False Teachers: An Internal Threat

Dearly beloved congregation of our Lord Jesus Christ, we saw last week what a true prophet looks like. Essentially, he speaks from God as he is carried along by the Holy Spirit. Prophecy is not a result of the prophet's own interpretation of things. But here's the thing: fake news, fake prophecy, appeared right alongside the real prophecy that was going on in that era. Yes, holy men of God spoke — but so did unholy servants of Satan who were pretending to be true prophets! So Peter transitions from his account of true prophecy to his warning against false prophecy and false teaching that's going to occupy the rest of this chapter. The point is simple: There will be false teachers among us. This is nothing new, but it is something risky and destructive. Don't be surprised by false teachers, and don't believe their falsehoods!