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Proverbs 10:11-21
11 The mouth of the righteous is a well of life, But violence
covers the mouth of the wicked.
12 Hatred stirs up strife, But love covers all
sins.
13 Wisdom is found on the lips of him who has
understanding, But a rod is for
the back of him who is devoid of understanding.
14 Wise people
store up knowledge, But the mouth of the foolish is near destruction.
15 The rich man's wealth is his strong city; The destruction of the poor is their poverty.
16 The labor of the righteous leads to life, The wages of the
wicked to sin.
17 He who keeps instruction is in the way of life, But he who
refuses correction goes astray.
18 Whoever hides hatred has lying lips, And whoever spreads slander is a fool.
19 In the multitude of words sin is not lacking,
But he who restrains his lips is
wise.
20 The tongue of the righteous is choice silver; The heart of the
wicked is worth little.
21 The lips of the righteous feed many, But
fools die for lack of wisdom.
Father God, give us discernment so we can reject false
doctrine. In Jesus name we pray, Amen!
Book of II Peter 2:1-11
NKJV
Before I get started with this week’s lesson I need to
correct a misstatement in last week’s lesson. This verse that I misread was
called to my attention by my mother; Matthew
17:1 Now after six days Jesus took
Peter, James, and John his brother, led them up on a high mountain by
themselves.
I read this as John being Jesus half brother which isn’t the case although base
on the New Testament we know that Jesus did have four brothers and at least two
sisters. Do you see how we as humans can get pulled from the truth and head
south on the trail of life? This is why we need to know Gods Word and study it
constantly, because through reading and study the truth is revealed. This fits
in perfectly with the second book of Peter, because this book is all about
false teachers and doctrine that man has devised.
So here are some verses that support that Mary had other
children after Jesus was born although she was a virgin before Jesus birth, but
did not die as a virgin like so many believe. Let’s start out with this verse
verifying that Mary did have marital relations with Joseph. Matthew 1:25 and did not know her (did not have marital relations) till she had brought forth her firstborn Son.
And he called His name JESUS. Mark 6:3 Is this
not the carpenter, the Son of Mary, and brother of James, Joses, Judas, and
Simon? And are not His sisters here with us?" So they were offended at
Him. John 2:12 After this He went down to
Capernaum, He, His mother, His brothers, and His disciples; and they did
not stay there many days. (This verse separates his brothers from
disciples, brethren, apostles, etc.) Galatians
1:19 But I saw none of the other
apostles except James, the Lord's brother Jude 1:1
Jude, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, To those who are
called, sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ: (Jude was a brother of James, who was
one of the leaders in the early church. Both of these men were Jesus' half
brothers.). Here is a list of other verses to look up pertaining to Mary having
other children. Matthew 13:55-56; John 7:3-5;(speaks of Jesus half brothers); Acts 1:14; 1
Corinthians 9:5.
Along with the false doctrine that Mary died a virgin, there
is doctrine out there that says she was sinless. She needed a Saviour just like
you and me. Let’s go to Leviticus
12:1-8
(look up and read) which speaks of a sin offering for cleansing after women
gave birth to a male or female child. Mary was practicing the law of God
because she was a sinner just like every other human being with the exception
of Jesus Christ our Saviour. This verse verifies this; Luke 2:22 Now when the days of her purification according
to the law of Moses were completed, they brought Him to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord. Mary needed
a Saviour just like the rest of us do which is stated in Luke. Luke 1:46-47 And Mary said: "My soul magnifies
the Lord, 47 And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.
So you see we need to read the Bible for the truth. Any
time someone tells you not to read the Bible or a denomination has to teach
you, beware, they may be hiding something from you and keeping you away from
Jesus. If you truly want to know the truth, ask for Jesus help. Matthew 7:7-8 "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will
find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks
receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. So we need
to grow in our faith and get grounded in the Word of God. Let’s see what Peter
has in store for us in chapter two which starts out with destructive doctrines
and the doom of false teachers.
1 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.
But there were also false prophets
among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you; Jesus had
told the disciples that false teachers would come (Matthew 24:11; Mark
13:22-23).
Peter had heard these words, and at this time he was seeing them come true and
we also see them today. There are many in this world today that only teach the
cotton candy gospel that brings no conviction or correction to the lives of the
people they are to be shepherding. Just as false prophets had contradicted the
true prophets in Old Testament times (see, for example, Jeremiah 23:16-40; Jeremiah 28:1-17), telling people only what they
wanted to hear, so false teachers were twisting Christ's teachings and the
words of his apostles.
Who will secretly bring in destructive
heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction; These
teachers were belittling the significance of Jesus' life, death, and
resurrection. These teachers allowed and even encouraged all kinds of
immorality, especially sexual sin. We must be careful to avoid false teachers
today. Any book, DVD, tape/cd series, or TV message must be evaluated in the
light of God's Word. Beware of special meanings or interpretations that
belittle Christ and the Cross. False teachers will teach some true Doctrine,
and then cleverly include false teaching with it. It is the introduction of
false teaching alongside the True that makes it very subtle, and rescind/annul
the Truth. All false teachers will bring eternal destruction upon their souls.
2 And many
will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be
blasphemed.
And many will follow their destructive
ways; Peter
states here that many will follow a wolf, and why is that? Is it because they
are lazy and don’t want to read and study God’s Word for the truth; do they not
care about their life beyond death; maybe they never heard of the Gospel; maybe
they were taught not to believe? There are many reasons and this is why as a
child of God we are commissioned to spread the true Gospel.
Because of whom the way of truth will
be blasphemed; Most people follow false teachers probably due to this more
than anything else, and that is if someone is teaching, the audience believes
they know what they are talking about. False teachers are viewed as professors
of religion and that is what people want, religion. They don’t want to be told
they are living a sinful life. In this way the truth is blasphemed.
3 By
covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words; for a long time their
judgment has not been idle, and their destruction does not slumber.
By covetousness they will exploit you
with deceptive words; Covetousness simply put is to gain
dishonestly. Covetousness is a grave sin, so wicked that Scriptures class it
among the very gravest and grossest crimes (Ephesians
5:3).
In Colossians 3:5 it is
“idolatry,” while in 1Corinthians
6:10
it is set forth as excluding a man from heaven. Covetousness is the mark of
cold-hearted worldliness.
So
what was going on that Peter made such a statement? Could it be money? Teachers
have a right to financial support (1Corintians
9:1-14;
Galatians 6:6; 1Timothy 5:17-18), but is money the teacher's or church
group's prime motivation? Before you send money to any cause, evaluate it
carefully. Is the teacher or preacher clearly serving God or merely promoting
his/her own interests? Will the person or organization use the money to promote
valid ministry, or will it merely finance further promotions or extravagant
lifestyles? If a teacher, preacher, or priest taught about how sinful we are
because of the inherited sin nature, how many people would follow them? Without
a following there is no money. As human beings we judge ourselves based on
other human beings lifestyles not according to God’s precepts, therefore we
like what is pleasant to our ears. We have false preachers on TV today that preach
a sugar coated message to keep money coming in to support their extravagant
lifestyle, so why wouldn’t it have been happening in Peter’s time? Is the leader
offended when you ask for the scriptural backing behind his/her statements?
Does he/she fudge on the facts when asked for evidence?
For a long time their judgment has not
been idle, and their destruction does not slumber; What Peter
is telling us here is that the judgment of false teachers does not go unnoticed
by God. It may seem that way, but at some time in the future they will stand
before Jesus and they will be condemned for eternity, unless they come to repentance
by learning the truth.
4 For if
God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them down to hell and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment;
The
point in this verse and the next few is, that if God punished the angels who
revolted from Him, it is a fair conclusion that He will punish wicked people
even though they were and are professors of religion and not the true Gospel.
Peter
appeals, therefore, to the case of the angels that had revolted. Their former
rank, dignity, nor their holiness, saved them from being thrust down to hell,
and if God punished them so severely, then false teachers could not hope to
escape. The revolting angels Peter is referring to here is undoubtedly the
revolt in heaven referred to in Jude
1:6 And the angels who did not
keep their proper domain, but left their own abode, He has reserved in
everlasting chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day.
What
Jude is referring to is when these revolting angels left their place in Heaven
and cohabitated with the women of the earth before the flood. (Genesis 6:1-4) These angels are bound up someplace
in the deep abyss and are awaiting final judgment which will result in being
thrown in the Lake of Fire forever.
5 and did
not spare the ancient world, but saved Noah, one of eight people,
a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood on the world of the ungodly;
This
verse is a continuation of verse 4 simply stating that God only saved 8 people
during the flooding of the world. God wipe the people out of the ancient world
due to their wickedness and the cohabitation of the revolting angels. God
didn’t want any of this wickedness to go on any longer. Even though Noah
preached righteousness to the people, they wouldn’t listen just like the people
of Jesus and the Apostles time, and even today people don’t want to hear the
true Gospel therefore they bring judgment upon themselves.
6 and
turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them to destruction, making them an example to those who
afterward would live ungodly;
Here
is another example of ungodly people that God wiped off the face to this earth because
they were practicing sodomy.
The fate of Sodom and Gomorrah is used as a warning to those who reject the
gospel (Mat_10:15; Mat_11:24; 2Pe_2:6;
Jud_1:7). The sin of
sodomy is an offense against nature, meaning anything sexual other than what
God intended for procreation. If God wiped out Sodom and Gomorrah, then why
won’t He do it again with what is going on in the world?
7 and
delivered righteous Lot, who was
oppressed by the filthy conduct of the wicked
Lot
is called “righteous,” because he preserved himself uncontaminated amidst the
surrounding wickedness. As long as he lived in Sodom he maintained the
character of an upright and holy man. The corruption of Sodom was open and
shameless; and as Lot was compelled to see much of it, his heart was pained.
The word “oppressed,” means that he was wearied or burdened; the crimes of
those around him he found it hard to bear with.
8 (for that
righteous man, dwelling among them, tormented his righteous soul from day to day by seeing and hearing their lawless deeds)—
This
verse is telling us that Lot was a righteous person, living in surroundings of
sexual sinfulness, and his soul was tormented daily by the sinful acts that he
saw and heard. Why then did he and his family continue to live there?
Theologians contend it was to be an influence on the people around him, preach
to them, try to get them to change their ways, to be a light in a dark city.
9 then the
Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the
unjust under punishment for the day of judgment,
With
the examples above, we can rest assure that if we place our faith in what Jesus
did for us on the Cross he will deliver us from our temptations, sins, and
corrupt surroundings just like He delivered Noah and Lot’s families, but the
unjust will be preserved for judgment day.
10 and especially those who walk according to the
flesh in the lust of uncleanness and despise authority. They are presumptuous, self-willed. They are not afraid to speak
evil of dignitaries,
And
especially those who walk according to the flesh in the lust of uncleanness; This verse is a continuation of verse
9 in describing the unjust. They are those that walk after things of the world
to satisfy the lust of their flesh.
And
despise authority; They
despise the authority of Jesus Christ and His way.
They are presumptuous,
self-willed; They are
arrogant, prideful, and have all the answers.
They
are not afraid to speak evil of dignitaries; They have no fear of speaking out against the Gospel,
Jesus, and God.
11 whereas angels, who are greater in power and
might, do not bring a reviling accusation against them before the Lord.
Whereas angels, who are greater in
power and might; Meaning greater than mankind.
Do not bring a reviling accusation
against them before the Lord; Meaning angels just state the facts to God. They
abhor all vulgar and violent language.
Colossians
1:16
For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth,
visible
and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers.
All things were created through Him and for
Him.
Romans
3:23 for
all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
Romans
6:23
For the wages of sin is death,
but the gift of God is eternal
life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
John 3:3 Jesus answered and said to him, Most
assuredly, I say to you,
unless
one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."
The
Lighthouse Full Gospel Church
Sinners
Prayer; Pray this, and if you believe it with your heart, Jesus will save you!
“Lord Jesus I know I am a
sinner. I confess my sins to you; I am
sorry for my sins; I repent (Meaning, desiring to turn from a sinful
lifestyle.) of all my sins, and I am asking for your forgiveness. I believe that only you can forgive sin. I commit my life to you and ask you to come
into my heart, direct, and take charge of my life. I believe that you died to set me free from
my sinful lifestyle and you rose from the dead to give me eternal life, and
right now you are seated at the Right Hand of God Almighty. I believe you are
the Son of God; the only Way, the only Truth, the only Life, and my
Savior.” I believe this and have faith
you will make a new person out of me, by sending the Holy Spirit to dwell in my
heart and lead me in a new life. In Jesus name I pray Amen.”
(John 3:16,17; Romans
3:23; 6:23; 5:8; 10:9-13; Ephesians
2:8-10; 1 John 5:11-14; 1:6-10)
(Sin: Rom. 1:22-32; Gal. 5:19-21; Eph.
5:3-7)
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