Of them the proverbs are true: “A dog returns to its vomit,” and, “A sow that is washed returns to her wallowing in the mud.”
Summary: Peter winds up his description of false teachers with this passage on animal behavior. The difference between humans and animals is an appropriate metaphor for his topic.
I appreciate the Bible’s honesty. Don’t you? From Genesis to Revelation, we read stories of people and God. In every case, the stories reveal people for what they are. The harsh light of reality reveals every flaw and mistake. There is no glossing over human shortcomings in God’s book.
Peter’s second letter is no different. He is a flawed person writing to other people who struggle with human shortcomings. His first chapter is solid advice for living a godly life. His second chapter is a warning.
Peter’s warning is not about people who fall short in their faith. Far from it! Instead, Peter warns us against people who act in bad faith, the false teacher. The challenge is how to spot them. How do you separate the false teachers from the teacher of truth? For that matter, how do you sort the teachers from the followers?
Since Peter has finished his diatribe against false teachers with a barnyard illustration, let’s explore the barnyard a bit more.
Farmers who raise chickens face the challenge of sorting out the male from the female chicks. For all appearances, they look identical. I remember hearing a story once about the only school in the world that trained people to do this work. The school was in Japan, and the training was watching someone else sort the chicks until they could do it themselves.
Yep. That was the entire curriculum. Watching how they do it. The clues to a chick’s sex are so subtle that they cannot explain it in words. They simply had you watch someone else do it until they could intuitively sense the difference between the roosters and the hens.
Sorting out the good Christians from the bad is a similar process. Christians do not have the legalistic hoops to jump through that the Jewish laws provided. We do not count the steps a person walks on the Sabbath, and we do not worry about how much yeast is in the house over the holidays. Instead, we have to look for more subtle indications of what is in a person’s heart. Peter is showing us what to look for, but the differences are subtle.
If sorting out the false teachers from the good sounds a bit harsh, I would suggest that it is a good thing. It is good not only for the Body of Christ but also for the person who is on the path of false teaching. Satan is subtle. They may not know that what they are teaching or doing is wrong. Only when we call them out for ungodly behavior do we provide them with the opportunity to repent.
Today’s passage is Peter’s summation of his case against false teachers. He points out that they are prone to return to sinful ways. This differs from backsliding or other temptations. He is not talking about a moment of weakness or confusion. The people Peter has in mind are unwilling to change. They claim to know God, but their actions belie them. To paraphrase an old saying, you can take the false teacher out of the barnyard, but you can’t take the barnyard out of the false teacher.
Application: Spend time in God’s Word so that those who twist God’s Word are obvious to you.
Food for Thought: What is it about the nature of a false teacher that sets them apart from godly people?
I’m not sure I’m in the position to give any answers on the blog most times. I am happy to knowing I’m still learning and have less of a chance to be a false teacher being a humble student.
Being humble knowing that I can be wrong, it’s not my thoughts, feelings, that matter. It’s all about Jesus. Its knowing who is the real teacher.
Mr. T,
Thank you for sharing your thoughts today. The attitude of humility that you express is a sure protection against ever crossing into the realm of false teaching. Putting Jesus first in everything is the icing on the cake.
Ironically, T, I’d say that’s the difference between a good teacher in the church and a false one. A good teacher or leader is actually concerned about being a good follower more than their leadership skills. Yes, leadership skills come in, but they are less important than a solid foundation on Christ. Second, a good teacher doesn’t want to mislead those entrusted to them, it gives them a burden to think that they might’ve steered anyone away from Christ.
A false teacher isn’t concerned about being a follower. A false teacher isn’t concerned about if their students see Christ, just if they see what the teacher wanted them to. A false teacher usually doesn’t admit faults. A false teacher is either hiding a sin or talks his way around so it’s ‘not really a sin’ or not ‘that bad’. Truth in their mouth does not come out unscathed, they are greedy, they are arrogant. They want the praise and don’t give it to their Creator.
A,
Well said! Thank you for your summation. I especially like your phrase, “Truth in [the false teacher’s] mouth does not come out unscathed…”
Galatians 5:7–10 talks about some things that set a false teacher apart from Godly people. False teachers hinder others from obeying the Truth, and are confusing. I think it is important to measure a leaders words and actions against what is written in scripture. It may be difficult to discern someone’s true intent, but keeping the Scripture as a foundation will keep things clearer.
Galatians 5:7-12
You were running a good race. Who cut in on you to keep you from obeying the truth? That kind of persuasion does not come from the one who calls you. “A little yeast works through the whole batch of dough.” I am confident in the Lord that you will take no other view. The one who is throwing you into confusion, whoever that may be, will have to pay the penalty.
Chris,
The Galatians passage is an excellent companion for today’s discussion. I appreciate you sharing that with us today. (It seems like the “yeast” a guy could do! 🙂 )
Good comments. I don’t have much to add. Since I teach quite a bit, I just want to guard myself from error. I do think a true teacher is called by God and gifted by God, whereas a false teacher takes that calling upon themselves. For a true teacher it is a burden and a privilege. I think a false teacher sees it as an opportunity in the same way that carnival mind reader sees opportunities in fooling people.
Rich,
Yesterday’s post, “The Ring” was an eye-opener for me. It helped me see the difference between the true and false teacher is a matter of the heart as well as a matter of what they teach. As you point out, the “carnie” is looking for personal gain.
My sense is that God has a lot of latitude for the teacher whose heart is devoted to his Son. None of us are perfect, and someone has to teach. I am thankful that God called you to this service. 🙂
Love the comments of all!
11-30-2021, 2 Peter 2:21b, What is it about the nature of a false teacher that sets them apart from godly people?
They are not only false in their teaching, but also in their living. Their works, their priority is for their own well being over all others.
Matthew 7:15–20, Luke 6:43–44.
Paul echos this as he instructs leaders not only to pay careful attention to their people and to their teaching, but also to their own lives.
Acts 20:28; 1 Timothy 4:16
False teachers are not just false in their teaching, but also in their living. Look at the lavish living and perversions of the leaders of the largest church in the world as they amass more wealth and worldly power than many countries who’s people they claim to serve. Leaders from all over the world flock to speak with their leader and receive the opportunity to “kiss his ring.”
2 Peter 2:1&3 tell us about their “destructive heresies” and “false words”, but the rest of his teachings appear to focus on everything else in their lives.
Pride, defying authority, denying the Master who bought them.
2 Peter 2, V1, 10, 12-13, 18
Sensuality, sexual perversions,
2 Peter 2, V2, 10, 12-14, 19
Greed, for money and material gain
2 Peter 2, V3, 14-15
Ron,
Thank you for making the point about how a person lives. It is not just what we see of a person in the classroom or at church that clues us in to their character. It is the whole of each of our lives that illustrates who we are.
Granted, there is likely much we do not know and cannot know of each other’s lives – which is probably a good thing. And according to Scripture, and good person does their good deeds in secret (Matthew 6:3). As we have discussed many times here on TMB, it is not our place to make judgments about a person’s fitness for heaven.
However, if a person is living a life of selfishness, envy, and personal ambition, then we have clues or “red flags” that warn us about them if they attempt to step into a teaching role.
It’s a lot more fun addressing opportunities to serve others, as God guide us around the pit falls. Let go of the wheel and enjoy the journey we have been given.
As I was reading through the comments a part in the Bible came to me,..where Nicodemus came to Jesus then Jesus pegs old Nic with “You are Israel’s teacher and you do not understand these things” and then about how the Israelite’s don’t accept His testimony.
So to me the nature of a false teacher would be not to speak of the things Jesus spoke of,..if the teaching is other than Christ and Him crucified,..then there lies the issue of being set apart from a godly teacher,..
Christ is coming back,..and like He mentioned in the letter from Mark,..even He doesn’t know when all what He spoke about will take place,..but He did tell us to be on guard and stand ready,..watch out for the wolves dressed in sheep clothing,..maybe another reason why Jesus tells us to be shrewd as snakes and innocent as doves,..
John,
Thank you for sharing this evening. You put me in mind of Ezekiel 3: 16-19. It is the passage where God makes Ezekiel a watchman over the house of Israel. God tells him that if he does not convey God’s warning to a person then Ezekiel will be accountable for their blood when God punishes them.
Good words, too, about being ready and standing guard. Thank you!