Is there significance that there is a change from ‘prophets’ to ‘false teachers’ in 2 Peter 2:1? Does this suggest that the prophetic gift, in the New Testament churches, had ceased?

This text is from a transcript of a talk by David Gooding, entitled ‘An Abundant Entrance into the Eternal Kingdom’ (1985).

The question is observing, presumably, that Peter says in 2:1 that in Old Testament days, false prophets arose among the people. And then he adds, 'as among you,' (in New Testament times) 'there will be false teachers'. And my questioner asks, 'Is there significance that there is a change from 'prophets' to 'false teachers'? Does this suggest that the prophetic gift, in the New Testament churches, had ceased?

I'm not so sure that it indicates that by this time the prophetic gift had ceased, but I suspect that by this time, you were arriving at a point, as Jude subsequently puts it, when the believers realized that 'the faith' had now been delivered for the saints; they had the revelation of God, and that hereafter nothing further would be added to the faith. That is what Jude appears to be saying as far as I read him in his short epistle. We are to 'contend for the faith' that has been, once and for all, handed over to the saints (Jude 3).

That does not seem to me to suggest that all the functions of prophecy have thereby ceased, but its function of making known new doctrine, yes, by this time, if not ceased, was coming towards its end.