[Know This] Promises of Deception and Demiseਨਮੂਨਾ

Warnings of Deception

In the second half of chapter 2 (2 Peter 2:12–22), Peter lays out a series of warnings against those who follow false teachers: warnings of deception, demise, and defeat. Today, we will see the warnings of deception:

“But these, like natural brute beasts made to be caught and destroyed, speak evil of the things they do not understand” (v. 12a). After comparing false teachers to angels in verse 11, Peter likens false teachers to brute beasts, unreasoning, dumb animals who make evil noises about things they don’t understand.

False teachers “will utterly perish in their own corruption” (v. 12b). This warning, in Greek, says that in their corruption, they will be corrupted.

As a result, they “will receive the wages of unrighteousness” (v. 13a). False teachers get caught in their own web.

Peter continues, describing false teachers “as those who count it pleasure to carouse in the daytime” (v. 13b). The word “pleasure” in this verse is the Greek word for hedonism—pleasure-seeking.

False teachers “are spots and blemishes” (v. 13c), as opposed to Jesus Christ, who is a spotless and perfect sacrifice, without blemishes or defects (1 Peter 1:19).

Peter warns us that false teachers are “carousing in their own deceptions while they feast with you” (v. 13d). Peter is talking about love feasts in honor of Jesus Christ, like the one in the upper room, where He feasted with the disciples and told them, “Love one another as I have loved you” (John 13:34). False teachers came into these love feasts to get drunk, seduce women, and take the Lord’s supper. An abhorrence!

They have “eyes full of adultery and that cannot cease from sin, enticing unstable souls” (v. 14a). With their sin, they entice those not firmly grounded in the faith.

“They have a heart trained in covetous practices, and are accursed children” (v. 14b). We get the word “gymnasium” from that Greek word translated as “trained.” False teachers train to entice unstable people with the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life (1 John 2:16).

False teachers “have forsaken the right way and gone astray” (v. 15a). John the Baptist said of Jesus, “Prepare the way of the Lord; make His paths straight” (Luke 3:4). In contrast, Peter says that false teachers will make the path crooked.

Finally, false teachers follow “the way of Balaam the son of Beor,” who was rebuked by a donkey (v. 15b–16). False teachers cannot speak clearly, but even a dumb donkey can recognize God’s messenger and speak clearly.