Fleecing the Flock

“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” (v3).

Bernie Madoff. Lehman Brothers. Michael Milken. You figure you’ll see these names when you Google “greed.” Pete lets us know that these corporate raiders and financial swindlers are minor leaguers compared to spiritual hucksters bilking believers in local churches. Two thousand years before “The Wolf of Wall Street,” the apostle took on a money hungry horde of religious con men looking to fleece the flock. But Peter reassured his readers that these crooks won’t get away with it. God will make sure of that.

Pete spends every bit of ink in chapter two warning folks about a team of false teachers who are infiltrating local churches and tearing them apart from the inside out. In his prequel, the former fisherman encouraged God’s people to hang tough during the external pressure of prejudice and persecution as followers of Jesus. Here in this second letter, he sounds the alarm about enemies within the fellowship. There’s a bunch of scam artists looking to pull an inside job.

We find out that these false teachers aren’t simply well-meaning but misguided. They are clearly up to something. Something BIG. “In their greed they will exploit you with false words” (v3). They are looking to make a big score. They are trying to pull a huge con. This is all about the Benjamins. They will say anything. They will do anything. Later in chapter two, Pete says these money-grubbers have actually spent their lives studying their craft. “They have hearts trained in greed” (2:14). They’re looking to take the money and run.

The apostle lets us know that these crooks plan to “exploit” the followers of Jesus (v3). He uses the Greek verb emporeuomai. It means to be in business, exploit for monetary gain or make profit off something. It’s where we get our word “emporium.” In the Greco-Roman world, it described the work of a traveling salesman. They will do ANYTHING to get your money. Robertson goes so far as to say they “shall make merchandise of you.” They don’t give a hot hoot about you and me. They just want what’s in our wallets. This posse of false teachers have taken their act on the road. They leave behind trail of broken hearts, fractured churches and empty bank accounts. 

So how are they pulling off their con? These cats are smooth talkers. They use “false words” (v3). Pete drops the adjective plastos. It’s something that can be molded, shaped or formed like clay. Molded like plastic. They’ve cooked up some counterfeit message in order to bilk believers. It’s fabricated. The false teachers get a feel for folks and then shape what they say to get what they want. Earlier, the apostle told us that “sensuality” is a big part of their sting (2:2). Let’s face it. Sex sells. It’s a key element of their plastic sales pitch.

This spiritual snake oil is so very different from the message Pete and the apostles are sharing. They’re telling everyone about the resurrected Christ Jesus. They saw Him with their own eyes. Their stories aren’t “cleverly devised myths” (1:16). And because they are eyewitnesses of everything He did, folks can trust what they have to say. Here’s the deal. They spent three years with a Rabbi/Carpenter who predicted His own death and resurrection…and then it HAPPENED JUST AS HE PREDICTED!! The apostle says you can’t make that stuff up. Now the crock the false teachers are spreading is something else altogether. 

At this point, you might bet more than a little nervous about the inevitable hoax. Clearly they are on the way. It’s not a matter of “if” but “when.” We need to be on the lookout for false teachers. But Pete lets us know that the Good Shepherd will protect His flock. When it’s all said and done, these hustlers won’t get away with it. “Their condemnation from long ago is not idle” (v4). God has made it blatantly clear that He will not put up with folks who jack around with His Gospel. He has zero tolerance for anyone who’s out to pilfer from His people. God may have established this principle back before time began but it’s still very much in effect today. This isn’t like some city ordinance that still on the books that never gets enforced. It’s “not idle.” The One who will execute their sentence isn’t taking a nap. “Their destruction is not asleep” (v3). God isn’t twiddling His thumbs. He’s not catching a snooze. He’s wide awake and ready for action. He will judge and condemn evil. Count on it.