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)

As we turn to chapter 2, we find Peter switching from defence to offence. Previously he was defending the Apostolic witness to Jesus and the inspired prophecies of scripture as reliable. Now he is speaking of false teachers who are unreliable, and seeking to show why they ought not be trusted.

In the days in which the Old Testament was written—there were not just Spirit-inspired prophets around, but also false prophets. Jeremiah often had skirmishes with the false prophets of his day who prophesied peace and restoration as he prophesied exile (e.g. Jeremiah 28). Elsewhere, false prophets prophesied victory where the Lord’s prophets spoke of defeat (e.g. 1 Kings 22:1-40).

Interestingly though, Peter does not dignify the people he is speaking about with the term “prophet.” Instead he calls them “false teachers.” Perhaps they were not claiming to speak in the name of the Lord or hold inspiration from God. Perhaps they were merely deviating in what they believed and taught about the Lord. This may not have seemed so bad, but Peter would like to show how destructive this really is.

It seems that these false teachers denied any need to live a moral life that was distinct from the pagan world around. But if there was no difference between the Christians and the pagan world around them—what positive witness to Christ could they bring? They may as well deny their master even as they “bring the way of truth into disrepute.”

In this regard, the letter of Peter still brings a pretty stiff challenge into our lives today. The first chapter speaks of virtues we must add to our faith. Chapter two flips the coin over. For those whose lives don’t change at all in light of the faith and love given by God in Christ—and especially for any who teach that that’s OK—“swift destruction” is in store, says Peter.

Much of the hottest internal church fights we have as Christians are drawn up on this battle line. Where must we become a “contrast community,” rejecting cultural norms for the sake of Christian virtue and where does the grace and transformation of Christ redeem cultural forms and norms such that they can be used?

There are no easy answers. But in the very least, we must know that the problem cannot be solved to one absolute extreme or the other. We cannot live in such radical contrast that we become cut off from our culture entirely, for then we cannot witness within that culture to Christ (e.g. John 17:15), nor can we totally and unquestioningly embrace everything that our culture provides—an extreme that Peter defends against—because then we no longer witness to anything distinctive about Christ.

Tending to this balance takes wisdom cultivated within the community of Christ through much Bible reading and prayer. In fact, already in that action of prayer and scripture we begin to faithfully hold the tension as we do something Christianly distinct from the world around us.

As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:

Grace and peace to you many times over as you deepen in your experience with God and Jesus, our Master. Grow in the grace and understanding of our Master and Savior, Jesus Christ. Glory to the Master, now and forever! Amen! (2 Peter 1:2; 3:18 MSG).

For we did not follow cleverly devised stories when we told you about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ in power, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. He received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with him on the sacred mountain. We also have the prophetic message as something completely reliable, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation of things. For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit (2 Peter 1:16-21).

Today’s text elaborates and adds onto yesterday’s theme of ‘remembering’, shaping our understanding of Holy Scripture. Peter is remembering what he saw and heard. His teaching is rooted in history, history that he lived. His writings are not hearsay or ‘cleverly devised stories.’ All the apostles are giving testimony to what they witnessed, ‘the majesty of Jesus Christ’. Each of the New Testament books is attributed to one of these apostles. Paul was the last apostle, “as one abnormally born” (1 Corinthians 15:8). Jesus appeared to him on the road to Damascus. Our trust in the New Testament lies in this fact, the authors had personal interaction with Jesus.

Peter then takes us further back in time. We should heed the word of the prophets, who spoke about this Jesus. Of course, not remembering, but by looking ahead. We should listen to their prophecies and believe them because they were directed to write by the Holy Spirit, who also empowered Jesus himself. Then Peter teaches us something important: as God inspired and motivated the prophets, we need him to reveal truth to us.

He uses the analogy of a light which shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises. God’s Word comes to shine in our hearts when we are in darkness. We do not understand it until it breaks through into our hearts like the dawning of the day when the morning star arises. The Holy Spirit who inspired the prophets, empowered Jesus, guided the apostles, now breaks through the darkness of our hearts with the light of Scripture.

What a marvelous experience to have the light of God’s Word shine in our hearts as the Holy Spirit reveals Jesus to us! Paul writes about this too, “For God…made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ” (2 Corinthians 4:6). We enjoy the marvelous experience of allowing the Holy Spirit to reveal Jesus to us through God’s Word. The Bible becomes alive to us when that happens.

If we are bored with Bible study, or if we are unable to understand what God is saying through a passage, practice what Peter is encouraging us to do. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal truth to us. Allow the light to shine into the darkness and expect the truth to emerge as the day dawns and the morning star arises. And hang out with God’s people, for the Bible belongs to the church and is for the church. Where two or three are gathered in Christ’s name, he is with them (Matthew 18:20).

As you journey on:

Grace and peace to you many times over as you deepen in your experience with God and Jesus, our Master. Grow in grace and understanding of our Master and Savior, Jesus Christ. Glory to the Master, now and forever! Amen! (2 Peter 1:2; 3:18 MSG).

A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is Daniel 1.