Identifying False Prophets
2 Peter 2:1-3
1 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 depraved conduct and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. 3 In their greed these teachers will exploit you with fabricated stories. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping.
First, Peter calls out the false prophets in Old Testament times, following up on his thought process from chapter 1. Then he reminds then that they had similar false teachers too.
Their process is often the same:
- Secretly introduce heresy
- Deny that Jesus is who He says He is
- A bunch of people follow them
- They bring truth into question
- They exploit people with made up stories
Some Christian leaders you really agree with
ARE False Prophets.
Some Christian leaders you really DISagree with
ARE NOT False Prophets.
God Knows How to Separate the Good from the Bad
In verses 4-9 Peter tells us that God knows how to separate the good from the Bad, and proves it with this list:
- He spared the good angels and cast the ones who sinned to Hell.
- He separated the sinful people from Noah’s family during the flood.
- He burned Sodom and Gomorrah and rescued Lot.
2 Peter 2:9
9 if this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials and to hold the unrighteous for punishment on the day of judgment.
God is fully capable of striking down the false prophets, and lifting up the Godly people to not be destroyed by them.
Characteristics of False Prophets
2 Peter 2:9
9 if this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials and to hold the unrighteous for punishment on the day of judgment.
2 Peter 2:10-20
10 This is especially true of those who follow the corrupt desire of the flesh and despise authority. Bold and arrogant, they are not afraid to heap abuse on celestial beings; 11 yet even angels, although they are stronger and more powerful, do not heap abuse on such beings when bringing judgment on them from the Lord. 12 But these people blaspheme in matters they do not understand. They are like unreasoning animals, creatures of instinct, born only to be caught and destroyed, and like animals they too will perish.
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. 14 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 Bezer, who loved the wages of wickedness. 16 But he was rebuked for his wrongdoing by a donkey—an animal without speech—who spoke with a human voice and restrained the prophet’s madness.
17 These people 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 the flesh, 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 “people are slaves to whatever has mastered them.” 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 are overcome, they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning.
- It DOES NOT end well for these people
- We’re given a clear picture of the character traits that come with being a false teacher, or a false prophet:
It would be easy for us to assume that
if you are a False Prophet, you will have these traits.
It is far more likley,
that if YOU have these traits
… you are at risk of BECOMING a False Prophet.
- follow the corrupt desire of the flesh
- despise authority
- bold and arrogant
- not afraid to provoke spiritual beings
- blaspheme (speak with irreverence) in matters you don’t understand
- unreasoning
- carouse in the open (party and drink excessively)
- celebrate your own pleasure
- seek out adultery
- seduce (persuade) unstable people
- greedy
- leave the straight way and stop fighting for righteousness
- love the outcome of being wicked
- speak empty boastful words
- appeal to sexual or lustful things
- promise freedom while being enslaved by sin yourself
If any of that is you… fix those character issues now, because:
2 Peter 2:21-22
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,” and, “A sow that is washed returns to her wallowing in the mud.”
