False Teachers
Verse of the Day:
False Teachers and Their Destruction
2 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 depraved conduct and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. 3 In their greed these teachers will exploit you with fabricated stories. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping.
Reflection: The author of 2 Peter assures the church that just as there were false prophets in the Old Testament, there would be false prophets in the early church. These teachers had certain characteristics, which were the opposite of a true teacher. First, they taught secretly. The true teachers of the Gospel taught openly and in public because they had nothing to hide. The word "occult" means hidden.
Secondly, their teaching denied the sovereign Lord. Meaning the teachers teaching pointed to themselves rather than to Jesus. Their teaching led people back to them which gave them power rather than pointing to the cross and the sovereign Lord, who bought them. Jesus' lordship came from what he did on the cross purchasing our salvation through dying for our sins.
Finally, we see that these false teachers lives don't match up to their teaching. Their behaviors don't belie their beliefs. Their deeds don't align with their doctrine. To keep up with this false image they needed to create fabricated stories about themselves to keep their followers misled. And finally, we see that their condemnation has long ago been pronounced. Sin always has consequences in the short run and long run, but the sin of teaching people falsehood has severe consequences because God holds those who purport to teach about Him to a higher standard.
While we can learn about false teachers, by application we see the nature of true teachers who teach the true Word of God, which always leads to the acclamation "Jesus is Lord". Their teaching always leads to faith in Jesus, and while they may relate personal stories about their experience with Jesus, these stories are designed to point people to a Savior not a person. Finally, we see though while any human teacher of God's Word is not perfect, their lives show a dependency upon God and reflect a servant leadership that Jesus demonstrated and told his disciples was to be their method of leading.
Pray for those who teach you that they may continue to represent Jesus in this way. And in a sense we all are teachers as we lead those in our home, or are led to disciple others God brings into our lives. The Church is in need of good teachers today just as it was in Peter's day. As you seek God's word, read it, and do what it says you will experience the truth that sets you free indeed and be able to teach and lead others. Amen.
Psalm 119:137-144
37 Turn my eyes away from worthless things;
preserve my life according to your word.
38 Fulfill your promise to your servant,
so that you may be feared.
39 Take away the disgrace I dread,
for your laws are good.
40 How I long for your precepts!
In your righteousness preserve my life.
ו Waw
41 May your unfailing love come to me, Lord,
your salvation, according to your promise;
42 then I can answer anyone who taunts me,
for I trust in your word.
43 Never take your word of truth from my mouth,
for I have put my hope in your laws.
44 I will always obey your law,
for ever and ever.
Ezekiel 40:17-49
The Outer Court
17 Then he brought me into the outer court. There I saw some rooms and a pavement that had been constructed all around the court; there were thirty rooms along the pavement. 18 It abutted the sides of the gateways and was as wide as they were long; this was the lower pavement. 19 Then he measured the distance from the inside of the lower gateway to the outside of the inner court; it was a hundred cubits[a] on the east side as well as on the north.
The North Gate
20 Then he measured the length and width of the north gate, leading into the outer court. 21 Its alcoves—three on each side—its projecting walls and its portico had the same measurements as those of the first gateway. It was fifty cubits long and twenty-five cubits wide. 22 Its openings, its portico and its palm tree decorations had the same measurements as those of the gate facing east. Seven steps led up to it, with its portico opposite them. 23 There was a gate to the inner court facing the north gate, just as there was on the east. He measured from one gate to the opposite one; it was a hundred cubits.
The South Gate
24 Then he led me to the south side and I saw the south gate. He measured its jambs and its portico, and they had the same measurements as the others. 25 The gateway and its portico had narrow openings all around, like the openings of the others. It was fifty cubits long and twenty-five cubits wide. 26 Seven steps led up to it, with its portico opposite them; it had palm tree decorations on the faces of the projecting walls on each side. 27 The inner court also had a gate facing south, and he measured from this gate to the outer gate on the south side; it was a hundred cubits.
The Gates to the Inner Court
28 Then he brought me into the inner court through the south gate, and he measured the south gate; it had the same measurements as the others. 29 Its alcoves, its projecting walls and its portico had the same measurements as the others. The gateway and its portico had openings all around. It was fifty cubits long and twenty-five cubits wide. 30 (The porticoes of the gateways around the inner court were twenty-five cubits wide and five cubits deep.) 31 Its portico faced the outer court; palm trees decorated its jambs, and eight steps led up to it.
32 Then he brought me to the inner court on the east side, and he measured the gateway; it had the same measurements as the others. 33 Its alcoves, its projecting walls and its portico had the same measurements as the others. The gateway and its portico had openings all around. It was fifty cubits long and twenty-five cubits wide. 34 Its portico faced the outer court; palm trees decorated the jambs on either side, and eight steps led up to it.
35 Then he brought me to the north gate and measured it. It had the same measurements as the others, 36 as did its alcoves, its projecting walls and its portico, and it had openings all around. It was fifty cubits long and twenty-five cubits wide. 37 Its portico[b] faced the outer court; palm trees decorated the jambs on either side, and eight steps led up to it.
The Rooms for Preparing Sacrifices
38 A room with a doorway was by the portico in each of the inner gateways, where the burnt offerings were washed. 39 In the portico of the gateway were two tables on each side, on which the burnt offerings, sin offerings[c] and guilt offerings were slaughtered. 40 By the outside wall of the portico of the gateway, near the steps at the entrance of the north gateway were two tables, and on the other side of the steps were two tables. 41 So there were four tables on one side of the gateway and four on the other—eight tables in all—on which the sacrifices were slaughtered. 42 There were also four tables of dressed stone for the burnt offerings, each a cubit and a half long, a cubit and a half wide and a cubit high.[d] On them were placed the utensils for slaughtering the burnt offerings and the other sacrifices. 43 And double-pronged hooks, each a handbreadth[e] long, were attached to the wall all around. The tables were for the flesh of the offerings.
The Rooms for the Priests
44 Outside the inner gate, within the inner court, were two rooms, one[f] at the side of the north gate and facing south, and another at the side of the south[g] gate and facing north. 45 He said to me, “The room facing south is for the priests who guard the temple, 46 and the room facing north is for the priests who guard the altar. These are the sons of Zadok, who are the only Levites who may draw near to the Lord to minister before him.”
47 Then he measured the court: It was square—a hundred cubits long and a hundred cubits wide. And the altar was in front of the temple.
The New Temple
48 He brought me to the portico of the temple and measured the jambs of the portico; they were five cubits wide on either side. The width of the entrance was fourteen cubits[h] and its projecting walls were[i] three cubits[j] wide on either side. 49 The portico was twenty cubits[k] wide, and twelve[l] cubits[m] from front to back. It was reached by a flight of stairs,[n] and there were pillars on each side of the jambs.
2 Peter 2:1-10
False Teachers and Their Destruction
2 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 depraved conduct and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. 3 In their greed these teachers will exploit you with fabricated stories. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping.
4 For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell, putting them in chains of darkness[b] to be held for judgment; 5 if he did not spare the ancient world when he brought the flood on its ungodly people, but protected Noah, a preacher of righteousness, and seven others; 6 if he condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by burning them to ashes, and made them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly; 7 and if he rescued Lot, a righteous man, who was distressed by the depraved conduct of the lawless 8 (for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard)— 9 if this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials and to hold the unrighteous for punishment on the day of judgment. 10 This is especially true of those who follow the corrupt desire of the flesh and despise authority.
Bold and arrogant, they are not afraid to heap abuse on celestial beings;
We have all become like one who is unclean and all our righteous deeds are like a filthy cloth. Isaiah 64:6
The son said, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son." But the father said to his slaves, "Quickly, bring out a robe -- the best one -- and put it on him." Luke 15:21-22
Great Redeemer, your love never fails us. Teach us to be thankful for your gifts. May your unfailing love turn us from sin and keep us on the way that leads to you. Amen.
False Teachers and Their Destruction
2 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 depraved conduct and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. 3 In their greed these teachers will exploit you with fabricated stories. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping.
Reflection: The author of 2 Peter assures the church that just as there were false prophets in the Old Testament, there would be false prophets in the early church. These teachers had certain characteristics, which were the opposite of a true teacher. First, they taught secretly. The true teachers of the Gospel taught openly and in public because they had nothing to hide. The word "occult" means hidden.
Secondly, their teaching denied the sovereign Lord. Meaning the teachers teaching pointed to themselves rather than to Jesus. Their teaching led people back to them which gave them power rather than pointing to the cross and the sovereign Lord, who bought them. Jesus' lordship came from what he did on the cross purchasing our salvation through dying for our sins.
Finally, we see that these false teachers lives don't match up to their teaching. Their behaviors don't belie their beliefs. Their deeds don't align with their doctrine. To keep up with this false image they needed to create fabricated stories about themselves to keep their followers misled. And finally, we see that their condemnation has long ago been pronounced. Sin always has consequences in the short run and long run, but the sin of teaching people falsehood has severe consequences because God holds those who purport to teach about Him to a higher standard.
While we can learn about false teachers, by application we see the nature of true teachers who teach the true Word of God, which always leads to the acclamation "Jesus is Lord". Their teaching always leads to faith in Jesus, and while they may relate personal stories about their experience with Jesus, these stories are designed to point people to a Savior not a person. Finally, we see though while any human teacher of God's Word is not perfect, their lives show a dependency upon God and reflect a servant leadership that Jesus demonstrated and told his disciples was to be their method of leading.
Pray for those who teach you that they may continue to represent Jesus in this way. And in a sense we all are teachers as we lead those in our home, or are led to disciple others God brings into our lives. The Church is in need of good teachers today just as it was in Peter's day. As you seek God's word, read it, and do what it says you will experience the truth that sets you free indeed and be able to teach and lead others. Amen.
Psalm 119:137-144
37 Turn my eyes away from worthless things;
preserve my life according to your word.
38 Fulfill your promise to your servant,
so that you may be feared.
39 Take away the disgrace I dread,
for your laws are good.
40 How I long for your precepts!
In your righteousness preserve my life.
ו Waw
41 May your unfailing love come to me, Lord,
your salvation, according to your promise;
42 then I can answer anyone who taunts me,
for I trust in your word.
43 Never take your word of truth from my mouth,
for I have put my hope in your laws.
44 I will always obey your law,
for ever and ever.
Ezekiel 40:17-49
The Outer Court
17 Then he brought me into the outer court. There I saw some rooms and a pavement that had been constructed all around the court; there were thirty rooms along the pavement. 18 It abutted the sides of the gateways and was as wide as they were long; this was the lower pavement. 19 Then he measured the distance from the inside of the lower gateway to the outside of the inner court; it was a hundred cubits[a] on the east side as well as on the north.
The North Gate
20 Then he measured the length and width of the north gate, leading into the outer court. 21 Its alcoves—three on each side—its projecting walls and its portico had the same measurements as those of the first gateway. It was fifty cubits long and twenty-five cubits wide. 22 Its openings, its portico and its palm tree decorations had the same measurements as those of the gate facing east. Seven steps led up to it, with its portico opposite them. 23 There was a gate to the inner court facing the north gate, just as there was on the east. He measured from one gate to the opposite one; it was a hundred cubits.
The South Gate
24 Then he led me to the south side and I saw the south gate. He measured its jambs and its portico, and they had the same measurements as the others. 25 The gateway and its portico had narrow openings all around, like the openings of the others. It was fifty cubits long and twenty-five cubits wide. 26 Seven steps led up to it, with its portico opposite them; it had palm tree decorations on the faces of the projecting walls on each side. 27 The inner court also had a gate facing south, and he measured from this gate to the outer gate on the south side; it was a hundred cubits.
The Gates to the Inner Court
28 Then he brought me into the inner court through the south gate, and he measured the south gate; it had the same measurements as the others. 29 Its alcoves, its projecting walls and its portico had the same measurements as the others. The gateway and its portico had openings all around. It was fifty cubits long and twenty-five cubits wide. 30 (The porticoes of the gateways around the inner court were twenty-five cubits wide and five cubits deep.) 31 Its portico faced the outer court; palm trees decorated its jambs, and eight steps led up to it.
32 Then he brought me to the inner court on the east side, and he measured the gateway; it had the same measurements as the others. 33 Its alcoves, its projecting walls and its portico had the same measurements as the others. The gateway and its portico had openings all around. It was fifty cubits long and twenty-five cubits wide. 34 Its portico faced the outer court; palm trees decorated the jambs on either side, and eight steps led up to it.
35 Then he brought me to the north gate and measured it. It had the same measurements as the others, 36 as did its alcoves, its projecting walls and its portico, and it had openings all around. It was fifty cubits long and twenty-five cubits wide. 37 Its portico[b] faced the outer court; palm trees decorated the jambs on either side, and eight steps led up to it.
The Rooms for Preparing Sacrifices
38 A room with a doorway was by the portico in each of the inner gateways, where the burnt offerings were washed. 39 In the portico of the gateway were two tables on each side, on which the burnt offerings, sin offerings[c] and guilt offerings were slaughtered. 40 By the outside wall of the portico of the gateway, near the steps at the entrance of the north gateway were two tables, and on the other side of the steps were two tables. 41 So there were four tables on one side of the gateway and four on the other—eight tables in all—on which the sacrifices were slaughtered. 42 There were also four tables of dressed stone for the burnt offerings, each a cubit and a half long, a cubit and a half wide and a cubit high.[d] On them were placed the utensils for slaughtering the burnt offerings and the other sacrifices. 43 And double-pronged hooks, each a handbreadth[e] long, were attached to the wall all around. The tables were for the flesh of the offerings.
The Rooms for the Priests
44 Outside the inner gate, within the inner court, were two rooms, one[f] at the side of the north gate and facing south, and another at the side of the south[g] gate and facing north. 45 He said to me, “The room facing south is for the priests who guard the temple, 46 and the room facing north is for the priests who guard the altar. These are the sons of Zadok, who are the only Levites who may draw near to the Lord to minister before him.”
47 Then he measured the court: It was square—a hundred cubits long and a hundred cubits wide. And the altar was in front of the temple.
The New Temple
48 He brought me to the portico of the temple and measured the jambs of the portico; they were five cubits wide on either side. The width of the entrance was fourteen cubits[h] and its projecting walls were[i] three cubits[j] wide on either side. 49 The portico was twenty cubits[k] wide, and twelve[l] cubits[m] from front to back. It was reached by a flight of stairs,[n] and there were pillars on each side of the jambs.
2 Peter 2:1-10
False Teachers and Their Destruction
2 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 depraved conduct and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. 3 In their greed these teachers will exploit you with fabricated stories. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping.
4 For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell, putting them in chains of darkness[b] to be held for judgment; 5 if he did not spare the ancient world when he brought the flood on its ungodly people, but protected Noah, a preacher of righteousness, and seven others; 6 if he condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by burning them to ashes, and made them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly; 7 and if he rescued Lot, a righteous man, who was distressed by the depraved conduct of the lawless 8 (for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard)— 9 if this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials and to hold the unrighteous for punishment on the day of judgment. 10 This is especially true of those who follow the corrupt desire of the flesh and despise authority.
Bold and arrogant, they are not afraid to heap abuse on celestial beings;
We have all become like one who is unclean and all our righteous deeds are like a filthy cloth. Isaiah 64:6
The son said, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son." But the father said to his slaves, "Quickly, bring out a robe -- the best one -- and put it on him." Luke 15:21-22
Great Redeemer, your love never fails us. Teach us to be thankful for your gifts. May your unfailing love turn us from sin and keep us on the way that leads to you. Amen.
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