The Lord Knows 

2 Peter 2:1-22

Key Verse 9

“if this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue godly men from trials and to hold 

the unrighteous for the day of judgment, while continuing their punishment.”

Read verses 1-3. Just as there were false prophets among the people, are there false teachers among us? (1a) What do false teachers do? (1b) What happens to false teachers? (1c, 3b) What are two results of false teachers? (2) What causes these false teachers to exploit us?(3a) 

1-1) Read verses 1-3. 

But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them —bringing swift destruction on themselves. 2 Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. 3 In their greed these teachers will exploit you with stories they have made up. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping.

1-2) Just as there were false prophets among the people, are there false teachers among us? (1a) 

Location of false teachers are “among us” which means that they are living among people.

Old Testament: Deuteronomy 13:1-5 

In Jesus’ days: Matthew 15:1-9 

In the Book of the Acts: Acts 15:24 

In the Epistles: 1 Timothy 1:18-20 

In The Revelation: Revelation 13:1-8

False teachings are nothing new. Even while Jesus was in the earth, there are false teachers and prophets. (Mt. 7:15-20)

 

“Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. 16 By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit.19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.(Mt. 7:15-20)

1-3) What do false teachers do? (1b) 

They will secretly introduce destructive heresies. They even deny the sovereign Lord

1-4) What happens to false teachers? (1c, 3b) 

They will bring swift destruction on themselves.

1-5) What are two results of false teachers? (2) 

Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute.

Many christians will be misled by false teachers. 

The way of truth would be hurt by those false teachers.

There are various ways for false teachers to do damage to Christians. They damage the the image of Christianity as a whole.

1-6) What causes these false teachers to exploit us?(3a) 

The false teachers are motivated by greed. 

Read verse 4-9. What happened among the angels, the ancient world, and Sodom and Gomorrah? (4-6) What was similar between Noah and Lot and how did God  intervene their lives? (5c,7) What does the Lord know? (9)

2-1) Read verse 4-9.

 4 For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell,[HYPERLINK "http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20Peter%202:1-22&version=NIV1984#fen-NIV1984-30489a"a] putting them into gloomy dungeons[HYPERLINK "http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20Peter%202:1-22&version=NIV1984#fen-NIV1984-30489b"b] to be held for judgment; 5 if he did not spare the ancient world when he brought the flood on its ungodly people, but protected Noah, a preacher of righteousness, and seven others; 6 if he condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by burning them to ashes, and made them an exampleof what is going to happen to the ungodly; 7 and if he rescued Lot, a righteous man, who was distressed by the filthy lives of lawless men 8 (for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard)— 9 if this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue godly men from trials and to hold the unrighteous for the day of judgment,while continuing their punishment.

2-2) What happened among the angels, the ancient world, and Sodom and Gomorrah? (4-6) 

There are three examples of God's judgment: 1) The angels; 2) Noah and the great flood; 3) Sodom and Gomorrah. 

These judgments point to God's final judgment. 

Lord God will punish the ungodly on the day of judgment, drawing this conclusion from the three examples of the angels, the flood, and Sodom and Gomorrah).

Angels - 

A reference to the angels who fell with Lucifer due to his false teaching of pride and  rebellion described in Isaiah 14:12-15 and Revelation 12:9.

Some referers Genesis 6:1-4.

The ancient world - God judged those ungodly people in the Noah’s day.

 

Sodom and Gomorrah - God judged sin when he burned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to ashes, killing all the inhabitants. This judgment by fire shows the example of future judgment. 

2-3) What was similar between Noah and Lot and how did God  intervene their lives? (5c,7)

 

There are two examples of God's preservation of the righteous: Noah and Lot

God judged the flood generation while at the same time sparing Noah

God judged Sodom and Gomorrah, while at the same time sparing Lot.

It draws the conclusion that Lord God will preserve the godly in the midst of their trials. 

Just like Noah being protected, Lot was rescued out of Sodom before it was destroyed. God rescues the righteous from judgment. 

2-4) What does the Lord know? (9)

The Lord knows how to rescue godly men from trials like Noah and Lot.

The Lord knows how to hold the unrighteous for the day of judgment.

False teachers are kept by God like prisoners awaiting the sentencing that will send them to eternal prison in the lake of fire. (Rev. 20:11-15)

God is still holding those unrighteous people from Sodom and continuing thir punishment. 

For God to “continue” their punishment means that they are in unending torment, since that occurred thousands of years ago.

Read verse 10-12. Which kind of unrighteous people are described as the prime examples of God’s judgment? (10) Even though angels are stronger and more powerful than men do they make slanderous accusations in the presence of the Lord? (11) What is true of these bold and arrogant men? (12,10b)

3-1) Read verse 10-12. 

10 This is especially true of those who follow the corrupt desire of the sinful nature and despise authority. Bold and arrogant, these men are not afraid to slander celestial beings; 11 yet even angels, although they are stronger and more powerful, do not bring slanderous accusations against such beings in the presence of the Lord. 12 But these men blaspheme in matters they do not understand. They are like brute beasts, creatures of instinct, born only to be caught and destroyed, and like beasts they too will perish.

3-2) Which kind of unrighteous people are described as the prime examples of God’s judgment? (10) 

They follow the corrupt desire of the sinful nature.

They despise authority.

They are bold and arrogant.

They are not afraid to slander celestial beings. 

3-3) Even though angels are stronger and more powerful than men do they make slanderous accusations in the presence of the Lord? (11) 

No. Even angels who might have more right to do so because of their greater power, do not bring such accusations against inferior evil angels. 

3-4) What is true of these bold and arrogant men? (12,10b)

Peter mentions those false teachers who blaspheme.

They are like wild animals which is “creatures of instinct”. Those animals will be destroyed and false teachers will perish. 

Read verse 13-16. What happens to these men? (13a) What do they do? (13b,14) What is the similarity between these men and Balaam? (15-16) 

4-1) Read verse 13-16.

 13 They will be paid back with harm for the harm they have done. Their idea of pleasure is to carouse in broad daylight. They are blots and blemishes, reveling in their pleasures while they feast with you.With eyes full of adultery, they never stop sinning; they seduce the unstable; they are experts in greed —an accursed brood! 15 They have left the straight way and wandered off to follow the way of Balaam son of Beor, who loved the wages of wickedness. 16 But he was rebuked for his wrongdoing by a donkey—a beast without speech—who spoke with a man’s voice and restrained the prophet’s madness.

4-2) What happens to these men? (13a) 

They will be sent to hell because of their payment for their harmful teaching and sins. 

4-3) What do they do? (13b,14) 

They openly sinned in broad daylight. 

They are spiritual blots and blemishes before God. 

They are lustful and adulterous.

They never stop sinning. 

They spiritually seduce the Christians who are unstable. 

They are experts in deceiving and motivated by their greed.

4-4) What is the similarity between these men and Balaam? (15-16)

Balaam was bent on cursing Israel, though God had forbidden it. He wanted the money Balak offered him.

Similarly false teachers loved money and attempted to extract money from naive listeners. 

Balaam was rebuked by his own donkey. It reflects not only his foolishness but also false teachers’ foolishness. 

Read verses 17-22. What is true of these men and what is reserved for them? (17) How do these men entice people? (18) What do they promise, but what are they slaves of? (19) What is true of these men who knew Jesus, but become entangled in the world again? (20-22)

5-1) Read verses 17-22. 

17 These men are springs without water and mists driven by a storm. Blackest darkness is reserved for them. 18 For they mouth empty, boastful words and, by appealing to the lustful desires of sinful human nature, they entice people who are just escaping from those who live in error. 19 They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity—for a man is a slave to whatever has mastered him. 20 If they have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and are again entangled in it and overcome, they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning. 21 It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than to have known it and then to turn their backs on the sacred command that was passed on to them. 22 Of them the proverbs are true: “A dog returns to its vomit,”[HYPERLINK "http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20Peter%202:1-22&version=NIV1984#fen-NIV1984-30507f"f] and, “A sow that is washed goes back to her wallowing in the mud.”

5-2) What is true of these men and what is reserved for them? (17)

 

False teachers promised satisfying truth but in reality had nothing to offer.

It seems that the thirsty traveler comes to the spring expecting cool, refreshing water in vain.

 They are reserved in blackest darkness. Their destiny is hell. 

5-3) How do these men entice people? (18) 

Their teachings are empty. There is not truth at all. 

They are spiritually inaccurate and dangerous, but still they adversely influence many. 

Their fine-sounding message appeals to new converts. 

They entice people who are just escaping from the past sinful desires because new converts have not yet developed spiritual strength. 

5-4) What do they promise, but what are they slaves of? (19) 

They promised freedom while they are slaves of depravity. 

5-5) What is true of these men who knew Jesus, but become entangled in the world again? (20-22)

Such false teachers were once saved, but now are worse than those who would never been saved. 

They once knew the Lord but turned their backs on the sacred command. 

Apostle John said “this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us.” (1 John 3:23)

It is impossible to believe on Jesus if one is not obeying his command.

It is impossible to love a person if one is not trying to protect neighbor from the harmful effects of false teachings. 

They return to their former sins and spiritual death which are like eating once vomitted again. 

Conclusion:

False teachings have always been around and will always be around as long as mankind exists. It will increase as we closer to the time of Christ. We should never leave our guard down, because as soon as we do, we are on the way to either following false teaching or promoting false teaching. May God help us and strengthen us with God’s grace and justice to fight against false teachings.

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