Eyes Wide Open: 2 Peter 2:1-10a

Are There Any Consequences?
Lance Terry

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, 10a and especially those who indulge in the lust of defiling passion and despise authority…—2 Peter 2:1–10a (ESV)

Being a Jesus Follower includes endurance, trials, suffering, and obedience.
Meanwhile, it seems like many other people are living the way they want and enjoying life a lot more than we are without any consequences. We learn today that isn’t true at any level, because ungodliness always leads to destruction: their heresies are “destructive” (2:1), and the false teachers themselves are destined for “destruction” (2:1, 3).

WATCH—This clip from today’s message:

QUESTION— Have you ever had to “unlearn” something you once believed due to false teaching? How hard was that? Tell the group about it.

READ— 2 Peter 2:1-3, Deuteronomy 18:20 and James 3:1

QUESTION— The Old Testament condemnation of false prophets was based on
the sin of leading people away from God. How does that apply to false teaching about Jesus? Can a well-meaning teacher also be a false teacher?

QUESTION— According to 2 Peter 2:1-3 what characteristics of false teachers can
we identify?

QUESTION— 2 Peter 2:2 warns about sensuality. Why would Peter bring that up in connection with religious teaching?

QUESTION— 2 Peter 2:3 warns about greedy religious teachers who exploit people. Does that still exist today? Have you ever been victimized by that kind of teaching? Tell the group about it.

QUESTION—At the end of 2 Peter 2:3, he says, “their destruction is not asleep.”
Have you ever known someone who always seemed to get away with bad behavior? Did you ever see that in church?

READ— 2 Peter 2:4-9

QUESTION— Verses 4-10 are proof of creation’s accountability to God. How can
God be a loving God and still bring these kinds of severe judgments to bear?

READ— Luke 17:26-30

QUESTION— How do these words of Jesus help us understand 2 Peter 2:1-10?

DIG DEEPER: Jude and Peter
The single-chapter book of Jude bears great resemblance to Peter’s second epistle. Jude was the half-brother of Jesus and brother of James (see Matthew 13:55 and Mark 6:3). He was an unbeliever during Jesus’ ministry (John 7:3–5), but he became a believer sometime between Jesus’ resurrection and ascension (Acts 1:14).

There are many similarities between these two books. Chose two people in your
group and have one read the following passage in Jude followed by the other reader reading the corollary passage in 2 Peter:

Jude 4 and 2 Peter 2:1
Jude 6 and 2 Peter 2:4
Jude 7 and 2 Peter 2:6
Jude 8 and 2 Peter 2:10
Jude 9 and 2 Peter 2:11
Jude 10 and 2 Peter 2:12
Jude 12–13 and 2 Peter 2:17
Jude 16 and 2 Peter 2:18
Jude 17 and 2 Peter 3:2
Jude 18 and 2 Peter 3:3

Like Peter, Jude wanted Jesus to be glorified and for people to be saved. As you
conclude your Small Group meeting, pray for Faith Bible Church that we will stay
true to Jesus and always extend love and care to everyone.

MEMORIZE—
But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. 22 And have mercy on those who doubt; 23 save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh.—Jude 20–23 (ESV)