Six Metaphors Describing False Shepherds
12 These people are hidden reefs at your love feasts, eating with you without the slightest qualm — shepherds who feed only themselves. They are clouds without rain, blown along by the wind; autumn trees, without fruit and uprooted — twice dead. 13 They are wild waves of the sea, foaming up their shame; wandering stars, for whom blackest darkness has been reserved forever.
1. Just like hidden reefs cause ships to wreck, these men don’t care if they wreck your faith and because they have come into the congregation under false pretenses, pretending to be God’s appointed teachers, you are not even aware of what is going on.
2. Feeding only themselves at the fellowship meals. They will take up an offering for the poor and keep it for themselves. Or they are like the Christian Charity that pays itself 90% in overhead expenses and only gives 10% to the needy.
3. Clouds that hold the promise of supplying needed refreshing water but are in reality empty, without water. A hollow promise with no spiritual nourishment.
4. Trees that cannot bear fruit. Worthless, offering nothing of value to the church and needing to be cut down. Matthew 7:19 Every tree not bearing good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
5. Powerful waves raging in the sea but producing only worthless foam, to their shame. Isaiah 57:20 The wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt.
6. Stars without a fixed place in the night sky are useless for guidance. If you follow these wandering stars you will become hopelessly lost.
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