Lesson 25
Second Peter
Warning against dangers
facing the Church
Peter next draws a contrast
between the characteristics of the false teachers and elect angels.
- in
might (ivscu,j) speaks
of inner strength, often refers to one’s inner character that gives them
influence and value.
- and
power (du,namij) inherent
operating power with the emphasis on the ability to use it
do not bring a
reviling judgment against them before the Lord.
- point
here is that these elect angels with their greater strength and power do not
take the law into their own hands; they are totally oriented to God and serving
Him.
Observations:
1. As we have noted in the previous portion of
the text, these false teachers in the Church age by word and lifestyle speak out against bonafide authority
but especially the essence and character of God and the person and work of
Christ which they have rejected.
2. These elect angels who intently observe
mankind take note of their maligning or blaspheming yet they themselves don’t
accuse these false teachers before the Lord.
3. This implies several things about these elect
angels:
a.
they are totally subservient to the plan of God.
b.
totally oriented to God’s timing.
c.
they are patient.
d.
not arrogant about their nature even though they are greater, superior.
4. They’re confident in the manner which God’s
justice will deal with the false teachers therefore are relaxed knowing He can
and will handle them.
5. Application: The advancing believer must
acquire the same confidence in God to handle these false teachers abandoning
any desire to retaliate personally.
Peter draws an analogy
between the false teachers and animals.
“But these, like” the these refers to the false
teachers; like is (w`j) which
establishes the analogy between the F/T and animals.
- unreasoning - unreasoning a;logoj lit. no words; therefore no
thinking, without reasoning ability or rationality, irrational
- animals, zw/|on neuter > zaw refers here to non-human
living creatures
Animals
are not created in the image of God; they are created with instinct,
preprogrammed convolutions in brain and they are never able to rise above their
nature.
We hear a great deal
today about man descending from an animal, evolutionary viewpoint but both the
Old and New Testaments make it very clear that man is capable of choosing to
live lower than the animals.
born
as creatures of instinct perfect
passive neuter participle of genna,w having
been born; since is neuter it clearly is speaking of the animals
- these false teachers Peter says are analogous
to animals in that they were negative at God consciousness and became as animals only cognizant of the
physical and material world, totally oblivious to the realm of the spiritual.
2:12a
But these (F/T’s) like unreasoning animals having been born as
creatures of natural instinct,
- to be captured and killed, eivj the preposition indicates
that this is the result of their being creatures of natural instinct, that is
operating under their sin nature will result in their being ready to be captured and killed
reviling
where they have no knowledge,
- the
main verb here is avgnoe,w meaning to be ignorant, no
thinking
- As unbelievers these false teachers are
ignorant of BD, any DVPT, their thinking is totally corrupted by their ruling
sin nature so that they cannot know truth.
will
in the destruction of those creatures also be destroyed,
- literally
in their own corruption also will be corrupted/destroyed
2:12 But
these (F/T’s) like unreasoning animals having been born as creatures of
natural instinct, to be captured and destroyed, blaspheming in the
sphere of those things (glories) which they keep on being ignorant will
in their own corruption also be corrupted (judged).
Observations:
1. Negative volition to God and the Word can
render even the most brilliant person by human standards animal like. They can
only operate from the source and rulership of their sin nature and its
corrupting desires.
2. They often demonstrate their negative volition
by being anti-God, DVPT, even blaspheming “the glories” which manifests itself in being anti-authority, anti-LDE i.e. capital
punishment, effective law and order, anti-military, free enterprise.
3. These false teachers judge the supernatural
and spiritual info from a standpoint of ignorance and their conclusion is that
it is foolishness. 1 Cor
4. Peter’s very harsh language here in this analogy of false teachers being
as animals, slaves to their instincts to be captured and destroyed, indicates
just how serious he considered the destructive heresies of the false teachers.
5. What these false teachers sow they will also
reap. They sow corruption through their
teaching in time and will reap in the future being corrupted that is destined
for judgment.
6. Think about it, the unbelieving false teachers
of the last generation of the Church age who today appear to be prospering and
expanding rapidly will reap corruption during the tribulation.
7. For those false teachers who are
reversionistic believers they will undergo discipline in time for the
corruption they have sown and will not receive rewards at the JSC.
8. These false teachers have also failed to
follow a common sense principle, to keep their mouth shut when ignorant of any
subject.
9. We as advancing believers are not to be
ignorant of the Satan’s schemes, his counterfeits designed to appeal to our
area of weakness in order to take us away from MPR. 2 Cor
- suffering
wrong (avdike,w) present passive participle
describes the consequences to the false teacher’s judgment; means to be treated
unjustly, wrong, evil
- From God’s viewpoint its not, but from the
human viewpoint of the false teachers they are being wronged, treated unjustly.
as
the wages of doing wrong (misqo,j) actually
singular; wage, or payment followed by the genitive of description of (avdiki,a) unrighteousness
Point is that these false teachers will receive
just payment for their unrighteousness.
Next Peter details the attitude or thinking of the false
teachers.
They count it a pleasure to revel in the daytime.
These F/T’s consider it a pleasure to live a life a
affluence, luxury in the day time, indicating that they are not working for a
living but living off those they are leading astray with their teaching.
See here their (F/T’s) impact on society of the day!
They are stains and blemishes, reveling
in their deceptions, as they carouse with you,
they
are stains and blemishes while living luxuriously in their deceptions
- Both of these, the stains and blemishes are
readily observed in these F/T’s as they are reveling present active participle, (evntrufa,w)
circumstantial of manner describing the F/T’s conduct.
as
they carouse with you, (suneuwce,omai) the idea is to feast
together, being entertained with you;
refers to social contact between false teachers and those who are being
deceived by them.
2:13 Receiving evil as the wage of
unrighteousness considering luxurious living in the daytime a pleasure, they
are stains and blemishes while living luxuriously in their deceptions being
entertained with you.