Danger in the Church

2 Peter 2

As my daughter is two, she has the tendency to want to run up to anyone. Sometimes she is shy but most of the time she is not. She with her childlike nature thinks everyone is friendly and a friend. My wife and I are trying to teach about strangers and the right and wrong way to approach them. In today’s world, you never know of those who may be dangerous. Have you ever heard a kid say, “I am not aloud to talk to strangers?” In this chapter of 2 Peter, Peter the apostle who wrote this, wants the church to be aware of the strangers (false teachers) of the church and the dangers with them.

We need to remind ourselves that these people who were in the church were teaching a false Gospel. These people were teaching the church something against Jesus and the work of Jesus (vs 1). These false teachers who should know the truth that Jesus is the only way to the Father and that Jesus died so we can forgiven of sin, but instead were teaching something comepletely opposite of it.  They speak in such a way to appeal to the listener but deny what Jesus has done.

Danger:

The dangers of this is that they infiltrate the church (verses 1-3). They are wolves in sheep clothing (Matthew 7:15) .  They are sneaky and cause many people to go astray. They are ninjas. They give a false gospel. They speak to the ears of people and not the truth. They are waterless springs (vs 17). The danger is that this is real. Family we must be aware of those that speak a false gospel. We must be aware of those who deny the Master. Paul warns us in the last days that people will be lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness but denying its power (2 Timothy 3:4-5). We are there and these false teachers are around.

We need to wise as serpents and harmless as doves (Matthew 10:16). We need to be aware of what is being taught. We need to confront false teachers that teach against Jesus. We need to be ready to speak the truth. Peter wrote this because he knew his days on earth were coming to an end. He would soon be killed under the emperor Nero. He wanted the church to be ready to stand against the schemes of the devil who will use these false teachers to sneak into the church and deceive people. We today need to be ready! We need to read the Bible and ready to give an answer (1 Peter 3:15).