Saturday, November 28, 2009

2 Peter 2 -- False Teachers

It seems as though as long as there has been time, there has been the potential for people to teach about God in false ways and for false motives. What we read in 2 Peter 2 was not the firs occurrence of false teachers. The Old Testament is filled with false teachers. All through the New Testament we find false teachings. Since the Biblical record was established we can look through the history books and find false teachers about the things of God. Even with it being nothing new the questions remains, why?

The list of reasons is as varied as it is long. Some do it for personal gain. Others doing it in good faith that what they are teaching is pure. Still others knowingly deceive. Whatever the reason or the time, there will be false teachers. They key is not figuring out why, or how to eliminate them. The key is keep ourselves from being sucked in. Emotion, desire and weakness can cause us to follow after teaching which we know is not godly. We must find ways to recognize and test what we are being taught so that we might discern whether it is godly or not. The first and best measure is to look in the Scriptures. All things must be consistent with the Holy Scriptures, if it is not, the teaching is false. Just because we do not like what is being said is not a reason. The test of scripture is the ultimate measure.

For those who would be false teachers the future is not good. Destruction and death await. The same goes for those who forsake God and follow after the false teachings. The signs of false teaching are all around, and God will go through great lengths to show us the truth, i.e. Balaam's donkey. We must submit to the guidance of God, and test everything that we might not fall prey.

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