Personal Rights
Week of July 3, 2011
Bible Verses: Philippians
3:17-21; 2 Peter 2:10-19.
Lesson Focus: This
lesson is about how to overcome ungodly, self-serving, enslaving, and
ultimately destructive behavior that mimics freedom.
Self-Indulgence Described: 2
Peter 2:10-14.
[10] and especially
those who indulge in the lust of defiling passion and despise authority. Bold
and willful, they do not tremble as they blaspheme the glorious ones, [11] whereas angels, though greater in might and
power, do not pronounce a blasphemous judgment against them before the Lord. [12] But these, like irrational animals, creatures
of instinct, born to be caught and destroyed, blaspheming about matters of
which they are ignorant, will also be destroyed in their destruction, [13] suffering wrong as the wage for their
wrongdoing. They count it pleasure to revel in the daytime. They are blots and
blemishes, reveling in their deceptions, while they feast with you. [14] They have eyes full of adultery, insatiable
for sin. They entice unsteady souls. They have hearts trained in greed.
Accursed children! [ESV]
[10-11] Verse 10a functions as a
transition to verses 10-16, and two reasons for the judgment declared in verses
4-9 are identified: the sexual sin and rebelliousness of the false teachers.
Verses 10b-16 unpack these two themes in reverse order: the arrogance of the
teachers in 10b-13a and their sensuality in 13b-16. The rebelliousness of the
false teachers is communicated with the two terms: Bold and willful. The two words overlap in meaning. Together they
could be translated “boldly arrogant.” The false teachers were blessed with an
extraordinary confidence, but unfortunately this confidence was not leavened
with wisdom or humility. The arrogance of the false teachers is reflected in
that they were not afraid to blaspheme
the glorious ones. Verse 11 functions as a contrast with verse 10 where angels [11] is contrasted with glorious ones [10]. This contrast
indicates that the glorious ones are
evil angels since it is clear that the angels
in verse 11 are good angels. The false teachers had no fear in reviling evil
angels. But good angels, on the other hand, even though they were greater in might and power than evil
angels, did not venture to utter a negative judgment from the Lord against
these evil angels. Good angels leave the judgment of the evil angels to the
Lord. In conclusion, the false teachers did not fear demonic powers. Peter
called them glories, not because
they were good but simply because they were created by God Himself, even though
subsequently they fell into sin. Perhaps the teachers did not tremble before
them because they disbelieved in their existence. This would fit nicely with
the skeptical worldview they adopted about the coming of the Lord [3:3-7]. Or
they may have ridiculed any idea that human beings should be frightened about
the power of spiritual beings. By way of contrast, good angels do not even
declare God’s judgment against evil angels. They leave it with the Lord. The
angels do not venture to declare a judgment from the Lord, but they entrust the
fate of demons to the Lord’s judgment.
[12-14] The false teachers prided
themselves on their insight and wisdom. In contrast (But) to their high estimate of themselves, Peter compared them to irrational animals. The irrationality
of the teachers is emphasized in the phrase creatures of instinct. Like animals, the opponents operated on the
basis of desires and feelings instead of reason. Peter considered the fate of
animals that are hunted. They are born to be captured and destroyed by human
beings. The false teachers were comparable to animals since the latter are
bereft of rationality. The teachers believed they were reasonable, but they
displayed their foolishness in criticizing what they did not comprehend (matters of which they were ignorant).
Verse 12 concludes by identifying the fate of the opponents with the fate of
animals. The false teachers would experience destruction, just as animals are
eventually captured and destroyed. The fate of hunted animals is a picture of
the fate of the wicked. Verse 13 contains a string of participles and
adjectives explaining why the false teachers will be judged. The first clause
indicates that the teachers would reap what they sowed. Those who live
unrighteously will be injured by God at the last judgment. The theme of
sensuality emerges in the next clause. The opponents were so consumed by and
fascinated with evil that they could not even wait until dark, the time when
evil is typically practiced. They make evil an all-day affair and even use the
daytime, the period when ordinary people work, to indulge in their pleasures.
Peter called the teachers blots and
blemishes emphasizing that they stained and defiled the church. At the
conclusion of the letter Peter exhorted his readers to be precisely the
opposite of the teachers; instead of being blots
and blemishes, they should be found to be without spot or blemish [3:14]. Peter identified the teachers’
participation in the church as deceptions.
When they ate together with other believers, presumably in meals that culminate
in the Lord’s Supper, they were deceitfully pursuing their own pleasures rather
than seeking the good of others. Peter continues to give reasons why the
teachers deserved judgment and continues to support the main clause in verse
12: they will also be destroyed. The
focus on sensuality also remains. Peter’s language is vivid and arresting.
These people looked at every woman, considering them as a potential candidate
for adultery. The next clause, insatiable
for sin, is connected with the phrase eyes
full. The idea is that they had eyes that never ceased from sin. Presumably
their lust for other women was still intended, though perhaps their greed for
material things was also included. The adverse affect the teachers had on
others is expressed in the words they
entice unsteady souls. The word entice
hails from the world of fishing and hunting, where bait is used to snare an
unsuspecting fish or animal. Since the verse directs our attention to sexual
sin and greed, perhaps the teachers enticed people to sin by promising them
that they could live for sexual pleasure and the material comforts of this life
without any thought of judgment. Such a theology seemed too good to pass up for
the unsteady soul, and they
swallowed the bait quite eagerly. The sins of the false teachers take center
stage in the next phrase, though Peter shifted from sexual sin to covetousness.
They had hearts trained in greed.
These people devoted energy and practice to greed, and now it was a fully
developed habit. Having listed all of these sins, Peter returned to the
consequence of such behavior. There were accursed
children. In other words, they were under God’s curse. Again and again the
theme of judgment surfaces, for this is the reality the teachers denied, and
Peter wanted to arouse his readers so they would take it seriously and
repudiate the teachers.
Self-Indulgence Rebuked: 2
Peter 2:15-19.
[15] Forsaking the
right way, they have gone astray. They have followed the way of Balaam, the son
of Beor, who loved gain from wrongdoing, [16]
but was rebuked for his own transgression; a speechless donkey spoke
with human voice and restrained the prophet's madness. [17] These are waterless springs and mists driven
by a storm. For them the gloom of utter darkness has been reserved. [18] For, speaking loud boasts of folly, they
entice by sensual passions of the flesh those who are barely escaping from
those who live in error. [19] They
promise them freedom, but they themselves are slaves of corruption. For
whatever overcomes a person, to that he is enslaved. [ESV]
[15-16] Forsaking the right way implies that they were once part of the
people of God. They had gone astray like Israel of old. They are now following
the way of Balaam. The donkey’s
speaking to Balaam indicates that Balaam had less insight into what God was
doing than his animals. The narrator in Numbers suggested that Balaam’s
intentions in going were impure, that he desired financial reward [Num.
21:15-20]. The point of the story is that the Lord sovereignly spoke through
Balaam to bless Israel, even though the prophet desired to curse God’s people.
The false teachers, like Balaam, were not leading God’s people in the righteous
way but in the way of the flesh. Peter’s point here was that Balaam loved
money, that a desire for material gain governed and motivated his prophetic
ministry. Similarly, the false teachers were driven by greed. The most humorous
dimension of Balaam’s story is featured by Peter. While he was traveling to
meet Balak, under the cloak of false piety and motivated by greed, his donkey
instead of Balaam perceived the threat from God’s angel and complained about
Balaam’s mistreatment. The donkey’s complaints were a rebuke because he
perceived the spiritual reality (the threat of death), while Balaam, the
prophet, was oblivious to the danger. The only sane way to respond to the false
teachers is to reject their lawless course because every Bible reader knows
what finally happened to Balaam. He was ignominiously slain while fighting
against Israel [Num. 31:8]. A similar destiny awaited the false teachers, and
hence Peter’s readers should repudiate their teaching.
[17-19] Peter now turned to the effect
the false teachers had on others, especially recent converts to the gospel. In
the intense heat of the Middle East a spring would be a haven for the thirsty
traveler. He would experience frustration and disappointment upon seeing that
the spring that promised water was dried up. Peter reflected on the teaching of
the false teachers. They promised satisfaction for thirsty souls, but in the
end they left people parched and in need. The mists driven by the storm is an expression that is parallel to the
first one in the verse. The mists promise water that is so desperately needed
in a dry climate, but the wind sweeps through and drives the hazy mists away,
leaving the land parched. In both instances the teachers did not deliver on
what they promised. They pledged harmony and produced dissonance. Peter then
returned to the theme of judgment. False teaching was not a light matter. Utter darkness is reserved for those
who propagate error. Peter continued to press home the future judgment of the
teachers. The false teachers were attempting to seduce recent believers so that
the latter renounced their devotion to the gospel. The for gives another reason the teachers would be consigned to the gloom of utter darkness, namely,
because they maximized their evil by including others in their evil ways. The
teachers were waterless springs and a hazy mist because they did not lead
people to truth but into error. Instead of giving them an inclination for the
truth, they gave recent converts a delight in error. The two modifying clauses
are both instrumental, explaining how the teachers baited their hook to lure
away recent converts. The false teachers enticed recent converts in three ways:
(1) with boastful speech; (2) with invitations to indulge the flesh; and (3) by
promising freedom. Those who are weak are often susceptible to the assertive
confidence of others, even if such confidence flows from arrogance and sin.
Ultimately their arrogant speech is futile since anything that deviates from
the truth is destined to fail. The words of the teachers breathe confidence,
but in the end they will rue their own prescriptions. The second clause refers
to the sensual passions of the flesh.
The teachers probably lured recent converts by teaching that no judgment was
forthcoming. And if there was no judgment, it followed that morality was
irrelevant. People could live however they wished since judgment is an
illusion. The door was opened, then, to sexual sin at every level. The
participial clause in verse 19 gives the third means by which the teachers
seduced those who had recently joined the church. They promised freedom,
particularly by removing moral restraints – especially, it seems, in the realm
of sexuality. The freedom they promised others was an illusion because they
were slaves of corruption because they
were controlled by their sinful desires. The verse closes with an explanation
of why they were slaves: for whatever
overcomes a person, to that he is enslaved. Peter’s meaning is clear. If
people cannot overcome certain habits and sins, they are slaves to such things.
How could the teachers proclaim a message of freedom when they were unable to
extricate themselves from sin? Their lifestyle contradicted their message.
Self-Indulgence Rejected: Philippians 3:17-21.
[17] Brothers, join
in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example
you have in us. [18] For many, of whom I
have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the
cross of Christ. [19] Their end is
destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with
minds set on earthly things. [20] But
our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus
Christ, [21] who will transform our
lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to
subject all things to himself. [ESV]
Earlier Paul urged
the church to imitate Christ [2:5-11]; here he urged the Philippians to imitate
him. The theme occurs in other places in Paul’s writing, but it seems awkward
to the present-day Christian. There is no egotism here, as two factors in the
text make apparent. First, he realized that they would follow other Christian
models as well: keep your eyes on those
who walk according to the example you have in us. Second, verses 1-16
reveal that imitation is the literary style Paul used. He recalled his own
experience to persuade them to follow him. To state that they should follow him
was no more prideful than the pattern he employed in this chapter. It rather
grew out of it. In addition, Paul urged them to imitate others who were
like-minded. In Paul’s absence they were to find other models who were true to
his commitments. The principles Paul taught worked in the lives of their
friends, who could be followed in Paul’s absence. Paul delivered his final blow
against the false teachers in verse 18. Emotion characterizes the text, and
Paul confessed his tears as he wrote. It is the only recorded instance that the
apostle Paul cried. Why was there such emotional involvement with these
deceptive teachers? Paul described them and then explained their
characteristics. He was sad, first of all, because he had to make repeated
warnings about them. They apparently followed him about, seeking to entice
people away from the truth. Doubtless, repeated efforts to counter that brought
on fatigue. Second, he called them enemies of the cross. The statement must
mean more than that they refused to accept the cross as God’s way of
reconciliation. It means that they actively opposed the message of the cross
and hindered those who would take advantage of its work. Paul cherished the
cross. For him, the fact that the false teachers did not cherish the cross
revealed who they were. Apparently these teachers were his own people who
should have accepted the Messiah, but they chose instead to hinder the truth
wherever they could. This was organized, active opposition to the gospel. Paul
exposed these teachers by revealing their character. Four statements explain
their theology and practice. The first characteristic looks to their eternal
condition which was destruction. The direction they were going was enough to
warn the church. The second and third characteristics point to the way they had
lived before that time. Paul points out their excessive food and sexual
pleasures. Since this is a Jewish context, the statement must refer to dietary
laws and circumcision of which they were so proud. They had become so
preoccupied with kosher foods that they spent more time contemplating them than
thinking about God. Similarly, they were preoccupied with their circumcision,
boasting of it wherever they went. Clearly, these matters engendered pride in
the teachers, and Paul criticized them severely. Finally, they minded earthly
things. Since they were earthly in orientation, their religious shortsightedness
came because they could not see beyond time into eternity. Paul ended this
comparison by presenting a Christian perspective. He specifically contrasted
the earthly with the heavenly. Paul stated that our citizenship is in heaven. The metaphor had rich meaning to the
Philippians. Immediately their thoughts would have turned to an analogy with
their earthly citizenship. They were proud of their Roman citizenship, but the
analogy would have conveyed more. Although citizenship may call to mind a place,
Paul used it of a people. They awaited the Savior from that citizenship. He
would come with power sufficient to subdue everything and with ability to
transform their bodies to be like his. Once again, Paul spoke of the
resurrection as the climax of his Christian experience. By implication, the
false teachers would not share in the resurrection of the just because their
expectations were earthly rather than heavenly. One final point occurs in verse
21. Paul focused on the physical body which would be transformed so that it
became like Christ’s body. Two factors are significant. First, the body is
destined for eternity. It should be treated accordingly, and people should not
make earthly existence in the body their ultimate concern. The tragedy of the false
teachers was, in part, that they did just that. They focused on some aspect of
the body that would not last beyond this life. Second, Paul’s hope involved a
physical transformation. His theology included the fact that redemption
culminated in a change of the body itself. The spirit was already in a
resurrection with Christ; the body awaited that change. This statement
reiterates the hope expressed in verse 10. The power of the resurrection would
be complete when Jesus exerted His power toward the bodies of believers. Paul
characterized the body now as one of humiliation. In so doing, he addressed the
limitations Christians have on earth. The body is not suited in heaven unless a
transformation takes place. In that sense, it symbolizes a Christian’s state of
humiliation. Someday, however, it will be a body of glory, fully suited to the
needs of heaven and displaying the glory of Christ Himself. This was a
significant hope, fully pastoral in motivation. It should have caused the
believers to press on until that great day.
Questions for
Discussion:
1. How does Peter describe
the false teachers in 2 Peter 2:10-19? Note how the false doctrines they
believed impacted the way they lived. It is always true that what we believe
influences the way we live.
2. Yet these false teachers
were able to entice unsteady souls in the church. How were the false
teachers able to do this? What three ways does Peter give in 2:18-19?
3. In Philippians 3:18 Paul describes
the false teachers as enemies of the cross of Christ. What four
statements does Paul give in 3:19 which describe the false teachers’ theology
and practice?
4. As it was true in Peter
and Paul’s day, so it is true today. There will always be false teachers within
the church [see Luke 21:8; 2 Peter 2:1; Jude 17-19] seeking to entice
unsteady souls. What can we do, both individually and in our local
churches, to protect ourselves from being led astray to believe false doctrines
and live a life that does not honor God?
References:
Philippians, Richard R. Melick, Jr., NAC, Broadman.
The Message of
Philippians, J.A. Motyer,
Inter Varsity.
1,2 Peter, Thomas Schreiner, NAC, Broadman.
The Message of 2
Peter & Jude, Dick
Lucas, Inter Varsity.