The Lie that Exists in Contemporary Christianity: Part Two

There exists a lie in contemporary Christianity that they serve everyone that wants to listen: you can be saved through your own decision to believe in Jesus Christ, and without transformation. Come as you are and continue to be as you are. No one will ever tell you how to live your life, Bible reading is optional, some will say that the Bible is not needed anyway because the spirit will teach you everything, the Bible then is only a hindrance. We are still talking about churches that have at least something of the gospel still intact. But they are being influenced by the seeker sensitive movement where the message no longer is the gospel, but one can believe that they are sitting with their therapist being confirmed or with their mother stroking them to sleep. This has nothing to do with the gospel, this is only about deceit, tickling their ears, let us read some warnings of the NT about this lie.

1 Timotheus 4:1–4

Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils: Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron (1 Tim. 4:1–2).

These false teachers have always been here with us, and Paul is warning all of us to look out for these that depart from the faith and are speaking lies and doctrines of devils, having consciences seared away.

We see this also in the OT, we have Jehu of whom the LORD says: “And the LORD said unto Jehu, Because thou hast done well in executing that which is right in mine eyes, and hast done unto the house of Ahab according to all that was in mine heart, thy children of the fourth generation shall sit on the throne of Israel. But Jehu took no heed to walk in the law of the LORD God of Israel with all his heart: for he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam, which made Israel to sin (2 Kgs. 10:30–31). God says that King Jehu has done well in that he has done what is right in God’s eyes and according to God’s heart, but Jehu was not transformed, he still walked in the sins of Jeroboam. It seems like the OT here is describing people that do what God wants but still are not transformed, their heart is not God’s, they are fulfilling the law of God in deeds but not with their inner self, with their heart, they are doing what is right in God’s eyes for their own gain. They know the letter of the law but not the heart of the law. They do not love the LORD with all their heart, and with all their soul, and with all their might. Much like many in Christendom today. Isaiah said: “Wherefore the LORD said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men” (Isa 29:13).

Jesus when he came said the same thing to the scribes and Pharisees that they worshiped in vain (Matt. 15:7–9). And all worship that is not by heart will be vain and meaningless and damnable. The scribes and Pharisees they taught human traditions that made the law of God meaningless and void, but today it is something completely different, today they deny the law of God, his Word, and believe that love is above everything, this love defined by the society, which has no concept at all about anything, this wisdom is empty and meaningless, leading nowhere.

The Bible gives a similar testimony about King Amaziah, the Chronicles say: “And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, but not with a perfect heart (2 Chr. 25:2). Here is the Hebrew adjective שָׁלֵם (shalem) translated with “perfect,” and its meaning is “intact,” “untouched,” “complete,” “perfect,” “whole,” “undivided”. Amaziah did what was right in the sight of the LORD but not with a heart that was perfect, or undivided; LSB is translating with “yet not with a whole heart.” He was not wholly God’s, and God does not settle for less than all of our heart; we all have to remember that. We will look at this later on, that when God does his transforming work, he is giving us a new heart, he takes out the heart of stone and is giving us a heart of flesh that does all that God wants, undivided.

For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables (2 Tim. 4:3–4).

Here is Paul warning Timothy about the days when certain people in the congregation will stop enduring sound doctrine, it sounds like today, they do not want to listen to sound doctrine that the church has taught for two thousand years, but they will heap for themselves teachers that will give them the message their hearts crave, and turn their ears from the truth to myths and fables (μῦθος | mythos), which BDAG defines as a “narrative or story without distinction of fact or fiction,” this is opposed to what the Greek called λόγος (logos), which is the truth of history, and remember that our Lord is called λόγος, the Word, and by him all is made, and in him is life. This is opposite to truth, they are turning from the truth to lies, because they cannot endure sound doctrine, that is what we are seeing today, they hate what the Bible has to say about sin, about man’s depravity, and they are trying to rewrite the narrative, the story, to call what the Bible claiming is sin a wrong understanding of reality; Paul did not know what we know and experience; what they are proposing as a narrative is in truth fables and myths. And there are heaps of teachers that will with joy agree with the lies and myths, their searing consciouses not working anymore. Let us turn to the truth.

Titus 1:16

They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate (ἀδόκιμος) (Tit. 1:16).

This is a perfect description of many members in today’s congregations. They profess to know God, they have to do that to become members, but in work they deny God, being abominable, here is the Gk. noun βδελυκτός used meaning “pers. or thing that stirs up feelings of repugnance, abhorrent, detestable,” LXX has it in Prov. 17:15 which maybe can help us gain a better understanding, “He that justifieth the wicked, and he that condemneth the just, even they both are abomination to the LORD.” The Hebrew word translated to βδελυκτός (bdelyktos) in LXX is תּוֹעֵבָה (toevah) meaning “abominable thing, detestable thing of practice.” Here in Proverbs the abominable thing is to call evil good and good evil, here in Titus we have people who profess to know God but in work and deed deny him, that is in a way the same thing. To profess to know God and still deny him, that is truly evil, and these are unto any good work unfit, being both disobedient and detestable. Verse 15 in Titus says that: “unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled,” these defiled and unbelieving do profess and deny the same God, which is a horrible evil; If a parent would do that to their own child we would be horrified, to get a perspective on this. That is what many do today, they call good evil, and evil good. This is something we see so clearly in our society today, and now in our churches. Just think of how they call abortion something good, they call it healthcare, they call it women’s right; if any country or state takes the side of the child, they are calling that evil. That is to call evil good and good evil. Therefore, is Paul calling them unfit or unqualified for any good work.

Philemon 3:18–19

(For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are enemies of the cross of Christ: Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things) (Phil. 3:18–19).

It is not clear to whom Paul is referring, but it seems plausible that it is so-called Christians or at least people that in one way or another influenced the congregation, they understand the Christian faith, they have no open hostility, they seem to be false teachers that are enemies of the cross of Christ. How is that even possible? The cross of Christ is the wisdom of God, our salvation through faith, and these are enemies of the cross, of the whole salvation. The end of those is destruction, there is judgment in Paul’s word, and their God is their belly, in contrast to the message of Christ to that, “if any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me” (Matt. 16:24), these will never take up the cross of Christ, they are worldly and fleshly in their mind, straight through. Their glory is in their shame, they worship sensuality and pleasure, just as Jude describes that, “ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ” (Jude 4), and they boast and glory in everything that is shameful (αἰσχύνη | aischynē).[1] It talks about men that are boasting and glorifying in that which is dishonoring and shameful, they only have earthly things on their mind, and James says that friendship with the world is enmity with God (Jas. 4:4).

Paul is weeping over these enemies of the cross of Christ, and we see them today, they want to belong to a congregation, they are not hostile, they have knowledge, but they are enemies of the cross of Christ, because the cross of Christ is not only the tree itself but everything the cross stands for. The whole purpose of God, the whole atonement, the death of Christ, his resurrection, the justification by faith alone, that salvation is by grace alone, the whole counsel of God, the gospel itself. Let us see that, they want everything but not the cross and what it stands for, these are not regenerated or transformed, these are enemies of the cross of Christ living only for earthly things believing that heaven is here on earth.

James 4:4

Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God (Jas. 4:4).

We have forgotten what James is reminding all of us, that friendship with the world is enmity with God. But the church’s only wish seems to be to be friends with the world. It is very clear in their message, they prefer friendship with the world, prefer it before God. Because everyone can read, so either they deny the word of James or they do not care, because it is not hard to understand. They cannot even hide behind some meaningless notion that James is talking to someone that had a problem then, and that the context here has no bearing on us today, like they do with Paul and the ministry of women and now today with homosexuality. They love their excuses. And James is pretty direct with what he is calling them that want to have a friendship with the world, they are adulterers and adulteresses, there is nothing worse than to destroy the covenant of marriage in having a sexual relationship with someone other than one’s spouse, the whole OT is a description of a kind of spiritual adultery, where the people of Israel continuing in adultery against their true husband, the LORD. The people are unfaithful, and God is punishing the people, you see it in the wilderness, you see it under the divided kingdom, spiritual adultery and punishment. James is clear, there is no middle ground, either you are unfaithful, or you are not. Friendship with the world is enmity with God, is adultery.

Friendship is translated from the Gk. noun φιλία (philia) with meanings such as “love,” “friendship,” the friendship is what we call deep and of which we only have with a few people. Abraham was called “the Friend of God” (Jas. 2:23; φίλος Θεοῦ; cf. Isa. 41:8). And Jesus says to his disciples, “but I have called you friends (φίλος (philos)); for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you” (John 15:15). This is the type of friendship that James talk about, and they have that kind of friendship with the world, which is why they are enemies of God. The Gk. noun for enmity here is ἔχθρα (echthra) meaning “hatred,” “hostility,” “enmity,” “aversion,” it is a rather strong word that James is using.

John is saying the same thing as James: “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever” (1 John. 2:15–17). Therefore, friendship with the world, love of the world is clearly seen as enmity with God, that the love of God is not in the one loving the world. It is really a serious thing that we shall separate ourselves from the world, Paul is saying the same thing in 2 Cor. 6:14: “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?” and he continues to let us know that we shall be separate, ”for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you” (2 Cor. 6:16–17).

I am both mourning and upset with the contemporary Christianity that is trying to be friends with the world while the Bible is so clear that it is impossible, forbidden, it is prohibited, it is a sign that the love of the Father is not in them, it is spiritual adultery, it is enmity with God, and still does the church not listen. I am so devastated over this. This is the sign that the church has many so-called Christians that are not transformed, that are not Christians at all. They want what God can give and provide, his love, his understanding, his forgiveness, his blessing but not God himself, him they deny (Tit. 1:16).

Peter 2:1–3

But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not (2 Pet. 2:1–3).

Peter is warning the congregation about false prophets (ψευδοπροφήτης | pseudoprophētēs), they have always been around us, we met them in the wilderness, in the kingdom, in the gospels, and now too among us in the church as false teachers (ψευδοδιδάσκαλος | pseudodidaskalos). Jude is a parallel to 2 Peter, so please consider reading them together. God hates every man that distorts his Word (Rev. 22:18–19), and falsehood have always tried to distort the Word of God, “Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?” (Gen 3:1), but God has never tolerated false prophets or false teachers (Deut. 18:20), they were condemned to punishment (Jer. 14:15). These false teachers will 1) teach damnable heresies, 2) deny the Lord Jesus Christ that bought them, 3) they will bring swift destruction upon themselves, 4) many will follow them, 5) in speaking evil over the way of truth, 6) and they will exploit the church in greed.

These will παρεισάγω (pareisagō), “bring in someth. that becomes an addition to someth., bring in, introduce,” which is damnable heresies; Peter is using a very strong Gk. noun here ἀπώλεια (apōleia) meaning “destruction,” “annihilation,” “ruin,” the heresies are to ruin and destruction. The term is used by Jesus in Matt. 7:13 where the gate is wide that leads to destruction (ἀπώλεια), and Judas is described that way with “the son of perdition (ἀπώλεια)” (John 17:12), as is the son of sin who is “the son of perdition” (2 Thess. 2:3), and the vessels of wrath is fit for destruction (ἀπώλεια) in Rom. 9:22, we saw it above in Phil. 3:19 whose end was destruction. This heresy they are bringing in are to utter destruction, to ruin, it is the judgment of God. And false teachers are not always easy to capture, we need discernment, because even a subtle but false message will condemn us to a damnable eternity.

And they are doing the unthinkable, denying (ἀρνέομαι | arneomai)[2] their Master (δεσπότης | despotēs).[3] How is that even possible? Even if they do not deny his deity, the atonement, or the resurrection they are denying his sovereign lordship over their life, plainly speaking, Jesus Christ is not Lord over them, he is refused and disregarded. 2 Pet. 2:1 does not acknowledge that Jesus Christ died for all, because he would not die for them that are in hell, and the text says that they are on the way to utter destruction. Jesus Christ died for the elect, there is no other way. Spurgeon is clear in his message regarding the Arminian and the reformed view of the atonement:

We are often told that we limit the atonement of Christ, because we say that Christ has not made a satisfaction for all men, or all men would be saved. Now, our reply to this is, that, on the other hand, our opponents limit it: we do not. The Arminians say, Christ died for all men. Ask them what they mean by it. Did Christ die so as to secure the salvation of all men? They say, “No, certainly not.” We ask them the next question—Did Christ die so as to secure the salvation of any man in particular? They answer “No.” They are obliged to admit this if they are consistent. They say “No, Christ has died that any man may be saved if”—and then follow certain conditions of salvation. We say, then, we will just go back to the old statement—Christ did not die so as beyond a doubt to secure the salvation of anybody, did he? You must say “No;” you are obliged to say so, for you believe that even after a man has been pardoned, he may yet fall from grace, and perish. Now, who is it that limits the death of Christ? Why, you. You say that Christ did not die so as to infallibly secure the salvation of anybody, We beg your pardon, when you say we limit Christ’s death; we say, “No, my dear sir, it is you that do it. We say Christ so died that he infallibly secured the salvation of a multitude that no man can number, who through Christ’s death not only may be saved, but are saved, must be saved, and cannot by any possibility run the hazard of being anything but saved. You are welcome to your atonement; you may keep it. We will never renounce ours for the sake of it.[4]

Jesus has not bought them that deny him. The text also says that many shall follow in the paths of the false teachers, and we see that, man wants to boast, be autonomous and independent, and rather serve himself than our sovereign Lord, and Jesus says that only those who do the will of his Father in heaven will enter into the kingdom, it does not matter if the false teachers and followers has called Jesus: “Lord, Lord,” he has never known them (Matt. 7:23). What paths are they leading them on? They are leading them on paths of licentiousness, wanton violence, insolence, and brutality, what KJV is describing as pernicious, and that is very true, all of this is harmful, and because of this will the way of truth be evil spoken of. How many Christian leaders have we not seen fallen in licentiousness, so that the truth has been evil spoken of, and many of these have had greed as a motivator; we see this behavior in the so-called faith healers that profit on people’s infirmities and sickness, they are in way trafficking everyone they can deceive for their own gain, it is an unspeakable evil. Their false reasoning sounds like true biblical doctrine to the one not knowing the Word of God and who lacks discernment, so pray everyone for discernment from God that no one will be deceived by these false teachers.

But fear not, the judgment of God is at hand and their destruction and ruin (ἀπώλεια) do not slumber; it will come. Peter is giving many examples of how the Lord has punished the sinning angels, the Old World with the flood, Sodom and Gomorrah, the Lord knows how to save the righteous and reserve all the unjust, the false teachers to the judgment day, to be punished.

2 Peter 2 is about false teachers and judgment. We can be sure that this is an important topic if Peter is dedicating a whole chapter to it, and then it should likewise be important for us to study. Please read the whole chapter, and preferably together with the Epistle of Jude.

For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error. While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage. For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them (2 Pet. 2: 18–21).

John MacArthur writes in his commentary something true about these false teachers, “they treat the historic, Scripture-based doctrines of the church with contempt (cf. Jer. 6:16). Instead of proclaiming biblical orthodoxy, they promote their own self-styled novelties, methods, and doctrines. They purposefully distance themselves from the past, arrogantly endorsing some new-fangled approach to ministry, and often claiming private revelation from God in its defense.”[5] This is what we see today in contemporary Christianity where they discard everything the church has taught, and they all have new private revelations. Peter says that they speak with swelling words of vanity, meaning what is empty, without value, what is without purpose; remember that everything God does have a distinct purpose, this is the total opposite of what God does and is. How then do they allure their victims? Through ἐπιθυμία (epithymia) meaning “a great desire for something,” or like in this case a strong desire for something forbidden, “lusts of the flesh,” and through ἀσέλγεια, we met the same word above; here it is again, through much licentiousness. This is what the false teachers have to offer, many will follow, because Christianity where sin is allowed, where all blessings just are to receive, that is what the unregenerate want. The ones following these false teachers are those that are untransformed in our churches trying their best to be better by themselves; they will only fail, especially if they are following these false teachers.

The false teachers promise them freedom, but them themselves are living in bondage to sin, they are slaves to corruption (φθορά | phthora), this is a strong word with many meanings, like “corruption,” “destruction of a fetus,” “ruination of a person,” “depravity,” “destruction,” all definitions are about some form of destruction, they are slaves. Because by what a man is overcome, by this he is enslaved. These have no freedom to offer since they are not free themselves, or from sin, they only have bondage and judgment to have and give.

In a way have their so-called ministry in the church made them escape some of the pollution (μίασμα | miasma, this noun denotes stain or defilement by murder or crime, something that defiles a person), of the world, and we know that there is nothing in the world worth having. So even if they have escaped some of the world’s pollution through their knowledge of Christ, are they again entangled in the world, and overcome, outside of our Lord we will always succumb to emptiness, to the lusts of the flesh and the eyes. And this state is much worse for them since they know the truth and still turning their back at the savior, the end is worse than the beginning, their punishment more severe (Luke 12:47–48). Peter is saying that it would be better if they not even had known the way of righteousness than known it and turned away from it.

MacArthur writes: “Apostate teachers, as Peter describes them, actually develop from within the church where, partially exhumed from the muck of society’s wickedness, they hear the truth but ultimately reject it. Like Judas Iscariot, they breed in close proximity to Jesus Christ and His Word—cloaking themselves in the feigned righteousness of hypocrisy. Ultimately, they use the church solely for their own selfish purposes, like spiritual parasites, seductively seeking to drag as many as possible down with them, to the fiendish satisfaction of the hosts of Satan (cf. 1 Tim. 4:1–2).”[6] Stay away from these false teachers.

1 John 3:8–10

He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot (δύναμαι) sin, because he is born of God. In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother (1 John 3:8–10).

John in his first Epistle gives us a way to discern who is of the devil and who is born of God. It is very important to discern that. The purpose of Jesus Christ was to destroy the works of the devil, and whosoever that have been born (ὁ γεγεννημένος)[7] of God does not make (ποιέω | poieō) sin, this Greek verb is in an active indicative form which means that we cannot go on living in sin. We can sin, and we do sin, since we still live here on earth, born by the Spirit but still in the flesh, still in the body of sin, but we cannot live in sin, continue to produce sin in our life, practice sin, that is impossible, because the seed of God remains in us, this is the seed of the spiritual life that the Holy Spirit gives us in regeneration. The born-again man cannot practice sin because he is born of God. Here is John using the same verb he used in his gospel when he states, “that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father” (John 6:55), the Gk. verb is δύναμαι (dynamai) meaning “to possess capability,” so it is a very strong word by John, the one born of God is not capable of practicing sin, it is an impossibility, just like it is impossible for a man to fly. We understand, therefore, why some are so adamant in trying to make what the Bible calls sin to a non-sin. They do not want to give up their sins, they want to live in their sins, which the Bible says is impossible; and if we discern what they are saying, then we can conclude only one thing: They are not born of God.

John says that this is the dividing barrier, the one that practices righteousness is of God and the one that does not practice righteousness is of the devil. Every man is either of God or of the devil, we saw this at the beginning, even in the garden, “And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed” (Gen. 3:15), there is the seed of the woman, those born of Christ and God, and those born of the serpent, the seed of the devil. But he that loves his brother is of God, and how does John define this love, “By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous” (1 John 5:2–3).[8] We are never going to come around this whatever one thinks, the law, God’s commandments is still valid, and to keep them is to love God and only the one who loves God will keep his commandments.

Revelation 3:4–19

And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God; I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent (Rev. 3:14–19).

The congregation in Laodicea did not receive a favorable letter from Jesus by the hand of John, they had lost their first love, they are neither warm, nor cold, they are indifferent. That is one of the most severe sins we can commit, to be indifferent. Indifferent to our sin, to God and his holiness, to our brothers and sisters in the Lord, to the cross, to everything that God deem important. Today indifference is rampant in the church, no one cares anymore about the Bible, or about its testimony about our sins. It is so apparent today the indifference, an indifferent person is only indifferent regarding God and everything that has anything to do with him, they are not indifferent to making money, continue in sin, they are passionate about all the emptiness the world gives them, only to God is man indifferent. This man has need for anything from God, they believe that they are so good, and nice, and loving, and caring, and that everyone else are hateful, hard, and unloving.

The church in Laodicea made our Lord sick to the stomach that he wants to spue them out of his mouth. Many in our churches are showing signs of belonging to Laodicea, they are not cold and hateful against the Lord, they are definitely not warm with love for the Lord either, they are not passionate about the kingdom, they are indifferent, they are nothing, they are empty shells, they believe that they are saved, they believe that they are walking on the path of righteousness, because they lack all understanding of the true spiritual. Christ is saying just that, they have no understanding of their spiritual health, because they think that they are rich in everything while Christ says that they are lacking in everything important. He is counseling them to buy gold that is tried in fire, which is free of impurities, and white garments so their nakedness and shame would be concealed, and to anoint their eyes with eyesalve that they may see for maybe the first time in their life, now they are stone blind in their indifference.

And the Lord says something that not many like to hear or experience, that the one he loves he also rebukes and chastens, and this does the Lord to make them be zealous and to repent from their sins and indifference. True repentance can only the Holy Spirit generate in man, “And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment” (Joh. 16:8). Christ could have come with judgment, but he came with a warning and a solution, and invited them to newness of life in him, and repentance. Listen to him.

Notes

[1] This Greek noun αἰσχύνη has in Brill a definition by Isocrates: “disgraceful act, rape, sexual violence.”

[2] Peter know all too well what the term ἀρνέομαι means, that is the term used by John to describe his denying of Jesus, it means to “to deny,” “to repudiate,” “to refuse, “to disregard,” “to renounce”.

[3] Peter is not using the term κύριος for the Lord here but δεσπότης meaning “1. one who has legal control and authority over persons, lord, master” “2. one who controls a thing, owner”. We are slaves of Christ.

[4] C. H. Spurgeon, Spurgeon’s Sermons (Hendrickson Publishers, 2011), No. 181 Particular Redemption.

[5] MacArthur, 2 Peter and Jude, 2 Peter 2:17–19.

[6] John F. MacArthur, Jr., 2 Peter and Jude (Chicago: Moody Publishers, 2005), 2 Peter 2:20–22.

[7] This is a perfect passive participle, that means that God begets us, it is a monergistic work by him, we have nothing to do with that, all glory to our God.

[8] Seed is a very important theological term, both in the OT and the NT, and many Bible translations hide this fact in trying to make the text, in what they believe, more comprehensible to the modern reader, therefore do I invite you to read either the KJV or LSB that does not hide this very important concept.[