March 17, 2023: 2 Peter 2:2 - Many will Follow Blasphemers
“And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed.” - 2 Peter 2:2
What is blasphemy? Dictionary.com defines it as, “To speak impiously or irreverently of (God or sacred things).” Strong’s Concordance defines it as, “To slander, hence to speak lightly or profanely of sacred things.” In this Scripture verse, Peter is referring to the false teachers he discussed in verse 1, “who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction.” Peter is saying that the congregation - the people attending the churches who are listening to these types of people teaching and leading them - instead of opposing the false teachings and holding the church leaders to account, or even leaving the churches, not only stay in them but follow their destructive ways. When they do, they are blaspheming the way of truth.
What is the way of truth? This could be referring to several things, including:
God is Truth: The song of Moses declares of God:
“He is the Rock, His work is perfect; for all His ways are justice, a God of truth and without injustice; righteous and upright is He.” (Deuteronomy 32:4)
Jesus is the Only Way to God the Father: The words of Jesus in the Bible tell us in John 14:6, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” Jesus tells us that narrow is the way that leads to life:
“Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.” (Jesus Christ; Matthew 7:13-15)
Ephesians 2:8 tells us we cannot earn our entry into heaven by anything that we do: “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”
When Jesus was brought by His accusers before Pontius Pilate, Pilate asked Jesus, “Are You a king then?” and Jesus answered him:
“You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.” (John 18:37)
Spirit of Truth: God sent the Holy Spirit to guide us into all truth and to bring glory to Jesus. “But when the Helper [or Comforter] comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me.” (John 15:26) “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you.” (John 16:12-15)
The Bible is the Truth of God: “All Scripture is given by the inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16)
When a false teacher denies any of these truths - that there is only one true God; all of the Bible is given by inspiration of God; He sent His only begotten Son Jesus Christ “that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved” (John 3:16-17); and after Jesus died, was resurrected, and ascended to heaven, He sent His Holy Spirit to testify of Him, then they are blasphemers and will be held accountable to God, as Peter discusses later in this chapter.
This chapter of 2 Peter is a difficult one. It is difficult to read, and it is difficult to write about. However, Peter did write about this to warn believers in Christ that it is critical to beware of false prophets, false teachers and false doctrines so that we are not deceived and led astray. I think it is also no coincidence that in 1 Peter chapter 1, Peter spoke of the importance of prophecy. Fulfilled prophecy is confirmation for us that the word of God is true, for no one could prophesy with such accuracy all of the events that have happened hundreds and even thousands of years before they were foretold unless they were prophesied by God; only He knows the end from the beginning. He is truth, and belief in His Son Jesus is the only way to Him.
During His time of ministry, Jesus met a Samaritan woman at the well and was talking with her, which was not customary since Jews did not speak to Samaritans. He had asked her for a drink of water, and she had given Him some. After talking with her about the living water that only He can provide, He told her that she had had five husbands and the man she was with was not her husband. She told Jesus that she perceived He was a prophet. She said to Him:
“‘Our fathers worshipped on this mountain, and you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where one ought to worship.’ Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father. You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.’ The woman said to Him, ‘I know that Messiah is coming’ (who is called Christ). ‘When He comes, He will tell us all things.’ Jesus said to her, ‘I who speak to you am He.’” (John 4:20-26)
The word of God tells us what happens to those who reject the truth, and it is not good. In the book of Romans chapter 1 verses 18-32, it speaks of the consequences of those who reject the truth of God.
“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that He made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their own thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man - and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things.” (Romans 1:18-23).
The Scripture above clearly says that those who reject the truth of God are without excuse because everything that is made speaks to a Creator. I would say this is especially since the discovery of DNA and the realization of just how complex it is and how it demonstrates purposeful design by our great God and Creator.
This passage of Scripture also goes on to tell of three times that God gave them over and why:
Romans 1:24: “Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.”
Romans 1:20: “For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another…”
Romans 1:28-32: “And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful; who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.”
In the Scriptures above, I have emphasized in certain words bold text above. How many times just in the past few years have we seen prominent church leaders, including pastors and worship leaders, leave the church for the same reasons described above?
There is coming a day, and I believe it’s not far off, when the man of sin, the son of perdition, the final Antichrist will be the ultimate deceiver and will lead the majority of people alive at that time to destruction. He is the one “who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshipped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.” (2 Thessalonians 2:4) The apostle Paul tells us who will be deceived by him and why:
“For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed, when the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming. The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this reason, God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.” (2 Thessalonians 2:7-12)
This aligns perfectly with what Jesus told Nicodemus, a Pharisee and ruler of the Jews:
“He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come into the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.” (Jesus Christ; John 3:18-21)
For unbelievers, I cannot urge you strongly enough to turn to Jesus Christ and believe on Him as your Savior today, before it’s too late. Please, do not be deceived by the lies of Satan.
For my dear brothers and sisters in Christ, I leave you with the words of the apostle John, who tells how we can guard ourselves against false prophets and false teachers and not be deceived:
“Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world. You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. They are of the world. Therefore they speak as of the world, and the world hears them. We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.” (1 John 4:1-6) ✝️