#Was Joseph Smith deceived by an angel of light?
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Unpacking 2 Corinthians 11:14: Moroni vs. Deception
Moroni Appears to Joseph Smith in His Room (The Angel Moroni Appears to Joseph Smith), by Tom Lovell 2 Corinthians 11:14 and the Angel Moroni: Dispelling Myths About Satanic Deception Paul’s words in 2 Corinthians 11:14 caution us about Satan’s ability to disguise himself as an angel of light. This verse is often cited in criticism of Joseph Smith’s account of the Angel Moroni’s visitation,…
#2 Corinthians 11:14 angel of light#Angel Moroni and 2 Corinthians 11:14#Angel Moroni LDS perspective#Angel Moroni scriptural references#Angel Moroni vs angel of light#Biblical analysis of angel of light#Biblical verses cited by Angel Moroni#Differences between Joseph Smith and Muhammad#Does 2 Corinthians 11:14 refer to the Angel Moroni?#Evangelical criticism of LDS doctrine#False apostles in 2 Corinthians 11#Fruits of the restored gospel in Joseph Smith’s teachings#Historical evidence of the Angel Moroni’s visitation#How do Latter-day Saints interpret the angel of light?#How does the Book of Mormon testify of Christ?#How Joseph Smith encountered the Angel Moroni#Joseph Smith angel of light claim#Joseph Smith Book of Mormon origins#Latter-day Saint view on 2 Corinthians 11:14#LDS explanation for angel of light accusations#Paul’s warnings about false apostles and LDS beliefs#Testing spirits in 1 John 4:1#Was Joseph Smith deceived by an angel of light?#What does 2 Corinthians 11:14 mean in context?#What scriptures did the Angel Moroni quote?#Why do critics compare Joseph Smith to Muhammad?
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Anonymous: THE L33T, part 2/5
[Transcript by Fearless One]
So. We now know a bit more about the elites of today and what they believe and do. Lets look into the plan for the New World Order they are calling Global Government and International Community today. It has 3 parts to it. It is the same three parts they have always tried to bring into practice through history. You can see the exact schemes. The exact chess moves repeated by them time and time again. In every facet of life.
The first part. One government is already in place. As we saw earlier thanks to the 10 kingdoms under the UN which is controlled and owned by the Vatican. We are all under the ownership of the Jesuit Vatican. The only thing to do now is tear down all the countries and kingdoms we fooled masses think we live in today. To get us all on board.
The next part which is happening now. One currency. This is the reason why the dollar is being dissolved. The planned destruction called the migrant crisis we see today with the middle east and Africa is due to a war planned well before the seventies. Just another crusade to destabilize countries. De populate. Destroy history again so they can once again re write it. They have always destroyed historical sites and hospitals and schools. For centuries. For thousands of years. This is what they have done. The same elite Jesuit Blood Line. All of the divisions they force on us and corral us into. They use against us. They create divisions of every kind. One every level. Then, they will put forth the idea of change. Whatever the change is, it will ensure more safety. Or more peace. Or more wealth. Whatever you need to hear to follow the wolf in sheeps clothing. They create a problem. Then they give you the solution. So they do now with the collapse of the dollar. World Police. World Government called Community. And coming up next. One Religion.
Because of time restrains we will not be able to cover much history of the elite as we are focused on exposing them and what they are doing today. In this movie.
The original name for this elite group and the one they use to call themselves in secret today. Is the Synagogue of Satan. Changed to Synagogue of Zion. Changed to Scribes. Pharisees. Sadducees. And so on. Long before they were called Jesuits. They were called Magi. Jesuit means Magi or Magick which is the study of the satanic occult. Called Kab allah today. It is alchemy. Astrology. Mysticism. Occult. To be a true Jesuit or Magi, you must be in the blood line, just like their relatives the Spartans. They keep the blood pure. Further, the candidate must be deemed worthy. Usually depended on their financial status combined with occult power. They study astrology and use many symbols in all that they do. Signs and Symbols rule the world. It is a code.
The star is probably the most popular one. The Star of Solomon which represents Saturn. Apollo. Baal. Nimrod. Osiris. The god of the Sun who is El. or. Satan. The hexagram and the pentagram are both Luciferian symbols with different and extensive meanings. As all symbols. If you want to be awake. Then you better know the meanings of the symbols they brain wash us with subliminally and blatantly.
So. The Magi, short for Maju siya, who were sorcerers, magicians, astrologers from Persia in and long before 4 BC. In that time, they were called kings. It is just another term for priest. They are magicians. Masters of deception. They always rename, because they know it confuses those who are not vigilant. A rose by any other name. We must be awake.
The power structure or government they use calls for two leaders. In the Vatican today we see a Black and White Pope. When they ruled ancient Egypt there was a Priest and a King. Before that when they were still in the woods of Germany and called the Pannonians after their god Pan who is Lucifer. They used a Kagan and Bek. Then they moved to Rome and created the General and a Chaplain. Military and Religion. The Puppet Military Force and Master of the Mind. We hope you can see which is the more powerful. And stop feeding the trolls.
Alakazar once warned: “The audience will always look where the magician looks. The magician must never look at what he wants to conceal. The audience will treat as important what the magician treats as important, and as unimportant what the magician treats as unimportant.”
One Egyptian high priest, Kartir, led a crusade to purify Zoroastrianism. This is what the elite called their religion at that time. Kartir led a crusade to do what crusades do. Depopulate. Force populations into a certain government or religion. No different than the crusade going on today. He carved the Zoroastrian teachings on rock faces of mountains, which can still be seen in Iran and throughout the middle east today. The Zoroastrians believed fire was sacred and Kartir limited the use of fire by the real Jews, including flames used in lamps. They tried to dominate education among the Jews and destroyed synagogues. Are you starting to see how nothing changes. The elite are not Jews.
Persia was invaded. The Zoroastrian priests decided they needed a new religion again. They chose a devout Roman Catholic named Muhammad to study and become a disciple of the Kab Allah. The elite erased the name they went by from his copies of their documents, and created Muhammad as the new Zoroaster. Jesuit. Poster Child. As usual. It is all exposed in their own writings. The quran details it entirely. Do not be upset. They did the same thing with every religion. They used Ignatius Layola as the new face of Jesuits to do the name change. Once again. What do you expect. Religion is an indoctrination. A brain control program. And we have no one to blame but ourselves.
At this time in Egypt. The Jesuit priests. Called Zoroastrians at this time. Decided to change their god Nimrod to Horus and Osiris whose eye we see at the top of their pyramid. Sun worship dominated Egypt just as it dominated every empire in history. Lucifer is the god of the sun. The angel of light. They change names often. They change terms often. Claimed to be able to transfer the sun god Osiris into a circular wafer. In the ritual the followers ate the wafer they believed to now be turned into the flesh of their sun god Lucifer. The letters IHS on the sun shaped wafers stand for Isis. Horus. Set.
Joseph Smith was the face of Mormonism and it was started, like Scientology. In exactly the same way as Muhammad. Joseph Smith was drugged by the CIA. Then they red passages of the Bible to him and made him write down what he heard. And the masses mindlessly devour all propaganda the elite throw at them. Billy Graham. Rush Limbaugh. Jerry Falwell. And all the other mega men across the world. They are false prophets. They tell lies and steal your money to give to the elite. We see today our poster children for truth and freedom. Edward Snowden and Julian Assange. Both well known CIA agents funded and related to the Rothschilds. They are both used to honey pot real whistle blowers and steal your money by creating funds and foundations and telling you they are to support someone who they are exploiting. Because they came forward with truth. This is how it has always worked. Divide and Conquer. They create whatever they need to to continue creating division in us all. They herd us into groups and keep us brain washed and blind. They feed us propaganda that we believe without even thinking because of their mind control.
The truth is not comfortable. But this is all fact. And much more we have written out and exposed to you. There is far more on all religions in our document. Most of their deceptions are created in the same way. A pawn is used as the face of truth or change. A puppet. When the task is done the elite sacrifice them or make them a prophet or saint. Or award winner. Star. The elite play both sides. Always. So. How can we know who is a real truth speaker and fighter for humanity? For starters. We must be diligent. We must watch. And we must act when they step out of line. Like a viper in the sand. We wait for them to step too close. And strike them when they do. We are the ones to keep them in line. The power is ours. They must tell us their plans before they do them. According to the oath. A deeper oath than those we have discussed thus far.
Their patterns can be seen through history and the tribe they are is exposed with much more in our writing so we will continue now with what is happening today.
The Knights of Malta are seen today, known as the Sovereign Military Order of Malta. It represents itself as a charitable organization and works with the UN since 1994 providing hospitals and help to the poor, hungry and with natural disasters. Other branches are called FEMA and Red Cross. They continue pushing the world on the depopulation agenda. What better way than when you are in total control of the health. The food. The medicines. The elite love the sick and poor because they are closer to death which is exactly what they want you to do. Die. That is why Red Cross spreads diseases in their vaccines to experiment on and kill off millions of people every year in the name of charity.
They are deceivers. FEMA is in charge of the death camps that have been used for over one hundred years in America. This should not have to be explained to you or anyone. The amount of exposing videos and documents on these topics is overwhelming. There is no excuse for ignorance.
Still you think the One World Order is not in place. You want to complain and act shocked and amazed when the elite play their games. This is not shocking. This is nothing new. And there is much. Much. More.
End Of Part 2 out of 5.
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Tried The Apostles And Found Them Liars
Tried The Apostles And Found Them Liars
There are many times that the Lord speaks through me, in the words of the Bible, and again, today was one of those moments. I was reading in a couple different chapters in Revelation but then stumbled upon chapter 2, when my eyes were opened. What an eye opening experience this was. The moment I read the following verses, I was seriously blown away. 10“Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus…
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March 18, 2018 - “The Doom of False Teachers” 2 Peter 2:1-22
Click KEEP READING to read the full sermon.
Introduction
As Satan can disguise as an angel of light and as demons can present themselves as servants of righteousness, so false teachers can appear as trustworthy guides to convince others that what is false is the truth. And they do this relentlessly on the shame of Christians who should be doing their task with zeal in reaching the world for Jesus by proclaiming the true gospel of Christ and in teaching the absolute truths of the Scriptures.
Yet, how can someone know for sure who is teaching what is true and what is false? This is a serious question we all wrestle with in a fallen and twisted world orchestrated by counterfeit.
What is a counterfeit? Cambridge dictionary defines it as “copied exactly in order to make someone believe that the copy is the original.” Merriam Webster renders it as “made in imitation of something else with intent to deceive.” And Collins dictionary defines it as “a version that is not genuine but has been made to look genuine in order to deceive people.”
To update myself on how religious groups use effectively the internet in propagating their own teachings, I recently surfed on the gospel of a particular sect. I was really curious about the gospel of salvation of this particular religious group posted in its website. Take note of the lead question for its audience to read: “What is the Gospel of Jesus Christ?” Notice carefully what this gospel is all about. Here is the good news propagated by this sect.
“The gospel of Jesus Christ is our Heavenly Father’s plan for the happiness and salvation of His children. It is called the gospel of Jesus Christ because the Atonement of Jesus Christ is central to this plan. According to His plan, our Heavenly Father sent His Son, Jesus Christ, into the world to show us how to live meaningful and happy lives and experience eternal joy after this life. Through the grace and mercy of Jesus Christ, you can become clean from sin and enjoy peace of conscience. You can become worthy to live in Heavenly Father’s presence after life. You can live the gospel of Jesus Christ by developing faith in Jesus Christ, repenting, being baptized, receiving the Holy Ghost and enduring to the end.” (https:www.lds.org/manual/the-gospel?lang=eng)
Let us carefully make our observations by asking the following questions. First, does this gospel message sound evangelical? Second, does this gospel message sound biblical? Third, does this gospel message appealing? For us who come from an evangelical background, perhaps we may say to these three questions in the affirmative.
Now, if I were to ask you, what particular sect bears this kind of apparently evangelical, biblical and appealing gospel message, any guess? Probably, we may be clueless in making an intelligent guess. This only shows how powerful a counterfeit is! Yes, this is the gospel message of the Church of the Latter Day Saints of Jesus Christ, LDS for short, a dominant cult commonly known as The Mormons.
What is a cult? A cult is a religious group that claims to be a genuine Christian but deceitfully distorts the gospel of Christ. This means a cult claims their authority from God and establishes their teachings from the Bible. In a deceitful way, a cultic group uses biblical terms with unbiblical meanings to distort the gospel in defiance against God.
Let us make a brief survey about The Mormons. Joseph Smith was the founder of the LDS which he established in 1819. He claimed to be the prophet of God to reestablish the church of God for all the former Christian denominations had fallen away from God and from the truth. So he proclaimed that God called him in these last days to rebuild the true church of God known as “The Latter Day Saints of Jesus Christ.” In propagating this religious agenda, the Mormons are the most zealous missionaries in the world and they have the financial resources as the richest religious group with a stable and sustaining business empire.
What do they teach? When two Mormon missionaries knock at the door, their front is the Bible and Jesus Christ. But once their converts go deeper to their teachings, they may not realize that they are indoctrinated with teachings contrary to the Scriptures. They will gradually teach that besides the Bible, they will present the Book of Mormons as the final authority for their faith. They will introduce Joseph Smith, their prophet, to be greater than Jesus. They teach that they believe in God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. But they do not believe in the Holy Trinity—one God in three persons, co-eternal and co-equal with each other. Instead, they embrace the belief in many gods and will introduce the teaching that a faithful Mormon would someday become a god. They believe that Jesus himself was a man who was exalted and become God. This is contrary to what the Bible says that Jesus is the eternal God the Son who became flesh. Though they mention grace and faith in Christ, in reality, salvation for them is strict observance to the rules and rituals inside the Mormon Church.
Apostle Peter, who had particularly written two general epistles addressed to the persecuted Christian brethren in Asia Minor—and to the rest of the world—declared the true knowledge of God. The true knowledge of God is centered in Jesus Christ as written in the Holy Scriptures under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. According to Peter, the bedrock foundation of the Christian faith rests upon the knowledge of the triune God. The Father chose his covenant people who are redeemed by the blood of Christ Jesus and anointed by the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit. (1 Peter 1:2). It was Peter who confessed the revelation from God the Father in heaven that Jesus is the Christ and the Son of the living God (Mt. 16:16). It was upon this revelation that Jesus declared to build his church (Mt. 16:18). It was Peter who proclaimed that there is no other name for humankind to be saved but the name of Jesus (Acts 4:12). It was Peter who proclaimed that salvation is entirely by grace through the death of Jesus, the Righteous One who died for the unrighteous sinners (1 Pet. 3:18). It was Peter who taught that Jesus alone is the chief cornerstone and capstone of the church of our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Peter 2:6). It was Peter who identified the true church of Jesus Christ as the covenant people of God (1 Pet. 2:9). In all of these biblical teachings, it was Apostle Peter who declared that these are absolute truths as revealed in the Holy Scriptures under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit (2 Pet. 1:20-21). Therefore, the Bible alone, and no other sources such as the Book of Mormon, is the final authority of the Christian faith and life (2 Tim. 3:15-17).
Anchored upon these foundational teachings, Apostle Peter made a clear biblical stand in defense of the true knowledge of God. Peter was fully aware that the greater harm inside the church was not through the painful persecution from unbelievers but from the devastating influence of false teachers. It was for this reason that he exposed the false teachings of false teachers (2 Pet. 2:1-3a), the dreadful judgments of God (2:4-10a) and the doom of false teachers (2:1c, 3b, 10b-22).
A. The Teachings of False Teachers (2:1-3a)
One time as I was watching a television program of a religious group, my son Larkin who was then five years old asked me, “Tatay, are those teachers teaching the truth?” I answered, “No, they are not.” “Then why do you have to listen to their teachings?” he inquired with a great surprise. I explained, “Son, as a bible teacher it is my task to understand the false teachings of religious groups so I can warn others.”
On another occasion, he saw me again viewing another program of a religious group. He stood at my front and inquired, “Are they teaching the truth?” I replied, “No, they do not.” My son gave a straightforward instruction, “Go ahead, Tatay, view the program. That is your job.”
We need spiritual discernment to understand the false teachings of false teachers as we teach the sound teachings of the Scriptures.
1. Destructive Heresies
In the second epistle of Peter, he warned the Christian brethren of the intrusive heresies of deceitful teachers in contrast to the prophets of God who were inspired by the Holy Spirit in proclaiming the Word of God.
“But there were 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.” (2:1a-1c)
A prophet, as understood by Peter, is someone who has the divine authority to proclaim the message of God, and a teacher is someone who gives a sound exposition of the Word of God. A false prophet is someone who claims to have a revelation from God and a false teacher claims to have the right interpretation of the teachings of God. Where can we find these false prophets and false teachers? False prophets are present among the people at large just as false teachers deceitfully find their way inside the church. The intrusive presence of false teachers is indeed alarming which the Christian brethren may not be fully aware of. Peter cited the works of false teachers inside the church. First, they secretly introduce destructive heresies among the Christian brethren. And second, they deliberately deny the sovereign Lord who bought them with his precious blood. These twofold schemes are inseparable and integrated. Anyone who denies that Jesus is Lord and God also corrupts the words and teachings of Christ. A heresy is a self-willed erroneous opinion which is substituted for submission to the power of truth. Interestingly, heretical teachings which are meant to destroy the faith of the believers will certainly lead to the self-destruction of false teachers who teach them.
2. Distortion of Truth
False teachers are experts in twisting the Scriptures.
“Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute.” (2:2)
“To bring the way of truth into disrepute” means to treat the holy Scriptures as garbage. Anyone who twists the truth is an act of sacrilege—a gross irreverence to what is sacred. A twisted mind leads to a twisted life. And this scheme is done deceitfully in the name of God and of truth. Sad to say, countless people will be deceived by false teachings and even follow the disgraceful lifestyles of false teachers.
3. Deceptive Stories
False teachers who know how to twist the Scriptures are experts in making stories and present them deceitfully with the imprimatur of truth. And they do this with a hidden agenda.
“In their greed these teachers will exploit you with stories they have made up.” (2:3a)
A careful study of cult leaders will tell us that they have a common ground. These cult leaders knew the gospel truth and even experienced the grace of God in their spiritual journeys. Many among them, if not all, were former members of an evangelical church and even nurtured with the gospel truths. But they drifted away from God and abandoned the truth. In their testimonies they claim that their former knowledge of God and understanding of the Scriptures were false. And in their desire for “truth” they declared that God revealed himself to them and he called them to establish the true church of God that teaches the absolute truth. To authenticate their personal claims they make their own stories in upholding their self-declared authorities and well-crafted unbiblical teachings. Are these false teachers aware of their false teachings? Yes they do. Apostle Peter specifically described their bible stories as their own masterpieces—“stories they have made up.”
With these truth-coated fabricated stories, what is the ulterior motive of false teachers? Their hidden agenda is exploitation driven by greed. Exploitation in this regard is not simply focused on material gain but in gathering disciples who would follow their false teachings. In their insatiable desire to make money out of religion and in gathering followers to build their own religious empire, false teachers are zealous in intensifying their propaganda that appeals to unstable people.
Our Lord Jesus Christ gives a unique portrait of false prophets which also applies to false teachers. “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves” (Mt. 7:15). False teachers are “wolves in sheep clothing.” It was based on this warning of Christ that Peter warned the Christian brethren, “Be self controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking someone to devour” (1 Pet. 5:8). And the Enemy devours many souls through the deceptive stories of false teachers. And their destructive influence is like a gangrene penetrating within the Christian circles.
A disheartening fact can be observed within the Christian community. There are so called Christians who are members of an evangelical church and grounded with biblical teachings yet decisively turn away from the truth and embraced cultic teachings. Apostle Peter described them as dogs returning to their vomit and as pigs who wallow in the mud after being washed (2 Pet. 2:22). But why do they turn away from God and abandon the truth? Here, Apostle John gave a revealing explanation. “They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us, but their going showed that none of them belonged to us” (1 Jn. 19). Apostle Paul, referred to this kind of people as professing Christians in this manner, “The claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him. They are detestable, disobedient and unfit for doing anything good” (Titus 1:16).
Indeed, the omniscient God who discerns the heart of every person knows his own people and those who are not. In the parable of the soils, he teaches that every human being who hears the truth has the freedom either to live by the Scripture or to do away with it. Blessed are those who are like good soils who hear the word of truth with a noble heart.
B. The Dreadful Judgments of God (2:4-10a)
In the sight of God, how serious is the influence of false teachers? Consider these two scenarios. First, here is a man who holds a gun in his hand, points it to someone then pulls the trigger and killed an innocent person. Second, here is a teacher who stands behind the pulpit and teaches that Jesus is not God but only a man and people believe in him. Who among these two have a greater accountability and face a heavier judgment before God? Indeed, it is the false teacher. The first one commits a murder and he will pay for his crime with his life in taking one innocent life—and that is the end of it. Whereas for the second, even when the false teacher dies, his false teaching lives on and those who will believe his erroneous teachings will perish into eternal damnation for embracing a lie they believed the truth. To focus on the gravity of the destructive influence of false teachers, Apostle Peter purposely cited the dreadful judgments of God in history.
1. The Fallen Angels
First was the judgment of God over the fallen angels.
“For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell, putting them into gloomy dungeons to be held for judgment…” (2:4)
Angels are spirits greater than human beings. They have direct access to God in heaven. And like human beings, they too have the freedom on how they would relate to their Creator. Unfortunately, many angels, led by the archangel Lucifer, which means “morning star,” rebelled against God (Isa. 14:12). Their decision was final and irreversible that sealed their fallen state for eternity. Because of the rebellion of Satan and the fallen angels, identified in the Scriptures as demons, they were “brought down to Sheol, to the lowest depths of the Pit” (Isa. 14:15). Sheol is the Hebrew equivalent of the Greek Hades. Hades or Tartarus means “the unseen world” as described by Peter as “gloomy dungeons.” Hades was translated in English as Hell. Hades is a transitory place where the fallen angels are held for their final judgment to be thrown into the Lake of Fire at the Second Coming of Jesus Christ (Rev. 20:14). Just as the fallen angels were not spared by God when they sinned, likewise, false teachers will never escape the dreadful judgment of God.
2. The Great Deluge
Second was the great flood that covered the whole earth with water.
“…if he did not spare the ancient world when he brought the flood on its ungodly people, but protected Noah, a preacher of righteousness, and seven others…” (2:5)
In the time of Noah, “The LORD saw how great man’s wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time. The LORD was grieved that he had made man on earth, and his heart was filled with pain. So the LORD said, ‘I will wipe mankind, whom I have created, from the face of the earth—men and animals, and creatures that move along the ground, and birds of the air—for I am grieved that I have made them.’ But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD” (Gen. 6:5-8). It was God who commanded Noah to build an Ark and he built it for almost 100 years. Through those years he warned the people of his generation of the righteous judgment of God over their wickedness. In their stubbornness they defied his message. And when the ark was built there was a continuous downpour of rain for forty days and forty nights until the whole earth was engulfed with the great flood. And only eight people were saved from the Flood—Noah, his wife and their three sons, Shem, Ham and Japheth, with their respective wives. If God did not spare the wicked people during the time of Noah and judged them by sending the Great Deluge, likewise, false teachers will never be spared of the coming fearsome judgment of God over them.
3. Sodom and Gomorrah
Third was the judgment over Sodom and Gomorrah.
“…if he condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by burning them to ashes, and made them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly; and if he rescued Lot, a righteous man, who was distressed by the filthy lives of lawless men (for the righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard)—if this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue godly men from trials and to hold the unrighteous for the day of judgment, while continuing their punishment. This is especially true of those who follow the corrupt desire of the sinful nature and despise authority.” (2:6-10a)
When the LORD visited Abraham, he revealed to him the fulfillment of the promise of God that Sarah will have a son (Gen.18:10). And the LORD also unveiled to Abraham about the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. “Then the LORD said, ‘The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great and their sin so grievous that I will go down and see what they have done is as bad as the outcry that has reached me. If not I will know” (Gen. 18:20-21). Abraham made several pleadings with the LORD to withhold his judgment until he made his final bargain for the sake of ten righteous men living in those wicked cities—but not even ten were found. Two angels visited the family of Lot, the nephew of Abraham. When the men of the city discovered the presence of the two visitors, “They called to Lot, ‘Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us so that we can have sex with them’” (Gen. 19:5). The word sodomy, derived from Sodom, means unnatural sexual intercourse, especially that between two males. In this sodomite environment, Lot, a righteous man, everyday he was in deep distress and torment as he lived among the utterly wicked people. The angels rescued him and his two daughters—except his wife who turned into a pillar of salt when she looked back at the burning cities. And Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed by fire and brimstone from heaven.
When we are confronted with the evil system in the world and dwell among the wicked in the land, like Lot, this brings anguish and torment to our souls. Yet God has his own way to rescue the righteous from their trials and sufferings. On the contrary, the wicked continue to be restless in their miserable plight because of their wickedness as they will face their final and full condemnation in the Day of Judgment. And this includes false teachers.
C. The Judgment of False Teachers (2:1c, 3b, 10b-22)
As Bible teachers, we are warned by James the Elder, “Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly” (James 3:1). If faithful Bible teachers are under severe accountability to God, how much more with false teachers who defy God and distort the truth! If God did not spare the fallen angels, the wicked generation in Noah’s time and the perverted people in Sodom and Gomorrah, likewise, false teachers will be judged in their arrogance, wickedness and lies.
1. The Arrogance of False of Teachers
Apostle Peter gave a revealing portrait of false teachers. They may appear as humble and gentle but in reality they are proud and arrogant.
“Bold and arrogant, these men are not afraid to slander celestial beings; yet even angels, although they are stronger and more powerful, do not bring slanderous accusations against such beings in the presence of the Lord. But these men blaspheme in matters they do not understand. They are like brute beasts, creatures of instincts, born only to be caught and destroyed, and like beasts they too will perish.” (2:10b-12)
These false teachers are fearless in slandering celestial beings unlike the angels who are careful not to bring accusations such spiritual beings before God. “But even the archangel Michael, when he was disputing with the devil about the body of Moses, did not dare to bring a slanderous accusation against him, but said, ‘The Lord rebuke you’” (Jude 9). False teachers have disregard to heavenly beings. Moreover, they blaspheme in matters they do not understand. The Elder Jude, gave this description to these blasphemers, “Yet these men speak abusively against whatever they do not understand; and what things they do understand by instinct, like unreasoning animals—these are the very things that destroy them” (Jude 10). What an irony! These false teachers who claim to be anointed by God, teachers of truth and servants of righteousness are bold and arrogant in defying divine authority and in blaspheming against celestial beings in rebellion against God.
2. The Wickedness of False Teachers
The arrogance of false teachers rooted in their hearts is manifested in their ungodly behavior. Apostle Peter enumerated their hidden nature.
a. Their Sensuality
First of all, false teachers gratify their sensual pleasures.
“Their idea of pleasure is to carouse in broad daylight. They are blots and blemishes, reveling in their pleasures while they feast with you. With eyes full of adultery, they never stop sinning; they seduce the unstable…” (2:13b-14a)
This unveiling of the true character of false teachers is utterly disgraceful and even shameful to mention it. They even share with the Lord’s Supper with us despite of their secret lustful and adulterous lives.
b. Their Greed
Secondly, false teachers are driven with greed in all their undertakings.
“…they are experts in greed—an accursed brood! They have left the straight way and wandered off to follow the way of Balaam son of Beor, who loved the wages of wickedness. But he was rebuked for his wrongdoing by a donkey—a beast without speech—who spoke with a man’s voice and restrained the prophet’s madness.” (2:14b-16)
It was God who sent a donkey to rebuke Balaam of his folly. Like the false prophet Balaam who prophesied against Israel because he “loved the wages of wickedness,” so these false teachers are “experts in greed” following the crooked way of madness.
These false teachers sell their souls in the name of money. Jesus’ warning stands: “No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money” (Mt. 6:24).
c. Their Depravity
Thirdly, false teachers are bound in their depravity. Depravity is the state of morally corrupt.
“These men are springs without water and mists driven by storm. Blackest darkness is reserved for them. For they mouth empty, boastful words and, by appealing to the lustful desires of sinful human nature, they entice people who are just escaping from those who live in error. They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity—for a man is a slave to whatever has mastered him.” (2:17-19)
They are senseless and useless people portrayed as “springs without water” and “mists driven by storm.” In boasting of their false teachings they appeal to the lustful desires of sinful nature to enslave people who desire for freedom from a life bound by sin and falsehood. In outrage, Peter spoke of their doom, “Blackest darkness is reserved for them.”
d. Their Reprobation
Finally, false teachers gravitate in their reprobate state. In the sight of God they are rejected and worthless. This is their worst portrait.
“If they have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and are again entangled in it and overcome, they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning. It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than to have known it and then to turn their backs on the sacred command that was passed on to them. On them the proverbs are true: ‘A dog returns to its vomit,’ and, ‘A sow that is washed goes back to her wallowing in the mud.’” (2:20-22)
3. The Destruction of False Teachers
What is the future of false teachers? Apostle Peter spoke of their doom.
a. Swift Destruction
In all their deceitful false teachings and arrogant godless behavior, in the process, they are “…bringing swift destruction on themselves” (2:1c). Destruction, as used by Peter, refers to the wrath of God for the spiritual and eternal perdition of wicked people.
b. Impending Destruction
False teachers will never escape the judgment of God. “Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping” (2:3b). There is a stern warning in the book of Proverbs, “A man who remains stiff-necked after many rebukes will suddenly be destroyed—without remedy” (Pr. 29:1). This is true to false teachers who hardened their hearts to the prodding and conviction of the Holy Spirits in their hearts.
c. Full Destruction
In the Judgment Day, false teachers “will be paid back with harm for the harm they have done” (2:13a). A crooked politician who rules in injustice brings grief to the people. An unsound economist who makes imbalanced policies causes economic meltdown in the land. But a false teacher who wins the minds, hearts, and souls of people leads to the spiritual and eternal damnation of unbelievers who embrace their false teachings. God will punish them in full for their heretical doctrines.
Conclusion
Our fallen world under the power of darkness is orchestrated by counterfeit. In using the name of God and the authority of the Bible, false teachers advance their cause through their destructive heresies, distortion of truth and deceptive stories. Their doom is certain just as God did not spare the fallen angels, the wicked generation in the time of Noah and the depraved people in Sodom and Gomorrah. In the end, these false teachers will receive their full judgment for all their godlessness and heresies. What is our evangelical response toward false teachers and the kingdom of cults?
Indeed, we have to be rooted in our biblical foundations. We believe in the Bible as the Word of God and the final authority of the Christian faith and life. We believe in the triune God—one God in three persons who are co-eternal and co-equal each with each other –the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. We believe in Jesus Christ, the God incarnate, born of a virgin, died on the cross, resurrected from the dead and ascended to heaven. We believe that salvation is absolutely by grace through faith in Jesus Christ as the only Savior of the world and the Lord of all. We believe that we are called to make disciples of all nations as the salt and light of the world. And we believe that Jesus Christ is coming again to judge the living and the dead—the wicked to eternal damnation and the righteous to eternal bliss.
And we take a further step. It is well said, “Do not curse the darkness; instead, turn on the light.” A good question is set before us. Is the grace of God able to take its roots into a religious group founded by false teachers and nurtured by false teachings?
The Worldwide Church of God, founded by Herbert W. Armstrong in 1934, is a religious group that had deeply influenced the world through its unorthodox and unbiblical teachings propagated by its prophetic program, The World Tomorrow and its appealing magazine, The Plain Truth. Its primary doctrines focused on the Second Coming of Christ, the observance of the Sabbath for salvation, the Trinity as a pagan doctrine and promoted Anglo-Israelism, the belief that British people are the literal descendants of the ten “lost” tribes of Israel.
When Armstrong died in 1995, he was succeeded by Joseph Tkach, Sr. Tkach’s desire to teach the truth led him to institute reforms which was continued by his son Joseph Tkach, Jr. The shelved the doctrine of Anglo-Israelism and Sabbatarianism. And they embraced the doctrine of Trinity and believed that salvation is by grace through faith alone in Jesus Christ. Many who disagreed with the doctrinal reforms went out from the group and continued with the teachings of Armstrong. But those who remained embraced the true teachings of the Scriptures. On April 3, 2009, the Worldwide Church of God officially changed its name to Grace Communion International. From a heretical religion it became an evangelical denomination. In 1997, it was accepted as a member of the National Association of Evangelicals in the United States.
In documenting the spiritual journey and transformation of the Grace Communion International, they posted in their home website their testimony of the wonderful saving grace of God at work in their lives.
“Our strengths as a denomination include a fresh awareness of the importance of grace, a high respect for Scripture, and a willingness to do what it says. We recognize that Jesus, as our Savior and Lord, has reconciled us to the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We rejoice in the implications of Trinitarian theology. We know that Christ makes a difference in the way we live. Through the agency of the Holy Spirit, he transforms our lives in this age, and gives us eternal life in fellowship with our Creator. Jesus is not done with us yet. We are still being shaped and fashioned for his purpose. We praise him and worship him, and seek to know his will for our lives.” (https://www.gci.org/about history)
This unprecedented movement in church history is the sovereign work of God. In overflowing gratitude, we give glory to the Triune God.
It is for this reason that the benediction of the Apostle Paul offers a deeper meaning to us. “May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God (the Father), and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all” (2 Cor. 13:14).
As Christians, our gospel message stands: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting life” (Jn. 3:16).
The “world” includes the kingdom of cults and false teachers. Jesus died for them too. And they also need our Savior and Lord Jesus Christ—like we do.
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