THE DENOUNCING OF FALSE TEACHERS, 2 Peter 2:1-22
A Their Conduct, Verses 1-3
(2 Pet 2:1 NASB) But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves.
(2 Pet 2:2 NASB) And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of the truth will be maligned;
(2 Pet 2:3 NASB) and in their greed they will exploit you with false words; their judgment from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.
So the question is, who are these “false teachers”? Well let’s read the clues:
1. They arose (past tense) and "will also be" (future tense) among you (verse 1).
2. They introduce “ destructive heresies”(verse 1).
3. They deny “Yahusha”, the “Word made Flesh”(verse 1).
4. They cause people to follow their “sensuality” (verse 2).
5. They cause the Truth to be "maligned" (verse 2).
6. They try to seduce you to follow their teaching, by saying "false words" so that they can get deceive you out of your money (verse 3).
7. They are from long ago and have been judged “long ago” (verse 3).
Verse 1- Clues 1 and 2: They are from "long ago" and they introduce “destructive heresy”!
Heresy: Any course of conduct or instruction intending to produce dissention and schism.
The original “ heresy” happened "long ago", in Genesis 3.
Gen 3
4 The serpent said to the woman, "It is not true that you will surely die; 5 because YHWH knows that on the day you eat from it, your eyes will be opened, and you will be like YHWH, knowing good and evil."
Does Messiah have anything to say about this serpent that we just read about? Let’s see.
John 8
44 You belong to your father, Satan, and you want to carry out your father's desires. From the start he was a murderer, and he has never stood by the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he tells a lie, he is speaking in character; because he is a liar -- indeed, the inventor of the lie!
Interesting. So the serpent is Satan and he is the “heretic”! Now the question becomes: Exactly who does he tell these “lies” and “deception to?
Rev 12
9 The great dragon was thrown out, that ancient serpent, also known as the Devil and Satan [the Adversary], the deceiver of the whole world. He was hurled down to the earth, and his angels were hurled down with him.
OK, so the victoms of these “lies” and “deceptions” is “the whole world”!
Here we clearly read that satan has "deceived" "the whole world”! He is the father of “heretics” and “anyone who follows the serpent” belongs to him. What does one need to do to follow the serpent?
Well let’s see if there are any examples is Scripture.Here is what YHWH says,
Gen 2
16 YHWH, Elohim, gave the person this order: "You may freely eat from every tree in the garden 17 except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. You are not to eat from it, because on the day that you eat from it, it will become certain that you will die."
But the serpent says,
Gen 3
1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any wild animal which YHWH, Elohim, had made. He said to the woman, "Did YHWH really say, 'You are not to eat from any tree in the garden'?"4 The serpent said to the woman, "It is not true that you will surely die;
OK so now we see the serpent telling Eve, “YHWH is lieing and you won’t die.” This is called “heresy”.
Heresy: Any course of conduct or instruction intending to produce dissention and schism.
Deut. 11
1 "Therefore, you are to love YHWH your Elohim and always obey his commission, regulations, rulings and commands.
So verse 1 of 2Peter 2, is telling us that there are “false teachers” among us, that are teaching us “heresy”. What is “heresy” again? “conduct or instruction intending to produce dissention and schism”. In other words, the teaching of: “Did YHWH really say that?” and “You don’t really have to obey what YHWH said” is heresy.
Now friends, Have you ever heard someone say, "You don't have to follow YHWH's Torah" or "Yahusha ended the Law"?
Matt 5
17 "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Torah or the Writings of Prophets. I have come not to abolish but to (obey) completely. 18 Yes indeed! I tell you that until heaven and earth pass away, not so much as a yud or a stroke will pass from the Torah
If anyone teaches you that Messiah "ended" or "made the Law obsolete", that person is teaching you "heresy".
Yes my friends, I tell you the truth, Yahusha came to earth to obey Torah! That was His priority, His number 1 mission! His death would be no different then any ordinary death if He had not "completely obeyed Torah". But He did obey YHWH's Torah and thus He was found blameless!
Moving on to the 3rd clue:
They (these heretics) deny Yahusha. In other words, they do not accept the fact that He obeyed Torah completely and they claim that it is not required for you to do as He did (to follow Him)! He obeyed Torah! They claim that He died so that you don’t have to obey YHWH’s Torah anymore! My friends, they truly do not understand the purpose of the death of Yahusha! Yahusha died so that you could be free from your past sins and thus have a fresh start! This is the very purpose of the atoning sacrifice as required in Torah!
Let’s read it in Torah:
Numbers 15
27 "'If an individual sins by mistake, he is to offer a female goat in its first year as a sin offering. 28 The Priest will make atonement before YHWH for the person who makes a mistake by sinning inadvertently; he will make atonement for him, and he will be forgiven - 29 no matter whether he is a citizen of Israel or a foreigner living with them. You are to have one law for whoever it is that does something wrong by mistake.
30 "'But an individual who does something wrong intentionally, whether a citizen or a foreigner, is blaspheming YHWH. That person will be cut off from his people. 31 Because he has had contempt for the word of YHWH and has disobeyed his command, that person will be cut off completely; his offense will remain with him.'"
So now we see the true meaning of Yahusha’s death! Not a license to sin, rather a fresh start from past unintentional sins! This remains in perfect alignment in the New "Testament", long after Yahusha’s death and ascension!
Hebrews 10
26 For if we deliberately continue to sin after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, 27 but only the terrifying prospect of Judgment, of raging fire that will consume the enemies. 28 Someone who disregards the Torah of Moshe is put to death without mercy on the word of two or three witnesses. 29 Think how much worse will be the punishment deserved by someone who has trampled underfoot the Son of YHWH; who has treated as something common the blood of the covenant which made him holy; and who has insulted the Spirit, giver of YHWH’s grace! 30 For the One we know is the One who said, "Vengeance is my responsibility; I will repay," and then said, "YHWH will judge his people." 31 It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living Elohim!
So now we can see how The New Testament, truly aligns with Torah! Indeed, not one jot and not one tittle of Torah has been changed! I strongly urge you all, to flee from the serpents (heretics) who teach you that Torah is “done away with”!
The 4th clue: They cause people to "follow their sensuality". In other words, they are doing or saying something that causes people to desire to listen to them.
Jeremiah 17
9 "The heart is more deceitful than anything else and mortally sick. Who can fathom it?
It appears that these "heresy teachers" are saying exactly what their congregations want to hear!
2 Timothy 4
3 For the time is coming when people will not have patience for sound teaching, but will cater to their passions and gather around themselves teachers who say whatever their ears itch to hear.
The 5th clue: They cause "truth to be maligned".
Check out what the Darby Version translates this verse:
2Peter 2
2 .......through whom the way of the truth shall be blasphemed.
Whatever these “heretics” are doing, they are definitely causing the “Truth” to be blasphemed! Up above, in the NASB Version we read that they “maligned Truth”! We better find out what “Truth “ is so that we won’t "blaspheme" or "malign" it! Then we better find out what these words "blaspheme" and "malign" mean!
Psalms 119
142 Thy righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and thy Torah is Truth!
Oh OK. So now we see that YHWH’s Torah is “Truth”. So these “heretics” “blaspheme” and “malign” the Torah! But what do these words “blaspheme” and “maligned” mean?
Blaspheme: To speak ill of. An irreverent act or utterance.
Malign: To speak slander of or having an evil disposition of.
Oy! So now we can see what these “heretics” do, so we should be able to recognize them! They speak “ill of” Truth! And what is Truth again? Oh yeah, Psalms 119:142 defined it for us! Torah is Truth! Now are we beginning to see who these “serpents that deceive the whole world” truly are? These “heretics” are truly "blasphemeing” and “maligning” (speaking against) YHWH’s Torah!
Yes, it truly states very cleary in Scripture, that because of them (these “heretics"), the “Truth” is spoken “as evil!” Wow! Have you ever heard someone say that the Law is “dead”, “not required”, “evil” or “of no use”? Well according to Peter, these people are “heretics”! It is EXACTLY what he says that they do, "malign the Truth/ Torah”!
Clue number 6. They try to seduce you to follow their “teachings” because they want your money!
1 Cor 16
1 Now about the collection for YHWH’s people: Do what I told the Galatian congregations to do. 2 On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with his resources, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be made. 3 Then, when I arrive, I will give letters of introduction to the men you approve and send them with your gift to Jerusalem.
OK so here we see Paul telling the people to give money to the Poor, but what about Paul’s own welfare?
1Corinthians 9
4 Don't we have the right to be given food and drink? 5 Don't we have the right to take along with us a believing wife, as do the other emissaries, also the Master's brothers and Kefa? 6 Or are Bar-Nabba and I the only ones required to go on working for our living? 7 Did you ever hear of a soldier paying his own expenses? or of a farmer planting a vineyard without eating its grapes? Who shepherds a flock without drinking some of the milk? 8 What I am saying is not based merely on human authority, because the Torah says the same thing - 9 for in the Torah of Moshe it is written, "You are not to put a muzzle on an ox when it is treading out the grain. "If YHWH is concerned about cattle, 10 all the more does he say this for our sakes. Yes, it was written for us, meaning that he who plows and he who threshes should work expecting to get a share of the crop. 11 If we have sown spiritual seed among you, is it too much if we reap a material harvest from you? 12 If others are sharing in this right to be supported by you, don't we have a greater claim to it? But we don't make use of this right. Rather, we put up with all kinds of things so as not to impede in any way the Gospel about the Messiah. 13 Don't you know that those who work in the Temple get their food from the Temple, and those who serve at the altar get a share of the sacrifices offered there? 14 In the same way, the Master directed that those who proclaim the Gospel should get their living from the Gospel.15 But I have not made use of any of these rights. Nor am I writing now to secure them for myself, for I would rather die than be deprived of my ground for boasting! 16 For I can't boast merely because I proclaim the Gospel - this I do from inner compulsion: woe is me if I don't proclaim the Gospel! 17 For if I do this willingly, I have a reward; but if I do it unwillingly, I still do it, simply because I've been entrusted with a job. 18 So then, what is my reward? Just this: that in proclaiming the Gospel I can make it available free of charge, without making use of the rights to which it entitles me.
So here we see Sha’ul (Paul), stating clearly that he doesn’t want your dang money, no matter that he is indeed entitled to receive some! Nevertheless, if you belong to a congregation, how often do you hear them repeat Sha’ul’s words? Wouldn’t they rather have your money then the joy that comes from above and the opportunity to do kindness without reward?
Yes indeed, these “heretics” want your money and in many cases, they are willing to tell you whatever they have to in order to “tickle your ears” and “comfort your conscience” into giving up the booty!
In fact they will often quote the words of the very Torah that they reject, just to convince you of your requirement to pay up!
People, why do you close your eyes to this and pretend that it doesn’t happen at your congregation? The joke is on you. You are the one that is truly being deceived by these serpents! We are all like Eve. We just let ourselves be deceived. Why do you keep eating that fruit Eve? Don’t you know that YHWH will be walking in this garden soon and He will indeed be holding you to account for your actions? Yet you still hold the fruit in your hand and you still listen to the serpents? Oy!
Clue 7. (Verse 3). These “heretics” are from long ago.
Genesis 3
1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any wild animal which YHWH, Elohim, had made. He said to the woman, "Did YHWH really say, 'You are not to eat from any tree in the garden'?"
Genesis 3
4 The serpent said to the woman, "It is not true that you will surely die; 5 because YHWH knows that on the day you eat from it, your eyes will be opened, and you will be like YHWH, knowing good and evil."
Indeed these “heretics” are from the very same garden where our ancestors were deceived! They are the very descendants of the serpent! These serpents have long taught us the very same message that their father taught our ancestors. They say, "YHWH doesn't really care if you obey His Torah, that was for the "Jews" (not us) Or "That is "Old Testament" we are under a "New Law".
Do they actually believe that it is now OK to disobey (sin against) YHWH? Or is it that they think that YHWH made a mistake when He made the Torah?
The truth is that they hated YHWH and His Torah from the very beginning and to this very day they cannot stand Him and His Torah! They executed the Messiah "Word made flesh" and now they execute the "Written Word" and they do it while claiming to be doing what is right!
John 16
1 "I have told you these things so that you won't be caught by surprise. 2 They will ban you from the synagogues (congregations); in fact, the time will come when anyone who kills you will think he is serving YHWH! 3 They will do these things because they have neither understood the Father nor me. 4 But I have told you this, so that when the time comes for it to happen, you will remember that I told you.
Indeed, these people do not understand (they are deceived)! These people do not understand that Messiah came to OBEY TORAH COMPLETELY, nor do they understand the meaning of Messiah Yahusha's death according to Torah (Number 15) *see above*.
2 Thesselonians 2
7 For already this separating from Torah is at work secretly, but it will be secret only until he who is restraining is out of the way. 8 Then the one who embodies separation from Torah will be revealed, the one whom the Master Yahusha will slay with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the glory of his coming. 9 When this one who avoids Torah comes, the Adversary will give him the power to work all kinds of false miracles, signs and wonders. 10 He will enable him to deceive, in all kinds of wicked ways, those who are headed for destruction because they would not receive the love of the Truth that could have saved them. 11 This is why YHWH is causing them to go astray, so that they will believe the Lie. 12 The result will be that all who have not believed the Truth, but have taken their pleasure in wickedness, will be condemned.
Revelations 12
9 So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world.
I repeat, these people do not understand (they are deceived)! They hated the Truth from the very beginning! They executed Messiah "The Word Made Flesh" and now they attempt to execute "The Written Word"!
Friends, has anyone else recognized these "heretics" in our “religious” systems? Messiah did. Let's hear it in His own words:
Matt 23
33 (Yahusha said) "You snakes! Sons of snakes! How can you escape being condemned to hells fire?
34 Look! I am sending you prophets and sages and Torah-teachers -- some of them you will kill, indeed, you will have them executed on stakes as criminals; some you will flog in your synagogues and pursue from town to town.
So who are these people, these “heretics”? Are we beginning to finally see? Well, based on our earlier observances, we see that these “heretics” are any person that “blasphemes Torah”! Make no mistake about it people, the crime of the Pharisees was not that they obeyed Torah! No, their crime was that there heart was “far from Torah”! They truly served out of self centered and self righteous attitude and they caused others to do so also! Kinda sounds like modern “religion” huh? YHWH wants us to serve Him (obey His Torah) out of love, not self-centeredness!
Continuing with clue number 7: We also read that these “heretics” have been “judged long ago”. Where can we find such in Scripture?
Gen. 3
14 YHWH, Elohim, said to the serpent, "Because you have done this, you are cursed more than all livestock and wild animals. You will crawl on your belly and eat dust as long as you live. 15 I will put animosity between you and the woman, and between your descendant and her descendant; he will bruise your head, and you will bruise his heel."
Oy, so indeed, they truly were judged long ago. It was determined that their heads would be "crushed"!!
People, wake up to reality! Long ago these very same “heretics” led us all astray by “blaspheming Torah!”
Blaspheme: To speak ill of. An irreverent act or utterance.
Malign: To speak slander of or having an evil disposition of.
We listened to these “heretics” then and it led us into death! Won’t we now learn from our past and return to YHWH? Won’t we now reject these liars who teach us “Torah is not required”! People please, why won’t you listen to YHWH and return to Him? Then He will heal us and we can live in His security and obey His Torah!
Yes indeed people, long ago we were deceived by these “heretics”! When will we finally learn? My friends, please Obey my Father's Torah!
If you are unsure what to do next, please contact me!
Shalom my friends!
Barabba
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