Thursday – Letters

Reading – 2 Peter 1-3

Highlight Verse:

“But there were also false prophets in Israel, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will cleverly teach destructive heresies and even deny the Master who bought them. In this way, they will bring sudden destruction on themselves.”
‭‭2 Peter‬ ‭2‬:‭1‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I don’t always get things right.

On occasion, I may misunderstand a passage I am trying to present.

That’s not what this passage is talking about.

This chapter presents a good guide to detect a false teacher.
A false teacher may:

• Twist scriptures to cleverly get you to believe that their unique (heretical) teaching is the only way. ( v. 1)
• Deny the deity of Christ. ( v. 1)
• Practice immorality and draw others to it. ( v. 2, 14, 18)
• Find clever ways to get your money. ( v. 3)
• Despise authority. ( v. 10)
• Express disdain or arrogance toward others and supernatural beings. ( v. 10)
• Scoff at what they don’t understand. ( v. 12)
• Promise freedom though they are slaves to sin. ( v. 19)

As I wrote those things down, I realized that today’s world is much like Peter’s.

False teachers abound.

Many teach the false gospel of pride and tolerance.

Some hide their immorality while teaching a false gospel of greed.

Still others feed on pride while teaching a false gospel of exclusive knowledge.

By the grace of God, most churches (at least here in the US) still preach the Gospel of salvation by grace alone by the blood of Jesus shed on the cross.

If the teacher you listen to can be found described in this chapter, find another teacher.

Have you ever been exposed to a false teacher as described in this chapter? How did you discover that they were false?
What good traits do you see in your teachers/pastors that convince you that they are worth following?