Falsifiers

DEVOTION

THE 2^ND LETTER OF PETER

FALSIFIERS

2 Peter 2:1-3

2:1 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 shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. 3 In their greed these teachers will exploit you with stories they have made up. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping.

NIV

These words of Peter come right after telling us about having the testimony of the prophets concerning Jesus. He is making reference to the fact that even during the time of the prophets there were false prophets among them and that there will also be false teachers among the church in Colossae. What this also tells us is there will still be false teachers among the people, even within the church, in fact, especially within the church. The key word we should pay attention to is secretly. These false teachings are not out in the open, making outlandish claims, but rather appearing as sheep, although they are actually ferocious wolves. They will come looking really good, preaching real good stuff, fine-sounding words, even pure truth from the word of God. They will gather followers with their extraverted personality and silver tongues. But we need to beware, and this is why the Spirit brings his gift of discernment with him as he makes his dwelling within us. These silver tongues wolves all dressed up in their sheep’s clothing slip in so very carefully their own destructive heresies. It is the weak and young uninformed believers who are taken in and drawn away from the pure truth and correct doctrine. Peter, gives us another clue as to how we might discern these false teachers and in their greed as well as exploit the people. It is interesting how this sounds in  Greek: in their covetousness, greed to have more, with their molded, by implication, artificial words, they make merchandise of us. That Greek word translated as make merchandise is emporeuomai, where we get that word describing a shop, or emporium. These false teachers have made a business from Christianity and we have seen so many come along using the modern media as their tool to exploit and grow their business to support their lavish thirst for the things of this world. But God is not asleep, by their own words they are bringing condemnation upon themselves. We need to be ever vigilant against their secret heresies. We know the truth, as the Spirit has and is continually leading us into all truth. We cannot allow ourselves to be drawn away, but we need to stay the course, listen to the Spirit, and follow the plan God has set for us. He has shown us the pattern of the sheep and the shepherd, and the pattern of wolves in sheep’s clothing. We know the truth and we will forever, not just be alert against those wolves, but warn our fellow sheep, they are after us, to devour us, to destroy us. They may think they are in secret, buy God has revealed them.