In his second letter, Peter is primarily concerned with the influence of false teachers in the church. To understand the real issue with false teaching we must recognise what role theological doctrines (i.e. teachings about God and his will for us) perform in the Christian life. Biblical doctrines are like a road map designed to lead us to the truth. You don’t automatically know the truth because you have memorised a doctrine. You come to know the truth when you are personally connected with, or conformed to, the reality to which the doctrine points. In other words, you come to know the truth when you follow the map. When Biblical doctrines get distorted people end up going the wrong way as a result. That is the real problem. A false teacher is like someone who vandalises a map and changes place names and routes. As a result, people get lost. The most important teachings of the Bible are all clear enough and over the centuries the church has formulated these teachings into creeds and confessions in response to distortions of Biblical teaching. This tradition is important and, as Christians, we should build on what has come before rather than trying to build from scratch. One of the most important things you can do as a Christian is to familiarise yourself with the central teachings of Christianity. Take a course, read books, ask questions; just make sure you know what you believe so that you can be a discerning Christian and an intelligent witness to your faith.
Reflect on how well you are able to understand and explain the central tenets of your faith.
Read 2 Peter 2
