And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. Matthew 16:18
Peter warned:
But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them--bringing swift destruction on themselves. Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. 2 Peter 2 : 1-2
Bear in mind that our Lord's patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him. He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction. Therefore, dear friends, since you already know this, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of lawless men and fall from your secure position. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen. 2 Peter 3 : 15-18
That's a pretty serious warning. Let's make sure we know who the church founder (Peter) is writing to by looking at the introduction of 2 Peter:
Simon Peter, a bond-servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who have received a faith of the same kind as ours, by the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ 2 Peter 1 : 1
It's clear that Peter isn't writing to the masses, but instead to those calling Jesus their Savior.
Earlier we saw Peter's warning that many would follow false teachers bringing the way of truth into disrepute. We also saw that lawless men (those who don't keep the Law) would distort the meaning of Paul's writings.
I believe this is important because the churches that I've been associated with are built on Paul, not Peter. I say this because they always quote Paul to justify their lawlessness. Time after time when one brings to the attention of a pastor or lay person that the church doesn't keep even the Ten Commandments they nearly always run to Paul to justify their wrongdoing. This is done despite the warning from our church foundation, Peter, that false teachers would distort the truth and men who don't practice the Law would distort Paul's writings.
I hope to post more on this later.
-neal
