellowship meals. 14 They commit adultery with their eyes, and their desire for sin is never satisfied. They lure unstable people into sin, and they are well trained in greed. They live under God’s curse. 15 They have wandered off the right road and followed the footsteps of Balaam son of Beor, who loved to earn money by doing wrong. 16 But Balaam was stopped from his mad course when his donkey rebuked him with a human voice.

If you think the last post was harsh, Peter has only begun. Todays passage is a bit long, but it is still only about half of one very long sentence describing false teachers. Peter is not only trying to help Christians spot false teachers, he is speaking judgment against them. You get the sense reading this that Peter is angry and disgusted with those that would influence others into false teachings. I went with the New Living Translation this time because I though it captured the idea and the mood clearly.

Let's continue to look at how we can spot false teachers:

Verse 12:

• They are like animals in that they are motivated by carnal instincts.
• They pretend to be experts; condemning things that they have absolutely no knowledge about.
• Like the lower animals, these false teachers will perish in the judgment to come.

Verse 13

• They will suffer punishment as a criminal for their wicked, sinful acts.
• They indulge in lavish sinful indulgences out in the open; Even as they are in your midst, not even bothering to hide them.

Verse 14

• Being greedy and totally corrupt, they are always trying to entice people with weak, impressionable minds to their way of thinking.
• They are cursed!

Verse 15

• Instead of doing what they know is right, they have wandered away; Following in the pattern of Balaam, who was a prophet-for-hire. Like him, they will say and do whatever makes them more money.

Verse 16

• They should remember that God did various things to stop Balaam.

Overall, it seems like the pattern that we see described is greed and deception. Just like Satan, those that follow his ways are never happy just doing it by themselves. They constantly want to drag others down with them. False teachers are basically ministers of Satan. This makes it clear why we, as Christians, should be on the alert. Keeping watch, so that these evildoers are exposed.

You would think this would be enough, but Peter isn't finished. Next time we'll finish this divine pronouncement against false teachers.