Remember Their Motives

2 Peter 2:1-3a

Main Idea: Believers must beware of teachers who discredit the gospel through deception, sexual immorality, and greed.

1. They Smuggle Destruction (2:1).
   1. How they work
   2. What they teach
   3. Where they’re headed
2. They Scandalize the Gospel (2:2).
   1. The temptation to godless conduct
   2. The tarnish to gospel credibility
3. They Swindle Believers (2:3a).

Thomas Jefferson first wrote the phrase “All men are created equal” in the U.S. Declaration of Independence in 1776, at the beginning of the American Revolution. It’s been said that these simple yet profound words have had the greatest continuing importance of any that came out of the period. But while all men certainly are equal, all prophets are not. And that contention is the common denominator between chapters 1 and 2. Having reminded his readers that the apostolic witness and the prophetic word are the reliable sources for the believer’s confidence in Christ’s coming (1:16-21), Peter now shifts his focus to remind them about an unreliable source: false teachers. He draws this distinction by using the conjunction “indeed” at the beginning of 2:1. He just told his readers that since the Holy Spirit inspired the prophets, the prophetic Scriptures should be trusted because both their revelation and their interpretation came from God. Now he warns his readers of a sobering reality—not all prophets are from God (Schreiner, 1 and 2 Peter, 325).

To make his case Peter uses language in 2:1–3:3 that’s similar to that used by Jude in his letter. In 2:1 he identifies the culprits as “false prophets” who deny Christ’s return as well as other Christian truth. They are to be associated with their counterparts who were “among the people” of Israel in ancient times. Now they’ve invaded the church and are “among you,” Peter says. He sees them as fulfilling the prophecies of the Old Testament, Jesus, and the apostle Paul (see Deut 13:1-5; Jer 23:9-22; Matt 7:15-23; 24:23-26; Acts 20:28-30; 2 Tim 3:1-9; 4:1-4). Their primary target is unsuspecting people who at least profess to be part of the community of faith. So Peter desperately wants his readers to pay attention to the truth spoken by the apostles and prophets over against these heretics who are scavenging their ranks. They are “apostates from the faith, and their aim is to draw disciples after themselves” (G. L. Green, Jude, 235).

The stakes of progressive Christian growth discussed in chapter 1 are now raised. If Christ isn’t coming back, then the foundation and motivation for godly living disappears. That’s the agenda fostered by these false teachers. Although Peter uses the future tense here, the present tense in 2:10b forward indicates he’s talking about an impending—and even present—reality both for his readers and for us. “There always have been and there always will be false teachers among the people of God” (M. Green, 2 Peter, 116). So in 2:1-3 Peter unpacks how these false teachers are motivated by a desire to secretly introduce destructive teaching, smear the gospel, and embezzle money from Christians.

They Smuggle Destruction

2 Peter 2:1

Due to my frequent international travel, not long ago I applied for expedited customs privileges when returning to the United States from other countries. When I went for my interview as part of the application process, the agent asked me if I had ever been guilty of a customs violation. “No,” I quickly replied, laughing under my breath at the absurdity of thought. Then he responded, “Well, it says here in our records that in 2002 you tried to bring some switchblades back into the country from the Philippines.” As my forehead and palms began to sweat, I suddenly remembered the incident from years before. I had in fact tried to bring some switchblades back into the United States. I had bought them in a market in the Philippines and wanted to bring them home for my sons to add to their knife collections. The problem was I didn’t know it was illegal to bring switchblades into our country! I even declared them as being in my luggage when I went through customs. But my ignorance didn’t matter to the United States government. Customs agents quickly confiscated my souvenirs, and I now have a record for attempting to bring something illegal into the country!

Needless to say, I was denied expedited customs privileges. But the stakes are much higher for purveyors of false teaching. Their crime is greater, and their fate is worse. So Peter reminds his readers of how they work, what they teach, and where they’re headed.

How They Work

My customs record was the result of an innocent mistake. Not so with false teachers. They don’t “declare” their false doctrine when passing through customs at the church door. They try to hide it and bring it in by stealth. The verb translated “bring in” is pareisago, which carries the idea of smuggling or introducing something in a deceptive way. While the word doesn’t always connote a secretive bringing in, it likely does in this context. These teachers weren’t hiding what they were teaching but merely covering up the degree to which their teaching differed from the apostolic teaching (Moo, 2 Peter, 92). They were sneaking destructive ideas into the community of faith and infiltrating the Christian ranks with unorthodox principles. False teachers never stand up and announce, “I’ve got some stuff to tell you that’s totally false!” No, they introduce their teaching as if it were the real thing, as if it were the guidance that’s true and beneficial.

Jesus told us it would be this way. He warned, “Be on your guard against false prophets who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravaging wolves” (Matt 7:15). No heretical wolf ever comes displaying his natural appearance, but he disguises himself in the garb of one who will be received by the flock as just another innocent sheep. The apostle Paul was equally burdened with this reality and knew it would be commonplace in the church. He was clear about the true impetus for such deception:

For such people are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. And no wonder! For even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is no surprise if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end wil be according to their works. (2 Cor 11:13-15; cf. Gal 2:4; 2 Tim 3:1-5,13; Jude 4)

The one behind the disguise of any false teacher is Satan himself. He’s the one who desires to pull unsuspecting religious adherents into eternal destruction. He is not clothed in a red suit and carrying a fiery pitchfork when he approaches people. He shows up dressed as preachers and small group leaders and student workers. And so our recognition of them can’t be based on what they wear or otherwise look like. It has to be based on whether their words square with the Bible.

What They Teach

I assume our government doesn’t allow us to bring switchblades into the country because they’re considered harmful. That’s the way it is with false teaching. What these false teachers were smuggling wasn’t to be taken lightly. The words “destructive heresies” indicate fatally ruinous ideas, ones that don’t lead to mere temporal destruction but to the second death and eternal exclusion from Christ’s kingdom (see 2:3; 3:7,16; cf. Matt 7:13; Rom 9:22; Phil 1:28; 3:19; 1 Tim 6:9; Heb 10:39; Rev 17:8,11). This was and is a matter of eternal life and death! Instruction not rooted in the apostolic witness and the prophetic word—in other words, not rooted in the Bible—is instruction set on turning people away from the true words of life and toward that which will lead to eternal separation from God. Switchblades can only cause temporal death, but instruction contrary to the Bible can lead people to hell.

Ultimately, false teaching that leads people to an eternal hell can only be rooted in one thing: a denial of the person and work of Christ. That’s exactly what the heretics in Peter’s day were doing. They were “even denying the Master who bought them.” The term “Master” (despotes) means “sovereign lord” and is often used in the New Testament to refer to God (e.g., Acts 4:24). But the qualifier here to the one “who bought them” likely makes this a reference to the Lord Jesus Christ (Vaughn and Lea, 1, 2 Peter, 168; see also Jude 4). The term “bought” (agorazo) means “purchased” or “redeemed out of the marketplace” (see Deut 32:5-6; Zeph 1:4-6). The idea is that of a master of a house who purchased slaves and put them in charge of various household tasks. They now owed their complete allegiance to him because they were his personal property.

However, the false teachers refused to submit to Christ’s authority yet claimed to be part of his household. They claimed Christ as their Redeemer, but they refused his sovereign lordship, thus revealing their true character as unregenerate enemies of biblical truth (MacArthur, 2 Peter, 73). Both in conduct and in doctrine, the false teachers were rejecting the life demanded by their Redeemer, thus revealing their true character as unregenerate men. A lifestyle of ungodliness always stems from rejecting Christ and his redemptive work, regardless of what one claims.

Ultimately, these false teachers were advocating something that was present in Corinth (1 Cor 6:19-20; 7:23) and is certainly a problem in Christian circles today. I’m talking about the abuse of grace that leads to freedom from holiness. No doubt the liberty afforded by the work of Christ is one of the banners waved by those who embrace such error (see 2:19). But these people refuse to acknowledge and obey the responsibility of holy living that the cross demands. Christianity is most certainly a religion of liberty, but it demands that its adherents willingly and lovingly submit to the one who redeemed them. The designation “servant” was something New Testament leaders gladly imposed on themselves (cf. Rom 1:1; Phil 1:1; Titus 1:1; Jas 1:1; Jude 1). The cross of Christ demands no less from us.

Where They’re Headed

I was disappointed when those customs agents confiscated my switchblades that I intended to be gifts for my boys, and I greatly regret that having a customs violation on my record prevents me from obtaining the convenience of expedited customs service; but those consequences for my mistake pale in comparison to the ones awaiting those who intentionally deceive people into denying Christ. Before leaving the false teachers’ sinister work of smuggling destruction, Peter tips his hat to a theme on which he will expand later in this chapter—the judgment awaiting false teachers (see 2:4-10). Bauckham identifies three characteristics of false prophets in the Bible, each of which applies to the ones here: (1) they lack divine authority, (2) they promise peace when God threatens judgment, and (3) they will certainly be judged by God (Bauckham, 2 Peter, 238). The third one is particularly relevant here since these false teachers refused to see the coming of Christ as the climax of human history.

Peter basically says false teachers will reap what they sow, as they “will bring swift destruction on themselves.” Because they sow the seeds of destruction within the community of faith, they will reap the very end they wish for their hearers. And the realization of their fate will be “swift,” a word that means the approach will come quickly in an unexpected manner. These and all false teachers are headed for a fast-approaching judgment of eternal destruction and separation from God. Michael Green says, “The man who attempts to serve God and self is on the high road to swift destruction, for either death or the parousia will cut him off in mid-course” (M. Green, 2 Peter, 118). Christ is jealous for his bride, the church, and he will defend her by condemning those who seek to mislead his disciples.

Consequently, Christ will not tolerate false teachers among his people, and he expects his disciples to follow suit (cf. Matt 7:15-20; Acts 13:6-12; 1 Tim 1:18-20; 6:3-5; 2 Tim 3:1-9; 1 John 4:1-3; 2 John 7-11; 3 John 9-11; see also Isa 9:15; Jer 28:15-17; 29:21,32; Mic 3:5-7). But Christians and local churches today often do just the opposite. In the name of love, unity, and acceptance, we tolerate any teacher in person, on television, or through podcast who claims to be a believer and has an appealing presentation, regardless of what they are teaching. The result has been the development of a careless indifference to the truth. It’s caused many Christians to view biblical absolutes as being archaic and even embarrassing (MacArthur, 2 Peter, 68). Christ’s disciples, and especially those who lead them, must heed Peter’s words and take false teaching seriously and deal with it proactively.

Before leaving this verse, an important point of clarification needs to be made. Like other verses in 2 Peter, 2:1 has been the subject of much debate, in this case as to whether these teachers were genuine Christians who lost their salvation. But let’s not forget that Peter asserted in his first letter that those who belong to God are being guarded by his power through faith so as to possess their salvation forever (1 Pet 1:5). If we let Scripture interpret Scripture, we’re compelled to see Peter’s words here as being consistent with the numerous other texts that teach the eternal security of the true believer (e.g., Rom 8:28-39; 1 Cor 1:8-9; Phil 1:6; 1 Thess 5:23-24).

These false teachers—like many church members who follow them—apparently had made a “profession of faith” and for a season had given the impression that they were truly saved. But their ultimate denial of Christ revealed that their profession wasn’t genuine. Like so many people today who walk away from the church, it becomes apparent that

they are wolves in the flock (Acts 20:29-30), that though they called on Jesus as Lord their disobedience shows that he never knew them (Matt 7:21-23), that they are like the seed sown on rocky or thorny ground that initially bears fruit but dries up and dies when hard times come (Matt 13:20-22). (Schreiner, 1 and 2 Peter, 331–32)

The concern of this in 2 Peter 2:1 is twofold. First, it’s a warning to unbelievers who are currently interacting with the community of faith that false teaching will lead them to the same eternal destruction that awaits the teachers (see Matt 13:20-22,36-42,47-50). Second, it’s a warning to true believers that tolerating false teaching sets them up for shipwrecked faith (see 1 Tim 1:18-20). May these words be a wake-up call for us all.

They Scandalize the Gospel

2 Peter 2:2

I heard an interview one time with a prominent professional athlete who was known for his riotous living, boisterous demeanor, and sexual promiscuity. The reporter asked him about the effect he was having on young people who looked up to him because of his stardom. He responded with the sentiment that he hadn’t asked to be anyone’s role model and, furthermore, didn’t want to be anyone’s role model. Not long afterward another athlete responded to the star’s flippant dismissal of responsibility. He wisely said, “That’s not his call; it comes with the territory.” The second athlete was right. Some things in life just can’t be separated. Conduct and influence are inseparable. In verse 2 Peter asserts that godless conduct among professing Christians will always be followed by damage to gospel credibility in the eyes of the world.

The Temptation to Godless Conduct

In every age teachers are role models to their students, not just conveyors of information (Davids, Letters, 222). So when it comes to the influence of false teaching, the body count is never minimal. Casualties always abound within the community of faith, and the carnage has a tendency to spread like gangrene (cf. 2 Tim 2:16-18). Peter says that “many” will be deceived by the false teachers and become devoted to their godless conduct. And their influence was all the more tempting because of its erotic nature. The word translated “depraved” (aselgeiais) in the New Testament usually refers to sexual sin (Rom 13:13; 2 Cor 12:21; Gal 5:19; Eph 4:19; 1 Pet 4:3). Jude actually uses the idea to compare the sins of false teachers to those of Sodom and Gomorrah:

For some people, who were designated for this judgment long ago, have come in by stealth; they are ungodly, turning the grace of our God into sensuality and denying Jesus Christ, our only Master and Lord. . . . Likewise, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns committed sexual immorality and perversions, and serve as an example by undergoing the punishment of eternal fire. (Jude 4,7)

Peter will use the word two more times in this chapter to convey the same idea (see vv. 7,18). And in a sex-crazed culture like ours, large numbers of people are ready to jump on the bandwagon when such tantalizing merchandise is being peddled.

This “trendy” nature of following false teaching into godless conduct shouldn’t surprise us. Jesus made clear that a whole lot more people will choose the broad road that leads to destruction than the narrow road that leads to true life (Matt 7:13-14; cf. 24:10-12). Much of the fault for this tragic reality can be laid at the feet of false teachers who clothe the broad way in appealing attire and promise that it leads to happiness and fulfillment. MacArthur rightly observes, “Their message of independence, personal freedom, and self-exaltation is inherently appealing to fallen human hearts, who would rather serve themselves than submit to Christ” (2 Peter, 76). Jesus was also clear that “not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven” (Matt 7:21). It doesn’t matter what people claim about faith in Christ but what they demonstrate in obedience to him (cf. John 15:14-16; Jas 1:22-25; 1 John 2:3-6; 5:1-5).

The Tarnish to Gospel Credibility

The malignant effect of the temptation to godless living, however, isn’t the most devastating result of this strand of false teaching. Its ultimate end is that the gospel “will be maligned” (v. 2) before the world “because of” these apostates who abandon it. The reference to “the way of truth” is clearly a synonym for the gospel. Early disciples of Christ often were referred to as followers of “the Way” (Acts 9:2; 19:9,23; 24:14,22) or the “way of the Lord” (Acts 18:25; cf. v. 26). The designation was a reminder that Christianity isn’t so much a set of propositional truths to be believed as it is a way of life to be lived (Davids, Letters, 222).

So when a self-identified Christian’s way of life is contrary to Jesus’s life, it scandalizes the gospel and tarnishes its credibility. Schreiner describes it well:

The unbelieving world sees the impact on the church and responds by maligning and ridiculing “the way of truth.” “The way of truth” is a reference to the gospel. When unbelievers see the moral effect produced by the opponents in the lives of their followers, they will conclude that the way of truth is a way of error. They will think that any message that leads to dissolute behavior cannot be from God (Schreiner, 1 and 2 Peter, 332).

The embrace of false teaching always results in the gospel’s being maligned. Appealing to Isaiah 52:5, Paul charged the Jews: “For, as it is written: ‘The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you’” (Rom 2:24). When professing Christians default on their faith, the gospel takes the hit. People will soon forget about the offender, but their distaste for the gospel will hang around for a long time.

The New Testament isn’t silent about calling Christians to righteous living for the sake of the gospel’s reputation. Christian slaves were to honor their masters so the gospel wouldn’t be criticized (1 Tim 6:1). Young believing wives were to live godly lives so people wouldn’t revile the gospel (Titus 2:5). Paul said he put no obstacle in anyone’s way so no fault would be found with the gospel (2 Cor 6:3). In his first letter Peter told his readers to live honorably and do good so that critics of the gospel would be silenced and put to shame and instead they would glorify God (1 Pet 2:12,15; 3:16). When it comes to the lives we lead, our first concern shouldn’t be for our reputation; it should be for the reputation of the gospel. And the only way to make the gospel believable is for Christians to live the kind of righteous lives that make it believable.

So, fellow disciple of Christ, live in such a way “that you may be blameless and pure, children of God who are faultless in a crooked and perverted generation, among whom you shine like stars in the world” (Phil 2:15; cf. Matt 5:16; Eph 2:10; 5:8; 1 Thess 2:12; Titus 2:5,7,14; 1 Pet 2:9-12). If you’re a star athlete, you’re a role model whether you like it or not. If you’re a Christian, you bear the reputation of the gospel, and your godliness—or lack thereof—will always affect it. As you remember the motives of false teachers around you to discredit the gospel, let it compel you to remember the holy life for which that gospel saved you.

They Swindle Believers

2 Peter 2:3a

Bernie Madoff arguably is the most notorious American fraudster in history. In 2009 the former stockbroker, investment advisor, and financier admitted to operating a Ponzi scheme that is considered the largest financial fraud ever. Prosecutors estimated that Madoff swindled about $64.8 billion out of his 4,800 clients. On June 29, 2009, he was sentenced to 150 years in prison. Madoff’s arrest and conviction came after his two sons—who were employed by his firm—told authorities their father had confessed to them that the asset management unit of his firm was just a massive Ponzi scheme. They quoted him as saying it was “one big lie.”

A discernable link often exists between falsehood and greed. Destroying lives and undermining the gospel weren’t the only motives of the false teachers in Peter’s day. They were in it for personal gain as well. Peter says “their greed” (v. 3) also drives them to infiltrate the Christian ranks and wreak havoc in people’s lives. The verb “exploit” is a commercial term that suggests a monetary motive. The false teachers saw Peter’s readers as a source of financial gain. Peter will go on to describe these religious charlatans as having “hearts trained in greed” (2:14). This indictment and characterization of false teachers is common in Scripture (see Jer 6:13; 8:10; 1 Tim 6:3,5,9-11; Titus 1:7,11; 1 Pet 5:1-3; Jude 11,16). They crave wealth and are experts at swindling people in the church out of their money (MacArthur, 2 Peter, 78).

The approach these tricksters used to cheat people wasn’t divorced from their false doctrine. They used “made-up stories” (v. 3)—or cunning precepts they simply fabricated—to swindle the unassuming listeners. They manufactured bogus arguments to sway people over to their side. And these wolves in sheep’s clothing were making a good profit off of those who bought in to their teaching and made contributions to them (Bauckham, 2 Peter, 243). “These teachers were not selling a product to help their hearers. They were hawking defective goods (morally speaking) for their own financial advantage” (Schreiner, 1 and 2 Peter, 333; cf. 2:14).

This ought to sound all too familiar to believers today. Observe the frequent relationship between false teaching and materialism. Christian television, publishing, conferencing, and numerous other vehicles of mass communication are big business today. When used to disseminate the true gospel with integrity, these avenues are effective means for spreading truth and advancing Christ’s kingdom. But when these mediums are infiltrated and hijacked by false teachers, they become ready resources for distributing intoxicating and cancerous information. All the while, the propagation of false teaching yields flowing streams of income that pad perverted pockets.

Obviously the biggest lesson here is the need for us to avoid buying in to false teaching and reaping its devastating spiritual effects. But we also must be discerning when it comes to where we invest our money in “kingdom” work. The satanic agenda to shipwreck faith isn’t usually discernable to the naked eye. But the lucrative lifestyles, pretentious presentations, and comic commercialism that characterizes the ministries of some preachers and teachers is often blatant. Their flamboyant auras, atmospheres, and appeals should serve as red flags to the false doctrine lurking in the shadows. I believe this is just one of the reasons that accountable giving through one’s local church is the New Testament’s primary model. Contributions beyond that practice should always be made only after thorough examination of doctrinal beliefs and careful scrutiny of financial practices.

Conclusion

The first three verses of 2 Peter 2 are incredibly telling and eerily characteristic of our own Christian culture. The tactic of false teachers is to introduce their erroneous doctrine by stealth, not in apparent fashion. They also slander the gospel through sexually licentious lifestyles, and they rip off people’s money because of their greed. These verses need to serve as a sobering reminder of Satan’s schemes. As Peter previously charged, “Be sober-minded, be alert. Your adversary the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour” (1 Pet 5:8). And the believer’s primary defense is a working knowledge of and unwavering obedience to the authoritative word of the apostles and prophets recorded in the Bible.

Every generation between Peter’s and ours has faced the same challenge. For example, the nineteenth century was at a period when society’s views on human freedom were challenging the nature of biblical authority. In October 1855, Vincent van Gogh, the gifted yet conflicted artist, finished an oil painting he titled Still Life with Bible. The painting features an open Bible sitting on a table. To the right of the Bible is a burned-out candle in its holder. In the foreground of the painting van Gogh positioned a small yellow book, the binding of which identified it as Emile Zola’s The Joy of Life. David Helm interprets the scene:

By placing a burned-out candle beside the Bible and by putting both in the background, van Gogh is telling us that the time for walking through this world by the illumination of the Holy Spirit, who shines down upon God’s Word, is past. Biblical authority no longer holds sway. People are guided by different, if not lesser lights. That is what he is saying. Even the flaming color of yellow is now reserved for the cover of another book. Humanity’s new pursuit is governed by whatever brings us the joy of life. (Helm, 1 & 2 Peter, 223)

The apostle’s words recorded in 2 Peter 2:1-3 not only described his own day but predicted the climate of van Gogh’s long before it arrived. In both eras, “people were following another path, carried along by a candle of a different sort” (Helm, 1 & 2 Peter, 223). Peter’s words, however, merely reflect the reality that every generation will face: the threat of society to extinguish the light of God’s Word and instead chase after relativism, sexual promiscuity, and monetary wealth. May it never happen on our watch.

Reflect and Discuss

1. Does the hard and sharp language of Peter surprise you? How should we respond in order to be in accord with his resolve to rebuke and silence false teaching?
2. What are the defining characteristics of a false teacher? Is it easy to pinpoint false teaching?
3. What is the difference between a false teacher and a teacher who unintentionally teaches something that is biblically inaccurate?
4. With all of the material available through modern-day media, how can we practically shepherd our people to discern what is false and what is true?
5. Discerning false teaching is a good, godly, and necessary thing. However, many times we go overboard, being overly critical of a fellow servant of God. How do we navigate the fine line of harshly rebuking false teaching without tearing down a true brother?
6. How can we, as teachers of God’s Word, avoid careless mistakes that may lead to error in interpretation or teaching?
7. What exactly was the message of these ancient false teachers? Is this present today? What are examples of prominent false teaching today?
8. How can we precisely articulate the gospel of grace without giving license to sin?
9. In what way does false teaching rip away credibility from the gospel?
10. What are areas in our own lives that may tarnish gospel credibility?