Ed Urzi

The Apostle Peter concluded verse three by assuring his readers of God’s judgment upon false teachers. Now he will back that statement with several examples beginning in verse four…

“For if God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them down to hell and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment” (2 Peter 2:4).

This passage implies that certain demonic entities have been confined to imprisonment until the time of their final sentence. That leads us to the following conclusion: if God intends to punish sinful angels who surpass human beings in power and ability, then false teachers will not evade such consequences, either.

This brings us to an interesting aspect of this passage. You see, most Biblical references to “hell” are derived from the word Gehenna in the original language of the New Testament. Gehenna is the Greek form of a Hebrew word that means “the valley of Hinnom.” In Israel, the Hinnom Valley once served as the place where the ancient Israelites sacrificed their infant children to a pagan deity named Molech. ₍₁₎

In the New Testament era, the Hinnom Valley was used as a designated landfill for the city of Jerusalem. All the refuse generated by the city eventually found its way to that location. It also functioned as a place of final disposal for dead animals, the bodies of executed criminals, and the human waste generated by the residents of the city. Fires burned continuously within the valley in order to consume that tremendous amount of daily refuse. Taken together, these elements made the Hinnom Valley suitable for use as an illustration of hell. All that is unfit for heaven will eventually find its way there.

However, the word translated “hell” here in 2 Peter 2:4 is unique to this passage. That word is tartarus, a word borrowed from Greek mythology. Tartarus was depicted in ancient literature as a realm that was far below Hades, the abode of those who had passed from this life. It was there within the depths of Tartarus that the most vile and wicked beings received eternal punishment for their deeds.

Tartarus was portrayed as a dark abyss, a place of torment, incarceration, and eternal darkness. Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, this is the word-picture that Peter associated with the ultimate fate of false teachers. Though God takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked (Ezekiel 33:11), His justice (2 Thessalonians 1:5–9) requires punishment for false teaching- and 2 Peter 2:4 illustrates the severity of that penalty.

(1) See Leviticus 20:1-5, 2 Chronicles 28:1-3, and 2 Kings 23:10 for references to this practice.

“And in their greed they will exploit you with false words. Their condemnation from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep” (2 Peter 2:3 ESV).

The word “exploit” refers to the act of taking advantage of others in a selfish or unethical manner. The Biblical definition of this word relates to those who use a person or a thing for personal gain. ₍₁₎ As a result, this passage associates false teachers with those who victimize others instead of fulfilling their responsibility to minister to those who have been entrusted to their care.

This portion of Scripture thus alerts us to the manipulative nature of these individuals. That warning was echoed by others within the ancient church who wrestled with such teachers as well. For example, Ignatius, the bishop of the ancient city of Antioch, is said to have delivered a message to the church of Smyrna that remains relevant to this day…

“Now note well those who hold heretical opinions about the grace of Jesus Christ which came to us; note how contrary they are to the mind of God. They have no concern for love, none for the widow, none for the orphan, none for the oppressed, none for the prisoner or the one released, none for the hungry or thirsty… Therefore, those who deny the good gift of God perish in their contentiousness…

It is proper therefore, to avoid such people and not to speak about them either privately or publicly. Do pay attention, however to the prophets and especially to the gospel, in which the Passion has been made clear to us and the resurrection has been accomplished. Flee from divisions, as the beginning of evils.” ₍₂₎

In light of these things, our text from 2 Peter 2:3 tells us that such teachers fail to acknowledge the inherent dignity of human beings who are created in the image of God. As a result, they feel free to conduct themselves in an exploitative manner. But the following excerpt from the book of the Old Testament prophet Micah reveals God’s attitude towards those who travel that path…

“What sorrow awaits you who lie awake at night, thinking up evil plans. You rise at dawn and hurry to carry them out, simply because you have the power to do so. When you want a piece of land, you find a way to seize it. When you want someone’s house, you take it by fraud and violence. You cheat a man of his property, stealing his family’s inheritance. But this is what the Lord says: ‘I will reward your evil with evil; you won’t be able to pull your neck out of the noose. You will no longer walk around proudly, for it will be a terrible time’” (Micah 2:1-3 NLT).

Therefore, we can be assured that those who abuse their influence or authority to exploit others under the guise of religion will answer to God for their actions.

(1) G1710 – emporeuomai – Strong’s Greek Lexicon (kjv). (n.d.). Blue Letter Bible. https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g1710/kjv/tr/0-1/

(2) Holmes, M. W. (2007). The Apostolic Fathers. Baker Academic. pp. 255, 257

“By covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words; for a long time their judgment has not been idle, and their destruction does not slumber” (2 Peter 2:3).

Our text from 2 Peter 2:3 references “covetousness” as a representative characteristic of false teachers. This word encompasses a wide variety of inappropriate desires and is often associated with its presence within the Ten Commandments: “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor” (Exodus 20:17).

Many translations of this passage employ the word “greed” to convey the idea behind this term. You see, “covetousness” refers to a self-indulgent desire to obtain more of something we already possess. It may also encompass a desire to possess something (or someone) that belongs to someone else. This word is thus used to identify one who is eager to have more, especially what belongs to others. ₍₁₎

The New Testament book of Hebrews cautions us against developing an attitude of covetousness when it tells us, “Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you'” (Hebrews 13:5). Paul the Apostle issued a corresponding reminder to the church at Ephesus when he said, “For this you know, that no… covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God” (Ephesians 5:5).

Jesus also provided us with a warning regarding covetousness, one that revealed the misguided ambitions of those who are driven to accumulate financial wealth and/or material possessions: “…He said to them, ‘Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses'” (Luke 12:15).

The Biblical letter of 2 Corinthians echoes a similar message from Paul regarding those who pursue financial gain under the guise of religion…

“You see, we are not like the many hucksters who preach for personal profit. We preach the word of God with sincerity and with Christ’s authority, knowing that God is watching us” (2 Corinthians 2:17 NLT).

So, these false teachers took advantage of their followers in order to enrich themselves. ₍₂₎ The same is true among their modern-day counterparts. A genuine Biblical leader will always point others towards Christ. If a leader’s primary focus is on money or something else, then we must exercise caution to ensure we do not fall prey to various forms of exploitation.

(1) G4123 – pleonektes – Strong’s Greek Lexicon (kjv). (n.d.). Blue Letter Bible. https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g4123/kjv/tr/0-1/

(2) See Earl D. Radmacher, Ronald Barclay Allen, and H. Wayne House, Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Commentary (Nashville: T. Nelson Publishers, 1999), 1696.

“And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed” (2 Peter 2:2).

As fallible human beings, it is often difficult to see things as they are, and not as we wish them to be. For instance, spiritual leaders who are popular, eloquent, or personable may naturally garner our respect and admiration. As a result, we may be inclined to overlook doctrinal heresies in their messages because we want to believe they are well-intentioned individuals who are simply mistaken in certain areas. However, such teachings are inherently destructive, no matter how much we’d like to believe otherwise.

Consider Jesus’ cautionary message regarding the narrow gate that leads to eternal life and the warning that immediately follows…

“Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.

Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves” (Matthew 7:13-15).

The Apostle Peter tells us that many will elect to follow the destructive ways of such “ravenous wolves.” Unfortunately, a decision to follow that path impacts others as well. 2 Peter 2:2 highlights one such effect when it tells us that false teachers and their followers will “… bring discredit on the way of truth” (Phillips).

While the world has changed since Peter first wrote this epistle, one thing remains the same: people judge Christ by those who claim to represent Him. False teachers give genuine Christianity a bad name, for they not only spread destructive heresies among naïve or uniformed Christians, but may lead those outside the Christian community to dishonor (GW), slander (CEB), or blaspheme (ESV) the way of truth.

You see, those outside the church may look upon the conduct of such teachers and find an excuse to malign the God they claim to represent. Paul the Apostle addressed a similar issue in his epistle to the Romans when he said, “You are so proud of knowing God’s laws, but you dishonor him by breaking them. No wonder the Scriptures say that the world speaks evil of God because of you” (Romans 2:23-24 TLB).

Non-Christians are often highly skilled in identifying religious leaders who are not what they appear to be. With this in mind, we would do well to take an outsider’s perspective in evaluating spiritual teachers (as well as ourselves) for areas where others might legitimately find fault.

“But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, and will bring swift destruction on themselves” (2 Peter 2:1).

2 Peter 2:1 identifies another characteristic of false teachers: they deny the sovereign Lord who bought them. In a general sense, this tells us that such teachers do not teach the truth about Christ. This leads us to a simple and effective method to help identify false teachers. One of the fastest ways to uncover what someone truly believes about Christianity is to simply ask, “Who is Jesus?”

For instance, there are self-proclaimed Christian organizations that believe Jesus was “a” God. While that belief may seem unobjectionable at first glance, it does not correspond with what we read in the Scriptures. You see, Jesus isn’t simply a god, He is the God (John 1:1, Romans 9:5, Titus 2:13). This reiterates an important point from an earlier study: a key characteristic of many heretical teachings is the denial of Jesus’ divinity.

The heretical teachers of 2 Peter 2:1 professed to be Christians in word but denied the Lord who bought them in deed. While this portion of Scripture does not specify the doctrines these teachers denied, it clearly involved one or more aspects of Jesus’ life and ministry. In other words, their doctrine and conduct revealed their profession of faith in Christ to be fraudulent. Perhaps we might say that He bought them, but they never bought Him.

This portion of Scripture also refers to the fact that these teachers will “bring swift destruction on themselves.” The word rendered “swift” in this passage is tachinos in the original language of this verse. Other forms of this word are translated “soon” in Revelation 1:1 and “speedily” in Luke 18:8. This word also forms the basis for our modern-day word “tachometer.”

A tachometer is a gauge that monitors the revolutions per minute (or “RPM”) in an internal combustion engine. This suggests that the destruction of these heretical teachers may not take place immediately. But once that judgment begins, it will gather momentum rapidly, just like a tachometer measures the escalating speed of an engine. Thus, in the words of one source, “Man brings upon himself the vengeance which God brings upon him.” ₍₁₎

Finally, we should remember that Peter once denied Jesus three times at an earlier point in his life. Therefore, he speaks with the voice of experience in counseling his readers to beware of such individuals.

(1) Jamieson, F. a. B. (2000, February 19). Commentary on 2 Peter 2. Blue Letter Bible. https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/jfb/2Pe/2Pe_002.cfm

“But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction” (2 Peter 2:1 ESV).

This passage and its reference to those who “secretly bring in destructive heresies” helps unveil a strategy employed by heretical teachers. But unlike their first-century counterparts, modern-day false teachers can easily reach countless numbers of individuals through the use of 21st century technology.

Social media, broadcast media, and streaming media represent some of the more prominent transmission paths for such teachings. Other, traditional forms of communication include books, magazines, and face-to-face interaction. Then, as now, these methods permit false teachers to “subtly introduce dangerous heresies” (Phillips). The difference is that such teachers now have the ability to exploit modern technology to market and deliver such messages with greater effectiveness.

Thus, it is important to read the Scriptures regularly in order to fulfill the principle given to us in 2 Timothy 2:15: “Study to show yourself approved by God, a workman who need not be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (MEV). If we neglect to engage regularly with God’s Word, the risk of being ensnared by such teachers becomes even greater.

That brings us to a lengthy excerpt from the following source that merits close attention. While the author’s definition of “false teaching” occasionally strays into the realm of subjective opinion in secondary areas where others may hold different (but valid) doctrinal beliefs, the following observations are on point…

“One of the most common contributors to the spread of false teaching in the church is a general lack of Bible knowledge and discernment among the people. It might seem counterintuitive to say that students should be able to correct teachers when they bring falsehood into the church, but that is exactly what the Bible teaches us. When Paul was in Berea, his teaching was not merely accepted on his own authority, but his listeners examined it daily by the Scriptures to see whether it was true (Acts 17:11). For this, they were praised by Luke as being ‘more noble.’

All believers must read the Scriptures for themselves and compare what is being taught to the Scriptures. This does not require a radical skepticism, but it does mean that believers are not to unhesitatingly trust every word of mere men. They are to trust only the Scriptures in such a way. A problem arises when believers do not have the willingness or the ability to search the Scriptures for themselves. This leads to a dependence on human authority and allows false teaching to take root and spread. The educational goal of the church should be not just to transmit knowledge of the Bible but also to transmit a love for the Bible and an eagerness to study it.” ₍₁₎

(1) The Origin and Presence of False Teaching | Tabletalk. (2022, March 5). Tabletalk. https://tabletalkmagazine.com/article/2018/04/origin-presence-false-teaching/

“But false prophets arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. These false teachers will infiltrate your midst with destructive heresies, even to the point of denying the Master who bought them. As a result, they will bring swift destruction on themselves. (2 Peter 2:1 NET).

Our text from 2 Peter 2:1 speaks of false teachers “…who will subtly introduce dangerous heresies” (Phillips). A “heresy” is a belief or teaching that does not correspond with Biblical doctrine. For example, God may not be depicted as an eternal, all-powerful Being. Instead, He may be portrayed as an entity who has achieved a higher state of consciousness. Other aberrant teachings characterize God as a life-force or a spirit that encompasses everything and everyone.

In addition, heretical teachings often give greater (or equal authority) to a revelation or a book other than the Bible. This is reflective of groups such as the Jehovah’s Witnesses, Christian Scientists, or the various branches of Mormonism. Each of these groups self-identify as “Christian” but base many of their teachings on other religious texts.

Finally, heresies often represent Jesus as someone other than who He is. For instance, He may be seen as a created being or someone who has attained the so-called “Christ consciousness.” Or perhaps He is simply viewed as another messianic figure among many. A key characteristic of many heretical teachings is a denial of Jesus’ divinity.

Much like a stealth fighter jet, those who promote such teachings deploy them secretly. It’s not that these aberrant teachings remain hidden; on the contrary, those who hold such beliefs often do so openly. The issue is that their destructive nature is frequently disguised by a religious façade. Such heresies misrepresent the truth about God and circumvent our ability to establish a relationship with Him in Christ.

The Scriptures consistently warn us regarding such things. In addition to what we read here in the book of 2 Peter, a portion of the Biblical book of Romans offers another example…

“Brothers and sisters, I urge you to watch out for those people who create divisions and who make others fall away from the Christian faith by teaching doctrine that is not the same as you have learned. Stay away from them. People like these are not serving Christ our Lord. They are serving their own desires. By their smooth talk and flattering words they deceive unsuspecting people” (Romans 16:17-18 GW).

As another commentary observes…

“Even a broken clock is correct twice a day, or so the saying goes. False teaching is particularly dangerous because rarely will false teachers speak no truth at all. That truth is spoken on occasion, however, does not make one approved by God, for even the vilest of sinners have the capability to know and teach true things because they bear the image of the One who is Truth. Remember to take into account the motivations of your teachers as well as the words they speak.”₍₁₎

(1) “Gain From Wrongdoing.” Tabletalk, August 4, 2005. https://www.ligonier.org/learn/devotionals/gain-wrongdoing.

“But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction” (2 Peter 2:1).

God’s Word offers a great deal of insight into many of the spiritual dangers we may encounter. Our text from 2 Peter 2:1 serves as a case in point, for It highlights the deceptive nature of those who present themselves as spiritual leaders, but are not what they seem.

You see, a dynamic or charismatic speaker may sound convincing, but convincing speakers aren’t always sincere or Biblically accurate. Because of this, it’s important to measure such teachings against the Scriptures.

2 Peter chapter two offers a wealth of information that can help us in that effort. The first bit of information is straightforward: “there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you.” Just as false prophets emerged in the Old Testament era, false teachers also arose in the New Testament era and persist to this day.

Much like the New Testament letter of 2 Peter,  the Old Testament book of the prophet Jeremiah highlights the characteristics and methods employed by spiritual hucksters. According to Jeremiah 23:16-40, those qualities included…

• Messages that devalued their listeners (Jeremiah 23:16).
• “Prophetic messages” that were conceived in the prophet’s own mind (Jeremiah 23:16).
• Messages that falsely proclaimed peace and safety to those in spiritual danger (Jeremiah 23:17).
• “Prophecies” from those who had not been called by God (Jeremiah 23:21).
• Lying in God’s name (Jeremiah 23:25).
• Deceitfulness (Jeremiah 23:26).
• False teachings that were accepted and propagated by others (Jeremiah 23:27).
• Speaking falsely in God’s name (Jeremiah 23:31).
• Recklessness (Jeremiah 23:32).
• Pronouncements offered no spiritual value and led others into error (Jeremiah 23:32).
• Perversions of God’s Word (Jeremiah 23:36 [see also Deuteronomy 13:1-5, Deuteronomy 18:20-22, and Micah 3:5-11]).

Another indictment is found in the book of the prophet Isaiah…

“But they also have erred through wine, And through intoxicating drink are out of the way; The priest and the prophet have erred through intoxicating drink, They are swallowed up by wine, They are out of the way through intoxicating drink; They err in vision, they stumble in judgment. For all tables are full of vomit and filth; No place is clean” (Isaiah 28:7-8).

Therefore, we should not be content to simply accept those who sound “religious” and quote verses from the Bible. In the words of one commentator, “History, the apostle says, is going to repeat itself. Just as the Mosaic dispensation had its false prophets, you will have your false teachers – those who inculcate false doctrines.” ₍₁₎

(1) Bruce Oberst, Letters From Peter. College Press, Joplin, Missouri, Copyright 1962 pg. 159

Earlier in chapter one of this epistle, the Apostle Peter shared one of his objectives in writing this letter: “I know that I shall soon put off this mortal body, as our Lord Jesus Christ plainly told me. I will do my best, then, to provide a way for you to remember these matters at all times after my death” (2 Peter 1:12-15 GNT). One of “these matters” involves the subject of 2 Peter chapter two: false teachers.

Having assured his readers that his testimony regarding Christ was no myth or fable (2 Peter 1:16), Peter next moved to affirm the reliability of God’s Word (2 Peter 1:20-21). Now, he will turn his attention to the characteristics and methods associated with false teachers, thus equipping his readers (both ancient and modern) with the tools to identify them.

As we move through this chapter and its portrait of false teachers, we will find several broad applications. For instance, this portion of Scripture tells us that false teachers…

• Will always exist.
• Secretly introduce destructive heresies.
• Deny the one true God in some way.
• Will draw many followers.
• Misrepresent the God of the Scriptures, thus providing an opportunity for others to blaspheme and reject Him.
• Seek to exploit others.
• Act deceptively.
• Are sensual, rather than spiritual.
• Exhibit greed.
• Despise authority.
• Act presumptuously.
• Are self-willed.
• Speak evil of things they don’t understand.
• Are driven by their lower natures.
• Prioritize the pursuit of pleasure in a brazen manner.
• Subvert the gatherings of God’s people.
• Prey upon unstable individuals.
• Are sexually immoral.
• Are eloquent and well-spoken.
• Promise much, but deliver little.

Therefore, it is vital to recognize that these individuals are not simply misguided members of God’s church. Unlike the Biblical example of Apollos, an accurate and eloquent preacher whose knowledge of God’s work was simply incomplete, the teachers mentioned here in 2 Peter chapter two are heretics. In light of this, it is important to make a critical distinction…

“While there is some doctrinal diversity among all Christian churches and denominations, true Christianity will always be unified on the essential doctrines of the Christian faith – particularly on the message of salvation by grace through faith and the fundamental nature, attributes, and identity of God. A cult of Christianity, however, will usually look Christian to the casual observer. They will self-identify as Christian and may be composed of good people doing good works and using Christian vocabulary. Nevertheless, a theological cult of Christianity will depart from one or more of the essential doctrines of the faith.” ₍₁₎

(1) Walker, James K. “Patterns in the Cults.” Watchman Fellowship Profile. Accessed June 21, 2024. https://www.watchman.org/ProfilePatterns.pdf.

“knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:20-21).

If God wished to convey a message to His creation through the written word, how could He authenticate that message to prove His authorship? One way He could do so involves an act that transcends the limits of human capability: foretelling future events with 100% accuracy before they occur. By examining the fulfillment of predictive prophecy, we can establish the Bible’s credibility as the Word of God.

The Apostle Peter thus affirmed the fact that these prophetic statements were not of human origin. These Biblical declarations were not the product of human thinking or imagination, nor did they emerge from the prophet’s own volition. Instead, these Scriptural prophecies found their origin in a message from God to each Biblical author, and He assumes responsibility for every word that appears in their original writings. This serves to explain the cautionary message given to us in Proverbs 30:6: “Do not add to His words, Lest He rebuke you, and you be found a liar.”

Next, we have a reference to “holy men of God.” This does not mean that the Biblical prophets were superior to other men and women of God. In fact, the New Testament book of James reveals that the great prophet Elijah was a man with a nature like ours (James 5:17). As such, he was susceptible to the same vulnerabilities and weaknesses as anyone else. In this context, the word “holy” conveys the idea of someone who is set apart for a specific office (like the role of a Biblical prophet).

The Biblical book of 2 Timothy offers further insight into this concept when it tells us, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17 NIV). The idea is that God “breathed-out” the Scriptures using the Biblical writers as His agents. God is responsible for that content, and each Biblical author wrote what he received from Him.

Finally, one source concludes our look at 2 Peter chapter one with a recap of what we’ve discussed so far, as well as a look at the path that lies ahead…

“In these verses then Peter has made it possible… for his readers to recognize a false prophet when they see one. Now in chapter two he will become more blunt.” ₍₁₎

(1) Edward E. Hindson and Woodrow Michael Kroll, eds., KJV Bible Commentary (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1994), 2622.