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. And
many shall follow their pernicious
ways; by reason of whom the way
of truth shall be evil spoken of.
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.
2Peter 2:1-3
False prophets have plagued the people of God in all times of history and are with us today in some of our Churches. The transfiguration, the donkey who spoke words so that he could be heard and understood as so outside of our normal that many dismiss them saying there were either additions or just some illustration. Not only were and are false prophets, there is also false teachers among us so we must be wary of what someone is teaching. The literal Greek is that these false prophets and teachers will bring in stealthy sects, destructive sects. That what is taught by thise false prophets and false teachers is pernicious. What does pernicious mean? Causing insidious harm, that is to entrap you, to beguile you, to deceive you by deceptive words and those false person often proceed inconspicuously that causes grave affect.The Greek word translated "merchandise" means to make gain of you and in a previous blog I pointed some who doing exactly that.
I, and hope and pray you, listen to these arguments and take stock of them to the best of your power, feeble as it may be, and I hope and pray that you fully believe that God has always told the truth even before you sought the truth. When a message is delivered to us in words, truthful though the messenger may be, there arises two types of disagreement: 1. We may disagree either as to the truth of the message itself. 2. Or as to the messenger's meaning. It is one thing (as an example) to inquire which is the true history of the creation, another to ask what Moses, who was a servant to the family of the faithful, what he meant by those who read or heard his words to understand them.
The type of disagreement is with those who think things which are in reality are false, these we ought to stand against. As with the second disagreement, stand against those who think that what Moses wrote was not true. My prayer for you is that you will feed and dwell in harmony with those who also feed upon the truth of God and together in charity seek the meaning as we were meant to understand them because men wrote as they were born along by the Holy Spirit. Those inspired words were for us and for all to read, to study, to learn, and to apply in our lives, and by this to accept Jesus Christ as Savior.
Understand this: You were bought! Furthermore as one who believes and has converted to Jesus Christ, His teachings, and are becoming in the image of Jesus Christ ought not to slumber, to be apathetic for these false teachers are leading men, women, and children away from the truth so that they merchandise, or gather gain by such pernicious methods. Destruction is waiting for these false teachers and God has promised to removed them for eternity. Until Jesus Christ returns and makes final judgment upon these false teachers we must be awake and prepare to defend our faith.
...and said:
O LORD, God of Israel, there is not God
like You in heaven above or on earth
below--You who keep Your covenant of love
with your sevants who continue wholeheartedly
in Your ways.
1Kings 8:23
Do not be misled: Listen, examine, study
Richard L. Crumb
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