False teachers always have an angle that slants in their favor. And the teachers Peter warned his readers about were coming into town for personal profit.
Daily Devotion
Latest Daily Devotions
Discerning the Truth
Since the beginning of time, they have been around. They come from every race. They have lived in every century. They have penetrated every culture. They have whispered their message behind closed doors and shouted it from the street corners. They have spread their poison one-on-one and before groups of thousands. They have used tablets, scrolls, books, radio, television, and the Internet to mislead anyone who will listen. False teachers have been and always will be among us.
The Inspired Word
OK, time for some theology. Put today’s passage under the heading “Inspiration of Scripture.” Peter’s words here serve as a proof text verifying God as the author of the Bible by using the pen and personalities of men. Check out this passage.
A Lamp Shining
The written Word of God, made more certain by fulfilled prophecy, is like “a lamp shining in a dark place.” The psalmist said it this way, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psalm 119:105).
Eyewitness Account
Peter was indeed an “eyewitness of [Christ’s] majesty” (2 Peter 1:16). While the false teachers invented clever stories, he spoke the very words of God. His firsthand account carried weight with the recipients of this letter…and is authoritative for us today.
Knowing What We Believe
The early church was saturated with false teachers. To gain a hearing, they devised clever stories that would appeal to their listeners. To the intellectuals, they philosophized. To the emotional, they told stories that grabbed the heart. To the spiritually naive and immature, well, anything worked with them. False teachers always skipped a significant doctrine (or two), but they could sure draw a crowd, so Peter made it clear that his message about Jesus was as an eyewitness.