“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” (v1).
Inception. Mission Impossible. The Departed. The Manchurian Candidate. Each of these movies tell the story of devious infiltrations by double agents. Moles secretly sneak in only to ultimately cause harm, damage and death. This idea is nothing new. Peter lets us know that it’s been going on a long time. A VERY long time. He exposes their big lie. And he lets us know what will eventually happen to the bad guys. The apostle warns us to keep an eye out for infiltrators.
First, Pete gives us a little history lesson. He wants us to know that this isn’t some new problem. It’s been going on as long as anyone can remember. “False prophets also arose among the people” (v1). Just how long has this infiltration been going on? Flip back the opening pages of Genesis. That satanic snake snuck into the garden to whisper lies into Eve’s ears (Gen 3:4). It started in Eden and has been going on ever since.
Pete uses the word pseudoprophetes. Pseudo-prophets. The Greek prefix describes a liar and a deceiver. One who acts the part of a divine spokesperson and utters lies. This isn’t just a dude who simply pretends to be a prophet. He’s not just a wannabe. He’s a liar. He’s a cheater. He’s a bamboozler.
Jesus had plenty to say about liar-prophets. “Beware of false prophets (Gr. pseudoprophetes), who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves” (Mt 7:15). Don’t get eaten alive by con artists! Our Savior told His posse that one way to know that the world is headed for destruction is the number of these spiritual hucksters will grow exponentially (Mt 24:11, 24). Later, Pete’s old fishing buddy John sounded the alarm about lying prophets. “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets (Gr. pseudoprophetes) have gone into the world” (1Jn 4:1).
Just because our Savior died on a cross and rose from the grave, that doesn’t mean that the big swindle is no more. Our enemy has moved from infiltrating the Jewish people to local churches. “There will be false teachers among you” (v1). Pseudodidaskalos. Pseudo-teachers. First it was lying prophets. Now it’s lying teachers. These aren’t folks pretending to be teachers. They haven’t falsified their teaching certificates. Oh now, they’re teachers alright. They are teachers of LIES!! The apostle warns us to expect their arrival. They’re coming. As a matter of fact, they may well be here already.
How will we recognize these moles? What will give them away? Glad you asked. They “will secretly bring in destructive heresies” (v1). These liar teachers will smuggle in a message that causes corrosive factions and deadly divisions within the church. It’s similar to what a Trojan Horse virus does to a computer. A malicious program infiltrates your hard drive only to destroy it from the inside. That’s exactly what these liar teachers are up to. Divide and conquer. Split God’s people into factions. If they can get us fighting against each other, their work is done. When we spend all our energy in combat against other Christ followers, the Gospel fails to move forward. It discredits our message. That’s the very reason Jesus told us to love each other. Our sacrificial love for each other will let the world know that we’re His followers (Jn 13:34-35). Pete’s pal Paul dealt with fractured factions in Corinth (1Cor 1:10-13). Is someone around you teaching stuff that’s driving folks apart? They’re probably one of these liar teachers the apostle is warning us about.
These false teachers will go so far as “even denying the Master who bought them” (v1). Pete pulls the curtain back on the depth of their treason. In the end, these liars are rejecting Jesus as the ultimate authority of the universe. The rotten core of their destructive message is that Christ isn’t in charge. He’s not Lord. He’s not God. They may spit out other lies about Jesus, but these false teachers refuse to let Christ tell them what to do. And they try to convince you and me to follow along. They give Jesus the Heisman. The shove our sovereign Savior away with a spiritual stiff arm. They believe that what God has for us isn’t as good as what we want for us. These liar teachers refuse to admit the truth of who Jesus really is. Don’t forget that the radical Rabbi/Carpenter announced that He is the very personification of the Truth (Jn 14:6). Who are you going to believe? These liar teachers or Jesus. It’s your choice. Let me know how that works out for you.MacArthur: The Greek word for “destructive” basically means damnation. this word is used six times in this letter and always speaks of final damnation (v1-3; 3:7, 16).
The apostle says that these infiltrators reject Jesus but will be destroyed so fast it will make your head spin. They are “bringing upon themselves swift destruction” (v1). It’s important to notice who’s doing what to whom here. This isn’t a big ol’ mean God bringing the pain on innocent people. These liar teachers are destroying themselves. They may do some short-term damage among God’s people, but in the end they’re signing their own death sentence. And when it happens, it’s gonna be quick. Blink of an eye. Boom. Game over.
Let’s be on the look out for liar teachers. They’re out there. And they’re trying to get in here. These agents of our enemy are looking to infiltrate. They’re trying to double-cross. They’re hoping to divide. Let’s not fall for the big lie.
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