2 Peter 2:15-16

[clark thompson]

[h=1]2 Peter 2:15-16King James Version (KJV)[/h]15 Which have forsaken the rightway, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, wholoved the wages of unrighteousness;
16 But was rebuked for hisiniquity: the dumb *** speaking with man's voice forbad the madness of theprophet.
<o> </o>
New European Version
15 Forsaking the right way, they wentastray, having followed the way of Balaam the son of Beor, who loved the wagesof wrongdoing. 16 But he was rebuked for his own transgression: a dumb assspoke with a man's voice and hindered the madness of the prophet.<o> </o>Text and commentary © 2010 DuncanHeaster
dh[at]heaster.org
These are my thoughts, please share yours.

15 They backslide as many call it; they gone from God’s will not just opensins. Now the way of Balaam this leads to open sins, perhaps idolatry perhapslust and adultery perhaps others evils but this shows there backslidden statewas more than no doing God’s will it was doing something against God’s will. Weare going to sin and perhaps backslide but we do need to consider that notdoing what God wants from us and going from it is a backslidden state just asmuch as falling into a sin, we should be careful not to put ourselves first.Unrighteousness is anything that is against God’s will or plan.

16 This is referring back to the story of Balaam. Balaam was a false prophetnot one called by God but God caused him to go mad a share a message God hadgiven him. We should not wait till God has a donkey talk for us to turn fromsin and back to Him.

 

[Travis]

Hey Clark,

I'm going to provide the whole chapter of 2 Peter 2 here for ease of reading:

2 Peter 2:1-22 ESV
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. 4 For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to chains of gloomy darkness to be kept until the judgment; 5 if he did not spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah, a herald of righteousness, with seven others, when he brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly; 6 if by turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to ashes he condemned them to extinction, making them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly; 7 and if he rescued righteous Lot, greatly distressed by the sensual conduct of the wicked 8 (for as that righteous man lived among them day after day, he was tormenting his righteous soul over their lawless deeds that he saw and heard); 9 then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgment, 10 and especially those who indulge in the lust of defiling passion and despise authority. Bold and willful, they do not tremble as they blaspheme the glorious ones, 11 whereas angels, though greater in might and power, do not pronounce a blasphemous judgment against them before the Lord. 12 But these, like irrational animals, creatures of instinct, born to be caught and destroyed, blaspheming about matters of which they are ignorant, will also be destroyed in their destruction, 13 suffering wrong as the wage for their wrongdoing. They count it pleasure to revel in the daytime. They are blots and blemishes, reveling in their deceptions, while they feast with you. 14 They have eyes full of adultery, insatiable for sin. They entice unsteady souls. They have hearts trained in greed. Accursed children! 15 Forsaking the right way, they have gone astray. They have followed the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved gain from wrongdoing, 16 but was rebuked for his own transgression; a speechless donkey spoke with human voice and restrained the prophet's madness. 17 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."​

I think the topic of the whole chapter is about "False Prophet's," and "False Teacher's," as Peter puts it.

I've met a few men (and women) whom I'm are pretty sure are false prophets and false teachers. These type of people are tares amongst the wheat. The thing about tares though, is that they look a whole lot like wheat. Sometimes it's really hard to tell the difference. It's not until things start to get mature and ripe that it becomes more easy to see which is which.

Every single one of these people I have met, whom I consider as such, seem to really believe that they are doing the work of God. If you tried to tell them they were in error, they would not believe you for one second, and would have a quick rebuttal to get you off their back. Those who are false prophets, deceiving other people, are themselves usually the most deceived of all. That's why, when they come before the Lord some day, they will say:

Matthew 7:22 ESV
On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?'​

They are so deceived that they really believe they are doing the work of God, for their whole life, when instead they are serving Satan the whole time. It's quite tragic if you ask me.

But, the key point is that they will infiltrate the church and secretly introduce these things. They do it from the inside. At first, they appear to be the real deal, saying the right things. But, the Truth is not in them. So, to one who is observing this thing from a third person perspective, it looks as if someone who is a part of the church is departing from the faith and going into error. But in reality, they were never a part of the church:

1 John 2:19 ESV
They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us.​

That's what I think anyway,

Grace to you,

Travis