Defining False teachers…  

• 1^st – They CORRUPT… vs. 12-17
  • FALSE teachers…
    • You might think having likened FALSE teachers to FALLEN angels – Sodom and Gomorrah…
    • Peter had exhausted his FURY against FALSE teachers – but he was just getting started…
    • He continues – giving EIGHT examples of how they CORRUPT – THREE examples of their LIES!
  • 1^st – BRUTE beasts… vs. 12
    • [FALSE teachers are] like natural brute beasts born to be captured and destroyed!
    • NATURAL [φυσικός] – 3x in NT – someone RULED by their body [not SPIRIT]
    • BRUTE [ἄλογος] beasts – 2x in NT – defining a mindless animal – Jude 1:10
    • The picture is of COW – meant only for the slaughterhouse…
    • FALSE teachers are NATURAL – no more capable of grasping SPIRITUAL truths than a COW!
    • And like a mindless COW – their inevitable fate is DESTRUCTION!
  • 2^nd – Speak EVIL… vs. 12
    • [FALSE teachers] speak evil of the things they do not understand!
      • Speak EVIL [βλασφημέω] – their words are BLASPHEMOUS – because they do NOT…
      • UNDERSTAND [ἀγνοέω] – where we get the word AGNOSTIC…
      • They CHOSE [active] to not KNOW [present] God – so they BLASPHEME the truth!
    • [As a RESULT they] will utterly perish in their own corruption!
      • As a result – they will utterly perish in their own corruption…
      • Utterly PERISH [καταφθείρω] – 2x NT – to have a CORRUPT mind…
      • Through [passive] their CORRUPTION – blasphemous ignorance – they are CORRUPTED!
      • II Timothy 3:8 – “As Jannes and Jambres resisted Moses – so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt [καταφθείρω] minds…”
      • When Moses brought the TEN plagues on Egypt – Exodus 7-8
      • Jannes and Jambres could duplicate SOME of the miracles – staff to snake – water to blood…
      • But when Aaron struck his rod on the dust – all the dust became lice…
      • The magicians tried to copy it – and they could NOT [or any that would follow]
      • They called it the FINGER OF GOD – fingerprint – proof God was behind the plagues!
      • Their MOTIVE in duplicating Moses – was to KEEP Pharaoh from LISTENING to God…
      • And it WORKED – because of them Pharaoh HARDENED his heart!
      • If we do not LISTEN to the TRUTH – LISTEN to the WORD…
      • Instead we will LISTEN to corrupt men – and end up with a HARD heart towards Jesus!
  • 3^rd – Wages of UNRIGHTEOUSNESS… vs. 13
    • FALSE teachers look for a REWARD [wage] – in PLEASURE…
      • As those who count it pleasure to carouse in the daytime!
      • PLEASURE [ἡδονή] – 5x in NT – the pursuit of happiness from this life…
      • But because they want PLEASURE – they have no FRUIT!
      • Luke 8:14 – “The [seed] that fell among thorns are those who when they have heard – go out and are choked with cares – riches – and PLEASURES [ἡδονή] of life – and bring NO fruit…”
    • FALSE teachers look for a REWARD [wage] – in CAROUSING…
      • CAROUSING [τρυφή] – 2x NT – a word that describes luxurious living…
      • Luke 7:25 – “Those who… live in LUXURY [τρυφή] are in kings courts…”
      • Those who choose to live for PLEASURE and LUXURY…
      • WASTE all their TIME striving for things that will NEVER fulfill them!
    • [FALSE teachers] will receive the wages of unrighteousness!
      • What FALSE teacher GET – is the REWARD of UNRIGHTEOUSNESS…
      • They will be both UNSATISFIED by ANYTHING they get in this life…
      • And they will end up being JUDGED – at the end of their life – Romans 6:23
      • John 4:13 – “Whoever drinks of this water [from the world] will thirst again…”
      • How many times have we said – if I could only have THIS – I would be happy…
      • And when we get what we wanted – we are happy for a moment – then we want more…
      • No matter how many times we drink from the water of the world – thirsty again!
      • John 4:14 – “Whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst.”
      • We were not CREATED by God to be FULFILLED by the things of this world…
      • We were CREATED by God to KNOW Him – WORSHIP Him – John 17:3
      • And only when we use our life for the purpose God intended for it – are we SATISFIED!
  • 4^th – Spots and blemishes… vs. 13
    • They are spots and blemishes – carousing in their own deceptions while they feast with you!
      • SPOTS [σπίλος] – 3x NT – to have a moral fault – spiritual stain…
      • BLEMISH [μῶμος] – on here NT – a blot or disgrace…
      • FALSE teachers are SPOTS – BLEMISHES because they CAROUSE [τρυφή] – live in luxury…
      • They go to DINNER with the believers – trying to blend in…
      • But they are DECEIVING themselves – they are an EMBARRASSING mark on the church!
      • One of the more embarrassing things that can happen…
      • Is walking into a room with a STAIN on your clothes – and NOT knowing it!
    • God has a plan to wash away the spots…
      • Ephesians 5:27 – “He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word… present her to Himself a glorious church – not having spot [σπίλος] or wrinkle or any such thing – but she should be holy and without blemish [ἄμωμος].”
      • How can we CLEAN the SPOTS and BLEMISHES that are in our churches…
      • We go back to the Word of God – the Word is the water that cleanses the SPOTS…
      • The moment we look to the Bible – false teachers have nowhere to hide!
  • 5^th – Full of ADULTERY… vs. 14
    • [FALSE teachers] have eyes full of adultery and that cannot cease from sin!
      • The EYE speaks of what they are FOCUSED on – ADULTERY [μοιχαλίς]
      • Referring to spiritual ADULTERY – they are FOCUSED on cheating on God!
      • The result being – they CANNOT stop sinning – they are a SLAVE to their sin!
      • Matthew 6:23 – “If your eye is bad – your whole body will be full of darkness…”
      • We must be careful what we allow our EYES to see – what we spend our time watching…
      • We CHOOSE daily what we fill our MINDS with – by choosing what we watch…
      • What do we fill our HEADS and HEARTS with – this WORLD – or with the WORD!
    • Enticing unstable souls!
      • ENTICE [δελεάζω] – 3x NT – to bait or lure someone away from God…
      • But NOTE – they are ONLY able to ENTICE those who are UNSTABLE…
      • UNSTABLE [ἀστήρικτος] – someone who is not established – has no foundation!
      • How do we keep ourselves SAFE from being ENTICED – be ESTABLISHED in Jesus!
      • Romans 16:25 – “Now to Him who is able to establish [στηρίζω] you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ…”
  • 6^th – Trained in COVETOUSNESS… vs. 14
    • [FALSE teachers] have a heart trained in covetous practices – and are accursed children!
    • COVETOUSNESS [πλεονεξία] – 10x NT – to be GREEDY – want more stuff…
    • They EXERCISE [γυμνάζω] their heart to CONSTANTLY [present] want more…
    • As a result – they have become CURSED [κατάρα] children!
    • We do not CHOOSE to be BLESSED or CURSED – that we be an easy choice…
    • We choose to OBEY or to DISOBEY the Word of God – a choice we make every day…
    • If we OBEY – we are BLESSED – if we CHOOSE to go our own way – CURSED!
    • Joshua 24:15 – “Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve…”
  • 7^th – Like Balaam… vs. 15-16
    • [FALSE teachers] have forsaken the right way and gone astray!
      • They LEFT behind [καταλείπω] the STRAIGHT [right] way – and have gone astray…
      • Gone ASTRAY [πλανάω] – speaking of going the way of the world [planet]
      • They did not CHOOSE to go astray [passive] – their CHOICES led them that way!
    • Following the way of Balaam the son of Beor!
      • Balaam was one of only a handful of non-Jewish prophets in the Old Testament…
      • There is no doubt Balaam KNEW the Lord – and that the Lord SPOKE to him…
      • Balaam referred to God by his true name [יְהוָה] – Numbers 22:8
    • Who loved the wages of unrighteousness – but he was rebuked for his iniquity!
      • King Balak of Moab sent to Balaam and asked him to CURSE the people of Israel…
      • When Balaam asked the LORD if he could go – the LORD told him NO – TWO times…
      • But he pleaded with the LORD [he was offered a LOT of money] and God let him go…
      • Because Balaam LOVED [ἀγαπάω] the wages of unrighteousness!
    • A dumb donkey speaking with a mans voice restrained the madness of the prophet!
      • God to send an angel to KILL Balaam – but his DONKEY kept avoiding the angel…
      • The THIRD time it happened – Balaam beat his DONKEY – and the DONKEY spoke…
      • What is AMAZING is not that a DONKEY talked – it is that Balaam ARGUED back…
      • Then Balaam saw the angel – and the LORD told Balaam to ONLY speak what God said!
      • What was OBVIOUS to a dumb DONKEY – was HIDDEN from Balaam…
      • Because GREED will BLIND us to the DANGER right in front of us!
    • Balaam DISOBEYED the LORD…
      • He wanted to earn the REWARD King Balak had for him…
      • He did not care what effect his actions would have – he ONLY thought of the MONEY…
      • He was more concerned with RICHES in this life – than ETERNAL life…
      • If he could not CURSE Israel – he knew how to get them to CURSE themselves…
      • Balaam gave king Balak the idea to TEMPT the men of Israel – with the women of Moab!
      • Numbers 31:16 – “These women caused the children of Israel – through the counsel of Balaam – to [sin] against the LORD…”
    • Balaam DIED for his MONEY…
      • God commanded Israel to attack the allies of Moab – Numbers 25:16-18
      • When Israel defeated them – Balaam also died in the battle – Numbers 31:8
      • SADLY – many people are DETERMINED to miss out on HEAVEN…
      • They are confident MONEY will make them happy – they will SACRIFICE anything to get it!
      • The problem is people make MONEY their god – instead of Jesus…
      • We cannot dedicate our lives to MONEY and possessions – and to the LORD…
      • We waste our life on possessions that do not last – rather than on eternal rewards…
      • If we desire more MONEY – we are missing the greatest riches of all – Jesus!
      • I Timothy 6:10 – “The love of money is a root of all kinds of evil – for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness – and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.”
  • 8^th – Wells without water… vs. 17
    • [FALSE teachers] are wells without water – clouds carried by a tempest!
      • The idea being they APPEAR to be something that would be REFRESHING…
      • A COLD drink of water from a WELL on a hot day – or the COOLING of a CLOUD overhead…
      • But instead of being a BLESSING – FALSE teachers turn out to be FALSE advertising!
      • Jude 1:12 – “They are clouds without water – carried about by the winds. Late autumn trees without fruit – twice dead – pulled up by the roots…”
      • Those who teach us to look to the world for PROMISES…
      • The PROMISE if we MARRY the right person – we will find HAPPINESS…
      • The PROMISE if we have enough MONEY – we will have no WORRIES…
      • These PROMISES look good – but they are EMPTY promises….
      • What they do not tell us – ONLY in Jesus – are PROMISES Yes and Amen!
    • For whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever!
      • A phrase used 2x NT – to describe everlasting punishment – the Lake of Fire – Jude 1:13
      • The bottom line – the destiny of these teachers is sealed – their doom certain!
      • All the more reason why we want to make sure to avoid them – and not share their fate!

• 2^nd – They are LIARS… vs. 18-22
  • 1^st – EMPTY words… vs. 18
    • When they speak great swelling words of emptiness!
      • They say things that sound PROFOUND – great swelling words…
      • But what comes is EMPTINESS – it has no TRUTH – its only PURPOSE is to ALLURE…
      • ALLURE [δελεάζω] – 3x NT – to bait or deceive someone – in TWO ways…
      • 1- LUST of the flesh – to long for and crave what is FORBIDDEN…
      • 2 – LEWDNESS [ἀσέλγεια] – unbridled LUST – shameless desires…
      • They APPEAL to the SINFUL nature of men – to TRAP them in SIN again!
    • [Trapping] the ones who have actually escaped from those who live in error!
      • ESCAPED [ἀποφεύγω] – to FLEE or run away from…
      • These false teachers pull BELIEVERS back into a life of sin that God had saved them from!
      • II Peter 1:4 – “[Who] have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises – that through these you… escaped [ἀποφεύγω] the corruption that is in the world through lust.”
      • If you took a plane from the Philippines to Hawaii – and your compass was off one degree…
      • You would miss the ISLAND by over 144 KILOMETERS – run out of fuel – and crash!
      • We may be right on with the LORD today – but that does NOT make us safe…
      • COMPROMISE is a constant danger – it only takes a LITTLE to get us in a LOT of trouble…
      • This is a heavy and humbling truth – there are men who are seeking to DESTROY us…
      • They do so by giving us a message that appeals to our SINFUL nature…
      • We must be on constant GUARD – knowing that our eternity is what is at stake!
      • I Timothy 1:19 – “[Have] faith and a good conscience – which some having rejected concerning the faith have suffered shipwreck…”
  • 2^nd – FALSE promises… vs. 19
    • While they promise them liberty – they themselves are slaves of corruption!
      • PROMISE [ἐπαγγέλλομαι] – 15x in NT – from the word ANGEL [ἄγγελος] – MESSENGER
      • Claiming to be a MESSENGER of LIBERTY – they are the SLAVES [δοῦλος] of SIN…
      • Someone who is in BONDAGE to SIN – can NEVER set anyone else FREE…
      • Instead they bring others into SLAVERY with them!
      • We either choose to be a SLAVE to Jesus – or we choose to be a SLAVE to SIN…
      • We CHOOSE who we will be a slave to – by where we put our TIME…
      • Whatever we INVEST in – that is where we will also find our LOYALTY!
      • Galatians 5:16 – “Walk in the Spirit – and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.”
    • By whom a person is overcome – by him also he is brought into bondage!
      • OVERCOME [ἡττάομαι] – to be CONQUERED [passive]
      • Sin is like the most addictive kind of drug – if we are not careful it will CONQUER us…
      • Sin can seem to be enjoyable – but it sucks us in – and we are TRAPPED…
      • In the end we find we are in BONDAGE to sin – morally and spiritually bankrupt…
      • The man who CHOOSES to sin – gives up his freedom to CHOOSE!
      • John 8:34 – “I say unto you he that commits sin is the slave of sin…”
  • 3^rd – Worse than the beginning… vs. 20-22
    • For if – after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the KNOWLEDGE…
      • Of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ – they are again entangled in them and overcome!
      • Having ESCAPED [ἀποφεύγω] – the corruption [μίασμα] of the WORLD…
      • Through the KNOWLEDGE – of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ – II Peter 1:4
      • If they are CAUGHT again by the world – by these FALSE Teachers…
      • And they are CONQUERED [ἡττάομαι] – and brought back into BONDAGE to sin!
    • The latter end is worse for them than the beginning.
      • It would have been better for them NOT to have KNOWN the way of righteousness…
      • Than having KNOWN it – to TURN from the holy commandment delivered to them!
      • TURN [ἐπιστρέφω] – often used to describe REPENTANCE – Acts 3:19
      • But here used to describe TURNING from the LORD – back to the WORLD…
      • It would be BETTER to have not KNOWN – because then there would still be HOPE…
      • But if someone has rejected the ONLY way of salvation – what hope is left for them!
    • According to the true proverb…
      • It has happened to them according to the true proverb:
      • A dog returns to his own vomit – and a pig having washed – to her wallowing in the dung!
      • HAPPENED [συμβαίνω] – to WALK in the FOOTSTEPS of the PROVERB – Proverbs 26:11

Instead – HOLDING fast to the KNOWLEDGE of CHRIST!

A DOG will VOMIT something NOT good for it – but then eat it again…

A PIG can be washed of the DUNG the body expels – but then go back and BATH in it!

The WISDOM of this WORLD is NOT healthy – we should spit it out…

The FILTH of SIN is something we should REJECT – not bath in…

How sad for the believer who end up back in a pile of their own dung!

KNOW there are FALSE teachers…

By DEFINING what FALSE teachers look like – the HOPE is we will AVOID them…

Not being CORRUPTED by their GREEDY example…

Not listening to their LIES and EMPTY promises…