2 Peter 2:18
The sermon explores the dangers of false teachers and the importance of discernment in the Christian faith.
John Gill emphasizes the dangers posed by false teachers who use grandiose and empty rhetoric to mislead believers. He explains that these individuals boast of their knowledge and flatter others for personal gain, ultimately leading the faithful astray through their enticing words and immoral behavior. Gill warns that even those who have escaped from error can be ensnared by the lusts of the flesh and the allure of wantonness, highlighting the need for vigilance against such influences.
Text
Ver. 18. For when they speak great swelling [words] of vanity,.... Marvellous things against the God of gods, great things and blasphemies against God, his name, his tabernacle, and his saints; see Da 11:36; or against men, dominions, and dignities, 2Pe 2:10; or it may design their self-applauses and vain glorying in themselves, and their empty boast of knowledge and learning; and also express the windiness of their doctrines, and the bombast style, and high flown strains of rhetoric in which they were delivered; as likewise the flattering titles they bestowed on men for the sake of their own worldly interest and advantage; see Jude 1:16 and hereby
they allure, through the lusts of the flesh, [through much] wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error: that is, from those who lived in the error of Heathenism or Judaism, from whom, and which, they were clean escaped; or truly, really, and entirely delivered, being fully convinced of the falsity thereof, and of the truth of the Christian religion; though some copies, as the Alexandrian, and two of Beza's, and two of Stephens's, read, not
ontwv, "truly", but oligwv, "a little"; and the Vulgate Latin version renders it, "a very little"; to which agrees the Complutensian edition; and the Syriac version renders it "in a few words", or "almost"; and according to the Ethiopic version, "a few persons" are designed; but be they more or less, and truly, or but a little, and for a little while, or almost, escaped from their former errors, in which they were brought up, and lived; yet by the carnal lusts and liberties, lasciviousness and wantonness, which these false teachers indulged, they were allured, ensnared, and drawn by them into their wicked principles and practices.
Sermon Outline
- I points: - Introduction to false teachers - Characteristics of their speech - Impact on believers
- II points: - The allure of vanity - Self-applause and empty boast - The danger of high rhetoric
- III points: - Escaping from error - The role of lusts and wantonness - The consequences of falling back
- IV points: - Understanding true knowledge - The importance of discernment - Staying grounded in faith
Key Quotes
“For when they speak great swelling words of vanity...” — John Gill
“they allure, through the lusts of the flesh, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error.” — John Gill
“by the carnal lusts and liberties, lasciviousness and wantonness, which these false teachers indulged.” — John Gill
Application Points
- Be vigilant in recognizing the signs of false teachings in your community.
- Cultivate discernment through prayer and study of Scripture.
- Stay grounded in your faith to avoid being swayed by empty rhetoric.