2 Peter 2. Peter tackles the topic of false teachers in chapter two and it is downright scary. Let’s start with some reflection questions: Why do people follow false teachers? What makes false teachers popular today? What kind of tactics do false teachers use to gain followers? These are important questions; take time to reflect on them today.

Peter explains what false teachers were doing in the church world, and has strong words of condemnation for them. This is the false teacher profile (2:1-3,10-22):

They secretly bring in destructive heresies.
Many will follow their sensuality.
In their greed they will exploit you.
They blaspheme about matters of which they are ignorant.
They count it pleasure to revel in the daytime.
They are blots and blemishes reveling in their deceptions while they feast with you.
They have eyes full of adultery, insatiable for sin.
They entice unsteady souls.
They have hearts trained in greed.
They have forsaken the right way and gone astray.
They love gain from doing wrong.
They speak in loud boasts of folly.
They entice by sensual passions of the flesh.
They promise freedom but they themselves are slaves.

Peter offers three examples from history of God’s judgment or preservation. God judged the angels (2:4) in Genesis 6. God preserved Noah (2:5) in Genesis 6-8. And God preserved Lot (2:6-8) in Genesis 19. There is quite a bit of background to these stories, but luckily Peter gives a great summary:

The Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgment, and especially those who indulge in the lust of defiling passion and despise authority (2:9-10). God is very capable of rescuing the godly and punishing the unrighteous. We can be certain that there is a punishment for those who turn others away from God.

Do you find encouragement in knowing that God has judged evil throughout history and will continue to do so, in his own timing?

How can we recognize false teachers? Let’s be in prayer about these things this week.