2 Peter 2:12 But these people blaspheme in matters they do not understand. They are like unreasoning animals, creatures of instinct, born only to be caught and destroyed, and like animals they too will perish.
Peter says some strong things now about the false prophets and teachers infiltrating early Christian churches. He points out several of their problems. The biggest issue is that they blaspheme. What they teach and say is not correct but contradicts the gospel. They claim things about Jesus and the gospel that are not true. They have a distorted message. Sadly, people believe this message and are led astray. Second, they do this out of ignorance. They do not understand what they teach about. One of the great dangers of being a teacher is not knowing what you are teaching about. Ignorance breeds heresy. That is why education is so important. Teachers must be highly qualified in their subject matter. When it comes to the gospel message, those who preach and teach must be tested and held accountable for what they say. A third problem Peter points out is that they follow their instincts like animals. Peter does not specifically say what these instincts are, but the primary human instinct is selfishness. It is possible that these teachers were in it for the glory, honor, and even money. These are big temptations for those who lead God’s people. We can easily fall into distorted teaching because of so much speculation around us. We too quickly jump on board with the latest book or theological trend. We like the latest ideas, whatever those may be. These ideas and trends feed our curiosity. There seems to be a push in the church today to be innovative in order to reach our culture. Can this innovation lead to blasphemy? If we are not careful, our thirst for knowledge will connect with our selfish drive for honor, position, attention, and power, resulting in subtle forms of heresy. We may dawdle in the gray areas of theology, those speculative areas. There is no room for speculation when it comes to the gospel, especially if you are a teacher or preacher. We will be held accountable for what we say or write.
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