Prosperity Wolves Dressed as False Sheep

2 Peter 2:1-3 

1 But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction. 2 And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed. 3 By covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words; for a long time their judgment has not been idle, and their destruction does not slumber.

When people begin to adhere to the misguided and prideful view that scripture means what each person sees in it, then they believe their private interpretation is valid.  Leaving aside the immediate and larger context of scripture and making pieces mean what they want, they begin teaching these things to others and are then false teachers.  These cleverly and almost subtly unseen teachings are heresies (αἵρεσις haíresis; divergent opinions pulled away from truth), which eventually will divide the church as schisms (σχίσμα schísma; tears or divisions).  Though the word for heresy may seem less serious by its definition of opinionated divergence, here Peter shows that these teachings are destructive, they deny Christ and His work, and end up spiritually destroying or shipwrecking (1 Timothy 1:19-20) the heretic.  The worst part is that bleating sheep will follow these teachings, especially when they offer happiness and possessions apart from suffering and discipline of the Lord for our sanctification.  They yank scripture portions out of context to promise wealth and health, missing the true prosperity of walking by faith in the light of God’s sovereignty and grace.  This covetousness is deception.  They will answer for leading others astray from God’s will and word in the end, if not sooner.  These things are not only a warning to identify and expose false teaching, but also for us to rightly divide the word of truth (2 Timothy 2:15) by good interpretive principles led by God’s Spirit and prayer with diligence and patience for understanding.  The wolves are here, just as Paul warned us (Acts 20:29-31).