But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction. 2 And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of truth will be blasphemed. 3 And in their greed they will exploit you with false words. Their condemnation from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep…

These are waterless springs and mists driven by a storm. For them the gloom of utter darkness has been reserved. 18 For, speaking loud boasts of folly, they entice by sensual passions of the flesh those who are barely escaping from those who live in error. 19 They promise them freedom, but they themselves are slaves of corruption. For whatever overcomes a person, to that he is enslaved. 20 For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first. 21 For it would have been better for them never to have known the way of righteousness than after knowing it to turn back from the holy commandment delivered to them. 22 What the true proverb says has happened to them: “The dog returns to its own vomit, and the sow, after washing herself, returns to wallow in the mire.”

2 Peter 2:1-3, 17-22

The Apostle Peter claims that the primary markers of false prophets or false teachers are greed and sensuality. He didn’t focus on doctrinal purity when determining who is false, but their heart and conduct. Peter did briefly mention doctrinal purity in this passage when he referred to “false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them.” Denying the Master can refer to several doctrinal heresies like those mentioned by John.

Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3 and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already. 

1 John 4:1-3

But Peter focuses on two broad indicators of falseness that parts of the church ignore: sensuality and greed.

Sensuality

“And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of truth will be blasphemed.” (2 Peter 2:2) This false teacher/prophet-marker shows up in several ways. Probably the most obvious one is the “gay-Chrisitan” falsehood. I won’t try to defend the all too clear Biblical position that homosexuality in all its forms is sinful conduct. This issue for Peter is that leaders are teaching this kind of sensuality as normative and acceptable in the body of Christ.

Another black eye for the evangelical church is the false teachers who have been exposed in recent years; the ones who were prominent mega-church pastors whose sexual dalliances were exposed, and they fell from their places of leadership. Most of these would be considered good orthodox teachers of God’s word. We wouldn’t and didn’t call them false teachers, But that is precisely what Peter calls them.

14% of Senior Pastors say using pornography is a current struggle according to “The Porn Phenomenon,” a 2016 Barna Report produced in partnership with Josh McDowell Ministry. 33% of these users say they are addicted, and 51% use porn at least a few times a month. This is a sin that needs to be repented of. Jesus died and rose again to deliver us from the dominion of sin, including an adulterous heart revealed by the intentional use of pornography. I think these Pastors would fall under Peter’s category of sensual false teachers even if their doctrine is pure as the driven snow.

Greed

There are those “ministers” who “entice unsteady souls. They have hearts trained in greed. Accursed children.” (2 Peter 2:14) They follow the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved gain from wrongdoing. What was Balaam’s wrongdoing? He took money to prophesy falsely. Balaam was greedy. There are too many examples of this kind of “minister” in our world. I am not against anyone being prosperous and doing well. A laborer deserves his wages. (1 Timothy 5:18) Unfortunately, there are some “ministers” for whom greed is an outstanding character trait. Their insatiable appetite for more wealth evidences their greed. In my opinion, large estate homes and personal airplanes along with luxury automobiles with drivers are clear evidence of a greedy false teacher regardless of the quality of the doctrine he teaches.

Frightening judgment

We, the church, don’t take seriously enough the magnitude of this sin. God, through Peter, informs us of the magnitude of judgment that will come upon false prophets/teachers.

These are waterless springs and mists driven by a storm. For them the gloom of outer darkness has been reserved.

2 Peter 2:17

But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.

2 Peter 3:10

So, what do we do?

After exposing these false prophets/teachers, Peter returns to the ordinary folks like you and me and tells us what we should do in light of this deplorable situation. (2 Peter 3:14-18)

  • Be diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish and at peace.
  • Count the patience of our Lord as salvation. Those whom Peter has identified as false have time to repent and be restored to Jesus and his body.
  • Take care that you are not carried away with the error of lawless people and lose your own stability.
  • Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.