2 Peter 2
1 But there were false prophets also among the
people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall
bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring
upon themselves swift destruction.
2 And many shall follow their pernicious ways;
by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.
3 And through covetousness shall they with
feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time
lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.
4 For if God spared not the angels that
sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness,
to be reserved unto judgment;
5 And spared not the old world, but saved Noah
the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the
world of the ungodly;
6 And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha
into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those
that after should live ungodly;
7 And delivered just Lot, vexed with the
filthy conversation of the wicked:
8 (For that righteous man dwelling among them,
in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful
deeds;)
9 The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly
out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be
punished:
10 But chiefly them that walk after the flesh
in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government. Presumptuous are they,
selfwilled, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities.
11 Whereas angels, which are greater in power
and might, bring not railing accusation against them before the Lord.
12 But these, as natural brute beasts, made to
be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not; and
shall utterly perish in their own corruption;
13 And shall receive the reward of
unrighteousness, as they that count it pleasure to riot in the day time. Spots
they are and blemishes, sporting themselves with their own deceivings while
they feast with you;
14 Having eyes full of adultery, and that
cannot cease from sin; beguiling unstable souls: an heart they have exercised
with covetous practices; cursed children:
15 Which have forsaken the right way, and are
gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages
of unrighteousness;
16 But was rebuked for his iniquity: the dumb
ass speaking with man's voice forbad the madness of the prophet.
17 These are wells without water, clouds that
are carried with a tempest; to whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever.
18 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.
19 While they promise them liberty, they
themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of
the same is he brought in bondage.
20 For if after they have escaped the
pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus
Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse
with them than the beginning.
21 For it had been better for them not to have
known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from
the holy commandment delivered unto them.
22 But it is happened unto them according to
the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that
was washed to her wallowing in the mire.
From genesis to revelation men inspired by the Spirit of God
have warned us of false prophets and their teachings. Peter also tells us that
from the time Israel was a people false prophets have rose up and that it would
be the same in the church.
Peter has told us at the end of the first chapter that the
prophecy that is inspired of the Spirit of YHWH is not for private interpretation
but to all men.
When Moses said I have
set before you life and death, blessings and cursing: therefor choose life that
thou and thy seed may live. Does this apply only to the Jew or to everyman who
hears His testimony? Yeshua makes it clear it is to all men when He says the
greatest command is to give over all you are in love to YHWH. Moses witnessing
by the same Spirit says to love YHWH in order to walk in His ways and to keep
His commandments and statutes and judgments.
In contrast the false prophet says YHWH has a secret that
only a select few can have part in, that there message is special for those who
hear them shall receive Gods blessings. They convince others that true
believers agree with their message and cause separations among the children of
YHWH. They draw men to themselves as a source of revelation and life with
promises of gods favor and by such denies the Lordship of YHWH in themselves
and those who hear them.
More damnable than the separation of the brethren into
factions and groups is the separation from grace they cause. They teach that
one must build themselves up into the things of God, but like the workers at
the tower of Babel who believed they would build into heaven, they shall be
confounded and scattered. Trust in man, either the self or another produce the
works of the flesh, and causes the grace of the Fathers life in and through us
to be frustrated. If we trust in ourselves to make our life we at the same time
reject YHWH as our maker and life.
Despite this Peter warns that many will follow their
destructive and killing ways. By covetousness they make merchandise of those
whom they have charmed. Their desire is to take possession of what YHWH has
given to you and then by words that pretend to honor God and care about their
followers they take for themselves.
Paul has told us that such men despite their talk of heaven
and grace and life have their own belly for their gods. They desire money,
recognition, the honor of men, along with other things that are of men. They
declare themselves blessed of God but by earthly standards. They are followed
by those who have given their hearts desire to believe gain is godliness.
Search the scripture and find a lying prophet is accepted by
those who preferred a lie to the truth. There is a vast difference between
wanting to be blessed and desiring to be made one with YHWH.
Our self must be crucified in Messiah, baptized into His
death, the resurrection of life must be by the Spirit making us to live, by self
being gone and the abiding of the Father and His Son by the Spirit making us
one, a new creation. If we are an improved self we are not dead in Him, we
still are trying to make life come about by the flesh, and YHWH shares His
glory with no flesh.
YHWH does not bless some because they are doing better for
Him than others; He is no respecter of persons. We receive from YHWH because we
stop trying to obtain and trust His word that He has given. These blessings are
available to everyman who will trust Him. The blessings of YHWH are not our possession
they are His, we are not our possession we are His, but YHWH has given Himself
to us so He is our possession.
In the parable of the prodigal son the older brother stands
outside the house offended at what His Father has given to his brother who neither
had labored for his father nor been obedient. When his father comes to him
asking why he is angry he tells him of his labor and how his father did not
give to him. He finds himself rebuked that all the father had was his already simply
to be possessed without earning it by labour.
Those who return to a life generated by man will and effort
are like a dog who has purged himself of illness but by his unclean nature he
returns to lap it up once more.
