“He speaks about these things in all his letters in which there are some matters that are hard to understand. The untaught and unstable twist them to their own destruction, as they also do with the rest of the Scriptures” (2 Peter 3:16 HCSB).
The New Testament letter of 1 John highlights the need to evaluate the spiritual ideas and beliefs we encounter when it tells us, “Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world” (1 John 4:1 NIV). That portion of Scripture reminds us that many spiritual teachings, experiences, or supposed displays of supernatural power may not come from God.
This applies to both groups and individuals, for there are ample opportunities for the “ill-informed and unbalanced” (Phillips) to twist good spiritual doctrine into something else. Those who distort the Scriptures in that manner do so to their own destruction, and may carry others in their wake. By remembering these admonitions, we can adapt and apply Jesus’ message from Mark 13:5:: “…Watch out that no one deceives you” (NIV).
For instance, those who present an alternative version of Jesus that is not supported by the Scriptures do not convey the truth about Him. Thus, we would do well to follow the example of the people of Berea as chronicled in Acts 17:10-11…
“Immediately when night came, the believers sent Paul and Silas to the city of Berea. When Paul and Silas arrived in the city of Berea, they entered the synagogue. The people of Berea were more open-minded than the people of Thessalonica. They were very willing to receive God’s message, and every day they carefully examined the Scriptures to see if what Paul said was true” (GW).
With these things in mind, it’s important to remember a few critical points from earlier in our study of 2 Peter…
- False teachers will always exist (2 Peter 2:1).
- False teachers don’t tell the truth about Christ (2 Peter 2:1).
- False teachers often take advantage of others and manipulate them for personal gain (2 Peter 2:3).
Finally, it is worth reiterating that the New Testament book of 1 Thessalonians provides an effective method of guarding against spiritual deception: “Test all things; hold fast what is good” (1 Thessalonians 5:21). If we test a spiritual teaching or belief against God’s Word, we can then say along with the Psalmist, “Your word is a lamp to walk by, and a light to illumine my path” (Psalm 119:105 NET).
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