By reading and studying the
verses contained within the second chapter of Second Peter, we can
know just what Peter thinks about false prophets that arise within
the church. In chapter two and verse eighteen Peter describes these
false teachers with even greater details of their activities. He
wrote:
For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they
allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much
wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in
error.
The verse begins, “For
when they speak great swelling words of vanity,...”
In continuing his discourse on
these evil teachers, Peter says they “speak great
swelling words” which means
they use “immoderate and extravagant” words that are “devoid
of truth and appropriateness, perverse, depraved, fail, and want of
vigor”. In addition Peter uses “For when” which implies
a continuance of his description of them being “wells without
water” and “clouds carried away with a tempest”. The
result of “great swelling words of vanity” will be a
great impact upon their hearers.
The verse goes on to say, “they
allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much
wantonness,...” The impact of
the “great swelling words of vanity”
is that they “allure”
which means “to bait, catch by a bait, to beguile by
blandishments, entice, and deceive” those who hear them. How do
they do this? “Through the lust of the flesh”. The appeal
to the flesh draws people away from the truth and toward these false
prophets' lies. The apostle Peter not only concludes that their words
draw them away, but does so
“through much wantonness”. “Wantonness” is
the Greek word “aselgeia” which means “unbridled lust, excess,
licentiousness, lasciviousness, outrageousness, shamelessness,
insolence”. The idea behind “wantonness”
is that not only is a sin performed but it is also paraded before
others as righteous and okay. In other words these pernicious false
teachers not only promote lusts of the flesh but encourage the
parading of the sin before others in the world.
Finally
the verse says, “those that were clean escaped from them who
live in error.” Let us notice who this affects - “those
that were clean escaped...” or those who were completely freed,
rescued and liberated “from them who live in error”. The
alluring of the flesh from these false prophets is able to persuade
people who were once freed from erroneous ways to follow after
pernicious paths that have devastating ends.
When we
hear teachers and preachers speak, do we ever use “the lusts of
the flesh” as a measuring rod of their veracity? Have we truly
considered whether they promote fleshly ways or spiritual ones? What
about our own lives? When we speak do others hear us promoting the
flesh or the spirit? Perhaps as we consider the words of Peter in
this verse we will become more proficient not only in our own
testimonies but also more discerning of those who share around us
every day. May the Lord help us to recognize the truth, detect
falsehood, and keep us according to His righteous ways.
Next
time we will see what brings a person into bondage, 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”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be
Married”, and the new devotional “One Year in the Sermon on the
Mount” in all major bookstore sites, www.amazon.com ;
www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at
www.mrzlc.com/bookstore
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