2 Peter 2:3

2 Peter 2:3 ‘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.'

‘in their greed' -Indicating that part of their motivation stems from greed. ‘Flattering people for the sake of gaining an advantage' (Judges 1:16). People who look at religion as. means to personal gain (1 Timothy 6:5; Titus 1:11).

Points to Note:

This isn't just financial gain. ‘Gain' can also come in the form of popularity, fame and praise. 2. People don't get off track because the Scriptures are too difficult or. passage throws them. curve. Rather, people get in trouble when they start thinking, ‘I wish. could be popular at the same time,. wish. could be in demand for big speaking engagements, seminars and the like.. wish earthly success could be part of the package.. wish. could avoid all scrutiny, and be able to teach and preach what. want without any sort of criticism or examination.' 3. ‘Even in honest churches…there is always the temptation to put fingers in the till, and to ask the preacher to preach in ways that will uplift and make people “feel good” before the collection is taken up. That is the start of the rot, which lets the bank balance rule the church's priorities.' (Lucas/Green pp. 91-92)

‘exploit you' -‘to deal in, use. thing or person for gain' (Thayer p. 208); ‘buy and sell, trade in' (Arndt p. 256). ‘they will try to make you. source of profit' (TCNT). Carefully note that the pew basically gets the preaching that it wants. If we want to feel good-then there will be an abundance of speakers to accommodate our wishes (2 Timothy 4:3). But we forewarned! They aren't doing this out of the goodness of their hearts, they have their own demands.

‘with false words' -‘fabricated' (Vincent p. 690). ‘words artfully and skillfully forged for the occasion' (Woods p. 164). ‘phony arguments, which were designed not for helping the hearers but for fleecing them.' (Green p. 96). ‘They will exploit you with cunning arguments' (Mof). When personal prestige is the goal, then truth no longer matters. “Our ministry” now takes priority over serving God. Promoting my book, seminar or video series, is more important than preaching the Word. Attracting greater audiences and making. name for myself is more important than getting back to the Bible. Therefore,. person will be willing to ‘fabricate' arguments, definitions of words, etc…whatever it takes to hold on to his or her status or position.

‘their judgment from long ago is not idle' -From ancient times God has made it clear that sin will be punished (Judges 1:14). False prophets/false teachers have always been condemned (Deuteronomy 13:1). ‘idle'-‘inactive, to linger, delay' (Thayer p. 72). ‘The judgment is not idle, it is represented as. living thing, awake and expectant…long ago that judgment started on its destroying path, and the fate of sinning angels, and the deluge, and the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah were but incidental illustrations of its power, nor has it ever since lingered.' (Vincent p. 690)

‘and their destruction is not asleep' -‘to be napping, negligent, careless' (Thayer p. 431); ‘and on their trail destruction is awake' (Mof). ‘perdition waits for them with unsleeping eyes' (NEB) ‘they may pooh-pooh the idea of. final retribution, but they are doomed men, on the edge of punishment' (Mof). ‘God's verdict on sin has been crystal clear from the very first warning about the tree of knowledge of good and evil in the garden.' (Lucas/Green p. 93) Friend, next time you become discouraged concerning the spread and success of those groups which advocate error. Next time you are tempted to envy their huge facilities, large crowds, place of prestige in the community---remember these verses! You are envying people who like the Pharisees, have traded an eternal reward for the praise of men (Matthew 6:1). No statue of limitations handicaps the judgment of God. Here we find the true ‘long-arm' of the law.

God's Track Record:

‘In order to explain why we would be very foolish to presume on God's patience, Peter uses the important principle that God delays judgment so as to exercise mercy.' (Lucas/Green p. 93)

Lest, the false teachers and their follows scoff at the strong statements made by Peter, he gives three historical proofs.

Concerning this section of Scripture, Green observes: ‘Doubtless such stringent condemnations as Peter's appear to twentieth-century readers as old-fashioned and inappropriate, because we have largely lost any sense of diabolical danger of false teaching, and have become as dulled to the distinction between truth and falsehood in ideas as we have to the distinction between right and wrong in behavior. But it is impossible to be alive, as Peter was, to the ethical and intellectual importance of “the way of truth”…without being incensed when that way is flouted, particularly in the Church.' (p. 97)