What has Jehovah revealed to us on false teachers? Has this problem gotten worse over time? If Peter can be deceived, could the ‘church’ today be deceived? Remember, this happened right in Jerusalem. It happened while eyewitnesses were still alive. It happened in the very early stages of the development of the ‘church’. Since Satan uses every opportunity to deceive, doesn’t waste any time introducing deceit, we can be certain that it has only gotten worse over the last 2000 years. What has Jehovah revealed to us? What has Peter written for us after this divine encounter with Paul?
2 Peter 2:1 But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves.
Since both Peter and Barnabas both fell for the lies of tradition, Peter knows from personal experience just how easy it is to be deceived by traditions, especially traditions that go back hundreds or even thousands of years. What has he told us?
First, they come from within the assembly.
Second, they begin by slyly introducing small lies and inserting them into truthful messages. This is the cancer of deceit. Secretly suggests that it is not noticeable at first. It even sounds truthful. It gradually descends into outright apostasy. But, by then no one even sees it as lies.
2:2 Many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of the truth will be maligned; 2:3 and in their greed they will exploit you with false words; their judgment from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.
They feed on emotions and feelings. They create messages that tug at your ‘heart’ rather than your head. They are in it for the money and praise of men, not for the glory and honor of Jehovah.
Paul adds to this warning.
2 Timothy 4:3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, 4:4 and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths.
Doctrine, especially sound doctrine, has fallen out of favor and use in today’s ‘church’. Worship has become defined by music only. Heightened emotions from music/entertainment only deadens everyone to the need or desire for ‘sound doctrine’.
So one verse, out of context, is injected into stories that lull the audience into a comfortable religion, rather than an obedient relationship. They tell them what they want to hear, but deny them what they need to hear.
More on false teachers next Saturday.