Notes: Doctrine from False Teachers (part one)
TEXT: 2 Peter 2:1–10a
TEACHER: Mark Driscoll
RELEASE DATE: June 21, 2009
Introduction
At the end of 1 Peter, we learned that the church is led by the Chief Shepherd (Jesus Christ) and includes shepherds (pastors), who feed and protect the sheep (God’s people). 2 Peter 2 introduces the wolves (false teachers).
“With the wolves you cannot be too severe; with the weak sheep you cannot be too gentle.” –Martin Luther
New Testament descriptions of false teachers: Phil. 3:2; Col. 2:8, 18; 1 Tim. 1:3–7, 19; 4:1–2, 7; 6:3–5; 2 Tim. 2:14–18, 23; Titus 1:10–14; 2 Pet. 2:1–3; 3:16; 1 John 2:18
False Teachers (2 Peter 2:1–3a)
Six indicators of a false teacher (only one characteristic is needed to qualify as a wolf):
- Heresy – False belief regarding a primary Christian doctrine (for example, monotheism, the Bible is God’s Word, the Trinity, human sin, Jesus–pre-existence, fully God and fully man, born of a virgin, sinless life, bodily resurrection–salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone)
- Sensuality – Loose living, condoning and encouraging sin
- Blasphemy – No fear of God, which leads to slander of God (for example judging God by criticizing the Bible)
- Greed – Profiting from the popularity of false teaching
- Lust – Practicing sexual sin and/or encouraging others to do so as well
- Despise Authority – Living as your own ruler, rejecting discipline
God’s Response to False Teachers (2 Peter 2:3–6)
- Destruction
- Condemnation (like the demons, the flood, Sodom & Gomorrah)
God’s Response to the Righteous (2 Peter 2:5-9)
- Preserved like Noah
- Rescued like Lot
A heretic claims to be a Christian but holds a false belief on a primary Christian doctrine.
A heretic is not…
- Someone who professes to be a non-Christian.
- A new Christian humbly sorting their theology out.
- Someone who disagrees over a secondary doctrinal issue (e.g. Bible translation, mode of baptism and communion, preaching format, church governance, women in ministry, spiritual gifts).
- Someone who made a mistake that was inconsistent with their belief.
- Someone who repented of false doctrine.
These people should be kept in the church and disciplined and/or instructed.
A heretic is…
- Someone who claims to be a Christian.
- Someone who holds a false position on a primary doctrinal issue.
- Someone who knowingly holds a false doctrine.
- Someone who habitually continues in false doctrine.
- Someone who will not repent or recant.
- “They can’t be a heretic because they are successful so God must be blessing them.”
- “Everyone is entitled to their own opinion” (pluralism).
- “We are supposed to love everyone” (tolerance).
- “We are not supposed to fight.”
- “They can’t be a heretic because they’re a very nice person.”
- “They’re not a heretic––they’re a hero for standing up against authority.”
- Unholy and unhelpful apologetics and discernment ministries
- Ruled by fear
- Rigid eschatology (“end times” theology)
- Guilty of globalizing (blowing things out of proportion)
- Make accusations based on “guilt by association”
- Shoddy research, quote out of contexts, believe lies
- They fight over styles and secondary issues
- They hide behind the Internet and media
- What experiences have you personally had with false teachers?
- Are you guilty of believing false teaching about any doctrines?
- Are there any false teachers with whom you need to stop interacting?
- Is there anyone you need to apologize to for wrongly judging?
- Are you more likely to consider virtually no one or virtually everyone a heretic?
- What can you do to grow in the truth and discernment?
These people need to be rebuked and removed from the church before their following grows.
Two Errors Regarding Heretics
#1. Virtually no one is a heretic.
Mistaken thinking that leads some to believe that virtually no on is a heretic:
#2. Virtually everyone is a heretic.
Common characteristics of people who think virtually everyone is a heretic:
Everyone is a theologian. We are either believing and behaving that which is true, or believing and behaving that which is false.
