Friday, January 1, 2010
Dogs, Pigs, and Apostates
(II Peter 2:20-22)
As Peter continues his polemic against false teachers and their heresies, he addresses the issue of theological apostasy. Apostasy from the Christian faith involves several key elements. First, the apostate is always acutely familiar with Christianity. Peter goes so far as to say “they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (20). In other words, there was a time in their lives when their affinity for religion preserved them from the corruptive influences of the world. Affinity for religion, however, is not genuine saving faith. The apostate gets close enough to conversion to kiss it on the cheek, but he never really trusts in Christ.
Secondly, the apostate is one who, having known the way of righteousness, turns from it. The turning is not an inadvertent act of sin. Rather, it is a conscious decision to reject truth with eyes wide open. Apostasy is not the default of unbelief. A man may be an unbeliever but never have apostatized. The apostate consciously and willfully turns from—rejects—what he knows to be truth.
Thirdly, the apostate’s end is worse than if he had never known truth. It’s one thing to die in relative ignorance of Christ; it’s another to die having an intimate knowledge of Jesus and rejecting Him. Peter declares the state of such a wretch as no better than a vomit consuming dog or a filth-wallowing pig.
Denying the veracity of the Christian faith has become a national pastime among the intellectual elite of our day. From the highest echelons of power, they sneer at those who “cling to their guns and religion.” Far from being cultural sophisticates, the Bible classifies apostates with dogs and pigs. Wow! That’s hard preaching!
Happy New Year!
