Wednesday Devo
Scripture:
2 Peter 2
12 These false teachers are like unthinking animals, creatures of instinct, born to be caught and destroyed. They scoff at things they do not understand, and like animals, they will be destroyed. 13 Their destruction is their reward for the harm they have done. They love to indulge in evil pleasures in broad daylight. They are a disgrace and a stain among you. They delight in deception even as they eat with you in your fellowship meals. 14 They commit adultery with their eyes, and their desire for sin is never satisfied. They lure unstable people into sin, and they are well trained in greed. They live under God’s curse.
12 These false teachers are like unthinking animals, creatures of instinct, born to be caught and destroyed. They scoff at things they do not understand, and like animals, they will be destroyed. 13 Their destruction is their reward for the harm they have done. They love to indulge in evil pleasures in broad daylight. They are a disgrace and a stain among you. They delight in deception even as they eat with you in your fellowship meals. 14 They commit adultery with their eyes, and their desire for sin is never satisfied. They lure unstable people into sin, and they are well trained in greed. They live under God’s curse.
Commentary:
2:12–13 The false teachers operate in irrational ways. They act like … animals, following neither reason nor truth but instinct, ignoring even the most basic of human values. Yet they behave like this while posturing as Christians, even to the point that they feast with you, probably a reference to the Lord’s Supper. They are guilty of profound blasphemy and live licentiously.
2:14 Their eyes desire adultery with virtually every woman they meet. insatiable for sin. Their appetite for sin is never satisfied. Even worse, they entice (Gk. deleazō, “lure with bait”) unsteady people to join them in their debauchery. Sexual sin and greed characterize these false teachers (cf. v. 3 and note). Accursed children! Peter assures his readers that the heretics will face God’s curse.
Crossway Bibles, The ESV Study Bible (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008), 2421.
2:14 Their eyes desire adultery with virtually every woman they meet. insatiable for sin. Their appetite for sin is never satisfied. Even worse, they entice (Gk. deleazō, “lure with bait”) unsteady people to join them in their debauchery. Sexual sin and greed characterize these false teachers (cf. v. 3 and note). Accursed children! Peter assures his readers that the heretics will face God’s curse.
Crossway Bibles, The ESV Study Bible (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008), 2421.
Questions:
- One of the hallmarks of a false teacher is GREED. They love profiting off of their deceptions. They are money-hungry and power-hungry. Ministries need money to operate, but there's a difference between a local church teaching about generosity and a traveling snake oil salesmen that is driven by greed and will manipulate and do and say anything to separate you from your money. Have you witnessed this kind of greed in ministry?
- You see this kind of greed lot in those pushing the prosperity gospel. These kinds of teachers will tie you giving them money with healing or blessing in your life, to an answered prayer. They'll say, "Sow a seed to unlock your blessing." Anytime there is a preacher or evangelist that is overly focused on begging for money, seeking to manipulate ppl spiritually to get it, or tying it to God's blessing or answered prayers or prosperity, Peter would say to run for the hills! Do you think you can spot the difference between those who teach generosity the right way and those who seek to manipulate?
Pray:
- That God would give you the discernment to spot greed.
- That God would keep your heart from falling into the same temptation.
This Week's City 7:
Try to commit to memory!
5. Why do I follow Jesus? I follow Jesus because Jesus rose from the dead proving that He is the way, the truth and the life.
(Matthew 7:24-27; John 14:6)
(Matthew 7:24-27; John 14:6)
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