Topical Bible: Deceit: False Teachers: Sport Themselves With

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Topical Encyclopedia

In the New Testament, the issue of deceit, particularly as it pertains to false teachers, is addressed with grave concern. The apostle Peter, in his second epistle, provides a vivid depiction of these individuals who engage in deceitful practices, exploiting the faithful for their own gain. The Berean Standard Bible offers a clear translation of these warnings, emphasizing the moral and spiritual dangers posed by such individuals.

Biblical Context

The apostle Peter warns the early Christian community about the presence and influence of false teachers. In 2 Peter 2:13, he describes their behavior: "They will be paid back with harm for the harm they have done. Their idea of pleasure is to carouse in broad daylight. They are blots and blemishes, reveling in their deceptions as they feast with you." This passage highlights the audacity and shamelessness of false teachers who indulge in deceitful practices openly, without fear of reprisal or shame.

Characteristics of False Teachers

1. Deceptive Practices: False teachers are characterized by their use of deceit to manipulate and mislead believers. They present themselves as genuine leaders or prophets, yet their actions reveal a stark contrast to the teachings of Christ. Their deceit is not merely incidental but is a deliberate strategy to achieve their own ends.

2. Moral Corruption: The passage in 2 Peter underscores the moral corruption of these individuals. They are described as "blots and blemishes," indicating their impurity and the stain they bring upon the Christian community. Their revelry in deception is a testament to their lack of integrity and moral bankruptcy.

3. Exploitation of Believers: False teachers often exploit the trust and faith of believers for personal gain. They may use their position to acquire wealth, power, or influence, all the while leading their followers away from the truth of the Gospel. Their deceitful actions are a betrayal of the sacred trust placed in them by the community.

Spiritual Implications

The presence of deceitful false teachers poses a significant threat to the spiritual well-being of the Christian community. Their actions can lead believers astray, causing confusion and division within the church. The apostle Peter's warning serves as a call to vigilance, urging believers to discern truth from falsehood and to remain steadfast in their faith.

Response to Deceit

The New Testament encourages believers to be discerning and to test the spirits, as noted in 1 John 4:1: "Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world." This exhortation underscores the importance of spiritual discernment and the need to measure teachings against the truth of Scripture.

In summary, deceit, as practiced by false teachers, is a serious concern addressed in the New Testament. The apostle Peter's depiction of these individuals as reveling in their deceptions serves as a stark warning to the Christian community. Believers are called to be vigilant, discerning, and steadfast in their commitment to the truth of the Gospel, resisting the allure of deceitful teachings that lead away from the path of righteousness.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

2 Peter 2:13
And shall receive the reward of unrighteousness, as they that count it pleasure to riot in the day time. Spots they are and blemishes, sporting themselves with their own deceivings while they feast with you;
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

The Seventh Book
... being better in this respect than ourselves, though trained by heretical teachers. ...
they are drunken; if falsehood, they are most false; if deceit,, they are ...
//christianbookshelf.org/salvian/on the government of god/the seventh book.htm

Scriptures Showing the Sin and Danger of Joining with Wicked and ...
... not obeyed the voice of my teachers, nor inclined ... Flattery, beauty of pretended religion,
false witnessing and charging ... and skill of such wicked men is deceit. ...
/.../binning/the works of the rev hugh binning/section v scriptures showing the.htm

The Acceptable Sacrifice;
... fenced cities, they sat down before Jerusalem, which put them all under a great
consternation; but the king and princes upon this humbled themselves; the Lord ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/the acceptable sacrifice.htm

Upon Our Lord's SermonOn the Mount
... taught of old, and the miserable Teachers who are ... when his adversary makes a false
step, which ... these Christian cities, where deceit and fraud, oppression and ...
/.../wesley/sermons on several occasions/sermon 22 upon our lords.htm

A Holy Life the Beauty of Christianity: Or, an Exhortation to ...
... cannot wonder, that under such teachers, 'Christians learned ... covetous, to be treacherous,
and false, to be ... lasciviousness"this is a grand deceit, common, and ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/a holy life the beauty.htm

Regeneration by Faith. Of Repentance.
... God, and can gain nothing by deceit, because he ... in the present day do ecclesiastical
teachers act improperly ... To divest them of this false and pernicious opinion ...
/.../the institutes of the christian religion/chapter 3 regeneration by faith.htm

Period iii. The Critical Period: AD 140 to AD 200
... it as an object of derision, making sport of it. ... commit adultery or fornication,
nor bear false witness, nor ... Of these teachers and their followers we have not ...
/.../a source book for ancient church history/period iii the critical period .htm

Tit. 2:06 Thoughts for Young Men
... They try to believe it is false and useless, because they do ... quarrels, and divisions,
envy, jealousy, and malice, deceit, fraud, and ... Will you sport with hell? ...
/.../chapter xix tit 2 6 thoughts.htm

Directions to Church-Wardens, &C.
... common plays, or any other sport or pastime ... laid out without fraud, covin, deceit,
or gratifying ... All preachers and teachers of dissenting congregations, by the ...
/.../prideaux/directions to church-wardens/directions to church-wardens &c.htm

Against Jovinianus.
... and as virgins unspotted enjoyed the fellowship of the Lord were cast down into
the vale of tears, and sewed skins together to clothe themselves withal. ...
/.../jerome/the principal works of st jerome/against jovinianus.htm