The apostle Peter is
concerned for the church. In this second letter he has expressed his
desire for them to grow in their relationship with God the Father and
our Lord Jesus Christ. He has declared proofs of the do ctrine
he proclaims in his experience on the mountain of transfiguration and
“the more sure word of prophesy” found in the holy
scriptures. In chapter two Peter's attention is drawn toward false
prophets and those who follow them, and in verse three he discloses
the motive and behavior of these false prophets. He wrote:
And through
covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you:
whose judgment now of a long time lingers not, and their damnation
slumbers not.
The
verse begins, “And through covetousness shall they with
feigned words make merchandise of you:”As
one of the indicators of these false prophets, Peter indites them for
using “feigned” or
“molded, formed, as from clay, wax, or stone” words to “make
merchandise” which means “to
go a trading, travel for business, deal in or use for a gain”. The
words chosen by Peter are specific. He uses the Greek word “plastos”
from which we get the English word “plastic” to describe the idea
of using “feigned”
words, and he uses the word “emporeuomai”
from which we get the English word “Emporium” to describe the way
these false prophets treat their followers. In other words, these
false prophets use their crafty words to take their followers' money.
The
verse goes on to say, “ whose judgment now of a long time
lingers not,” Peter says that these pernicious false teachers
will be judged swiftly even though for some it may not seem quickly
enough. Though these false prophets may appear to prosper currently,
they will find the quick judgment of God Almighty who is certain to
take vengeance upon them.
Finally
the verse says, “and their damnation slumbers not.”
Once again Peter uses the Greek
word “apÅleia” to
describe what will happen to false prophets. Though it appears that
the judgment of them “slumbers”
which means “to be overcome with sleep”, there will be a penalty
for their actions.
We
must be aware of those who would use the gospel of Jesus Christ to
advance themselves in this world. In the days of the disciples a book
called the “Didache” was written to help Christians identify
false prophets and teachers. There were many itinerant teachers in
those days, and it was difficult to know who was of the truth and who
was false. Three actions by these false promulgators were indicators
of falsehood: 1) If they ever asked for a feast to be called in their
name, they were a false prophet. 2) If they ever stayed in someone's
home for over three days, they were a false prophet, and 3) if they
ever asked for money, they were a false prophet. We might wonder how
“prophets” and “teachers” of today would compare if these
standards were applied. As Peter continues his discourse upon these
false prophets, perhaps it will be a good time to examine our own
actions and attitudes and pray for the Lord Jesus to keep us aligned
with His truth and aware of those who present falsehood.
Next
time we will learn what God did with fallen angels, so read ahead,
and we shall join together then.
Until
tomorrow...there is more...
Look
for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From
Generation to Generation” and the new marriage book “So, You Want
to Be Married” in all major bookstore sites, www.amazon.com ;
www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at
www.mrzlc.com/bookstore
No comments:
Post a Comment