But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction. And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed. (2 Peter 2:1-2)

Not All Teach Truth

Truth is older than error but the agents of false teaching have been around since the beginning. Satan is the father of all lies and has employed in his evil scheme to destroy the creation of God, his minions of eternal doom in the flesh. The devil is a most powerful adversary but the Lord God has limited his interaction within the human sphere. Barred from engaging in personal persuasion, Satan has filled the hearts of the weak and unsuspecting teaching them a false doctrine of hope based upon an eternal lie. There has never been a time when the devil has denied the reality of truth but seeks to twist the heart of men to question the word of God and then to change the word. False teaching is as old as the world. The world has long been filled with false teachers, false prophets, and false purveyors of a watered-down truth.

Peter warns the saints of the early church there are those among the flock of God that teaches the doctrine of apostasy fueled by the flames of hell. The apostle does not dismiss the impact of false prophets among the people. Their message is as insidious and poisonous against unprepared souls who are taken in by their persuasive words. Peter calls the message of false prophets destructive and damnable heresies which are heretical doctrines. These false prophets will deny Jesus Christ and challenge His authority. Judgment will come upon those who lead the people astray from the truth. Sadly, many will follow false teachers as those who have itching ears that fancy the doctrines of men. Their conscience will be seared with a hot iron of damnation.

There is sound doctrine and there is false teaching. The world is filled with much false teaching. Many will heed the words of false teachers who preach a doctrine of error. Because of the itching ears of those who turn their hearts away from the truth, Satan’s minions grow larger. The church will find among its number false teachers who slander the way of truth. Peter calls their false doctrine “evil teaching” with severe consequences. There will be false teachers who will preach for money and the gain of this world’s goods. With clever lies, false teachers will take the money of the unsuspecting for their own covetous desires.

False teachers are real. Sadly, so many are so quickly taken astray. The Bible is the mind of God revealed to men and to find truth in the Bible is the only measure of security a man can find. There are so many things not found in the Bible, yet the masses blindly accept the teachings of false teachers. Notable teachings not found on the pages of holy writ is anyone called the Pope, a coming rapture, instrumental music in the New Testament church, the names of almost all the Protestant churches (Baptist, Episcopalian, Methodist, Lutheran, Presbyterian, Nazarene) and others such as the Roman Catholic Church, the Mormons, and Jehovah Witness. These are all proponents of false doctrine and destructive heresies. False teachers twist the word of God to fit their own dogmas. Teaching salvation by accepting Christ as a personal Savior is not taught in the Bible. Faith alone is found in the Bible but only when James says a man is not saved by faith alone. False teaching is dismissed when an honest study of the Bible is undertaken from truth.

There is a serious tone to Peter’s admonition to beware of false teachers. The teaching of those who deny the truth changes the eternal state of those who follow them. It will be eternally tragic for someone to follow a false teacher with a believed hope of salvation; only to find out they followed the wrong source. God has given the Bible to tell man how to be saved. When a man or woman teaches anything that is not according to the word of God, they are false and should be refused adamantly. It matters what a person believes. False teachers will receive a heavier judgment but those who follow them will find a similar judgment. When men stop believing the word of men and believe the word of God, false doctrine will be defeated. Let the Bible be the only guide. Accept only the truth from the word of God. Your soul depends on it.