But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction. And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of truth will be blasphemed. And in their greed they will exploit you with false words. Their condemnation from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.
Comment: History tends to repeat itself. There were, there are and there will be teachers who for various reasons will seek to deny and alter the truth of the gospel revealed by God. Plausible heresies, straight out denying of the person of Jesus, seeking personal gain, justifying sensual sins, are dangled in front of the true people of God to lead them into error. Their purpose is paraded as to make being a Christian more acceptable to the masses. Their end result, while having led some astray, is condemnation and destruction by God. I expect Peter to follow on with some examples of how God deals with such false teachers!
Prayer: Help me to discern error and avoid it like poison!
As I read it! 
Thank you Barry for your comments on this passage. I remember Billy Graham’s daughter Ann, speaking at the Women’s Meeting at the Baptist World Alliance Congress in Melbourne in January 2000, giving an illustration of “false teachers.” She was sitting next to the FBI Chief at a dinner on one occasion, so she thought she’d ask him how he detects fraudulent paper money. He said to her, “We study the ‘real’ money so carefully, that when we see a counterfeit one, we can pick it immediately.” Ann used that illustration to say to her audience, that we need to study the Bible diligently so that we can pick a “counterfeit” teaching as soon as we hear it, or see it. I’ve often shared this story as I believe it is very true. God bless you.
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