“Their Presumption” (2 Peter 2:10b-13a)

 

EVENING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 12/12/2025 7:45 PM

My Worship Time                                                                              Focus:  “Their Presumption”

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                           Reference:  2 Peter 2:10b-13a

            Message of the verses:  “Daring, self-willed, they do not tremble when they revile angelic majesties, whereas angels who are greater in might and power do not bring a reviling judgment against them before the Lord.  But these, like unreasoning animals, born as creatures of instinct to be captured and killed, reviling where they have no knowledge, will in the destruction of those creatures also be destroyed, suffering wrong as the wages of doing wrong.”

            Now ever since Satan’s initial rebellion as seen in Ezekiel 28:7, pride has been the primary characteristic of God’s enemies “and not a new convert, so that he will not become conceited and fall into the condemnation incurred a by the devil” (1 Tim. 3:6).  False teachers, or course, can be no exception to this.  Both their words and their actions betray attitudes of self-centered arrogance and self-willed presumption typical of the unregenerate who are the devil’s children.  They are brazen and audacious, daring in the Greek is tolmetai—literally “darers” or “reckless ones to defy God in exalting themselves, no matter the consequences.  Now there are a number of verses here that if you want can look up, as I still do not have my Bible program working.  (e. g., 2 Chron 32:25; Est. 3:5; Dan. 4:30; 5:20, 22-23; Acts 12:21-23).  They are determined to have their own way at any cost, being stubborn and self-willed, which in the Greek is (autadeis)—a term that connotes a self-pleasing conceit and obstinacy.

            John MacArthur writes:  “To illustrate the extent of their unshakeable presumption, Peter notes that these false teachers do not tremble when they revile angelic majesties.  Revile (blasphemeo) of which the English word blaspheme is a transliteration, means ‘to slander or ‘to speak lightly or profanely of sacred things’ (cf. 2 Kings 19:4, 22; Ps. 74:18; 1 Tim. 1:20; Rev. 16:10-11).  And angelic majesties in this context refers to demons (cf. Jude 8), who are majesties (doxa, ‘glories’) in that they possess a transcendent supernatural being, beyond the human level (Eph. 6:12).” “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.”  “Although these false teachers were mere mortals, who were by nature ‘lower than angels’ (Ps. 8:5 NKJV), they arrogantly considered themselves superior to angelic beings.

            “The Bible indicates that even fallen angels retain the imprint of divine majesty, a shadow of their pre-Fall glory.  In this sense, they are like sinful men—who still retain the divine image (Gen. 1:26; Ps. 8:5—and post-Fall creation—which still evidences its God-given magnificence (1 Cor. 15:40-41).”  Now I want to quote these three verses mentioned here in the order that they are mentioned in.

“Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

“Yet You crown him with glory and majesty!”

“There are also heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the glory of the heavenly is one, and the glory of the earthly is another.  There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars, for star differs from star in glory.”

            Back to MacArthur’s commentary: “Thus there remains a transcendent amount of dignity for demons, even though they are fallen.  The apostle Paul implied this when he referred to demons as principalities, powers, and rulers (cf. 2 Cor. 10:3-5)—delineating at least three levels of majesty and authority within the demonic realm.  Although they are certainly subservient to God, fallen angels (under the leadership of Satan) wield extensive influence and power in this world (John 12:31; cf. Eph. 2:2).  A powerful demon hindered the mighty angel Gabriel for twenty-one days from doing God’s work until the archangel Michael and the most powerful angels came to help him (Dan. 10:13).  Yet, the false teachers of Peter’s day simply mocked demons fearlessly, presuming that they (as fallen men) were somehow greater than fallen angels.

            “It should be recognized that many modern false prophets in the extreme sectors of the charismatic movement make their fortunes supposedly binding and flippantly damning demons, as if they had real power over them.  They are actually false exorcist like the ‘sons of one Sceva’ (Acts 19:13-16) and perfectly fit Peter’s description.  Pagans develop elaborate schemes to appease their demonic gods.  Yet, pseudo-Christian teachers and preachers brashly declare their authority over forces of hell.”  This is a good place to stop, but Lord willing I will pick up from where I left off in tomorrow evenings Spiritual Diary.

12/12/2025 8:39 PM