Peter Warns All Believers Against False Teachers Within and Exhorts Us to be Steadfast Volume 26

Peter says these False Teachers Have Gone the Way of Balaam Son of Beor 2 Peter 2:15 Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness; KJV Note: NLT=New Living Translation Well now the first thing we must ask and answer is, Who was Balaam son of Beor? Balaam was a Prophet of God, for the Lord God of Israel/Yahweh/Jehovah spoke directly to this man as it is written here, "Balak's messengers, who were elders of Moab and Midian, set out with money to pay Balaam to place a curse upon Israel. They went to Balaam and delivered Balak's message to him. 'Stay here overnight,' Balaam said. 'In the morning I will tell you whatever the LORD directs me to say.' So the officials from Moab stayed there with Balaam. That night God came to Balaam and asked him, 'Who are these men visiting you?' Balaam said to God, 'Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab, has sent me this message: 'Look, a vast horde of people has arrived from Egypt, and they cover the face of the earth. Come and curse these people for me. Then perhaps I will be able to stand up to them and drive them from the land.'' But God told Balaam, 'Do not go with them. You are not to curse these people, for they have been blessed!'" (Numbers 22:7-12) (NLT). Now we must not ever try to massage the text or to maneuver the text to our liking or to manipulate the words that they may agree with our narrative. The inspired God breathed Word says that this man Balaam received a direct Word from the True God Jehovah. So then, what Peter writes here for us in 2 Peter 2:15 with these words, "have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Beor" is not speaking of a man that never heard from the True God. Yet, we see that Peter's words concerning him are not with admiration for this man Balaam, but instead they are words of abhorrence. Balaam, though he spoke to and heard from the One True God is declared here by the Apostle Peter to have 'forsaken the right way' which very simply means that he abandoned the right ways of God/Yahweh/Jehovah. Peter declares that these modern day false teachers have done exactly the same thing (as did Balaam) 'and are gone astray' and this English phrase is translated by the Greek word planaō which means (as declared by the Strongs Concordance) to (properly cause to) roam (from safety, truth, or virtue): - go astray, deceive, err, seduce, wander, be out of the way. It was revealed within Balaam back then and every false teacher of the Bible today that within them does not dwell truth, but a desire for the sensual and the material that is, the temporary pleasures of the here and now. The luxury for the finest earthly clothes and alcoholic drink (did you know that there are bottles of wine and bottles of scotch or bourbon that cost thousands of dollars for just one bottle, seriously!!!). The soul that desires these types of earthly things will never subject themselves or submit themselves or surrender themselves to the truth of the Word of God. What they will do (as many are doing today) is to rewrite the Word of God by taking entire passages of Scripture out of the Bible and making for themselves a new Bible that affirms all of their sensual passions, perversions, and preferences. Look around, for we see the words written by Paul the Apostle to brother Timothy in 2 Timothy 3:1-9 (as we have documented these words many times before) manifesting itself or making itself visible for all to see today. Balaam way back when and all those today and all in between Balaam and today were all known by God before He ever created the world 🗺. Peter said in 2 Peter 2:15 that this man Balaam 'loved the wages of unrighteousness.' We see that the English word 'loved' used here by Peter is translated by the Greek word agapao which means (as used here) to love (in a social or moral sense). The English word 'wages' is translated by the Greek word misthos which means to pay for services, that is, to hire or reward someone to do good or bad and in this case as used here to do bad. The English word 'unrighteousness' is translated by the Greek word adikia which means moral wrongfulness; iniquity, wickedness, lawlessness, and sin. In other words, Balaam back then and these false teachers of the Bible today and for all time love so much more the reward of money (in time) to be used upon all of their sensual pleasures that godliness which is what the Gospel of Jesus Christ produces within every sinful soul resurrected from spiritual death is abhorrent to them so they listen to the seducing spirits i.e. doctrines or teachings of demons and go their way forsaken the true way of God/Jesus. Here is what the Biblical Illustrator Bible Commentary had to say of 2 Peter 2:15, "We begin with the good part of the character of Balaam. Balaam was a true prophet of God. He was the last prophet under the patriarchal dispensation. He had the knowledge of religion, faith in the future Messiah, and prayer for the great blessing—a death of peace and hope. II. Let us now consider the character of Balaam; as it may be called, the bad part. The bad part of Balaam's character was that he united with his religion, faith, and prayer, the errors of the head, which ruined his religion, and the vices of the heart, which ruined his faith and prayer. He complied with the practices of the idolaters that surrounded him; and he was guilty of that love of money which made him desire the wages of unrighteousness and receive the rewards of Balak, against the warnings of his conscience and his knowledge of God." Here is what the Pulpit Bible Commentary had to say of 2 Peter 2:15, "In the course of his denunciation of abandoned sinners St. Peter makes use in two places of this remarkable expression, 'the wages of unrighteousness,' or 'the hire of wrong-doing'—in the fifteenth verse as something loved and sought by Balaam, and in the twelfth verse as that which shall be the portion of the impenitent transgressor. The idea was one which evidently took very forcible possession of the Apostle's mind, and, however little it may be in harmony with the sentimental and purblind type of religion too prevalent in our time, it is an idea in perfect harmony with the stern and righteous government of God. Upon the suggestion of the twofold application of the thoughts in this chapter, it may be well to treat this serious and awful subject under two aspects. I. THE SINNER'S ILLUSION AS TO HIS WORK AND HIS WAGES. Life is represented as a bondman's service, and in any case the representation is appropriate and just. But experience of human character and history leads to the conclusion, which coincides with the teaching of revelation, that men constantly engage and continue in the service of sin under a double illusion. 1. They imagine the work which they undertake to be easy and agreeable. By many devices the tyrant sin disguises the evils of his service, and induces his victims to continue in it to their souls' injury and ruin. The pleasures of sin are for a season, and they who indulge in them are like those who eat of the fair apples of the Dead Sea, which turn to ashes in the mouth. 2. They imagine the reward of the service to be liberal and satisfactory. As Balaam lusted for the gold which was to be his hire, as Judas clutched the thirty pieces of silver which were the price of his Master's blood, so the bondmen of ungodliness deceive themselves with the imagination that the reward they will partake will enrich and satisfy their nature. Whether it be wealth or pleasure, power or praise, they set their hearts upon it, and it becomes to them as the supreme good. In such an illusion years of sin and folly may be passed. II. THE SINNER'S AWAKENING TO A SENSE OF THE REALITY AS TO BOTH THE WORK AND THE WAGES OF SIN. 1. The service is, sooner or later, found to be mere slavery. The chains may be gilded, but they are chains for all that. The dwelling may have the semblance of a palace, but it is in fact a prison. The master's speech may be honeyed, but it is the speech of a tyrant, cruel and relentless. 2. The hire of wrong-doing is not payment, but punishment. 'The way of transgressors' is found to be 'hard.' 'The wages of sin is death.' APPLICATION. Let these considerations lead the sinner to forsake the tyrant's service, repudiate the tyrant's claims, and fling back the tyrant's hire - J.R.T." If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ and His amazing healing power, pray this from your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ (you speaking directly to Him), Dear Lord Jesus, I confess to You that I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness. I believe You shed Your Blood and died for my sins. I believe that You rose from the dead proving that You alone are God. I repent of my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I ask You Dear Lord Jesus to come into my heart and take control of my life. I want You to be my Lord, Savior, and my God. Amen...