¹²But these [false prophets], like unreasoning animals, born as creatures of instinct to be captured and killed, reviling where they have no knowledge, will in the destruction of those creatures also be destroyed, ¹³suffering wrong as the wages of doing wrong. They count it a pleasure to revel in the daytime. They are stains and blemishes, reveling in their deceptions, as they carouse with you, ¹⁴having eyes full of adultery that never cease from sin, enticing unstable souls, having a heart trained in greed, accursed children; ¹⁵forsaking the right way, they have gone astray . . .

This passage (2 Peter 2) conveys a dark picture of God’s assessment and judgment on false prophets masquerading as Christians among God’s people. Peter takes on the role of God’s righteous prophet, denouncing these frauds in no uncertain terms with a rebuke worthy of any of the OT prophets up through John the Baptist.

Some people are surprised to see such vehemence in the NT. There is a false notion foisted upon Christianity that such a tone is better suited to a god of vengeance, as some would perceive God in the OT. Jesus and the apostles, in that false view, were not about judgment and condemnation but love, grace, mercy, and forgiveness. Yet, here we find the apostle Peter, one of Jesus’ closest disciples, recognized throughout the early church and through the centuries as an authoritative witness of all that our Lord taught and did, launching into this fierce diatribe. His words stand on their own with little commentary needed.

So what gives? How do we understand this outburst? God takes very, very seriously false teaching and those who spread it. Forgiveness only has meaning when there is acknowledgment of sin. Mercy has meaning only where there is recognition of the need for escaping the just consequences of sin. Grace has abundant significance in proportion to the abounding conviction of sin. Knowledge about God’s character must be expressed and applied, or all of Christianity is undermined. Truth matters!

So Peter puts the false teachers in his crosshairs, those purveyors of false teaching. Peter’s dealing with them reflects the wisdom of Solomon:

“A whip is for the horse, a bridle for the donkey, and a rod for the back of fools. Do not answer a fool according to his folly, or you will also be like him. Answer a fool as his folly deserves, that he not be wise in his own eyes.” (Prov. 26:3–5)

False prophets are like fools, senseless, irrational donkeys. There is a time to argue against them and a time for silence. But the ultimate response is to rebuke them, as it were, with a verbal rod of denunciation.

Lord, help the elders of my church know when and how to rebuke false teachers.