2 Peter 2:1-3 (ESV)
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.
False Prophets and false teachers, one and the same. They will arise Peter tells us here. They will come, we need to be on the look out for them. The thing about heretics is they are rarely original. They lead people astray with the same teachings that their forefathers led people astray with. Why reinvent the wheel?
One of the biggest, most destructive heresies that I see ravaging the church today is Chiliasm, the Jewish myths, Paul a Jew, warns Titus about, more commonly known as Millennialism. I run into it over and over again in different circles. The fear it breeds is horrendous. The political turmoil it feeds is horrific. It was these myths that led many of the Jews of Jesus’ day to miss their messiah, when Jesus refused to be their earthly king. He does not come to set up an earthly kingdom. He will not come to set up an earthly kingdom. There was a reason he refused these from Satan in the desert. He is not interested. He is not interested in perpetuating this evil age dominated by law. He will come again. There will, I suppose be a rapture of sorts, but it will not be a secret pulling of the faithful from a seven year tribulation, so that we can return to set up a shoddy government to perpetuate the torture and pain of this world. Why people are so drawn to these teachings is beyond me. Perhaps it is their fantastical character, and the way they work into fascinating narratives that teach other false doctrines concerning the nature of man and his salvation? I don’t know.
What I do know is that Jesus has paid for my sins on the cross. That he is king, but his kingdom is not and will never be of this world, and someday when he has finally had enough of the evil in this world he will return again to destroy it and bring his disciples home to heavenly glory with him. And for that I can’t wait. In the mean time watch out for the false prophets, and teachers who come to destroy you and lead you astray.
3 comments:
This heresy too, it should be said, is a bedrock for the entire Mormon Heresy. Mormonism is rife with it. Food storage is a big thing around here.
My neighbors had two years worth of food stored in the basement.
She had to continually cycle her wheat so that it would not all get old, milling it herself and baking it off, as if she did not have enough to worry about already. When they moved the whole driveway was full of all the buckets.
Somehow, she managed to do all this cheerfully even if futilely.
I think the reason for this earthly kingdom and predicting of political events is to prove to themselves and others, somehow that their faith and the Bible is true via fulfilled prophecies. Every event can be hyped and used to prove the faith and get a little puffed up. It is part of the witness. This will happen, we have this inside knowledge, you must flee, prepare, fear, stick with us. I will have gained something in my work-righteousness scheme, when I have scared you right into my faith. I have now brought fruit.
The fact that it is Christ's mission for the forgiveness of sins, and how it was predicted and fulfilled and goes on, which is a very nice proof and goes to the heart of the matter, is just not as "interesting". The heart will be captured by one thing or another. You can spew all kinds of nonsense based on the daily news. It is completely irritating and really separates you from those who are wrapped up in this.
Brigitte,
Exactly. Yet I am often left wondering, what kind of faith is this? It isn't faith it is fear. And I remember reading somewhere that God doesn't give us a spirit of fear.
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