But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there
will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive
heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift
destruction on themselves. Many will follow their depraved conduct and will
bring the way of truth into disrepute. In their greed these teachers
will exploit you with fabricated stories. Their condemnation has long been
hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping. 2 Peter 2:1-3
False
prophets (or teachers) have been around since the Old Testament (Balaam for
example). They are individuals who
preach a different gospel, saying it’s the true gospel. When Peter wrote his letters, there were a
number of false prophets claiming to know the truth about Jesus and corrupting
the church. In 2 Peter, Peter dedicated
a whole chapter to false prophets and some characteristics about them.
1.
They deny the Lord
(verse 1)
2.
They have depraved
conduct (verse 2)
3.
They are greedy and
exploit people with fabricated stories (verse 3)
4.
They are arrogant
(verse 10)
5.
They blaspheme God
(verse 12)
6.
No one can reason with
them (verse 12)
7.
They find pleasure in
what they are doing (verse 13)
8.
They seduce the
vulnerable (verse 14)
9.
Their words are empty
and appeal to the desires of the flesh (verse 18)
10.
They promise freedom
but they are slaves of depravity (verse 19)
In other words, stay away from
such a person. They are still around
today so be careful who you follow and see if they display any of these
characteristics.