Tares

2 Peter 2:1 But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction. 2 And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed. 3 By covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words; for a long time their judgment has not been idle, and their destruction does not slumber. 4 For if God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them down to hell and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment; 5 and did not spare the ancient world, but saved Noah, one of eight people, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood on the world of the ungodly; 6 and turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them to destruction, making them an example to those who afterward would live ungodly; 7 and delivered righteous Lot, who was oppressed by the filthy conduct of the wicked 8 (for that righteous man, dwelling among them, tormented his righteous soul from day to day by seeing and hearing their lawless deeds)-- 9 then the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment, 10 and especially those who walk according to the flesh in the lust of uncleanness and despise authority. They are presumptuous, self-willed. They are not afraid to speak evil of dignitaries, 11 whereas angels, who are greater in power and might, do not bring a reviling accusation against them before the Lord.

The most insidious threat to any entity or a person always comes from the inside. It is the unknown, unseen, hidden enemy that has the potential to cause the most damage.

For any person, it is the hidden disease, which becomes firmly entrenched before presenting any symptoms. For any establishment, it is someone seeking their own agenda over and above the goals of the group.

Worse is when the enemy appears as a friend, using familiar terminology, and calling you by name.

All of these things are bad when we encounter them in the world. But, as Peter relates, when the consequences involve eternal life – then we are talking about something else entirely.

Who would associate themselves with the church, and then begin to teach the church in ways which undermine faith and lead to eternal damnation? What would be the draw for that person to undertake a knowingly false cause?

These are the questions Peter answers, because he knows it is bound to happen. Jesus said there would be tares in the church, and Peter heard Him say it. If there will be tares in the church, it shouldn’t surprise us there can also be one in a pulpit.

Peter calls them out before they can do harm, and tells us to do the same.

-Pastor Bill