Danger, Destruction, Description

of False Teachers

Teachers of error are numerous.Why do they exist if their teaching

cannot save a soul?

Introduction

• 2 Timothy 4:3-4 “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires; and will turn away their ears from the truth, and will turn aside to myths”.

Introduction

• People want the error, because they do not love the truth.

• 2 Thessalonians 2:11-12 “And for this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they might believe what is false, in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness.”

• Verse 10 says “…they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved”.

Danger, Of False Teachers• 2 Peter 2:1 “But false prophets also arose among

the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who brought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves.

• They deny Jesus is Lord and God.• They are antichrists.• They certainly do not listen to Him.

Danger Of False Teachers• They think that it is a bit arrogant to think one

knows “the truth” on anything, • Yet, they will divide churches if people don’t accept

their ideas.• 2 Peter 2:2 “And many will follow their sensuality,

and because of them the way of the truth will be maligned”.

• How many people look at the hypocrisy of people who claim to be Christians, but do not live like they believe the word God.

Danger Of False Teachers

• 2 Peter 2:3 “and in their greed they will exploit you with false words; their judgment from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep”.

• “All these rich pastors lead many who are not”• A recent article from a liberal newspaper

made this observation about the doctrine of wealth that is so predominant.

• These preachers do not like the truth because it exposes them for what they truly are.

Destruction Of False Teachers

• 2 Peter 2:4-9• All sin is punished• God knows how to protect His faithful ones.• Sodom and Gomorrah were examples of the

destruction to those who would live ungodly.• God provides the way of escape.• 1 Corinthians 10:13

Description Of False Teachers• Despises authority – 2:10. • One thing that these people want to get away from is

having to stick to biblical patterns. • They will try to undermine the credibility of those who

speak of “commands, examples, and necessary inference” as a means of “proving what is acceptable to the Lord” (Rom.12:1-3).

• They want brethren to believe that this is all “legalism” and “church of Christ tradition” and “Pharisaic”.

• They want to get away from “establishing authority” for all we do.

Description Of False Teachers• Is “presumptuous” and “self-willed” –v.10.• They do not seek to “prove what is acceptable to

the Lord”(Romans12:1-3; Ephesians5:10; 1 Thessalonians 5:21) because that would get them back to “legalism” that they so despise.

• So, they simply “presume” that God accepts whatever they like.

• They cannot tell their adherents how to “prove what is acceptable to the Lord” so they pull out and do their own will.

Description Of False Teachers

• 2 Peter 2:12 “Speak evil of things they do not understand (or do not have knowledge of).

• They have rejected things like how to establish Bible authority.

• How to “prove what is acceptable to the Lord”.• They have rejected God’s commands whether

they like it or not.

Description Of False Teachers• 2 Peter 2:14 Will “beguile unstable souls” –• Those who do not have a good grasp of Bible

authority and how to establish it are easy prey for their ways.

• Hosea 4:6 “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge”

• While many will have some knowledge of God’s teaching on certain matters, most do not hold to the very basic matters of doctrine.

Description Of False Teachers• 2 Peter 2:15• Don’t believe there is a “right way”. • Their only “right way” is open to all kinds of error

(but only the error that allows them to do what they want to do).

• They will embrace anyone’s beliefs, but will not tolerate those who speak the truth of God’s word.

Description Of False Teachers

• 2 Peter 2:17• The False Teachers Are “wells without water”

(what use are they?)• Always raise questions but never any real

answers.• They appear to promise good things but there

is no real substance to draw out of them.

Description Of False Teachers

• 2 Peter 2:17-18• They allure through “lust of the flesh” (the

core of the appeal of the social gospel)• MDR has been and always will be a major

issue concerning souls.• Most of the false doctrines have been created

to ignore the teaching of Jesus on this subject.

Description Of False Teachers• 2 Peter 2:19 • There is always promise of more freedom.• Sounds so great to have freedom.• Many want freedom from religion and call for its

removal.• Some want freedom from God and His

commands.• The false teachers enslave undiscerning people

to erroneous thinking and erroneous ways.

Conclusion

• The writers of the New Testament warned about false teachers.

• Anyone who teaches error is a false teacher.• Some say we cannot know their hearts, but

our response is “by their fruits you will know them (Matthew 7:15-20)

• Error exist and we should not ignore those who teach it or those who follow it.