The Conduct of False Teachers part 3

OK, well, let's turn now to the 1 and 2 Peter series. We're in lesson number 45 this morning, covering chapter 2 of 2 Peter, verses 17 through 19. We've titled this The Conduct of False Teachers, and this is part 3 in that series. Just a little review over why 2 Peter has three chapters outlined as God's certain provisions, man's apostasy, and Christ's certain return and we've taken that outline from Chester McCulley you can find it in wordoftruthkc.org under the New Testament 2 Peter lesson number 26 covers these verses I'm going to read first from the King James Version verse 17 these are wells without water clouds that are carried with the tempest to whom the mist of darkness is reserved forever 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.

While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption, for of whom a man is overcome, only the same is he brought in bondage. And to help us a little bit, Added the New American Standard updated in 1995. These are springs without water and mists driven by a storm, for whom the black darkness has been reserved. For speaking out arrogant words of vanity they entice by fleshly desires, by sensuality, those who barely escape from the ones who live in error. Promising them freedom while they themselves are slaves of corruption. for by what a man is overcome by this he is enslaved I'm going to go through each of the verses a little bit from the grammatical standpoint but this is not where I'm going to spend most of our time so it will be pretty fast but I'm leaving it for you in the handout which you can download from the webpage it's already up there by the way the first part of verse 17 begins these and it refers to the false teachers our being, it's durative existence and springs, interesting word because it's an abundant water source like fountains that is being presented without water how do you have a spring or a fountain without water? well the picture that's being presented by the Holy Spirit is that these are not producing what they should Then we get into a little bit of a controversy from the text versions.

The oldest ones have mists, the newer ones have clouds. I put clouds in parenthesis because of that. It's what's in the King James by the way.

And the preposition under means that whatever this is, they're under it, these false teachers. And they're also obstructing versus secular, being driven. This is a phrase that means they are easily persuaded by human feelings versus being anchored to divine reality. Literally I've given it this rendering using the original word order. These are being springs without water, mists or clouds under, a strong wind being driven.

The second part of verse 17 begins with FOR WHOM and it is a native relative pronoun which stands for these false teachers. Then we get into THE BLOOM. Denker relates this to a darkness. It is a very strong form of blackness. and then of the dark is the next Greek word and notice the article it is specifically the absence of light one of the things that is interesting to me is the next two words here unto time is singular it is a single period of time it's not in the oldest text or second Peter But it is in Jude 13. And Jude seems to have copied or at least used the same words. But he adds in unto time. And I think that's why in the King James Version they included it. The next word is has been appointed or kept.

This is also singular. And that's the clue that tells us it refers back to the dark. which is singular. It refers to that the dark is being held here. Literally, for whom the gloom of the dark, and I put in parenthesis unto time, singular, has been appointed or held. It is my understanding from this text and the work of the Holy Spirit using these words, that false teachers are appointed or held in darkness, in gloom, in this obscurity of what is real. The next verse 18 amplifies that a little bit. Notice the first word here is exaggerations or over-swollen, bombastic words.

The preposition for the self-evident conclusion, and that is of unreality. It's strictly nonsense. Emptiness. Some of the things that are given a translation for these words is really interesting. Notice all of them there. Strongs, vanity, emptiness, unreality, purposelessness, ineffectiveness, instability, frailty, false religion. I take this to be an objective genitive. Unreality is the source here of all of these words.

And now we have the last word, and that is the present tense. They're doing this pretty much continuously. It's in the middle voice, and that's deponent in Greek. That means that it only shows up in the middle voice. It reveals a self-centered the plural notation means that there are many self-centered puffed up words about what is not reality from a distortion of what God tells us is reality literally exaggerations for, of, unreality, boasting and we would likely say it this way for boasting exaggerations of unreality now the next part of verse 18 it begins with they are luring it's a lure with the use of bait by a strong desires of flesh I take this to be a generally use of the preposition in it is by means of strong desires and the source of these strong desires is of flesh I believe it's our human nature that is imbued.

And the second part of that fate is uncontrolled senses. Which means bad or unprincipled views of our physical senses. And just a little reminder, here are those physical senses. We have sight, we have hearing, we have touch, we have smell, and we have taste. Literally, they are luring by strong desires of flesh, by uncontrolled senses.

And the last part of verse 18 begins with those, and I'm using an iteration here of this being from believers. Who are they luring? They are luring believers, those who according to the context here escaped. These are factually believers. This actually happened. And we get that in the next verb that applies to this, those. We're going to get there in just a minute.

We've got a little bit of a problem with the next word that is used because in the original the older texts have reality. recently is in some of the newer ones and therefore I put it in parentheses in every sense of the word reality would be translated for unquestionably real these are believers who unquestionably according to reality have escaped it's a fact and that's why I've taken this as far as the preposition of this phrase those to be believers.

Now the second part here is another preposition this time however it is unbelievers and possibly some believers by delusion are being enslaved. So the false teachers I believe can be both unbelievers and possibly some believers who took the bait and began to be self-deceived as well and therefore are being enslaved the last word here, notice that's passive it is something that out of the error that the false teachers are teaching they become enslaved by that error and it's present, it's directed it's a form of self-rule It causes one to continually not believe divine reality, absolute truth. Literally, those who recently, in parenthesis, because of the newness of that particular word, the oldness texts really have escaped from those who by delusion are being enslaved. now we begin verse 19, it begins with the word promising in the New American Standard in the Greek it is the word liberty, being free of any external control and them refers back to the ones being taught this is what is being offered, liberty It's OK to live as self-willed, i.e. not as God-willed human. It's OK to be free from external control according to the false teachers.

That's the way. And they are promising this. Notice in, I've given a note there that In 1 Timothy 6 20-21 it has the same word form here being used, O Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to you, avoiding worldly and empty chatter, and the opposing arguments of what is falsely called knowledge, which some have professed, and by doing so have gone astray from the faith. By literal translation it is liberty them offering. We would probably say it this way, offering them liberty. They themselves is the next phrase. They slaves.

Being under rules. Notice that this is a durative present participle. It is determined by circumstance. It is determined by what they willfully choose to put themselves under in error. It's a position. Being under rules that they are self-imposing. From the depravity is the next word. And notice the article. It is specific. This is the particular depravity. Being self-ruled. Because of the context in the next phrases, I take this as a denotative of source.

The self-focused depravity is a source of these rules that the false teachers willfully sever. Literally, they are slaves being under rules of the depravity. And next phrase is, by whatever, for someone is defeated. notice that in that word order it's a little confusing and only is because the for there is second in word order we would say it for by whatever someone is defeated and that is defeated is a perfect form it's reality and it's perfect which means it's past action with durative results notice that it's in the middle and passive form it is a self-defeat condition it is a being done to them position to be in the military sense of the word when you are conquered militarily you are subjected, you are defeated, you are conquered By this also he is enslaved. Third person singular, each one of the teachers and each one of the followers of the teachers can become deceived and enslaved by that deception.

It's a standard military phrase that is being drawn upon here. Of a military conquest. Past actions durative results, passive voice, he was and is being acted upon by himself as well as by others he literally puts himself under subjection by whatever for someone is defeated by this also he is enslaved and we would say it probably just like the translation does above for whatever defeats someone also enslaves them. I've given the literal translation here, but I've added in this slide the least expanded translation, and I'd like to read it.

These are springs without water and mists driven by a tempest, for whom the blackness of the darkness has been reserved. For when they are uttering extravagant things that are in their character futile, They are alluring by means of the cravings of the flesh, our evil nature, by means of wanted acts, those who are just about escaping from those who are ordering their behavior in the sphere of error. While they are promising men liberty, they themselves are slaves of corruption.

For by whom a person has been overcome, with the result that he is in a state of subjection, to this one has he been enslaved with the result that he is in a state of slavery you know this is not easy to go over and I'd like right now for us to focus on an overview, review of this section of 2 Peter chapter 1 began with God's certain provisions that has three parts. Our resources, the trustworthiness of the apostles witness, and the divine origin of scriptures. The second chapter shows us man's apostasy, the character of false teachers, the consequences of false teachers, the conduct, we are just finishing up on today, of false Lord willing we will pick it up next week and in chapter 3 just to give the overview Christ's certain return is going to be taught the purpose of this letter and stopping in the last days in time events and living a view of the future and the conclusion of the letter Now I'd like to go into some facts about the conduct of false teachers covering verse 10 through 19 that is parts 1, 2 and 3 here that we've already covered but I'm going to do it in a little different way I'm going to give from the text a literal rendering of what the Holy Spirit is saying in verse 10 it begins with they walk under the control of The bad passions of the flesh, and the words that that comes from, especially those who indulge the flesh in its corrupt desires. Secondly, they hold in contempt any authority over themselves, including God's.

And despise authority are the words of the text. They boldly are arrogant, proud, selfish, self-focused, and soft-willed. The words in the test are very self-willed. They do not respect in awe or speech beings greater than themselves. They do not tremble when they revile angelic majesties, is what the Holy Spirit put into words.

They ignore that good angels leave condemnation of evil things to God. verse 11 begins that way with these words angels who are greater in might and power do not bring a reviling judgment against them before the Lord they act like self survival focused animals that are to be destroyed in verse 12 it begins with these like unreasoning animals born as creatures of instinct to be captured and killed they speak evil or they lie about things that they are ignorant about and the text says reviling where they have no knowledge the second phrase there in verse 12 they will be corrupted by their own corruption the last phrase there is will in the destruction of those creatures also be destroyed.

And the Greek, that literally says, by their own corruption, they will also be corrupted. They will obtain payment from disregard of what is right is the way verse 13 begins, and it has this phrase, God says, suffering wrong for the wages of doing wrong. they take pleasure in daily living luxuriously instead of working is the second phrase in verse 13 they count it a pleasure to revel in the daytime they are without moral and graceful character the next phrase in verse 13 they are stains and blemishes they enjoy and show self-deceptions by excessively feasting with believers the last phrase there in verse 13 it says reveling in their deceptions as they carouse with you they not only are self-deceived but they enjoy and show it with excessive feasting they hold eyes full of adultery and are never satisfied by sin having eyes full of adultery verse 14 begins that never cease from sin verse 14 continues they attract with bait unstable souls sounds like the verses of today doesn't it? verse 14 in the middle says enticing unstable souls they have a heart that has been and is trained from greed having a heart trained in greed, and they are having accursed children. The last phrase of verse 14 is accursed children.

They have left the way of morality, forsaking the right way, verse 15 begins, and they have been misled or deceived, they have gone astray. the third phrase there says they follow Balaam's way who loved being paid more than giving truth and they follow the way of Balaam the son of Beor who loved the wages of unrighteousness and they are the focus of God's rebuke by these words through Peter in verse 16 but he refused the rebuke for his own transgression For a mute donkey speaking with the voice of a man, they are an example of what is not God's way for us to follow. And when the donkey spoke, he restrained the madness of the prophet.

They are fountains without water, the beginning of verse 17. No words from God's Spirit. The text says, they are springs without water. The second phrase, they are mists driven by strong winds. They have unstable beliefs. And mists driven by a storm, the Holy Spirit chose to say. their gloom of the absence of light has been and is being maintained, for whom the black darkness has been reserved." Verse 17, the main verb there is, they are existing presently, plural, for whom is also plural. The gloom of no light is singular. that has been and is now being in the perfect passive singular form maintained or preserved. Now here are some facts about these false teachers that they are now in this gloom for the following reasons verses 18 and 19.

They are saying great swirling lies as bait for our fallen natures. For speaking out arrogant words of vanity they entice by fleshly desires by sensuality. The second phrase, they are deceiving some who have been following the right path. Those who barely escape from the ones who live in error. We are declaring it is liberty to be a self-willed, independent human. Verse 19 begins, promising them freedom.

They have been and are now enslaved by this self-focused error, and the Holy Spirit used these words, while they themselves are slaves of corruption. They are a bad example of the principle, what overcomes also enslaves. For by what a man is overcome, by this he is enslaved. That's a principle. That is true. Next week, the condemnation of false teachers in verse 20 and 22.

That's the content that we plan to present next time. well we've looked at a lot of bad examples of that principle what overcomes also enslaves I'd like to give you some good examples John 4.14 says but whoever drinks of the water that I will give them shall never thirst but the water that I will give them will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life the word well there is the exact same word used in the 2 Peter 2.17 verse that we looked at today. Our Lord Jesus says, He gives water as a good example of what overcomes and enslaves us. I sure want to be enslaved by that water.

He who believes in me, as the scripture said, from his innermost being will flow rivers of living water But this he spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified. That's from John 7, verses 38-39. And it speaks of the innermost being as a description of our heart, the essence of who we are.

We, and whoever drinks or trusts the water that Christ Jesus has given, are now fountains of God's living water of life. Here's another example, John 16, 12-15 says, I have many more things to say to you, but you can't bear them now, but when He, the Spirit of Truth comes, He will guide you into all truth, for He will not speak of His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak, and He will what is to come he will glorify me he will take of mine and will disclose it to you all things that the Father has are mine therefore he said that he takes of mine and will disclose it to you notice God the Son has given us God the Holy Spirit to share his living water the things of the Father and of Christ to and through us. So it is a God who is using us as his own fountains of these things of God, the living water of life.

And there's another good example, Ephesians 6, 5, 3, 9. Slaves, be obedient to those who are your masters, according to the flesh, with feeling troubling in sincerity of your heart as to Christ. not by way of high service as men believers but as slaves of Christ doing the will of God from the heart with good will render service as to the Lord and not to men knowing that whatever good thing each one does this he will receive back from the Lord whether slave or free do the same things to them, and give up threatenings, knowing that both their master and yours is in heaven, and there is no martiality with him. As employers ease for employers, we as God's called out ones, are the fountains God uses to give his things, the water of life, into this world. so what are the good things this water of life I particularly believe they are salvation sanctification sharing his glory and I put it this way because there's another aspect we haven't looked at it he creates us he lives in us his glory is seen through us but also his glory will forever be praised. How does God give salvation today?

John 3.16 says God loves the world. He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes shall not perish but have eternal life.

Notice 1 Corinthians 1.18 and 21. The word of the cross is foolishness to them who are perishing but to us who are being it's the power of God. Verse 21, for since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not come to know God, God was well pleased through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. 1 Corinthians 15 3-4 says, For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received that Christ Jesus died for our sins according to the scriptures that he was buried and that he was raised on the third day according to the scriptures Christ's work of dying on the cross paid the death penalty for our sin his death was verified by his body being buried in the tomb His death has been accepted as payment in full for our sin, because he has been raised from that one death to everlasting life. So how does God give sanctification today?

His words are in Galatians 2.20, I have been crucified with Christ.

It's no longer I who live. but Christ who lives in me and the life that I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me notice 1st Corinthians 12 12-13 says for even as the body is one and yet as many members and all the members of the body though there are many are one body so also is Christ for by one spirit we were all baptized or identified into one body whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free we were all made to drink of one spirit Romans 6, 3-8 says for do you not know that all of us have been baptized with Christ Jesus have been baptized into his death we have been identified with his death therefore we have been buried with him through baptism identification into death so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father so we too might walk in newness of life for we have then become united with him in the likeness of his death certainly we shall also in the likeness of his resurrection knowing this that the old self was crucified with him in order that our body of sin might be done away with, rendered inoperative, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin. Still there, but we are no longer enslaved to it. He who has died is freed from sin. Now we have died. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also It's assumed that we have time with Him. It's also assumed that we live with Him.

2 Corinthians 2.14.2.17 But thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ and manifests through us or shows through us the sweet savor or aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place for we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and also among those who are perishing to the one an aroma from death to death to the other an aroma of life to life who's to have it for these things we're not like many peddling the word of God But as from sincerity, as from God, we speak in Christ in the sight of God. Notice that, like many, peddling the word of God. A picture that Paul teaches. Colossians 2, 10-13 says, For in Him we have been made complete.

He is the head over all rule and authority. You were also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands and the removal of the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ. What is that circumcision? It's crucifixion. Having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised up with him through faith in the working of God who raised him from the dead. when you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh he made you alive together with him having forgiven us all our transgressions so how is he sharing his glory today?

God says in Romans 8 28-29 for we know that God is causing all things to work together for good to those who love God to those who are in hope according to his purpose for whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his son conformed to the image of his son that he might be the first born among many brethren he sees us right now both condition and positions in his son 1 Corinthians 3.17-18 says, Now the Lord is the Spirit.

Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with unveiled face, are beholding, as in a mirror, the glory of the Lord. We are being transformed into the same image, glory to glory, justice from the Lord, the Spirit. He is changing us conditionally. to reveal what He sees us to already be. Partakers of His own nature, through faith in the things of God that are being given to us by the work of His Spirit, through the written words of God.

And finally, Galatians 5, 22-23. The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such things there is no law. Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. Notice this phrase in verse 26, let us not become boastful, challenging one another, enticing one another. The fruit of God's Spirit in and through us is a package consisting of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control, and all of these things are of God. They're God's productions of his own glory.

I'll tell you, that's something else isn't it? I hope that there's a good coverage of this section on the contracts of the conduct of false teachers of the conduct of the Holy Spirit through believers being in such a great contrast. The fountain of our position in our condition should be our prayer.

Any questions or something about this you'd like to go over? That's good Roy. It's a lot of stuff. All the good things to think about, aren't there? Encouraging stuff. Yeah. They're kind of wrapped up. Encouraging. Well, that's why I gave it. I feel that contrast was needed because Peter was argued by with a warning about teachers. And sometimes we leave our position, don't we? Don't be confused by false teachers, and there's an awful lot of them today. Well, it's interesting, Roy, that in those things you went through, the verses about the false teachers, we see so much of it in our world today, not necessarily outside the religious realm, we see it just in the public realm, how that drives our world. boastful talking and the like.

It's just amazing. It is. It's one of the things I think that's repulsive even to unbelievers to have a person go off on his own importance, his own self-ego. Each one of us would be condemned I think doing that even in this world Well, I guess let's close with a word of prayer then. Roger, would you mind leading us in a word? Sure, sure.

Dear Heavenly Father, we thank you for our time today, Lord. We thank you for the blessings we have in our Savior. Thank you for your word that shows us the nature of man, the nature of false teachers. We pray that we would be good students of your word and thank you for the encouraging words also. We see that you Tell exactly what man is like and you offer him salvation through your son. We ask it in his name. Amen.