Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 2 Peter 2:1

But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.

1. But there were false prophets also among the people ] The section of the Epistle which now opens contains so many parallelisms with the Epistle of St Jude that we can scarcely avoid the conclusion that one was derived from the other, or both from a common source. For a discussion of the questions which thus present themselves see Introduction. As regards the meaning of the words it is again an open question whether the Apostle refers to the remoter past of the history of Israel, to the false prophets of the days of Ahab (1Ki 22:12), or Isaiah (Isa 9:15, Isa 28:7), or Jeremiah (Jer 14:14; Jer 27:10), or Ezekiel (Eze 13:3), or Zechariah (Zec 13:4), or to those who in his own time had deceived the “people” (the distinctive term for “Israel”) in Jerusalem. The warnings against false prophets in our Lord’s discourses (Mat 7:22; Mat 24:24), and the like warnings in 1Jn 4:1, make it probable that he had chiefly the latter class in view. In the Greek compound noun ( pseudo-didaskaloi) for “false teachers” we have another word peculiar to St Peter. The word was, perhaps, chosen as including in its range not only those who came with a direct claim to prophetic inspiration, but all who without authority should appear as teachers of a doctrine that was not true, and, as such, it would include the Judaizing teachers on the one side, the Gnosticizing teachers on the other. Comp. the distinction between “prophets” and “teachers” in Eph 4:11; 1Co 12:29.

who privily shall bring in ] The verb is that from which was formed the adjective which St Paul uses for the “false brethren unawares brought in ” (Gal 2:4). Are we justified in thinking that St Peter speaks of the same class of Judaizing teachers, or that he uses the word as indicating that it was applicable to others also, who were, it might be, at the opposite extreme of error?

damnable heresies ] Literally, heresies of destruction. The word “heresy,” literally, “the choice of a party,” was used by later Greek writers for a philosophic sect or school like that of the Stoics or Epicureans, and hence, as in Act 5:17; Act 15:5; Act 24:5; Act 26:5; Act 28:22; 1Co 11:19, for a “sect” or “party” in the Church, and thence, again, for the principles characterizing such a sect, and so it passed to the ecclesiastical sense of “heresy.” The English adjective “damnable” hardly expresses the force of the Greek genitive, which indicates that the leading characteristic of the heresies of which the Apostle speaks was that they led men to “destruction” or “perdition.” Comp. the use of the same word in 1Ti 6:9. It may be noted that it is a word specially characteristic of this Epistle, in which it occurs six times; twice here, and in 2Pe 2:2-3, and chap. 2Pe 3:7; 2Pe 3:16.

even denying the Lord that bought them ] The word for Lord ( despotes), literally, a master as contrasted with a slave (1Ti 6:1-2), is used of Christ here, in the hymn, which we may fairly connect with St Peter, in Act 4:24, in Rev 6:10, and, in conjunction with the more common word for Lord ( Kyrios), in Jdg 1:4. Here the choice of the word was probably determined by the connexion with the idea of “buying,” as a master buys a slave. The use of that word presents a parallelism with the thought of 1Pe 1:18, and here, as there, we have to think of the “precious blood of Christ” as the price that had been paid. No words could better assert the truth that the redemption so wrought was universal in its range than these. The sin of the teachers of these “heresies of perdition” was that they would not accept the position of redeemed creatures which of right belonged to them. The “denial” referred to may refer either to a formal rejection of Christ as the Son of God, like that of 1Jn 2:22-23, or to the practical denial of base and ungodly lives. The former is, perhaps, more prominently in view, but both are probably included. We cannot read the words without recollecting that the writer had himself, in one memorable instance, denied his Lord (Mat 26:69-75). In his case, however, the denial came from a passing cowardice and was followed by an immediate repentance. That which he here condemns was more persistent and malignant in its nature, and was as yet unrepented of.

bring upon themselves swift destruction ] The adjective, which is peculiar to St Peter in the New Testament (here and in chap. 2Pe 1:14), implies the swift unlooked-for manner of the destruction that was to be the end of the false teachers rather than the nearness of its approach. The Apostle seems to contemplate either some sudden “visitation of God,” or possibly some quick exposure of their falsehood and baseness before men, ending in their utter confusion.

Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

But there were false prophets also among the people – In the previous chapter, 2Pe 2:19-21, Peter had appealed to the prophecies as containing unanswerable proofs of the truth of the Christian religion. He says, however, that he did not mean to say that all who claimed to be prophets were true messengers of God. There were many who pretended to be such, who only led the people astray. It is unnecessary to say, that such men have abounded in all ages where there have been true prophets.

Even as there shall be false teachers among you – The fact that false teachers would arise in the church is often adverted to in the New Testament. Compare Mat 24:5, Mat 24:24; Act 20:29-30.

Who privily – That is, in a secret manner, or under plausible arts and pretences. They would not at first make an open avowal of their doctrines, but would, in fact, while their teachings seemed to be in accordance with truth, covertly maintain opinions which would sap the very foundations of religion. The Greek word here used, and which is rendered who privily shall bring in, ( pareisago,) means properly to lead in by the side of others; to lead in along with others. Nothing could better express the usual way in which error is introduced. It is by the side, or along with, other doctrines which are true; that is, while the mind is turned mainly to other subjects, and is off its guard, gently and silently to lay down some principle, which, being admitted, would lead to the error, or from which the error would follow as a natural consequence. Those who inculcate error rarely do it openly. If they would at once boldly deny the Lord that bought them, it would be easy to meet them, and the mass of professed Christians would be in no danger of embracing the error. But when principles are laid down which may lead to that; when doubts on remote points are suggested which may involve it; or when a long train of reasoning is pursued which may secretly tend to it; there is much more probability that the mind will be corrupted from the truth.

Damnable heresies – haireseis apoleias. Heresies of destruction; that is, heresies that will be followed by destruction. The Greek word which is rendered damnable, is the same which in the close of the verse is rendered destruction. It is so rendered also in Mat 7:13; Rom 9:22; Phi 3:19; 2Pe 3:16 – in all of which places it refers to the future loss of the soul The same word also is rendered perdition in Joh 17:12; Phi 1:28; 1Ti 6:9; Heb 10:39; 2Pe 3:7; Rev 17:8, Rev 17:11 – in all which places it has the same reference. On the meaning of the word rendered heresies, see the Act 24:14 note; 1Co 11:19 note. The idea of sect or party is that which is conveyed by this word, rather than doctrinal errors; but it is evident that in this case the formation of the sect or party, as is the fact in most cases, would be founded on error of doctrine.

The thing which these false teachers would attempt would be divisions, alienations, or parties, in the church, but these would be based on the erroneous doctrines which they would promulgate. What would be the particular doctrine in this case is immediately specified, to wit, that they would deny the Lord that bought them. The idea then is, that these false teachers would form sects or parties in the church, of a destructive or ruinous nature, founded on a denial of the Lord that bought them. Such a formation of sects would be ruinous to piety, to good morals, and to the soul. The authors of these sects, holding the views which they did, and influenced by the motives which they would be, and practicing the morals which they would practice, as growing out of their principles, would bring upon themselves swift and certain destruction. It is not possible now to determine to what particular class of errorists the apostle had reference here, but it is generally supposed that it was to some form of the Gnostic belief. There were many early sects of so-called heretics to whom what he here says would be applicable.

Even denying the Lord that bought them – This must mean that they held doctrines which were in fact a denial of the Lord, or the tendency of which would be a denial of the Lord, for it cannot be supposed that, while they professed to be Christians, they would openly and avowedly deny him. To deny the Lord may be either to deny his existence, his claims, or his attributes; it is to withhold from him, in our belief and profession, anything which is essential to a proper conception of him. The particular thing, however, which is mentioned here as entering into that self-denial, is something connected with the fact that he had bought them. It was such a denial of the Lord as having bought them, as to be in fact a renunciation of the uniqueness of the Christian religion. There has been much difference of opinion as to the meaning of the word Lord in this place – whether it refers to God the Father. or to the Lord Jesus Christ. The Greek word is Despotes. Many expositors have maintained that it refers to the Father, and that when it is said that he had bought them, it means in a general sense that he was the Author of the plan of redemption, and had causeD them to be purchased or redeemed. Michaelis supposes that the Gnostics are referred to as denying the Father by asserting that he was not the Creator of the universe, maintaining that it was created by an inferior being – Introduction to New Testament, iv. 360. Whitby, Benson, Slade, and many others, maintain that this refers to the Father as having originated the plan by which men are redeemed; and the same opinion is held, of necessity, by those who deny the doctrine of general atonement. The only arguments to show that it refers to God the Father would be,

(1)That the word used here Despoten is not the usual term ( kurios) by which the Lord Jesus is designated in the New Testament; and,

(2)That the admission that it refers to the Lord Jesus would lead inevitably to the conclusion that some will perish for whom Christ died.

That it does, however, refer to the Lord Jesus, seems to me to be plain from the following considerations:

(1) It is the obvious interpretation; that which would be given by the great mass of Christians, and about which there could never have been any hesitancy if it had not been supposed that it would lead to the doctrine of general atonement. As to the alleged fact that the word used, Despotes, is not that which is commonly applied to the Lord Jesus, that may be admitted to be true, but still the word here may be understood as applied to him. It properly means a master as opposed to a servant; then it is used as denoting supreme authority, and is thus applied to God, and may be in that sense to the Lord Jesus Christ, as head over all things, or as having supreme authority over the church. It occurs in the New Testament only in the following places: 1Ti 6:1-2; Tit 2:9; 1Pe 2:18, where it is rendered masters; Luk 2:29; Act 4:24,; Rev 6:10, where it is rendered Lord, and is applied to God; and in Jud 1:4, and in the passage before us, in both which places it is rendered Lord, and is probably to be regarded as applied to the Lord Jesus. There is nothing in the proper signification of the word which would forbid this.

(2) The phrase is one that is properly applicable to the Lord Jesus as having bought us with his blood. The Greek word is agorazo – a word which means properly to market, to buy, to purchase, and then to redeem, or acquire for oneself by a price paid, or by a ransom. It is rendered buy or bought in the following places in the New Testament: Mat 13:44, Mat 13:46; Mat 14:15; Mat 21:12; Mat 25:9-10; Mat 27:7; Mar 6:36-37; Mar 11:15; Mar 15:46; Mar 16:1; Luk 9:13; Luk 14:18-19; Luk 17:28; Luk 19:45; Luk 22:36; Joh 4:8; Joh 6:5; Joh 13:29; 1Co 7:30; Rev 3:18; Rev 13:17; Rev 18:11 – in all which places it is applicable to ordinary transactions of buying. In the following places it is also rendered bought, as applicable to the redeemed, as being bought or purchased by the Lord Jesus: 1Co 6:20; 1Co 7:23, Ye are bought with a price; and in the following places it is rendered redeemed, Rev 5:9; Rev 14:3-4. It does not elsewhere occur in the New Testament. It is true that in a large sense this word might be applied to the Father as having caused his people to be redeemed, or as being the Author of the plan of redemption; but it is also true that the word is more properly applicable to the Lord Jesus, and that, when used with reference to redemption, it is uniformly given to him in the New Testament. Compare the passages referred to above.

It is strictly and properly true only of the Son of God that he has bought us. The Father indeed is represented as making the arrangement, as giving his Son to die, and as the great Source of all the blessings secured by redemption; but the purchase was actually made by the Son of God by his sacrifice on the cross. Whatever there was of the nature of a price was paid by him; and whatever obligations may grow out of the fact that we are purchased or ransomed are due particularly to him; 2Co 5:15. These considerations seem to me to make it clear that Peter referred here to the Lord Jesus Christ, and that he meant to say that the false teachers mentioned held doctrines which were in fact a denial of that Saviour. He does not specify particularly what constituted such a denial; but it is plain that any doctrine which represented him, his person, or his work, as essentially different from what was the truth, would amount to such a denial.

If he were Divine, and that fact was denied, making him wholly a different being; if he actually made an expiatory sacrifice by his death, and that fact was denied, and he was held to be a mere religious teacher, changing essentially the character of the work which he came to perform; if he, in some proper sense, bought them with his blood, and that fact was denied in such a way that according to their views it was not strictly proper to speak of him as having bought them at all, which would be the case if he were a mere prophet or religious teacher, then it is clear that such a representation would be in fact a denial of his true nature and work. That some of these views entered into their denial of him is clear, for it was with reference to the fact that he had bought them, or redeemed them, that they denied him.

And bring upon themselves swift destruction – The destruction here referred to can be only that which will occur in the future world, for there can be no evidence that Peter meant to say that this would destroy their health, their property, or their lives. The Greek word ( apoleian) is the same which is used in the former part of the verse, in the phrase damnable heresies. See the notes. In regard, then, to this important passage, we may remark:

(1) That the apostle evidently believed that some would perish for whom Christ died.

(2) If this is so, then the same truth may be expressed by saying that he died for others besides those who will be saved that is, that the atonement was not confined merely to the elect. This one passage, therefore, demonstrates the doctrine of general atonement. This conclusion would be drawn from it by the great mass of readers, and it may be presumed, therefore, that this is the fair interpretation of the passage.

(See the supplementary 2Co 5:14 note; Heb 2:9 note for a general view of the question regarding the extent of the atonement. On this text Scott has well observed: Doubtless Christ intended to redeem those, and those only, who he foresaw would eventually be saved by faith in him; yet his ransom was of infinite sufficiency, and people are continually addressed according to their profession. Christ has indeed laid down such a price as that all the human family may claim and find salvation in him. An unhappy ambiguity of terms has made this controversy very much a war of words. When the author here says, Christ died for others besides those who will be saved, he does not use the words in the common sense of an actual design, on the part of Christ to save everyone. The reader will see, by consulting the notes above referred to, how much disputing might be saved by a careful definition of terms.)

(3) It follows that people may destroy themselves by a denial of the great and vital doctrines of religion. It cannot be a harmless thing, then, to hold erroneous opinions; nor can men be safe who deny the fundamental doctrines of Christianity. It is truth, not error, that saves the soul; and an erroneous opinion on any subject may be as dangerous to a mans ultimate peace, happiness, and prosperity, as a wrong course of life. How many men have been ruined in their worldly prospects, their health, and their lives, by holding false sentiments on the subject of morals, or in regard to medical treatment! Who would regard it as a harmless thing if a son should deny in respect to his father that he was a man of truth, probity, and honesty, or should attribute to him a character which does not belong to him – a character just the reverse of truth? Can the same thing be innocent in regard to God our Saviour?

(4) People bring destruction on themselves. No one compels them to deny the Lord that bought them; no one forces them to embrace any dangerous error. If people perish, they perish by their own fault, for:

(a)Ample provision was made for their salvation as well as for others;

(b)They were freely invited to be saved;

(c)It was, in itself, just as easy for them to embrace the truth as it was for others; and,

(d)It was as easy to embrace the truth as to embrace error.

Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible

2Pe 2:1

But there were false prophets also.

False prophets and false teachers

I. A narration.

1. The connection of the words. Also implies that there were always true prophets. God never leaves His people without tutors.

2. The corruption of the persons. False prophets.

(1) They that came in the name of God, but were never sent by God (Jer 23:21).

(2) They that come in Gods name, and are sent, but deliver a false message.

3. The intrusion of their mischief. Among the people. But durst these black impostors press into so famous a light, and not fear discerning? (1Ki 18:19; 1Ki 22:6.) They say it is half a protection to foreknow a danger: behold the apostles fidelity, and therein Gods mercy.

II. A caution.

1. Who they be that assault us. Falsehood insinuates itself always in the semblance of truth. For error is so foul a hag, that if it should come in its own shape, all men would loathe it.

2. Whither they come. Not to the Turks, or Gentiles, or other heretics only; but to you that have the gospel. They seem to come unto you, but indeed they come against you; they promise your good, but they perform your hurt.

(1) God suffers these for the trial of our faith (1Co 11:19).

(2) God suffers them, that the true pastors might more patiently exercise their knowledge. Heresy makes men sharpen their wits, the better to confute it.

(3) God permits them for mens ingratitude.

3. These false teachers intrude themselves–as sometimes a gamester, being flushed with his luck–and they meet with three encouragements:

(1) The numbers and applaudings of their auditors (Jer 5:31).

(2) The honour and respect that is done them.

(3) Large gifts and riches.

4. Their unavoidable necessity. They will press in, and we cannot easily stave them off. Jesus Christ must enlighten our hearts to decline these false teachers. Now the means whereby Christ teacheth us is the Scripture.

III. A description of these pernicious liars, concerning whom we find a threefold mischief: one that issues from them, another that abides in them, a third that is inflicted on them.

1. Their seminary mischief, offensive and noxious to others.

(1) The matter, what they bring in–damnable heresies.

(a) Heresy is that which doth diametrically oppose the truth, and set up an opinion against it. Error is when one holds a wrong opinion alone; schism, when many consent in their opinion; heresy runs further, and contends to root out the truth.

(b) Heresies, in the plural, to point at a multitude. The troubles of the Church seldom come single; but either unite their forces, as the five Amorite kings combined against Gibeon (Jos 10:5); or separately they vex her on every side, as Solomon was assaulted by Hadad, Rezon, and Jeroboam (1Ki 11:1-43.).

(c) They shall bring in. Here is the necessity. Shall; though provision spend all her wit, and prevention all her strength, yet no avoiding it.

(d) The malignity of them. Damnable heresies.

(i) Because they are reprobated of God.

(ii) Because pestilent to the kingdoms or nations where they are admitted.

(iii) Because they bring destruction to all their followers and defenders.

2. The causes that produce such inevitable effects.

3. The manner of their induction: underhand, privily.

(1) Their subtlety, whereby they insinuate their unseen poisonous seeds (Eph 4:14).

(2) Their vigilant care to spy out the opportunity, how they may privily bring heresy in (Mic 2:1).

(3) Their hypocrisy, with the covertly carriage of their intended plagues (Rom 16:18). Vice dares not walk without a borrowed shape.

4. Their criminal evil.

(1) They deny. It were bad enough to slight Him, worse to forget Him, yet worse to forsake Him; but to deny Him is fearful.

(2) The Lord. Not a creature, not a man, not a father, not a friend, not an angel, not themselves; but the Lord, this is more fearful.

(3) That bought them. It is much to deny a benefactor, more to deny a parent, more to deny a Creator; but yet there is a step higher: to deny a Redeemer. Denial of Christ is of two sorts–either in judgment or in practice; denial in faith or denial in fact. The latter is of infirmity, the other of infidelity.

5. The punishment.

(1) They bring upon themselves.

(a) The wicked are the causes of their own condemnation (Isa 50:1; Pro 5:22; Psa 64:8; Jer 2:17).

(b) God is not the cause of mans transgression or damnation (Jam 1:13; Rom 9:19).

(c) They themselves bring it; therefore not any fatal necessity out of themselves, but their own malice within them.

(2) Destruction. This is the measure of their punishment–total ruin.

(3) Swift. Man may shoot and miss, or his arrow be so slow of flight that it may be avoided; but if God shoots, He hits and kills. (Thos. Adams.)

Error in the Church

1. The futility of insisting on having even now what might be called a pure Church. It must needs be, said our Lord, that offences come.

2. It is none the less the duty of the friends of truth and righteousness to maintain the spirit of a vigilant and strenuous resistance to the assaults of error and corruption.

3. That a doctrine or a practice has many followers, even among church members, affords but a poor presumption that it deserves to be followed (Mat 24:5; Mat 24:10-12).

4. The certain and irretrievable ruin of ungodly men.

5. finally, let us bless God that, through the waste wilderness of obstruction, deceit, and delusion, His own holy Word has clearly marked for us the way of the truth. (J. Lillie, D. D.)

Doctrinal poison

The poison that ended the life of Alexander VI. of Italy was no less destructive because it was concealed in a glass of wine. The virus that sent to the grave Sir Thomas Overbury was not the less fatal because it was hidden in a jelly handed to him by ,. fascinating lady. The bite of the asp that closed the career of Cleopatra was not the less deadly because the reptile rested on roses. Doctrinal poison is none the less mortal because the pen of a prince in erudition inscribes on it the word scholarship. (S. V. Leech, D. D.)

Damnable heresies.

Destructive heresies

1. It is a destructive heresy for a man to think that he can be saved without faith in Christ, while ignoring, or, it may be, denying the redemptive work of Christ.

2. It is a destructive heresy for a man to think that he is safe and in the way of salvation while yielding to corrupt passions and living a careless life.

3. it is a destructive heresy for a man to regard himself as a Christian, and think he is right for heaven, while possessing nothing of the mind and spirit of Christ.

4. It is a heresy of destruction for a man to think that if he abstains from great and glaring transgressions he may safely indulge in sins of the heart, and need no be over particular about what has been called the minor moralities of life.

5. It is a heresy of destruction for a man to think that he is a Christian sheltered by the blood of Christ while he consciously and continually disregards the commands of Christ.

6. It is a heresy of destruction for a man to boast that Christ is all in all to him while he withholds himself and all he has from Christ.

7. It is a heresy of destruction for a man self-complacently, to suppose that he may gird up the loins of his mind, be sober, and hope unto the end while he is conscious of no love to God, and while cherishing hatred of his fellow-man. Let us examine ourselves, lest we should–

(1) Endanger our own souls salvation.

(2) Endanger the souls of others.

(3) Deny the Lord that bought us.

(4) And so dishonour God, bring upon ourselves swift destruction. (The Study.)

Denying the Lord that bought them.–

The master and his slaves

There were three great stains on the civilisation of the world into which Christianity came–war, the position of women, and slavery. The relation of the New Testament to the last of these great evils naturally connects itself with the words before us. This same wicked thing, slavery, is used as an illustration of the highest, sacredest relationship possible to men–their submission to Jesus Christ. With all its vileness, it is still not too vile to be lifted from the mud, and to stand as a picture of the purest tie that can bind the soul. The word in our text for Lord is an unusual one, selected to put the idea in the roughest, most absolute form. It is the root of our word despot, and conveys, at any rate, the notion of unlimited, irresponsible authority. Nor is this all. One of the worst features of slavery is that of the market, where men and women and children are sold like cattle. And that has its parallel too, for this Owner has bought men for His. Nor is this all; for, as there are fugitive slaves, who break away every man from his master, and when questioned will not acknowledge that they are his, so men flee from this Lord and Owner, and by words and deeds assert that they owe Him no obedience, and were never in bondage to Him.

I. Christs absolute ownership. To material things and forces He spake as their great Commander, saying to this one God and he went, and showing His Divinity, as even the pagan centurion had learned, by the power of His word, the bare utterance of His will. But His rule in the region of mans spirit is as absolute and authoritative, and there too His word is with power. Loyola demanded from his black-robed militia obedience so complete that they were to be just like a corpse, or a staff in a blind mans hand. Such a requirement made by a man is of course the crushing of the will and the emasculation of the whole nature. But such a demand yielded to from Christ is the vitalising of the will and the ennobling of the spirit. The owner of the slave could set him to any work he thought fit. So our Owner gives all His slaves their several tasks. As in some despotic Eastern monarchies the sultans mere pleasure makes of one slave his vizier and of another his slipper-bearer, our King chooses one man to a post of honour and another to a lowly place; and none have a right to question the allocation of work. What corresponds on our parts to that sovereign freedom of appointment? Cheerful acceptance of our task, whatever it be. The slaves hut, and little patch of garden ground, and few bits of furniture, whose were they–his or his masters? If he was not his own, nothing else could be his own. And whose are our possessions? If we have no property in ourselves, still less can we have property in out properly. These things were His before and are His still. Such absolute submission of will and recognition of Christs absolute authority over us, our destiny, work, and possessions, is ennobling and blessed. We learn from historians that the origin of nobility in some Teutonic nations is supposed to have been the dignities enjoyed by the kings household–of which you find traces still. The kings master of the horse, or chamberlain, or cupbearer, becomes noble. Christs servants are lords, free because they serve Him, noble because they wear His livery and bear the mark of Jesus as their Lord.

II. The purchase on which that ownership is founded. This master has acquired men by right of purchase That abomination of the auction-block may suggest the better merchandise of the souls of men which Christ has made when He bought us with His own blood as our ransom. First, then, that is a very beautiful and profound thought, that Christs lordship over men is built upon His mighty and supreme sacrifice for men. We are justified in saying to Him, O Lord, truly I am Thy servant only when we can go on to say, Thou hast loosed my bonds. Then consider that the figure suggests that we are bought from a previous slavery to some other master. He that committeth sin is the slave of sin. If the Son therefore make you free, you shall be free indeed.

III. The runaways. We do not care to inquire here what special type of heretics the apostle had in view in these solemn words, nor to apply them to modern parallels which we may fancy we can find. It is more profitable to notice how all godlessness and sin may be described as denying the Lord. All sin, I say, for it would appear very plain that the people spoken of here were not Christians at all, and yet the apostle believes that Christ had bought them by His sacrifice, and so had a right over them, which their conduct and their words equally denied. How eloquent that word denying is on Peters lips! It is as if he were humbly acknowledging that no rebellion could be worse than his, and were renewing again his penitence and bitter weeping after all those years. All sin is a denial of Christs authority. It is in effect saying, We will not have this man to reign over us. It is at bottom the uprising of our own self-will against His rule, and the proud assertion of our own independence. It is as foolish as it is ungrateful, as ungrateful as it is foolish. That denial is made by deeds which are done in defiance or neglect of His authority, and it is done too by words and opinions. (A. Maclaren, D. D.)

Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell

CHAPTER II.

False teachers foretold, who shall bring in destructive

doctrines and shall pervert many, but at last be destroyed by

the judgments of God, 1-3.

Instances of God’s judgments in the rebellious angels, 4.

In the antediluvians, 5.

In the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha, 6-8.

The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly, as well as to punish

the ungodly, 9.

The character of those seducing teachers and their disciples;

they are unclean, presumptuous, speak evil of dignities,

adulterous, covetous, and cursed, 10-14.

Have forsaken the right way, copy the conduct of Balaam, speak

great swelling words, and pervert those who had escaped from

error, 15-19.

The miserable state of those who, having escaped the corruption

that is in the world, have turned back like the dog to his

vomit, and the washed swine to her wallowing in the mire,

20-22.

NOTES ON CHAP. II.

Verse 1. But there were false prophets] There were not only holy men of God among the Jews, who prophesied by Divine inspiration, but there were also false prophets, whose prophecies were from their own imagination, and perverted many.

As there shall be false teachers among you] At a very early period of the Christian Church many heresies sprung up; but the chief were those of the Ebionites, Cerinthians, Nicolaitans, Menandrians, and Gnostics, of whom many strange things have been spoken by the primitive fathers, and of whose opinions it is difficult to form any satisfactory view. They were, no doubt, bad enough, and their opponents in general have doubtless made them worse. By what name those were called of whom the apostle here speaks, we cannot tell. They were probably some sort of apostate Jews, or those called the Nicolaitans. See the preface.

Damnable heresies] . Heresies of destruction; such as, if followed, would lead a man to perdition. And these , they will bring in privately-cunningly, without making much noise, and as covertly as possible. It would be better to translate destructive heresies than damnable.

Denying the Lord that bought them] It is not certain whether God the Father be intended here, or our Lord Jesus Christ; for God is said to have purchased the Israelites, Ex 15:16, and to be the Father that had bought them, De 32:6, and the words may refer to these or such like passages; or they may point out Jesus Christ, who had bought them with his blood; and the heresies, or dangerous opinions, may mean such as opposed the Divinity of our Lord, or his meritorious and sacrificial death, or such opinions as bring upon those who hold them swift destruction. It seems, however, more natural to understand the Lord that bought them as applying to Christ, than otherwise; and if so, this is another proof, among many, 1. That none can be saved but by Jesus Christ. Z. That through their own wickedness some may perish for whom Christ died.

Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible

 

But there were false prophets also: the apostle having been exhorting them to continuance and progress in faith, admonishes them here of such as might labour to draw them from it; and having made mention of the Old Testament prophets, holy men of God, he hereby takes occasion to tell them of, and caution them against, false teachers which would be among themselves. This also in the text plainly relates to what went before: q.d. Together with those prophets which were sent by God, there were likewise false prophets, such as were not sent of him.

 

Among the people; the people of Israel.

 

Even as there shall be false teachers; teachers of false doctrine, Mat 7:15; Act 20:29.

 

Among you; among you Jewish, as well as among the Gentile Christians; or, among you as Christians and Gods people under the New Testament, in opposition to the people of God under the Old.

 

Who shall privily bring in: the Greek word signifies either to bring in slily and craftily, under specious pretences, and without being observed, Gal 2:4; Jud 1:4; or, to bring in over and above, or beside the doctrine of the gospel, which they did not renounce; or both may be implied.

 

Damnable heresies; Greek, heresies of destruction, i.e. destructive, such as lead to destruction, viz. eternal, or damnation.

 

Even denying; either in their words or their practices, either directly, or by consequence of their doctrines or actions; they that profess they know God, but contradict that profession in their lives, are said to deny him, Tit 1:16.

 

The Lord; either:

 

1. God the Father, so called, Luk 2:29; Act 4:24, &c., and probably Rev 6:10; nor is there any necessity, but, Jud 1:4, the word may be understood of God the Father. Or rather:

 

2. Christ.

 

That bought them: if we understand it of God the Father, the sense is, either:

 

1. Denying God that bought them, or acquired them and made them his, viz. by calling them out of the darkness and gross wickedness of the world, to the knowledge of Christ and the gospel, and the fellowship of his church. In this general sense the word buying is sometimes taken, Isa 55:1; Rev 3:18. Or:

 

2. Denying God that bought the people of Israel (whereof these false teachers that should be among the Christian Jews were to be a part) out of Egypt, to make them his peculiar people, whereof they would boast themselves, and yet by their wicked practices deny that God that bought them; the words seem to be taken out of Deu 32:6; Is not he thy Father that hath bought thee? As likewise from 2Pe 2:5 of that chapter. Peter calls them spots, 2Pe 2:13 of this chapter.

 

But if we understand it of Christ, which seems most probable, the sense is, either:

 

1. That Christ bought or redeemed them, (in which sense the word is sometimes taken), in that by his death he purchased the continuance of their lives, and the staying of their execution, and rescued them from that present destruction which, without Christs interposition, had seized on them, as it had likewise on the whole visible creation immediately upon the apostacy of mankind. Or:

 

2. This is spoken not only of their pretences, that they should profess themselves redeemed by Christ, but in the style of the visible church, which should judge them to be so till they declared the contrary by their wicked actions; and it likewise holds true in a forensical or judicial style, according to which whosoever professeth himself to be redeemed by Christ, and yet denies him in his deeds, is said to deny the Lord that bought him; it being alike as to the greatness of the crime, whether he be really redeemed, or, professing himself to be so, denies his Redeemer.

 

And bring upon themselves swift destruction; shall hasten their own destruction, it may be temporal in this world; to be sure, eternal in the other. It may be called

 

swift, as coming upon them unawares, and when they think least of it, as 1Th 5:3.

Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole

1. Butin contrast to theprophets “moved by the Holy Ghost” (2Pe1:21).

alsoas well as thetrue prophets (2Pe1:19-21). Paul had already testified the entrance of falseprophets into the same churches.

among the peopleIsrael:he is writing to believing Israelites primarily (see on 1Pe1:1). Such a “false prophet” was Balaam (2Pe2:15).

there shall beAlreadysymptoms of the evil were appearing (2Pe 2:9-22;Jdg 1:4-13).

false teachersteachersof falsehood. In contrast to the true teachers, whom he exhorts hisreaders to give heed to (2Pe 3:2).

whosuch as(literally, “the which”) shall.

privilynot at firstopenly and directly, but by the way, bringing in error bythe side of the true doctrine (so the Greek): Romeobjects, Protestants cannot point out the exact date of thebeginnings of the false doctrines superadded to the original truth;we answer, Peter foretells us it would be so, that the firstintroduction of them would be stealthy and unobserved (Jude4).

damnableliterally, “ofdestruction”; entailing destruction (Php3:19) on all who follow them.

heresiesself-chosendoctrines, not emanating from God (compare “will-worship,”Col 2:23).

evengoing evento such a length as to deny both in teaching and practice.Peter knew, by bitter repentance, what a fearful thing it isto deny the Lord (Luk 22:61;Luk 22:62).

denyingHim whom, aboveall others, they ought to confess.

Lord“Master andOwner” (Greek), compare Jude4, Greek. Whom the true doctrine teaches to be their OWNERby right of purchase. Literally, “denying Him who boughtthem (that He should be thereby), their Master.”

bought themEven theungodly were bought by His “precious blood.” It shall betheir bitterest self-reproach in hell, that, as far as Christ’sredemption was concerned, they might have been saved. The denial ofHis propitiatory sacrifice is included in the meaning (compare1Jo 4:3).

bring upon themselvescompare”God bringing in the flood upon the world,”2Pe 2:5. Man brings upon himselfthe vengeance which God brings upon him.

swiftswiftlydescending: as the Lord’s coming shall be swift and sudden. As theground swallowed up Korah and Dathan, and “they went down quickinto the pit.” Compare Jude 11,which is akin to this passage.

Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

But there were false prophets also among the people,…. As well as holy men of God, who gave out prophecies, by the inspiration and impulse of the Holy Spirit; that is, among the people of the Jews, God’s professing people, whose God was the Lord, and who had chosen them to be a special and peculiar people, above all people of the earth; and had distinguished them by his favours from all others: among these, though the Syriac version reads “in the world”, there were false prophets, who ran, and were not sent; and who prophesied, and the Lord spake not to them: of these there were many in Jeremiah’s time, and in the times of Ezekiel; and in Ahab’s time, besides the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal, slain by Elijah, there were four hundred that called themselves the prophets of the Lord; among whom went forth a lying spirit, encouraging Ahab to go up to Ramoth Gilead, promising him prosperity and success; Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah, with whom Micaiah, the true prophet, had much contention, was at the head of them; and such there were among that people in all ages, until the times of Christ, and in his likewise; see Mt 7:15 now from these, by an easy transition, the apostle proceeds to another part of his design in this epistle, to describe the characters of false teachers under the present dispensation, that saints may beware, and avoid their pernicious principles and practices:

even as there shall be false teachers among you; which need not to be wondered at, or stumble any, it being no new or strange thing, but what was always more or less the case of the people of God. This is a prophecy of what should be, and agrees with the prediction of our Lord, Mt 24:11 and which regards not only the times immediately following, in which it had a remarkable fulfilment, for false teachers now began to arise, and appeared in great numbers in the age succeeding the apostles, but to all periods of time from hence, to the second coming of Christ; and these were to spring from, and be among such that bore the Christian name, and so regards not Mahometans and Deists; and it is to be observed, that the phrase is varied in this clause, and these are called not “prophets” but “teachers”: because as prophecy was more peculiar to the former dispensation, so is teaching to the present:

who privily shall bring in damnable heresies: errors in the fundamental doctrines of the Gospel; such as relate to a trinity of persons in the Godhead; and to the person of Christ, to his proper deity, distinct personality, eternal sonship, and real humanity; and to his office as Mediator, rejecting him as the true Messiah, and as the only Saviour of sinners; denying his sacrifice and satisfaction, and the imputation of his righteousness; and to the Holy Spirit, his deity, personality, and divine influences and operations: these are “damnable”, or “destructive”, or “heresies of destruction”; which lead to eternal destruction both those that introduce and propagate them, and those that embrace and profess them; for they remove, or attempt to remove, the foundation of eternal life and happiness: the manner in which these are usually introduced is “privily”; at unawares, secretly, under a disguise, and gradually, by little and little, and not at once, and openly; and which is the constant character and practice of such men, who lie in wait to deceive, creep into churches at unawares, and into houses privately; and insinuate their principles under specious pretences and appearances of truth, using the hidden things of dishonesty, walking in craftiness, handling the word of God deceitfully, and colouring things with false glosses and feigned words: and even denying the Lord that bought them; not the Lord Jesus Christ, but God the Father; for the word is not here used, which always is where Christ is spoken of as the Lord, but ; and which is expressive of the power which masters have over their servants i, and which God has over all mankind; and wherever this word is elsewhere used, it is spoken of God the Father, whenever applied to a divine person, as in Lu 2:29 and especially this appears to be the sense, from the parallel text in Jude 1:4 where the Lord God denied by those men is manifestly distinguished from our Lord Jesus Christ, and by whom these persons are said to be bought: the meaning is not that they were redeemed by the blood of Christ, for Christ is not intended; and besides, whenever redemption by Christ is spoken of, the price is usually mentioned, or some circumstance or another which fully determines the sense; see

Ac 20:28 whereas here is not the least hint of anything of this kind: add to this, that such who are redeemed by Christ are the elect of God only, the people of Christ, his sheep and friends, and church, and who are never left to deny him so as to perish eternally; for could such be lost, or deceive, or be deceived finally and totally by damnable heresies, and bring on themselves swift destruction, Christ’s purchase would be in vain, and the ransom price be paid for nought; but the word “bought” regards temporal mercies and deliverance, which these men enjoyed, and is used as an aggravation of their sin in denying the Lord; both by words, delivering out such tenets as are derogatory to the glory of the divine perfections, and which deny one or other of them, and of his purposes, providence, promises, and truths; and by works, turning the doctrine of the grace of God into lasciviousness, being disobedient and reprobate to every good work; that they should act this part against the Lord who had made them, and upheld them in their beings and took care of them in his providence, and had followed them with goodness and mercy all the days of their lives; just as Moses aggravates the ingratitude of the Jews in De 32:6 from whence this phrase is borrowed, and to which it manifestly refers: “do ye thus requite the Lord, O foolish people and unwise! is not he thy Father that hath bought thee? hath he not made thee, and established thee?” nor is this the only place the apostle refers to in this chapter, see 2Pe 2:12 compared with

De 32:5 and it is to be observed, that the persons he writes to were Jews, who were called the people the Lord had redeemed and purchased, Ex 15:13 and so were the first false teachers that rose up among them; and therefore this phrase is very applicable to them:

and bring upon themselves swift destruction; either in this life, being suddenly cut off in the midst of their days, and by the immediate hand of God, as Arius and other heretics have been; or eternal damnation in the other, which their tenets lead unto, and which will swiftly come upon them when they are promising themselves peace and safety.

i Vid. Ammonium , in voce .

Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

False Prophets and Corrupt Leaders.

A. D. 67.

      1 But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.   2 And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.   3 And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you–

      I. In the end of the former chapter there is mention made of holy men of God, who lived in the times of the Old Testament, and were used as the amanuenses of the Holy Ghost, in writing the sacred oracles; but in the beginning of this he tells us they had, even at that time, false prophets in the church as well as true. In all ages of the church, and under all dispensations, when God sends true prophets, the devil sends some to seduce and deceive, false prophets in the Old Testament, and false Christs, false apostles, and seducing teachers, in the New. Concerning these observe, 1. Their business is to bring in destructive errors, even damnable heresies, as the business of teachers sent of God is to show the way of truth, even the true way to everlasting life. There are damnable heresies as well as damnable practices; and false teachers are industrious to spread pernicious errors. 2. Damnable heresies are commonly brought in privily, under the cloak and colour of truth. Those who introduce destructive heresies deny the Lord that bought them. They reject and refuse to hear and learn of the great teacher sent from God, though he is the only Saviour and Redeemer of men, who paid a price sufficient to redeem as many worlds of sinners as there are sinners in the world. 4. Those who bring in errors destructive to others bring swift (and therefore sure) destruction upon themselves. Self-destroyers are soon destroyed; and those who are so hardened as to propagate errors destructive to others shall surely and suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy.

      II. He proceeds, in the second verse, to tell us the consequence with respect to others; and here we may learn, 1. Corrupt leaders seldom fail of many to follow them; though the way of error is a pernicious way, yet many are ready to walk therein. Men drink in iniquity like water, and are pleased to live in error. The prophets prophesy falsely, and the people love to have it so. 2. The spreading of error will bring up an evil report on the way of truth; that is, the way of salvation by Jesus Christ, who is the way, the truth, and the life. The Christian religion is from the God of truth as the author, leads to true happiness in the enjoyment of the true God as the end, and works truth in the inward part as the means of acceptably serving God. And yet this way of truth is traduced and blasphemed by those who embrace and advance destructive errors. This the apostle has foretold as what should certainly come to pass. Let us not be offended at any thing of this in our day, but take care that we give no occasion to the enemy to blaspheme the holy name whereby we are called, or speak evil of that way whereby we hope to be saved.

      III. Observe, in the next place, the method seducers take to draw disciples after them: they use feigned words; they flatter, and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple, inducing them to yield entirely to the opinions which these seducers endeavour to propagate, and sell and deliver themselves over to the instruction and government of these false teacher, who make a gain of those whom they make their proselytes, serving themselves and making some advantage of them; for all this is through covetousness, with a desire and design to get more wealth, or credit, or commendation, by increasing the number of their followers. The faithful ministers of Christ, who show men the way of truth, desire the profit and advantage of their followers, that they may be saved; but these seducing teachers desire and design only their own temporal advantage and worldly grandeur.

Fuente: Matthew Henry’s Whole Bible Commentary

But there arose ( ). Second aorist middle indicative of (cf. in 1:20).

False prophets also ( ). In contrast with the true prophets just pictured in 1:20f. Late compound in LXX and Philo, common in N.T. (Mt 7:15). Allusion to the O.T. times like Balaam and others (Jer 6:13; Jer 28:9; Ezek 13:9).

False teachers (). Late and rare compound (, ) here alone in N.T. Peter pictures them as in the future here (, shall be) and again as already present (, are, verse 17), or in the past (, they went astray, verse 15).

Shall privily bring in (). Future active of , late double compound , to bring in (), by the side (), as if secretly, here alone in N.T., but see in Ga 2:4 (verbal adjective of this same verb).

Destructive heresies ( ). Descriptive genitive, “heresies of destruction” (marked by destruction) as in Lu 16:8. H (from ) is simply a choosing, a school, a sect like that of the Sadducees (Ac 5:17), of the Pharisees (Ac 15:5), and of Christians as Paul admitted (Ac 24:5). These “tenets” (Ga 5:20) led to destruction.

Denying (). Present middle participle of . This the Gnostics did, the very thing that Peter did, alas (Mt 26:70) even after Christ’s words (Mt 10:33).

Even the Master ( ). Old word for absolute master, here of Christ as in Jude 1:4, and also of God (Ac 4:24). Without the evil sense in our “despot.”

That bought them ( ). First aorist active articular participle of , same idea with in 1Pe 1:18f. These were professing Christians, at any rate, these heretics.

Swift destruction ( ). See 1:14 for and note repetition of . This is always the tragedy of such false prophets, the fate that they bring on () themselves.

Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament

But. Introducing a contrast with those who spake by the Holy Ghost (ch. 1 21).

There were [] . Rev., better, there arose.

There shall be. Note that Peter speaks of them as future, and Jude 1:4) as present.

False teachers [] . Only here in New Testament.

Who [] . Of that kind or class which, etc.

Privily shall bring in [] . Only here in New Testament. The kindred adjective occurs in Gal 2:4, “false brethren privily brought in” [] . The metaphor is of spies or traitors introducing themselves into an enemy ‘s camp. Compare Jude 1:4, crept in unawares. The verb means, literally, to bring [] into [] by the side of [] .

Damnable heresies [ ] . Lit., heresies of destruction. Rev., destructive heresies. Heresy is a transcript of airesiv, the primary meaning of which is choice; so that a heresy is, strictly, the choice of an opinion contrary to that usually received; thence transferred to the body of those who profess such opinions, and therefore a sect. So Rev., in margin, sects of perdition. Commonly in this sense in the New Testament (Act 5:17; Act 14:5; Act 28:22), though the Rev. has an odd variety in its marginal renderings. See Act 24:14; 1Co 11:19; Gal 5:20. The rendering heretical doctrines seems to agree better with the context; false teachers bringing in sects is awkward.

Denying. A significant word from Peter.

The Lord [] . In most cases in the New Testament the word is rendered master, the Rev. changing Lord to master in every case but two – Luk 2:29; Act 4:24; and in both instances putting master in margin, and reserving Lord for the rendering of kuriov. In three of these instances the word is used in direct address to God; and it may be asked why the Rev. changes Lord to Master in the text of Rev 6:10, and retains Lord in Luk 2:29; Act 4:24. In five out of the ten occurrences of the word in the New Testament it means master of the household. Originally, it indicates absolute, unrestricted authority, so that the Greeks refused the title to any but the gods. In the New Testament despothv and kuriov are used interchangeably of God, and of masters of servants.

Swift [] . Used by Peter only. See on ch. 2Pe 1:14.

Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament

WARNINGS OF APOSTATE, FALSE TEACHERS AND PREACHERS

1) “But there were false prophets also among the people.” Peter asserts that even in 0. T. days (Greek pseudoprophetai) there were false or lying prophets (preachers) among the (Greek lao) laity, masses of people, Luk 6:26; Jer 6:13; Jer 14:14; Jer 23:32.

2) “Even as there shall be false teachers among you.” (Greek hos kai en humin) as even among you (esontai) there will be (Greek pseudodidaskaloi) false or lying teachers, Mat 24:5; Mat 24:24; Act 20:29-30; 1Ti 4:1.

3) “Who privily shall bring in damnable heresies” Who will (Greek pareisaksousin) secretly or stealthily bring in (Greek aireseis) “opinions” (apoleian) of destructive nature.

4) “Even denying the Lord that bought them.” Even (arnoumenoi) “repeatedly denying” (tondes poten) the Master (agorasonta) the one having bought them, or having died for them, Mat 20:28; Heb 2:9; 1Jn 2:1.

5) “And bring upon themselves swift destruction.” (epagontes) “Bringing” upon themselves (Greek tachinen) destruction or judgment. Repeated denial or rejection of Jesus Christ brings upon the denier just judgment. Pro 29:1; Pro 1:23-27; Rom 2:4-5.

Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary

1. But there were. As weak consciences are usually very grievously and dangerously shaken, when false teachers arise, who either corrupt or mutilate the doctrine of faith, it was necessary for the Apostle, while seeking to encourage the faithful to persevere, to remove out of the way an offense of this kind. He, moreover, comforted those to whom he was writing, and confirmed them by this argument, that God has always tried and proved his Church by such a temptation as this, in order that novelty might not disturb their hearts. “Not different,” he says, “will be the condition of the Church under the gospel, from what it was formerly under the law; false prophets disturbed the ancient Church; the same thing must also be expected by us.”

It was necessary expressly to shew this, because many imagined that the Church would enjoy tranquillity under the rein of Christ; for as the prophets had promised that at his coming there would be real peace, the highest degree of heavenly wisdom, and the full restoration of all things, they thought that the Church would be no more exposed to any contests. Let us then remember that the Spirit of God hath once for all declared, that the Church shall never be free from this intestine evil; and let this likeness be always borne in mind, that the trial of our faith is to be similar to that of the fathers, and for the same reason — that in this way it may be made evident, whether we really love God, as we find it written in Deu 13:3.

But it is not necessary here to refer to every example of this kind; it is enough, in short, to know that, like the fathers, we must contend against false doctrines, that our faith ought by no means to be shaken on account of discords and sects, because the truth of God shall remain unshaken notwithstanding the violent agitations by which Satan strives often to upset all things.

Observe also, that no one time in particular is mentioned by Peter, when he says there shall be false teachers, but that all ages are included; for he makes here a comparison between Christians and the ancient people. We ought, then, to apply this truth to our own time, lest, when we see false teachers rising up to oppose the truth of God, this trial should break us down. But the Spirit reminds us, in order that we may take the more heed; and to the same purpose is the whole description which follows.

He does not, indeed, paint each sect in its own colors, but particularly refers to profane men who manifested contempt towards God. The advice, indeed, is general, that we ought to beware of false teachers; but, at the same time, he selected one kind of such from whom the greater danger arose. What is said here will hereafter become more evident from the words of Jude, [Jud 1:4,] who treats exactly of the same subject.

Who privily shall bring in. By these words he points out the craftiness of Satan, and of all the ungodly who militate under his banner, that they would creep in by oblique turnings, as through burrows under ground. (163) The more watchful, then, ought the godly to be, so that they may escape their hidden frauds: for however they may insinuate themselves, they cannot circumvent those who are carefully vigilant.

He calls them opinions of perdition, or destructive opinions, that every one, solicitous for his salvation, might dread such opinions as the most noxious pests. As to the word opinions or heresies, it has not, without reason, been always deemed infamous and hateful by the children of God; for the bond of holy unity is the simple truth. As soon as we depart from that, nothing remains but dreadful discord.

Even denying the Lord that bought them. Though Christ may be denied in various ways, yet Peter, as I think, refers here to what is expressed by Jude, that is, when the grace of God is turned into lasciviousness; for Christ redeemed us, that he might have a people separated from all the pollutions of the world, and devoted to holiness and innocency. They, then, who throw off the bridle, and give themselves up to all kinds of licentiousness, are not unjustly said to deny Christ by whom they have been redeemed. Hence, that the doctrine of the gospel may remain whole and complete among us, let this be fixed in our minds, that we have been redeemed by Christ, that he may be the Lord of our life and of our death, and that our main object ought to be, to live to him and to die to him. He then says, that their swift destruction was at hand, lest others should be ensnared by them. (164)

(163) “Peter intimated that the heresies of which he speaks were to be introduced under the color of true doctrine, in the dark. as it were, and by little and little; so that the people would not discern their real nature.” — Macknight.

(164) The word here for “Lord” is δεσπότης, which is more expressive of power and authority than Κύριος, commonly rendered “Lord.” This seems to intimate the character of the men alluded to: they denied Christ as their sovereign, as they rendered no obedience to him, though they may have professed to believe in him as a Savior. — Ed

Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary

DO OUR DENOMINATIONAL COLLEGES DENY EVANGELICAL FAITH?

2Pe 2:1-3

Preached in 1917.

THE question of this theme is not necessarily answered by the quotation in our text. The bolstering of special positions by detached texts is a trick easily turned; but it may depend upon calling a contortion of Scripture an interpretation. President King, of Oberlin, never made a truer remark than when he said: One of the greatest dangers of the educated man is to be found in his ability to defend more or less successfully any position. He finds it easy, therefore, as Fichte puts it, to go on subtilizing until he loses all power of recognizing Truth and readily persuades himself either that what he wants is true, or that all convictions are about equally justified. Yet indifferentism (to the text of Scripture) is neither breadth nor true tolerance. One modernist sanely remarks, Indifference to doctrine will sooner or later make religion anemic.

It shall be my endeavor, therefore, to array before you the facts; then, rest the answer to our question with the individual judgment. It so happens that in this instance the facts are not in controversy; they exist in plain print. The instructors in our denominational colleges and theological seminaries have given themselves to magazines and book writing, thereby putting the attitude they maintain toward the whole question of evangelical faith past all dispute. The saying of Jesus is especially applicable to these writings, and judgment upon these very professors is in this sentence, For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned (Mat 12:37).

It is quite essential, however, to clear and convincing reasoning that we adopt definitions; and there are at least two sets of words in this subject that ought to be clearly understood, Denominational Schools and Evangelical Faith. By denominational schools we mean, off course, such academic, college, and theological schools as are conducted by our evangelical denominations. The second phrase is not so simple.

THE FAITH DEFINED

At least three remarks, each to be followed by some considerable discussing, should be combined in order to make clear evangelical faith. They are theseEvangelical Christianity Builds on an Inerrant Book; Evangelical Christianity Believes on an Infallible Christ; Evangelical Christianity Emphasizes a Spiritual Experience.

Evangelical Christianity builds on an inerrant Book. The Baptist denominationperhaps the most ancient of all those that are spoken of as evangelicalhas never, at any time, put forth a declaration of faith that did not affirm that The Holy Bible was written by men divinely inspired, and is a perfect treasure of Heavenly instruction, and therefore is, and shall remain to the end of the world, the supreme standard by which all human conduct, creeds, and opinions are to be tried. As late as the year 1916, the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church called the attention of the Presbyteries to its deliverance of 1910, which was that It is an essential doctrine of the Word of God and our standards, that the Holy Spirit did so inspire, guide and move the writers of Holy Scriptures as to keep them from error. Dr. Munhall, in speaking of Methodism Adrift, reminds his readers that every man ordained a deacon in the Methodist Church, or to the ministry in the same, is asked the question, Do you unequivocally believe all the canonical Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments? and is compelled to answer, I do believe them and to take a solemn oath to teach nothing but that which he shall be persuaded may be concluded and proven by the Scriptures. In paragraph 33 of the General Rules of the Methodist Episcopal Church, the Bible is spoken of as Gods written Word, which is the only rule and the sufficient rule, both of our faith and practice.

The Confessions of Faith adopted by the lesser evangelical denominations of the land, put equal emphasis upon the inerrancy of the Bible. There may be individual churches, prejudiced and trained by critical pastors, who would gladly repudiate these confessions and formulate for themselves a supposedly broader standing ground. The sentence of Scripture expressing the standing of every evangelical church in existence today is found in Isa 8:20, To the Law and to the Testimony: if they speak not according to this Word, it is because there is no light in them.

Evangelical Christianity believes in an infallible Christ. Take the same denominational standards and you will find their declarations concerning Christ equally unequivocal and strong. The Baptist finds in the unity of the Godhead there are three personsthe Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, equal in their Divine perfection, and executing distinct but harmonious offices in the great work of redemption.

In the Minutes of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church, of 1916, that Assembly calls the attention of the Presbyteries to the deliverances of the General Assembly of 1910It is an essential doctrine of the Word of God and our standards that our Lord Jesus Christ was born of the Virgin Mary. It is an essential doctrine of the Word of God and our standards that Christ offered up Himself a sacrifice to satisfy Divine justice and to reconcile us to God. It is an essential doctrine of the Word of God and of our standards concerning our Lord Jesus Christ, that, on the third day, He rose again from the dead with the same body with which He suffered, with which also He ascended into Heaven and there sitteth at the right hand of His Father, making intercession. Presbyterians, therefore, are hereby not to license or ordain any candidate for the ministry whose views are not in accordance with this deliverance of 1910.

There could hardly be found in all the world a declaration of faith put forth by the Lutheran or Methodist denominations, or any other that is worthy to wear the name evangelical that does not declare for the Deity of Christ in equally unequivocal terms. Henry Van Dyke, to whom believers are indebted for many admirable statements of truth, never expressed a more fundamental one than when he declared, The unveiling of the Father in Christ, was and continued to be and still is, the paladium of Christianity. All who have surrendered it, for whatever reason, are dispersed and scattered; all who defend it, in whatever method, have been held fast in the unity of the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God; or in the language of John Watson, The life-blood of Christianity is Christ!

Evangelical Christianity emphasizes a spiritual experience. It stands for the language of Jesus Himself, spoken to one of the finest specimens of manhood known to His day, even Nicodemus. Ye must be born again (Joh 3:7), Principal Fairborn, once contending for a continued revelation, affirmed, Unless God be heard in the soul He will not be found in the Word. Evangelical Christianity proceeds on the opposite line and says, Unless God can be found in the soul, He will not be heard in the Word! The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned (1Co 2:14). President King is quite right, Religion is a personal relation of man to God. At least that is true of the Christian religion; and has always been affirmed in every evangelical faith. No man can defend the Deity of Jesus Christ or understand the Word of the Lord, or mark spiritual growth, until he has had Johns experience and can speak that which he has heard, which he has seen with his eyes, which he has looked upon, and his hands have handled of the Word of Life.

A liberal theologian recently affirmed of regeneration: I never experienced any such a thing, and neither has any member of my family; and then he strangely concluded, such an experience is not essential to a place in the Christian Church, as if the failure of one man to understand the Divine demand abolishes the demand itself!

Ward Beecher has often been spoken of as the Shakespeare of the modern pulpit, and Ward Beecher was a marvelous expositor of the Word, and Ward Beecher was one of the most efficient men known to the American ministry, and he affirmed that he had just such an experience, and dates all the spiritual successes of life to the same. It was in London in 1866 that he was addressing a missionary conference, and referring to the days when he was a theological student in Ohio, he said, I know not what the tablets of eternity have written down, but I think that when I stand in Zion and before God, the brightest thing I shall look back upon will be that blessed morning in May, when it pleased God to reveal to my wandering soul that it was His nature to love a man in his sins for the sake of helping him out of them; that He did not do it out of compliment to Christ, or to a law, or a plan of salvation, but from the fulness of His own heart; that He was a being not made angry by sin, but pitying it. In short, that He felt toward me as my mother felt toward me, to whose eyes my wrong-doing brought tears, who never pressed me so close to her as when I had done wrong, and who would fain, with her yearning love, lift me out of trouble. And when I found that Jesus Christ had such a disposition, and that when His disciples did wrong, He drew them closer to Him than He did before, when pride and jealousy and rivalry and all vulgar and worldly feelings rankled in their bosoms, He opened His heart to them as a medicine to heal these infirmities. When I found it was Christs nature to lift men out of weakness to strength, out of impurity to goodness, out of everything low and debasing to superiority, I felt that I had found God. I shall never forget the feelings with which I walked forth that May morning. The golden pavements will never feel to my feet as the grass felt to them, and the singing of the birds was cachophonous to the sweet music of my thoughts; and there were no forms in the universe which seemed to me graceful enough to represent the being, a conception of whose character had just dawned upon my mind.

Evangelical Christianity has never intended that all men have their experiences after the same manner, nor that the phases of them be identical in any measure; but evangelical Christianity has never at any time departed from the declaration, Ye must be born again. It has believed and taught that a spiritual experience was essential to its very existence. And whenever and wherever regeneration is denied, there evangelical Christianity is dead.

Do our denominational colleges deny the evangelical faith?

THE FAITH DENIED

It follows as conclusion from premise that, if evangelical Christianity has rested its entire contention in the authority and instruction of the Bible, then every man who opposes that, opposes and denies the evangelical faith. Prof. B, of the U of C Divinity School, said, Theology must wait for history; history must wait for criticism; criticism must wait for interpretation; and interpretation again for criticism, In other words, according to this declaration, criticism is henceforth to determine alike our creed and our conductor our Christianity. That is a flat denial of the evangelical faith; and yet we confess with humiliation, that our schools are today largely dominated by such sentiment.

The critics are capturing denominational colleges. There are not three English speaking schools in the entire north land, belonging to any one of the greater denominations, such as the Methodist, Baptist, Presbyterian, and Congregational, that are entirely without the infection of that infidelity known as Modernism. In some of them it is small as yet, but a speckled apple puts the barrel in unsavory state. There are thousands of Christian parents in America today who debate with the deepest anxiety the question, To what college can we send our children and be assured that the Bible will not be discounted, the Deity of Christ denied, and their spiritual lives reduced, if not destroyed? Dr. L. W. Munhall cites a number of incidents showing where Methodist parents have come to him with tear-bedimmed eyes, and told him of how they had sent their children to Methodist schools for the purpose of strengthening the faith that was in them, to find them returned infidels. And he mentions the outstanding institutions where faith-destruction is the school custom.

A bishops daughter once said to her father: I want to make a confession. While at the B U , because of what we were there taught, I came to disbelieve the Bible and lost faith in my Saviour. And all the girls of the class were with me in it. And it has taken me six months to get back on the RockChrist. She was facing a most common college experience. Not less than a dozen times in as many years have I had reports from young men who had studied in Baptist institutions, concerning the same skeptical infection and spiritual death.

I have in my possession a letter written by the president of a class in a Baptist University, in which, speaking for himself and more than a hundred others, he tells how his faith in the authority of the Bible and the Deity of Christ had been practically overthrown, and he was himself adrift until a series of addresses delivered in that college by a conservative, gave to him new strength, and brought to him convictions not to be shortly shaken again.

I listened awhile ago to a Baptist University President say, Jesus Christ was no more an authority upon questions of modern biblical criticism than Thomas Aquinas was upon the modern electric light. Prof. F, expelled from the Baptist Ministers Conference, Chicago, on the charge of infidelity, retained his standing in a college built by Baptist money, without contention. The Presbyterian Assembly has silenced not a few of its more vociferous skeptics, and yet Ex-Moderator Mark Matthews felt called upon to invite the Unitarians of the Presbyterian colleges and theological seminaries to quit the same. In nine cases out of ten, you will find a biology professor in the denominational college a devotee of Darwin, and a consequent opponent of Moses, and in his judgment, Christ in an evolution, and the Bible a purely human document, produced by natural development. So in most colleges where you have a faithful Bible teacher you have a certain conflict between biology and bibliology; and since the age is science mad, the man who speaks in the name of science is likely to get a more cordial hearing than he who brings his message from the Book of Scripture. In the language of anotherModernism, Skepticism, Agnosticism, Infidelity, and Worldliness are the inevitable resultsresults not one of which ever aided true education in any form.

It is a marvel to me that old John Harvard, that great and gracious Evangelical who gave his time, his money, his books, for the founding of a college in his name, can be content in his grave! There was not a thing that was sacred to him but the institution wearing his name has secularized; not a conviction held by him which it has not repudiated; and not a plan he had which it has not contorted. Judging by the progress that Modernism has made in comparatively recent years, the day is not far distant when there will not be found an endowed educational institution that is not dominated by doubters.

The Germans were neither better organized, more adequately equipped, more doggedly determined in their advance to battle, than is the liberal movement that seeks to fasten upon the schools of the world, Wellhausen infidelity. In the language of another, The exponents of this movement are thoroughly organized and work together. They press into every opening; they seek the possession of every college, university and divinity school; and they make their cannons, construct their armored tanks, build their dreadnaughts, and furnish their submarines with what Peter calls feigned or well-turned words. And, in keeping with the customs of war, their victims are the young, and the Belgium of their destructive action is the field of education.

These critics are subsidizing our theological seminaries. When one reminds himself of the fact that Andover Theological Seminary was once the greatest in America, with a creed of the most conservative type possible, and yet while putting their signatures to the same, her professors tore that creed to shreds, he is compelled to feel that dishonesty is not a misdemeanor in the eyes of the Modern. In that view he is further confirmed by the circumstance to which Dr. Munhall calls attention, namely, that theological professors, after having solemnly declared that they unequivocally accepted all the canon of Scripture of the Old and New Testament, left the council, to say to the theological students they believed no such thing. When these theological students rose in revolt, as they have in several seminaries, and requested the privilege of being excused from a study presented in skeptical formulas, or demanded the removal of the professor, because he has broken his own oath and attacked the creed of the church and brought the Bible and Christ Himself under criticism, they are ignored by the Board of Trustees, and left to the dilemma of taking what is given them or departing the school life. I could pick out of the theological seminaries lying north of the Mason and Dixon line, scores of professors whose theology would not be tolerated in intelligent pulpits for two months.

What then will be the fate of our churches when they fall into the hands of men infected by such teaching?

Not content with their accomplishments, the critics are now seeking the control of our churches.

By denominational associations, especially by ordaining committees, and committees on relation of church and pastor, and a thousand other phases that represent well-turned words, they are trying to find open doors for skeptical graduates and seeking to shut doors against the believing. Every Pulpit Committee is sought out, counselled, and even cajoled in the interest of some minister whose modernism has left him without a message.

As yet, however, the churches are not greedy in their search for skeptical leaders. Their committees naturally turn to known conservative men for counsel. They are begging not to be unconsciously delivered into the hands of destructive critics. They are giving attention to the literature that is reaching their membership, and particularly their boys and girls. But there has never been a time when the relationship of the denominational church to the denominational school was as strained as it is at the present moment. In Canada, as in the United States, I have found that scores of churches were positively refusing to make further financial contribution to their own denominational university, on the ground that not all of its teachers were standing for the authority of the Bible and the Deity of Christ. The day is at hand when the intelligent layman will think twice before he endows a college committed to the destruction of the faith, or gives his support to the theological seminary that despises the shed Blood and seeks to substitute sociology.

In the language of an advanced thinker, The Church that is to enjoy efficiency must first seek God. However much we need better organization in our churches, we need more a prophetic ministry to lead men into fuller fellowship with God and a more thorough cultivation of the power to realize that vast spiritual reserve which lies just beyond conscious action. A municipal water system needs pipes, but it needs a water supply even more.

And you know the application in Scripture concerning water, that it is the Word.

THE INFIDELITY EFFECTED

The result of this denial of the evangelical faith is an infidelitya child of twin philosophies, the result of which is both deadly and destructive.

They are these: first, the Scripture is made to appear the opponent of Science; and second, the Church is charged with having divorced culture.

The Scripture is made to appear the opponent of science. We are told the struggle between traditional theology and science really exists. We are told, and that by a Baptist Professor in a Baptist University, The world of scholarship finds itself in perplexity as it listens to the authoritative word of the church. For in the New Testament there are concepts which the modern world, under the domination of science, finds it impossible to understand, much less to believe. To Paul and other writers of the New Testament, the earth was flat, with a series of heavens above and a great pit for the dead beneath; the relations of man and God were those of the relations of the subject of an oriental monarchy. Sin was statutory; punishment was a matter of penalty, and justification was primarily a matter of acquittal at the world judgment.

It is just such teaching as that, that led a believing Bishop recently to declare that the schools of his denomination belong more to the devil today than they do to our churches. As the late Dr. James David Burrell said, The Word of God is now under fire! But the fires are no hotter than they have been from the beginning, and the inspired Book is destined to come forth seven times tried and without the smell of smoke upon it, for thus it is written, The elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. The heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll. But the Word of our God shall stand for ever. For the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.

Since God is the Author of both the Bible and nature, Scripture and science, rightly interpreted, will forever speak together. The man who pits them one against the other is a poor exponent of one or both.

The Church also is charged with divorcing culture. The same Professor above quoted says, The churches number among their members few of the professional, that is to say, of the scientifically trained classes. They are composed very largely of men and women who, whatever may be their culture, are not college bred. It is, of course, to be expected that the great majority of our church members should come from just such classes because the proportion of college-bred men and women in a community is small. But what becomes of the thousands of young Christians whom our colleges and universities report as making up half of their entire enrollment? A recent census in one denomination numbering between twenty and thirty thousand communicants showed that, except in two or three churches, not one in fifty of its membership was a college graduate. And he asks the question, Are we educating away from our churches?

If we are, is the trouble with our educational system or the Church?

That is a very pertinent question. And there are two things that might be said. First, in those churches presided over by virile men, who believe in the authority of the Bible and in the Deity of Christ, the proportion of college men in the membership is much larger than one in fifty. And second, the trouble is with our educators system rather than with the church. Education itself is increasingly steeped in skepticism, and for the churches to accept this, or even compromise with it, is to accept death, for if they have no authoritative Scripture, no Christ who is God, the Church has no occasion for its existence, and its preservation is hardly to be desired! If, on the other hand, the Church holds Gods revealed Truth, it would be guilty of treason if it traded that Truth for a lie, or by the spirit of tolerationso-calledbrought it into infidel fraternity. The evangelical church is the mother of modern culture, and wherever there is a conflict between them, it is the act of an unappreciative and rebellious daughter; and the direful results of this rebellion will be seen, not alone in the injury of the church, but in the triumph of that infidelity which will finally undo the pulpit in mind and morals as effectually as it is now undoing its subjects in Scriptural and spiritual experience.

The educated are being doped with incredulity. As a father I have sought to give my children the training of schools; as a Christian I have had to endure the nausea of placing them in the skeptical atmosphere that now dominates our larger colleges. Martin Luther once remarked, I advise no one to place his child where the Scriptures do not reign paramount. One week the city physician decreed that all students in the school my daughter then attended, must be vaccinated. I confess to no small degree of revolt at having impure virus forced into the pure blood of a girl who was in perfect health; but a thousand times over would I prefer to have my daughters blood tainted and her flesh scarred for a time, to having her mind tainted with infidelity and her soul scarred for eternity.

I believe in education, but not in an anti-Christian one! I believe in science, but not in an anti-Scriptural one! I believe in the college, but not if it deny my Christ! I believe in the theological seminary, but not if it oppose spirituality.

When Christ is no longer worshiped, men will sink back into cannibalism; but where He is revered, there is safety and there alone.

We are told that some years ago, shortly after the shadows of night had fallen, a missionary, making his way up the Congo River, was looking for a place to moor his boat for the nighta place where he would be safeand was skirting the shore with keen eyes and careful movements, for he knew that many of the natives were cannibals, and to run upon them would be certain and cruel death. Suddenly there smote upon his ear the lusty voices of men, and listening he heard:

All hail the power of Jesus Name,Let angels prostrate fall;Bring forth the royal diadem And crown Him Lord of all.

Instantly he turned the prow of his boat toward that part of the shore whence the sound came. He knew he could land there in safety; he knew that there he would find a blessed fellowship; he knew that there were friends worthy the name. Why? Because they were honoring Christ as the Son of God and the Saviour of the soul! No school is a safe landing for our lads and lasses, when Christ is not equally lauded as Saviour and Lord.

Fuente: The Bible of the Expositor and the Evangelist by Riley

FAITHITS FRIENDS AND FOES

2Pe 2:1-22.

IN the treatment of Peters First Epistle, we called attention to the fact that the two natural divisions found in the body of the Epistle were introduced by the word Beloved.

As would be expected, the introduction to this Second Epistle is more formal,

Simon Peter, a servant and an Apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ:

Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord (2Pe 1:1-2).

From this salutation he passes to the subject of the Truth already received by them, and urges steadfastness in the faith, upon the ground that he will shortly finish his life-work, and longs to feel that his ministry to them is not to be a fruitless one.

The Epistle is divided into three chapters; but the break in thought does not correspond entirely with the chapters; and yet for our purposes we propose its discussion under three heads.

THE GROUND OF PRECIOUS FAITH

If it is interesting to listen to any well-informed, spiritual man speak on the great subjects of Scripture,and it is,how much more instructive is it to give attention to what an inspired Apostle has to say! Men are constantly tempted to forget that when they read what Peter wrote they are actually receiving what God hath spoken; and when they read what John wrote they are being made familiar with The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto His servants things which must shortly come to pass; and He sent and signified it by His angel unto His servant John (Rev 1:1).

What then has Peter to say concerning the ground of precious faith?

First, that it is based upon the calling of God.

According as His Divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and Godliness, through the knowledge of Him that called us to glory and virtue? (2Pe 1:3).

When I was a lad I listened with the utmost interest, to debates that occurred as often as my Uncle John visited our home; involving always the questions of Arminianism and Calvinism.

Father was a conservative Arminian; uncle a radical Calvinist. I always voted the debate won by the last speaker. The longer I study the Bible at first hand, the more am I persuaded that while human responsibility is everywhere regarded, and even prized in the Word of God, the great fact remains that we are saved by grace, and that not of ourselves. How could Peter put it more strongly, His Divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and Godliness, through the knowledge of Him that called us to glory and virtue.

Surely your salvation, your sanctification, your glorification, and mine, are all of grace, and all of God. By the deeds of the Law there shall no flesh be justified in His sight (Rom 3:20).

Some of you were not present, and hence I dare repeat what Dr. John Robertson said at the Hennepin Avenue Methodist Church, on his first afternoon there one winter. There was a faithful worman who lived six miles up the valley who was ever present and on time at Robertsons services. One day she was missed. The next morning the young pastor walked his way to the country home and rapped on the door, and there was a feeble voice from within, saying, Yell have to lift the sneck and come in yersel.

Robertsons application was right! If the Lord ever gets access to us and ministers to us in our sore sickness, He will have to come the whole way. Yea, more, He will have to lift the sneck. We have not even the power to respond after that He has stood at our hearts door; He must even impart the power to open, as Christ imparted to Lazarus the ability to sit up in answer to His call, and to quit the grave. It is all of grace.

It is fostered by the good promises of God.

Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the Divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust (2Pe 1:4).

Once I attempted to speak from this text, The Great and Precious Promises. Attempted, I say! Who could say more? The man has never yet lived who appreciated the true greatness of Gods promises, or tasted all the preciousness that they contain. There is not an experience into which you come, but the promises of God compass you, and bear you up, if only you know how to lay hold upon them, as the life-preserver bears up the shipwrecked mariner. There is not a sorrow through which you pass, but God hath provided for it a sustaining promise. There is not a joy into which you enter, or a rest into which you come, but underneath them are the eternal promises. No wonder Isaac Watts called upon us in these words:

Tell of His wondrous faithfulness,And sound His power abroad;Sing the sweet promise of His grace,And the performing God.

Is it not a marvel, beloved, that we are so poverty-stricken when such an inheritance hath been left us? It is our fears and our faithfulness that cheat us out of our certain riches and secure joys.

Ernest Gordon, in the life of his father, illustrates, All remember Sancho Panza, hanging desperately from the window all the night long, his toes within three inches of the ground, his forehead beaded with perspiration, in abject terror of the supposed abyss beneath. A parable, truly, of most Christians, and a type of the conduct of many Christian institutions!

Oh, to learn how to release our hold and drop upon the promises of God, to find indeed that they are world-wide and strong as the granite pillars of the earth; yea, stronger, for the earth shall pass away, but not one jot or tittle of all that God hath spoken.

But let us not forget the object of these promises, that by these ye might be partakers of the Divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

This faith is consonant only with Christian conduct.

And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;

And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience Godliness;

And to Godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.

For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.

Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:

For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting Kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ (2Pe 1:5-11).

Have you not noted that men seldom ever retain their faith in God after they have once become corrupt in conduct. Let lust, or any form of sin, into the life, and shortly you will be disputing the great doctrine of grace, and denying the necessity of an atonement, and scoffing the certainty of judgment. In all likelihood, you will go further and you will speak of the Church with contempt, and of its members with acrimony. Somehow the thinking and acting of men will get together, As he (a man) thinketh in his heart, so is he, and out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.

The great need of the hour, beloved, is a sound faith in Scripture teaching; and corresponding conduct on the part of them that profess it. The saintly Gordon once said, We believe you ought to contend earnestly for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints; but in doing this you should seek to be like the saints once delivered to the faith. So often have I found a loose theology and loose living linked together, that I have come to feel that one of these always mothers the other into being. Sometimes a man loses his faith first and falls into evil conduct afterwards; and then sometimes a man falls first into evil customs and gradually surrenders his faith.

Peters appeal is, We should remember that the ground of our faith is in the grace of God, and that the growth of it depends upon our conduct. This is a remarkable phrase,

And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;

And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience Godliness;

And to Godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.

For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.

Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:

For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

If one rises up to say that this is not in accord with the first statement made, that we can supply nothing, remember it is not so, for our supplying depends upon our receiving. If I only had some one to whom I could make appeal at pleasure, and who would provide me with unlimited funds, I then in turn could supply not alone my own needs, but that of others; being supplied, I could supply. That is what the Apostle requires.

For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly.

When Christ said, Give, and it shall be given unto you, He did not mean that we should entice God into generosity by our example; but He did mean, as God is generous toward you, be generous toward others, and the Giver of all good will not withhold His hand, but open it more widely still. In other words, Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure (Php 2:12-13).

Yea, there is a harmony in Scripture, and the God who hath called you by His grace, and fostered your faith by His good promises, has the right to expect, yea, even to command, Christian conduct.

There is a pathetic touch here before the Apostle passes on to the next subject of supreme importance. It is a reference to his approaching decease. It sounds like what the great Apostle Paul has to say, I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand (2Ti 4:6). Peter knows that his days are numbered,

Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things, though ye know them, and be established in the present Truth,

Yea, I think it meet, as long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up by putting you in remembrance;

Knowing that shortly I must put off this my tabernacle, even as our Lord Jesus Christ hath shewed me.

Moreover I will endeavour that ye may be able after my decease to have these things always in remembrance (2Pe 1:12-15).

If a father feels that his last words should be weighty, no wonder that an Apostle takes advantage of the same influence and employs it for God.

But to continue with Peters Epistle is to come upon

THE MARKS OF THE FALSE PROPHET

Four of these are mentioned here:

First, The denial of the credibility of the Scriptures. Peter refers to certain teachings that had even in his time taken root with men, and answers:

For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and Coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty.

For He received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to Him from the excellent Glory, This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

And this voice which came from Heaven we heard, when we were with Him in the holy mount (2Pe 2:16-18).

We have among us some men who talk of up-to-date interpretation of the Scriptures. Why, bless you, the Scriptures are always up to date. This language sounds like Peter had written it yesterday in answer to the latest professor of theology, who has told his classes that they are not to take all they find in the Bible as true; or as if in refutation of Fosters Finality of the Christian Religion. Walter V. Couch, in The Presbyterian, speaking of Dr. Clarks volume, How to Use the Bible, (a book in which that theological celebrity took the position that the Old and New Testaments are alike unworthy of confidence, and counsels that we pick out little bits here and there and make up for ourselves a bible from the Bible,) says, This is coming out into the open, except as to the title of the book, which, to prevent misconception, we think should have been, How to Misuse the Scriptures. False prophets they are; destroyers of the faith. I am more and more persuaded that the denomination that retains them in its bosom is dooming itself in the process, and hastening the day when God will remove its candlestick out of its place.

Second, The rejection of the doctrine of plenary inspiration.

Peter says:

We have also a more sure Word of prophecy; where-unto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the Day Star arise in your hearts;

Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the Scripture is of any private interpretation.

For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost (2Pe 2:19-21).

What is his claim? We have the Word of Prophecy. Aye, We have also a more sure Word of prophecy. It is a light shining in a dark place; it is a light which is of no private interpretation, For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.

A. J. F. Behrends, in his little book, The Old Testament Under Fire, said, When, thirty years ago, I entered the ministry, the crisis of the destructive criticism on the New Testament had only just passed. We were in the restless waters produced by the exhaustion of a terrific storm; and that, as some of us know, is worse than the tempest. The cyclone was over, but it had cut a terrible swath, and the desolation seemed hopeless. I have lived to see the school of Baur and Renan buried out of sight, and the New Testament intrenched more strongly than ever. The school of Wellhausen is only nineteen years old. If I live twenty years longer, I shall expect to see it laid out for solitary burial, with none to mourn over its departure. Thirty years have passed since Behrends wrote those words. His book was published in 1897, and now Wellhausen is commonly rejected. Practically every theory he put forth regarding the Old Testament Scriptures is repudiated by the present-day critics. Buried without a mourner!

But let us not forget that these scholars have had their victims. When, yesterday, the blighted remains of the murderer and suicide were made ready for burial, aside from his own flesh, none mourned. The public said, To the world it is a good riddance. But that did not bring back to life his victim; nor console the broken hearts of her friends nor the bereaved members of his family. But, I say it solemnly, today, and I say it believing with all the fervor of my soul that I speak the truth, that black and awful as was the business of that murderer in deceiving, ensnaring, destroying, more far reaching still in its effects, more awful in its eventual outcome, more destructive and damning is the work of those men, who at this hour, are wearing the Name of Jesus Christ as a cloak under which to stab His character, and are holding chairs, endowed for the purpose of teaching the Word of God, as thrones of power from which to pass sentence against its sacred character. If such men are to remain honored ministers in the evangelical bodies our foundations are removed, our history has reached its climax in disaster, and our mission is over.

A friend of mine tells me that he once heard Wendell Phillips speak. His opening sentence was, I pray daily for the dissolution of this Union.

It rendered his auditors insane! They hissed and howled and threatened! But when Phillips explained, Better a brief battle, however much bloodshed it involves, and after that a Union and freedom, than eternal division and strife and slavery! they calmed and were convinced.

Proud as I am to belong to the great Baptist denomination, I am clear in this, that if, tomorrow, we should disfellowship every man who denies the plenary inspiration of the Scriptures and disregards their authority, we should rise out of the division infinitely strengthened, to enjoy a faith, and to know again the power of the old days, and the enduement of that Spirit that made our fathers flaming lights.

But Peter takes an additional step; his third mark is this:

The substitution of skeptical theories versus the Scriptures.

But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among yon, who primly shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction (2Pe 2:1).

It is always so! Men know that even the most unthinking will not stand for ruthless destruction, hence they claim always to be constructive critics which means, We will set up for you something else, and better. One such pleads, Wait until I write a new book and tell you what I have put in place of the Bible.

What would you think of a man who deliberately took the foundation from beneath your house and removed the last stone, and when you expostulated with him, said, But see the beauty of the paint, it is untouched; and the shapeliness of the finial, it is undisturbed. Count your untouched blessings and be content. And if you still feel that you have been injured, wait until the spring time and I will sow flower seed at your front door?

What would you think of the man who first slew your child, and then afterwards sought to placate you by proffering a pretty coffin?

The time has come for the Church of God to part company with infidels!

And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? (2Co 6:15).

But there remains another mark of the false prophet, and the Apostle presents it:

He adopts irreligious and corrupting customs.

They are described in this Epistle by lascivious doings, covetousness, greed, make merchandise of you, and Peter argues

For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;

And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly;

and applied his argument to men,

For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them.

But it happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire (2Pe 2:4-6; 2Pe 2:21-22).

In the third chapter the Apostle discusses

THE FEATURES OF FINAL APOSTASY

They involve the custom of scoffing at sacred things.

There shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lust (2Pe 3:3).

No matter what view of the millennium one may hold, he must admit that the spirit of reverence for holy things, which was regnant with our fathers, is not so much found with their children. The multitudes disregard the sanctity of the Sabbath. How far we have come from the behavior of our fathers in the sanctuarythe place of the special presence of Godone gets a hint when he visits Canada, or goes back to England; and witnesses the people enter the House of God in a hush, and sees them bow the head before service, and again at the close of service,a few moments in silent prayer. This is not a custom there with the English church only; but with the dissenters as well.

In our own Americathe most progressive of nationsone almost needs to use a gavel and call order in commencing many a religious service. The Jew never burned a piece of paper without looking upon it to see if the Name of God was there; and the Puritans held every page of the Bible in holy reverence. Their descendants, in many instances seriously question its authority, and in not a few, mock its claims. Marriage, domestic life, regard for the law, these are not held in as high esteem as once.

Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts (2Pe 3:3).

This has wrought its way into the Church of God also; and has found expression in the interpretation of the Word, and has resulted in the utter fulfilment of Peters prophecy, namely:

The repudiation of the Second Advent promises. He declares that they will say,

Where is the promise of His Coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation (2Pe 3:4).

For hundreds of years after Christ the denial of the literal Return of the Lord, the setting up of His throne, and the establishment of His Kingdom, was hardly known among professed saints; today that hurtful heresy is popular to the point of the majority; and, while it does not, and perhaps never will, include the better students of the Word of God, it is extremely agreeable to the world.

Peter says, Remember that men would not believe in the coming flood, and they perished in consequence. The heavens that now are, and the earth, according to prophecy, are stored up for fire, and men will not accept that, because they see no signs of it.

But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.

The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness; but is long suffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall Pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.

Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and Godliness,

Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?

Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness (2Pe 3:8-13).

To deny His Return, to deny these physical changes that are to be wrought in the world; to deny the overthrow of wickedness at His Appearance, and the establishment of righteousness at His personal Reign, is to discredit every twentieth verse in the entire Word of God, for that proportion of it relates to the literal Return of the Lord.

I have just been reading a book of Dr. Haldemans, of New York, Pastor of the First Baptist Church of that city, in which he says, Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesies that the Lord is coming in glory; Abraham catches glimpses of Him as the coming Man, and rejoices in view of His day. Jacob has a vision of the Epiphany and splendor when, surrounded by the angelic host, the Lord God looks down from the height of the golden ladder. Moses sees that revelation of Him in the burning bush, not as the weak and crucified, but as Yaweh the Coming One, coming in triumph. The Psalms are full of the one utterance, uttering His Coming and portraying the movement in Heaven when the whole universe shall be attuned in rhythm to the music of His Kingly descent. Isaiah spells it out in the notes of seraphic splendor and in the announcement of earths response from exalted mountain, shivering earth and tossing seas. Jeremiah depicts the moment, when at His Coming, Jerusalem shall no longer be as the forsaken who binds her hair with the braid of widowhood, but as Jerusalem the holy, Jerusalem whose name shall be the Lord our Righteousness, and unto whom shall be gathered the nations, as unto the throne of the Lord.

Ezekiel beholds Him coming in the chariots of cherubic glory. Daniel sets Him forth in the center of ten thousand times ten thousands of shining angels, coming to take unto Himself the crowns of all the kings of all the earth, as Ring of kings and Lord of lords. The minor Prophets on every page proclaim that He is Coming. Hosea declares it in language of rebuke to the people who have denied Him; Joel in speech that makes the tongue to burn and the ears to tingle, while Habakkuk rises to the heights of sublimity in a diction unequalled, as he testifies of the God who shall come from Teman and the Holy One who shall cover the heavens with His glory, who shall fill the earth with His praise, before whose feet shall go the pestilence and burning coals, who shall stand and measure the earth, drive asunder the nation, scatter the everlasting mountains, receive the homage of the perpetual hills as they bow before Him and acknowledge that His ways are everlasting, and who shall fill the whole earth, with the glory of His presence. The last utterance of the Old Testament, as it is of the New, is, that He is Coming. And he continues to say that the New Testament is as absolutely explicit and as replete in its teaching.

What greater signs that we have come upon the final apostasy than that this glorious doctrine, this that was to the Apostle Paul the Blessed Hope of the Church, and to Jesus Christ, the climax of His own endeavors in redeeming the world, should be so popularly denied.

But there is a further feature of this apostasy, namely:

The wresting of the plainest speech of Sacred Writ. In proof of his biblical position, Peter refers to Pauls Epistles, already written, and says that they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other Scriptures, unto their own destruction (2Pe 3:16).

Years ago Dr. George Lorimer said to me that he believed his first book was the best he had ever published. That first book is entitled, The Galilean. And if you turn to Lorimers chapter on The Future of Jesus you will find him saying, Jesus is to come personally. This is the plain import of His own words, and of those spoken on this subject by His disciples. * * I know there is a vague impression abroad that it sometimes denotes a spiritual and providential manifestation. But were this the case, the confusion would be lamentable and endless. If men are warranted by the exigencies of a theory which they consider more reasonable than any other, to manipulate plain declarations of Scripture, and to account that figurative which is clearly literal, why may not the opponents of evangelical views adopt the same rule, and, as it appears to them more rational to deny than to credit the Divinity of Christ and His resurrection, why may they not resolve all the proof texts in favor of these truths into mere poetic or metaphorical expressions?

That is exactly what they have done, and I say to you candidly, that they no more wrest the Scriptures, than do those who set aside what Christ and the Apostles said concerning the last days, the establishment of the Kingdom, the reign of glory, the millennium, and the final judgment. Let us give ourselves to a fresh study of the Word of God and accept for our Instructor the Spirit Himself, lest we being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from our own steadfastness,

Come, Holy Spirit, Heavnly Dove,With all Thy quickening powers;Kindle a flame of sacred love In these cold hearts of ours.

Look, how we grovel here below,Fond of these earthly toys;Our souls, how heavily they go,To reach eternal joys.

In vain we tune our formal songs,In vain we strive to rise;Hosannas languish on our tongues,And our devotion dies.

Dear Lord, and shall we ever live At this poor dying rate,Our love so faint, so cold to Thee,And Thine to us so great?

Come, Holy Spirit, Heavnly Dove,With all Thy quickening powers;Come, shed abroad a Saviours love,And that shall kindle ours.

Fuente: The Bible of the Expositor and the Evangelist by Riley

MISCHIEF-MAKERS AND MISCHIEF-MAKING

CRITICAL AND EXEGETICAL NOTES

THE subject treated in this chapter is the mischievous influence of corrupting doctrine. And false doctrine is constantly treated in the New Treatment in view of the immoral associations which always attended it, as with the idolatries of older days. True doctrine works for righteousness; false doctrine works for licence. True prophets had been referred to in 2Pe. 1:21, and they suggest warnings against false prophets, and false teachers.

2Pe. 2:1. There were.In the times of the true prophets there were false ones. It is always so. The good and the evil go together. False teachers.Such as the Judaising teachers, who dogged the steps of St. Paul, or such as the Gnostic teachersor teachers of what subsequently became known as Gnosticism, who roused the intense opposition of St. John. Apart from these there may have been pure time-servers, who were ready to deceive the people if they could secure their own gains, such as Simon the sorcerer. People.Term specially used of the Jews, as the people of Gods choice (Mat. 1:21; Joh. 11:50). Privily.With the idea of subtlety; craftily, not merely secretly. The warning was needed because of the guilefulness of the false teachers; their plausibility. (For examples of false prophets, see 1Ki. 22:6; 1Ki. 22:11; 1Ki. 22:24; Jeremiah 28; Isa. 9:15, etc.). Damnable heresiesR.V. destructive. Sects is better than heresies. The word heresy means choice of a party, and was used in later Greek for a philosophic sect, or school. St. Peter deals with classes rather than with persons. The Lord.Here , Master. Bought them.Compare 1Pe. 1:18. Some of the early false teachers denied our Lords humanity, and some His Divinity; but probably St. Peter had chiefly in mind entangling men in old legal Jewish forms, when they had been lifted into spiritual liberty and privilege.

2Pe. 2:2. Pernicious ways.Lascivious doings (see Mar. 7:22; Rom. 13:13; 1Pe. 4:3; Jude 2Pe. 2:4; 2Pe. 2:8). The connection between false doctrine and immorality is fully recognised, but the apostle may have in mind self-willedness, swayed by self-seeking motives. Way of truth.The service of Christ was at first known as the way (see Act. 9:2, etc.).

2Pe. 2:3. Through covetousness.The preposition, , indicates that covetousness (unprincipled getting for personal advantage) was the element, the substratum, of their profession. Illustrate Simon the sorcerer. Feigned words.Made-up tales. Their own manufactures, which rest on no authority. A bombastic mysticism, promising to reveal secrets about the unseen world and the future, was a very lucrative profession in the last days of Paganism, and it passed over to Christianity as an element in various heresies. (Compare Cunningly-devised fables, 2Pe. 1:16.) Damnation.Destruction. Judgment does not loiter on its way; destruction does not nod drowsily. Both are eager, watchful, waiting for the appointed hour.

2Pe. 2:4. The angels.No articleangels. Whether the antediluvian sinners or beings of another world, are meant, is disputed. There is no Old Testament record of, or allusion to, any fall of angels. Plummer thinks the reference is to statements in the book of Enoch, that certain angels sinned by having intercourse with women (see T. Moores poem, The Loves of the Angels). Angels may be a translation of Sons of God (Gen. 6:2). To hell.Cast them into dungeons. Tartarus, , an unusual term.

2Pe. 2:5. Old world.In the book of Enoch the Flood follows close upon the sin of the angels. Eighth person.Noah and seven others. Preacher., herald. One to whom a message is given to deliver. (Compare Jonah.)

2Pe. 2:7. Just Lot.With special reference to moral sentiments. Filthy conversation.The lascivious life of the wicked.

2Pe. 2:8. Righteous man.Spiritual righteousness is not suggested; only moral righteousness. Lots character must be judged from his story as a whole. Vexed.Tortured. Why, then, did he stay in the district? Righteous is a comparative term; and we must think of Lot in relation to the defective morality of his age, and in view of the licentiousness of those with whom he is here contrasted.

MAIN HOMILETICS OF THE PARAGRAPH.2Pe. 2:1-8

The Essence of Heresy.It has been satirically, but with much suggestive truthfulness, said that orthodoxy is my opinion, and heterodoxy is other peoples opinion. It should be carefully observed that, in Scripture, heresy is never regarded as a mere difference in intellectual standpoint, mental apprehension, or word setting. It is always regarded from its moral side, always seen as bearing a mischievous influence upon the character, or giving an unhealthy licence to the conduct. Heresy is anything and everything that helps a man to do wrong. By its fruits it is known. That opinion is wrong which works out into unrighteousness.

I. Heresy is not the reverent endeavour to understand revealed truth.Revealed truth has to be understood and explained; it has to be understood, and set forth in fresh language-forms, for each age. And it is the gravest mistake to represent the new shapings of truth-forms in order to carry old truths to the minds of a new generation, as being heresy. The old forms become, in course of time, dead as mummies, and must be replaced by new forms, using the terms and connotations of each fresh generation.

II. Heresy is not the individual stamp which persons put upon revealed truth.If it were, then every intelligent and independent-minded person would be a heretic; and progression in the apprehension of truth would be impossible. It is the genius given to individuals, that they can put life into old things by re-clothing them for presentation to our minds and hearts.

III. Heresy is every setting and shaping of opinion that gives incitement or support to moral evil.Pharisaism is therefore heresy. Later Judaism was heresy. Heathenism was heresy. Gnosticism, on some of its sides, was heresy; because these things gave licence to moral evil. Still, everything that works for righteousness is orthodox, and everything that works for evil is heterodox.

IV. Heresy is that setting of opinion which has for its inspiration the covetous spirit.The man is sure to go wrong in his thinking whose aim is getting for himself. See 2Pe. 2:3.

Examples of Divine Judgment.Three instances of Divine vengeance, proving that great wickedness never goes unpunishedthe special point to illustrate being that the Divine judgments are sure to come upon those who associate Christianity with licence, or with self-seeking. The three instances are here given in chronological orderWanton Angels; Flood; Sodom and Gomorrah: while those in Jude are notUnbelievers in the Wilderness; Impure Angels; Sodom and Gomorrah.

I. The example of the angels.We must carefully dissociate the representations of modern poetry from the teachings of Scripture. Miltons use of legendary matter carries no authority, and affords no explanation of difficult allusions in Holy Scripture. Moores Loves of the Angels, is a pure work of imagination. It was a common Jewish idea that the term sons of God in Gen. 6:2 meant the angels. But there can be no reasonable doubt of the fact that both St. Peter and St. Jude took their idea of fallen angels either from the book of Enoch (an apocryphal work of that age), or from the current traditions which were afterwards embodied in the book. It is certain that Holy Scripture carries no revelation at all in relation to the matter. Not improbably the false teachers made use of this book, and possibly of these passages, in their corrupt teaching. Hence St. Peter uses it as an argumentum ad hominem against them, and St. Jude, recognising the allusion, adopts it, and makes it more plain; or both writers, knowing the book of Enoch well, and calculating on their readers knowing it also, used it to illustrate their arguments and exhortations, just as St. Paul uses the Jewish belief of the rock following the Israelites. The sin of the angels was the self-willedness that found expression in self-indulgence. Instead of keeping their dignity as the servants of God, they asserted a dignity for themselves, in independence of Him. When that dignity of their own worked itself out, it showed itself as sensuality, and moral evil, upon which the judgments of God must come.

II. The example of sinners before the Flood.It is singular to find St. Peter and St. Jude so deeply interested in the antediluvians, and we can only suppose that speculations concerning them, and their fate, were characteristic of the times. But it has been noticed that in the book of Enoch reference to the Flood immediately follows on reference to the sin of the angels. Those old-world sinners set themselves, in their self-will, against God; and the self-will did what it always does, worked itself out into immorality and violence, upon which the judgments of God must rest. The inference in each case is that the false teachers, who were corrupting the Churches, were self-willed men, teaching self-willed opinions, and the fruitage of their teaching was precisely what you might have expected it to be, a licence to self-indulgence and sin.

III. The example of the cities of the plain.Pride, nourished by the idle life which a luxurious soil permitted, manifested itself in a masterful self-willedness, which found expression in immoralities of the most abominable and degrading character. Upon them the judgments of God, taking a most terrible and overwhelming character, were bound to fall. The judgment on Sodom and Gomorrah forms a fitting complement to that of the Flood, as an instance of Gods vengeance, a judgment by fire being regarded as more awful than a judgment by flood, as is more distinctly shown in chap 2Pe. 3:6-7, where the total destruction of the world by fire is contrasted with the transformation of it wrought by the Flood. The great sin of Pagan self-willedness was sensuality. The great horror of heathenism is sensuality. The great peril of the early Christian Churchunder the influence of self-willed teacherswas sensuality. Christianity works ever towards the righteousness of moral self-restraint; and that is not Christianity which, in any sense or degree whatever, gives licence or incitement to moral evil. The judgments of God must come on all professing Christians who fail to keep the vessels of their bodies in sanctification and honour.

SUGGESTIVE NOTES AND SERMON SKETCHES

2Pe. 2:5. A Preacher of Righteousness.That is, a preacher whose preaching, if followed, would surely work out into righteousness. There was in his day the necessity for a very extraordinary Divine judgment. The long-lived race proved to be so gigantic in its iniquities and abominations that its entire removal became necessary. But God never lets threatened judgments fall until He has given sufficient warning, and provided space and opportunity for repentance. Noah was to be the agent in giving the Divine warning to that sinful generation; and the opportunity for duly responding to the warnings was provided by the long delay of judgment. Noah was to warn by word. He is called a preacher of righteousness. He was to warn by actbuilding on persistently, day by day, at the Ark, and testifying thus his belief in the Divine threatenings. For one hundred and twenty long years he was to keep up his witness, and carry on his work. And we can only admire the loyalty and the faith which kept him quietly going on amid the jeers and scoffs of the thoughtless multitudes who watched his work, and listened to his word. Here is no common man. For one hundred and twenty years he held on his faith in God against all kinds of temptations. It would have been a little thing if, on receiving his commission from God, he had gone away, dwelt in a cave, nourished his faith in secret, and then, at the close of the time, come forth to declare his warnings. Here is the surprising thing: the man stood in the worlds eye all through those years. He lived among the people whom he warned. They might say of him and of his work what they pleased, but he went on gathering his material, shaping and fitting things together, letting his strange vessel grow in sight of all who cared to look. The hermit who lives for God in a secret cell is not so very admirable; commendations may well be kept for the man who lives for God in the market-place and in the street. The religion that is worth anything can stand the strain of commonplace, every-day life and relations. The man who cannot be godly in home and business cannot be godly anywhere. It is in his common life among men that the moral strength of a Noah is revealed.From Revelation by Character.

The Reception of Noahs Preaching.Now, Noah believed Gods Word, that He was about to destroy the inhabited parts of the world with a flood, if they did not repent. We are told that he preached righteousness to his neighbours, and told the world around him to repent of their wickedness, or destruction would come upon them. We can imagine how they scoffed and jeered. What strange story have you to tell us? that we shall be destroyed by a flood? We will believe it when we see it. You want us to be religious, and so you try to frighten us, in order to make us give up our sins. Tell us something pleasing; we hate this melancholy message you bring us. Religion has gone out of fashion here. They found it was not profitable, and so they gave it all up. Everything has gone on as it was since the beginning of the creation, and we shall not trouble ourselves because of this message. Noah preached; they laughed; it was all unheeded; no one returned from his evil way; no one believed the message which God sent by Noah to a guilty world. He turned from them with a heavy heart. But he felt also that, like a brave man, he had done his duty. He began to work at the Ark or great ship which God told him to build, and this showed his own faith in the message. The world around him, no doubt, thought him mad, but God comforted and supported him by making a covenant or solemn promise to him that he and all his family should be saved. Death yawned about them, but Noah was supported by a faith in the truth, love, and faithfulness of a God who will save to the very uttermost all who come to Him for shelter, and who will bring those who trust in Him safely across the cold, stormy waters of death to the land where faith becomes reality.R. Barclay.

Method in Miracles.The spiritual substance of the revelation contained in the sacred Scriptures is presented to us as sanctioned and proved, both to sense and reason, by a long array of miracles. The present purpose is to point out certain characteristics of the alleged miracles of the Bible which deserve special consideration.

1. The whole series is entirely worthy of the hand of God. In this respect the works of the Bible correspond to the words. Amidst the large number recorded, there is not one which fails to support the character either of nobleness, or greatness, or beauty, or usefulness, or sublime beneficence, or awful power, which we must attribute to the Deity. None of them is of the nature of a trick, or bears with it any admixture of a grotesque or frivolous element. Compare the miracles of the Bible with the wonders of ecclesiastical history.

2. The apparent suitableness of the miracles to the times and seasons when they were alleged to be wrought, with differences which would scarcely have occurred to literary inventors.
3. All the alleged miracles of the Scriptures were wrought in support of the most exalted ideas, in defence of the highest interests of man, and in illustration of the loftiest moral attributes of God.
4. The miracles of the Scriptures are inextricably interwoven with the web of Jewish history, so that the history becomes unintelligible apart from the supposition of the miracles.
5. A system of prophecy runs parallel with a system of miraculous agency in the recorded dispensations of God. The one yields support and credibility to the other.
6. The chief objection to the reality of the Scripture miracles is derived from their cessation. It is said, Why do they not occur now? But it was no part of the Divine plan to encourage the expectation of the violation of natural law, or the perpetual presentation of miraculous evidence to the senses. The moral evidence suffices after miracles have once attested the Divine origin of religion.Edward While.

ILLUSTRATIONS TO CHAPTER 2

2Pe. 2:4. The Hell of St. Peter. Greek, Tartarus.This is the only passage in the New Testament in which this word occurs. It is a purely heathen word, and embodies a purely heathen conception. As they pried into the future, the Greeks and Romans saw nothing clearly, although the initiated, perhaps, had been quickened into an intense yearning for, if not a very bright and vivid hope of, a world to come. The world beyond the gates of death was, for them, a world of shades. Their utmost hope, even for the good, was that some thin shadow of the former man would survive to enjoy some faint shadow of his former honour and pursuits. The utmost they foreboded for the wicked was that their thin, wavering, unsubstantial ghosts would be doomed to hopeless tasks, or consumed by pangs such as men suffer here. Sometimes they gave the name Tartarus to the whole of this land of shadows; but more commonly they divided the under-world into two provinces: Elysian fields, in which the spirits of their heroes and sages, with all who loved goodness, wandered to and fro, illumined by a pale reflection of their former joys; reserving the name Tartarus for that dismal region in which the ghosts of the wicked were tasked, and tantalised, and tormented. But the Tartarus of St. Peter by no means answered to our hell, as it is usually conceived. Our plain duty is to read the above passage just as it reads in the original Greek: God spared not angels who sinned, but cast them into Tartarus.Salvator Mundi

Fuente: The Preacher’s Complete Homiletical Commentary Edited by Joseph S. Exell

III.

THE FALSE TEACHER: HIS DOCTRINES, CHARACTERISTICS, INFLUENCES, AND DOOM 2Pe. 2:1-22

CHAPTER II

2Pe. 2:1 But there arose false prophets also among the people, as among you also there shall be false teachers, who shall privily bring in destructive heresies, denying even the Master that bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction.

Expanded Translation

But (in contrast to these prophets who spoke from God) there arose false prophets among the people, as among you also there shall be false teachers, who shall stealthily, secretly, and craftily introduce destructive (ruinous, devastating) heresies, denying (disclaiming, disowning) the very Master who redeemed them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction, ruin, devastation, (hence) misery.

_______________________

But there arose false prophets also among the people

With reference to the Old Testament times of which he had just spoken (2Pe. 1:19-21 ). Besides those who were moved by the Holy Spirit, there were those who were moved by Satan and the demons. One of these, Balaam, is mentioned later in the chapter. Just what group of false teachers is referred to here, is a pertinent question. It is difficult in this epistle to settle with certainty on the exact class of false teachers which is meant. Some are libertines like those described by Jude, and others are mockers and deniers of the second advent. Do they all belong to one large group? It is generally supposed that they all form some part of the Gnostic belief (so frequently denounced in I John).

as among you also there shall be false teachers

History, the apostle says, is going to repeat itself. Just as the Mosaic dispensation had its false prophets, you will have your false teachersthose who inculcate false doctrines. See Mat. 7:15-23; Mat. 24:5; Act. 20:29-30; 1Ti. 4:1-3; 2Ti. 4:3-4; Joh. 4:1.

who shall privily bring in destructive heresies

The word heresy (hairesis) basically means a choosing or choice (of the mind) hence, opinion. But its meaning here is a wrong opinion, an opinion varying from the true exposition of the faith.

Gods people bring his word in freedom, boldness, and without deceit. Not so with this falsifierhe must be secretive and subtle! The teachings of such a one are labeled destructive by the apostle. A good synonym for this word is ruinous. Moulton and Milligan say the word apoleia, indicates the loss of all that gives worth of existence. A destructive heresy is false teaching, the endorsement of which causes ruin and devastationsuch ruin as makes one worthless to God and Man. It ruins character, moral concepts, virtue, friendships, and, above all, the salvation and spiritual safety of the one who is led astray.[56]

[56] Peter uses apoleia (destruction) several times in this book. See also 2Pe. 2:2, 2Pe. 3:7; 2Pe. 3:16.

denying even the Master that bought them

That is, the Lord Jesus Christ, 1Pe. 1:17-19.[57] It should not be necessarily supposed here, that these men claimed to be true Christians while they were denying the Saviour, though I suppose this is a possibility. (They may have used the term Christian just as loosely as some of our acquaintances do today.) Before reaching the point of denial, they may have been true and faithful. (See 2Pe. 2:20-22.) Yet Christ has, in a sense, bought them also, for he died for all, including those who presently disown him.

[57] See master (despotes) defined under 1Pe. 2:18. The term emphasizes Christs absolute authority.

How were they denying him? Evidently in their teachings, for this rejection of Christ formulated the core of their destructive heresies. The false teachers held doctrines that were, in fact, a denial of Jesus. Peter does not specify what doctrine(s) constituted such a denial, but any teaching which represents Christ, his work, or his person as essentially and basically different from the truth, amounts to such a denial.

bringing upon themselves swift destruction

See swift, (tachinos) defined under 2Pe. 1:14. The Greek word apoleia (destruction) is the same here as that in the former part of the verse rendered destructive. Their heresies of destruction bring upon themselves what their false teachings are bringing to otherseternal destruction.

When a wicked man is destroyed in Biblical terminology, it does not mean that he is annihilated (see notes, 2Pe. 3:6; 2Pe. 3:16).

Fuente: College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

FIRST PREDICTION: False teachers shall have great success and certain ruin (2Pe. 2:1-10).

(1) But there were false prophets also.To bring out the contrast between true and false prophets more strongly, the clause that in meaning is secondary has been made primary in form. The meaning is, There shall be false teachers among you, as there were false prophets among the Jews; the form is, But (in contrast to the true prophets just mentioned) there were false prophets as well, even as, &c.

Shall be false teachers among you.We must add also. With this view of Christians as the antitype of the chosen people comp. 1Pe. 2:9. The word for false teachers occurs here only. It is probably analogous to false witnesses, and means those who teach what is false, rather than to false Christs, in which case it would mean pretending to be teachers when they are not. False prophets has both meaningssham prophets and prophesying lies. Justin Martyr, about A.D. 145 (Trypho, lxxxii.), has Just as there were false prophets contemporaneous with your holy prophets (he is addressing a Jew), so are there now many false teachers amongst us. Another possible reference to this Epistle in Justin is given below on 2Pe. 3:8. As they occur close together, they seem to render it probable that Justin knew our Epistle. There shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in heresies of destruction, is quoted in a homily attributed, on doubtful authority, to Hippolytus. (See below, on chap. iii. 3.)

Privily shall bring in.Comp. Jud. 1:4, and Gal. 2:4; and see Notes in both places. Comp. also the Shepherd of Hermas, Sim. VIII. vi. 5.

Damnable heresies.Rather, parties (full) of destruction (Php. 1:28), whose end is destruction (Php. 3:19). Wiclif and Rheims have sects of perdition. Damnable heresies comes from Genevaaltogether a change for the worse. The Greek word hairesis is sometimes translated sect in our version (Act. 5:17; Act. 15:5; Act. 24:5), sometimes heresy (Act. 24:14; 1Co. 11:19; Gal. 5:20). Neither word gives quite the true meaning of the term in the New Testament, where it points rather to divisions than doctrines, and always to parties inside the Church, not to sects that have separated from it. The Greek word for destruction occurs six times in this short Epistle, according to the inferior texts used by our translators (in the best texts five times), and is rendered by them in no less than five different ways: damnable and destruction in this verse; pernicious ways, 2Pe. 2:2; damnation, 2Pe. 2:3; perdition, 2Pe. 3:7; destruction, 2Pe. 3:16.

Even denying the Lord that bought them.Better, denying even the Master that bought them. (See Note on Jud. 1:4.) The phrase is remarkable as coming from one who himself denied his Master. Would a forger have ventured to make St. Peter write thus?

This text is conclusive against Calvinistic doctrines of partial redemption; the Apostle declares that these impious false teachers were redeemed by Jesus Christ. (Comp. 1Pe. 1:18.)

And bring upon themselves.More literally, bringing upon themselves. The two participles, denying and bringing, without any conjunction to connect them, are awkward, and show that the writers strong feeling is already beginning to ruffle the smoothness of his language.

Swift destructioni.e., coming suddenly and unexpectedly, so as to preclude escape; not necessarily coming soon. (See first Note on 2Pe. 1:14.) The reference, probably, is to Christs sudden return to judgment (2Pe. 3:10), scoffing at which was one of the ways in which they denied their Master. By their lives they denied that He had bought them. He had bought them for His service, and they served their own lusts.

Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)

Chapter 2

FALSE PROPHETS ( 2Pe 2:1 )

2:1 There were times when false prophets arose among the people, even as amongst you too there will be false teachers, men who will insidiously introduce destructive heresies and deny the Lord who bought them; and by so doing they will bring swift destruction on themselves.

That there should arise false prophets within the Church was something only to be expected, for in every generation false prophets had been responsible for leading God’s people astray and for bringing disaster on the nation. It is worth while looking at the false prophets in the Old Testament story for their characteristics were recurring in the time of Peter and are still recurring today.

(i) The false prophets were more interested in gaining popularity than in telling the truth. Their policy was to tell people what they wanted to hear. The false prophets said, “Peace, peace, when there is no peace” ( Jer 6:14). They saw visions of peace, when the Lord God was saying that there was no peace ( Eze 13:16). In the days of Jehosaphat, Zedekiah, the false prophet, donned his horns of iron and said that Israel would push the Syrians out of the way as he pushed with these horns; Micaiah the true prophet foretold disaster if Jehosaphat went to war. Of course, Zedekiah was popular and his message was accepted; but Jehosaphat went forth to war with the Syrians and perished tragically ( 1Ki 22:1-53). In the days of Jeremiah, Hananiah prophesied the swift end of the power of Babylon, while Jeremiah prophesied the servitude of the nation to her; and again the prophet who told people what they wished to hear was the popular one ( Jer 28:1-17). Diogenes, the great cynic philosopher, spoke of the false teachers of his day whose method was to follow wherever the applause of the crowd led. One of the first characteristics of the false prophet is that he tells men what they want to hear and not the truth they need to hear.

(ii) The false prophets were interested in personal gain. As Micah said, “Its priests teach for hire, and its prophets divine for money” ( Mic 3:11). They teach for filthy lucre’s sake ( Tit 1:11), and they identify godliness and gain, making their religion a money-making thing ( 1Ti 6:5). We can see these exploiters at work in the early church. In The Didache, The Teaching of the Twelve Apostles, which is what might be called the first service-order book, it is laid down that a prophet who asks for money or for a table to be spread in front of him, is a false prophet. “Traffickers in Christ,” the Didache (compare G1322) calls such men (The Didache 11). The false prophet is a covetous creature who regards men as dupes to be exploited for his own ends.

(iii) The false prophets were dissolute in their personal life. Isaiah writes: “The priest and the prophet reel with strong drink; they are confused with wine” ( Isa 28:7). Jeremiah says, “In the prophets of Jerusalem I have seen a horrible thing; they commit adultery and walk in lies; they strengthen the hands of evil-doers…. They lead my people astray by their lies and their recklessness” ( Jer 23:14; Jer 23:32). The false prophet in himself is a seduction to evil rather than an attraction to good.

(iv) The false prophet was above all a man who led other men further away from God instead of closer to him. The prophet who invites the people: “Let us go after other gods,” must be mercilessly destroyed ( Deu 13:1-5; Deu 18:20). The false prophet takes men in the wrong direction.

These were the characteristics of the false prophets in the ancient days and in Peter’s time; and they are their characteristics still.

THE SINS OF THE FALSE PROPHETS AND THEIR END ( 2Pe 2:1 continued)

In this verse Peter has certain things to say about these false prophets and their actions.

(i) They insidiously introduce destructive heresies. The Greek for heresy is hairesis ( G139) . It comes from the verb haireisthai (compare G140) , which means to choose; and originally it was a perfectly honourable word. It simply meant a line of belief and action which a man had chosen for himself. In the New Testament we read of the hairesis ( G139) of the Sadducees, the Pharisees, and the Nazarenes ( Act 5:17; Act 15:5; Act 24:5). It was perfectly possible to speak of the hairesis ( G139) of Plato and to mean nothing more than those who were Platonist in their thought. It was perfectly possible to speak of a group of doctors who practised a certain method of treatment as a hairesis ( G139) . But very soon in the Christian Church hairesis ( G139) changed its complexion. In Paul’s thought heresies and schisms go together as things to be condemned ( 1Co 11:18-19); haireseis ( G139) (the plural form of the word) are part of the works of the flesh; a man that is a heretic is to be warned and even given a second chance, and then rejected ( Tit 3:10).

Why the change? The point is that before the coming of Jesus, who is the way, the truth, and the life, there was no such thing as definite, God-given truth. A man was presented with a number of alternatives any one of which he was perfectly free to choose to believe. But with the coming of Jesus, God’s truth came to men and they had either to accept or to reject it. A heretic then became a man who believed what he wished to believe instead of accepting the truth of God which he ought to believe.

What was happening in the case of Peter’s people was that certain self-styled prophets were insidiously persuading men to believe the things they wished to be true rather than the things which God had revealed to be true. They did not set themselves up as opponents of Christianity. Far from it. They set themselves up as the finest fruits of Christian thinking; and so it was gradually and subtly that people were being lured away from God’s truth to other men’s private opinions, which is what heresy is.

(ii) These men denied the Lord who had bought them. This idea of Christ buying men for himself is one which runs through the whole New Testament. It comes from his own word that he had come to give his life a ransom for many ( Mar 10:45). The idea was that men were slaves to sin and Jesus purchased them at the cost of his life for himself, and, therefore, for freedom. “You were bought with a price,” says Paul ( 1Co 7:23). “Christ redeemed us (bought us out) from the curse of the law” ( Gal 3:13). In the new song in the Revelation the hosts of heaven tell how Jesus Christ bought them with his blood out of every kindred and tongue and people and nation ( Rev 5:9). This clearly means two things. It means that the Christian by right of purchase belongs absolutely to Christ; and it means that a life which cost so much cannot be squandered on sin or on cheap things.

The heretics in Peter’s letter were denying the Lord who bought them. That could mean that they were saying that they did not know Christ; and it could mean that they were denying his authority. But it is not as simple as that; one might say that it is not as honest as that. We have seen that these men claimed to be Christians; more, they claimed to be the wisest and the most advanced of Christians. Let us take a human analogy. Suppose a man says that he loves his wife and yet is consistently unfaithful to her. By his acts of infidelity he denies, gives the lie to his words of love. Suppose a man protests eternal friendship to someone, and yet is consistently disloyal to him. His actions deny, give the lie to, his protestations of friendship. What these evil men, who were troubling Peter’s people, were doing, was to say that they loved and served Christ, while the things they taught and did were a complete denial of him.

(iii) The end of these evil men was destruction. They were insidiously introducing destructive heresies, but these heresies would in the end destroy themselves. There is no more certain way to ultimate condemnation than to teach another to sin.

THE WORK OF FALSEHOOD ( 2Pe 2:2-3 )

2:2-3 And many will follow the way of their blatant immoralities and through them the true way will be brought into disrepute. In their evil ambition they will exploit you with cunningly forged arguments. Their sentence was settled long ago, and now it is not inactive, and their destruction is not asleep.

In this short passage we see four things about the false teachers and their teaching.

(i) We see the cause of false teaching. It is evil ambition. The word is pleonexia ( G4124) ; pleon ( G4119) means more and -exia comes from the verb echein ( G2192) , which means to have. Pleonexia ( G4124) is the desire to possess more but it acquires a certain flavour. It is by no means always a sin to desire to possess more; there are many cases in which that is a perfectly honourable desire, as in the case of virtue, or knowledge, or skill. But pleonexia ( G4124) comes to mean the desire to possess that which a man has no right to desire, still less to take. So it can mean covetous desire for money and for other people’s goods; lustful desire for someone’s person; unholy ambition for prestige and power. False teaching comes from the desire to put its own ideas in the place of the truth of Jesus Christ; the false teacher is guilty of nothing less than of usurping the place of Christ.

(ii) We see the method of false teaching. It is the use of cunningly forged arguments. Falsehood is easily resisted when it is presented as falsehood; it is when it is disguised as truth that it becomes menacing. There is only one touchstone. Any teacher’s teaching must be tested by the words and presence of Jesus Christ himself.

(iii) We see the affect of the false teaching. It was twofold. It encouraged men to take the way of blatant immorality. The word is aselgeia ( G766) which describes the attitude of the man who is lost to shame and cares for the judgment of neither man nor God. We must remember what was at the back of this false teaching. It was perverting the grace of God into a justification for sin. The false teachers were telling men that grace was inexhaustible and that, therefore, they were free to sin as they liked for grace would forgive.

This false teaching had a second effect. It brought Christianity into disrepute. In the early days, just as now, every Christian was a good or bad advertisement for Christianity and the Christian Church. It is Paul’s accusation to the Jews that through them the name of God has been brought into disrepute ( Rom 2:24). In the Pastoral Epistles the younger women are urged to behave with such modesty and chastity that the Church will never be brought into disrepute ( Tit 2:5). Any teaching which produces a person who repels men from Christianity instead of attracting them to it is false teaching, and the work of those who are enemies of Christ.

(iv) We see the ultimate end of false teaching and that is destruction. Sentence was passed on the false prophets long ago; the Old Testament pronounced their doom ( Deu 13:1-5). It might look as if that sentence had become inoperative or was slumbering, but it was still valid, and the day would come when the false teachers would pay the terrible price of their falsehood. No man who leads another astray will ever escape his own judgment.

THE FATE OF THE WICKED AND THE RESCUE OF THE RIGHTEOUS ( 2Pe 2:4-11 )

2:4-11 If God did not spare even angels who had sinned, but condemned them to the lowest hell and committed them to the pits of darkness, where they remain kept for judgment; if he did not spare the ancient world, but preserved in safety Noah, the preacher of righteousness, with seven others, when he despatched the flood on a world of impious men; if he reduced the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to ashes, when he sentenced them to destruction and so gave an example of what would happen to those who would one day act with impiety, but rescued righteous Lot, who was distressed by the blatantly immoral conduct of lawless men, for, to such a man, righteous in his looking and in his hearing, it was torture for his righteous soul to live his daily life amidst such people and amidst such lawless deeds–if all this is so, you can be sure that the Lord knows how to rescue truly religious men from trial and how to preserve the unrighteous under punishment, until the day of judgment comes, especially those whose lives are dominated by the polluting lusts of the flesh and who despise the celestial powers. Audacious, self-willed men they are. they do not shrink from speaking evil of the angelic glories, whereas angels who are greater in strength and power do not bring an accusation of evil against them in the presence of the Lord.

Here is a passage which for us combines undoubted power and equally undoubted obscurity. The white heat of its rhetorical intensity glows through it to this day; but it moves in allusions which would be terrifyingly effective to those who heard it for the first time, but which have become unfamiliar to us today. It cites three notorious examples of sin and its destruction; and in two of the cases it shows how, when sin was obliterated, righteousness was rescued and preserved by the mercy and the grace of God. Let us look at these examples one by one.

(1) The Sin Of The Angels

Before we retell the story which lies behind this in Jewish legend, there are two separate words at which we must look.

Peter says that God condemned the sinning angels to the lowest depths of hell. Literally the Greek says that God condemned the angels to Tartarus (tartaroun, G5020) . Tartarus was not a Hebrew conception but Greek. In Greek mythology Tartarus was the lowest hell; it was as far beneath Hades as the heaven is high above the earth. In particular it was the place into which there had been cast the Titans who had rebelled against Zeus, the Father of gods and men.

The second word is that which speaks of the pits of darkness. Here there is a doubt. There are two Greek words, both rather uncommon, which are confused in this passage. One is siros or seiros which originally meant a great earthenware jar for the storing of grain. Then it came to mean the great underground pits in which grain was stored and which served as granaries. Siros has come into English via Provencal in the form of silo, which still describes the towers in which grain is stored. Still later the word went on to mean a pit in which a wolf or other wild animal was trapped. If we think that this is the word which Peter uses, and according to the best manuscripts it is, it will mean that the wicked angels were cast into great subterranean pits and kept there in darkness and in punishment. This well suits the idea of a Tartarus beneath the lowest depths of Hades.

But there is a very similar word seira ( G4577) , which means a chain. This is the word which the King James Version translates when it speaks of chains of darkness ( 2Pe 2:4). The Greek manuscripts of Second Peter vary between seiroi ( G4577) , pits, and seirai ( G4577) , chains. But the better manuscripts have seiroi ( G4577) , and pits o darkness makes better sense than chains of darkness; so we may take seiros ( G4577) as right, and assume that here the King James Version is in error.

The story of the fall of the angels is one which rooted itself deeply in Hebrew thought and which underwent much development as the years went on. The original story is in Gen 6:1-5. There the angels are called the sons of God, as they commonly are in the Old Testament. In Job, the sons of God come to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan comes amongst them ( Job 1:6; compare Job 2:1; Job 38:7). The Psalmist speaks of the sons of gods ( Psa 89:6). These angels came to earth and seduced mortal women. The result of this lustful union was the race of giants; and through them wickedness came upon the earth. Clearly this is an old, old story belonging to the childhood of the race.

This story was much developed in the Book of Enoch, and it is from it that Peter is drawing his allusions, for in his day that was a book which everyone would know. In Enoch the angels are called The Watchers. Their leader in rebellion was Semjaza or Azazel. At his instigation they descended to Mount Hermon in the days of Jared, the father of Enoch. They took mortal wives and instructed them in magic and in arts which gave them power. They produced the race of the giants, and the giants produced the nephilim ( H5303) , the giants who inhabited the land of Canaan and of whom the people were afraid ( Num 13:33).

These giants became cannibals and were guilty of every kind of lust and crime, and especially of insolent arrogance to God and man. The apocryphal literature has many references to them and their pride. Wisdom ( Wis_14:6 ) tells how the proud giants perished. Ecclesiasticus ( Sir_16:7 ) tells how the ancient giants fell away in the strength of their foolishness. They had no wisdom and they perished in their folly ( Bar_3:26-28 ). Josephus says that they were arrogant and contemptuous of all that was good and trusted in their own strength (Antiquities 1.3.1). Job says that God charged his angels with folly ( Job 4:18).

This old story makes a strange and fleeting appearance in the letters of Paul. In 1Co 11:10 Paul says that women must have their hair covered in the Church because of the angels. Behind that strange saying lies the old belief that it was the loveliness of the long hair of the women of the olden times which moved the angels to desire, and Paul wishes to see that the angels are not tempted again.

In the end even men complained of the sorrow and misery brought into the world by these giants through the sin of the angels. The result was that God sent out his archangels. Raphael bound Azazel hand and foot and shut him up in darkness; Gabriel slew the giants; and the Watchers, the sinning angels, were shut up in the abysses of darkness under the mountains for seventy generations and then confined for ever in everlasting fire. Here is the story which is in Peter’s mind; and which his readers well knew. The angels had sinned and God had sent his destruction, and they were shut up for ever in the pits of darkness and the depths of hell. That is what happens to rebellious sin.

The story does not stop there; and it reappears in another of its forms in this passage of Second Peter. In 2Pe 2:10 Peter speaks of those who live lives dominated by the polluting lusts of the flesh and who despise the celestial powers. The word is kuriotes ( G2963) , which is the name of one of the ranks of angels. They speak evil of the angelic glories. The word is doxai ( G1391) , which also is a word for one of the ranks of angels. They slander the angels and bring them into disrepute.

Here is where the second turn of the story comes in. Obviously this story of the angels is very primitive and, as time went on, it became rather an awkward and embarrassing story because of its ascription of lust to angels. So in later Jewish and Christian thought two lines of thought developed. First, it was denied that the story involved angels at all. The sons of God were said to be good men who were the descendants of Seth, and the daughters of men were said to be evil women who were the daughters of Cain and corrupted the good men. There is no scriptural evidence for this distinction and this way of escape. Second, the whole story was allegorised. It was claimed, for instance by Philo, that it was never meant to be taken literally and described the fall of the human soul under the attack of the seductions of lustful pleasures. Augustine declared that no man could take this story literally and talk of the angels like that. Cyril of Alexandria said that it could not be taken literally, for did not Jesus say that in the after-life men would be like angels and there would be no marrying or giving in marriage ( Mat 22:30)? Chrysostom said that, if the story was taken literally, it was nothing short of blasphemy. And Cyril went on to say that the story was nothing other than an incentive to sin, if it was taken as literally true.

It is clear that men began to see that this was indeed a dangerous story. Here we get our clue as to what Peter means when he speaks of men who despise the celestial powers and bring the angelic glories into disrepute by speaking slanderously of them. The men whom Peter was opposing were turning their religion into an excuse for blatant immorality. Cyril of Alexandria makes it clear that in his day the story could be used as an incentive to sin. Most probably what was happening was that the wicked men of Peter’s time were citing the example of the angels as a justification for their own sin. They were saying, “If angels came from heaven and took mortal women, why should not we?” They were making the conduct of the angels an excuse for their own sin.

We have to go still further with this passage. In 2Pe 2:11 it finishes very obscurely. It says that angels who are greater in strength and in power do not bring a slanderous charge against them in the presence of God. Once again Peter is speaking allusively, in a way that would be clear enough to the people of his day but which is obscure to us. His reference may be to either of two stories.

(a) He may be referring to the story to which Jude refers in Jd 9 ; that the archangel Michael was entrusted with the burying of the body of Moses. Satan claimed the body on the grounds that all matter belonged to him and that once Moses had murdered an Egyptian. Michael did not bring a railing charge against Satan; all he said was: “The Lord rebuke you.” The point is that even an angel so great as Michael would not bring an evil charge against an angel so dark as Satan. He left the matter to God. If Michael refrained from slandering an evil angel, how can men bring slanderous charges against the angels of God?

(b) He may be referring to a further development of the Enoch story. Enoch tells that when the conduct of the giants on earth became intolerable, men made their complaint to the archangels Michael, Uriel, Gabriel and Raphael. The archangels took this complaint to God; but they did not rail against the evil angels who were responsible for it all; they simply took the story to God, for him to deal with (Enoch 9).

As far as we can see today, the situation behind Peter’s allusions is that the wicked men who were the slaves of lust claimed that the angels were their examples and their justification and so slandered them; Peter reminds them that not even archangels dared slander other angels and demands how men can dare to do so.

This is a strange and difficult passage; but the meaning is clear. Even angels, when they sinned, were punished. How much more shall men be punished? Angels could not rebel against God and escape the consequences. How shall men escape? And men need not seek to put the blame on others, not even on angels; nothing but their own rebelliousness is responsible for their sin.

(2) The Men Of The Flood And The Rescue Of Noah

The second illustration of the destruction of wickedness which Peter chooses may be said to lead on from the first. The sin introduced into the world by the sinning angels led to that intolerable sin which ended in the destruction by the deluge ( Gen 6:5). In the midst of this destruction God did not forget those who had clung to him, Noah was saved together with seven others, his wife, his sons, Shem, Ham, and Japhet, and their wives. In Jewish tradition Noah acquired a very special place. Not only was he regarded as the one man who had been saved; but also as the preacher who had done his best to turn men from the evil of their ways. Josephus says, “Many angels of God lay with women and begat sons, who were violent and who despised all good, on account of their reliance on their own strength…. But Noah displeased and distressed at their behaviour, tried to induce them to alter their dispositions and conduct for the better” (Antiquities 1.3.1).

Attention in this passage is concentrated not so much on the people who were destroyed as on the man who was saved. Noah is offered as the type of man who, amidst the destruction of the wicked, receives the salvation of God. His outstanding qualities were two.

(i) In the midst of a sinning generation he remained faithful to God. Later Paul was to urge his people to be not conformed to the world but transformed from it ( Rom 12:2). It may well be said that often the most dangerous sin of all is conformity. To be the same as others is always easy; to be different is always difficult. But from the days of Noah until now he who would be the servant of God must be prepared to be different from the world.

(ii) The later legends pick out another characteristic of Noah. He was the preacher of righteousness. The word for preacher used here is kerux ( G2783) , which literally means a herald. Epictetus called the philosopher the kerux ( G2783) of the gods. The preacher is the man who brings to men an announcement from God. Here is something of very considerable significance. The good man is concerned not only with the saving of his own soul but just as much with the saving of the souls of others. He does not, in order to preserve his own purity live apart from men. He is concerned to bring God’s message to them. A man ought never to keep to himself the grace which he has received. It is always his duty to bring light to those who sit in darkness, guidance to the wanderer and warning to those who are going astray.

(3) The Destruction Of Sodom And Gomorrah And The Rescue Of Lot

The third example is the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah and the rescue of Lot.

The terrible and dramatic story is told in Gen 18:1-33; Gen 19:1-38. It begins with Abraham’s plea that God should not destroy the righteous with the guilty and his request that, if even ten just men are found in these cities, they may be spared ( Gen 18:16-33). Then follows one of the grimmest tales in the Old Testament.

The angelic visitors came to Lot and he persuaded them to stay with him; but his house was surrounded by the men of Sodom demanding that these strangers might be brought out for them to use for their unnatural lust ( Gen 19:1-11). By that terrible deed–at once the abuse of hospitality, the insulting of angels and the raging of unnatural lust–the doom of the cities was sealed. As the destruction of heaven came upon them Lot and his family were saved, except his wife, who lingered and looked back and turned into a pillar of salt ( Gen 19:12-26). “So it was that, when God destroyed the cities of the valley, God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow, when he overthrew the cities in which Lot dwelt” ( Gen 19:29). Here again is the story of the destruction of sin and the rescue of righteousness. As in Noah, we see in Lot the characteristics of the righteous man.

(i) Lot lived in the midst of evil, and the very sight of it was a constant distress to him. Moffatt reminds us of the saying of Newman: “Our great security against sin lies in being shocked at it.” Here is something very significant. It often happens that, when evils first emerge, people are shocked at them; but, as time goes on, they cease to be shocked at them and accept them as a matter of course. There are many things at which we ought to be shocked. In our own generation there are the problems of prostitution and promiscuity, drunkenness and drugs, the extraordinary gambling fever which has the country in its grip, the breakdown of the marriage bond, violence, vandalism and crime, death upon the roads, still-existing slum conditions and many others. In many cases the tragedy is that these things have ceased to shock and are accepted in a matter-of-fact style as part of the normal order of things. For the good of the world and of our own souls, we must keep alive the sensitiveness which is shocked by sin.

(ii) Lot lived in the midst of evil, and yet he escaped its taint. Amidst the sin of Sodom he remained true to God. If a man will remember it, he has in the grace of God an antiseptic which will preserve him from the infection of sin. No man need be the slave of the environment in which he happens to find himself.

(iii) When the worst came to the worst, Lot was willing to make a clean break with his environment. He was prepared, however much he did not want to do so, to leave it for ever. It was because his wife was not prepared to make the clean break that she perished. There is a strange verse in the Old Testament story. It says that, when Lot lingered, the angelic messengers took hold of his hand ( Gen 19:16). There are times when the influence of heaven tries to force us out of some evil situation. It may come to any man to have to make the choice between security and the new start; and there are times when a man can save his soul only by breaking clean away from his present situation and beginning all over again. It was in doing just this that Lot found his salvation; and it was in failing to do just this that his wife lost hers.

THE PICTURE OF THE EVIL MAN ( 2Pe 2:4-11 continued)

2Pe 2:9-11 give us a picture of the evil man. Peter with a few swift, vivid strokes of the pen paints the outstanding characteristics of him who may properly be called the bad man.

(i) He is the desire-dominated man. His life is dominated by the lusts of the flesh. Such a man is guilty of two sins.

(a) Every man has two sides to his nature. He has a physical side; he has instincts, passions and impulses which he shares with the animal creation. These instincts are good–if they are kept in their proper place. They are even necessary for the preservation of individual life and the continuation of the race. The word temperament literally means a mixture. The picture behind it is that human nature consists of a large variety of ingredients all mixed together. It is clear that the efficacy of any mixture depends on each ingredient being there in its proper proportion. Wherever there is either excess or defect the mixture is not what it ought to be. Man has a physical nature and also a spiritual nature; and manhood depends on a correct mixture of the two. The desire-dominated man has allowed his animal nature to usurp a place it should not have; he has allowed the ingredients to get out of proportion and the recipe for manhood has gone wrong.

(b) There is a reason for this loss of proportion–selfishness. The root evil of the lust-dominated life is that it proceeds on the assumption that nothing matters but the gratification of its own desires and the expression of its own feelings. It has ceased to have any respect or care for others. Selfishness and desire go hand in hand.

The bad man is he who has allowed one side of his nature a far greater place than it ought to have and who has done so because he is essentially selfish.

(ii) He is the audacious man. The Greek is tolmetes ( G5113) , from the verb tolman ( G5111) , to dare. There are two kinds of daring. There is the daring which is a noble thing, the mark of true courage. There is the daring which is an evil thing, the shameless performance of things which are an affront to decency and right. As the character in Shakespeare had it: “I dare do all becomes a man. Who dares do more is none.” The bad man is he who has the audacity to defy the will of God as it is known to him.

(iii) He is the self-willed man. Self-willed is not really an adequate translation. The Greek is authades ( G829) , derived from autos ( G846) , self, and hadon, pleasing, and used of a man who had no idea of anything other than pleasing himself. In it there is always the element of obstinacy. If a man is authades ( G829) , no logic, nor common sense, nor appeal, nor sense of decency will keep him from doing what he wants to do. As R. C. Trench says, “Thus obstinately maintaining his own opinion, or asserting his own rights, he is reckless of the rights, opinions and interests of others.” The man who is authades ( G829) is stubbornly and arrogantly and even brutally determined on his own way. The bad man is he who has no regard for either human appeal or divine guidance.

(iv) He is the man who is contemptuous of the angels. We have already seen how this goes back to allusions in Hebrew tradition which are obscure to us. But it has a wider meaning. The bad man insists on living in one world. To him the spiritual world does not exist and he never hears the voices from beyond. He is of the earth earthy. He has forgotten that there is a heaven and is blind and deaf when the sights and sounds of heaven break through to him.

DELUDING SELF AND DELUDING OTHERS ( 2Pe 2:12-14 )

2:12-14 But these, like brute beasts, knowing no law but their instincts, born only for capture and corruption, speak evil of the things about which they know nothing; they will be destroyed with their own corruption, and, like a man who is cheated, they will even lose the reward at which their iniquity aimed. They regard daylight debauchery as pleasure. They are spots and blots, revelling in their dissipations, carousing in their cliques amongst you. They have eyes full of adultery, eyes which can never gaze their fill on sin. They entrap souls which are not firmly founded in the faith. They have a heart which is trained in unbridled ambition for the things they have no right to have. They are accursed.

Peter launches out into a long passage of magnificent invective. Through it glows the fiery heat of flaming moral indignation.

The evil men are like brute beasts, slaves of their animal instincts. But a beast is born only for capture and death, says Peter; it has no other destiny. Even so, there is something self-destroying in fleshly pleasure. To make such pleasure the be-all and the end-all of life is a suicidal policy and in the end even the pleasure is lost. The point Peter is making is this, and it is eternally valid–if a man dedicates himself to these fleshly pleasures, in the end he so ruins himself in bodily health and in spiritual and mental character, that he cannot enjoy even them. The glutton destroys his appetite in the end, the drunkard his health, the sensualist his body, the self-indulgent his character and peace of mind.

These men regard daylight debauchery, dissipated revelling, abandoned carousing as pleasure. They are blots on the Christian fellowship; they are like the blemishes on an animal, which make it unfit to be offered to God. Once again we must note that what Peter is saying is not only religious truth but also sound common sense. The pleasures of the body are demonstrably subject to the law of diminishing returns. In themselves they lose their thrill, so that as time goes on it takes more and more of them to satisfy. The luxury must become ever more luxurious; the wine must flow ever more freely; everything must be done to make the thrill sharper and more intense. Further, a man becomes less and less able to enjoy these pleasures. He has given himself to a life that has no future and to pleasure which ends in pain.

Peter goes on. In 2Pe 2:14 he uses an extraordinary phrase which, strictly, will not translate into English at all. We have translated it: “They have eyes full of adultery.” The Greek literally is: “They have eyes which are full of an adulteress.” Most probably the meaning is they see a possible adulteress in every woman, wondering how she can be persuaded to gratify their lusts. “The hand and the eye,” said the Jewish teachers, “are the brokers of sin.” As Jesus said, such people look in order to lust ( Mat 5:28). They have come to such a stage that they cannot look on anyone without lust’s calculation.

As Peter speaks of this, there is a terrible deliberateness about it. They have hearts trained in unbridled ambition for the things they have no right to have. We have taken a whole phrase to translate the one word pleonexia ( G4124) which means the desire to have more of the things which a man has no right even to desire, let alone have. The picture is a terrible one. The word used for trained is used for an athlete exercising himself for the games. These people have actually trained their minds to concentrate on nothing but the forbidden desire. They have deliberately fought with conscience until they have destroyed it; they have deliberately struggled with their finer feelings until they have strangled them.

There remains in this passage one further charge. It would be bad if these people deluded only themselves; it is worse that they delude others. They entrap souls not firmly founded in the faith. The word used for to entrap is deleazein ( G1185) , which means to catch with a bait. A man becomes really bad when he sets out to make others as bad as himself. The hymn has it:

All the mischief we have wrought,

All forbidden things we’ve sought,

All the sin to others taught:

Forgive, O Lord, for Jesus’ sake.

Every man must bear the responsibility for his own sins, but to add to that the responsibility for the sins of others is to carry an intolerable burden.

ON THE WRONG ROAD ( 2Pe 2:15-16 )

2:15-16 They have left the straight road and have gone awandering, and have followed the road of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved the profit which unrighteousness brings and who was convicted of his lawlessness. A dumb ass spoke with a man’s voice and checked the prophet’s folly.

Peter likens the evil men of his time to the prophet Balaam. In the popular Jewish mind Balaam had come to stand as the type of all false prophets. His story is told in Num 22:1-41; Num 23:1-30; Num 24:1-25. Balak, King of Moab, was alarmed at the steady and apparently irresistible advance of the Israelites. In an attempt to check it he sent for Balaam to come and curse the Israelites for him, offering him great rewards. To the end of the day Balaam refused to curse the Israelites, but his covetous heart longed after the rich rewards which Balak was offering. At Balak’s renewed request Balaam played with fire enough to agree to meet him. On the way his ass stopped, because it saw the angel of the Lord standing in its path, and rebuked Balaam.

It is true that Balaam did not succumb to Balak’s bribes, but if ever a man wanted to accept a bribe, that man was he. In Num 25:1-18 there follows another story. It tells how the Israelites were seduced into the worship of Baal and into lustful alliances with Moabite women. Jewish belief was that Balaam was responsible for leading the children of Israel astray; and when the Israelites entered into possession of the land, “Balaam the son of Beor they slew with the sword” ( Num 31:8). In view of all this Balaam became increasingly the type of the false prophet. He had two characteristics which were repeated in the evil men of Peter’s day.

(i) Balaam was covetous. As the Numbers story unfolds we can see his fingers itching to get at the gold of Balak. True, he did not take it; but the desire was there. The evil men of Peter’s day were covetous; out for what they could get and ready to exploit their membership of the Church for gain.

(ii) Balaam taught Israel to sin. He led the people out of the straight and into the crooked way. He persuaded them to forget their promises to God. The evil men of Peter’s day were seducing Christians from the Christian way and causing them to break the pledges of loyalty they had given to Jesus Christ.

The man who loves gain and who lures others to evil for ever stands condemned.

THE PERILS OF RELAPSE ( 2Pe 2:17-22 )

2:17-22 These people are waterless springs, mists driven by a squall of wind; and the gloom of darkness is reserved for them. With talk at once arrogant and futile, they ensnare by appeals to shameless, sensual passions those who are only just escaping from the company of those who live in error. promising them freedom, while they themselves are the slaves of moral corruption; for a man is in a state of slavery to that which has reduced him to helplessness.

If they have escaped the pollution of the world by the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, and if they allow themselves again to become involved in these things and to be reduced to moral helplessness by them, the last state is for them worse than the first. It would be better for them not to have known the way of righteousness than to have known it and then to turn back from the holy commandment which was handed down to them. In them the truth of the proverb is plain to see: “A dog returns to his own vomit” and “The sow which has been washed returns to rolling in the mud.”

Peter is still rolling out his tremendous denunciation of the evil men.

They flatter only to deceive. They are like wells with no water and like mists blown past by a squall of wind. Think of a traveller in the desert being told that ahead lies a spring where he can quench his thirst and then arriving at that spring to find it dried up and useless. Think of the husbandman praying for rain for his parched crops and then seeing the cloud that promised rain blown uselessly by. As Bigg has it: “A teacher without knowledge is like a well without water.” These men are like Milton’s shepherds whose “hungry sheep look up and are not fed.” They promise a gospel and in the end have nothing to offer the thirsty soul.

Their teaching is a combination of arrogance and futility. Christian liberty always carries danger. Paul tells his people that they have indeed been called to liberty but that they must not use it for an occasion to the flesh ( Gal 5:13). Peter tells his people that indeed they are free but they must not use their freedom as a cloak of maliciousness ( 1Pe 2:16). These false teachers offered freedom, but it was freedom to sin as much as a man liked. They appealed not to the best but to the worst in a man. Peter is quite clear that they did this because they were slaves to their own lusts. Seneca said, “To be enslaved to oneself is the heaviest of all servitudes.” Persius spoke to the lustful debauchees of his day of “the masters that grow up within that sickly breast of yours.” These teachers were offering liberty when they themselves were slaves, and the liberty they were offering was the liberty to become slaves of lust. Their message was arrogant because it was the contradiction of the message of Christ; it was futile because he who followed it would find himself a slave. Here again in the background is the fundamental heresy which makes grace a justification for sin instead of a power and a summons to nobility.

If they have once known the real way of Christ and have relapsed into this, their case is even worse. They are like the man in the parable whose last state was worse than his first ( Mat 12:45; Luk 11:26). If a man has never known the right way, he cannot be condemned for not following it. But, if he has known it and then deliberately taken the other way, he sins against the light; and it were better for him that he had never known the truth, for his knowledge of the truth has become his condemnation. A man should never forget the responsibility which knowledge brings.

Peter ends with contempt. These evil men are like dogs who return to their vomit ( Pro 26:11) or like a sow which has been scrubbed and then goes back to rolling in the mud. They have seen Christ but are so morally degraded by their own choice that they prefer to wallow in the depths of sin rather than to climb the heights of virtue. It is a dreadful warning that a man can make himself such that in the end the tentacles of sin are inextricably around him and virtue for him has lost its beauty.

-Barclay’s Daily Study Bible (NT)

Fuente: Barclay Daily Study Bible

II. WARNING AGAINST FALSE TEACHERS SOON TO APPEAR, 2Pe 2:1-22.

1. Their doctrine, influence, and doom, 2Pe 2:1-3.

1. False prophets While there were these holy men and true prophets among God’s people, the ancient Israel, there were false prophets as well. Some pretended to be prophets who were not, and some prophesied “out of their own hearts,” who followed “their own spirit,” and saw “nothing.” Deu 18:20-22; Jer 28:15-17; Eze 13:2-3.

False teachers Teachers of falsehood in the Church, the spiritual Israel.

Privily shall bring in Literally, Shall bring in by the side of. By the side of the true doctrine already received, they would bring in what seemed to be truth, not, at first, in open antagonism, but stealthily and unobservedly.

Damnable heresies Rather, Heresies of destruction. For they led to perdition. The word heresy ordinarily, in the New Testament, means a sect or faction; it here is nothing created or founded, but brought in, and must have the sense of doctrine. The character of these heretics is so fully described in this chapter that there is no mistaking their identity. Adopting the theory that all evil is in matter, they easily fell into the inference that the grossest immorality is consistent with sinless purity. The logical culmination of such a doctrine was in a denial of Christ’s authority over them as Lord and Redeemer. On this shocking doctrinal heresy, so subversive of the glory of Christ, the apostle’s mind fastens, as shown in his next words.

Denying the Lord that bought them Some think that God is meant, but incorrectly, for as idolatry is not alleged, that would make them atheists, which they were not. The word for Lord is , master, denoting supreme authority and sovereignty. These false teachers had charged St. Peter with misrepresenting, in his first epistle, the power and dignity of Christ. See notes on 2Pe 1:16. They denied, then, the Godhead of our Lord Jesus Christ; they denied his lordship over men and angels; and they denied the redeeming efficacy of his death.

Swift destruction As a result of this denial; for they repudiate the only Saviour. The Lord had bought them with his own blood; and yet they are miserably self-destroyed. It indisputably follows, from this passage, that some for whom Christ died will finally perish. Efforts are made to escape this inference; such, for instance, as Scott employs, who says, “It is not requisite to understand the apostle as declaring that the Lord Jesus Christ had died with an intention of redeeming these very persons.” Most certainly not; yet he does expressly declare that Christ did redeem them, and he would be a bold man who would venture to affirm that he redeemed them without intending it.

Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

‘But there arose false prophets also among the people, as among you also there will be false teachers, who will surreptitiously bring in destructive heresies, denying even the Master who bought them, bringing on themselves swift destruction.’

Just as false prophets had always arisen in Israel, to oppose the true prophets described in 2Pe 1:19-21, so now they also must expect false teachers who will seek to lead them astray. They will make a pretence of being Christian, but will really deny the very heart of Christian teaching, and will introduce destructive heresies. The expectancy of the rise of such false teachers was emphasised by Jesus in Mat 24:4-5; Mat 24:11-12; Mat 24:23-25 and parallels. See also Act 20:29-30. Significantly in the light of chapter 3 they are also signs that Christ will come. The very fact of false teachers points to the coming of Christ.

The word for ‘heresies’ basically means ‘things that men choose to believe in’ in contrast with the truth. It has in mind things that people want to hear and believe.

These destructive heresies would in this case appear to include a denial that ‘the Christ’ really became flesh and died for us. They deny ‘the Master Who bought them.’ (Compare Jud 1:4). For the concept of being bought by Christ compare 1Pe 1:18-19; 1Co 6:20. For similar heresy see also 1Jn 4:1-6.

This denial arises because they have not recognised the power and coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. To them He is not an historical figure. Rather He is one of their illsusions. They have not recognised Him as He is. He is just one of a number of intermediaries. And there is nothing historical about Him. The world goes on as it always has. God has not broken in.

Many modern heretical teachers follow the same line for the opposite reason. They overstress Christ’s real humanity and deny the necessity for redemption. To them Christ is little more than a man. To them it is not God’s beloved Son Who has come. They too have not seen His power and coming.

Alternately he may be saying that they claimed to be redeemed and accept Jesus as Lord, but denied it by walking in a way that was exactly the opposite of His teaching. In other words they had not believed in Jesus as He really is. For it is not enough just to ‘believe’ (Jas 2:19). The life also must be turned in the right direction. In other words it must be a genuine belief.

‘The Lord (despotes) that bought them.’ If they have been ‘bought’, does this then mean that these people were Christians? The answer is probably ‘no’. The thought is rather that Christ’s redemption is offered to the whole world for it to accept or otherwise, but is only effective for those who do accept it. Compare ‘He gave His life a ransom for all’ (1Ti 2:6). ‘He is the Saviour of all men, especially of those who believe’ (1Ti 4:10). In other words He is potentially there for all, but effective only for those who respond to Him from the heart. Those whom He redeems and saves will necessarily become ‘reformed’ people. But these men have rejected His redemption. They pretend to present a ‘lord and saviour’ but they have totally diminished Him.

The word for ‘Master’ occurs in the New Testament in 1Ti 6:1-2; Tit 2:9 ; 1Pe 2:18, where it is rendered ‘masters’; Luk 2:29; Act 4:24; Rev 6:10, where it is rendered ‘Lord’, and is applied to God; and in Jud 1:4, where it is almost certainly to be regarded as applied to the Lord Jesus Christ. There is no good reason therefore for denying that that is true here also. The idea is that He has bought us as a master buys his slaves, and that He therefore has full rights over us, so that to reject His ways is therefore a grievous sin. But these treachers have denied that the Master has come.

So by their behaviour what these people are doing is bringing on themselves swift destruction. And this, along with the delivery of the truly righteous, will be the emphasis of this chapter.

Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett

The False Teachers, Their Message And Its Consequences ( 2Pe 2:1-3 ).

The future tense here is probably intended simply to be a general future. The point is that the false teachers are at present among them and will continue on into the future. There will always be false teachers as Jesus had constantly warned.

Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett

Warning of False Teachers In 2Pe 2:1-3 the apostle Peter tells his recipients that false teachers will enter the congregations of believers and deceive many; however, their judgment is certain. Peter will confirm this statement by giving three testimonies of God’s divine judgment from the Old Testament Scriptures (2Pe 2:4-9), which are sufficient to confirm his statement.

Compare Solomon’s Warning in Proverbs – Peter’s warning of men creeping into the churches to lure people away from the faith and into covetousness reflects Solomon’s warning in Pro 1:10-19.

2Pe 2:1  But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.

2Pe 2:1 “But” Comments – JFB notes this conjunction provides a contrast between holy men of God being moved by the Holy Ghost, and false prophets speaking by their own pretense.

2Pe 2:1 “there were false prophets also among the people” Comments – We can look back into the Old Testament Scriptures and note the prophets of Baal in Israel during the reign of King Ahab and on Mount Carmel opposing Elijah (1Ki 18:19), whom Jehu destroyed (2Ki 10:19). We read about the false prophets who resisted Jeremiah (Jer 2:8; Jer 14:14; Jer 23:13-14; Jer 23:25-26) and prophesied during the time of Ezekiel (Eze 13:9; Eze 22:28).

God used the office of the prophet to write the Old Testament and the office of the apostle to write the New Testament. When the prophets of old died, the Old Testament canon was closed and when the apostles of the Lamb died, the New Testament canon was closed. Therefore, when 2Pe 2:1 refers to false prophets, he is contrasting them to those who truly stood in that office to deliver unto Israel the thirty-nine books of the Old Testament canon. This is reflected in the statement by Peter, “For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.” (2Pe 1:21)

2Pe 2:1 “even as there shall be false teachers among you” Comments – Peter makes a reference to the office of a teacher in 2Pe 2:1, which reflects the theme of this epistle. 2 Peter is a message exhorting believers to persevere against false doctrine by looking to the work of God the Father in securing our eternal inheritance. We see a reference to this office in Heb 5:12 and Jas 3:1. James selected the office of a teacher to warn them about its greater responsibility. In the Gospels Jesus was often call by this title, which is actually the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew/Aramaic term “rabbi.” Since the Epistle of James is addressed to the Jewish community of converts, it was a term, or office, that they clearly understood. We can imagine Jewish teachers being invited into the local congregations in Asia Minor because of their knowledge of the Old Testament Scriptures, and because of their acceptance of Jesus Christ as the Messiah.

Heb 5:12, “For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.”

Jas 3:1, ‘My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation.”

Jesus gave the Church a similar warning in Mat 24:11, “And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.” (also Mat 24:5; Mat 24:24) Paul warns the church of Ephesus of these false teachers, “For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them,” (Act 20:29-30). Paul tells Timothy of such people who will deceive many in 2Ti 3:1-6. Paul dealt with false apostles in 2 Corinthians (2Co 11:13). John dealt with false prophets and teachers in five of his seven epistles to the churches of Asia Minor (Rev 2:2; Rev 2:9; Rev 2:14; Rev 2:20; Rev 3:9).

2Pe 2:1 “who privily shall bring in damnable heresies” Word Study on “who privily shall bring in” – Strong says the Greek word “who privily shall bring in” ( ) (G3919) means, “ to lead in aside, i.e. introduce surreptitiously, or privily bring in.” This word is used only once in the New Testament.

Word Study on “damnable” Albert Barnes notes that the Greek word “damnable” is used again in the close of this verse, being translated “destruction.” He says this word is translated “destruction” (Mat 7:13, Rom 9:22, Php 3:19, 2Pe 3:16), and “perdition” (Joh 17:12, Php 1:28 , 1Ti 6:9, Heb 10:39, 2Pe 3:7, Rev 17:8; Rev 17:11) in other New Testament passages, where it also refers to the eternal damnation of the human soul.

Word Study on “heresies” The Greek word (heresies) is listed as a work of the flesh in Gal 5:20. The Enhanced Strong says it is found 9 times in the New Testament, being translated in the KJV as, “sect 5, heresy 4.”

Gal 5:19-20, “Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies ,”

Word Study on “damnable heresies” – Charles Bigg says the phrase (heresies of destruction) is a Hebraism, in which the genitive case is used in the place of the Greek adjective. [95]

[95] Charles Bigg, A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Epistles of St. Peter and St. Jude, in The International Critical Commentary, eds. Charles A. Briggs, Samuel R. Driver, and Alfred Plummer (New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1903), 272.

Comments Albert Barnes explains how these false doctrines are brought in alongside sound doctrine. These false teachers know that such false teachings will not be embrace when introduced openly. Therefore, they first captive the attention of believers by announcing their adherence to sound doctrine; then, gradually, they introduce error in the midst of truth. This becomes very difficult for unstable Christians to discern, who then embrace all of these teachings. [96]

[96] Albert Barnes, 2 Peter, in Barnes’ Notes, Electronic Database (Seattle, WA: Hendrickson Publishers Inc., 1997), in P.C. Study Bible, v. 3.1 [CD-ROM] (Seattle, WA: Biblesoft Inc., 1993-2000), comments on 2 Peter 2:1.

2Pe 2:1 “even denying the Lord that bought them” – Word Study on “even” The Greek word is translated here as an adverb (even) rather than a conjunction (and). Biggs tells us that such use of “asyndetic participles” are characteristic of this second epistle of Peter. [97]

[97] Charles Bigg, A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Epistles of St. Peter and St. Jude, in The International Critical Commentary, eds. Charles A. Briggs, Samuel R. Driver, and Alfred Plummer (New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1903), 273.

Word Study on “the Lord” The Greek word (G1203) used in 2Pe 2:1 is not the common Greek word that is normally used. Strong says the word means, “an absolute ruler, despot.” The Enhanced Strong says this word is used 10 times in the New Testament, being translated in the KJV as, “Lord 5, master 5.” is often used in relationship to an owner and a slave. Thus, it is the appropriate word to represent Jesus Christ as the owner, or master, of His servants.

Word Study on “bought” – Greek ( ) This word means “purchased.” The Enhanced Strong says this word is used 31 times in the New Testament, being translated in the KJV as, “buy 28, redeem 3.” A would have been used of a kinsman redeeming a relative out of slavery under the Mosaic Law (Lev 25:47-55).

Comments These false doctrines that will come into the Church will go so far as to deny the deity of the Lord Jesus Christ. Charles Bigg suggests that this phrase refers to Christians, saying that they were “bought by Christ” (1Co 7:23) and they became His servants. [98] It is clearly a verse that reveals how a born-again Christian can turn back and deny the Lord Jesus Christ and go to hell, which is stated in the phrase that follows, “and bring upon themselves swift destruction.”

[98] Charles Bigg, A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Epistles of St. Peter and St. Jude, in The International Critical Commentary, eds. Charles A. Briggs, Samuel R. Driver, and Alfred Plummer (New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1903), 272.

1Co 7:23, “Ye are bought with a price; be not ye the servants of men.”

The blood of Jesus paid for the sins of all mankind. Even lost people were purchase with the blood of Jesus and belong to Jesus Christ. Note:

Psa 74:2, “Remember thy congregation, which thou hast purchased of old; the rod of thine inheritance, which thou hast redeemed ; this mount Zion, wherein thou hast dwelt.”

Act 20:28, “Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood .”

1Co 6:20, “For ye are bought with a price : therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.”

1Co 7:23, “ Ye are bought with a price ; be not ye the servants of men.”

Gal 4:5, “ To redeem them that were under the law , that we might receive the adoption of sons.”

1Jn 2:2, “And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.”

Rev 5:9, “And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;”

Rev 14:3, “And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth. These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb.”

2Pe 2:1 “and bring upon themselves swift destruction” Comments Albert Barnes notes the fact that these men cause their own destruction, which reflects man’s depravity. [99] It is not God’s will for any many to go to hell. Such men choose their destiny by their own will. We read of a similar swift destruction when ten of the spies who were sent by Moses to spy out the Promised Land were quickly destroyed for giving a bad report to the people and discouraging them (Num 14:36-37). God has always been swift to judge those who attack His children. We see how God divinely protected Israel and continually judged her enemies. This is how God watches over his Church and judges those who see to destroy it.

[99] Albert Barnes, 2 Peter, in Barnes’ Notes, Electronic Database (Seattle, WA: Hendrickson Publishers Inc., 1997), in P.C. Study Bible, v. 3.1 [CD-ROM] (Seattle, WA: Biblesoft Inc., 1993-2000), comments on 2 Peter 2:1.

Num 14:36-37, “And the men, which Moses sent to search the land, who returned, and made all the congregation to murmur against him, by bringing up a slander upon the land, Even those men that did bring up the evil report upon the land, died by the plague before the LORD.”

2Pe 2:1 Comments 2Pe 2:1 prophecies of the future church sects, which we call denominations today, with the worst heresies denying the deity of the Lord Jesus Christ. The early Church saw itself as one group of people united in faith and doctrine. Church records the encroachment of heretical teachers and division that plague the Church until today.

2Pe 2:2  And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.

2Pe 2:2 “And many shall follow their pernicious ways” Word Study on “pernicious ways” BDAG says the Greek word “pernicious ways” ( ) (G766) means, “licentiousness, debauchery, sensuality.” The Enhanced Strong says the word is used 9 times in the New Testament, being translated in the KJV as, “lasciviousness 6, wantonness 2, pernicious ways 1.”

Comments – Jas 1:13-15 tells us that those who are deceived and follow these pernicious ways do so because of their own lusts. These trials and temptations laid before all of us give us the opportunity to show our sincere devotion to the Lord by resisting sin.

Jas 1:13-15, “Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.”

2Pe 2:2 “by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of” Comments – Regarding the phrase “the way of truth,” Charles Biggs lists similar uses of in the New Testament as it refers to the Christian life. [100] We find used by itself in Act 9:2; Act 22:4; Act 24:1, is used in Act 16:17, and is used in Act 18:25. He notes two other uses of this word within 2 Peter: (2Pe 2:15), and (2Pe 2:21).

[100] Charles Bigg, A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Epistles of St. Peter and St. Jude, in The International Critical Commentary, eds. Charles A. Briggs, Samuel R. Driver, and Alfred Plummer (New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1903), 273.

Act 9:2, “And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem.”

Act 22:4, “And I persecuted this way unto the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women.”

Act 24:14, “But this I confess unto thee, that after the way which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the law and in the prophets:”

Act 16:17, “The same followed Paul and us, and cried, saying, These men are the servants of the most high God, which shew unto us the way of salvation.”

Act 18:25, “This man was instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in the spirit, he spake and taught diligently the things of the Lord, knowing only the baptism of John.”

2Pe 2:15, “Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness;”

2Pe 2:21, “For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them.”

Believers cause the Christian way to be spoken evil of by walking after the flesh, in greed for money and fame, in adulterous relationships, etc. They often identify themselves a Christians in the midst of their sinful ways. Paul made a similar statement in Rom 2:24, “For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you, as it is written.”

It is hard to witness to someone when the person claims to know a Christian who is acting like a hypocrite. It greatly hinders the presentation of the Gospel.

2Pe 2:3  And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.

2Pe 2:3 “And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you” Comments – The words “covetousness” and “make merchandise of you” draw a picture in our minds of a market place where people are buying and selling their merchandise on the busy, crowded streets. Peter is comparing these false teachers to greedy merchants who are selling their goods to take advantage of the people. Their merchandise is false words, when purchased by unsuspecting buyers, results in them following false teachers and giving them the preeminence over the true apostles of Jesus Christ.

The word “feigned” can be translated “made up, fabricated.”

The phrase “through covetousness” reveals an evil heart. The phrase “with feigned words” shows how these wicked people hide their inner covetousness with words to appear good on the outside. Pro 1:10-19 describes such people who entice others to follow their sinful ways.

The phrase “make merchandise” can be translated “to exploit, to make use of, to take advantage of.” The message of these false teachers deceives men into allowing religious leaders to exploit them in every aspect of their lives. They make financial gain of unstable believers. Illustration: A man who was not a Christian, but was well traveled, once told me how the Catholic churches in poor countries are large and expensive and extravagant, and how poor, starving crowds give money to these churches.

2Pe 2:3 “whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not” Comments – We see a clear example of Hebrew parallelism in 2Pe 2:3, which is most often used in its poetry.

The “now of a long time lingereth not” means, “since long age, it is not idle.” Judgment is being made ready. Judgment is coming. Note:

Rev 20:13, “And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.”

Fuente: Everett’s Study Notes on the Holy Scriptures

Our Indoctrination: The Holy Spirit’s Role in our Perseverance against False Doctrines ( Jud 1:4-13 ) Just because God made a way of redemption for mankind does not mean that our redemption comes without an effort on our part. 2Pe 2:1-3 states that false teachers will enter the congregations of believers and deceive many; however, their judgment is certain. Peter will confirm this statement by giving three testimonies of God’s divine judgment from the Old Testament Scriptures, which are sufficient to confirm his statement. He will refer to the fallen angels bound in Hell (2Pe 2:4), to the destruction of wicked men by the Flood in the days of Noah (2Pe 2:5), and to the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah (2Pe 2:6-8). Peter promises us that God will deliver us from such deception (2Pe 2:9), having used Lot as an example (2Pe 2:7-8). Therefore, he describes the characteristics of false teachers in the church (2Pe 2:10-22). Peter tells his readers in the next chapter that they can be delivered from this danger by paying attention to the Holy Scriptures and Holy Apostles (2Pe 3:1-2).

Outline Here is a proposed outline:

1. The Inspiration of the Holy Scriptures 2Pe 1:20-21

2. Warning of False Teachers 2Pe 2:1-3

3. Three Testimonies of God’s Judgment against the Ungodly 2Pe 2:4-9

4. Characteristics of False Teachers 2Pe 2:10-16

5. Judgment of False Teachers 2Pe 2:17-22

How Church Denominations are Created by Man – 2Pe 2:1-22 reveals to us the reason why the Church is so divided today and why it is faced divisions throughout Church history. There is only one doctrine in God’s Holy Word, but men have crept in and created doctrinal divisions, which we see today as denominations. This has greatly weakened the body of Christ. Man created denominations, and not God.

2Pe 1:20-21 The Inspiration of the Holy Scripture 2Pe 1:20 to 2Pe 2:22 reveals the role of God the Father in providing His Word to us through the Holy Spirit to secure our salvation. He did this by the inspiration of the Scriptures (2Pe 1:20-21).

2Pe 1:20  Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.

2Pe 1:20 Comments – We may translated the phrase, “of any private interpretation” to read, “of its own explanation.” That is, the meaning of the Scriptures is not subject to someone’s own interpretation. God has His intended meaning and interpretation. For example, when Isaiah wrote the book of Isaiah, it was not his own explanation or interpretation of the events around him; rather, it was God’s explanation and interpretation.

Various translations interpret this phrase:

1. “not from the prophet’s own interpretation” NIV, The Living Bible, Wuest. [94]

[94] Kenneth S. Wuest, Wuest’s Word Studies From the Greek New Testament for the English Reader, vol. 2 (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, c1973, 1977), 35.

2. “not a matter of one’s own interpretation” NASB, RSV.

3. The KJV can be interpreted either way.

2Pe 1:21  For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.

2Pe 1:21 “For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man” – Comments – The Holy Scriptures are not just some book or writings that some man decided to write. It did not originate by an act of the human will. The Holy Bible is inspired and written by Almighty God, our Creator, telling and warning a sinful creature of his only hope in Jesus Christ through His blood sacrifice for mankind.

We see Luke referring to people who took it upon themselves to write accounts of the life and ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ. However, only four of the Gospels were inspired by God and placed in the Scriptures.

Luk 1:1, “Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration of those things which are most surely believed among us,”

Paul told Timothy that “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,” (2Ti 3:16). Luke’s opening statement in his Gospel reveals its divine inspiration when he says, “It seemed good to me also,” indicating that he felt led by the Holy Spirit to write his Gospel. He uses the Greek word (G1380), which means, “to be of opinion, think, suppose,” in this verse. Luke had no divine visitation telling him to write it, no dream or vision. He simply felt in his heart that this was the right thing for him to do. We have Luke using this same Greek word again in Act 15:25-28 in conjunction with being led by the Holy Spirit.

Act 15:25-28, “ It seemed good unto us , being assembled with one accord, to send chosen men unto you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, Men that have hazarded their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. We have sent therefore Judas and Silas, who shall also tell you the same things by mouth. For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us , to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things;”

Luke says in 2Pe 1:3 that he felt the peace, the inspiration to write an orderly account of Christ’s life. This was something that the Holy Spirit placed within his heart. But he would not have said to Theophilos that God told him to write this account, since he is believed to be a Roman official. Rather, Luke uses laymen’s terms to explain why he wrote.

In contrast to this statement of inspiration, Luke’s opening words to this Gospel say, “Forasmuch as many have taken in hand” (2Pe 1:1) In other words, many other people took it upon themselves to write a Gospel account of the life and events of Jesus’ earthly ministry. It was their own decision that they took into their own hands. Because they were not inspired by God to write, they wrote from their own will. This is why 2Pe 1:21 says, “For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.”

2Pe 1:21 “but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost” Scripture References – Note other verses referring to the inspiration of the Holy Scriptures:

2Sa 23:2, “The Spirit of the LORD spake by me, and his word was in my tongue.”

Luk 1:70, “As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began:”

Act 2:16, “But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel;”

Act 3:18, “But those things, which God before had shewed by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he hath so fulfilled.”

2Ti 3:16, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:”

Heb 1:1, “God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,”

1Pe 1:11, “Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow.”

Fuente: Everett’s Study Notes on the Holy Scriptures

A Warning against the False Teachers of All Times.

The false teachers and their judgment:

v. 1. But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.

v. 2. And many shall follow their pernicious ways, by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.

v. 3. And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you; whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.

Having emphasized the excellence of the true prophecy, the apostle now gives a description of false teaching, whose characteristics in the various ages of the world do not change: But there appeared also false prophets among the people, as also among you there will be false teachers, such men as will introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master that redeemed them, and bringing upon themselves swift destruction. That there were true prophets, such as had actually been sent by the Lord, among the people of Israel in former days, the apostle had stated in the first chapter. But there were also such as were not sent by the Lord, in whose mouth there was a lying spirit, against whom the Lord was obliged to hurl His bitter curses. History repeats itself in this respect. Also in the New Testament, the apostle declares, there would be false teachers, men who would falsely claim a commission from the Lord, who would not hesitate to introduce corrupting, destructive heresies, doctrines that would be sure to lead the people professing them to eternal damnation. Such heights would their pretensions reach that they would even deny and disown the Master, the Lord who redeemed also their souls with His own precious blood. The result and punishment, in their case, would therefore be a sudden destruction; damnation would strike them before they would be aware of their extreme peril. The description is too general to permit an identification of the particular sect to which the apostle had reference, there being such bodies as the Ebionites, the Nicolaitans, and the Gnostics in existence before the end of the first century; but he undoubtedly had in mind also the Judaizing teachers, in whose opinion the redemption of Christ was not sufficient, but had to be supplemented by a fulfillment of the Law. Note: The redemption of Christ, as here expressly stated, was not only for those that would believe and remain faithful to the end, but it was gained and is ready even for those that reject the salvation through His blood.

The apostle now states a truth with regard to these false teachers which experience has amply demonstrated to be true: And many will follow their acts of lasciviousness, on account of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed; and in avarice, with lying words, they will make merchandise of you, to whom the sentence from long ago is not delaying, and their destruction is not sleeping. It seems strange, but history has amply confirmed the fact, that the characteristic of many false teachers is lascivious behavior, combined with a calm insolence that resents all interference. On account of their behavior the truth, the pure doctrine of the Gospel, is blasphemed by the unbelievers. For the latter judge by outward appearances, not knowing the difference between true and false believers; and since these men invariably have the audacity to appropriate and use the designation “Christian” for themselves, the outsiders judge the entire Christian religion by the example offered here, Act 9:2; Act 19:9-23; Act 22:4. What is particularly strange, however, is this, that such people will always find adherents, and in no small numbers at that, and that these followers will permit themselves to be systematically exploited, to be made gain of. It is peculiar to such sects (Dowieites, Christian Scientists) that their leaders are covetous, that they set out to make money from their adherents, and that they succeed in this beyond the dreams of avarice. But, as Peter says, their sentence of condemnation, which was really passed long ago, is not delaying, it is coming slowly, but surely; and their destruction, their damnation, is wide awake upon their trail. They may believe themselves altogether secure, but the time is coming when they will find out to their sorrow that God will not permit such blasphemy to go unpunished; they are steadily moving forward to their impending doom.

Fuente: The Popular Commentary on the Bible by Kretzmann

EXPOSITION

2Pe 2:1

But there were false prophets also among the people; rather, as in the Revised Version, but there arose false prophets also among the people. The transition is simple and natural. Besides the true prophets mentioned in the last chapter, who spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost, there arose false prophets, men who wore “a rough garment to deceive” (Zec 13:4), and assumed without warrant the prophetic character. Such pretenders would commonly prophesy false things; but the word seems principally to imply the absence of a Divine mission. By “the people” () is meant the people of Israel, as in Rom 15:11; Jud Rom 1:5, etc. It is plain from these words that St. Peter, at the end of the last chapter, was speaking of the prophets of the Old Testament. Even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies. By the false teachers, again (the word is peculiar to St. Peter), may be meant men whose teaching was false, or men who falsely claimed the teacher’s office. St. Peter describes them as such as () shall bring in damnable heresies. The verb () is found only here in the New Testament; the adjective derived from it is used by St. Paul in Gal 2:4, “false brethren unawares brought in.” It means “to bring in by the side of,” as if these false teachers brought in their errors by the side of the true doctrine; it implies also the secondary notion of secrecy. Compare St. Jude’s use of the verb , compounded with the same prepositions (Jud 1:4); and notice the difference of tensesSt. Jude using the past where St. Peter looks forward to the future; but St. Peter passes to the present tense in Jud 1:10, and maintains it for the rest of the chapter. We may, perhaps, infer that the false teaching referred to was already beginning to affect the Churches of Asia Minor; but the errors were not so much developed there, the’ false teachers had not gained so much influence as it seems they had in the Churches which St. Jude had principally in his thoughts. The literal translation of the words rendered “damnable heresies” is “heresies of destruction,” the last word being the same which occurs again at the end of the verse. These heresies destroy the soul; they bring ruin both to those who are led astray and to the false teachers themselves. The word for “heresy”(), meaning originally “choice,” became the name for a party, sect, or school, as in Act 5:17, “the sect of the Sadducees;” Act 15:5,” the sect of the Pharisees;” Act 24:5 (in the mouth of Tertullus). “the sect of the Nazarenes;” then, by a natural transition, it came to be used of the opinions held by a sect. The notion of self-will, deliberate separation, led to its being employed generally in a bad sense (see especially Tit 3:10, “A man that is a heretic, ()”). Even denying the Lord that bought them; literally, as in the Revised Version, denying even the Master that bought them. The word for “Master” () implies that the deniers stand to the Lord in the relation of slaves, bondservants. The Lord had bought them; they were not their own, but his, bought with a price, “not with corruptible things, as silver and gold, but with the precious blood of Christ” (1Pe 1:18; see also the parallel passage Jud 1Pe 1:4). These words plainly assert the universality of the Lord’s redemption. He “tasted death for every man” (Heb 2:9), even for those false teachers who denied him. The denial referred to may have been doctrinal or practical; most of the ancient forms of heresy involved some grave error as to the Person of Christ; and the germs of these errors appeared very early in the Church (see 1Jn 2:22, 1Jn 2:23), denying sometimes the Godhead of our Lord, sometimes the truth of his humanity. But St. Peter may mean the practical denial of Christ evinced in an ungodly and licentious life. The latter form of denial appears most prominent in this chapter; probably the apostle intended to warn his readers against both. It is touching to remember that he had himself denied the Lord, though indeed the price with which our souls were bought had not then been paid; but his denial was at once followed by a deep and true repentance. The Lord’s loving look recalled him to himself; his bitter tears proved the sincerity of his contrition. And bring upon themselves swift destruction; literally, bringing. The participial construction unites the two clauses closely; the latter expresses the consequence of the former: they bring heresies of destruction into the Church, and by so doing bring upon themselves swift destruction. The word for “swift” () is used by no other New Testament writer. There is an apparent allusion to this verso in Justin Martyr (‘Cum Tryph.,’ 82), and the first clause of it is quoted in a homily ascribed to Hippolytus of Portus. Notice St. Peter’s habit of repetition, he repeats the word three times in Tit 3:1-3; three times in Tit 3:7, Tit 3:8; the verb three times in 2Pe 3:12-14, etc.

2Pe 2:2

And many shall follow their pernicious ways; rather, as in the Revised Version, their lascivious doings; the reading represented by the Authorized Version has very little support (comp. Jud 2Pe 1:4, 2Pe 1:8). (For “shall follow” (), see note on 2Pe 1:16.) By reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. The heathen were accustomed to charge Christians with immorality; the conduct of these false teachers gave them occasion; they did not distinguish between these licentious heretics and true Christians. The expression, “way of truth,” occurs in the ‘Epistle of Barnabas,’ chapter 5. Christianity is called “the way” several times in the Acts (Act 9:2; Act 19:9, Act 19:23, etc.). It is the way of truth, because Christ, who is the Center of his religion, is the Way, the Truth, and the Life; because it is the way of life which is founded on the truth.

2Pe 2:3

And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you; rather, in covetousness. Covetousness was their besetting sin, the sphere in which they lived. St. Paul warned Titus against false teachers who taught “things which they ought not, for filthy lucre’s sake” (Tit 1:11; see also 1Ti 6:6 and Jud 1Ti 1:16). Simon Magus, the first heresiarch, sought to trade in holy things; the like sin seems to have been characteristic of the false teachers of apostolic times. The word translated “feigned” () occurs nowhere else in the New Testament; the words of these men were not the expression of their real thoughts and feelings; they were invented, craftily contrived to deceive men, and that for the sake of money. The last words of the clause will admit another sense: “shall gain you,” i.e., “shall gain you over to their party;” and this view derives some support from the use of the verb in the Septuagint Version of Pro 3:14. But the verb is often used in classical writers in the sense of making a profit out of people or things, and this meaning seems most suitable here. The false teachers will work hard, as the Pharisees did, to make proselytes; but their real motive is, not the salvation of souls, but their own selfish gain. Whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not; literally, for whom the sentence of a long time idleth not. The sentence of judgment is for them, for their condemnation; in the foreknowledge of God it has been pronounced long ago, and ever since it has been drawing near; it doth not tarry (comp. Jud Pro 1:4 and 1Pe 4:17). The word rendered “of a long time” () occurs only here and 2Pe 3:5. And their damnation slumbereth not; destruction: it is the word which has been used already twice in 2Pe 3:1. The verb means literally “to nod,” then “to slumber;” it is found elsewhere in the New Testament only in the parable of the virgins (Mat 25:5).

2Pe 2:4

For if God spared not the angels that sinned; rather, angels when they sinned ; there is no article. St. Peter is giving proofs of his assertion that the punishment of the ungodly lingereth not. The first is the punishment of angels that sinned. He does not specify the sin, whether rebellion, as in Rev 12:7; or uncleanness, as apparently in Jud Rev 1:6, Rev 1:7, and Gen 6:4. Formally, there is an anacoluthon here, but in thought we have the apodosis in Gen 6:9. But cast them down to hell. The Greek word, which is found nowhere else in the Greek Scriptures, is , “having cast into Tartarus.” This use of a word belonging to heathen mythology is very remarkable, and without parallel in the New Testament. Apparently, St. Peter regards Tartarus not as equivalent to Gehenna, for the sinful angels are “reserved unto judgment,” but as a place of preliminary detention. Josephus, quoted by Professor Lumby in the ‘Speaker’s Commentary,’ speaks of the oldest heathen gods as fettered in Tartarus, (‘Contra Apion,’ 2.33). And delivered them into chains of darkness. The Revised Version “pits” represents the reading of the four oldest manuscripts; but the variations in two of them (the Sinaitic and Alexandrine have ), and the fact that seems properly to mean a pit for the storage of corn, throw some doubt upon this reading. The other reading , cords, may possibly have arisen from the parallel passage in Jud 6, though the Greek word for “chains” is different there. The chains consist in darkness; the pits are in darkness, , delivered, is often used, as Huther remarks, with the implied idea of punishment. It is simpler to connect the chains or pits of darkness with this verb than (as Fronmuller and others) with , “having cast them in bonds of darkness into Tartarus” (comp. Wis. 17:2, 16, 17). To be reserved unto judgment; literally, being reserved; but the readings here are very confused. St. Jude says (Jud 1:6) that the sinful angels are reserved “unto the judgment of the great day.” Bengel says, “Possunt autem in terra quoque versari mancipia Tartari (Luk 8:31; Eph 2:2; etc.) sic ut bello captus etiam extra locum captivitatis potest ambulare.” But in the ease of a mystery of which so little has been revealed, we are scarcely justified in assuming the identity of the angels cast into Tartarus with the evil spirits who tempt and harass us on earth.

2Pe 2:5

And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person; rather, as in the Revised Version, the ancient world, but preserved Noah with seven others. “The eighth” is a common classical idiom (generally with the pronoun ) for a with seven others.” Mark the close parallelism with 1Pe 3:20, where, as here, the apostle impresses upon his readers the fewness of the saved. A preacher of righteousness. The Old Testament narrative does not directly assert this; but “a just man and perfect,” who “walked with God” (Gen 6:9), must have been a preacher (literally, “herald “) of righteousness to the ungodly among whom he lived. Josephus, in a well-known passage (‘Ant.,’ 1Pe 1:3, 1Pe 1:1), says that Noah tried to persuade his neighbours to change their mind and their actions for the better. Bringing in the Flood upon the world of the ungodly. The Revised Version renders, when he brought a Flood upon the world. In the Greek there is no article throughout this verse. In 1Pe 3:1 the ungodly are represented as bringing upon themselves swift destruction; here God brings the punishment upon them. The same Greek verb is used in both places. In one place St. Peter gives the human, in the other the Divine, aspect of the same events (comp. Clement I, 7 and 9).

2Pe 2:6

And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes condemned them with an overthrow. The striking word , turning into ashes, occurs nowhere else in the New Testament; and the word for “overthrow” () only in 2Ti 2:14. It is used in the Septuagint Version of Gen 19:29 of this same judgment. Perhaps “to an overthrow” is a better translation (comp. Luk 17:26-29; Jud Luk 1:7). Making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly; rather, having made. The example is to be a lasting warning; literally, an example of those that should live ungodly; i.e., an example of their punishment, their end. In this verse the Vatican Manuscript omits “with an overthrow,” and reads “an example of things to come unto the ungodly.”

2Pe 2:7

And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked; literally, and delivered righteous Lot, who was being worn out (; comp. Act 7:24, the only other place of the New Testament where the word occurs) with the behaviour of the lawless in licentiousness. The word translated “lawless” () is found only in one other place of the New Testament (2Pe 3:17); but it is near akin to the (“abominable”) of 1Pe 4:3.

2Pe 2:8

For that righteous man dwelling among them; literally, for the righteous man. It was through his own choice that he dwelt among the people of Sodom. The recollection of this grave mistake must have added bitterness to the daily distress caused by the sins of his neighbours (Gen 13:11). In seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds. The words, “in seeing and hearing,” are best connected with the verb that follows, not with “righteous” according to the Vulgate (though this would be the natural connection, if with the Vatican Manuscript we omit the article), nor with “dwelling among them.” The literal translation is, “was tormenting his righteous soul.” The sight of lawless deeds and the sound of wicked words were a daily grief to Lot. He distressed himself; he felt the guilt and danger of his neighbours, the dishonour done to God, and his own unhappy choice. St. Peter cannot mean (as OEcumenius and Theophylact suppose) that Lot’s affliction was caused by the sustained effort to resist the temptation of falling into the like vices himself. The Greek words for “seeing” and “dwelling among” occur only here in the New Testament.

2Pe 2:9

The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished. We have here the apodosis corresponding with the conditional sentence beginning at 2Pe 2:4. The three examples cited by St. Peter show that the Lord knows (and with the Lord knowledge involves power) how to deliver the righteous and to punish the wicked. The Greek words for “godly” and “unjust” are both without the article. The word rendered “to be punished” () is a present participle, not future, and is better rendered, as in the Revised Version, “under punishment.” The wicked are already under punishment while awaiting the judgment; the Lord had taught this in the parable of Dives and Lazarus (comp. also Jud 6, 7, and 2Pe 2:4 of this chapter). Aristotle makes a distinction between and , the first being “chastisement inflicted for the good of those chastised;” the second, “punishment inflicted on the incorrigible for the satisfaction of justice” (see ‘Rhet.,’ 2Pe 1:10); but it is doubtful whether this distinction exists in the New Testament (comp. Mat 25:46). Therefore it seems dangerous to lay much stress on the use of the word here (comp. Clement, I, 11.).

2Pe 2:10

But chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness; literally, in the lust of pollution. The word occurs nowhere else in the New Testament, but the corresponding verb is found in several places (Tit 1:15; Heb 12:15; Jud 8). We observe that in this verse St. Peter passes from the future tense to the present. And despise government; rather, lordship (). St. Jude has the same word in Jud 1:8. In Eph 1:21 and Col 1:16 it is used of angelic dignities. Here it seems to stand for all forms of authority. Presumptuous are they, self-willed, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities; literally, daring, self-willed, they tremble not when speaking evil of glories; or, they fear not glories, blaspheming. The word rendered “daring” () occurs nowhere else in the New Testament. These daring, self-willed men despise all lordship, all glories, whether the glory of Christ (“the excellent glory,” 2Pe 1:17), or the glory of the angels, or the glory of holiness, or the glory of earthly sovereignty. The next verse, however, makes it probable that the glory of the angels was the thought present to St. Peter’s mind. It may be that, as some false teachers had inculcated the worship of angels (Col 2:18), others had gone to the opposite extreme (comp. Jud 8). The Vulgate strangely translates by sectas.

2Pe 2:11

Whereas angels, which are greater in power and might, bring not railing accusation against them before the Lord. The conjunction is , literally, “where”they speak evil of glories, “where,” i.e., “in which case.” The literal rendering of the following words, “angels being greater,” makes it probable that the comparison is with the false teachers of the previous verse rather than with the “glories.” The false teachers rail at glories, where angels, though greater than they, bring not a railing judgment against those glories. It seems certain that the words “against them” ( ) must refer to the “glories,” and cannot mean, according to the Vulgate, adversum se. Men rail at these glories; but the elect angels, when they are commissioned to proclaim or inflict the just judgment (for is “judgment,” not” accusation”) of God upon the angels that sinned, the fallen glories, do not rail; they remember what those lost spirits once were, and speak solemnly and sorrowfully, not in coarse, violent language. The apostle may be alluding to Zec 3:1, Zec 3:2, but the resemblance to Jud 8, 9 is so dose that this last passage must have been in his thoughts, even if he is not directly referring to the dispute between Michael the archangel and the devil. Luther’s interpretation (adopted by Fronmuller and others), that the wicked angels are not able to bear the judgment of God upon their blasphemy, cannot be extracted from the words. The Alexandrine Manuscript omits “before the Lord;” but these words are well supported. The angels of judgment remember that they are in the presence of God, and perform their solemn duty with godly fear.

2Pe 2:12

But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed. The order of the words in the best manuscripts favours the translation of the Revised Version, But these, as creatures without reason, born mere animals to be taken and destroyed. The word rendered “mere animals” is literally “natural” (); comp. Jud 2Pe 1:10, “what they know naturally () as brute beasts.” Speak evil of the things that they understand not; literally, as in the Revised Version, railing in matters whereof they are ignorant. (For the construction, see Wirier, 3:66. 5, at the end.) The context and the parallel passage in St. Jude show that the , the glories, are the things which the false teachers understand not and at which they rail. Good angels do not pronounce a railing judgment against angels that sinned. These men, knowing nothing of the angelic sphere of existence, rail at the elect and the fallen angels alike, lien should speak with awe of the sin of the angels; jesting on such subjects is unbecoming and dangerous. And shall utterly perish in their own corruption. The best manuscripts read here “shall also be destroyed in their own corruption.” It seems better to take in the sense of “corruption” here, as in 2Pe 1:4, and to suppose that St. Peter is intentionally playing on the double sense of the noun and its cognate verb than, with Huther, to refer the pronoun , “their own,” to the , and to understand St. Peter as meaning that the false teachers, who act like irrational animals, shall be destroyed with the destruction of irrational animals.

2Pe 2:13

And shall receive the reward of unrighteousness. The two most ancient manuscripts read here, instead of . This reading is adopted by the Revised Version in the translation, “suffering wrong as the hire of wrongdoing.” But the other reading is well supported, and gives a better sense, “receiving, as they shall, the reward of unrighteousness.” Balaam loved the reward of unrighteousness in this world (2Pe 2:15); the false teachers shall receive its final reward in the world to come. Whichever reading is preferred, this clause is best taken with the preceding verse. As they that count it pleasure to riot in the daytime; literally, counting the revel in daytime a pleasure. St. Peter has hitherto spoken of the insubordination and irreverence of the false teachers; he now goes on to condemn their sensuality. The words cannot, with some ancient interpreters, be taken as equivalent to , daily (Luk 16:19). Many commentators, as Huther and Alford, translate “delicate living for a day”enjoyment which is temporal and short-lived. But when we compare 1Th 5:7, “They that are drunken are drunken in the night,” and St. Peter’s own words in Act 2:15, it seems more probable that the apostle means to describe these false teachers as worse than ordinary men of pleasure. They reserve the night for their feasting; these men spend the day in luxury. The word means “luxurious or delicate living” rather than “riot.” Spots they are and blemishes. (For , spots, St. Jude has , sunken rocks.) The word for “blemishes” () occurs nowhere else in the New Testament. But comp. 1Pe 1:19, where the Lord Jesus is described as “a Lamb without blemish and without spot ( ).” The Church should be like her Lord, “not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing” (Eph 5:27); but these men are spots and blemishes on her beauty. Sporting themselves with their own deceivings; literally, reveling in their deceivings. The word for “reveling” () corresponds with , used just above. The manuscripts vary between , deceivings, and , loves, love-feasts. The former reading seems the best-supported here, and the latter in the parallel passage of St. Jude (Jud 1:12). It is possible that the paronomasia may be intentional (compare the of St. Peter and the of St. Jude). St. Peter will not use the honourable name for the banquets which these men disgrace by their excesses. He calls them , not deceits, not love-feasts. There is no love in the hearts of these men. Their love-feasts are hypocrisies, deceits; they try to deceive men, but they deceive not God. While they feast with you. The Greek word occurs elsewhere only in Jud Jud 1:12. The false teachers joined in the love-feasts, but made them the occasion of self-indulgence. Compare the similar conduct of the Corinthians (1Co 11:20-22).

2Pe 2:14

Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; literally, of an adulteress. Compare our Lord’s words in the sermon on the mount (Mat 5:28), which may have been in St. Peter’s thoughts. For the second clause, comp. 1Pe 4:1, “He that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin.” Beguiling unstable souls; rather, enticing. The word , from , a bait, belongs to the art of the fowler or fisherman, and would naturally occur to St. Peter’s mind. He uses it again in 1Pe 4:18 of this chapter (comp. also Jas 1:14). The word for “unstable” () occurs only here and in 2Pe 3:16. It is a word of peculiar significance in the mouth of St. Peter, conscious, as he must have been, of his own want of stability in times past. He would remember also the charge once given to him, “When thou art converted, strengthen () thy brethren” (Luk 22:32). An heart they have exercised with covetous practices; rather, trained in covetousness, according to the reading of the best manuscripts, . This is the third vice laid to the charge of the false teachers. They had practiced it so long that their very heart was trained in the habitual pursuit of gain by all unrighteous means. Cursed children; rather, children of curse. Like “the son of perdition,” “children of wrath,” “children of disobedience,” “son of Belial,” etc.

2Pe 2:15

Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray; literally, forsaking (or having forsaken; there are two slightly differing readings, both well supported) the right way, they went astray. The false teachers in St. Peter’s time were like Elymas the sorcerer, whom St. Paul accused of perverting “the right ways of the Lord” (Act 13:10; comp. also Act 13:2 of this chapter). In the ‘Shepherd of Hermas’ occurs what may be an echo of this verse: “Who have forsaken their true way” (Vis., 2Pe 3:7. 1). Following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor. The word rendered “following” () is found also in 2Pe 1:16 and 2Pe 2:2 of this Epistle, but nowhere else in the New Testament; it means “to follow out to the end.” Comp. Num 22:32, where the angel of the Lord says of Balaam, “Thy way is perverse before me.” The form “Bosor,” instead of “Beor,” arose probably from a peculiar (perhaps Galilaean) pronunciation of the guttural in . Thus we, perhaps, have here an undesigned coincidence, a slight confirmation of St. Peter’s authorship: he was a Galilaean, and his speech betrayed him (Mat 26:73); one characteristic of the Galilaean dialect was a mispronunciation of the gutturals. But some commentators see in the resemblance of the form “Bosor” to the Hebrew , flesh, an allusion to those sins of the flesh into which Balaam allured the Israelites. Compare the Jewish use of such names as Ishbosheth in derision for Eshbaal (“the man of shame” for “the man of Baal”), and Jerubbesheth (2Sa 11:21) for Jerubbaal. The references to Balaam here, in St. Jude, the Book of the Revelation, and 1Co 10:8, show that his history had made a great impression on the mind of thoughtful Christians. St. John connects his name with the Nicolaitanes in Rev 2:15, much as St. Peter here connects it with the false teachers of his time. Some, again, see in the etymology of the word “Nicolaitane” an allusion to that of “Balaam,” as if the Nicolaitanes were followers of Balaam. There is another explanation in the ‘Speaker’s Commentary,’ that the word “Bosor” is an Aramaic form, and that “the form possibly became familiar to St. Peter during his residence at Babylon, and suggests the probability that Aramaic traditions were still current respecting Balaam at the Christian era, and on the banks of the Euphrates” (additional note on Num 22:5). But the two oldest manuscripts read “Beer” here. Who loved the wages of unrighteousness (comp. Rev 2:13, and also St. Peter’s words in Act 1:18). Balaam is not definitely accused of covetousness in the Old Testament narrative; but his conduct can be explained by no other motive.

2Pe 2:16

But was rebuked for his iniquity; literally, but had a rebuke for his own transgression. The word for “rebuke” () Occurs nowhere else in the New Testament. The guilt of offering the wages of unrighteousness rested with Balak; Balaam’s own transgression lay in his readiness to accept themin his willingness to break the law of God by cursing, for filthy lucre’s sake, those whom God had not cursed. The dumb ass speaking with man’s voice forbade the madness of the prophet. The word for “ass” is literally “beast of burden” (, as in Mat 21:5). “Dumb” is literally “without voice;” naturally without voice, it spake with the voice of man. The word , rendered “forbade,” is rather “checked,” or “stayed.” The word for “madness” () occurs nowhere else in the New Testament. The ass checked the prophet’s folly by her shrinking from the angel, and by the miracle that followed; the angel, while permitting Balaam to expose himself to the danger into which he had fallen by tempting the Lord, forbade any deviation from the word to be put into his mouth by God. Balaam obeyed in the letter; but afterwards the madness which had been checked for the moment led him into deadly sin (Num 31:16). We observe that St. Peter assumes the truthfulness of the narrative in the Book of Numbers (see Mr. Clark’s note in the ‘Speaker’s Commentary’ on Num 22:28).

2Pe 2:17

These are wells without water. St. Peter has spoken of the vices of the false teachers; he goes on to describe the unprofitableness of their teaching. They are like wells without water; they deceive men with a promise which they do not fulfill. In Jud 2Pe 1:12 there is a slight difference”clouds without water” (comp. Jer 2:13). Clouds that are carried with a tempest; better, mists driven by a tempest. The best manuscripts have , mists, instead of , clouds; they are driven along by the tempest; they give no water to the thirsty land, but only bring darkness and obscurity. The Greek word for “tempest” () is used by St. Mark and St. Lu in their account of the tempest on the Sea of Galilee. To whom the mist of darkness is reserved for over; rather, as in the Revised Version, the blackness of darkness. The words are the same as those of Jud Mar 1:13. The words “for ever” are omitted in the Vatican and Sinaitic Manuscripts; it is possible that they may have been inserted from the parallel passage in St. Jude; but they are well supported here.

2Pe 2:18

For when they speak great swelling words of vanity; literally, for speaking. “Great swelling words” is expressed by one word in the Greek, , St. Jude has the same word in Jud 1:16; it is used in the classical writers of great bulk of any kind, literal or figurative. The genitive is descriptivethe words are swelling, high-sounding; but they are only words, vain and meaningless; they have nothing but emptiness behind them. They allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness; rather, as in the Revised Version, they entice (as in Jud 1:14) in the lusts of the flesh, by lasciviousness. The preposition “in” denotes the sphere in which these men live, their condition, habits of life. The dative , literally “by lasciviousnesses,” that is, by acts of lasciviousness, is the dative of the instrument; it states the means by which they entice men. Those that were clean escaped from them who live in error. The Authorized Version follows the T.R., ; but most of the best manuscripts have . This last reading gives a better sense, “Those who are just escaping.” The adverb may be understood of time, or, perhaps better, of measure”escaping by a little, a little way.” Those who were “clean escaped “would not be so easily enticed by the false teachers. These are only beginning to escape; they have heard the word with joy, but have no root in themselves; they put their hand to the plough, but they look back. They “that live in error” are the heathen; the unhappy men who are led astray by the false teachers are just escaping from the heathen and from their mode of life. It is possible to understand these last words as a coordinate clause, a further description of those who are just escaping. The false teachers entice “those who are just escaping, those who live in error.” But the common rendering seems better. The verb translated “live” () is a favourite word with St. Peter (see 1Pe 1:15, 1Pe 1:18; 1Pe 2:12; 1Pe 3:1, 1Pe 3:2, 1Pe 3:16).

2Pe 2:19

While they promise them liberty; literally, promising. The words cohere closely with the preceding clause. Liberty was the subject of their great swelling words of vanity; they talked loudly, made a great boast, about liberty. Perhaps they were wresting to their own destruction the teaching of St. Paul concerning Christian liberty. St. Paul had spoken of the liberty of the glory of the children of God (Rom 8:21); he had again and again asserted the liberty of Christians in things indifferent (see 2Co 3:17; 1Co 8:9; 1Co 10:23, etc.). But he had insisted on the paramount duty of giving no offence (1Co 8:13, etc.), and had earnestly cautioned his converts to “use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh.” There were false teachers who maintained that the true Gnostic was free from moral restraints, in fact, that liberty meant libertinism, liberty to sin. They themselves are the servants of corruption. The construction is still participial, “being” () being from the beginning servants of corruption. Those who talked about liberty were themselves all the time the bondservants, the slaves, of corruption. The word rendered “corruption” () includes the sense of “destruction,” as in 2Pe 2:12 and 2Pe 1:4 (comp. Rom 8:21). For of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage. “Of whom,” or “by whatever;” by Satan, the personal tempter, or by sin, the innate tendency; the Greek word will bear either meaning. Some good manuscripts add “also,” which strengthens the assertion; “is he also brought in bondage.” St. Peter’s teaching corresponds exactly with that of St. Paul in Rom 6:16. There is a very close parallel to this clause in the ‘Clementine Recognitions’ (Rom 5:12; quoted by Dr. Salmon, in his ‘Historical Introduction to the Books of the New Testament’): “unusquisque illius fit servus cui se ipse subjecerit.”

2Pe 2:20

For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world; literally, for if, having escaped (). Is St. Peter in this verse still speaking of the false teachers, or of those whom they had enticed (2Pe 2:18)? Bengel, Fronmuller, and others take the latter view, thinking that the (“those having escaped”) of this verse must be the same with the or (“those who are escaping,” or “those having escaped”) of 2Pe 2:18. But it is far more natural to understand St, Peter as continuing his description of the false teachers. The conjunction “for” connects the clause closely with that immediately preceding, and suggests that St. Peter is explaining the term “bondservants or slaves” applied to the false teachers in 2Pe 2:19; the repetition of the word “overcome” also seems to imply that the subjects of yore. 20 and 19 are the same. The word for” pollutions” () occurs only here. In ‘Hermas’ (Vis., 4:3, 2) there occurs what may be a reminiscence of this verse: “Ye who have escaped this world.” Through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Several of the most ancient manuscripts read, “our Lord and Saviour.” The word rendered “knowledge” is , full knowledge. The preposition is . The full, personal knowledge of the Saviour is the sphere in which the Christian lives; while he abides in that knowledge grace and peace are multiplied unto him, and he is enabled to escape the pollutions of the world. The apostle warns us here that some of those who once enjoyed the blessedness of that sacred knowledge have been entangled in sin and have fallen from grace. They are again entangled therein, and overcome. The first clause is participial; the connection seems to be, “If, having escaped but being again entangled they are overcome.” The word “entangled” () suggests the figure of fishes entangled in the meshes of a net, and seems to point back to the (“entice”) of 2Pe 2:18 and 2Pe 2:14; they entice others, but they are entangled themselves, and become captives and slaves to the pollutions of the world from which they had once escaped. The latter end is worse with them than the beginning; rather, as in the Revised Version, the last state is become worse with them than the first. This is a distinct quotation of our Lord’s words in Mat 12:45 and Luk 11:26. The evil spirit had been cast out from these men; for a time they had lived in the full knowledge of Christ; but now the evil spirit had returned, and had brought with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself. This spontaneous adoption of our Lord’s words without marks of quotation is not like the work of a forger.

2Pe 2:21

For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness; better, as in the Revised Version, for it were better. (For this use of the imperfect indicative, see Winer, 3:41, 2, a.) The verb , “to have known,” here, and the participle , “after they have known,” in the next clause, correspond with the noun of the preceding, and, like that, imply that these unhappy men once had the full knowledge of Christ. (For “the way, of righteousness,” compare “the way of truth” in 2Pe 2:2, and note there.) Than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. The manuscripts exhibit some slight variations here: the Sinaitic and Alexandrine give “to turn back.” By “the holy commandment” St. Peter means the whole moral Law, which the Lord enforced and widened in his sermon on the mount; from this the false teachers turned away. For the word “delivered” (), comp. Jud 2Pe 1:3. Like the corresponding word , tradition (2Th 3:6), it implies the oral transmission of Christian teaching in the first ages (comp. also 1Pe 1:18).

2Pe 2:22

But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb. The conjunction “but” is omitted in the best manuscripts. The literal translation is, “There hath happened unto them that of the true proverb ( );” comp. Mat 21:21, . The dog is turned to his own vomit again. The construction is participial; literally, a dog having turned. See Wirier (3:45, 6, b), who says that in such proverbial expressions there is no reason for changing the participle into a finite verb: “They are spoken as it were, with reference to a case actually observed.” St. Peter may be quoting Pro 26:11; but his words are very different from the Septuagint Version of that passage; perhaps it is more probable that the expression had become proverbial, and that the apostle is referring to a form of it in common use with his readers; like that which follows, which is not in the Book of Proverbs. And the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire; literally, the sow that had washed to her wallowing; or, according to some ancient manuscripts, “her wallowing-place.” St. Peter compares the lives of the false teachers to the habits of those animals which were regarded as unclean, and were most despised by the Jews (compare our Lord’s words in Mat 7:6). The words , vomit; , wallowing; and , mire, are not found elsewhere in the New Testament.

HOMILETICS

Verses 1-9

Warning against false teachers.

I. THE NEED OF WATCHFULNESS.

1. There must be false teachers. There had been false prophets in Israel, like Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah, who flattered Ahab and lured him to his death. There was a traitor among the chosen twelve. “In the visible Church the evil are ever mingled with the good, and sometimes the evil have chief authority in the ministration of the Word and sacraments.” The Lord himself had said that it would be so. “Beware of false prophets,” he had said in his sermon on the mount; the apostle echoes the Master’s words. It seems very sad that there should be the taint of evil even in the chief places of the Church, that ungodly men should assume the character of teachers, and abuse the form of religion for their selfish and wicked ends. The divisions of the Church, the strange diversities of opinion among Christians, seem a great hindrance to the progress of the gospel, and furnish to some an excuse for unbelief. But when we remember Judas Iscariot, we feel that the Church must be always liable to this great misfortune; if in its very infancy, in the very presence of the incarnate Saviour, one whom he had chosen could betray his Lord for money, it is not to be expected that all those who serve in the ministry of the Church should be pure and holy. False teaching, too, made its appearance very early in the history of the Church. We soon meet with the name of the first heresiarch, Simon Magus; he was one of the converts of Philip the deacon at Samaria, one of the first candidates for confirmation. The existence of false teaching is a great trial of our faith; but, like other trials, it is overruled for good to those who in sincerity seek to know the truth.

2. The character of their teaching. All false doctrine is pernicious. The ancient forms of heresy stood in direct opposition to the great truths of Christianity: they denied the distinction of Persons in the one God, or the Divinity of the Lord Jesus Christ, or the truth of his manhood, or the reality of his precious death; they separated Jesus from the Christ, and the God of Christians from the God of the Old Testament; while others, as apparently the Nicolaitanes of the Revelation, indulged in licentious practices, and maintained that the mind might be pure, though the body was defiled. These and such like heresies were heresies of destruction; they led to the spiritual destruction both of the teachers and the taught; they were privily brought in, set alongside of the truths of the gospel, and so corrupted the gospel of Christ, and deprived it of its saving power. For these false teachers denied the Master that bought them, some by rejecting either his Divinity or his humanity, or the truth of his atonement, some by the practical denial of a licentious life. He had bought them to be his own: they were redeemed, not with corruptible things, as silver and gold, but with the precious blood of Christ; and they denied the Master that bought them with that stupendous price. Alas! we have all at some time and in some sense denied him by spiritual sloth and actual sin; we knew that he died that we should die unto sin, and rose again that we should rise to newness of life; and knowing this, we have sinned again and again, yielding ourselves to be servants of sin rather than of Christ. St. Peter himself had thrice denied the Lord; confident in his own steadfastness, he had maintained that he at least would be faithful even unto death; but his courage failed him in the hour of temptation. He must have remembered his own great sin when he wrote these words. He repented; the bitter tears, the holy life that followed, proved the sincerity of his repentance. May we feel the power of the Lord’s loving look fixed on us, and be led, like Peter, to repentance. These false teachers were persisting in their willfulness, and bringing upon themselves swift destruction.

3. The sad results of it. They will not be without followers; many will be drawn away from the truth, and will follow these false teachers this way and that, to strange heresies or to licentiousness of life. Men hanker after novelty; they dislike strictness of life; they are easily led to embrace systems which offer some new phase of error, or permit laxity of morals. And thus the way of truth is evil spoken of. Men rail at Christianity because Christians are split up into so many sects and schools; they speak against religion because so many of its professors live unworthy lives. It was so in the early days of the Church; it is so still. The evil lives of professing Christians give occasion to much scoffing and blasphemy at home; while abroad the progress of the gospel in heathen countries is sadly checked by the same unhappy cause.

4. The motive of the false teachers. They do not care for the souls of men; they want their money. Their words are fair, but they do not spring out of strong conviction; they are carefully thought out, cunningly devised to attract attention and to ensnare men. And so they make a gain of their followers, reversing St. Paul’s practice, “I seek not yours, but you.” For they care nothing for the flock, but only for their own sordid gain. Very terrible is the guilt of those unhappy men who seek the ministry with such miserable objects. Their teaching is but hollow hypocrisy, their whole life is a falsehood. Thus to deal with sacred things is awful exceedingly.

5. Their damager. God’s sentence of condemnation is already gone out against them; it idleth not; it is active and energetic. They have brought in heresies of destruction, doing what they could to destroy the souls of men. But the Lord most holy gave himself to die for those precious souls. These false teachers are doing what they can to frustrate the grace of God, to slay the souls for whom the Lord endured the cross. His wrath, except they repent, must come upon them to the uttermost; that utter destruction which they are bringing upon themselves, slumbereth not; it will fall upon them suddenly and consume them in a moment. “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”

II. GOD‘S WRATH AGAINST THE FALSE TEACHERS: EXAMPLES OF HIS AWFUL JUDGMENTS.

1. The judgment of the angels that sinned. Even angels sinned; so strange and awful is the mystery of evil. We must not be surprised that there are sinful men in the visible Church, sometimes, alas! in its highest offices, when we read that there was sin in heaven, that angels of God sinned against their King. The power of evil must be very terrible, wide-reaching, and alluring, if it could draw angels from their allegiance to the Creator. What need have we men to watch and pray, if even angels fell from the grace of God! St. Peter bids us remember their punishment. God spared them not; he is of purer eyes than to behold evil; the sinful cannot abide in his presence. He cast out even angels when they sinned; Tartarus, not heaven, was henceforth their fitting abode; he delivered them to chains of darkness. Holy Scripture gives us no details concerning the sin of the angels or its punishment. We do not know the measure of restraint under which they are now kept; we do not know whether this description applies to all angels who sinned, or only to some. Those evil angels of whom St. Peter is here speaking are under some restraint and suffering some punishment; and they are reserved for the judgment of the great day. Their fall is cited for our warning; if God spared not evil angels, he will not spare evil men.

2. The judgment of the antediluvians. Satan, the prince of the devils, brought sin into the world; it spread with fearful rapidity, all flesh corrupted his way upon the earth. God had created man after his own image; but now the wickedness of man was great, and every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continuallyan awful picture of the corrupting power of sin. The fixed immutable laws of the Divine government require the punishment of sin. God brought the Flood upon the world of the ungodly. But in wrath he remembered mercy; he guarded Noah, the just man who walked with God, the preacher of righteousness. Noah had proclaimed the blessings of righteousness, the misery of sin; the ark itself had been a silent preacher during the many years which elapsed while it was being built; the long labour showed the faith of Noah, and proved that his preaching came from deep conviction. His neighbours would not listen; but his preaching, though it saved not them, returned into his own bosom: God knoweth how to deliver the godly. Only eight souls were saved in that tremendous visitation. Let us take warning and fear,

3. The judgment of Sodom and Gomorrah. “The Lord rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the Lord out of heaven.” That tremendous overthrow is a solemn warning to the ungodly of all time. God will by no means spare the guilty; if men will pollute God’s earth and their own bodies by sin and uncleanness, the heavy wrath of God must sooner or later sweep them into utter ruin. But even that frightful catastrophe showed how precious the souls of the righteous are in the sight of God. Had there been ten such in that wicked city, he would have spared it for the ten’s sake. How little the rulers of the earth think that the course of this world is ordered for the sake of the faithful; that empires are saved from ruin, and wars averted, for the salvation of the few chosen souls! Two angels were sent to save the one righteous man in the cities of the plain; they laid hold upon his hand while he lingered, and brought him out with wife and daughters almost against his will. As now there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth, so then two holy angels rescued the one servant of God. The Lord knoweth them that are his; he knows them all and eacheach individual soul that believes and repents. Lot was not wholly blameless; he had tempted God by exposing himself to temptation; God had not led him there. He saw that the plain of’ Jordan was well watered everywhere, “even as the garden of the Lord;” he did not consider that “the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the Lord exceedingly.” The children of light ought to be wiser than this; they ought to regard their spiritual interest as far more momentous than their temporal; but alas! the error of Lot is common still. He soon found how grievous his mistake had been. He preserved his integrity; he was saved, yet so as by fire. He passed through a fiery trial of distress and persecution; he lived in the midst of licentiousness and uncleanness; day by day evil sights were present to his eyes, evil sounds polluted his ears; he saw nothing but sin, he heard nothing but filthiness and blasphemy. He tortured his righteous soul with their unlawful deeds; he saw the dishonour done to God; he knew something of the tremendous condemnation that must engulf those ungodly men; his whole soul revolted from the vice and filth among which he lived. He knew that his own act had brought him to Sodom, and he tortured his soul day by day in repentance, we may be sure, for his thoughtless and worldly choice, in anxious dread of coming retribution, in bitter sorrow for the awful danger of those willful sinners, and for their outrages against the holy Law of God; he was crushed down, worn out with their wicked behaviour and abominable licentiousness. He had greatly erred; but this sorrow of heart, this self-torture, showed that he was sincerely penitent, that he was not corrupted by the fearful wickedness which surrounded him. And the Lord delivered him.

4. What these examples prove. God’s love and God’s justice.

(1) He careth for the righteous. He knows them; he knows how to deliver them. He delivered Lot first from the temptations which surrounded him, then from the ruin which overwhelmed the wicked. So now he bids us pray,” Lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.” He can save us from being exposed to temptation, if he knows that the temptation is too great for us; he can deliver us out of the midst of temptation, however strong and overwhelming that temptation may be. We may be set amongst ungodly men, we may have nothing but evil examples all around us; we may seem left alone, like Elijah of old, in a tumult of corruption and rebellion. But” the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers;” he can keep his people safe; he can deliver them. Only let them keep themselves pure, and try by his grace to lead a godly life in an ungodly world.

(2) He will punish the unrighteous. The day of judgment must come; then shall the King say to the wicked, “Depart from me, ye cursed, into the eternal fire, which is prepared for the devil and his angels.” Even now the angels that sinned are in Tartarus, in chains of darkness; the men of Sodom and Gomorrah suffer the punishment of eternal fire (Jud Rev 1:7). Whether that punishment is in some cases corrective (as the word would imply in the language of the Greek philosophers (see note on verse 9); whether there is a place for repentance in “that prison” where those who once were disobedient are now confined;this is one of those secret things which belong unto the Lord our God. Holy Scripture seems here and there to give us some gleams of a possible restoration. We may be very thankful for those gracious hints, and cherish for others the hope which they suggest. But we must not be presumptuous; the danger is tremendous. That aeonian fire, even if it be corrective, has a very fearful meaning; and beyond that fire lies the awful day of judgment, for which the souls of the ungodly are now kept in that mysterious” prison “of which so little is revealed.

LESSONS.
1. The Lord bought us; we are his. It is awful guilt to deny him who ransomed us with his most precious blood.

2. It is a fearful sacrilege for an ungodly man to intrude himself into the sacred ministry for the sake of gain.

3. There must be false teachers in the Church. “Believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they be of God.”

4. God’s justice will surely overtake all who sin, whether angels or men.

5. But God will not destroy the righteous with the wicked; he cares for every righteous soul.

6. Learn from the case of Lot that worldliness must lead to suffering in this world, if not in the world to come.

Verses 10-22

Description of the false teachers.

I. THEIR PRESUMPTION.

1. They despise government. Living an evil life, they will not endure restraint of any kind. Self-willed and daring, they despise every form of authority, and speak evil of those who are better, or nobler, or loftier than themselves. Reverence is an important element in personal religion. Reverence for God inclines men to obey those who by God’s providence are set over them; especially it leads them to respect the beauty of holiness which comes from God, to speak with due reverence of that holiness wherever it is manifestedwhether in saints living or departed, or in the angels of God in heaven.

2. Contrast between their conduct and that of the elect angels. God’s holy angels are very high in power and might, but they do not rail even at the evil. It is their appointed duty to pronounce the sentence of God against the angels that sinned; they do it solemnly and sadly. These presumptuous men rail at the things which they understand notboth at the holy angels and at the fallen angels. It is not good to rail even at these last. Fools make a mock at sin; and the sin of the angels, as it is most mysterious, so it is also most awful. Men often talk lightly and idly about the devil and his wiles. Holy Scripture teaches us a very different lesson. We are engaged in a lifelong struggle against him. The conflict is deadly, awful; its issues are most momentouslife or death, heaven or hell. The soldiers of the cross must be in earnest, for they “wrestle, not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers, against the world-rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness.” To talk lightly of the enemy, to jest about matters so tremendous, is not only unseemly; it is dangerous. It puts men off their guard, and exposes them to the insidious assaults of the tempter. Thus these wicked men, of whom St. Peter writes, talked wildly and presumptuously about things above their comprehension. They behaved like irrational creatures in the presence of great peril, and their end must be destruction. This is the due reward of their unrighteousness, and this they shall receive. They had counted on far other rewards; but the master to whom they had sold themselves is a liar. He cheats his wretched slaves; he lures them to the forbidden fruit. It seems pleasant to the eye and good for food, but it proves to be a deadly poison (see reading adopted by the Revised Version).

II. THEIR SENSUALITY.

1. Their gluttony and drunkenness. These men loved luxurious living. They were worse than their heathen neighbours. The heathen could wait for the night, the usual time for banquetings. They began their revelry early; they gave the business hours of the day (comp. Horace, ‘Odes,’ I. Rev 1:20, “Partem solido demere de die”) to self-indulgence. They joined, it seems, in the love-feasts of the Christians, but their love was only a pretence. As far as they were concerned, the love-feasts were but hollow hypocrisies, occasions for excess. They were spots and blemishes on the assemblies of the godly. Christians must imitate the Lord Jesus Christ, the Lamb without blemish and without spot. They must be strictly temperate in all things; for temperance is one of the blessed fruits of the Spirit, while drunkenness is one of those works of the flesh which destroy the soul.

2. Their impurity. The Lord Jesus Christ teaches his followers to be pure in heart. These men indulged openly in vice. Some of their successors even taught that, as the sea is not polluted by the impurities which it receives, so the true Gnostic might take his fill of sensual pleasure and yet not be defiled. It was no great thing, some of them said, to abstain from lust if it had not been tasted; the triumph was to live in sensual enjoyments, and yet to keep the mind untainted by the defilement of the body. The holy apostle sternly condemns this horrible heresy. These men, he says, are enticing souls to ruin. They are fishers of men, but not with the gospel net; they hide their deadly hook with an alluring bait. But the end of these things is death; for impurity is deadly sin in the sight of God. The body of the Christian is a temple of God the Holy Ghost; and “if any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy.”

III. THEIR COVETOUSNESS.

1. Their example. Not Christ the Lord, not his holy apostles, who could say, as St. Peter once said, “Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed thee;” but Balaam the son of Beerthat unhappy man who “heard the words of God, and knew the knowledge of the Most High,” and yet loved the wages of unrighteousness; who was a prophet, and yet mad and foolish; who could pray, “May I die the death of the righteous,” and yet tried, and in some measure succeeded, to entice the people of God to deadly sin, anti himself perished miserably among the enemies of the Lord. His guilt was awful exceedingly. He sought to destroy souls for the sake of his own wretched gain. So it was with these false teachers. The love of money, the root of all evil, had taken possession of their heart; they shrank from no sin, if only they might gratify that tyrant passion.

2. The result. They became trained in covetousness. They were like athletes, practiced wrestlers; but the prize which was always before their eyes was, not the crown of glory that fadeth not away, but those poor earthly treasures which fall away from the dying man, and leave the unhappy soul desolate in tile hour of its utmost need. For this prize, the reward of unrighteousness, they sought, like Balaam, to lure souls to ruin. Therefore were they children of curse; for the souls of men are very precious in the sight of God, and his awful curse must light upon the heads of those wicked menall the more intensely wicked if, like Balaam, they hold sacred officeswho cause Christ’s little ones to stumble and fall, and destroy the souls for whom the Lord Jesus died.

IV. THEIR TEACHING

1. It is vain. They are wells without water. God is the Fountain of living waters. True believers become, in a secondary sense, fountains also. The water that he giveth is in them a well of water springing up unto eternal life. These men exhibit the appearance of wells; they profess to be teachers, but there is no living water in them. They have none themselves; they cannot give it to others. They are like clouds that promise rain, but are driven away by the wind, and fail to satisfy the thirsty land. They speak great swelling words, but they are words of vanity, empty and profitless, not like the words of eternal life which the Lord Jesus hath; not like the word of reconciliation which he hath committed to his faithful disciples.

2. It is dangerous. For those high-sounding phrases cover an evil life. They gather followers round them by means of their specious eloquence, and then entice them to destruction by wicked example. They bait their hook with their own licentious practices, and sometimes, alas! succeed in destroying souls that were just escaping from evil influences. They promise them liberty, but the liberty of which they boast is not that liberty wherewith Christ hath made us freethe liberty which recognizes the freedom of the Christian within the sphere of things indifferent, but even within that sphere carefully avoids giving offence to the consciences of others, and sensitively shrinks even from the appearance of evil. Their liberty is libertinism. It is freedom from moral restraints; it is a revolt against the holy Law of God; it is a lie, for it contradicts both the moral instincts of human nature and the truth of God. It is not liberty; for those only are free indeed whom the Son of God makes free in that service which is perfect freedom. This false liberty is really slavery, bondage to sin.

V. THEIR MISERABLE CONDITION.

1. They are slaves. They talk loudly about liberty, but they are slaves themselves. They have yielded themselves up to the evil one; he has corrupted their whole nature, and uses them to corrupt others. They are slaves of corruption, overcome by it, and brought into bondage to it. Vice allures men at first. It offers a deceitful pleasure; it makes the restraints of virtue seem irksome; it presents a show of freedom. It entices men; then it ensnares them. Now and then they offer a feeble resistance: it draws its net tighter and closer; their struggles become continually fainter; it holds them secure; they are captive. They find out, when it is too late, the deceitfulness of sin. The false pleasure becomes real misery. They feel it, but their strength is gone. They arc overcome; they are in bondage from which they cannot escape. Such is the pretended freedom of vicious men. Only those whom the truth makes free are free indeed.

2. Perhaps some of them were once free, Christians have escaped from the bondage of sin, Once, it may be, they loved the world and the things that are in the world; once the lusts of the flesh, the lusts of the eye, and the pride of life filled their heart. The moral miasma of the corruption that is in the world was defiling their soul; but they escaped, drawn by the powerful attraction of the cross. They rose into a purer atmosphere; they lived in the knowledge of Christ. The full knowledge () of Christ is the very sphere in which the true Christian dwells. Within the range of that knowledge grace and peace are multiplied unto him (Rev 1:2). That knowledge is eternal life (Joh 17:3); it more than compensates for the loss of all that the world can give (Php 3:8); it is sweet, precious, holy, beyond the power of language to express. Those who have that blessed knowledge escape from the pollutions of the world. Sensual pleasures have no hold upon those who realize the holy joy of communion with the Lord. But they must watch and pray, and keep themselves in the love of God. It seems, indeed, almost impossible that any who have known the Lord should fall away into sin; but “the heart of man is deceitful above all things.” Satan is ever on the watch with his insidious temptations, and sometimes, when all seems safe, the danger comes. Some of those who had escaped from the snare of the evil one are again entangled in it, and, alas! so entangled that escape becomes almost impossible. They are overcome; they are captives, brought back into utter bondage. Judas, like St. Peter, had forsaken all and followed Christ; and yet, oh strange and awful mystery of the deceitfulness of sin! he was covetous, like these false teachers; he sold his Lord for money. And if one of the chosen twelve who lived in familiar intercourse with Christ, who saw every day that gracious face, and heard those words such as never man spake, and witnessed his many works of power and love,if one of those could fall completely under the dominion of Satan, bow jealously ought we to watch against the first suggestions of the tempter! how carefully should we take heed lest we fall when we most seem to stand! It is impossible, we may whisper to ourselves. We who have tasted that the Lord is gracious can have no taste for the pollutions of the world. But Scripture tells us it is not impossible; experience tells us it is not impossible. “What I say unto you”such is the emphatic warning of the Lord”I say unto all, Watch.” All need that warning. The holiest saints of God do not count themselves to have already apprehended, to be already perfect: they watch.

3. Brow their case is more hopeless than ever. The last state is worse than the first. Satan had them once; now he has them again; he will not let them go. They once knew the way of righteousness, but, alas! that knowledge, now lost, only serves to deepen their guilt and to harden their heart all the more. For sin against light is more deadly tar than the sin of ignorance; and, the greater the light, the deeper is the sin of those who love darkness rather than light. For all knowledge involves responsibility; and, as the full knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ is blessed exceedingly, so to sin against that knowledge must imply an intense blackness of guilt. It is like the sin of Judas, who was one of the twelve. The man who thus sins against light “hath trodden underfoot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant wherewith he was sanctified an unholy thing, and hath done despite to the Spirit of grace.” He was once unclean, but he was washed, but he was sanctified (1Co 6:11), and now, alas! he has returned to wallow in the mire of uncleanness. Holy Scripture says of such men, in words of most awful but most just severity, “It is impossible to renew them again unto repentance.” “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”

LESSONS.

1. Christians must avoid the sins of the false teachers; they must not despise dominion, they must not rail.

2. Christians must be strictly temperate; they must hate uncleanness.

3. Covetousness is deadly sin, especially in teachers of religion.

4. Christians must be on their guard against false teachers; high-sounding words and loud talk about liberty often lead men astray.

5. To sin against light, to fall from grace, involves most awful danger. “Be not high-minded, but fear.”

HOMILIES BY J.R. THOMSON

Verse 1

Denying the Master.

Neither our Lord Jesus nor his apostles indulged in sanguine expectations and glowing predictions concerning the immediate results of the proclamation of the gospel. It was well understood in the early Church, by all but fanatics, that the difficulties with which Christianity had to contend were very formidable, and that, added to those encountered from without, were othersmore insidious and dangerousarising from within. Of these, false teachers, corrupters of doctrine, and preachers of licentiousness in the name of the holy Saviour, are denounced as proofs of the power of sin, and as signs of a coming judgment.

I. THE WAYS IN WHICH PROFESSING CHRISTIANS DENY THEIR MASTER.

1. Some take an unscriptural and dishonouring view of his nature, and deny him by denying his claims to Divine dignity and authority. From the early Gnostics onwards there were those who assailed Christ’s account of himself, and his inspired apostles’ account of him. It is well known that many of the early heresies related to the Person of Christ, and that early Councils were occupied with defining dogmatically the Divine and human natures. By way of opposition and correction, it may be said that to errors of the kind referred to we are indebted for our precious heritage, the Nicene Creed, in which orthodox doctrine was finally and sufficiently fixed. Still, the general determination of truth is no bar to the continuance of sin and error; and there has been, perhaps, no age in which there have not arisen either individuals or communities who have denied their Master.

2. Some repudiate Christ’s rightful authority. There are many who have not the theological interest which would lead them to discuss Christ’s nature, who nevertheless resent the claim advanced on his behalf to be the Legislator and Judge of human society. The Church, on the one hand, the individual reason on the other, may be put into competition with the Lord Christ.

3. Some deny Christ by practically disobeying his precepts. To such as these Jesus referred when he asked, “Why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?” Profession of allegiance only renders real rebellion the more hateful to our Lord.

II. THE UNREASONABLENESS AND GUILT OF THOSE WHO THUS DENY THEIR MASTER.

1. In view of the claim established by redemption, such are guilty of base ingratitude. The introduction of the clause, “the Master that bought them,” gives point to the condemnation. They who deny Christ deny One who lived, suffered, and died for them, and whom accordingly they ought to regard and treat with a tender and reverential gratitude. They are like enfranchised slaves turning round upon their liberator, speaking of him with scorn and derision, treating him with neglect and indifference, if not with hatred and hostility.

2. In view of their own profession of subjection and indebtedness to him, there is gross inconsistency.

3. In view of the doom declared against deniers of Christ, their conduct is the uttermost degree of infatuation. They bring upon themselves swift destruction. The time shall come when they who deny him shall be denied by him – J.R.T.

Verse 5

“A preacher of righteousness.”

In the Book of Genesis we read that Noah was a righteous and blameless man, who found grace in the eyes of the Lord, and walked with God. Josephus, who preserves, it would seem, an old Hebrew tradition, witnesses not only to Noah’s just and pious character, but to his ministry to the sinful generation among whom his lot was cast. After describing the sinfulness of the people, Josephus proceeds, “But Noah was very uneasy at what they did; and, being displeased at their conduct, persuaded them to change their dispositions and acts for the better; but, seeing that they did not yield to him, but were slaves to their wicked pleasures, he was afraid they would kill him.” The office and ministry ascribed to Noah are required in every generation, and God ever raises up faithful men whom he empowers to discharge amongst their contemporaries the duties devolving upon the preachers of righteousness.

I. THE NECESSITY FOR PREACHERS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS.

1. This appears from a consideration of man’s nature. Human beings are constituted with moral capabilities and with faculties to be employed in a moral life. Intelligence, conscience, and will are the prerogative of men among the inhabitants of this earth. And even the most degraded, those most nearly allied in habits to the brutes, are susceptible of elevation in the scale of moral life. He who examines, fairly and completely, the nature of man must admit that he is made for righteousness.

2. And the requirement of God corresponds with the nature of man. God calls men to righteousness, holds them responsible to himself, as the righteous Governor and Judge, for obedience or disobedience to his commands.

3. Yet it is not to be questioned that the ideal of human character and conduct has not been reached, that unrighteousness has prevailed amongst men, that in the highest sense “there is none that doeth righteousness”none who has no failings to acknowledge, none who has a perfect obedience to present.

II. THE IMPORT OF THE PREACHING OF RIGHTEOUSNESS.

1. The standard of righteousness has to be maintained. It would be base indeed on the part of the preacher were he to substitute an inferior standard for the Law of God, were he to accommodate his teaching to the corrupt nature and the ungodly life of the sinful. The Law, which is holy, just, and good, must he upheld in all its purity and in all its rigidity. And this may he done with the assurance that the conscience, even of the iniquitous, will in all likelihood acknowledge that the right is a higher and better standard than the agreeable or the customary, however human infirmity may have practically adopted and followed the latter. Every minister of religion is bound to insist upon a scriptural rule of right, to apply the laws of morality to all parts of human nature, to all relations of human society.

2. The violators of the Law of righteousness have to be rebuked. Probably the reference in the text is especially to this aspect of the preacher’s service. It is not enough to say, “This is what men should be and do!” It is necessary to address to the disobedient the remonstrances, the rebukes, the warnings, which are authorized by the Word of God. Expostulation, reproach, and admonition are not the most agreeable or the most easy parts of a preacher’s work; yet they are indispensable, and are often most valuable in their effects. Many faithful preachers have, like Noah, to lament that their rebukes and warnings seem to have been in vain; yet they have the satisfaction of having done their duty and delivered their soul.

3. The restoration of righteousness by means of the Divine Mediator has to he proclaimed. There is a righteousness which is by the Law; but there is also a higher righteousness which is by faith in Christ unto those who believe, and this is exactly adapted to the needs of sinful men, who upon repentance and faith may become “just with God.” It is the privilege and the delight of the Christian preacher to exhibit the beauty and appropriateness of this spiritual righteousness, and to invite men to use those means by which they may secure this for themselves.

III. THE METHODS OF THE PREACHING OF RIGHTEOUSNESS.

1. The most natural and obvious method is by the utterances of the living voice, the organ by which, according to the constitution imposed upon man, truth is communicated and impression produced by the rousing of deep and divinely implanted emotion.

2. Yet there are other means of preaching righteousness, for which some may be qualified who are not gifted with effective speech. The press affords in these days an outlet for much consecrated Christian energy, and most important is it, when gifted authors are found endeavouring to lower by their writings the standard of human morality, that Christian thinkers and writers should wield their pen, in all departments of literature, in the service of righteousness and of God.

3. In any case righteousness may be, and should be, preached in the impressive and effective language of the life.

IV. THE RESULTS OF THE PREACHING OF RIGHTEOUSNESS.

1. Such preaching must be witness of condemnation against those who refuse it.

2. But to those who accept and obey the Divine message it is the means of salvation and of life eternal – J.R.T.

Verse 9

Deliverance and condemnation.

No human government is perfect. The knowledge of earthly rulers is limited, and they are utterly incapable of discriminating among individual cases; and it often happens that they have not the power to do all that is desirable and expedient. In contradistinction from the necessary imperfections of human governments is the perfect adaptation and sufficiency of that which is Divine. “The Lord knoweth” how to rule and to judge, for his wisdom and his equity are alike faultless; and his power is as irresistible as his knowledge is all-embracing.

I. THE DISTINCTION IN HUMAN CHARACTER DRAWN BY THE LORD AND JUDGE OF MANKIND. Men discriminate often upon unsound principles, always with insufficient data. They are guided very much in their estimate of their fellow-men by such considerations as social position and social acceptableness. They cannot take into their deliberation the thoughts and intents of the heart. Hence the inadequacy of all human attempts to create a moral distinction among men. Now, according to St. Peter, our Divine Ruler distinguishes men into

(1) the godly, or those animated by true piety, by a reverence for God’s Law, and a responsive appreciation of God’s love; and

(2) the unjust, or those who have no respect for the law of rectitude, human or Divine.

II. THE CORRESPONDING DISTINCTION OF TREATMENT ON THE PART OF THE LORD AND JUDGE OF MANKIND.

1. The godly are not exempted from temptation, but are delivered out of it. In illustration of this principle of the Divine government St. Peter refers to Noah, whose lot was cast in a generation of sinners and scoffers, but who was preserved from yielding to the evil solicitations to which he was exposed; and to Lot, who, though vexed with the lascivious life and lawless deeds of his wicked neighbours, was yet delivered from participation in their guilt and their doom. Certain it is that Divine providence allows the purest and the best to come into constant contact with the bondslaves of sin, doubtless in order that their virtue may be tested and their character strengthened. But never does God abandon those who confide in his care, and who comply with his conditions of safety. The means by which he protects and delivers his own are known to himself, and he makes use of them in his own time. Thus, however formidable may be the temptations to which the godly are exposed, a way of escape is made for them, and they are delivered from the hand of the enemy.

2. The unrighteous cannot escape just retribution. It does not matter how high is their station, in what esteem they are held by their fellow-creatures, what is their power and their skill. All who defy and all who forget God must surely learn that they are subject to the control of infinite justice, administered by omnipotence. The apostle, in the context, adduces illustrations of retributive righteousness, and reminds his readers that the rebel angels were cast into Tartarus, that a flood was brought upon the ancient world of the ungodly, and that the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah were turned into ashes. For all impenitent sinners there is punishment, even here and now; and the Scriptures reveal the approach of a day of judgment in which God shall render to every man according to his works, and in which those who have exalted themselves against the holy Supreme shall awake to “shame and everlasting contempt.”J.R.T.

Verse 15

The sinner’s hire.

In the course of his denunciation of abandoned sinners St. Peter makes use in two places of this remarkable expression, “the wages of unrighteousness,” or “the hire of wrong-doing”in the fifteenth verse as something loved and sought by Balaam, and in the twelfth verse as that which shall be the portion of the impenitent transgressor. The idea was one which evidently took very forcible possession of the apostle’s mind, and, however little it may be in harmony with the sentimental and purblind type of religion too prevalent in our time, it is an idea in perfect harmony with the stern and righteous government of God. Upon the suggestion of the twofold application of the thoughts in this chapter, it may be well to treat this serious and awful subject under two aspects.

I. THE SINNER‘S ILLUSION AS TO HIS WORK AND HIS WAGES. Life is represented as a bondman’s service, and in any case the representation is appropriate and just. But experience of human character and history leads to the conclusion, which coincides with the teaching of revelation, that men constantly engage and continue in the service of sin under a double illusion.

1. They imagine the work which they undertake to be easy and agreeable. By many devices the tyrant sin disguises the evils of his service, and induces his victims to continue in it to their souls’ injury and ruin. The pleasures of sin are for a season, and they who indulge in them are like those who eat of the fair apples of the Dead Sea, which turn to ashes in the mouth.

2. They imagine the reward of the service to be liberal and satisfactory. As Balaam lusted for the gold which was to be his hire, as Judas clutched the thirty pieces of silver which were the price of his Master’s blood, so the bondmen of ungodliness deceive themselves with the imagination that the reward they will partake will enrich and satisfy their nature. Whether it be wealth or pleasure, power or praise, they set their hearts upon it, and it becomes to them as the supreme good. In such an illusion years of sin and folly may be passed.

II. THE SINNER‘S AWAKENING TO A SENSE OF THE REALITY AS TO BOTH THE WORK AND THE WAGES OF SIN.

1. The service is, sooner or later, found to be mere slavery. The chains may be gilded, but they are chains for all that. The dwelling may have the semblance of a palace, but it is in fact a prison. The master’s speech may be honeyed, but it is the speech of a tyrant, cruel and relentless. 2, The hire of wrong-doing is not payment, but punishment. “The way of transgressors” is found to be “hard.” “The wages of sin is death.”

APPLICATION. Let these considerations lead the sinner to forsake the tyrant’s service, repudiate the tyrant’s claims, and fling back the tyrant’s hire – J.R.T.

Verse 19

Slaves promise liberty!

1. In denouncing the delusions promoted by false teachers, St. Peter passes from invective to irony. He exhibits in this verse, not merely the impiety, but the very absurdity, of sinners, who, themselves enslaved to sin, are so unreasonable as to offer freedom to their dupes and victims! The language which he uses gives an insight into religious truths of the highest practical importance.

I. THE TRUE CHRISTIAN IS FREE FROM SIN, AND IS IN BONDAGE TO CHRIST. There was a time when he was the captive, the thrall of error, perhaps of vice or of crime. From that bondage Divine grace delivered him. But, in renouncing the serfdom to sin, he became the Lord’s freedman. Yet the highest use the Christian makes of his freedom is to submit himself to the holiest and the kindest of Masters. Even apostles felt it an honour to subscribe themselves bondservants of the Lord Christ. The will of the Saviour is the law of the saved.

II. THE FALSE CHRISTIAN IS FREE FROM CHRIST, AND IN BONDAGE TO SIN, He whose religion is only a name may call himself Christ’s, but in fact he has renounced the yoke that is easy and the burden that is light; he has given himself over to work the will of the tyrant who has usurped the throne which is by right Divine the proper inheritance of the Son of God. He may boast his liberty, but the boast is empty and vain.

III. THE PROMISE OF LIBERTY ON THE PART OF SIN‘S SLAVES IS FALLACIOUS AND VAIN. In politics it has always been common for those bound by their own lusts and vanity to make loud professions of liberty, and to invite men to partake of its delights. These were the men of whom Milton said they

“Bawl for freedom in their senseless mood,

And still revolt when truth would set them free.
License they mean when they cry, ‘Liberty!’

For who loves that must first be wise and good.”

These were the men who led Dr. Johnson to denounce “patriotism as the last refuge of a scoundrel.” These were the men whose conduct during the French Revolution led to the famous exclamation, “O Liberty, what crimes have been wrought in thy name!” It has been, and is, the fashion with socialists and communists, anarchists and nihilists, to sing the praises of freedom; but the “mountain-nymph, sweet Liberty,” will have no homage from such professed admirers as these. What they want is license for their own sins and scope for their own vanity. So has it ever been, and so is it still, in religion. In the early ages of the Church the Gnostics professed to be wise, to have found the secret of spiritual freedom; but in too many cases these professions were a cloak for licentiousness. Again and again in the history of Christendom have there occurred outbursts of fanaticism, of which the text supplies explanation. The antinomian is a “bondservant of corruption;” but who so loud as he in the proclamation of liberty, in the promise to all men of a life of spiritual freedom? But freedom is worthless unless it be freedom from sin’s vile, debasing chains, unless it be the practical repudiation of the tyranny of the prince of darkness. There is a servitude which it is an honour for a free man to accept; it is the service of Christ, which is “perfect liberty.”J.R.T.

Verse 21

“The way of righteousness.”

By this expression the Apostle Peter denotes the same course of moral life as he designates in previous verses “the way of truth” and “the right way.” The epithet “righteous” here employed to define and describe what in the New Testament is sometimes called “the way,” is peculiarly suggestive and instructive.

I. IT IS THE WAY DESIGNED BY A RIGHTEOUS GOD. There is nothing that more signally distinguishes the true God from the deities of the heathen than his inflexible righteousness. His character is righteous; his works and the administration of his moral government are righteous; the laws which he promulgates for the direction of his subjects are righteous. “Righteous and true are thy ways, O thou King of the ages!”

II. IT IS A WAY CONSTRUCTED BY A RIGHTEOUS SAVIOUR. The execution of God’s righteous plans for man’s salvation was by him entrusted to his own Son. In Christ God appears before men as “a just God and a Saviour.” The mediatorial dispensation in all its provisions is distinguished by righteousness; it is a revelation of righteousness as much as of love.

III. IT IS A WAY WHICH AVOIDS THE PATHS OF UNRIGHTEOUSNESS. This, it may be objected, is tautological. But it is well to insist upon the fact that there can be no fellowship between light and darkness; that however professed travelers in the narrow way may disgrace their profession by unrighteous conduct, the religion of Christ can tolerate no such practices. Other religions may require only verbal assent or ceremonial conformity, but Christianity demands righteousness of life and, what is more, righteousness of heart. “Except your righteousness,” says the Founder of our faith, “exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no wise enter into the kingdom of heaven.”

IV. IT IS THE WAY TRODDEN BY RIGHTEOUS MEN. The interest and attractiveness of a road depend in no small measure upon those who are its habitual frequenters. Judged by this test, the way of righteousness has attractions far beyond any other. It is the path which has for centuries been trodden by the great and good. The stimulus and encouragement afforded by the noblest and the best society are there enjoyed.

V. IT IS THE WAY WHICH LEADS TO THE NEW HEAVENS AND THE NEW EARTH WHEREIN DWELLETH RIGHTEOUSNESS. AS is the road, so is its termination, its destination. If righteousness has a hard battle to fight for existence here on earth, it is comforting and inspiriting to be assured that the state to which we are advancing is one where unrighteousness is altogether and for ever unknown.

APPLICATION.
1. Seek and find this way.

2. Having entered upon it, turn not back, but persevere even unto the end – J.R.T.

HOMILIES BY U.R. THOMAS

Verses 1-22

False teachers.

Archdeacon Farrar here finds “the burning lava of the apostle’s indignation.” The chapter is indeed in a style that well suits its theme. It is strong, not to say rough and rugged; wild, not to say weird and ghastly. It might be interesting to deal with the many metaphors he here employs, but probably an analysis of the whole chapter will better convey its teaching.

I. THE DOCTRINES OF FALSE TEACHERS. They are not definitely denoted, but one word probably indicates them all: “heresies” (verse 1)self chosen doctrines, developing into endless varieties.

1. Self-indulgence of intellect.

2. Self-indulgence of passion. They are similar to the corresponding sins with which Paul and Jude deal in their Epistles.

II. THE CONDUCT OF FALSE TEACHERS. More is said here, much more, of their conduct than of their error. Their conduct is described:

1. In its relation to their teaching. That conduct is

(1) cunning (Jud 1:1);

(2) treacherous (Jud 1:3);

(3) daringly insolent (Jud 1:11);

(4) coveteous (Jud 1:14-16);

(5) deluding (Jud 1:19), promising liberty:

“O Liberty, what crimes have been wrought in thy name!”

2. In its relation to their own life. it is

(1) bitterly disappointing (Jud 1:17);

(2) enslaved and enslaving (Jud 1:19);

(3) degraded and yet ever degrading (Jud 1:22).

III. THE PUNISHMENT OF FALSE TEACHERS.

1. It is sure (Jud 1:3). Lingereth not, is not idle, slumbereth not; justice is sleepless.

2. It is in harmony with God’s past dealings. The apostle cites other ages and other worlds. Their punishment is in harmony with God’s dealings

(1) with angels;

(2) with the ancient worldNoah, Sodom, Gomorrah.

IV. THE CHIEF SIN OF FALSE TEACHERS. Its central evil is “denying even the Master that bought them.”

1. In itself most guilty. Peter’s memory burnt that lesson into him.

2. Leads to terrible woe (Jud 1:1-21). “The man who turns his back on well-known ways of righteousness, and leads others from those ways, is of all men in the most pitiable and terrible condition – U.R.T.

HOMILIES BY R. FINLAYSON

Jud 1:1-22

False teachers.

I. OBJECTS OF PUNISHMENT.

1. On account of their anti-christian character. “But there arose false prophets also among the people, as among you also there shall be false teachers, who shall privily bring in destructive heresies, denying even the Master that bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction.” The connection of thought seems to be the following: There were prophets that” spake from God;” but there arose false prophets also among the people, i.e., in ancient Israel; as in that which was typified by ancient Israel, viz. in the New Testament Church, there were to be false teachers. Where, then, those teachers are, there is generally an imperfect condition of religious society which gives rise to them. Under similar conditions, similar manifestations may be expected. The false teachers rising up among them (“of your own selves shall men arise,” Act 20:30), these would have the opportunity of (literally) bringing in by the side of, i.e., by the side of the authoritative teachings, their heresies. The authoritative teachings they would not openly seek to combat; for that might lead to their being silenced, even in their speedy ejection from the Christian communities. Their policy would rather be to keep up connection with the Christian circle, and to bring in a spurious Christianity, having resemblance in form, but denial in substance. The authoritative teachings were of a saving nature; what these would seek to bring in would be heresies of destructions, i.e., not put forward with the professed intent to destroy, but from their nature fitted to conduct men to destruction. Their heresies would be soul-destroying; for they would “deny even the Master that bought them.” The language is altogether remarkable. Christ is regarded as having paid the purchase money, which is not here mentioned, but is to be under stood, according to 1Pe 1:19, of his precious blood. By that buying he has become Possessor and Master, i.e., with the right to command. The startling thing is that he is represented as the Master, through purchase or redemption, of the heretical workers of destruction. Nothing could more signally set forth the world-wide character of the atonement. The Master that bought them they, having once acknowledged, were to deny, to put away from them, to supplant by a counterfeit Christ. But it is dangerous to deny Christ; by doing so, in the counter-working of providence, they would only “bring upon themselves swift destruction.” It is true that Christ represents the Divine slowness to wrath. Peter knew that every denial does not bring instantaneous destruction. It is only when it has been made abundantly clear that the denial is the settled habit of the mind, that swift, or rather sudden, destruction descends.

2. On account of their sensuality followed to the prejudice of Christianity. “And many shall follow their lascivious doings: by reason of whom the way of the truth shall be evil spoken of.” It was to be an aggravating element in their punishment, that they were to be successful in spreading immorality. Sensuality is the charge which Peter brings up again and again. They were to allow themselves illicit gratification; and their example would be followed by many. This would be greatly to the prejudice of Christianity; for it would lead to its being misrepresented as pointing out the way of truth, i.e., the way of life, corresponding to the truth. Men outside, unable to distinguish between what properly belonged to it and what did not properly belong to it, would very naturally say of it, from what they saw in its professed representatives, that it encouraged licentiousness.

3. On account of their mercenary character. “And in covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose sentence now from of old lingereth not, and their destruction slumbereth not.” Money is needed for the purchase of illicit pleasure. Covetousness was to surround the false teachers as an atmosphere. Continually breathing it, they were as teachers to use feigned wordsnot bound fast to the truth, but artfully adapted to man’s prejudices. The end of teaching is to do good; it was to be to the disgrace of the false teachers that they were to have as their end to make merchandise of those over whom they obtained influence. But these teachers, who were to add to their other faults their being mercenary, would not go unpunished. Peter, in impassioned language, represents punishment as already on the way to them. “Their sentence now from of old lingereth not, i.e., the sentence against such has gone forth from of old, and, not delaying, it will in its course overtake them; and” their destruction slumbereth not,” i.e., not delayed by sleep, as it were, it will follow hard on the sentence. Let them not think, then, that they will escape.

II. ANCIENT EXAMPLES OF PUNISHMENT.

1. Stated conditionally.

(1) The fallen angels. “For if God spared not angels when they sinned, but cast them down to hell, and committed them to pits of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment.” This was the most ancient example that there was to go back upon. Peter does not say what the sin of the angels was. Jude is more informing, and suggests that they did not place the right value on their own principality, on their proper habitation. There was something else that they placed before what they had, and, reaching after it, they fell from their high estate. God, it is said here, spared them not when they sinned, near though they were to him, but cast them down to Tartarus. This is, strangely, a word connected with heathen mythology, and is to be understood of that division of Hades which is the place of preliminary punishment, as distinguished from Gehenna, which is the place of final punishments. In Tartarus God “committed them to pits of darkness.” There was an irony in the appointment. They loved not the brightness in which there was no feeling of being wailed in; and so they were cast down to be wailed in on every side by gloom. In Tartarus they are waiting judgment; and if they are imprisoned in gloom before judgment, what must their state after judgment be! There is no relieving of the picture here as in the other two examples that follow.

(2) The Flood. The dark background. “And spared not the ancient world.” This ancient example comes home to us, as relating to our own flesh and blood. It is the most disastrous thing that has happened in the history of the race; it was so extensive and overwhelming in its sweep. God spared not the ancient world. Men multiplied on the earth for sixteen or seventeen centuries, and then the Flood swept them away as though they had never been. The darkness relieved. “But preserved Noah with seven others, a preacher of righteousness, when he brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly.” The antediluvians were ungodly, i.e., had lost a salutary impression even of the existence of God, and had cast off Divine restraints. They did eat and drink; they lived a life within the world of sense. There was one notable exception. This was Noah, who is here styled “a preacher of righteousness,” i.e., in the midst of the prevailing ungodliness he had so much of the fear of God on his mind as to credit and proclaim, by word and act, that, if they did not repent of their ungodliness, the righteousness of God would be manifested against them in their destruction by water. And so God preserved Noah, and seven others on account of their connection with him, when he brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly.

(3) The overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah. The dark background. “And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them with an overthrow, having made them an example unto those that should live ungodly.” The description in Genesis is, “The Lord rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the Lord out of heaven; and he overthrew those cities.” Peter marks punitiveness in the completeness of the work of destruction. God turned the cities into ashes, and thus punitively overthrew them, i.e., so that they were obliterated as cities. Nor was this an exceptional procedure. God dealt thus with the cities because of their ungodliness, and he dealt thus with them that the ungodly of after-times might know what to expect from ungodliness. The darkness relieved. “And delivered righteous Lot, sore distressed by the lascivious life of the wicked (for that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their lawless deeds).” There is not brought into view the fact that Lot made choice of Sodom from considerations of worldly advantage, and without considering religious privileges. He was to blame for being in Sodom, and yet, though he should never have been there, he is called righteous Lot, i.e., one who strived to live according to Divine rule. He was righteous in the midst of those who had no regard for law either human or Divine, as seen especially in their sensual behaviour. This had a wearing-down or wearing-out effect on righteous Lot. That righteous man, dwelling among them, was forced to see and hear things which tormented his righteous soul, and so he was worn out. When one has put himself in a wrong position, it is often difficult to get out of it. But because Lot did not allow his godly sensibilities to be blunted, God, with a certain sharpness, effected for him a deliverance.

2. Conclusion drawn.

(1) The bright side. “The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptation.” Peter has been dwelling on the bright side, so as to throw the thought out of form; he now puts the bright side into the conclusion. Noah and Lot were godly; their temptation lay in their being in the neighbourhood of the ungodly. But the Lord found ways and means of delivering them; the one deliverance involving the preservation of the human family, and the other deliverance signifying rectification of position. The Lord that delivered Noah and Lot out of their temptation will deliver all that, like them, are godly out of their temptation, whatever it is, when he sees it to be for his glory.

(2) The dark side. “And to keep the unrighteous under punishment unto the day of judgment.” Three classes have been instanced of the unrighteous, i.e., those not right toward God. The Lord found ways and means of checking them; so all like them will be checked. The time will come when God will place them under punishment, to be kept under it unto the day of judgment. Let us, then, be warned off the rocks on which men long ago perished and are perishing still.

III. OBJECTS OF PUNISHMENT.

1. On account of sensuality. “But chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of defilement.” This is connected with the thought of punishment. The teachers are now thought of as already present. The evil had already commenced, though it had not reached its height. They are singled out for punishment on account of their walking after the flesh in the lust whose object is that which defiles.

2. Or, account of lawlessness.

(1) The lawlessness described. “And despise dominion. Daring, self-willed, they tremble not to rail at dignities.” They arc next singled out for punishment on account of their lawlessness. There is the same association in Jude. They “despise” (Jude’s word means “set at naught”) dominion or lordship (especially in Christ). In their objection to be ruled they go great lengths (“daring”), making self their rule (“self-willed”). In their presumption and self-assertion they tremble notthough it should make them trembleto rail at dignities (adopting Jude’s expression). The reference seems to be to dignities belonging to the heavenly world. They pay no regard, in what they say, to rank bestowed by God.

(2) The lawlessness condemned. “Whereas angels, though greater in might and power, bring not a railing judgment against them before the Lord.” Here Peter seems to assume acquaintance with what Jude says. Michael the archangel, with all self-restraint, and having regard to the original dignity of Satan, in contending with him simply said, “The Lord rebuke thee.” Peter brings forward the angels (good) generally as greater in might and power than men are, and asserts that they do not retaliate upon the railers in what they bring up before the Lord.

(3) The lawlessness punished. “But these, as creatures without reason, born mere animals, to be taken and destroyed, railing in matters whereof they are ignorant, shall in their destroying surely be destroyed, suffering wrong as the hire of wrong-doing.” Here Peter flashes out against the false teachers. He thinks of irrational brutes, born with nothing higher than an animal nature, to be taken and destroyed. They are also irrational in railing in matters beyond them, and shall have a similar fate. In their destruction as responsible beings they shall surely be destroyed, getting their reward in wrong inflicted on them for wrong done by them (in railing).

3. On account of luxurious living. “Men that count it pleasure to revel in the daytime, spots and blemishes, reveling in their love-feasts while they feast with you.” The reference is to luxurious living. Such living shows itself chiefly in banquets whose natural time is the night. To regard banqueting in the daytime with peculiar zest was the sign of a very diseased state of mind. It was a more serious thing to connect luxurious living with the love-feasts. That made the false teachers spots of dirt, blemishes, at those holy gatherings at which they were present, while they feasted with Christ’s people.

4. On account of sensuality. “Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; enticing unsteadfast souls.” There was the sensual look, apparently, even at the love-feasts. This was accompanied by restlessness in sin, reflected also in the eye. Those to whom the bait was held out, and who became their prey, were souls not yet established in faith and the pursuit of pure pleasuremen, according to the after-representation, only a few paces from heathenism.

5. Or, account of covetousness.

(1) How their covetousness is regarded. “Having a heart exercised in covetousness; children of cursing.” Here, again, greed follows on sensuality. Spiritual gymnastic is needed to counteract the greed of the heart; gymnastic was employed by these teachers to the increase of the greed of the heart. As greed increased, the blight came down on their spiritual nature. The ripe result was that, in the ravenousness of greed, they became “children of the curse.” That is the Hebrew way of saying that the curse found its way deep into their nature.

(2) Comparison with Balaam. “Forsaking the right way, they went astray, having followed the way of Balaam the son of Beer, who loved the hire of wrong-doing; but he was rebuked for his own transgression: a dumb ass spake with man’s voice and stayed the madness of the prophet.” Balaam, forsaking the right way, went astray. It was wrong for him ever to think of going to Barak, who wished him to curse Israel. “Thy way,” he was told, “is perverse before me.” tie was swayed from the right way by loving the hire of wrong-doing. “And God’s anger was kindled because he went.” He was rebuked for what was not forced upon him, but was his own transgression. It was a telling rebuke to be stayed in his mad journey by the dumb animal speaking with man’s voice. Like Balaam, these men were prostituting their powers in the service of gain, and would not fare better in the end.

6. On account of false promises.

(1) Comparisons. “These are springs without water, and mists driven by a storm; for whom the blackness of darkness hath been reserved.” Under strong feeling, Peter seizes on natural imagery to describe the false teachers. To a traveler in a desert nothing can be more grateful than the appearance of a well; but, when he comes up to it, and finds it without water, he receives a bitter disappointment. In a protracted drought the farmer keenly scans the face of the sky; a misty cloud is hailed by him, and he watches its changes and course, but it is driven past by the storm-wind, and not a drop of rain descends. So those false teachers held out promises which they did not fulfill; and in another natural appearance he sees their end foreshadoweda meteor seen for a little, and then passing into the blackness of darkness.

(2) Sensual promises. “For, uttering great swelling words of vanity, they entice in the lusts of the flesh, by lasciviousness, those who are just escaping from them that live in error.” Their words are regarded as swollen out beyond the ordinary size, while they are filled with emptiness. It is in a sensual condition of mind that they use their swollen words. The bait they hold out is sensual gratification. “Their guilt is exhibited as aggravated by the fact that the persons whom they plied with the vile bait of sensual indulgence were those least fit to resist it; not men who were established in the new faith, but men who had but recently broken off from the ranks of heathenism, or who had as yet got but a few paces, as it were, in the process of separating themselves from their old pagan life” (Salmond).

(3) Promising liberty, while themselves bound. “Promising them liberty, while they themselves are bondservants of corruption; for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he also brought into bondage.” In swollen language they promised liberty: but were they themselves free? No; they were the bondservants of destructive lusts. When their lusts were destroying them, and they could not cease gratifying them, what was that but bondage?

7. On account of their apostasy.

(1) Last state worse than the first. “For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein and overcome, the last state is become worse with them than the first.” Peter thinks of them, in conclusion, as punished in their moral degradation. They were once the prey of the miasmatathe defilementsof the world. There supervened a blessed time of escape. This was when they had knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ (the name being appreciatingly dwelt upon). The word is used which means “appreciative knowledge;” and it would seem to be implied that there was reality in their spiritual experience. But the time came when they were again entangled in the miasmata of the world, and overcome by them. In that case they were the worse for the experience through which they had come. We cannot have conviction of sin and appreciation of Christ, and put away from us that experience, without our bringing evil into our nature far beyond what we were capable of in our former state. Judas was a worse man that he had come into such nearness to Christ, than he would otherwise have been. Therefore let us be careful how we treat visitations of the Spirit, solemn experience.

(2) Preferable evil state. “For it were better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after knowing it, to turn back from the holy commandment delivered unto them.” The false teachers again are represented as having known the new life of Christianity, as having turned to the holy commandment delivered to them. Better that they had remained in heathenism than, after knowing the new life, to turn back from the holy commandment upon which it depends. Therefore let us be careful how we treat Christian rules of conduct. There is a sacredness about them which is not to be trifled with.

(3) Proverb explanatory of relapse. “It has happened unto them, according to the true proverb, The dog turning to his own vomit again, and the sow that had washed to wallowing in the mire.” This double proverb is not explanatory of the last state being worse than the first, but simply of the being again entangled and overcome. Though they knew the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they were not beyond temptation to sensuality. Their relapse took place in their giving the old nature the ascendency. The comparisons employed are not complimentary. The false teachers are compared to the dog and the sowanimals abhorred in the East. They have returned to the filth of heathenism as the dog to its vomit, as the sow that had washed to its wallowing in the mire. Therefore let us be careful not to give in to the old nature – R.F.

Fuente: The Complete Pulpit Commentary

2Pe 2:1. But there were false prophets The false apostles, prophets, and teachers among the Christians, gave rise to the sects of the Ebionites, Cerinthians, Nicolaitans, Carpocratians, and Gnostics, of whom the primitive fathers have said so many dreadful things. They were not only exceedingly corrupt and vicious themselves, but great corrupters of others: they now began to shew themselves; but afterwards waxed worse and worse. Their character is drawn in this chapter in very livelycolours, and it was highly proper to guard the Christians against such pernicious men. As their heresies were foretold, such a disagreeable event would be the accomplishment of a prophesy, and thereby become an evidence of the truth of the apostolic doctrine. The clause who privily shall bring in, &c. may be rendered, who will privately or subtily introduce destructive heretics. The word , rendered Lord, signifies a sovereign, or arbitrary monarch, and consequently, applied to Jesus Christ, is a high testimony of his Divinity. See Jude, 2Pe 2:4. Observe, these wicked men brought perdition upon themselves; it was not God who did it by his eternal and unconditional decrees, or by withholding effectual grace, or by making impossible conditions of acceptance:no: it was their own fault alone; by their vices they brought upon themselves swift destruction. Again, from the text it appears, that those may perish, whom the Lord hath bought, or for whom Christ hath died. See Mat 13:21. Rom 14:15. 1Co 8:11. In this and the two following verses it would be better to read will than shall, where that word occurs; as the original will full as well bear to be translated will as shall.

Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke

2Pe 2:1 . From here onwards: a description of the false teachers, who were to arise in the church, and a warning against them.

] : antithesis to what goes before. : “ also ,” that is, besides the true prophets mentioned in chap. 2Pe 1:21 . The expression: , already in the O. T. LXX., e.g. Jer 6:13 , frequently in the N. T., not after the analogy of : “one who prophesies falsely,” but: “ one who falsely gives himself out for a prophet ,” on the analogy of , .

] i.e. among the people of Israel. These words are in form a principal clause, but in thought a secondary clause: as there were false prophets in Israel, so will there be also among you, etc.

] ; designates the as such, who would arise only in the future. They are afterwards pictured as actually present; see on this, the Introd. 2, p. 281. The expression . is in the N. T. . .; Wiesinger and Brckner interpret: “such as teach lies;” Dietlein and Fronmller: “ such as lyingly pretend to be teachers .” The analogy of ., with which it is here contrasted, makes the last the preferable interpretation (thus, too, Hofmann). Both result in the same sense (Schott); what the were in the O. T., the are in the N. T.

] equivalent to quippe qui, “ such as .”

] cf. Jud 1:4 : “ to introduce by the side of ,” with the secondary idea of secrecy. [61]

] , according to N. T. usage, “ party-divisions ,” cf. 1Co 11:19 (synonymous with ); Gal 5:20 (synonymous with ); also Tit 3:10 , which have their origin in false doctrine; thus Brckner, Wiesinger, Schott, etc.; Hofmann, too, says that the word is to be taken in no sense different from that which it has elsewhere in the N. T., but then interprets it as equivalent to “particular systems of opinion,” thus attributing to it a meaning which it has nowhere else. Others take here to mean “false doctrine, heresy” (Bengel, de Wette, Fronmller). This interpretation is better suited to the connection, and especially to the verb . In the N. T., doubtless, the word has not this meaning, yet Ignatius already uses it with this force. (which is not to be resolved into the adject. “destructive”) designates the heresies as those which lead to ; cf. 2Pe 2:2-3 .

] Winer (5th ed. p. 399 f.) translates: “since they also, denying the Lord, draw upon themselves swift destruction;” but the connection of with , so far removed from it by . . ., cannot be justified. Fronmller connects the member of the clause beginning with not with the relative clause , but with . This construction was formerly supported in this commentary, with the remark, however, that a particular species of false doctrine was not, as Fronmller assumes, indicated here, but that the participial clause more nearly defined the , being here put in the sense of: “ and withal ;” this construction, however, is anything but natural. The must undoubtedly be connected with the clause immediately preceding, though not as a simple copula, but in the sense of “ also ;” thus de Wette and Wiesinger, [62] taking as an intensification, equivalent to “ even :” “whilst they deny even the Lord who bought them.” On the other hand, Hofmann does not admit any such intensification, and takes as equivalent to “ also ,” in the sense of addition, and interprets: “with their particular systems they break up the unity of the church, which, however, they do not do without at the same time denying the Lord.” But, on this interpretation, it is not clear why the author did not put the finite verb instead of the partic. ; the thought, too, that they break up the unity of the church, is simply imported. The participle shows that this clause is meant to serve as an explanation or a more precise definition of what goes before. De Wette’s view, accordingly, is to be preferred to that of Hofmann; it is, however, also possible that Schott is right in assuming an irregularity of the construction, in that the author, led astray by the participle , wrote the participle instead of the finite verb ; in which case must be taken as a simple copula.

The participle is connected in a loose fashion with what precedes, in the sense: “ by which they ,” etc. The are more precisely characterized as: ; with , cf. Jud 1:4 ; Bengel correctly: doctrina et operibus. By Christ is here meant; the author speaks of Him thus, in order to lay stress on the fact that they deny that Christ is the Lord ; is added by way of emphasis: they deny the Lord who “ bought ” them, i.e. procured them for Himself by paying the purchase price. This does not only serve to emphasize more strongly what is reprehensible in the , but points out also that they deny the act to which allusion is made, and by which He has become their Lord. With , cf. 1Co 6:20 ; 1Co 7:23 ; Rev 5:9 ; the blood of Christ must be thought of as the purchase price.

] With . , cf. 2Pe 2:5 , as also Act 5:28 . indicates that they prepare an not only for others ( ), but for themselves .

With , see chap. 2Pe 1:14 , not: a speedy ; Hornejus correctly: inopinatam et inexspectatam; the destruction will come over them suddenly , and before they are aware of it (Schott, Fronmller, Hofmann).

[61] Hofmann is wrong in asserting that in classical Greek has not the secondary meaning of secrecy; the verb occurs both with this secondary meaning and without it, see Pape, s.v.

[62] Winer (6th ed. p. 314 [E. T. 441], 7th ed. p. 329) says: “Both participles, . and ., are connected with ; they are not, however, co-ordinate with each other, but is annexed to the clause ;” he does not state how is to he understood.

Fuente: Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer’s New Testament Commentary

2Pe 2:1-10 a.

Analysis:Warning against the false prophets with reference to their inevitable punishment, illustrated by three examples

1But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall he false teachers among you, who1 privily2 shall bring in damnable heresies,3 even4 denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. 2And many shall follow their pernicious ways,5 by reason of whom the way of truth6 shall be evil spoken of. 3And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of7 you: whose judgment now of a long time8 lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not. 4For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains9 of darkness, to be reserved10 unto judgment; 5And spared not the old world, but saved Noah, the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly; 6And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them with an overthrow, making them an 7ensample unto those that after should live ungodly; And delivered11 just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation12 of the wicked: 8(For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds:) 9The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptation,13and to reserve the unjust14 unto the day of judgment to be punished: 10But chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government.

EXEGETICAL AND CRITICAL

Connection:The Apostle, having exhorted them to give attention to the prophecy of Holy Scripture, 2Pe 1:19, now warns them against the false prophets, delineating their character and adverting to their fearful end. As he often takes up the words of our Lord in the first Epistle, so he doubtless alludes here to passages like Mat 24:11-12; Mat 7:15 : Beware of false prophets. He makes the transition with reference to the false prophets in Israel, in order that the believers to whom he wrote might not be alarmed at the appearance of erroneous teachers. Paul also had prophesied concerning such erroneous teachers, Act 20:29-30. Those seducers are referred to in the Epistles to Timothy and Titus, the first of John, and the book of Revelation, but especially in the Epistle of Jude. In those writings they are mostly described as already existing.

2Pe 2:1. But there were false prophets alsodestruction.Besides those holy men of God, there were also false prophets among the people; the history of Ahab shows this, the books of the prophets Jeremiah and Ezekiel prove it more particularly, and 2Pe 2:15, below, gives an example in the case of Balaam. found here only, formed analogously to , 1Ti 4:2; and . [Alford remarks that , in the latter, is ambiguous, the word being either subjective=pretenders, not real prophets, or objective=prophesiers of false things; cf. for the latter, Jer 14:14, LXX, .; ib. Jer 14:15; Jer 23:25.M.] Dietlein: Not a prophet or teacher who prophesies or teaches falsehood, but one who is not a prophet and yet falsely pretends to be one, cf. 2Co 11:13; Rev 2:2.[Better make , in , ambiguous, and understand not only unauthorized pretenders, but also teachers of falsehood.M.], not to bring forward, but to bring in beside, introduce secretly. In Jude occurs the similar term , they crept in through a false door. Bengel: Beside the salutary doctrine of Christ. from , a doctrine, a school, a sect. In the New Testament it is applied to the religious parties among the later Jews, contending with one another, Act 5:17; Act 15:5; Act 26:5; in a bad sense, Act 24:5; Act 24:14; Act 28:22. So especially, Tit 3:10. A man that is an heretic.. reject. It denotes voluntary, deliberate deviating from purely Christian articles of belief, leading to divisions in the Church, cf. Herzog, Real. Encycl. Art. Hresie. intensifies the idea of . Not all heresies are equally pernicious, not all lead so decidedly to destruction. [Doubtful whether this distinction can be drawn; it certainly does not pertain ad rem; these false teachers, who surreptitiously bring in false teaching by the side of the true faith, bring upon themselves destruction. Their end is destruction, cf. Php 3:19.M.]

Deniers of the Master that bought them.Winer assumes that the two Participles and are not cordinate to each other, but that is to be connected with the principal verb thus: Who shall bring in corrupting heresies, and also, denying the Lord, bring upon themselves swift destruction; too artificial. Others take for even, even denying the Lord, but this use of cannot be substantiated. Huther proposes to take the Participle as the verbum finitum, but without any analogy. The construction, however, becomes quite simple by taking the three Participles cordinate and alike dependent on , and making to refer to the two classes of seducers, without distinguishing them from each other. This precludes the necessity of changing the construction while retains its usual signification. The second form of seducers is a species of the former. The terms and correspond: they introduce their errors by stealth, but they draw upon themselves open and manifest destruction. [The reader has Fronmllers construction in the translation, and may think it less artificial than awkward. The construction of Alford (who takes as the simple Copula, and regards as standing in the place of the finite verb, cordinate with , followed, as a consequence, by . . .) seems least difficult; he renders and denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction.M.]

Of the Master that bought them. denotes an absolute ruler [an autocrat,M.] of bondmen or slaves. It is used of God the Father, Luk 2:29; Act 4:24; Rev 6:10. Here the context requires us to apply it to Christ, cf. Judges 4, and Rev 1:8, where Christ is called the Almighty. This term suits better than .1Pe 1:18, has for , the former of which indicates the infinitely precious ransom, generally , to buy back from, out of, Gal 3:13; Gal 4:5; Eph 5:16; Col 4:5. The simple occurs at 1Co 6:20; Rev 5:9; Rev 14:3-4. Calov: The ransom is the blood of Christ, Mat 20:28. He, to whom it has been paid, is God, who chiefly held us in prison, whereas the devil is only His prisonkeeper, from the hands of whom Christ has delivered us, Eph 5:2; Heb 9:14. God in virtue of His justice required a ransom for our deliverance; in virtue of His mercy He accepted the ransom, which Christ paid for us.Gerlach says: These erroneous teachers had already become Christians, they had already experienced the saving effects of redemption, and had really left the service of the devil in Judaism or Paganism for the service of Christ. In support of this view 2Pe 2:21 may be cited. But is generally used to denote absolutely the vicarious satisfaction of Christ extending to all men, and consequently also to these false teachers; it is not used with the limitation that the effect of it has been experienced, as Calvin maintains, cf. 1Ti 2:6; Eph 5:2; Heb 9:14. Gerhard makes use of the illustration of a Christian ruler who pays a certain ransom for the redemption of prisoners into the hands of the Turkish Sultan. Those prisoners are truly redeemed, although they should refuse to accept the benefit of their liberation and continue in their bonds.

Deniers of the Master.Their wickedness is the more enormous, because they deny their greatest Benefactor, in the service and confession of whom they ought cheerfully to die. The manner of their denial is not further defined. Bengel adds: By their doctrine and works. Perhaps it is the same kind of denial as that of the false teachers in 1Jn 2:23; 1Jn 4:2; 1Jn 5:12; 2Jn 1:7; 2Jn 1:9. The denial of the historical Christ, at once God and Man in one Person, as held and afterwards developed by the Gnostics into an anti-christian doctrine, partly with highly dangerous practical consequences.Their denial may have had particular reference to the virtue of His sacrificial death and to His royal power over us, as His bondsmen.[St. Peter, in inditing these words, doubtless felt deeply his own conduct in this respect, for notwithstanding the warning of Jesus, he denied Him thrice under the most painful circumstances. Mat 26:70; Mat 26:72.M.] ; , destruction, ruin in temporal and eternal death. This will be sudden, cf. 2Pe 1:14; their end will be attended with terrors, Psa 73:19. Destruction shall overtake them swiftly, 1Th 5:3, just as the coming of Christ will be sudden.

2Pe 2:2. And many shall follow after their licentiousnesses.Cf. Mat 24:11-12; 2Ti 2:17. Errors, particularly those which give free scope to the flesh, are very contagious. [For an account of the Gnostic false teachers see below under Doctrinal and Ethical, No. 4.M.] , licentiousnesses, dissolute habits, unclean living. We see from 2Pe 2:19 that a false liberty [really libertinism.M.] was the gospel of those false teachers. They confounded Christian liberty with unbridled license. The roots of the bold antinomian tendency, which we find in the second century among the Carpocratians and other Gnostics, descend to the middle of the first century. The haughtiness of false spirituality and unbridled sensuality with them went hand-in-hand. Gerlach. De Wette exhibits gross confusion in the remark that being called here all of a sudden, , can only be explained from Judges 4.

By reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. ; refer the relative to those who are seduced. The way of truth is an expression taken from the Old Testament, cf. Gen 24:48; Psa 139:24; Jer 18:15; Amo 8:14. The right manner of worshipping and serving God. So Act 19:9; Act 19:23. As a way to a traveller such is true religion to us men. It is evil spoken of among the heathens and the worldly-minded [Bengel: ab iis qui foris sunt, discrimen ignorantibus verorum et falsorum Christianorum.M.] who charge Christianity with the sins of false Christians. They are wont to say: Look at the fruits of the Christian religion! The inference, although false, does harm, because it confirms those who draw it in their aversion to the truth and to Christ Himself. Roos.Peter in his first Epistle, 1Pe 4:14, and Paul in Rom 2:24 (cf. Jam 2:7) allude to this evil speaking. [Oecumenius describes the Nicolaitans and Gnostics as most unholy in their doctrines and most licentious in their lives. Clem. Alex. states as a reason for his own writing, that false teachers, professing the name of Christians, and yet living shameless lives, have brought infamy () upon the Christian name, even among the Gentiles, and that it was necessary to disabuse their minds of this illusion, and to vindicate the Gospel of Christ. See Wordsworth, who is very rich in illustrations on this subject.M.]

2Pe 2:3. And in covetousness with feigned words they will make merchandise of you. ; not only the lust of money, but also the lust of honour and pleasure. is significant and denotes that they were sunk and immersed in it. , another expression characteristic of Peter, with speeches deceitfully conceived and invented [speciously fashioned in fair forms so as to allure and deceive, Wordsworth; Wetstein quotes Artemid. 1, 53, , .M. ] Cf. 2Pe 1:16; Rom 16:18. Perhaps the reference is to fictitious stories of the life of Jesus and the Apostles., to trade (Jam 4:13), to import goods, to traffic, to make gain of, to overreach, cheat, cf. Hos 12:1; Pro 3:14; to deal in a thing, and to acquire a thing by traffic, is construed with the Accusative. Winer, p. 255, German ed., quotes from Josephus: . , to trade in the beauty of the body; and from Philo: , he made profit of the forgetfulness of the judges. Hence Winer inclines to the rendering, they will seek to get profit out of you, to make gain of you, or as Dietlein puts it, they will cheat you (beschachern).[The 6th ed. of Winer, Engl. Transl., does not contain these quotations. Winer says plainly, p. 236, that the word here means, make merchandise of you.M.] Gerlach: They will sell you for coin the doctrines of their own inventing, cf. 1Ti 6:5; Tit 1:11. The equally proven sense, to cheat, to deceive, seems to be most simple.

For whom judgment from of old lingereth not. . De Wette thinks it necessary to connect and , as if it were the judgment from of old decreed and predicted (Judges 4); for, taken with the verb, it would contain a contradiction; a judgment long since hastening! Dietlein defends this sense, saying that both the promises and the threatenings are from of old in process of continual fulfilment, although their final fulfilment is long delayed, 2Pe 3:9. But this cannot be the meaning of the Apostle, for he speaks of a ; the sense is rather: for whom, according to an old experience, the judgment is not dilatory. De Wettes rendering, at any rate, is inadmissible; for it would require before . [Alford renders for whom the sentence from long since is not idleafter Bengel: non est otiosum, who explains: i.e., plane viget unum idemque est judicium super omnes peccantes, quod in animo Judicis sine intermissione agitatur dum erumpit: et in iis, qui puniti in Scriptura memorantur, ostenditur quid ceteros maneat; tametsi peccantes putant, illud cessare ipsique dormitant.]

And whose destruction slumbereth not.An original expression, peculiar to Peter. It is generally used only of men, as is shown in the passage from Plato cited by Huther: . Gerlach: Punitive judgments live in Gods immutable decree and break forth at the appointed time, and the specific instances recorded in history teach us what is in store for all. God is awake as the Judge, while He seems to be sleeping; but they, the recreants, sleep the sleep of security, while they seem to be awake in undisturbed activity and work. Hugo extends the expression to stings of conscience, which form already a part of hell, in Gerhard, p. 195.

2Pe 2:4. For if God spared not the angels that had sinned.Now follow three examples in illustration of , which clearly exhibit the punitive justice alongside the saving justice of God. . Winer, de Wette and al. assume here the existence of an anacoluthon; but the apodosis of the three pratases [1. ; 2. . ; 3. .M.] occurs at 2Pe 2:9, although couched in more general terms than might have been expected, respect being had to the exhibition of Divine justice to the pious.

Spared not.Bengel: Severe judgment is announced upon those of whom we should have expected that they would be spared. Complete the sentence thus: If He did not spare those who stood higher and enjoyed greater dignity, much less will He spare the less. [But in order to bring this out should be rendered without the article, viz.: For if God spared not angels having sinned, then supply, much less will He spare these false teachers.M.]

That had sinned.In Judges 6, we have the addition, who kept not their principality, but left their own habitation, or according to Stier, who left their original true dominion and dignity, cf. Joh 8:44. Dietlein supposes on untenable grounds that 2Pe 2:4-5 belong together, and that Peter therefore stands up as an authority that Gen 6:2, refers not to the Sethites, but to angels; that he alludes more particularly to that last form of the development of sin when they entered into sexual relations with the daughters of men. As to Gen 6:2 we are unable to abandon the view that it relates to the amalgamation of the Sethites and Cainites, cf. Luk 20:34-36. (Dettinger, Tbinger Zeitschrift, 1835, 1; Evangelische Kirchenzeitung, 1858, No. 29.). . above, probably would never have been interpreted otherwise than as setting forth the first fall in the realm of spirits, unless the passage, Jude 6. 7, had been believed to contain a reference to a on the part of angels. But this view is founded on a false interpretation of , which belongs not to the first mentioned angels, but clearly to the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah, hence the masculine . So Keil. It, is alleged in the Evangelische Kirchenzeitung that . is only used to describe that kind of incontinence which violates an existing bond, that Genesis 6 refers, to matrimony, while 2Pe 2:3 discountenances altogether all reference to angels; that angels indeed denote sometimes fallen angels, 1Co 6:3 (against Stier); that Jude must not be interpreted by the book of Enoch, which, at the time when that Epistle was written, was perhaps not even extant (?). Hence the sinning on the part of angels in our passage can only be understood of the revolt of Satan and his associates, 1Jn 3:8; 1Jn 3:10. Kurtz, Delitzsch and al. interpret differently, while Keil (Lutherische Zeitschrift, 1855, 2), defends our view of Gen 6:2 and 2Pe 2:4, on weighty grounds. The angel interpretation is found in Justin, Athenagoras, Cyprian and al.; also in the Syrian Church; in the Hellenistic and Palestinian synagogue; the Sethite interpretation is held by writers of the Middle Ages, but also earlier by Julius Africanus, Ephrem the Syrian and al.; also by Luther, Melanchthon, Calvin.

But cast them in bonds of darkness into hell and committed them. from , to tie, bind, wind(?), a cord, a rope, a band, a noose, not a chain. Judges 6 has instead, , a bond, a band, a fetter. [But the most authentic reading (see Appar. Crit. on 2Pe 2:4) is from = or , , properly a cave where corn is stored (Demosth.); a pit, a wolfs den; in that case render dens of darkdess. Cf. Alford and the Lexica.M.]

Bonds of darkness.The Book of Wis 17:18, in connection with the plagues of Egypt, uses the following expression: , they were bound with indissoluble (?) bonds of darkness. As the bonds here are only a figure of the binding (?) power of darkness, so they are doubtless in our passage. Hence Bengel: Darkness itself keeps them bound and is to them like a chain. Jude 5. 6 is more explicit: he hath reserved them (bound) in everlasting chains under darkness. In both passages , profound, extreme darkness, is used for . Judges 13. gives both words to express the highest degree of darkness. Although these bonds must not be taken literally, the darkness must not be confined to the darkness of their wickedness, but should be taken to denote real darkness, and the custody in which they are kept, a real custody. But this custody of the evil angels, says Bengel, is as yet preliminary, and the servants of hell may still remain on earth, Luk 8:31; Eph 2:2; Act 5:3; Act 13:10; just as prisoners of war are sometimes permitted to go beyond the place of their confinement., another term peculiar to Peter and not found in the LXX. Grotius rightly remarks that it denotes in Classic Greek to cast down into Tartarus, not to condemn to Tartarus. Nor does occur either in the N. T. or in the LXX.; the Greeks conceived it to be the lowest region of the earth, full of darkness and cold, not a region in the air, as Grotius, quoting Plutarch, supposes. So Tertullian, Chrysostom, Jerome, Augustine, Theodoret. It is=, while describes the abode of the dead in general, and denotes the final place of punishment, the lake of fire, Rev 20:10-14; Mat 25:44, consequently the preliminary place of confinement and state of spirits, similar to what Sheol is for men. Huther connects with ; but the most simple construction is to connect with .

Being kept unto judgment. belong together. A judgment has probably been passed upon them already, but the final judgment is still in store for them, cf. Mat 8:29; Rev 20:10; Jam 2:19. The Epistle of Jude amplifies unto the judgment of the great day., as criminals that are now reserved for judgment [from a present point of view.M.] Winer, p. 358.They are as unable to work themselves out of their darkness as is a prisoner to extricate himself from his chains.Roos. But this author errs when he continues: Just as the word prison, Job 36:13, and the term hell, 1Sa 2:6, do not describe a place, but a condition, so the term tartarize with reference to the apostate angels does not describe a being locked up in a bad place, but rather the translation to a bad condition. These angels, be they wherever they may, are in a tartaric condition. The latter is true, but the abstraction, which precedes it, is not biblical.Grotius sees in their being reserved a particular reference to their inability of going beyond the confines of the place assigned to them, and of doing any thing without permission. Stier calls attention to the deep irony which he detects in these words, whereby the Almighty holds those mighty ones up to derision, an irony of the initial judgment of their perverse doings. They would not keep their first estate and appointed habitation, and for this they must now, in virtue of the new power exerted against them by the Creator, be sadly kept and held fast unto guilt and punishment in the state of sin of which they made deliberate choice. This is perhaps too ingenious.

2Pe 2:5. And spared not the old world, but preserved Noah, the eighth person, a herald of righteousness.The second example, which is not given by Jude, is taken from the flood.

The old world, the world primeval. Dietlein: Not absolutely the antediluvian race; it includes impersonal creation in so far as it surrounded that primordial race and being, as it were, its body, participated both in its corruption and punishment. . As the Apostle in 1Pe 3:20, attaches importance to the small number of the saved, so he does here in the case of Noah and his wife, three sons and their three wives; cf. on this use of the ordinal, Winer, p. 263. The eight souls are contrasted with the most numerous world of the ungodly.Bengel. Among the Patriarchs Noah is the tenth. There is here consequently no room for a prophetico-symbolical reference. The allusion is plainly to the small number of the saved at all times. [Wordsworth: Seven is the number of completion and rest, the Sabbatical number: and in Enochthe seventh from Adamwho walked with God, and did not die, but was translated from the turmoil of this world to a heavenly rest, and taken up to God, there appears to be a figurative adumbration of the Sabbath of heavenly rest, which remaineth to the people of God, Heb 4:9. Wordsworth has this note with reference to Jdg 1:14 : Enoch, the seventh from Adam, and thinks that Peter not only calls attention to the fact that Noah was saved with seven others, but that it places him as it were at the highest point of the climax.M.]

Herald, preacher of righteousness.He stood up against the world, denounced its unrighteousness and corruption, and exhorted it to repentance and conversion. . Huther: Here not=righteousness of faith, but in the Old Testament sense=piety exhibited in obedience to the will of God. [Alford: The fact that Noah was thus a preacher of (moral) righteousness to the depravity of his age, is found alluded to in Joseph. Antiq., I., 3. 1, , , . Bereschith Rabba, XXX. 6, in Wetstein: generationis diluvii, id est, Noachus.M.]

Bringing the flood upon the world of the ungodly. from , the deluge, confluence of the seas, cf. 2Peter 6. Gen 6:17., that which here is referred to the operation of God, is described in 2Pe 2:1, as the guilt of man. The two should go together. [Human depravity the cause of Divine punishment.M.]

2Pe 2:6. And burning to ashes the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, etc.The third example is the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, cf. Judges 7. from , to burn to ashes. . Dietlein and al. translate: He condemned them actually by overthrow; but we prefer rendering with de Wette, Huther and al.: He condemned them to overthrow, like , Mat 20:18; Mar 10:33., cf. Gen 19:29, LXX. 2Ti 2:14; Jude amplifies, see 2Pe 2:7. =: Jude has , proof, figure, example, similitude, by which something is shown, cf. Jam 5:10; Heb 4:11; Heb 8:5; Joh 13:15.Dietlein strangely accounts for the use of the word by Peters preference for . The Perfect is very emphatic, being usually employed to denote an action completed, conceived as continuing in its effects, cf. Winer, p. 286. Bengel: It was an irrefragable monument of God and of the Divine judgment.Peter probably alludes here to 3Ma 2:5.

2Pe 2:7. And delivered righteous Lot, etc., cf. Act 7:24, to wear down or tire out, to oppress, to harass beyond bearing (Alf.). Connect with . Others join with , rendering out of the power of the bad conversation, under the influence of which he had been left, cf. Winer, p. 386., cf. 1Pe 1:17. from , a lawless, abandoned man, an antinomian; Bengel: One who sins against nature; Gerhard: One who cares neither for right nor law. Only here and eh. 2Pe 3:17.

2Pe 2:8. For seeing and hearing the righteous man, etc.Parenthetical explanation of . Instead of the lawless tormenting his soul, it was he, the righteous man, who tormenting his righteous soul. belong to . Wherever he turned and saw and heard, his soul was distressed at the wickedness that surrounded him. The sense here is similar to Joh 11:33, where it is said of Jesus that He . Dietlein: Pain at ones own sin and at sin in general must not only be felt, but it must be a pain effected by the soul itself by reason of its turning to God. denotes the passive side of the pain. Bede connects with , and renders, righteous because he did not suffer himself to be seduced by seeing and hearing. denotes the object of his distress.

2Pe 2:9. The Lord knoweth, etc.The apodosis is expressed in terms which apply the preceding examples not only to the lawless, but also to the pious.. Knowledge and power combined. , God the Father, according to 2Pe 2:4., those who like Noah and Lot walk in faith in the living God.

Out of temptation, cf. 1Pe 1:6; 1Pe 4:12; Mat 6:13; Mat 26:41; Luk 8:13; Act 20:19; 1Co 10:13; 1Ti 6:9; Heb 3:8; Jam 1:2; Rev 3:10.To deliver (rescue,) cf. Jer 39:11; Jer 39:18; Jer 45:5; Exo 18:10. .Some take . as Future, but Winer remarks that this is unnecessary, because the idea of the Future is already implied in ; and the Present seems to have been chosen intentionally in order to show that their punishment has already begun before the last judgment, cf. 2Pe 2:4.

2Pe 2:10. But chiefly those who go after the flesh.Jude 2Pe 2:7, applies to the cities of the plain that which here is affirmed of the false teachers, viz., . . Then in 2Pe 2:8 it is said of the false teachers, that likewise these. defile the flesh. The comparison of the two passages will show that Jude amplifies and explains more fully than is the case in our passage. Stier interprets with reference to the next following expression, as=excess of debauchery, to commit fornication out of all rule and order, beyond the limits of nattire. , besides the horrors of sensuality, mentioned in Gen 19:5, and Rom 1:27, refers evidently to the terrible sins of Sodom, which are enumerated in Lev 18:22-24 among the horrors of the Canaanite heathen.Our passage, on the other hand, is kept more in general; they seek their pasture in the flesh, in all manner of sensuality, they go in their infamous lust after every flesh.

In lust of defilement. , not as Dietlein contends, in lust, which is defilement, nor like Huther, in lust after impure, polluting enjoyment, for where does signify polluting enjoyment? It denotes defilement, stain, intercourse; connect it with the lust of concupiscence, 1Th 4:5; cf. Rom 1:24-27; Eph 4:18-19. also peculiar to Peter, and found only here in the New Testament. The description of these erroneous teachers reminds us of the Balaamites and Nicolaitanes in Rev 2:14-15; Rev 2:20; Rev 2:24, in whom we recognize a stem of the fourfold Gnosticism of the second century. The circumstance that Peter now passes from the Future , 2Pe 2:1, to the Present, must not be turned with de Wette into a reason for suspecting the genuineness of this Epistle. It may be accounted for in part by the Apostles prophetically exalted frame of mind, for his fiery language shows him throughout as a (cf. 2Pe 1:21,) and in part by the fact that the beginnings of those melancholy phenomena were already stirring. A forger of that capacity, which the Epistle presupposes, would have consistently adhered to the position he had taken at 2Pe 2:1.

And despise lordship.The first mark of those false teachers was the denial of Christ, 2Pe 2:1; the second, covetousness, 2Pe 2:3; the third, unbridled sensuality, 2Pe 2:10; the last, arrogant despising of lordship. . Judges 8 has , which goes further than ., and is its consequence. should be taken in a general sense; every and any lordship, whatever shall be and shall be called Lord, all Divine and human authority. So Stier. The word must not be limited to the dignity of Christs lordship, because that had already been referred to 2Pe 2:1. Dietlein applies it to Divine and superhuman powers, cf. Eph 1:21; Col 1:16; Col 2:18; Calvin, to earthly governments; Huther understands it of the Divine Being, because all power and authority repose in It; while with reference to the book of Enoch he explains of the halo of glory surrounding the Being of God.

DOCTRINAL AND ETHICAL

1. We must not believe that those false teachers passed theoretically from the denial of Christs redeeming grace and lordship to their moral libertinism and sensual enormities; the usual psychological course is rather that the heart is first corrupted, that the will is sold to sin, and that then the understanding becomes darkened.

2. The account of the angels given in 2Pe 2:4 falls in with what the Bible teaches concerning angels in general, and must not excite in us the suspicion that it is apocryphal. It is doubtless founded on special revelations.

3. It is remarkable that anti-Christian phenomena, similar to those which threatened to overthrow the foundation of the Church in the beginning, spring up in our time. Stier refers more particularly to the rapidly spreading, fearful doctrines of the liberty of the flesh, and to the sins darkly skulking among the ungodly men of our time, especially to self-abuse.
4. [The principal heresies which sprung up in the Apostolical age, and developed themselves before the close of the first century, were:
1. Simonianism, or the opinions held by followers of Simon Magus, who taught that the three Persons of the Trinity were only three revelations of the same Person, and that Simon was the great power which emanated from the invisible God. Neander thinks it possible that the words of which Simon made use are contained in the apocryphal writings of the Simonians; see Jeromes Comm. on Matthew , 24 : Ego sum sermo Dei ( ), ego sum speciosus, ego paracletus.

2. Docetism, or the doctrine of the Docet, who denied the reality of the human body of Christ, of His crucifixion, resurrection and ascent to heaven.

3. The doctrine of the Nicolaitans, who were noted for their licentiousnesses.

4. Ebionism, or the heresy of the Ebionites, who denied the Divinity of Christ, and maintained that He was a mere man, descended from Joseph and Mary.

5. The doctrine of the Cerinthians; who separated Jesus from Christ, and asserted that Christ descended from the Father into the person of Jesus at His baptism, in the form of a dove, preached during His ministry and worked miracles, that at the end of His ministry Christ flew away from Jesus, and did not suffer death, and that only the man Jesus was crucified.

These all denied the Lord that bought them.M.]

5. [The following note of Wordsworth on evil angels embodies much valuable information. He says: This passage and the parallel in St. Judges 6, are two important texts on the present condition and future destiny of evil angels, and, consequently, of those persons who yield to their solicitations (cf. Mat 25:41); these two texts declared:

1. That some angels sinned, and, as a penalty for their sin, were cast out of their original habitation; and,

2. That they have been committed in custody to chains of darkness; and that they are now being kept in them, and they there endure some punishment.

3. That they there remain even to the end of the world, and are reserved there for the judgment of the great day.

This appears also from the language of the devils themselves to Christ: Art thou come to torment us before the season () of judgment? See Mat 8:29; Luk 8:31.

It is also evident from our Lords words, describing the transactions of the great day. He there pre-announces that He will then say to them on the left hand, Depart from Me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, that hath been prepared for the devil and his angels. They are, therefore, not yet cast into it.

It is also further apparent from the Apocalypse, revealing the casting of the devil into the lake of fire, as an event which has not taken place, but is yet future, Rev 20:10.

4. Comparing also these texts with other portions of Holy Scripture (1Pe 5:8), where the devil is compared to a roaring lion walking about, seeking whom he may devour; and (Rev 20:7), where Satan is described as loosed; and with the clear assertions of the Apostolic writings, describing his present liberty, energy, and influence, and designating him as the prince of the power of the air (, not , Eph 2:2), and as the god of this world (2Co 4:4), we must conclude, that the chains of darkness, of which the Apostles St. Peter and St. Jude speak, and to which Satan and his associates are now confined, and in which they will be kept even till the day of judgment, are of such power as to restrain them from ever recovering their place in the regions of light; but not such as to prevent them from exercising great power over those persons in the lower world who allow themselves to be taken captive by them at their will. See Wordsw. on Eph 2:2, and Rev 20:1-8.

The book of Enoch in like manner describes the evil angels as chained under the earth, till the day of judgment, when they will be cast into the lake of fire. See there Enoch 5:16; 10:6; 14:4; 21:6; 22:4. Huther, p. 205. Cf., also, the Catena here, p. 91, where we read, that at the end of the world, Christ will condemn to severer punishment those evil angels whom He has already shut up (in the abyss), and this He will do by casting them into everlasting fire. And Bede says here: The apostate angels are yet to be condemned to the penalties of the final judgment; for although they have already received the nether regions of the murky air as a prison house, which, when compared with the bright glories of heaven, where they once dwelt, may be called an inferno, yet there is a deeper gulf below, which awaits them.

Accordingly, Jerome (in Ephesians 6) delivers it as the opinion of all the doctors of the Church, that the devils have now their abode in the space between heaven and earth. And Augustine (de Civ., Dei, 8, 22) says, that the devils dwell in this nether air, and being cast down from heaven for their sin, they are here pre-condemned as in a prison, suitable to their sin. And it is asserted as an article of the Catholic faith by Irenus (1, 2), that Jesus Christ will come again hereafter, to raise all bodies, and to judge all men, and to cast the rebel angels into everlasting fire. Justin Martyr, Origen, in Numb., cap. 22, Irenus (5, 26), and Eusebius (4, 17), were of opinion that the devils never openly blasphemed God before the publication of the Gospel, because they did not know till then what their future punishment would be, which opinion, whether true or no, shows that those ancient writers did not imagine that the devil has, as yet, been cast into hell. See the discourse of Joseph Mede; Works, p. 25, Disc. 5.M.]

6. [The Gnostic teachers, says Wordsworth, despised and annulled , or lordship, in various ways:

1. With regard to God the Father, the , Lord of Lords. Tillemont (2, pp. 17, 23), all who took the name of Gnostics distinguished the Creator of the world from the God who reveals Himself by His Son; thus they made two gods, i.e., they despised lordship by their dualism.

2. With regard to the Lord Jesus Christ. The Ebionites, as we have seen above, regarded Jesus as a mere man; the Cerinthians separated Jesus from Christ, and denied the Passion and Resurrection of Jesus Christ, by which He had acquired universal lordship over the Church and the world; they also invoked other mediators in place of Christ. They denied the Lord that bought them, and would not call Him Lord (Iren. 1,1.).

3. With regard to earthly rules, by affirming themselves to be free to do all things, and to be exempt from all civil restraints. See more in Wordsworth, from whom this note is taken in a condensed form.M.]

HOMILETICAL AND PRACTICAL

The history of the Divine judgments an earnest monitor for all times.The great comfort of the doctrine of universal redemption,It is not enough that we teach sound doctrine, we must also denounce false teachers.The rise of false teachers among the people of God is a historical necessity, 1Co 11:19; Mat 7:15.In how many different ways may Christ be denied?Which is the greatest gain?

Chrysostom:We admire Abraham, Lot and Moses, because they shone like bright stars in the darkness of night, because they were as roses among thorns, and as sheep among countless wolves.

The pious are distressed at the wickedness of the godless, 1. because it sullies the glory of God; 2. because it shows that they are tyrannized by Satan; 3. because it conduces to their condemnation.

Gerhard:The pious are not preserved from every distress and affliction, but they are rescued from them, so that the help of God is so much the more manifest. Thus it fared with Abraham, Jacob, Joseph, David, Daniel and the three men in the furnace.

Starke:Try the spirits whether they are of God, 1Jn 4:1. Although they wear a rough garment (Zec 13:4), ye shall know them by their fruits, and shall not take up with their party.God has no pleasure in the destruction of the wicked, Eze 23:11.No wonder that the many take the broad way that leadeth to condemnation, because they find in it so many things which are agreeable to the flesh.A false and godless teacher is apt to have more followers than a true and godly teacher, but his condemnation also will be so much the greater, because he draws many people into his own destruction, Act 5:36-37.To delay is not to annul [German proverb: Aufgeschoben ist nicht aufgehoben.M.]. God is long-suffering; He forbears long, but His punishment is terrible. O! man, may His long-suffering lead thee to repentance, Rom 2:4.The devils are condemned, but their full judgment, without any hope of redemption, is yet future, Mat 8:29.Let us walk in the light, if we would escape the darkness of hell, 1Jn 1:7.God has His elect and pious ones among the great multitude of the ungodly, whom He can and will miraculously preserve from universal punishment, Mal 3:17.No country is so fertile, no city so beautiful, glorious and rich, but that they may be laid waste and destroyed, if their sins multiply.God has many ways of saving His people: one way is His preserving them from communion with evil, and His strengthening them spiritually to endure evil with patience, 2Co 1:6.Should not the sincere servants of God be pained and grieved, if their teaching, prayers and exhortations notwithstanding, it fares ill with their congregations? Woe to you, over whom they sigh! their sighs will rest heavily on you, Jer 13:17.The sufferings of believers are only temporal; their redemption is at the door, 2Co 1:9-10. If not before, a happy death is sure to bring perfect redemption, Psa 73:17; Psa 73:19.As there are degrees among believers, and as some excel others in spiritual gifts, and as they will be distinguished in glory, so there is also a difference in point of sin and punishment among the ungodly. Some excel others in wickedness; so the punishment of some will excel that of others, Heb 10:29.

Lisco:The enemies of the citizens of the kingdom.

Roos:If the kingdom of God cometh with power, the power of darkness is also astir. False teachers should stir up and incite the children of light diligently to search for the truth, and instantly and believingly to pray God for more enlightenment.

[2Pe 2:4. Critici Sacr. Thes., 2, 789, De malorum angelorum .

2Pe 2:9. South, Three sermons, Works, vol. 6, pp. 121, 169, 209.

1. Deliverance from temptation, the privilege of the righteous.
2. Cause of the deliverance of the pious out of temptation.
3. Deliverance from temptation, why to be reputed a great mercy.M.]

Footnotes:

[1]2Pe 2:1. [ of a class, not simply identifying the individuals. Alford.M.]

[2]2Pe 2:1. [, to bring in by the side of (), introduce surreptitiously.M.]

[3]2Pe 2:1. [, heresies, i. e., self-chosen doctrines repugnant to the truth.M.]

[4] 2Pe 2:1. [Both and are to be connected with . They are not, however, co-ordinate to each other; as must be annexed to the clause , Winer, p. 368.M.]

[German: But there arose also false prophets among the people. who privily shall bring in self-chosen doctrines of destruction, and deniers of the Master who bought them, people that bring upon themselves swift destruction.
Translate: But there were. heresies of destruction and denying .M.]

[5]2Pe 2:2. [ , A. B. C. K. L. Cod. Sin., . Rec, .M.]

[6] 2Pe 2:2. [ A., Cod. Sin. (?) read for .M.]

[German:. their licentiousness.M.]

[7]2Pe 2:3. [ Cod. Sin., . (**.).M.]

[8] 2Pe 2:3. [ , ex olim, Bengel.M.]

[German: And snared in covetousness. deceive you.
Translate: And in covetousness. make merchandise of you.M.]

[9]2Pe 2:4. [ , A. B. C. Cod. Sin.: (**); Rec, al., .M.]

[10] 2Pe 2:4. [ Rec, al., ; A. C. **al., ; Cod. Sin., . B, (Mai) C.* K. L., Alford. The readings are in great confusion from the combined influence of Jude and 2Pe 2:9 below. Alford.M.]

Dietlein prefers the reading, =those which once should have been reserved? Lachmann: .

[German:. but cast them in bonds of darkness into hell, and committed them, in order to be reserved unto the final judgment.M.]

2Pe 2:5. [German:. and preserved only Noah. the herald of righteousness.

Translate:. but preserved Noah, preacher of. M.]

2Pe 2:6. [German:. condemned them to overthrow, laying down an example of warning for those. Translate:. laying down an example of those.M.]

[11]2Pe 2:7. [, Rec., A. B. * * C., al. , B. *, Alford.M.]

[12] 2Pe 2:7. [ one idea. Behaviour in licentiousness=licentious behaviour.M.]

[German:.. righteous Lot. of the lawless.M.]

2Pe 2:8. [German: For in seeing and hearing. distressed his righteous soul at (on account of) their immoral deeds.M.]

[13]2Pe 2:9. [, Cod. Sin. (*).M.]

[14] 2Pe 2:9. [ . (** improb. .) . Cod. Sin.M.]

2Pe 2:10. [German:. in lust of defilement, and despise government.M.]

Fuente: A Commentary on the Holy Scriptures, Critical, Doctrinal, and Homiletical by Lange

CONTENTS

“We have in this Chapter a very awful Account of the latter-day Heresies. But, while the Holy Ghost graciously, informs the Church of those Seasons, he as graciously teacheth the Church how to discern their Features, and discover them from the Faithful.”

Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)

“But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. (2) And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. (3) And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not. (4) For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment; (5) And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly; (6) And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly; (7) And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked: (8) (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day today with their unlawful deeds;)”

Let the Reader begin the Chapter with prayer, for the spirit of discernment. And he will find, as John said, that there is a sure way, under God, of discovering false prophets. See 1Jn 4:1-6 . And let him first remark, that the Apostle is not speaking of the true, and real Church of Christ, which is made up only of regenerated believers; but of a mere nominal professing Church, which have been from the first forming of the Church in Egypt, all the way through, and will continue to the end. A mixed multitude went up out of Egypt. Exo 12:38 . After the descent of the Holy Ghost, there were the Ananiah’s and Sapphira’s in the visible Church. Act 5:1-2 . And there must be, the Apostle saith, heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you. 1Co 11:19 . Tares will grow with the wheat. But, as of the Church of old, all were not Israel in the promised line, which were of Israel, naturally, and nationally considered so it is now. Rom 9:6-7 . Mingling in the same congregation is a perfectly distinct thing from belonging to Christ. All men, generally speaking, are born Christians, that are born in Christian countries, and under the meridian of the Gospel. But this doth not constitute a real Christian. Before any man is a real Christian, he must be new-born. Birth by nature; gives no right to grace. Hence, the real Church of Christ is only composed of real regenerated believers. All that join the congregation of Christ without this qualification, only constitute what may be called a professing Church.

But we must not stop here. The Apostle saith, that in such a Church, there wilt not only be mere nominal worshippers, but there shall be false teachers. As there were in the old Church, false prophets, in the Hananiahs, and the Amaziahs, who impudently stood up to minister in the Lord’s name, without the Lord’s authority, yea, and in defiance to the Lord’s truth; (Jer 28 ; Amo 8 ) so the latter, day dispensation is to be distinguished with false teachers among the Lord’s people. What an awful consideration! Reader! ponder it. well, for the time is come. False teachers! not mere hearers, not the mere congregation, but those who stand up to teach. Oh! how earnest ought the people of God to be in prayer to the Lord, to keep his church from such delusions! Oh! Lord! send I pray thee, Pastors according to thine own heart, and according to thine own promise, Which shall feed thy flock with understanding and knowledge! Jer 3:15 .

But it is our mercy, that the same Lord who hath forewarned the church of these awful times of heresy, hath also fore-armed his people with the source of security, for their defence. The persons here spoken of, are said to be false teachers among the people. Look at this, as the first standard by which to ascertain their real character. They are not to spring out of the heathen. They are not from among the ancient enemies of Christ, the Jews. But these false teachers are to arise up from among persons professing Christianity. There shall be false teachers among you. Secondly: observe, that as those men are not heathen men, which want to establish heresy from without; but men calling themselves, like yourselves, Christians in name, and wish to praise up heresy within; so, the leading feature of their teaching God hath graciously marked, they privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them. There are several points here marked out, which, if duly attended to, will throw a light over the whole passage, and enable the church, under God’s teaching, to discover who they are here described. First. They are said privily to bring in damnable heresies. Now privily means an artful, sly, insinuating way. Their plan is deep laid, and done with caution. It is privily; that is, done plausibly, so that their real intention, of subverting the truth, is not immediately discerned. Now, it is worthy observation, that such was the method of false teachers which sprung up in the Old Testament church, in the Sanballats, and Tobias, and Geshems. Neh 6:10-12 . Yea, the Serpent himself began with deceit, in the first lie ever told in the world, which he practised on our Mother. Gen 3:4 . And Our God hath warned his people against the insinuation of all false teachers. O Israel, thy prophets are like the foxes in the deserts! Eze 13:4 . And the church, aware of this craftiness, cried out, take us the foxes, the little foxes that spoil the vines; for our vines have tender grapes. Son 2:15 . So much for the craft made use of, in the false teachers privily bringing in their heresies

Secondly. Let us look at the features of those heresies, which God the Holy Ghost saith, those false teachers shall bring in. The Lord alls them damnable. And they are proved to be so, for they bring upon themselves swift destruction. And the Lord shews wherefore they are so; for the first relation of the heresy is, even denying the Lord that bought them. There are several subordinate ones mentioned, such as coveteousness in making merchandize and profit of the people, and using feigned words, soft and insinuating words, as if wishing above all things the good of the people they are endeavoring to ruin; complimenting with feigned words their good sense, in appealing to their reason and understanding, under the name of rational Christianity and the like. But the grand object of all their aim, and, therefore the grand discriminating feature by which the Holy Ghost hath marked them, is their denial of the Lord that bought them; and by which they bring upon themselves swift destruction.

The question is, what is implied in this heresy? And this is best answered by the similar passage, in Jud 1:4 denying the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ; that is, not deifying the being, and existence of God, and of Christ; but denying the scriptural testimony of God, in his threefold character of Persons, and as manifested in covenant transactions in Jesus Christ. These damnable heresies; which these men privily bring in, (Jude saith they have crept in unawares in this deed,) level all distinctions of personality in the Godhead); they deny the (Godhead of Christ, atonement by his blood, the Person, work, and offices of God the Holy Ghost. So that, while affecting to be called Christians, they would rob the Son of God of all his glory, in the denial of his Godhead; and their own souls, and the souls of all the redeemed of their happiness, in denying the efficacy of his redeeming blood. They reduce the Gospel to a mere system of ethics, mere moral duties, and count the blood of the covenant an unholy thing, and do despite to the Spirit of grace! Reader! how can it be otherwise, than that such men should bring upon themselves swift destruction, since, if there be no hope of redemption in the blood and righteousness of Christ, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear? 1Pe 4:18 ; Rom 3:19 .

By the expression of the Loud that bought them, must not be supposed, as having any allusion to the redemption by Christ. Had Jesus indeed bought them with his blood, he would have regenerated them by his Spirit. The sheep of Christ, marked in his blood as his property, must have been the objects of his care. But by the buying them, simply hath reference to his providences over them. Like Israel of old, as a nation, all the children of Israel were included in their deliverance from the Egyptian bondage; and as such, might be said to be bought out of that bondage, by the Lord’s deliverance of them. Deu 4:32-34 . Hence Moses, in allusion to this, saith to Israel nationally considered, Do ye thus requite the Lord, O foolish people and unwise? Is not he thy father that hath bought thee? Hath, he not made thee and established thee? Deu 32:6 .

Reader! ponder these things. Look at what is here said, and contemplate the present day; and then say, whether in the present day, which may well be called a Christ-despising generation, the features could have been more accurately described. Had this scripture been written but yesterday, it could not have more suited! And, Reader, look again! Peter saith of them, that their judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not. And Jude, in yet stronger language saith, that they were before of old ordained to this condemnation. Jud 1:4 . An awful account, to trace them up to their first, and original stock. What a decided account, indeed, ordained of old to this condemnation! And the Apostle draws a parallel line between those ordained men, and fallen angels. They are all of the same family. As the one was cast down from heaven; so these are cast out of the Church of God. As the one is reserved in everlasting chains of darkness; so these are reserved-unto the judgment of the great day. As the fallen angels are cast down to hell; so Christ-despisers, and the bringers in of damnable heresies, are reserved for the blackness of darkness forever. Yea, if there be a misery in hell, greater one than another, surely they, that like Chorazin, were once exalted to greater Gospel privileges in the ordinances of a Gospel Church, and despised them, shall have it. Reader! do observe one thing. Despisers of God’s truth, who have had greater privileges than others of God’s mercy, (as this land evidently affords,) will have greater condemnation. Perhaps no nation ever had the views of divine truth more clearly unfolded, than Great Britain. Perhaps no heretics ever came up to those of this country. The greatest reptiles and monsters are found under the tropics. The greatest infidels, where the Sun of Righteousness shines with most glory!

I must not further trespass, but it is a solemn close to this scripture which the Holy Ghost makes, by way of confirming the sure judgment of Christ-despisers; that the destruction of angels, the overthrow of the whole world by the flood, the burning of Sodom and Gomorrah, and infinitely, and above all, as might have been added, the death of Christ, for the salvation of his people; these loudly proclaim the Lord’s determination to take vengeance on sin.

Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)

2Pe 2:22

‘I entered on this farm,’ Burns wrote to Dr. Moore (2nd Aug. 1787), ‘with a full resolution, “Come, go to, I will be wise!” I read farming books, I calculated crops, I attended markets, and in short, in spite of the devil and the world and the flesh, I believe I should have been a wise man, but the first year, from unfortunately buying bad seed, the second from a late harvest, we lost half our crops. This overset all my wisdom, and I returned, “like the dog to his vomit, and the sow that was washed, to her wallowing in the mire”.’

References. II. 22. Expositor (6th Series), vol. viii. p. 328. III. Ibid. (5th Series), vol. ii. pp. 94, 99. III. 1. Ibid. (6th Series), vol. v. p. 459. W. G. Horder, Christian World Pulpit, vol. xliii. p. 187. III. 3, 4. R. W. Church, Village Sermons (2nd Series), p. 239. A. Ainger, Sermons Preached in the Temple Church, p. 210.

Fuente: Expositor’s Dictionary of Text by Robertson

XXIII

IMPORT OF THE TRANSFIGURATION OF JESUS AND FALSE TEACHERS

2Pe 1:16-2:21

This discussion commences with 2Pe 1:16 , and the item of the analysis is the import of the transfiguration of Jesus. The reader will find the historical account of the transfiguration in Mat 17 ; Mar 8 ; and Luk 9 , and he should very carefully study (the better way is as it is presented in Broadus’ Harmony) the account of the transfiguration.

I will refer very briefly to the history. Just after the great confession of Peter recorded in Mat 16:18 , when Christ said, “Upon this rock I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it,” he began to show plainly to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and be put to death, whereupon Peter protested. He was not yet ready to accept the idea of Christ dying. In order to fix the right view of the death of Christ upon the minds of these disciples that were still clinging to the Jewish notion of the kingdom, Christ took three of the disciples, Peter, James, and John, and went upon a mountain. Before he went he stated that there were some of them standing there who would never taste death until they should see the Son of man coming in his kingdom.

It has always been a difficult thing with commentators to explain how it was that he could say that some people that heard him would never taste of death until they saw him coming in his kingdom. The transfiguration, according to Peter, was the fulfilment of that promise. Peter says here in this connection, “We did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For he received from God the Father honor and glory, when there was borne such a voice to him by the majestic glory, This is my beloved Son) in whom I am well pleased. And this voice we ourselves heard borne out of heaven, when we were with him in the holy mount.” Mark it well, Peter says that when he preached the final advent of Christ, he was not following cunningly devised fables. He was preaching something of which he had, in a certain sense, been an eyewitness. The question, then, is in what sense was the transfiguration a second coming of Christ? The answer to it is that it was a miniature representation, or foreshadowing, of the majesty and power of the second advent. In other words, there passed over Christ’s person a transfiguration, a manifestation of his glory, such glory as he will have when he comes again. That glory radiates from Christ. It was the kind of glory in which he will come to judge the world.

In the next place, when he comes he will come exercising two great powers: One will be resurrection power, and the other will be the changing of the living saints in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, and so that transfiguration scene presented those two thoughts in miniature, in that, Moses appeared to them, who died, and Elijah appeared to them who did not die but was changed in a moment. So that Moses represents the class who died and who, at the second coming of Christ, will be raised from the dead; and Elijah represents the class at the second advent of Christ, who will, in the twinkling of an eye, be changed and fitted for their heavenly estate.

It is remarkable that, while Peter looked upon the death of Christ with abhorrence, Moses and Elijah appeared there to talk with him about his death. It was the most significant event of the world, the death of Christ. Moses was the lawgiver, and Elijah the prophet. Now, in that sense the transfiguration represented the final coming of our Lord, and Peter quotes it for that purpose.

Now we come to 2Pe 1:19 : “And we have the word of prophecy made more sure; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a lamp shining in & dark place, until the day dawn, and the daystar arise in your hearts.” That describes the nature and value of prophecy. Prophecy foreshows a coming event, and its value is compared to a lamp shining in a dark place and to the morning star which heralds the coming dawn. That lamp is a long ways better than nothing. If one were, in the night, in an unknown country, he would like very much to have a lantern. The lantern would not illuminate the whole landscape, but it would illumine a small space right near about. It would not illumine all the course at one time, but would show the one how to take the next step. And as the lantern moves with him would guide him step by step. So the morning star, while not the day itself, foretells its speedy approach and only pales in the brighter light of the dawning. Now, as that lamp ceases to be valuable after the day comes, so when the fulfilment of the prophecy comes, then what was dimly understood is thoroughly understood.

Peter’s precise thought seems to be this: “I was an eyewitness of the majesty and power of the final advent. But prophecy is surer than sight, though its light be but as a lantern in the night, or as the daystar. You do well to take heed to prophecy.” It is on a line with the thought of Abraham, in speaking to the rich man: “Moses and the prophets are better testimony than Lazarus, risen from the dead.”

In other words, Peter’s idea was this: “It is true I saw the second advent unfolded in the transfiguration, but you are not dependent on what I saw. You have for your guidance the unerring word of God. Prophecy now holds the right of way. It is all the light we have. But its fulfilment is coming, which is perfect light. Then you will not need my testimony of what I saw, nor prophecy itself. The dawn is better light than lanterns and morning stars.”

In 2Pe 1:20-21 , the closing paragraph of this chapter, he sets forth the reason of the present value of prophecy and how alone it is to be interpreted.

1. It never came by the will of man.

2. Men wrote or spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.

3. It is not of man to interpret it. Only the illumination of the Holy Spirit, its author, can bring out its meaning.

This is one of the best texts in the Bible on inspiration. We have already seen that the prophets, under the influence of the Holy Spirit, foretold things to come, and then would search what time or manner of time these things would be, the date of it, and the circumstances of the date. They were moved to tell it just that way. They did not thoroughly understand it. It was a subject of their own contemplation and investigation, and was so to the angels. They can’t interpret the promises and the prophecies of God. They can only look into them, and as the church, in carrying out the will of God, unfolds his purposes, they can learn them by the unfolding, but they cannot know them beforehand.

2Pe 2 of this letter is devoted to false teachers. The teachers here referred to are the Gnostics, and in the letter to the Ephesians and Colossians I have already explained the Gnostic philosophy; that, as a philosophy, it attempted to account for the creation, and for sin; that it claimed to have a subjective knowledge and was more reliable than the written word of God. That it made Christ a subordinate eon or emanation from God, and that inasmuch as sin resided in matter, one form in which this philosophy shaped itself was that there was no harm in any kind of sensual indulgencies. That the soul could not sin, and that the body was just matter, and so it made no difference if one did get drunk, or if he did go into all forms of lasciviousness and sensuality. Inasmuch as he is a child of God, he will be saved. One might do just whatever he pleased to do, since he is not under law at all, but free. Now, that was the philosophy, and, as explained in the other discussions, the method of this philosophy was not by public teaching, but by private teaching. They would come to families or to individuals and say to them: “Gnosticism is only for a cultured few, and we will initiate you into its mysteries at so much a head. Let the great body of common people come together in assemblies if they want to. You don’t need to go to church. You don’t need anything of that kind.” That philosophy started in Proconsular Asia, and Peter is addressing his two letters to that section of the country. He says there were false prophets in the old times, and that there were false teachers among them, and in this letter and in Jude we have a very vivid description of these teachers and the errors of their teaching, and the most vivid description setting forth their doom. In 2Pe 2 , then, we have these false teachers presented as follows:

1. What they teach is false.

2. In their character they are lascivious or sensual.

3. They are covetous, they are teaching things in order to make money.

4. They despise dignities or dominion. They set at naught the apostolic offices of Paul and Peter; they disregard church government. A pastor doesn’t amount to anything; they are just like beasts that have no reason.

In other words, as a wolf follows his own blood lust, these men follow their instincts. They revel in the daytime. Then he sets them forth in pictures. He says they are wells or springs without any water in them. They are mists driven by the storm. They are like the dog that returneth to his vomit, and the sow that was washed, to her wallowing in the mire. These are very powerful descriptions. Nowhere in the Bible is such language used to describe the false teachers as in 2 Peter and in Jude. He then tells us about their methods. They come in privily. These are the abominable heresies they teach: the denial of the Lord, the subordinate place in which they put him, and his word, it makes no difference how one lives. They come offering liberty, when they themselves are the slaves of corruption. The whole chapter is devoted to them.

He replies to their teaching and of the life that follows such teaching by citing certain great facts. The first fact is that God has demonstrated in the history of the past that whosoever goes into heresy and teaches abominable doctrines shall certainly be punished, and fearfully punished, and he takes as his first example: “If God spared not angels when they sinned, but cast them down to hell and committed them to pits of darkness to be reserved unto judgment; if the angels, the bright shining spirits that stand around his throne, cannot escape sharp eternal and condign punishment, how can these men expect to escape?”

The next example that he cites is the case of the antediluvians. These people lived before the flood. They would not hear Enoch, they would not hear Methuselah, they would not hear Noah. They gave themselves up to this world. There were giants among them. The whole earth was filled with violence. There was no purity left upon the earth. Homes were defiled, honor lost. Woman’s name was held as an outcast thing, and they lived like wild beasts, and God swept that world away.

The next fact that he cites is the case of Sodom and Gomorrah. We find the account of it in Genesis, and reference to it in a number of the prophets, particularly Isaiah. Sodom and Gomorrah had a preacher, Lot. His righteous soul was vexed by the fearful crimes that he witnessed every day. They paid no attention to his warning. All of the cities of the plains were given up to the most abominable vileness of life, so shameful that I cannot speak about it. It would make a man blush to read it off by himself. It won’t do to talk about, even when men are talking to men. He says those cities were swallowed up in the wrath of God, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire, and on those three great facts the punishment of the angels, the punishment of the antediluvians, the punishment of Sodom and Gomorrah, we do know that God can take care of his people and punish the wicked. He saved Noah, and he saved Lot. The others perished.

There is one other thought in the chapter that needs to be brought out. It is presented in 2Pe 2:10-11 : “Daring, selfwilled, they tremble not to rail at dignities: whereas angels, though greater in might and power, bring not a railing judgment against them before the Lord.” Peter seems to refer to this remarkable passage in Zec 3:1 : “And he showed me Joshua, the high priest, standing before the angel of Jehovah, and Satan standing at his right hand to be his adversary. And Jehovah said unto Satan: Jehovah rebuke thee, O Satan; yea, Jehovah that hath chosen Jerusalem, rebuke thee: is not this a brand plucked out of the fire? Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and was standing before him saying: Take the filthy garments off of him. And unto him he said, Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with rich apparel. And I said, let them set a clean mitre upon his head, etc.”

There the high priest, Joshua, and Zerubbabel were endeavoring to rebuild the Temple and the case came up before God. The devil appeared as an accuser, and reviled the high priest, saying that those people were not worthy of restoration. The angel of the Lord says, “The Lord rebuke thee, Satan.” He did not bring a railing accusation against him like the devil had brought against Joshua, but he says, “God rebuke thee.” Now, says Peter, when the angel would not rail at Satan, not assuming to judge Satan, but said, “God rebuke thee, Satan,” these men that he is discussing here, they rail at dignities. Here were these apostles whom God had appointed; here were these pastors of the church whom they disregarded, the discipline of the church that they set aside. They had no reverence for official position of any kind.

QUESTIONS

1. Where the history of the transfiguration?

2. What Peter’s interpretation of its meaning?

3. What thing in the transfiguration represented the majesty of the final advent?

4. What two things represented its power?

5. Elijah appeared in his glorified body. Did the appearance of Moses imply that he, too, was in a glorified body like Elijah’s, i.e., Never having tasted death, or in a risen body, and if neither, why?

6. What does Peter hold as surer and better evidence of the final advent than what he saw at the transfiguration?

7. In our Lord’s parable of the rich man and Lazarus, the word of God and prophecy is said to be better than what other thing?

8. In Psa 19 why is the same word of God declared to be better than the light of nature?

9. What illustration does Peter employ to show the value of prophecy?

10. Did the prophets themselves always understand their prophecies?

11. Why is prophecy not of private interpretation?

12. How alone can it be interpreted?

13. Who the false teachers of 2Pe 2 ?

14. What their heresies, (1) about our Lord? (2) about creation? (3) about sin? (4) what the effect of this teaching on the life? (5) what their method of teaching and motive? (6) what did they mean by “knowledge,” and how did this supersede the word of God?

15. What great historic examples did Peter cite as proofs that God could punish the wicked and save the righteous?

16. Where alone do you find proof that Noah was a preacher?

17. To what historic occasion does Peter refer in 2Pe 2:11 ?

18. What was “the way of Balaam” which these heretics followed (2Pe 2:15 )?

19. With what natural things does Peter compare these heretics?

20. How is their presence at the Christian feasts illustrated?

21. How will you show that 2Pe 2:21 does not teach the final apostasy of real Christians?

Fuente: B.H. Carroll’s An Interpretation of the English Bible

1 But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.

Ver. 1. Who privily shall bring in ] , or, fraudulently foist in false doctrines under the title of truth, and pretext of piety. Some truths shall teach, the better to persuade to their falsehoods. Together with the gold, silver, and ivory, orthodox tenets, they have store of apes and peacocks, as Solomon’s ships had. Sunt mala mista bonis, sunt bona mista malis.

Denying the Lord that bought them ] Or, freed them, viz. from their former idolatries and enormities, ut verbum frequentius significat, saith one. Or that bought them, as they conceited, and others charitably imagined; but it proved otherwise, as appeared by their apostasy. Christ is said to buy reprobates, in the same sense wherein it is said that the gods of Damascus smote or plagued Ahaz,2Ch 28:232Ch 28:23 , that is, in his opinion they did so: for an idol is nothing in the world, and can do neither good nor evil, Jer 10:5 ; 1Co 8:4 . Or, that bought them, viz. in laying down a sufficient price for all sinners, in taking upon him the common nature of all men, and in preaching to them in the gospel that he died for sinners indefinitely, offering salvation, and beseeching them to receive it.

Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)

1 22 .] DESCRIPTION OF ERRONEOUS TEACHERS WHO SHOULD ARISE: THEIR UNGODLY PRACTICES, AND CERTAIN DESTRUCTION. On the close parallelism with Jud 1:4-19 , see in Prolegg. The fact will necessitate continual reference to that Epistle.

Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament

1 .] Transition to the new subject . But (contrast to last verse) there were false prophets also (as well as the true prophets, just spoken of) among the people (of Israel. These words, more than any that have preceded, define the prophecies spoken of before as O. T. prophecies), as there shall be among you also ( with . On , Bengel says “et jam esse cperunt tunc.” It was so, see 2Pe 2:9 ff.: still the future in is simple, and this first declaration a pure prophecy) false teachers (teachers of falsehood: cf. . In the case of , the – is ambiguous, whether subjective, pretenders to be prophets when they were not, or objective, prophesiers of false things: cf. for the latter Jer 14:14 , LXX, ; ib. Jer 23:25Jer 23:25 , al. fr.), the which ( , of a class: not simply identifying the individuals) shall introduce (shall bring in by the side of that teaching which ye have received. There is a hint of secrecy and unobservedness, but not so strong as in E. V. “ shall privily bring in .” It is stronger in the of Jud 1:4 ) heresies ( here rather in the sense in which we now understand the word, new and self-chosen doctrines, alien from the truth: not sects (vulg.), which may be founded, but can hardly be said to be introduced) of destruction (whose end is destruction, Phi 3:19 . The expression is not to be resolved as E. V. (after Beza, as usual) by an adjective, “ damnable heresies ,” as it thereby loses its meaning, merely conveying the writer’s own [judgment of] condemnation), and denying (a remarkable word from St. Peter) the master (compare , Jud 1:4 ) who bought them (reff. Ne, assertion of universal redemption can be plainer than this. “Ex hoc loco bene colligitur,” says Estius, endeavouring to escape the inference, “Christum redemisse quosdam reprobos, nimirum illos, qui redemptionis ejus secundum aliquos effectus facti sunt participes: cujusmodi erant hi, de quibus Petrus loquitur: utpote per fidem in baptismo regenerati, et peccatorum veniam consecuti, licet postea in veterem peccati servitutem lapsi. Sed ne hino colligas, ad omnes omnino homines effectum redemptionis extendi.” Calvin passes it without a word. It may be noted that by the use of this particular predication for Christ here, those heresies seem especially to be aimed at, which denied or explained away the virtue of the propitiatory sacrifice of our Lord, by which He has bought us to Himself), bringing upon themselves (the construction is not very plain. Of the two participial clauses, , and , one must be taken as equivalent to a finite verb, corresponding to above: unless indeed we understand to mean “even,” and make both participial clauses follow as epexegetical of it. This, however, would leave the awkwardly pendent, and requiring “ and ” to fill it up, as in E. V. As regards then the alternative before proposed, Huther thinks it most natural to regard as a finite verb: “who, by denying &c., bring on themselves &c.:” Winer, 45. 6. a , prefers making both depend on , regarding them however not as co-ordinate, but as a sequel added to the sentence . . I much prefer taking as the simple copula, and regarding as standing in the place of a finite verb, co-ordinate with followed, as a consequence, by . . .) swift (see note on ref., not speedy , but as Horneius in Huther, “inopinatam et inexspectatam”) destruction [cf. above]:

Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament

2Pe 2:1-3 . The False Teachers and their Judgment . “Yet there were also false prophets in the ancient community, just as among you there will be false teachers. They will not hesitate to introduce alongside the truth corrupting heresies, even denying their Redeemer, and bringing on themselves swift destruction. Many will imitate their vicious example, and thereby the way of truth will be discredited. Nay, further, actuated by covetousness, they will make merchandise of you by lying words. Yet you must not think that the judgment passed on all such long ago is inactive. Their destruction is awaiting them.”

Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson

2Pe 2:1 . . is used for the chosen people in LXX. . A class of False Prophets is frequently mentioned in the O.T. In the earlier ages it is not suggested that there was conscious deceit on the part of the prophet. His prophecy is false, if it is proved so by the event (Jer 28:9 ). “When a prophet lies, without being inspired by a false or impotent god, it is because God in His anger against Israel’s sin means to destroy him, and therefore put into the prophets ‘a lying spirit’ ”. (Schulz. O.T. Th. i. 257). Cf. 1Ki 22:5 ff. These are the prophets who cry “peace, peace,” when God is really going to bring judgment. In the later period superstitious acts and pagan practices, such as spiritualism, ventriloquism, professional soothsaying, became common ( e.g. Jer 27:9 ; Isa 8:19 ). The cardinal distinction between the true and the false prophet lay in the moral character of their teaching (Jer 23:21-22 ). . The characteristics of their teaching are well-marked in this Epistle. See Introduction, pp. 115 ff. Compare Phi 3:18 f., “enemies of the Cross,” who brought tears of shame to the eyes of the Apostle; the abuses of the Lord’s Supper in 1Co 11 .; also Gal 2:4 , 2Co 11:13 .

. What is the force of -? The idea of “stealth” or “secrecy” “stealthily to introduce” is hardly in accord with their character described elsewhere as , (2Pe 2:10 ). Rather the idea seems to be of the introduction of false teaching alongside the true, whereby the is brought into disrepute. Cf. , 2Pe 1:5 . The idea of stealth is present in (Gal 2:5 ). . Clearly here is used in original sense of “tenet” (“animus,” “sententia”) (So Spitta, von Soden, Weiss; but cf. Zahn., op. cit. ii. 233). In Gal 5:20 , 1Co 11:19 , the sense is “dissensions,” arising from such diversity of opinion. It is used in the sense of “sect” in Act 5:17 ; Act 15:5 ; Act 24:5 . The were within the Church. Even the “Alogi,” who disputed the fourth Gospel in second century, were not excommunicated. They were, as Epiphanius says, “one of ourselves”. Cf. MME., Expos. Feb. 1908. . The Genitive contains the qualifying idea “corrupting tenets”. Our identification with a great cause may be maintained, as in the case of the false teachers, but personal motives may sadly deteriorate, and the influence of the life may breed corruption. Cf. Ignat. Trall. vi. 1; Eph. vi. 2. . . = “even”. Cf. Mar 1:27 . If the ordinary use of in early Christian writers is followed here, viz. , as referring to God, would also be used of God, who redeemed Israel out of Egypt (2Sa 7:23 ). The reference here, however, is to Christ ( cf. Mayor, p. 17.). The N.T. use of . is illustrated in 1Co 6:20 , where reference might be to God; but in 2Sa 7:23 reference is clearly to Christ. So in Rev 5:9 . Cf. our Lord’s words in Mar 10:45 , about “giving his life a ransom” and Jude 2Pe 2:4 . The “denial” seems to have consisted in an inadequate view of the Person and Work of Christ, and their relation to the problem of human sin. Cf. Epp. of Peter , J. H. Jowett, pp. 230 ff. . See note on 2Pe 1:14 . . The middle might have been expected. cf. v. 5, where the active is suitably used.

Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson

2 Peter Chapter 2

The apostle turns to the first of the evil classes among those of the circumcision who, if not now, had once professed the Lord’s name; the class of corruption in word and deed (2). 2Pe 3 deals with the philosophic and sceptical class.

“But there were false prophets also among the people, as there shall be also false teachers among you, such as shall bring in by-the-bye sects of perdition, denying even the Sovereign Master that bought them, bringing on themselves swift perdition; and many shall follow their dissolutenesses;* because of whom the way of the truth shall be blasphemed. And in covetousness with feigned (or, well-turned) words, they shall make merchandise of you: for whom judgment from of old is not idle, and their perdition slumbereth not” (vers. 1-3).

*There is no doubt that the Text. Rec. must here yield to much better authority, and the intrinsic sense.

Thus we see that the downward progress in Israel was to have its counterpart in Christendom, and a similar tide of moral pravity both cause and effect of hateful heterodoxy. If God of old, as we were told, raised up for the evil day prophets as marked for the truth as for holiness of life, Satan was not slow to supply prophets as shameless for their lies as for their selfish and corrupt ways. This the O.T. shows but too abundantly; and here the apostle foretells it would be no better but more guiltily where grace under the gospel was more open to be abused than the law.

Let me refer to a modern development as a sample; the party extensively spread over Great Britain and America which adopts J. S. Russell’s Parousia, London, 1878. It is the antithesis of the Seventh-Day Baptist school, which destroys the gospel by its extreme judaizing, and is therefore too repulsive to attract any save those completely under law. But the Parousia delusion captivates the wider and more refined minds who cannot shut their eyes to the “better thing” that Christ has introduced, and the ministry of the Spirit with its subsisting and surpassing glory; yet all herein is taken up in a way merely natural. It starts with the assumption that the Lord’s second coming or presence took place at the destruction of Jerusalem A.D. 70! and that thenceforward the promised glory is fulfilled, so that we are now reigning with Christ! and therefore the fullest change so long looked for in both O. and N.T. has already taken place!!

Hence dogmatic and practical Christianity are alike and absolutely annulled in such a pseudo-scheme. For the N.T. contemplates us and our communion; and our walk and our worship are in view of the blessed presence of Christ to receive us glorified to Himself for the Father’s house, where He is now (not we till then). Not only the Gospels cease to apply but the Epistles, to say nothing of the Revelation; for they unquestionably exhort us to a path of suffering, both for righteousness’ sake and for Christ’s name, in a world wholly opposed to Him and His reign. When He really appears, God will use His solemn judgments, so that the world will learn righteousness, especially as Satan cannot then seduce. In short, the enemy has beguiled these visionaries into an entire abolition of all the state and duties of believers on which the Bible insists till “that day,” when all things become new, however true now to our faith and hope, as they will then be in fact and to every eye.

Nor need one do more than glance at another egregious folly under the strange claim of “Christian Science.” It is worthy of a female teacher who cannot be ignorant that the apostle by the Holy Spirit calls her to learn in quietness with all subjection, saying by St. Paul “I do not permit a woman to teach nor to exercise authority over a man, but to be in quietness.” He forbids ” exercise ,” and not usurpation only. Here too the notions are too preposterous to need anything but a rebuke for their presumption and impiety. If these set up to be new inventions, it would be a very long task to survey all the old schemes of falsehood which have been accumulating since our Epistle, and are designated as “heresies” or more correctly “sects of perdition.” For therein lies the difference of “schism” from “sect”: the former a party within, the latter, more aggravated as being a different party without, as 1Co 11:18 , 1Co 11:19 makes plain, though habitually forgotten in systematic divinity.

Even before the Kingdom of the heavens came or the church was founded on the Lord dead, risen, and ascended, He warned (in Mat 13 ) of the darnel which the enemy would sow among the wheat. Clearly it is neither pagans nor Jews but nominal Christians, who were not to be cut off, and would pursue their destructive evil till the Son of man come in personal judgment. So in Luk 12 . He also described the faithless though professing servant who would put off His return, and accordingly be marked by worldliness and oppressive self-exaltation, and must have his portion with the unbelievers, punished all the more severely because he made not ready nor did His will though he knew it. What an appeal to conscience!

Again in Act 20 the apostle Paul in his charge to the overseers or elders of the church in Ephesus told them that he knew of there coming in among them after his departure grievous wolves not sparing the flock, and from among their own selves men rising up speaking perverted things to draw the disciples after them. Earlier to the Thessalonian saints he pointed out the mystery of lawlessness at work, not among Jews or Gentiles desperately wicked as they were, but among Christian professors of the latter day which was to develop into the apostasy and the man of sin, the lawless one, to be consumed (not by preaching however sound, but) by the judicial breath of the Lord Jesus. Later to the Philippians he mourned over “many” as enemies of Christ’s cross whose end is perdition. So in 1Ti 4 he says that the Spirit speaks expressly of some in latter times falling away from the faith, heeding deceiving spirits in hypocrisy of legend-mongers without conscience yet ascetics; and in 2Ti 3 he speaks of the opposite school of self-will or self-indulgence and proud lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, with a form of piety but denying its power. From these the word is, “Turn away,” with a twofold announcement, that all those wishing to live piously shall be persecuted, and that wicked men and impostors shall wax worse and worse. See also 2Ti 4:1-4 .

The Epistle of James (Jas 5:7-9 ) calls to patience and establishment of heart, “because the presence of the Lord is drawn nigh!” “Behold, the judge standeth before the doors.” So Peter in his First Epistle declares it “the time for judgment to begin from the house of God.” And here we begin with his full testimony as to false teachers who corrupt the springs of all truth and righteousness. Jude goes over the same ground, only denouncing its apostate character which was a deeper view. 1 John fully characterises as the “last hour” the appalling prevalence of antichrists gone out, the more freely to work their nefarious way. And we may regard the Revelation as the great Christian prophecy of the approaching judgments, first providential, then personal when Christendom becomes but a sad object for divine punishment. All point to the awful issue: not reunion save in an evil way so far as it may be; but the Lord’s appearing in relentless dealing when the cup of iniquity is full.

There is no difficulty in the apostle’s predicating of these false teachers that the Sovereign Master bought them. It is “purchase,” which is universal, not “redemption” which is limited to those who have in Christ the forgiveness of the offences through His blood. In the parable too we read that He bought not only the treasure but the field. Purchase acquired all as His slaves or chattels; but redemption sets free from Satan’s power as well as divine judgment. Hence they are nowhere said to be “redeemed,” but they were bought though they disowned the purchase in rebellion against His rights.

What can bring a deeper stigma on “the way of the truth” than the dissolutenesses, whatever their form, of these accredited teachers? It is in Jeremiah’s writings where we find most fully the prophets prophesying falsely and the priests conniving at the evil so as to rule. “And my people love to have it so; and what will ye do in the end thereof?” says the true prophet in his anguish. But throughout Jewish history we see the same principle from the beginning to the crisis in our Lord’s day, which ended in the Romans taking sway both their place and their nation. Still more terrible is God’s vengeance on the abominations of the N. T. Babylon and the false teachers who for their covetousness and well-turned words have all along drawn the mass into departure from the truth, despite of His Spirit, and rebellion against God and His Anointed. Jubilant at man’s progress in his own way without Christ, how little they believe that God’s eye is on their selfish merchandise, and that their perdition does not slumber according to the judgment pronounced on such evil even before the deluge! How utterly unfounded to expect in Christendom, any more than in Israel, a real reunion and recovery! For the mass it is worse and worse, whatever superficial appearances say to the contrary. Scripture is clear and conclusive.

In the three opening verses the apostle pointed out in plain and pointed terms the very class of false teachers which is now poisoning the fountains of Christendom. It is itself a prophecy fulfilled to every believer of spiritual intelligence. As in Israel the false prophets, so now the false teachers are a fact more manifest in our day than ever before. The very scattering, which ought not to be among true-hearted saints, but which is inevitable under personal or party pressure, makes the peculiar evil more apparently the work of the spirit of error. They may differ each from the rest doctrinally in other respects; but they all agree to let in scepticism as to scripture, which necessarily destroys divine authority for every article of faith, and therefore directly tends to dissolve the credit of its rule in anything. Now where is there a single denomination free from this malaria? And the worst is that it is no longer eccentric individuals winked at to avoid trouble and split, but now leading seniors and energetic juniors in the ministry are those more zealous for that deadly error, though nominally some may not deny Christ and the truth of His work.

In former days, as the rule when such unbelievers found themselves opposed through their speculations to the Articles of faith they had subscribed, or to their public profession on becoming religious guides, they withdrew from a position they could no longer hold with common integrity. But in our day we see how those who are false in doctrine are bold enough to set conscience at defiance, and cleave to their position and emoluments when they abandon the truth which they had solemnly pledged themselves to preach and teach. It is not therefore the Lord and the truth only which they betray; but they sacrifice plain honesty of principle for a place and a living which they value. This depravity too is severely exposed in the apostle’s words, “through covetousness with well-turned words they will make merchandise of you.” Nor is it his rebuke only since he adds the retribution which must befall those who thus mock God: “for whom judgment of old is not idle, and their destruction slumbereth not.” The maledictions under the seal of the Fisherman may return on the guilty illwisher, but God will surely give effect to the words of the bondman and apostle of Jesus Christ His Son in the solemn Epistle before us.

The apostle proceeds to give examples of divine judgment executed on angels as well as men.

“For if God spared not angels when they sinned, but cast them down to lowest hell and gave them up to chains [or, pits*] of gloom reserved for judgment, and spared not an ancient world but preserved Noah an eighth (i.e. with seven others), a preacher of righteousness, having brought a flood upon a world of ungodly ones” (vers. 4, 5).

We must not confound this fall of angels with the original defection of the devil and his angels, which had a distinct character and a different treatment on God’s part. What can be plainer than that the earlier defection was before man was created? For the devil their leader became man’s tempter, as his own fault was being lifted up with self-importance and pride against God, and his aim was to lure our first parents into like independence and rebellion. In the case before us the direction of sin was toward man in a way contrary to the nature of angels or of mankind; and so abhorrent to God that He executed an exemplary dealing of His displeasure at the time of the deluge. This too continues through all the ages of man on the earth till final judgment come for wicked men and angels when the eternal state is to open. The devil and his angels have quite another destiny; for they are allowed to tempt man, as their chief tempted even the Son of God when here incarnate, rising more and more during the season of divine long-suffering till the ruin of Christendom, as well as of the Jews, shall revive the Roman empire in the Beast, and the False Prophet of Judea, the Antichrist, to sit not only as Messiah but as God in the temple of God showing himself that he is Gad. Even at the end of Christ’s thousand years’ reign, Satan will be loosed once more to deceive man for a little space. All so far is in contrast with the sinning angels here.

*It is a question between or (ABC) and (KLP and the cursives). Here has better support than .

But the comparison with Jud 1:6 , Jud 1:7 , renders another fact sufficiently clear; that the particular time and the special enormity of their sin point to what is described in Gen 6:1-4 , which played a prominent part in the accumulated evil for which the deluge was sent to destroy the world which then was. One knows how repugnant to most minds is the natural sense of this episode, what violent efforts have been made by learned men to evade it, provoked by absurd rabbinical legends gloating in what is vile and strange, and availing themselves of our Saviour’s words in Mat 22:30 on the very different truth of the resurrection state to deny its possibility. Besides, the word does not necessarily mean “wives” but “women,” though ordinarily so employed. However this be, we may all admire the holy wisdom of God in telling us briefly and even obscurely a tale on which man has so much to say, and so great a desire to fill up the details, if he could.

Next the apostle speaks of Noah with his family of seven preserved when God spared not the ancient world. For this is important in his account of God’s government. If His hand brought a flood on a world of the ungodly, He took care to guard the safety of Noah’s house for the sake of its faithful head. And he draws attention to the interesting fact that Noah was not only a righteous man but “a preacher of righteousness.” The hundred and twenty years of which Jehovah spoke was the space of the preparation of the ark and of Noah’s preaching It has nothing to do with the duration of human life, as some have fancied, but of divine patience before “the flood came and took all away.” To the same time refers the mention of Noah and his preaching also in 1Pe 3:19 , 1Pe 3:20 where we are told of their spirits, disobedient as they were to the word of his testimony, and therefore in prison awaiting a judgment still more terrible than aught of a temporal nature, however vast and exceptional

And so it is now. The day of the Lord, of which the Lord Himself warned, and calls His servants to warn, is at hand; and it will come when men say Peace and safety, while their hearts are filled with fear and foreboding of what is about to be on the inhabited earth. Assuredly the revelation of the Lord Jesus from heaven with angels of His power taking vengeance on a guilty world disobedient to the gospel will even more terrify men in its sudden destruction.

The apostle adduces another divine judgment, not so vast as the deluge, but even more solemnly significant, though on a small scale.

“And reducing to ashes [the] cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, he condemned [them] with overthrow, having set an example to those that should live ungodlily, and rescued righteous Lot, distressed by the behaviour of those abandoned in licentiousness; for the righteous [man] dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing was tormenting a righteous soul day after day with lawless works” (vers. 6-8).

The awful story is told with holy plainness of speech in Gen 19 . The sinning and doom of angels consigned to the deepest pit of gloom in chains of darkness for a judgment still more terrible; and the ensuing and unsparing destruction of an old world except Noah and his family, are followed by a catastrophe of fire and brimstone on the cities of the plain. There the bold monstrous depravity of mankind sunk to its lowest depths and cried aloud for heaven’s open and indignant vengeance. These were early days comparatively speaking. The boasted civilization of man had borne much fruit to glory in, not only on the banks of the Euphrates and the Tigris, but on the Nile. And here on the borders of Canaan, destined for the seed of Abraham, and round the sea into which debouched the waters of the Jordan, were men sunk into unblushing vileness not to be named, save in the days long after by the classic authors of Greece and Rome, who liked moral filth without shame. Host righteously did Jehovah execute His judgment on these cities, setting an example to those that should live an ungodly life, not providentially through the hand of man, but Himself raining upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire out of heaven.

Do any now bearing the name of Christians question this dealing of Jehovah? They may plead the unbelief of an erratic speculator like Origen to excuse their own scepticism, to which, as they allow, the free thinking of Hobbes and Spinoza and the like gave a great impulse; and they are not afraid to cheer one another with the godless cry that they are the winning side. But how will it be when, in the approaching consummation of the age, the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with angels of His power in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God and those that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ? Will it be any consolation to the teachers of those responsible to preach the truth that they were successful in undermining God’s authority in His word under colour of historical investigation which has no real facts but fancy, and of criticism which is not to get rid of human error but to enthrone it and to dissolve, in will at least, all that is divine? Will they encourage one another in their work of mischief when such impious infidelity pays the penalty of everlasting destruction from the Lord’s presence and from the glory of His might? O that where conscience is seared by the power of evil, there might be an ear to hear, and repentance be given to the acknowledgment of the truth, so that out of the snare of the devil, taken as they were by him, they might wake up for God’s will! They may flatter themselves that they are as moral as the old cities were corrupt. But after all to reject God’s word, and claim title to sit in judgment on it, is to have a character of pride and malignity more destructive than the abominable and unnatural debasement of Sodom. If God, not man, is the measure of sin they who are caught red-handed in their war against His inspiration will learn then, if they mock now, what it is to have helped on the apostasy and the man of sin.

But the apostle here as before attests divine mercy as well as judgment. For as before He preserved Noah preacher of righteousness with seven others who shared the ark with him, so now He saved “righteous Lot, distressed by the behaviour of those abandoned in licentiousness.” Peter’s appointed view is righteousness and unrighteousness; as Jude’s was apostasy from a place given by divine will. Both were true of old, and shall be true again in those who hate and deny prophecy, yet will prove its truth in the ruin of those they mislead. And shall they escape, who served Satan’s aim and despised God’s word, because they die before that day to which all the prophets point, though they had “settled” it to have been a mistake? Lot was not like Abraham in the secret of the Lord apart from the scene. But he wee no scoffer, any more than a sceptic; “for the righteous man, dwelling among them in seeing and hearing was tormenting a righteous soul day after day with lawless works.” Whoever heard of such seriousness in a dilettante higher critic? Lot’s was not the more blessed part of Abraham, yet was he truly grieved for the Lord’s sake. And so it will be with a righteous remnant, when the Jews are in their last trial and the mass accept idols once more, and the antichrist too, as the Psalms and the Prophets amply prove.

Thereon the apostle goes out to show the divine government in a more general way both as to good and evil.

“[The] Lord (or, Jehovah) knoweth to deliver the godly out of trial, and to keep unjust [men] for judgment-day to be punished; and especially those that walk after flesh in lust of uncleanness, and despise lordship. Daring, self-willed, they tremble not speaking railingly of dignities (or, glories), when angels, being greater in might and power, bring not against them before [the] Lord (or, Jehovah) a railing charge” (vers. 9-11).

Though it is still the evil day and the enemy is not yet hurled from his place in the heavens (Eph 6 ), the eye of the Lord is not closed to the trial of the godly any more than to the ways of unrighteous men. There is a constantly active care of His own to deliver out of temptation, as He reserves unjust men for another day when judgment must requite them. But this is allotted to the Lord Jesus, whom the world despised and rejected. He it is who was determinately appointed of God Judge of living and dead. The Father judgeth none but has given all judgment to the Son, that all may honour the Son even as they honour the Father. He the Son is therefore the test. He that honours not the Son honours not the Father that sent Him. And as it is the self-emptying and humiliation of the Son in becoming man and dying on the cross which gave occasion to unbelief and contempt, instead of love and subjection, it will be as Son of man that the Lord will judge mankind. Those who believe on the Son of God receive in Him life eternal; those who despise and disobey Him as if only man must be judged by the glorified Son of man; and His judgment on the great white throne (Rev 20:12 ) will be as everlasting as His life He gives the believer. There will be no escaping judgment for unjust men, even if a day of judgment too punish them in this life at His appearing.

The gospel has saved those who believe for heaven; but it has not purged the earth of iniquity. This will be in the age to come when the Lord reigns over all the earth. It is not what God is doing now, nor will it be till He appears in glory. The darnel was to grow with the wheat in the world of profession. His servants were too ready to uproot; but His word is, Suffer both to grow together unto the harvest or the age’s completion. Then shall He send His angels; for it will be their work, not ours even then. We have to witness grace. Then a king shall reign in righteousness; and as the result of retribution executed on the wicked, not only shall the righteous nation enter in, which keeps faithfulness, but “when Thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness.”

But “specially those that walk after flesh in lust of uncleanness, and despise lordship” shall incur the divine indignation. To this the grace which God is now showing in the gospel will contribute, because unbelief works to indulge all the more in evil. For if favour be shown to the wicked, he does not learn righteousness, but trifles with sin, and hopes to walk as he likes with impunity; or as it is written in Ecc 8:11 , “because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the children of men is full in them to do evil.” Nor is it unclean lust only that is peculiarly offensive to God, and nourished by the abused grace of the gospel, but despising lordship. For God in His providence has set up the check of magisterial authority against evil; and what undermines this more than the self-will of man in these last days which pleads liberty against law to indulge in licence and rebellion? It was bad in Judaism; it is worse in Christendom, as this Epistle anticipates, and the corresponding Epistle of Jude. How this defiant haughtiness abounds now! And it will increase to more ungodliness, as the end of the age approaches.

In vers. 10, 11 the wicked spirit is still more pointedly designated. “Daring, self-willed, they tremble not speaking railingly of dignities (or, glories, literally); when angels, being greater in might and power, bring not against them before [the] Lord (or, Jehovah) a railing charge.” The tongue as is shown in the Epistle of James is pre-eminently the index of the inner man’s feelings, aim and character. He cannot always do what he would; but his lips express what he is in audacity and self-will. The fact that some are set in a place above others in authority is enough to rouse hatred and revolutionary desires, to lower and destroy. Men tremble not to speak railingly of dignities. A debased Christianity helps this where the truth does not reign to produce self-judgment, yet is sufficiently known to make little of man’s pretensions and worldly glories. With such presumption of the baptised the apostle contrasts the humility and awe of angels, superior as they are in might and power, who have such a sense of reverence before God as to restrain their speech before Him, whatever be the evils to call out their abhorrence.

Even such a sketch did not suffice adequately to convey what the false teachers would turn out in Christendom. The Holy Spirit proceeds yet more vividly in His anticipative description of their words and deeds.

“But these, as irrational animals born by nature for capture and destruction, speaking evil in what things they are ignorant, shall also perish in their corruption, receiving as they shall wages of unrighteousness, accounting [their] ephemeral luxury pleasure, spots and blemishes, luxuriating in their love feasts [or, deceits], feasting with you; having eyes full of an adulteress and without cessation from sin; setting baits for unstable souls; having a heart practised in covetousness, children of curse; abandoning as they did a straight way, they went astray, following out in the way of Balaam [son] of Beor, who loved wages of unrighteousness, but had reproof of his own iniquity; a dumb beast of burden speaking with man’s voice forbade the madness of the prophet” (vers. 12-16).

It was already shown generally from ver. 10 how these nominal Christians proceed after flesh in lust of pollution, instead of walking according to Spirit, as freed from the law of sin and of death. Then their boldness was contrasted with angels greater in strength and power who are as reverent before the Lord as those were scornful. Now they are compared to such irrational animals as by nature are born to be captured and destroyed. How overwhelming that the apostle has thus to describe false teachers and those that follow their dissolutenesses! They were once enlightened, had tasted the heavenly gift, and became partakers of Holy Spirit, and tasted God’s good word and power of a coming age (not evil as the present is), and now yielded to malevolence, speaking evilly in what things they were ignorant. What was before such but also to “perish in their corruption?”

We may profitably remark that Heb 6 in reviewing the many and great privileges of such spurious professors does not speak any more than Peter of being born anew or of God, any more than of being sealed of the Spirit. They had accurate knowledge of the Christian revelation and special gift in its characteristic power Mind and feeling can go far in appreciating the wonderful works of God, and the moral beauty and grace of Christ. But in all the scriptures which designate natural men, the utmost care is taken to leave out the communication of life eternal and a divine nature, or “repentance unto life.” This supposes a real self-judgment before God, an overwhelming sense of sin in His sight, of total moral ruin, so as absolutely to need sovereign grace, but it is never found save in those begotten of God. Yet short of it, what is there that the intellect cannot appropriate, enjoy, and proclaim? Ere long the test comes, which life in Christ with the Spirit’s power alone can stand; and Satan so touches and masters them that their departure from God becomes more apparent and complete. Shall they not receive wages of unrighteousness? Can any course of life be farther from Christ than esteeming ephemeral luxury pleasure? He never once sought to please Himself but in every thing to do His Father’s will; and did He not call His own to hear His voice and follow Him? Did He not suffer for us, leaving us a model so that we should follow in His steps?

“Spots and blemishes” were these men, “luxuriating in their love-feasts (or, deceits),* feasting with you.” To bring self-indulgence into a love-feast was a shame to Christ, and the forerunner of worse corruption. “Having eyes full of an adulteress and without cessation from sin.” It was bad enough at a heathen celebration: what was it before the Holy and True? “Setting baits for unstable souls” in honour of Him who suffered to the uttermost to win the foulest from their sins to God! Who could wonder that they “have a heart practised in covetousness” in order to carry on the basest self-indulgence, where all are bound, denying impiety and worldly lusts, to live soberly, and justly and piously in the present age, awaiting the blessed hope and appearing of the glory of our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ! But these who act as if the cross of Christ opened the door for any abomination, are they not “children of curse?” It was sinning that grace may abound.

*There is no small diversity and correction in the readings here. Cp. Jud 1:12 .

“Having left a straight way” (and such surely is Christ), “they went astray, having followed out in the way of Balaam [son] of Beor, who received wages of unrighteousness.” No more solemn or apposite warning could be drawn from the Book of God; none of one who more deceived himself and others; none that so combined the most glowing and grand anticipations for Israel from Jehovah with the subtlest efforts to ensnare into evil which should compromise and endanger them. Yet had he crafty care for his own interest while pretending to be quite above it. Whatever his words, he loved wages of unrighteousness, but had reproof to his own iniquity, and in a form eminently adapted to appeal to his conscience and to be a continual warning in the ease, less sceptical than the west. “A dumb beast of burden speaking with man’s voice forbade the madness of the prophet.” He who boasted of having his eyes open saw not what the ass was given to see, and knew not why she turned aside (from the sword drawn in the angel’s hand), and why she thrust herself unto the wall that Balaam might not have his head smitten, but at most his foot crushed; and why she fell down where there was no other way for her or her master to escape destruction. How much more guilty are false teachers since the Son of God came and gave us understanding to know Him that is true!

The indignant invective of the apostle is not even yet exhausted. So various are the forms of hypocritical unrighteousness, he would have the faithful fully informed and on their guard.

“These are springs without water,* and mists* driven by storm, to whom the gloom of darkness is reserved.* For uttering overswellings of vanity, they allure in lusts of the flesh, by dissolutenesses, those that are just escaping from them that walk in error, promising them liberty while they themselves are slaves of corruption; for by whom a man is worsted, by him is he also held in bondage. For if after having escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, but again entangled and worsted thereby, the last for them is become worse than the first” (vers. 17-20).

*For “clouds,” the best authorities give “and mists,” and omit “for ever.”

“Those just (or, a little) escaping,” not “those clean (or, really) escaped,” as in the Text Rec. In ver. 20 it is the aorist participle, not the present as in ver. 18.

It is no longer contrast with angels or comparison with Balaam, but the gravest picture of spiritual worthlessness with the seal of everlasting darkness affixed before judgment consigns to it. It is the privilege of every Christian, not only to be begotten of God but to have the Spirit of His Son given to be in him a spring of water springing up into life eternal. Yea the Lord adds elsewhere, He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, Out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water; and that this great gift should not pass away like Jewish favours, but abide for ever. And surely the Christian teacher has yet more, not only the ; to enjoy but his special to make it known, and appreciated, and applied. But these teachers of Christendom, certainly not of Christ, “are springs without water” (they never had any), and “mists driven by storm,” instead of luminaries directed by the Holy Spirit; they express nature empty and fallen, and under gusts of feeling if not the enemy’s power. And the end is not death only but divine wrath for ever, in character with the darkness they loved because their deeds were evil.

For what are the utterances of those that figure for mischief on the ecclesiastical stage? “Over-swellings of vanity” by which to “allure in desires and lusts of flesh by dissolutenesses those just escaping from them that walk in error.” Take three plain examples of false teaching which directly tend to lower the standard of holiness and make provision for flesh’s lusts. 1. Sin is not “the transgression of the law” (as in the A.V. of 1Jn 3:4 ), but “lawlessness” which rejects all subjection to God, and applies to Gentiles who knew not the law as well as to the Jew who did, and to the wicked that heard but obeyed not the gospel. How much evil in Christendom is not touched by the Decalogue! 2. What licence for evil ways is not covered by “so that ye cannot do the things that ye would” in Gal 5:17 ? Its real meaning is the wholly different force, “that ye should not do the things that ye would” or desire. The error becomes the religion, or at least practice, of despair which is as far from Christian holiness as can be. 3. There is too the dogmatic error in the misreading of Rom 7:6 , where the too confiding public were taught that the law was dead, instead of the believers’ death to it, so that they should serve in newness of spirit, and not oldness of letter which alas! has ever been the bane of mere profession. It was sad that good men were blinded to what their spiritual instinct must have revolted from; but who can tell the enormous influence of such a threefold cord for misrepresenting God’s word, especially in the hands of unscrupulous, false teachers who gloat in misrenderings which thus consecrate their wicked life and labours?

Love, lowliness, purity are essentials of the new nature, and hence so characterise the Christian that, when failure in any of these respects occurs, the weak are stumbled, and the strong are grieved for the Lord’s sake. But when haughty vapourings as in ver. 18 takes the place of truth as it is in Jesus, one need not wonder that underneath they allure in flesh’s lusts by wantonnesses those just escaping with the skin of their teeth from them that walk in error. For the young are peculiarly open to danger from these seducing ways in those they trust for precept and example. The promise of liberty has a fair sound to their ears. But the apostle points his finger to the fatal spot, which is not now nor ever that of God’s children: they are veritable bondmen of corruption. No swellings can hide or excuse the evil, or disguise effectually to the simplest saint the enemy at work. “For by whom one is worsted, by him also is he held in bondage.”

The very babe in Christ only just escaping is sensitive to vileness and turns away, where old ones are dulled and deadened by theories which apologise for error or evil. Nor is any plea more insidious or successful than unity, precious where Christ is its centre; but where it is not really His, it is the gilded bait of the soul-destroyer. “For if, having escaped the pollutions of the world through true knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, but again thereby entangled, they are worsted, the last for them is become worse than the first” (ver. 20). How graphic and energetic and solemn is the apostle’s picture of the soul’s ruin! And this after God’s work in the cross of Christ, this gift of the Spirit sent forth from heaven, and His full revelation to man. Yet the cross had already shown man’s enmity and guilt and ruin, with Satan’s power over him; but, thank God, it has also shown man in Christ perfect for God, for sinners to save, for saints to keep, guide and bless, that Satan be wholly defeated.

But nowhere is the divine value of the cross more ignored than where it is made an external idol, the rival of the crescent that rules the night, or of the sun that rules the day. In all these sin is not seen to be already dealt with to faith for God’s glory; but man profits by unbelief to make a tariff for it in a way suited to circumstances sad his own will for Satan’s pleasure.

The apostle confirms the awful end of the course he had just portrayed by the two concluding verses, one explanatory, and the other in the true proverb applied with its telling figures, too often exemplified.

“For it were better for them not to have known well the way of righteousness than knowing well to have turned back* from the holy commandment delivered to them” (ver. 21).

* B C P etc. K L etc.

The righteous tone of the warning is sustained with apostolic gravity to the close. Knowledge even of the most accurate sort, however desirable, is not the indispensable thing, but faith working by love and yielding our members in bondage to righteousness unto holiness. It is never affirmed or hinted that these false teachers were begotten of God; but they had professed His name who secures every thing that is good to the partaker of a divine nature, to which they had ever been strangers. They had once abandoned the pollutions of the world through the moral effect of what they had received. For the light of Christianity has had not a little influence even on Jews and heathen and infidels; and this the false teachers had profited by as much or more. But when the crisis came personally, and they deliberately succumbed to known evil, their downfall was profound if not rapid.

Therefore it is that we know now that “it were better for them not to have known well the way of righteousness than knowing well to have turned back from the holy commandment delivered to them.” What can be clearer or more certain? The way of righteousness is Christ made known in the gospel; but the truth and the life accompany the way when it is taken by a living faith, and fruit of righteousness follows only through Jesus Christ to God’s glory and praise. Here was nothing but the ground of fallen nature bringing forth thorns and briers, and therefore the end is all the worse for a beginning of outward culture and cleansing, and the end is to be burned as we read in Heb 6:8 . God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this also shall he reap. For he that sows to his own flesh shall reap corruption from the flesh; but he that sows to the Spirit shall reap from the Spirit life eternal. In this the false teachers had no more part or lot than Simon Magus in the early days. Their ruin was all the more aggravated by the morning cloud of seeming promise or the early dew of good words perhaps blessed to others, without effect in themselves. The attempt of some to attribute to them a passing from death into life is disproved by scripture which never goes so far, but stops short of salvation by grace. The holy commandment delivered to them was not even mixed with faith in their souls; and from this they at length turned back, that they might do their own will and gratify their evil lusts.

We may see in Heb 10:26-30 more analogy with our chapter than in Heb 6:4-8 . For in the latter case it was rather a return to Jewish ordinances after having professed the grace of the gospel. In the former it is a return to sins after being confessors of Christ’s death, which means for us death to sin. This case is what we read of in the warning of Peter before us, only that he dwells on the aggravated guilt of false teachers, as the Epistle to the Hebrews does on the apostasy of professing Christians in yielding to sinful lusts. How fully and precisely scripture provides for every danger, and against all evil!

“[But]* there hath happened to them the [saying] of the true proverb, A dog returned to his own vomit, and A sow washed into rolling in mire” (ver. 22).

* is not in A B etc., but in c C K L P etc. Lesser flaws we may leave.

The yielding to sin, described in ver. 21, is entirely confirmed by the application to their case by the point of the true proverb that follows: “a dog returned to his own vomit, and a sow washed into rolling in mire.” Never had these evil workers been sheep of the Good Shepherd’s pasture. They had never been transformed by the renewal of mind which is of God’s effectual grace. There was therefore no such anomaly in the Christian sphere as the degradation of a sheep to a dog, nor such a metamorphosis as into swine. When born anew, there is a new life and nature imparted; but the old abides to be disallowed, because we died with Christ to sin. But a dog does not become a sheep, nor do sheep become swine, save in the false science of theology. “That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit” (Joh 3:6 ). And this it is which the believer receives through faith in Christ, even His life communicated now to the soul in the Spirit, as by-and-by to the body also at His coming again. There is not the most distant thought that the false teachers were ever thus born anew. On the contrary they are described as having no more than what the natural mind is capable of knowing. They might have accurate knowledge in the intellect, but no divine work whereby they were begotten of God. Hence at last came a turning back to a worse state than before they professed Christianity.

What can exceed the loathing our apostle feels and expresses, as he denounces not only the errors but the immoral practices of these false teachers? The apostle of the circumcision describes in solemn terms the ruin of which Paul at Miletus warned the elders of the church in Ephesus. “I know that there will come in among you after my departure grievous wolves not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves shall rise up men speaking, perverted things to draw away the disciples after them” (Act 20:29 , Act 20:30 ). “Grievous wolves” are surely enemies, whether or not they get the position of guides; they were enemies who, instead of loving and tending the flock of God, ravenously and at all cost preyed on the sheep. And the alienated elders, who forgot the Lord with the grace and truth which came through Him, fell sadly from their office when they by means of perverted things drew away the disciples after them. Thus what man built in the Lord’s name, man’s will should mislead and destroy; and such is Christendom, an utter departure from the heavenly witness of Christ to which the church and every Christian is called. That which Christ has built will alone stand, for it is kept through the grace that is in Him, which is unfailing. But all that bear His name are responsible; and guides must give account, not merely as all saints, but of that entrusted to them in particular.

Still these self-seeking chiefs, and even the grievous wolves though violently injurious, are not depicted with the contempt which the apostle attaches to those of whom he warns in this chapter. What figure more expressive of abominable impurity can be found to express “A dog returning to his own vomit, and A washed sow into rolling in mire?” The dog so returning we hear of in Pro 26:11 , where the application is to the fool returning to his folly. Here it is still more emphatically said of him who once knew clearly the glad tidings of Christ and the truth of God in a general way. The better the knowledge, the worse if corruption ensues. What could match it but “A washed sow” again gone back to roll in mud?

Thus the awful issue of unrenewed man here set out in the unerring word of God keeps the security of grace wholly untouched. May the true believer not slip or fall? Surely he may, if unwatchful. But “he shall be made to stand; for the Lord is able to make him stand (Rom 14:4 ). Without Him he owns himself lost; but now “we more than conquer through Him that loved us” (Rom 8:37 ). A man may preach ever so acceptably; but if he live evilly as one not born anew, he perishes a reprobate. And why any Christian should question this is the leas excusable, since scripture is perfectly plain in its call to self-denial, and in its denunciation of unholiness particularly in such as profess the Lord’s name, with full warning of the awful end.

Fuente: William Kelly Major Works (New Testament)

2 Peter

THE OWNER AND HIS SLAVES

2Pe 2:1 .

The institution of slavery was one of the greatest blots on ancient civilisation. It was twice cursed, cursing both parties, degrading each, turning the slave into a chattel, and the master, in many cases, into a brute. Christianity, as represented in the New Testament, never says a word to condemn it, but Christianity has killed it. ‘Make the tree good and its fruit good.’ Do not aim at institutions, change the people that live under them and you change them. Girdle the tree and it will die, and save you the trouble of felling it. But not only does Christianity never condemn slavery, though it was in dead antagonism to all its principles, and could not possibly survive where its principles were accepted, but it also takes this essentially immoral relation and finds a soul of goodness in the evil thing, which serves to illustrate the relation between God and man, between Christ and us. It does with slavery as it does with war, uses what is good in it as illustrating higher truths, and trusts to the operation, the slow operation of its deepest principles for its destruction.

So, then, we have one Apostle, in his letters, binding on his forehead as a crown the designation, ‘Paul,’ a slave of ‘Jesus Christ,’ and we have in my text an expanded allusion to slavery. The word that is here rendered rightly enough, ‘Lord,’ is the word which has been transferred into English as ‘despot,’ and it carries with it some suggestion of the roughness and absoluteness of authority which that word suggests to us. It does not mean merely ‘master,’ it means ‘owner,’ and it suggests an unconditional authority, to which the only thing in us that corresponds is abject and unconditional submission. That is what Christ is to you and me; the Lord, the Despot, the Owner.

But we have not only owner and slave here; we have one of the ugliest features of the institution referred to. You have the slave-market, ‘the Lord that bought them,’ and because He purchased them, owns them. Think of the hell of miseries that are connected with that practice of buying and selling human flesh, and then estimate the magnificent boldness of the metaphor which Peter does not scruple to take from it here, speaking of the owner who acquired them by a price. And not only that, but slaves will run away, and when they are stopped, and asked who they belong to, will say they know nothing about him. And so here is the runaway’s denial, ‘denying the Lord that bought them.’ Now I ask you to think of these three points.

I. Here we have the Owner of us all.

I do not need, I suppose, to spend a moment in showing you that this relationship, which is laid down in our text, subsists between Jesus Christ and men, and it subsists between Jesus Christ and all men. For the people about whom the Apostle is saying that they have ‘denied the Lord that bought them’ can, by no construction, be supposed to be true Christians, but were enemies that had crept into the Church without any real allegiance to Jesus Christ, and were trying to wreck it, and to destroy His work. So there is no reference here to a little elected group out of the midst of humanity, who especially belonged to Jesus Christ, and for whom the price has been paid; but the outlook of my text in its latter portion is as wide as humanity. The Lord–that is, Jesus Christ–owns all men.

Let me expand that thought in one or two illustrations which may help to make it perhaps more vivid. The slave’s owner has absolute authority over him. You remember the occasion when a Roman officer, by reflecting upon the military discipline of the legion, and the mystical power that the commander’s word had to set all his men in obedient activity, had come to the conclusion that, somehow or other, this Jesus whom he desired to heal his servant had a similar power in the material universe, and that just as he, subordinate officer though he was, had yet–by reason of the fact that he was ‘under authority,’ and an organ of a higher authority–the power to say to his servant, ‘Go,’ and he would go; and to another one, ‘Come,’ and he would come; so this Christ had power to say to disease, ‘Depart,’ and it would depart; and to health, ‘Come,’ and it would come; and to all the material forces of the universe, ‘Do this,’ and obediently they would do it. That is the picture, in another region, of the relation which Jesus Christ bears to men, though, alas, it is not the picture of the relation which men bear to Christ. But to all of us He has the right to say, wherever we are, ‘Come,’ the right to say, ‘Go,’ the right to say, ‘Do,’ the right to say, ‘Be this, that, and the other thing.’

Absolute authority is His; what should be yours? Unconditional submission. My friend, it is no use your calling yourself a Christian unless that is your attitude. My sermon to-night has something else to do than simply to present truths to you. It has to press truths on you, and to appeal not only to your feelings, not only to your understandings, but to your wills. And so I come with this question: Do you, dear friend, day by day, yield to the absolute Master the absolute submission? And is that rebellious will–which is in you, as it is in us all–tamed and submitted so as that you can say, ‘Speak, Lord! Thy servant heareth’? Is it?

Further, the owner has the right, as part of that absolute authority of which I have been speaking, to settle without appeal each man’s work. In those Eastern monarchies where the king was surrounded, not by constitutional ministers, but by his personal slaves, he made one man a shoeblack or a pipe-bearer, and the man standing next to him his prime minister. And neither the one nor the other had the right to say a word. Jesus Christ has the right to regulate your life in all its details, to set you your tasks. Some of us will get what the world vulgarly calls ‘more important duties’; some will get what the world ignorantly calls more ‘insignificant’ ones. What does that matter? It was our Owner that set us to our work, and if He tells us to black shoes, let us black them with all the pith of our elbows, and with the best blacking and brushes we can find; and if He sets us to work, which people think is more important and more conspicuous, let us do that too, in the same spirit, and for the same end.

Again, the owner has the absolute right of possession of all the slave’s possessions. He gets a little bit of land in the corner of his master’s plantation, and grows his vegetables, yams, pumpkins, a leaf of tobacco or two, or what not, there. And if his master comes along and says, ‘These are mine,’ the slave has no recourse, and is obliged to accept the conditions and to give them up. So Jesus Christ claims ours as well as us–ours because He claims us–and whilst, on the other hand, the surrender of external good is incomplete without the surrender of the inward will, on the other hand the abandonment and surrender of the inward life is incomplete, if it be not hypocritical, without the surrender of external possessions. All the slave’s goods belonged to the owner.

And the owner has another right. He can say, ‘Take that man’s child and sell him in the market!’ and he can break up the family ties and separate husband and wife, and parent and child, and not a word can be said. Our Master comes, not with rough authority, but with loving, though absolute authority, and He sometimes untwines the hands that are most closely clasped, and says to the one of the two that have grown together in love and blessedness, ‘Come!’ and he cometh, and to the other ‘Go!’ and she goeth. Blessed they who can say, ‘It is the Lord! Let Him do what seemeth Him good.’

Now, dear friends, this absolute authority cannot be exercised by any man upon another man, and this unconditional submission, which Jesus Christ asks from us all, ought not to be rendered by any man to a man. It is a degradation when a human creature is put even in the external relation of slavery and servitude to another human creature, but it is an honour when Jesus Christ says to me, ‘Thou art Mine,’ and I say to Him, ‘I am Thine, O Lord, truly I am Thy servant; Thou hast loosed my bonds.’ In the old Saxon monarchies, some antiquarians tell us, the foundation of our modern nobility or aristocracy is found in that the king’s servants became nobles. Jesus Christ’s slave is everybody else’s master. And it is the highest honour that a man can have to bow himself before that Lord, and to take His yoke upon him and learn of Him. So much, then, for my first point; now a word with regard to the second.

II. The sale, and the price.

‘The Lord that bought them.’ You perhaps remember other words which say, ‘Ye are bought with a price; be not the servants of men’; also other words of this Apostle himself, in which he speaks, in his other letter, of being ‘bought with the precious blood of Christ, as of a Lamb without blemish and without spot.’ Now notice, Christ’s ownership of us does not depend on Christ’s Divinity, which I suppose most of us believe, but on Christ’s sacrifice for us. It is perfectly true that creation gives rights to the Creator. It is perfectly true that if we believe, as I think the New Testament teaches, that He, who before His name was Jesus was the Eternal Word of God, was the Agent of all Creation, and therefore has rights. But Christ’s heart does not care for rights of that sort. It wants something far deeper, far tenderer, far closer than any such. And He comes to us with the language that is the language of love over all the universe, as between man and woman, as between man and man, as between man and God, as between God and man, upon His lips, and says, ‘Thou must love Me, for I have died for thee.’ Yes, brother; the only ground upon which absolute possession of a man can be rested is the ground of prior absolute surrender to Him. Christ must give Himself to me before He can ask me to give myself to Him. So all that was apparently harsh in the relationship, as I have been trying to set it forth to you, melts away and disappears. No owner ever owned a slave as truly as a loving woman owns her husband, or a loving husband his wife, because the ownership is the expression of perfect love on both sides. And that is the golden bond that binds men’s souls to Christ in a submission which, the more abject it is, the more elevating it is, just because ‘He loved me, and gave Himself for me.’

I do not dwell upon any cold theological doctrine of an Atonement, but I wish you to feel that deep in this great metaphor of our text there lie the two things; first, the price that was paid, and, second, the bondage from which the slave was delivered. He belonged to another master before Christ bought him for Himself. ‘He that committeth sin is the slave of sin.’ Some of you are your own despots, your own tyrants. The worse half of you has got the upper hand. The mutineers that ought to have been down under hatches, and shackled, have taken possession of the deck and clapped the captain and the officers, and all the sextants and log-books, away into a corner, and they are driving the ship–that is, you–on to the rocks, as hard as they can. A man that is not Christ’s slave has a far worse slavery in submitting to these tyrant sins that have tempted him with the notion of how fine it is to break through these old-womanly restraints and conventional fads of a narrow morality, and to have his fling, and do as he likes and follow nature. Ay, some of you have been doing that, and could write a far better commentary than any preacher ever wrote, out of your own experience, on the great words, ‘Whilst they promised them liberty, they themselves are the slaves of corruption!’ Young men, is that true about any of you–that you came here into Manchester to a situation, and lonely lodgings, comparatively innocent, and that somebody said, ‘Oh, do not be a milksop! come along and see life,’ and you thought it was fine to shake off the shackles that your poor old mother used to try to put upon your limbs? And what have you made of it? I will tell you what a great many young men have made of it–I have seen scores of them in the forty years that I have been preaching here: ‘His bones are full of the iniquity of his youth, which shall lie down with him in the dust.’

There is a slavery which is blessedness, and there is a slavery which at first is delightsome to the worst part of us, and afterwards becomes bitter and deadly. And it is the bondage of sin, the bondage to my worst self, the bondage to my indulged passions, the bondage to other men, the bondage to the material world. Jesus Christ speaks to each of us in His great sacrifice, by which He says to us, ‘The Son will make you free, and you shall be free indeed.’ The Lord has bought us. Have you let Him emancipate you from all your bondage? Dear friends, bear with me if I press again upon you, I pray God that it may ring in your ears till you can answer that question, Jesus Christ having bought me, do I belong to Him?

III. And now, lastly, notice the runaways.

Did it ever occur to you what a pathetic force there is in Peter’s picking out that word ‘denying’ as the shorthand expression for all sorts of sins? Who was it that thrice denied that he knew Him? That experience went very deep into the Apostle; and here, as I take it, is a most significant illustration of his penitent remembrance of his past life, all the more significant because of its reticence. The allusion is one that nobody could catch that did not know his past, but which to those who did know it was full of meaning and of pathos:–’Denying the Lord, as I did on that dismal morning, in the High Priest’s palace. I am speaking about it, for I know what it comes to, and the tears that will follow after.’

But what I desire to press upon you, dear friends, is just this: That in that view of the lives of people who are not Christians there is suggested to us the essential sinfulness, the black ingratitude, and the absolute folly of refusing to acknowledge the claims of Him to whom we belong, and who has bought us at such a price. You can do it by word, and perhaps some of us are not guiltless in that respect. You can do it by paring down the character and office of Jesus Christ, and minimising the importance of His sacrifice from the world’s sins, and thinking of Him, not as the Owner that bought us, but as the Master that teaches us. You can do it by cowardly hiding of your colours and being too shamefaced, too sensitive to the curled lip of the man that works at the next bench, or sits at the next desk, or the student that is beside you, or somebody else whose opinion you esteem, which prevents you from saying like a man, ‘I belong to Jesus Christ, and whomsoever other people serve, as for me, I am going to serve Him.’ And you can do it, and many of you are doing it, by simply ignoring His claims, refusing to turn to Him, not yielding up your will to Him, not turning your heart to Him, not setting your dependence upon Him. Is it not a shame that men, whose hearts will glow with thankfulness when another man, especially if he is a superior, comes to them with some gift, valuable, but nothing as compared with the transcendent gift that Christ brings, will yet let Him die for them and not care anything about Him? I can understand the vehement antagonism that some people have to Christ and Christianity, but what I cannot understand is the attitude of the immense mass of people that come to services like this, who profess to believe that Jesus Christ’s love for them brought Him to the cross, and yet will not even pay the poor tribute of a little interest and a momentary inclination of heart towards Him. ‘Is it nothing to you, all ye that pass by,’ that Jesus Christ died for you? He bought you for His own. Let me beseech you to ‘yield yourselves’ servants, slaves of Christ, and then you will be free, and you will hear Him say in the very depth of your hearts, ‘Henceforth I call you not slaves, but friends.’

Fuente: Expositions Of Holy Scripture by Alexander MacLaren

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 2Pe 2:1-3

1But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves. 2Many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of the truth will be maligned; 3and in their greed they will exploit you with false words; their judgment from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.

2Pe 2:1 “false prophets” True prophets are discussed in 2Pe 1:19-21. The OT mentions false prophets often (cf. Deu 13:1-5; Deu 18:19-22; 1Ki 18:19; 1Ki 22:6 ff; Jer 5:3; Jer 23:9-18), as does the NT (cf. Mat 7:15; Mat 24:11; Mat 24:24; Mar 13:22; Luk 6:26; Act 13:6; 2Pe 2:1; 1Jn 4:1; Rev 16:13; Rev 19:20; Rev 20:10). See SPECIAL TOPIC: APOSTASY (APHISTMI) at 2Pe 1:10.

“also arose among the people” This refers to the OT people of God. Notice the parallelism between the first two clauses (repeat “among”). Notice the false prophets came from among the people of God, and not from the outside.

“false teachers” The clues in 2 Peter 2 show that these were incipient Gnostics. See Special Topic: Gnostics at 1Pe 3:22.

“secretly introduce” This compound of para and eisag has the connotation of “to sneak in alongside” (cf. Gal 2:4 and Jude 2Pe 2:4).

“destructive heresies” The term “heresies” (divisions) is used in three ways in the NT.

1. as a religious sect or group (cf. Act 24:14; Act 26:5)

2. as divisions within Christianity (cf. 1Co 11:19)

3. as the teachings that are contrary to orthodoxy

They are usually a mixture of truth and error. Often, they magnify some truth to the exclusion of other biblical truths or a perversion related to Christology. Heresy always comes from within the Christian fellowship (cf. Mat 7:15-23; Mat 24:24; 1Ti 4:1-5; 1Jn 2:18-25). A description of their actions can be seen in (1) Contextual Insights E. and (2) Gal 5:19.

“even denying the Master” This is a present middle (deponent) participle, which speaks of ongoing personal rejection of Christ by the false teachers. This refers either to denial of Jesus (1) by theology or (2) lifestyle (cf. Jud 1:4). This is the first of four descriptive phrases (2Pe 2:1-3) about false teachers denying the Master by

1. their actions and beliefs

2. their immoral ways

3. their greed

4. their self-deception

The title “master” is the term despots, which means “lord” or “master.” It is used of slave owners (cf. 1Ti 6:1-2; Tit 2:9; 1Pe 2:18).

It is interesting to note that the term “master” is normally used for God the Father (cf. Luk 2:29; Act 4:24 [quoting the LXX of Exo 20:11 or Psa 146:6]). However, it is also used of Christ (cf. 2Ti 2:21; Jud 1:4; Rev 6:10). Here is another title of the Father transferred to the Son to assert His Deity.

“who bought them” This is an aorist active participle. This seems, like 2Pe 2:20-22, to imply that they were once saved, but not now! This is a reference to (1) YHWH’s saving His people in the OT or (2) Christ’s redemptive work in the NT (cf. Mar 10:45; Act 20:28; 1Co 6:20; Eph 1:7; 1Ti 2:6; Heb 2:9; 1Pe 1:19; 1Jn 2:2; Rev 5:9). In the OT to buy someone back from slavery (i.e., ransom or redeem) referred to physical deliverance. Usually in the NT it refers to salvation. In the OT to sell someone into the hands of their enemies referred to judgment.

The NJB has the interesting translation “who bought them freedom.” Apparently they see the context (2Pe 2:2-3) as relating to believers who live godless lives and bring reproach on Christ and Christianity. This then would refer to believers who die early because of their godless living and destructive influence.

“bringing swift destruction upon themselves” No first century believer would has asked this question, but modern believers think about it a lot, especially related to how their group views assurance! Some link the phrase to “YHWH” or “the people,” which would then refer to Exodus (i.e., Wilderness Wanderings).

The real question is, “Were the heretics truly saved?” I believe that biblical doctrines are given in dialectical or paradoxical pairs, which is characteristic of Eastern literature. Modern western readers and interpreters tend to propositionalize and decontextualize verses. I surely affirm the security of the believer, but am more and more uncomfortable with “once saved, always saved” because of passages like this. Security is evidenced by (not based on) godly living (cf. James and 1 John). Believers struggle and sin, but they continue to trust in Christ and respond (sometimes slowly) to the correcting of the Holy Spirit.

However, the Parable of the Soils (cf. Matthew 13) and the active, but lost, religionists of Mat 7:15-27, assure me that there do exist false professions of faith (cf. 2Pe 2:20-22; 1Jn 2:18-19).

False teachers have caused and still cause great turmoil in the church. In 1 John there are several tests for true believers.

1. willingness to confess sin (1Jn 1:5; 1Jn 2:22)

2. lifestyle obedience (1Jn 2:3-6)

3. lifestyle love (1Jn 2:7-11)

4. victory over evil (1Jn 2:12-14)

5. forsaking the world (1Jn 2:15-17)

6. perseverance (1Jn 2:19)

7. doctrine (1Jn 2:20-24)

Peter also lists the inappropriate actions of these false teachers (see Contextual Insights, E). If it is true that the gospel is a (1) person; (2) a message about that person; and (3) a lifestyle emulating that person, then these false teachers violated all three. Can someone be “bought” by Jesus and deny Jesus? This is the problem. Salvation is free and for all who will respond in repentance, faith, obedience, and perseverance. But, maturity is a cost-everything discipleship. We must hold tightly to both of these biblical truths. Doctrine comes in tension-filled pairs because Christianity is not only a biblical theology (cf. Romans 6), but a daily struggle (cf. Romans 7) for godliness. Salvation is a relationship, not an isolated decision!

2Pe 2:2 “Many will follow” Oh, the tragedy of leading others astray (cf. Mat 18:6-7). Peter uses this compound term often (cf. 2Pe 1:16; 2Pe 2:2; 2Pe 2:15; 2Pe 2:21; Mat 18:6).

NASB”their sensuality”

NKJV”their destructive ways”

NRSV”their licentious ways”

TEV”their immoral ways”

NJB”their debauched behavior”

The term aselgeia can be translated “licentiousness,” “debauchers,” or ” sensuality,” implying out-of-bounds sexual activity (cf. 2Pe 2:2; 2Pe 2:7; 2Pe 2:18; 1Pe 4:3; Jud 1:4). It is often included in the lists of sins of pagan society (cf. Rom 13:13; 1Co 12:21; Gal 5:19).

“because of them the way of truth will be maligned” It is crucial how believers live. They are to reflect the family characteristics of God (i.e., faith in Jesus restores the image of God in mankind, cf. 1Ti 6:1; Tit 2:5).

“the way of truth” “The Way” was the early name used for Christians (cf. Act 9:2; Act 18:25-26; Act 19:9; Act 19:23; Act 22:4; Act 24:14; Act 24:22). It reflects the OT concept of biblical faith as a clearly marked path that we must follow (cf. Psa 119:105; Pro 6:23). This phrase refers to the gospel message. Obviously a godly lifestyle is an integral aspect of salvation (Eph 1:4; Eph 2:10).

“will be maligned” Pagans misunderstood believers and accused them of immoral practices. The lives of these false teachers added to these misconceptions.

2Pe 2:3 “in their greed” This term has a negative connotation in both the Septuagint and the NT. False teachers are characterized by desire for more and more at any cost (cf. 2Pe 2:14; Mic 3:11; 1Ti 6:5; Tit 1:11; Jud 1:16). This term is used often in the NT (cf. Mar 7:22; Luk 12:15; Rom 1:29; 2Co 9:5; Eph 5:3; Col 3:5; 1Th 2:5; 2Pe 2:3; 2Pe 2:14) because it characterizes the self-centered nature of fallen humanity. This can refer to financial greed, sexual greed, or places of honor (i.e., teachers) within the churches.

“they will exploit you” The King James Version has “make merchandise of you.” We get the English word “emporium” from this Greek word.

NASB”with false words”

NKJV, NRSV”deceptive words”

NJB”untrue tales”

The adjective denotes that which is molded or made (cf. Rom 9:20). We get the English word “plastic” from this Greek term. The false teachers caused problems within the believing community and in society. Their lives brought reproach on the gospel and their lies perverted the gospel message.

“their judgment” There have always been false teachers among the people of God. They were condemned in the OT (cf. Deu 13:1-18). Their temporal, as well as eschatological, judgment is sure and not delayed (cf. Gal 6:7). In this text both “judgment” and “destruction” are personified.

This is a spiritual principle. God is ethical-moral and so is His creation. Humans break themselves on God’s standards. We reap what we sow. This is true for believers (but does not affect salvation) and unbelievers (cf. Job 34:11; Psa 28:4; Psa 62:12; Pro 24:12; Ecc 12:14; Jer 17:10; Jer 32:19; Mat 16:27; Mat 25:31-46; Rom 2:6; Rom 14:12; 1Co 3:8; Gal 6:7-10; 2Ti 4:14; 1Pe 1:17; Rev 2:23; Rev 20:12; Rev 22:12).

Fuente: You Can Understand the Bible: Study Guide Commentary Series by Bob Utley

were = arose.

false prophets. Greek. pseudoprophetes. Compare Mat 24:11, Mat 24:24. Luk 6:26. Act 13:6. 1Jn 4:1.

people. See Act 2:47.

even as, &c. Read, as among you also, &c.

false teachers. Greek. pseudodidaskalos. Only here.

who = such as.

privily . . . in. Greek. pareisago. Only here. Compare Rom 5:20 and Gal 1:2, Gal 1:4.

damnable heresies = heresies (Act 5:17) of destruction, or perdition (Greek. apoleia). See Joh 17:12.

even denying = denying even.

Lord. App-98.

bought. See Mat 13:44, Mat 13:46.

and bring upon = bringing upon. Greek. epago. See Act 5:28.

swift. See 2Pe 1:14.

destruction. See “damnable”, above

Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics

1-22.] DESCRIPTION OF ERRONEOUS TEACHERS WHO SHOULD ARISE: THEIR UNGODLY PRACTICES, AND CERTAIN DESTRUCTION. On the close parallelism with Jud 1:4-19, see in Prolegg. The fact will necessitate continual reference to that Epistle.

Fuente: The Greek Testament

Chapter 2

False prophets have always been around. Now they don’t wear signs, “I’m a false prophet”. They come in sheep’s clothing. They look like sheep. They come sometimes dripping with love and phrases of love. And a lot of times you listen to them and say, “Boy, they’re good. They really speak a lot of truth”. And that’s why they are able to deceive. If a false prophet only said false things, no one would be deceived by them. But usually what they say is ninety-five percent true. And thus they entice people and deceive people because most of what they say is true, but then they begin to interject that area of falsehood.

So there were false prophets among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privately shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction ( 2Pe 2:1 ).

False teachers who will even deny the Lord. There are those who claim to be ministers who fill the pulpits in the United States who deny the deity of Jesus Christ, “even denying the Lord who bought them.” Willing to put Jesus in the category of a master teacher or of a great prophet or whatever. But they deny the Lord that bought them.

And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of ( 2Pe 2:2 ).

It sort of is heartbreaking that whenever any antichrist, anti-god kind of legislation or anything comes along, and the papers are making their interviews of the ministers to get their opinions of it, they can always find some Unitarian minister or Disciples of Christ minister or something who take an anti-god, antichrist position. And they are the ones that they’re always seeking to exploit, you know, to make it look like, you know, the ministers are even in favor of this bit of vicious legislation that would open the door to pornography because you know some reverend said it. You know, he thought it was healthy and all for people to be able to examine. I just; well God’s going to take care of them. But they like to put down those who just plainly declare the truth of God as being ignorance and unlearned and all. Well, so be it.

And through covetousness shall with feigned [or deceitful] words make merchandise of you ( 2Pe 2:3 ):

The true shepherd wants to feed the flock of God; the false teacher wants to fleece the flock of God. And they have developed so many gimmicks to fleece the flock of God. And of course, the latest is the computerized personalized letters. “You’ve been on my heart of late. The Lord woke me up this morning and I was praying for you. Is there something wrong? Please tell me why is it that I feel so disturbed about you lately. Why don’t you write and let me know so that I can pray for you even more. And please enclose a gift, you know, so that I can carry on this ministry that God has given to me”. “With feigned words, deceitful words, they seek to make merchandise of you.”

They buy mailing lists and then send out these letters, like they, you know, were your long lost cousin you haven’t seen in ten years. And that you’ve been just a burden on their heart lately. And oh how they love to come right into your home and sit down with you and share with you but you’re so busy, you, they know that you wouldn’t have time for them.

And I don’t know if I’m going to make it through chapter two. I just wonder, though, how this must hurt the heart of God to be so misrepresented by man. You know that upsets me and hurts me and I’m not the, you know, purest person in the world, but if these things so disturb me, how much more must they disturb God to be thus represented by man, as a charlatan, as a crook, as a deceiver, as a conniver, as a moneygrubber, covetous. They’ll use these feigned, deceitful words to make merchandise of you or merchandisers of you. Beware of anybody who wants to put you out on the street corner selling magazines or flowers or dolls or whatever so that the money can all go to their fund. The Messiah Moon has kids selling peanuts in parking lots, making merchandise of people.

We were in a restaurant back in Indiana and this kid came in late at night, it was after service and we were getting a bite to eat, and this kid came in and he had these little teddy bears that clip on, you know. And he wanted to, you know, he was a fast talker, smooth talker, and going to pin him on everybody you know and here I want to give, you know, here have one of these, you know, I want to give you one. And then, of course, having pinned it on you and wanting to give it to you, then he wanted a donation. And I said, “Are you related to, you know who is this for? And some youth thing you know, Youth Mission downtown.” I said, “Is it related to Moon’s ministry?” “Oh no, no, no.” I said, “Are you sure?” “Oh yes, it’s not related to Moon.” Oh we kept talking and pretty soon, it was related. Just a liar. But he had been, you know, they made a merchandiser out of him. They were using the kid to go out at night and sell these things for their profits.

Peter said,

whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, their damnation slumbereth not. For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell ( 2Pe 2:3-4 ),

And the word there is “Tartarus”, the lowest hell.

and delivered them into the chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment ( 2Pe 2:4 );

Now who are these angels that sinned who were cast down to Tartarus? Well, we know that Satan isn’t there yet and that many angels that rebelled with Satan are not yet incarcerated but are working with him in his nefarious deeds. We are told in the book of Revelation that Satan was cast out of heaven and drew a third part of the stars with him. Many Bible commentators believe that these angels are the ones, who in Genesis nine began to cohabit with men. “And the sons of God saw the daughters of men” ( Gen 6:1-22 ), “saw the daughters of men that they were fair” and all, and that these angels who kept not their first state are being reserved there in the chains in Tartarus.

If God spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly; And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an example unto those who afterwards should live an ungodly life ( 2Pe 2:5-6 );

Now there is a lot of deception. As we pointed out, man who is living an ungodly life is blind. He cannot see afar off; he becomes nearsighted. He looses his sight of the eternal. And because God is merciful and longsuffering and patient, man often misinterprets this longsuffering of God as weakness or as blindness on God’s part or as, God forbid, approval by God of what I’m doing. If God didn’t like what I’m doing, why didn’t He wipe me out, you know? It’s a mistake. And people begin to think that God has withdrawn Himself. That God is just letting things go on. That God really doesn’t care what’s happening.

But Peter points out that God has brought His judgment in the past, the angels which are cast down to Tartarus. The old world before Noah’s time, the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah and that they are examples to those who would want to live an ungodly life. Your Day of Judgment is coming. You’re not going to get by with it. Though you may get by for a time, there is a day of reckoning coming and it’s a warning to man that one day there will be a day of reckoning and you’re going to answer for the things that you’ve done and are doing.

Now when God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah,

He did deliver just Lot ( 2Pe 2:7 ),

He saved Noah. He saved Lot. Lot who was,

vexed with the filthy manner of living of the wicked around him ( 2Pe 2:7 ):

Or the filthy behavior of the wicked.

(For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, his righteous soul was vexed from day to day with their unlawful or ungodly deeds) ( 2Pe 2:8 );

When you read about things like West Hollywood voting their own city government, does it vex you? When you read of the things going on in San Francisco, does it vex you? When you read of some of the things happening in our own community, does it vex you the way people are living? If it doesn’t vex you, then you’re in bad shape. It means that you’ve become perhaps calloused, not sensitive in spirit anymore. And that could very well be because of the looseness of the guard that we have over our mind.

You know it’s tragic that many Christian homes have brought filth into the homes through the video, through VCR units or through cable TV or some of these select types and have brought into their homes all kinds of filth, whereby our minds being glutted with the filth, we no longer are vexed by the way people live around us. We just sort of become tolerant to the evil of our society rather than being vexed, having just being moved by the evil that is around us. God help us. God bring us to a purity.

I wonder how many of you have been to an R-rated movie in the last month. What pollution you’ve sown into your mind. Don’t you realize that God isn’t deceived? “Whatever a man sows, that shall he also reap” ( Gal 6:7 ). And if you sow to the flesh, of the flesh you’re going to reap corruption. You can’t escape it. God isn’t mocked. There is a law of nature, of sowing and reaping in kind. And you sow that kind of stuff in your mind, you’re going to begin to reap it in your life. You can’t escape it.

Lot was vexed by the way they were living as he saw their unlawful deeds. But God delivered him before the judgment came because

God knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished ( 2Pe 2:9 ):

And even so, God’s Day of Judgment is coming very soon and those that are walking with the Lord, vexed by the evil of the world will be delivered before the Day of Judgment comes. God knows how to deliver the righteous.

I cannot, I cannot accept that the church will be here during the Great Tribulation when God’s wrath and judgment is poured out upon the world for its unrighteousness. When God punishes the world for its unrighteous living, I cannot accept the fact that the church will be here. I cannot believe that. The Lord knows how to deliver the righteous. And the whole story of Lot, when the Lord was going down to destroy Sodom and they stopped by and visited with Abraham. And Abraham’s basic argument was, “Will not the Lord of the earth be fair? Would you punish the righteous with the wicked? What if there are fifty righteous?” And the whole premise of the argument is that when God’s judgment comes, God will not punish the righteous with the wicked. And thus when God’s judgment and punishment comes upon this cursed world, He’s going to take first, as He took Lot out of Sodom, He’s going to take His children out of this earth. “The Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of the temptations, but to reserve the unjust to be punished.”

But chiefly [those to be punished are those] that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, they despise government. They’re presumptuous, they’re selfwilled, and they’re not afraid to speak evil of dignities. Whereas angels, which are greater in power and might, bring not railing accusations against them before the Lord. But these, as natural beasts, are made to be trapped and destroyed, and they speak evil of things that they understand not; and shall utterly perish in their own corruption ( 2Pe 2:10-12 );

The false teachers, what things Peter has to say.

And they shall receive the reward of unrighteousness, as they that count it pleasure to riot in the day time. But they are spots and blemishes, sporting themselves with their own deceivings while they feast with you; They have eyes that are full of adultery, they cannot cease from sin; they are beguiling unstable souls: a heart they have exercised with covetous practice; they’re cursed children: And they have forsaken the right way, and they’ve gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness; But was rebuked for his iniquity: the dumb ass speaking with a man’s voice forbade the madness of the prophet ( 2Pe 2:13-16 ).

Now here speaking of these false teachers, he is so descriptive that really no commentary is necessary, except perhaps on the way of Balaam who was using his gift for his own personal profit. Being covetous of the rewards offered by the king, he prostituted the gift that God had given to him, loving the wages of unrighteousness.

Now these men are wells without water, they are clouds that are carried with a tempest; to whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever. For when they speak great swelling words of emptiness, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, and through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error. And while they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought into bondage ( 2Pe 2:17-19 ).

Quite a powerful scripture. “By whom a man is overcome,” if you’re overcome by a false prophet, then you are “brought into bondage by them”

For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them ( 2Pe 2:20-21 ).

Knowledge is responsibility. Once you’ve come to the knowledge of truth, you are responsible. Better really not to know. Jesus in Luke’s gospel chapter twelve spoke about that servant who was given a position of overseeing his master’s goods while the master went to a far country, and when the master didn’t return, when the servant was expecting him, he said, “My Lord delays his coming”( Luk 12:45 ). And he began to abuse his position, mistreating the other servants, beating them and all. And the master came in an hour when he wasn’t expecting him. And he said, “Bind him up and cast him out. Give him his portion with the unbelievers”. For he who knew the will of God and did not accordingly, Jesus said, “will be beaten with many stripes though he who knew the will of God or knew not the will of God yet did things worthy of many stripes will be beaten with few”. For whom, to whom much is given, much is required. To whom little given, little required ( Luk 12:42-48 ). Knowledge is responsibility. I mean, God holds you responsible for what you know.

It’d be better off to have never known than to know it and then to turn away. To know the truth and then to turn away from the truth puts you under a great jeopardy because now you are responsible. It isn’t sinning ignorantly. It is knowingly. For if after, it would better — okay.

But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit; and the pig that was washed to her wallowing in the mire or the mud ( 2Pe 2:22 ). “

Fuente: Through the Bible Commentary

2Pe 2:1. But there were false prophets also among the people,

How true that is still! Be not startled, brethren, as though some strange thing had happened to us in this generation. It always was so, and so it will continue. If there are true prophets, there will also be false prophets; and if there be the Spirit of God, there will be the spirit of evil; and often, in proportion as the everlasting truth is full of power, the everlasting lie will be full of power, too, and will strive mightily against it. That same sun and shower, which shall make yonder wheat to grow, will at the same time cause the thorns also to spring up; and perhaps for a time they may threaten to choke the wheat, until at last the wheat will choke the thistles.

There were false prophets also among the people,-

2Pe 2:1. Even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies,

They always try to do their hateful work privily; and then they ask, What is all this fuss about? We have not departed from the truth, we are as sound in the faith as any of you are, when they know, traitors that they are, that they are undermining the foundations, and trying to take away the very corner stone of the faith. These false teachers will deceive the very elect of God if it be possible; but they are not easily deceived, for God has given them a discerning mind by which they try the spirits whether they are of God. The Lord Jesus said of his sheep, A stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers. Sheep though they be, they have discernment enough to know their Shepherd; and the godly soon detect false teachers who privily bring in damnable heresies,-

2Pe 2:1-2. Even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.

They say, It is narrow; it is old-fashioned; it is not in accordance with the spirit of the age. I know not what else they say; but for all that they say, it still remains the way of truth.

2Pe 2:3-4. And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not. For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;

If God spared not the angels that sinned, he will not spare any who sin, however high their position may be; even though they be the angels of the churches, he will cast them down to hell.

2Pe 2:5. And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly;

Which some in these days say could not be consistent with the acts of a God of love. Their imaginary deity, from whom they have taken away every glorious attribute of holiness and justice, would not have done this; but the God that judgeth righteously must and will punish sin, as he ever has done; and this God is our God for ever and ever, even the God who is a consuming fire.

2Pe 2:6-8. And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly; and delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked: (for that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;)

I love to see in Gods people a holy horror of the sin which surrounds them. In several of the prayers in which we joined before we came upstairs to this service, there were many tears and cries over the wickedness of our streets,-the impurity and the drunkenness which defile so many all around us. Alas! alas! Men seem bent on horrible iniquity; and it looks as if London, this great modern Babylon, will repeat the story of the cities of the plain. Well may we pray, O Lord, have mercy upon the people!

2Pe 2:9. The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations,

As he delivered Lot,-

2Pe 2:9-10. And to reserve the unjust unto the Day of Judgment to be punished: but chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government.

We have far too many, nowadays, of both these sorts of sinners, and of the two sorts joined in one: them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government.

2Pe 2:10. Presumptuous are they, self willed, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities.

There let us cease our reading, and turn to another holy song, in which we will praise our God, whose grace hath made us to differ from the ungodly by whom we are surrounded.

This exposition consisted of readings from 2Pe 1:16-21; 2Pe 2:1-10.

Fuente: Spurgeon’s Verse Expositions of the Bible

2Pe 2:1. , But there were also false prophets) An antithesis to the true prophets of the Old Testament, concerning whom see ch. 2Pe 1:19. , also.-, among the people) of Israel. He is writing to Israelites. An example of a false prophet is given, 2Pe 2:15.-) there shall be; and even at that time there had begun to be. A prophecy, already given, is now repeated, ch. 2Pe 3:2; Jud 1:4; Jud 1:14.-, false teachers) Antithetical to the true teachers of the New Testament.-, shall privily bring in) , beside the salutary doctrine respecting Christ.- ) heresies, not only bad, but of the worst character, ruinous or abandoned.-) even. The epithet swift, added to the word perdition, which is repeated, is suitable.- , Him who bought them) To the confession of whom they ought to have been devoted, even to death: ch. 2Pe 1:16.-) whom the true doctrine testifies to be Lord.-, denying) in doctrine and works: Jud 1:4. They deny that He truly came in the flesh, and thus they take away altogether the mystery of redemption: 1Jn 4:2-3.-, bringing on) Man brings upon himself: God brings upon him, as an avenger: 2Pe 2:5.-, swift) On account of the speedy coming of the Lord.

Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament

2Pe 2:1-11

WARNING AGAINST FALSE TEACHERS

2Pe 2:1-11

1 But there arose false prophets also among the people, as among you also there shall be false teachers,–The word “but” with which this verse begins puts it in contrast with matters dealt with at the close of the preceding chapter. There, the apostle had emphasized the fact that the prophetic word is a product of inspiration; that it was delivered by men who spake from God; and that those who thus spoke were moved to do so by the Holy Spirit. Lest from this his readers should conclude that all who affected to be prophets were thus influenced, he hastened to add that as in times past false prophets had risen to lead the people of Israel astray (Deu 14:1-5; Isa 9:15; Jer 14:14; Eze 13:3; Zec 13:4), so false teachers were to be expected among them. Such teachers constituted a constant menace to the early church, and many warnings against them appear in the New Testament. (Mat 24:5; Mat 24:24; Acts 20; 29, 30; 1Ti 4:1 ff; 2Ti 4:1 ff.; 1Jn 4:1.)

Who shall privily bring in destructive heresies, denying even the Master that brought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction.–“Who” refers to the false teachers mentioned in the second clause of the verse. “Privily” (Pareisago) means to slip in by the side of, and indicates that these teachers had artfully and slyly introduced their false doctrines by the side of the truth in such fashion as to deceive those who had accepted them. Such doctrines are described as “destructive heresies.” They were heretical, because they were false; and they were destructive from the fact that they brought ruin upon all who accepted them, as well as upon those who propagated them. The doctrine to which Peter particularly alludes here led people to deny “the Master who bought them.” (1Co 6:20; Heb 10:29.) There were many heresies afloat near the close of the first century, all tending to this end. The Lord’s deity was questioned by some (1Jn 4:15), his humanity by others (1Jn 4:2). Some teachers then, as now, denied the threefold personality of the godhead, maintaining that there is but one person, with three manifestations. Others held to the doctrine that the body of Christ was not real, but only imaginary while still others, by their wicked and corrupt lives, denied their Master by using their bodies as their own and not his. Reference to denying the Lord by Peter is significant, in the light of his own previous conduct. To him this involved the greatest possible apostasy. But when Peter denied his Lord, the price of redemption had not been paid. How much graver the offense of those who today treat with contempt that precious purchase price! (Act 20:28.)

2. And many shall follow their lascivious doings; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.–The word “lasciviousness” (aselgeia) refers to unbridled lust, abandoned actions of the flesh, extreme wantonness, dissolute habits and all unclean living. These teachers of whom Peter wrote made a religion of lust, and while confounding Christian liberty with license, preached the gospel of libertinism. Errors which allow such liberty have even been attractive to those who live for the world, and many were led to adopt such and to follow willingly and gladly those who propagated them. In consequence, the “way of truth” was evil spoken of, i.e., reviled, blasphemed. Many unbelievers did not run to such excesses, and failing to distinguish between those professors and those who taught the truth, they regarded such conduct as the usual and ordinary fruits of Christianity, and held the institution of Christianity itself in contempt.

3 And in covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you:–Covetousness–unlawful desire for personal gain–was the motive which influenced these false teachers and thus motivated, they used feigned words–words artfully and skillfully forged for the occasion–to deceive those whom they could. These teachers “made merchandise” of their dupes by treating them as merchandise, i.e., as objects by which to enhance their own wealth. Such proselyted only that they might profit, and promised what they could never deliver from motives of greed and avarice. (See 1Ti 6:5; Tit 1:11.)

Whose sentence now from of old lingereth not, and their destruction slumbereth not.–Being evildoers, and therefore under the ban of all who disobey God, their destiny was definite and their damnation sure. (Php 3:19.) Peter solemnly assured his readers that such would not be delayed nor forgotten. “Lingereth not” is from ouk argei, is not idle; and “slumbereth not” is from ou nustazei, does not nod, thus signifying that these deceivers and all those whom they deceived were hastening toward a judgment and a destiny that did not loiter on the way nor nod off to sleep in forgetfulness!

4 For if God spared not angels when they sinned,–In proof of the proposition that judgment against the wicked is inevitable, Peter cites three well-known instances: (1) angels who sinned ; (2) the destruction of the old world in the flood; and (3) the overthrow of the cities of the plain. Angels are created beings, “sent forth to do service for the sake of them that shall inherit salvation.” (Heb 1:14.) They are moral creatures and answerable to God for their conduct, though apparently outside the redemptive provisions of grace. (Heb 2:16.) Thus, when they sin, they are beyond the possibility of salvation. These, despite their rank, the honorable position they occupied, and the holiness they possessed when created, sinned and were not spared. What the nature of their sin was when they sinned and the number of those sinning is not stated. Much speculation has been indulged in regarding the matter. There is a popular view that Gen 6:2-4 involves an unholy association between angels and women, and that the sin of the angels was fornication “with the daughters of men.” This exposition is based on an erroneous view of Gen 6:1-4. There is no reference to angels in that passage. The “sons of God” were human beings. Others, with more reason, have concluded that these angels were the same as those alluded to by Jude when he said that “they kept not their own principality, but left their proper habitation,” and are kept “in everlasting bonds under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.” (Jud 1:6.) Some hold to the view that Satan was a created angel; that he led a revolt in heaven (Rev 12:7); that the occasion for the revolt was spiritual pride and a desire for higher position (1Ti 3:6); and that for such arrogance and presumption he was cast out of heaven. Inasmuch as it is inconceivable that God created these angels wicked, the following conclusions seem certain: (a) they were originally holy; (b) they sinned; (c) the occasion of their sin was in abandoning their “proper habitation”; (d) as a result they were thrust down to a place of bondage. What this place was is designated in the clause which follows.

But cast them down to hell, and committed them to pits of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment; –The word translated “hell” here, tartarosas, does not occur elsewhere in the Greek New Testament. The word is used in Greek mythology of the place of restraint and punishment for the souls of wicked men after death. It seems likely that Peter, writing in Greek, and to people who would be disposed to understand the words of the language in their ordinary signification, here used the word in its usual import, and that by it he intended to convey the idea that these wicked angels were thrust down to such an abode to await the judgment of the great day. Inasmuch as the nature of the place is the same as that which characterized the rich man in torment in Hades, separated by a great gulf from the righteous there (Luk 16:23-26), it is reasonable to assume that the places are the same, and that tartars is that compartment in the Hadean realm where wicked spirits are reserved (kept in restraint) until the day of their final condemnation is at hand. The place is described as “pits of darkness,” from the fact that darkness is the condition which there prevails. The word “pit,” from the Greek seiros, denotes an underground opening or den.

5 And spared not the ancient world, but preserved Noah with seven others, a preacher of righteousness, when he brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly; –The argument–an a fortiori one–continues, and the apostle offers the second illustration of the certainty of judgment upon the wicked. The “ancient world” embraced the people who lived before the flood. Though these people had clear and unmistakable warnings of impending doom, and despite the fact that the time provided them was ample to flee from the destruction which threatened them, they spurned Jehovah’s offer of amnesty and died. Only Noah and his family, consisting of his wife, his three sons and their wives, were saved. (Gen 7:7; 1Pe 3:20.) The account of the flood is recorded in Gen 6:13 to Gen 8:19. Noah is called a preacher of righteousness (Psa 119:172), from the fact that he both preached and practiced righteousness. “Noah was a righteous man, and perfect in his generations: Noah walked with God.” (Gen 6:9.) He was a “preacher” (literally, a herald) of righteousness; he denounced the unrighteousness and corruption about him, and exhorted the people to repentance. Josephus, the Jewish historian of the first century, bears this remarkable testimony concerning him: “Noah being grieved at the things which were done by them .and being displeased at their counsels, urged them to change for the better their thoughts and actions. But seeing that they did not yield, but were mightily mastered by the pleasure of evil, fearing lest they should kill him, he departed from the land with his wife and his sons and the women whom they had married.” (Antiq. I, 3, 1.)

6 And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, having made them an example unto those that should live ungodly; –The historical account of this event is recorded in Gen 19:23-29. As a third instance of the certainty of God’s judgment, the fearful destruction of the cities of the plain–Sodom and Gomorrah–is offered. The prophets cited the destruction which befell these Old Testament cities (Isa 1:9-10; Eze 16:48-56), as also did our Lord (Luk 17:28-32). Jude, with more detail than Peter, describes the event thus: “Even as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities about them, having in like manner with these given themselves over to fornication and gone after strange flesh, are set forth as an example, suffering the punishment of eternal fire. (Jud 1:7.) The “overthrow” which these cities suffered evidenced God’s extreme displeasure with their conduct and serves as a warning of the destiny which awaits those who live in similar ungodly fashion today.

7 And delivered righteous Lot, sore distressed by the lascivious life of the wicked–See Gen 19:16. The case of Lot is introduced to show that God distinguishes between the righteous and the wicked, delivering the former and bringing destruction on the latter. Lot is called “righteous” because he kept himself from the combination of the world about him. The words “sore distressed” are translated from the present passive participle of kataponeo, to wear down, to tire out, to harass beyond endurance. The verb thus denotes the distress which Lot felt at the open and shameless ungodliness which was practiced around him. Most of the distress which he felt doubtless came from the ungodly conduct characteristic of his own family. Though he sought to keep them from the corruption of the people of Sodom, “He seemed unto his sons-in-law as one that mocked.” (Gen 19:14.)

8 (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their lawless deeds):–The parentheses in the text explains the nature of the distress which Lot felt in Sodom. He had himself selected the plain of Jordan and the neighborhood of Sodom on the occasion of the dissension between his herdsmen and those of Abraham (Gen 13:1-13); and when he made the choice it was said that “the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners against Jehovah exceedingly” (Gen 13:13). When the consequences of his choice became apparent to him, it appears that he often desired to leave but was not able. Forced to live daily in the presence of gross and unrestrained licentiousness, and to see and to hear it constantly, he vexed (imperfect active of basanizo, kept on tormenting) his righteous soul with the lawlessness about him. It should be observed that it was Lot who tormented his own soul at what he witnessed. The words describe the pain that a naturally sensitive and righteous man would experience at the sight of such flagrant lawlessness as that which existed in Sodom. Though in the midst of extreme wickedness, (a) Lot was not corrupted by it ; (b) he did not become indifferent to it; (c) he was daily concerned about it. In this he serves as a pattern for us today.

9 The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptation, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment unto the day of judgment;—A conclusion drawn from preceding premises. The Lord can deliver his servants, as illintrated by Noah and Lot; and he does keep the unrighteous under punishment, as evidenced in the cases of the angels who sinned, the wicked, antediluvian world, and the cities of the plain. The word tendered “temptation” in this verse is the same as that translated “trial” in 1Pe 1:6, where it refers to the manifold difficulties which Peter’s readers then faced. This passage is, therefore, an assurance of deliverance to the righteous whatever the danger which confronts them. The words “under punishment” are from kolazomenous, present participle of kolazo, to punish, and reveals that the punishment of the wicked precedes as well as follows the final judgment, a fact also clearly taught in the narrative of the rich man and Lazarus (Luk 16:19-31), as well as in the reference to the angels who sinned (2Pe 2:4).

10 But chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of defilement, and despise dominion.–“Chiefly” (malista), i.e., especially these above all others God will reserve under punishment. In a parallel passage, Jude said, “Yet in like manner these also in their dreamings defile the flesh and set at nought dominion, and rail at dignities.” (Verse 8.) These false teachers of whom Peter writes were not only walking after the flesh they desired the defilement of the flesh which their lusts produced; they greedily reached forth for the unlawful and polluting use of the flesh to which their sin led them. These were evidently guilty of the unspeakable sins and other darker forms of impurity which Paul mentions as prevalent in the Roman empire. (Rom 1:24-28.) Moreover, they despised “dominion,” i.e., they regarded all authority with contempt. Any effort to restrain them in their wild rebellion they despised.

Daring, self-willed, they tremble not to rail at dignities:–Despite the fact that they knew the penalty for their conduct, they defied the Lord; and arrogant, audacious, and proud, they blasphemed dignities–all authorities–without fear. These words indicate the extreme coarseness, insolence, and hardness of heart characteristic of these false teachers.

11 Whereas angels, though greater in might and power, bring not a railing judgment against them before the Lord.–Angels, though greater in every way than these false and designing teachers, do not bring railing judgments, but with becoming modesty and restraint leave such matters in the hands of God. Examples of this attitude may be seen in Zec 3:2; Jud 1:9.

Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary

Turning to the subject of the perils threatening the Church, two are referred to – false teachers, and a materialization of mind which follows on such teaching. As in old days there were false prophets, so we are told there will be false teachers. Hence the necessity for watchfulness. The teachers referred to are those who deny the Lord. The apostle illustrated the effect of such false interpretation by the example of Lot, who, being a righteous man, yet lost his influence in Sodom.

In burning and searching words he described the characteristics of those whom he had in mind. After the severest denunciation he pictured them in their luxurious living, giving themselves over to every form of license. Balaam is given as an illustration of the evil of the love of hire. By two phrases he described graphically such teachers. They are “springs” luring thirsty souls with the hope of satisfaction, but “without water.” They are “mists driven by a storm,” and this tells the deepest truth concerning these men, who, so far from ministering rest and peace, are themselves servants of unrest and disturbance.

We find here no dainty handling of false teaching. The apostle shows that the effect of false teaching is ever the denial of the power of Christ. Denying His Lordship issues in every form of evil. To deny the Lord in any particular is to loosen the bondage of the soul to Him, and to open the door for the incoming of all evil.

Fuente: An Exposition on the Whole Bible

Doom and Deliverance

2Pe 2:1-11

Already the early Church was threatened with destructive heresies introduced by men who desired only their self-aggrandizement. All the Apostles give warning against such, and point to character as the one supreme test of doctrine. The real drift of the heresies is to deny the Master, who bought us as slaves in the market of the world. Of all the bidders, there is none who has bidden so high as he.

Many instances are quoted from the past to prove the fearful judgments which must overtake such false teachers. The angels who placed their self-will in antagonism to their Maker were cast down to Tartarus-a Greek word used only here in the New Testament. The people who lived previous to the Flood, and they who afterward at Sodom disregarded the laws of purity and self-restraint, dictated alike by nature and conscience, were overwhelmed in destruction. But even amid such judgments, God discriminates His Noahs and His Lots, preserves and delivers them, and numbers them among His jewels, Mal 3:17. God has His eye on you and will succor you.

Fuente: F.B. Meyer’s Through the Bible Commentary

Chapter Two – Increasing Apostasy And The Call To Righteousness

False doctrines had begun already to make serious inroads into the churches scattered throughout the world, as Pauls later letters give evidence, and as that of Jude also bears witness. Peter had this in mind when he gave his final message to the saints; but he foresaw even greater apostasy in days to come, and so gave an inspired word of warning in order that the believers might not be carried away by the personality and persuasiveness of false teachers masquerading as servants of Christ.

The close connection between this chapter and the Epistle of Jude has been noted often, and has given rise in some quarters to the idea that one is but a mutilated copy of the other. What we need to keep in mind is that the Holy Spirit Himself inspired both of these writers to portray conditions which the Church of God would have to face in years to come. While they cover the same ground to some extent, there is one very striking difference between them: Peter emphasizes the spread of un-scriptural theories; whereas Jude dwells more particularly upon the effects of these, turning the grace of God into lasciviousness; thus they give a twofold warning designed to save the elect of God from being misled. When once we realize that the Holy Spirit Himself is the Author of all Scripture we will not be surprised to find that He speaks in similar terms through different servants; in fact, we should naturally expect this. The testimony of two men is true, we are told; and by this double testimony God emphasizes those things which we need to keep in mind.

Lessons From The Past For The Present Age

In verses 1 to 10 (2Pe 2:1-10) Peter turns our minds back to conditions that prevailed in former days which have important lessons for us. Let us look at this passage with particular care.

But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them and bring upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not. For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment; and spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly; and turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly; and delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked: (for that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;) the Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished: but chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government. Presumptuous are they, self-willed, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities(2Pe 2:1-10) .

After God brought Israel out of Egypt false prophets rose up from time to time to controvert the truth which He revealed through His specially anointed servants, from the days when Korah, Dathan, and Abiram opposed Moses right on down to the period immediately preceding the captivity of Israel and Judah under Assyria and Babylon respectively. Gods true servants were opposed by these false prophets who sought to foist their own dreams upon the people instead of the truth as declared by those who were divinely enlightened. Similar conditions had begun already to prevail in Christian circles even in apostolic times, and God foresaw that false teachers would rise up throughout all the centuries prior to the coming again of our Lord Jesus Christ. These false teachers come in under cover. They bring in heresies privately or secretly. It is never customary for teachers of error to declare and oppose the truth openly in the beginning. As a rule they work in an underhanded way, seeking to gain the confidence of Gods people before they make known their real views. Such false teachers often hide their doctrinal peculiarities by using orthodox terms to which, however, they attach an altogether different meaning than that which is ordinarily accepted. Once having wormed their way into the confidence of the people of God they go to the limit, even denying the Lord who bought them, and so exposing themselves to the judgment of God. If they alone were thus dealt with it would be comparatively a small thing, but the sad result of their unscriptural ministry is that the weak and uninstructed readily follow the pernicious ways of these misleading representatives of Satan, and because of this the way of truth-that is, the faith which was once delivered unto the saints-is derided and evil spoken of.

We could instance many such cases today in various circles where the greatest and most precious things of God are spurned and held up to ridicule by those who have imbibed false views through giving heed to these heretical teachers. Heresy is like leaven. As the Apostle Paul tells us when combating Jewish legality which was spreading among the Galatians, A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump (Gal 5:9). Leaven is corruption, and its nature is to corrupt all with which it comes in contact. So it is with false doctrine.

Back of every system of error is the sin of covetousness. Men seek to draw away disciples after themselves in order that they may make gain of them, and so as Peter here explains, Through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you. If it were not for the money question one wonders how long many systems of error would survive. Alas, that any should be so sordid as to seek to enrich themselves through the credulity of the souls whom they lead astray. The judgment of such is like a Damocles sword hanging over their heads, and though it seems to slumber for the moment it will not be long before it falls with terrible effect upon all such blind leaders of the blind.

In verse 4 (2Pe 2:4) we are referred to the apostasy of angels. These who were created innocent, followed the lead of Satan and sinned even in heaven. God has spared them not, though they were beings of so high an order; but He cast them down to Tartarus, which is the lowest depth of hell. There they are held in chains of darkness, awaiting the final judgment. It seems very clear that Scripture contemplates two distinct angelic apostasies. While Satan is the leader in both, yet they did not each occur at the same time. Satan himself is not yet bound in Tartarus, nor will he be until he is cast into the bottomless pit, which is prior to the millennial reign of our Lord Jesus Christ, as we learn from Rev 20:1. The angels that followed him in his first rebellion seem to be identical with the demons who have ever been the opponents of the truth of God and who were specially active in opposition to the Lord Jesus Christ when He was here on earth. Satan is called the Prince of the power of the air, and he and his cohorts are still at large and are described as wicked spirits in the heavenlies. They are thus able to carry on constant warfare against the saints. The sin of the angels mentioned hero in Second Peter, and also in the Epistle of Jude, seems to be of a special character and may be that which is referred to in Gen 6:2, where we read,

The sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose. This is admittedly a very mysterious passage, but many have understood it to mean that certain angelic beings, such as are referred to in the book of Job as sons of God, forsook their own habitation and came down to earth and took possession of the bodies of men, stirring them up to unlawful lusts, which resulted in that corruption and violence that brought about the deluge.

When that flood spread over all the world of the ungodly, destroying those who persisted in their opposition to the truth, God saved Noah and his family, making eight persons in all. Noah is spoken of here as a preacher of righteousness. He preached, doubtless, not only by word of mouth but also by his actions. It has been well said that every spike that Noah drove into the ark was a sermon to that ungodly generation, declaring that judgment was about to fall.

Next we have reference to the judgment of Sodom and Gomorrha. These cities gave themselves over to such vileness that God could no longer tolerate their inhabitants, and so He overthrew them, destroying them with fire from heaven, making them an example or a warning unto those who should in after days live in the same ungodly manner. When God overthrew these cities of the plains He delivered just Lot, who, for years, had dwelt in Sodom, though distressed by the filthy behavior of the wicked. We might never have thought of Lot as deserving to be called a righteous man, but the Holy Spirit so speaks of him here. He was a righteous man living in a wrong place; as a result he was in a constant state of vexation; his righteous soul was disturbed continually by what he heard and saw among the people with whom he dwelt. It is noticeable that though he is here designated as just and righteous we do not find his name in the eleventh chapter of the Epistle to the Hebrews. It never could have been said that by faith Lot dwelt in Sodom: it was rather lack of faith that took him there. He hoped thereby to better his worldly circumstances. Finally, when the judgment fell he was saved out of it all but so as by fire. The conflagration destroyed everything for which he had labored during all those years that he had lived in Sodom.

Even as the Lord delivered Noah and Lot before the judgments fell, so now He never forgets His own; and He knows how to deliver the godly out of trials and temptations, persecutions, and tribulations of every kind, and to reserve the unjust until the day of judgment to be punished. Often it seems as though the more wicked men are, the more they prosper in this world; whereas the righteous suffer almost continuously. But God permits trial to come to His own for their discipline; whereas He allows the ungodly to have their fling now, as we say, but they will be judged according to their deeds when at last they appear before Him.

In verse 10 (2Pe 2:10) we have certain characteristics brought before us that mark out these false teachers. As there is no power to hold the flesh in check in the untruths which they proclaim, they secretly and often openly live in the lust of uncleanness, making excuses for their evil behavior. They despise authority and do not desire to be subject to anyone. They are presumptuous, venturing to attempt to explore mysteries which even the most godly dare not look into; they are self-willed, determined to have their own way, and are not afraid to speak evil of those of highest rank, so lifted up are they in their own pride and conceit.

Characteristics Of Apostate Teachers

In verses 11 to 17 (2Pe 2:11-17) we have further evidence of the true nature of these apostates.

Whereas angels, which are greater in power and might, bring not railing accusation against them before the Lord. But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not; and shall utterly perish in their own corruption; and shall receive the reward of unrighteousness, as they that count it pleasure to riot in the day time. Spots they are and blemishes, sporting themselves with their own deceivings while they feast with you; having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; beguiling unstable souls: an heart they have exercised with covetous practices; cursed children: which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness; but was rebuked for his iniquity: the dumb ass speaking with mans voice forbad the madness of the prophet. These are wells without water, clouds that are carried with a tempest; to whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever(2Pe 2:11-17).

While these ungodly men vaunt themselves against all authority, human, angelic, or divine, the elect angels-those who have been preserved by God from falling into sin, who are greater far in power and might than men here on the earth-do not presume to bring railing accusations even against those of their own order who have apostatized from God. Jude tells us that Michael the archangel did not bring against Satan a railing accusation but simply said, The Lord rebuke thee. But these apostate leaders behave like natural brute beasts who are made to be taken and destroyed. These brutes, not possessing intelligence, act in accordance with their own vicious appetites and are imitated by the false teachers against whom Peter warns, who rail against things which God has made known in His Word but which they do not understand. In refusing the truth they, of necessity, will be left to perish in their own corruption, and in due time will be rewarded according to the unrighteousness of their lives. They have lived as though their greatest object was to satisfy the desires of their own hearts. They have counted it a pleasure to riot in the daytime: the night will find them utterly unprepared for the judgment which they have so richly deserved.

As these teachers of error mingle among the people of God they are spots and blemishes, marring and disturbing the fellowship of the saints, giving themselves over to self-indulgence as they feast with Christians as though they belonged to the family of God. Because there is no power in error to subdue natures sinful lusts they are described as having eyes full of adultery; they cannot cease from sin. It is only the might of the Holy Spirit which can subdue and hold in check the lusts of the flesh. False doctrines never do this. While beguiling or leading astray unstable souls-that is, those who are not well-grounded in the truth of God, they prove themselves to be an accursed generation whose hearts are exercised not unto godliness but with covetous practices.

Verse 15 (2Pe 2:15) tells us that having forsaken the right way they have gone astray, following the way of Balaam, the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness. While pretending to be subject to the Lord, Balaam craved the riches which Balak offered him if he could curse Israel for him. As Balaam hastened on his way, lured by the desire of gain, even the beast on which he rode rebuked him, as it beheld an angel of God in the way who sought to turn back the covetous prophet from his path. Men may ridicule and sneer at the idea of an ass speaking with a mans voice, but he who knows the Lord will remember that with God all things are possible.

While the propagators of unholy and unscriptural theories profess to have just the message that men need, they actually have nothing that can give victory over sin or relief to a troubled conscience. They are like wells without water which only disappoint the thirsty who go to them, or like clouds that look as though they might soon pour down refreshing showers but are carried away by gales of wind, and so the land is left as dry and arid as ever. The doom of these misleading teachers is sure. The mist of darkness is to be their portion forever. The sad thing is that even among professing Christians so many are ready to listen to these pretentious vendors of false systems only to be destroyed -at last when they find that they are left without anything upon which the heart and conscience can rest for eternity.

Turning Away From The Truth To The False Philosophies Of The World

For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error. While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage. For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire(2Pe 2:18-22).

It is one thing to accept Christianity as a system; it is quite another to know Christ as Saviour and Lord. Of all who are truly born again it can be said that greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world (1Jn 4:4). These are kept from error as they go on in dependence upon the Word of God as it is opened up to them by the Holy Spirit. But those who have merely taken up with a system of doctrines, however sound, are always in danger of giving them up for some other system and so becoming apostates, ensnared by the vainglorious language of false teachers who allure through the lusts of the flesh by presenting doctrines that appeal to hearts already turned wanton. Those who at one time had seemingly been completely delivered from sin and its folly are easily misled, and made to think that they are taking up with something superior to that which they already possess. But while these teachers promise their dupes liberty they themselves are slaves of corruption, because they know nothing of the liberty of grace, but rather are given to license instead. Overcome by sin they are brought into bondage.

Verses 20 and 21 (2Pe 2:20-21) have been taken by some as teaching that after people have been truly born again they are in danger of ceasing to be children of God and becoming once more the seed of Satan. It is well to observe that the Spirit of God is not contemplating reality here but simply profession. He speaks of those who have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ; that is, having accepted the doctrines of Christianity they have professedly given up the world, its sins and its folly, but there has never been a new nature imparted. They have not been born of God. Consequently, there is always the desire to gratify the lusts of the flesh, and when they come in contact with these false teachings they are easily entangled therewith and overcome, and so their latter end is worse with them than the beginning: that is, having given up the profession of Christianity and taken up with some false and unholy system of teaching they throw off all restraint as to their lusts and live even more vilely than they did before they made a profession of conversion. Of these Peter says, It had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. Anyone who becomes acquainted with the teachings of Christianity knows the way of righteousness. Men may give adherence to that way for the time being who do not actually know Christ for themselves. Of those who have thus apostatized we read, It is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire. Charles H. Spurgeon well said on one occasion, If that dog or that sow had been born again and had received the nature of a sheep it never would have gone back to the filth here depicted. The dog is used as a symbol of false teachers on more than one occasion in Scripture.

The sow is the natural man who may be cleansed outwardly but still loves the hog-wallow, and as soon as restraint is off he will go back to the filth in which he once lived.

Fuente: Commentaries on the New Testament and Prophets

2Pe 2:4

We get but few glimpses into other worlds. What we have seen of them suggests that their moral history strongly resembles our own. Sin and suffering, holiness and joy-these seem to be the words which measure all moral development, and describe all moral conditions.

I. Angels sinned: then (1) earthly circumstances are not the cause of rebellion; (2) the flesh is not the only occasion of sin; (3) nearness to God is not inviolable safety.

II. “God spared not,” etc.: then (1) righteousness is not a variable quantity; (2) law is not partially administered; (3) suffering can never be dissociated from sin.

Parker, City Temple, vol. i., p. 61.

References: 2Pe 2:4.-Spurgeon, Sermons, vol. xvi., p. 931; vol. xxxi., No. 1820; Homilist, 3rd series, vol. iv., p. 108.

2Pe 2:6

I. Our text shows that God’s severity on sin is an awful fact. St. Peter points (1) to the vengeance He executed on the sinning angels. Every argument which can be applied against the ultimate punishment of men applies with equal force against the punishment of the sinful angels. (2) To the destruction that fell upon the old world. It has been computed that the population of the world at that time was as great as now, owing to the longevity of the race; and yet the waters rose until the eight who rode in the Ark were the sole remnant of a world that God had made. (3) To the destruction of the cities of the plain. There were eight saved from the Flood; but in the case of the cities of the plain only four were rescued, and out of the four one was turned into a pillar of salt because she looked back.

II. This particular act of severity mentioned in our text is to be an example for all ages. This is not to be shelved as a bit of past history. It is customary to describe the views of future punishment held by most of us as medival, and to declare that our ideas are mainly gleaned from what monks wrote and said and from pictures to be found in old galleries. I have never yet seen any picture from hand of medival artist half so dreadful as some of the descriptions that fell from our Lord’s lips. Neither Paul nor Peter, nor any of the Apostles, ever uttered such words as leaped from the lips of the Man of sorrows. When God smites Judah, it is that Israel should take warning; and He who hurled the angels from heaven to hell, and drowned the world, and destroyed Sodom and Gomorrha, has power still to smite.

A. G. Brown, Penny Pulpit, New Series, No. 1004.

References: 2Pe 2:8.-Homiletic Quarterly, vol. ii., p. 546. 2Pe 2:15.-J. Edmunds, Sixty Sermons, p. 189. 2Pe 2:17.-J. P. Hutchinson, Christian World Pulpit, vol. vii., p. 92.

2Pe 2:18

False Theories of our Life.

I. There is the epicurean or pleasure theory: “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.” Let us see how this creed narrows down our life to a very point, stripping it of all that is distinctive and elevating, both in range and duration, and shutting us up within the miserable limits of time and sense. (1) It takes all soul out of life. For the soul is its enemy, and a regard for its interests would be the very death of such a life. (2) It takes all heart out of our life. The sensual man is of necessity selfish. He is the enemy of society, the propagator, and patron, and pattern of evil. If all were to follow his example and live as he lives, the world would soon be such that even he could not live in it. (3) It takes also the intellect out of our life. For its own sake at least, there is no recognition of it. It is the minister of sense, the convenient purveyor for its appetites, the demon in the herd of swine, impelling us down the steep of ignominious concession into the foul sea of sensuality and indulgence. (4) It takes all the future out of our life. There is nothing of a pilgrimage here; the man is at home. There is nothing of a warfare here; it is all concession together, all drifting down with the stream.

II. The ascetic theory. As the former theory robs life of its future, this one robs it of its present. The one makes the body everything; the other makes it nothing. That the ascetic view of life is an entirely false view I need scarcely wait to demonstrate. (1) It is not prescribed. The God that made us does not require it. (2) It springs from self-righteousness, and is deeply rooted in spiritual pride. (3) It proceeds on a totally mistaken idea of what sin really is, and of what the Divine Being really intended in making us what we are. (4) It fails to accomplish its professed design.

III. The pantheistic theory. (1) It destroys all individual responsibility in man. (2) It tends to cancel all duty.

IV. The perfectionist theory, or that which teaches the ultimate recovery of all creatures to the perfection of their nature and the highest happiness of which they are capable, and all this, too, it must be remembered, as a matter of necessity, not as dependent on the will of man, but as a certain result of the constitution of the universe. There is no limit to the all things that are to work together for good to the proper persons; but there is a limit to the persons, and that limit is formed by the very nature of God, which binds Him over by an absolute necessity to put a mighty difference between the good and the evil, between him that serveth Him and him that serveth Him not.

V. The theory that ascribes too much importance to circumstances. (1) It tends to make God the Author of sin. (2) It confounds temptation with coercion.

A. L. Simpson, The Upward Path, p. 169.

References: 2Pe 2:19.-Homilist, 3rd series, vol. iv., p. 45; Preacher’s Monthly, vol. iv., p. 129. 2Pe 2:20.-Clergyman’s Magazine, vol. i., p. 189.

Fuente: The Sermon Bible

II. THE EVIL TO COME THROUGH FALSE TEACHERS

CHAPTER 2

1. The source of the evil (2Pe 2:1-3)

2. The lessons from the past. (2Pe 2:4-10)

3. The description of the apostates (2Pe 2:11-22)

2Pe 2:1-3

The Apostle Peter is now being used by the Spirit of God to prophesy. He predicts the coming evil for the professing church, that apostate teachers would do their vicious work. As pointed out in the introduction every other writer of the Epistles bears the same witness and that witness is mostly found in the second Epistles and in the Epistle of Jude. (See 1Ti 4:1-2; 2Ti 3:1-5; 2Ti 4:1-4; 2Th 2:1-17; 1Jn 2:18-23; 1Jn 4:1-6; 2Jn 1:7-11; Jud 1:1.) He reminds them that among their own nation Israel there were false prophets. The false prophets appeared mostly, if not Altogether, when judgment was impending for the nation, as we learn from the prophecies of Jeremiah and Ezekiel. These false prophets opposed the true prophets of God, who preached the God-given message, while the false prophets rejected the Word of the Lord and belittled it. They spoke out of their own hearts and spoke vanities and lies (Eze 13:2; Eze 13:8). Their message was peace when there was no peace. As a result the people of Israel did not believe the Lord and His Word; they rejected Him.

The same, it is predicted, would be repeated in this Christian age, only with this difference, that not false prophets should appear, but false teachers. And as this dispensation draws to its close apostasy would set in. (Consult annotations on 2Th 2:1-17.) These false teachers, like the false prophets, reject first of all the Word of God; they, too, speak out of their own hearts, that is, vanities and lies. As a result they bring in privily destructive heresies. All heresies have but one goal, and that is the denial of Christ and the gospel. Therefore Peter predicts denying even the Master, who bought them.

This is the way of destructive criticism. One looks in vain among the many preachers and teachers who deny the virgin birth and with it the deity of Christ, for one who believes that the Bible is the inerrant Word of God. All those who deny the Master who bought them began with criticism of the Bible, rejecting first the writings of Moses, casting doubt upon other books, and finally abandoning any kind of faith in the Bible as the Word of God. Well is it called the destructive criticism, for it is in the end destructive of everything. It is this which is poisoning everything in Christendom today and there is no denomination in which this leaven is not at work. Thus Peters prediction is increasingly fulfilled in our days and will be much more as this age draws rapidly to its close.

We must also notice that it does not say that they deny the Lord who redeemed them; but the Master who bought or purchased them. The difference between purchase and redemption is, that purchase is general, while redemption is limited to those who believe on Him and are thus redeemed by His precious blood. These false teachers never believed on Him as Lord, and, therefore, they are not redeemed by Him, though He paid the purchase price in their behalf. By denying Him they disowned the purchase. And for such there is in store swift destruction. This pronounces the sentence of eternal doom upon all false teachers, upon destructive criticism as well as upon the cults which teach damnable heresies and, by doing it, deny the Master who bought them.

Here is also a prediction of the wide-spread success of these false teachers. Many shall follow their pernicious (dissolute or lascivious) ways, through whom the way of truth shall be blasphemed. They speak of making the world better, they pose as teachers of morality and righteousness, but their ways are branded as pernicious. How can they be righteous when they deny that which alone can give righteousness to man? How often it has been brought to light that those who deny the truth and yet claim to be teachers of morality, were miserable hypocrites. Unbelief produces worldliness and immorality. Then the way of truth is being blasphemed and that worthy Name is being dishonored.

And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you; whose judgment now from of old lingereth not, and their destruction slumbereth not. The people of God are their prey. They are covetous, seeking their own gratification in money, social standing, fame and everything else that the natural heart loves and desires. All is abundantly verified in the conditions about us. But retribution will surely come upon them.

2Pe 2:4-10

Here we reach the section of second Peter, which is so much like the greater part of Judes Epistle, that critics have claimed that one must have copied from the other. We have shown in the introduction that Peter and Jude wrote independently of each other as the direct instruments of the Holy Spirit. The correspondence of Peters testimony with Judes Epistle is more fully examined in the introduction to Jude.

The Spirit of God calls attention through Peter to that which happened in past history, showing that God deals with apostates who defy Him and are disobedient, while the godly He delivers. In Jude we shall find out, that while there is much similarity, the purpose of the testimony is quite different from that of Peter. First, mention is made of the angels who sinned and who are cast down to hell, the word being Tartarus (the very lowest pit), where they are kept in chains of darkness for the coming judgment. It is evident that this passage does not mean Satan and the angels who joined in his rebellion before ever man was created. Satan and the fallen angels are not now in the lowest pit awaiting there in a helpless condition the judgment; they are not in chains, but loose, and Satan, as the prince of this world, uses his angels in the pursuit of his work. Who, then, are these angels? They are the beings described in Gen 6:1-4 as the sons of God (a term which in the Old Testament means angels) who came down and mingled with the daughters of men. These angels, as Jude tells us, did not keep their first estate, left their assigned place, and by their disobedience became the means of corrupting the race in such a manner that the judgment of God had to act in the deluge.

God has not been pleased to give a complete revelation of this sinister event. That it means this episode is learned that Peter at once speaks of the old world, which was not spared by God, but saved Noah, the eighth person (with seven others), a preacher of righteousness, having brought in the flood upon the world of the ungodly. This testimony is closely linked with what Peter had written in the first Epistle (1Pe 3:19-20). And here we are told that Noah was a preacher of righteousness. He and his house had found grace in the sight of the Lord, while the mass of the ungodly world who rejected His truth and His Spirit, who strove with them, were not spared but dealt with in judgment. It is so now. Another day is coming in which the Lord will judge the ungodly and unbelieving, while His people will be saved.

Sodom and Gomorrah are cited also as examples of Gods holy judgment. These cities were turned into ashes, as an example of all those who live ungodly. The awful fruit of sin in the most terrible, unutterable corruption was manifested in these cities; the same corruption is found still in the world, and that mostly in the great centers of Christendom. (Rom 1:27 mentions the same corruption so often referred to by classic writers of Rome and Greece .) Lot, who was in Sodom, though not of Sodom, is called, nevertheless, righteous, was vexed from day to day with their lawless deeds. The Lord delivered him. It is another warning to the false teachers with their denials and heresies, for the rejection of Gods Word brings in the flood of immorality, licentiousness, and lawlessness.

The God who turned Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, by raining upon them fire and brimstone, will also deal with the apostasy at the close of this age, and with the teachers who deny the Master who bought them, in spite of their self flattery that they are moral. That judgment comes when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ; who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power (2Th 1:7-9). These false teachers sneer at these words of Paul and call them quotations taken from the apocalyptic literature of the Jews, or something else; but the day will surely come when the Lord will vindicate His truth. In the meantime He knows the righteous, watches over them and knows how to deliver them.

2Pe 2:11-22.

This is one of the most solemn portions of the Word of God. It is prophetic, for here we have a description of the false teachers of the last days. Here is a startling picture of the baptized infidels of Christendom. It corresponds in a measure with 2Ti 3:1-5. They are bold (daring), self-willed, and tremble not to rail at dignities. They are unbridled in their talk and in their conduct. They are daring enough to assail every part of the truth of God, they call His revelation a myth, the virgin birth a legend, and despise the atoning work of the Son of God; they do what angels would never do, railing at dignities. (Jude has more to say about this; it is a well-known fact that some of the liberal theology leaders have joined hands with socialism in its worst form, that is, the anarchistic side of it. They speak of helping the masses and they rail against existing law and order, and advocate their overthrow. The ringleader of an attempt in Western Canada against the government was an apostate preacher of an honored denomination. The so-called parlor-bolshevists belong to this class.)

As we read on let us remember that not Peter, but the Holy Spirit speaks. They are compared to beasts, just born to be caught and to be destroyed; they speak evil of the things of which they know nothing whatever. The meaning is that they were never born again, and therefore follow the flesh, though it may be under the guise of culture and learning. They shall perish in their own corruption. They count it pleasure to revel in the day-time, they delight in luxurious and sinful pleasures. More than that, they claim a Christian profession and fellowship, by attending the love feasts of believers, which they dishonor by their presence as spots and blemishes, while at the same time they glory in their deceivings, their false teachings and denials of the Master. The right (or straight) way which they professed to have taken, when they took the name of Christ upon themselves, they have now left, having gone astray. Therefore they have eyes full of adultery and cannot cease from sin; they entice unstable souls, leading them astray as they have gone astray themselves.

They are also following in the way of Balaam, who was rebuked for his iniquity by the speaking of the dumb ass. The love of money controls them, as it controlled the heathen prophet. 2Pe 2:17-18 give additional descriptions of the character of these false teachers. They are springs without water, men look to them for the refreshing water of life, because they profess to be teachers; the hungry sheep look up and are not fed. They know nothing of the water of life. They are nothing but obscuring mists driven by the tempest of their natural hearts. The great swelling words are the divine estimate of empty, human rhetoric by which thousands are swayed, but they are words of vanity, instead of bringing souls to Christ and the knowledge of redemption, they allure them through the lusts of the flesh, while they promise liberty to others, they are themselves slaves of corruption. Such is the character of the false teachers, who deny the Master that bought them.

For if, after having escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ they are again entangled therein and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the first. For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, having known it, to turn back from the holy commandment delivered unto them. Does this mean that these persons were at one time really begotten again, having received life and the Holy Spirit by trusting on Christ? These false teachers certainly were never born again; the description which we have of them is the proof of it. The last verse of this chapter gives the conclusive evidence. Believers, true Christians, are never compared to dogs or swine; they are the sheep of His flock. A sheep cannot be transformed into a dog or a swine, nor will a sheep do what a dog or a swine does. They were therefore never the true children of God. They had escaped the outward pollutions of the world, which is a different thing from the escape of the corruption which is in the world by lust; the latter stands for the inward deliverance by the new birth, the former for an outward reformation which had taken place when they professed the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, when for a time forsaking their evil ways so that they escaped the pollutions. But not having a new nature they became entangled therein and overcome, so that it was worse with them than in the beginning, before they had made a profession. They had known the way of righteousness as made known in the gospel of Christ, but the life which is offered in that way of righteousness, with the fruits of righteousness which follow, they had never accepted by a living faith. And this seems to be the case with the vast majority of the false teachers of today, the destructive critics, and those who deny the deity of our Lord. They were never born again; they never had a true experience of real salvation, hence they are but natural men, not having the Spirit.

Fuente: Gaebelein’s Annotated Bible (Commentary)

there were: Deu 13:1-3, 1Ki 18:19-22, 1Ki 22:6, Neh 6:12-14, Isa 9:15, Isa 56:10, Isa 56:11, Jer 14:13-15, Jer 23:16, Jer 23:17, Jer 23:25-32, Jer 27:14, Jer 27:15, Jer 28:15-17, Jer 29:8, Jer 29:9, Jer 29:31, Jer 29:32, Jer 37:19, Lam 2:14, Eze 13:3-18, Hos 9:8, Mic 2:11, Mic 3:5, Mic 3:11, Zec 13:3, Zec 13:4, Mat 7:15, Luk 6:26, Rom 16:18

even: Mat 24:5, Mat 24:11, Mat 24:24, Mar 13:22, Luk 21:8, Act 20:29, Act 20:30, 1Co 11:19, 2Co 11:13-15, Gal 4:17, Eph 4:14, Col 2:8, Col 2:18, 2Th 2:3-12, 1Ti 4:1-3, 2Ti 3:1-9, 2Ti 4:3, Tit 1:11, 1Jo 2:18, 1Jo 2:19, 1Jo 2:26, 1Jo 4:1, Jud 1:18, Rev 2:9, Rev 13:14

privily: 2Pe 2:3, Gal 2:4

damnable: 2Pe 2:3, Gal 5:20, Tit 3:10

denying: Mat 10:33, Luk 12:9, Act 3:13, Act 3:14, 2Ti 2:12, 2Ti 2:13, Jud 1:4, Rev 2:13, Rev 3:8

bought: Deu 32:6, Act 20:28, 1Co 6:20, 1Co 7:23, Gal 3:13, Eph 1:7, Heb 10:29, 1Pe 1:8, Rev 5:9

and bring: 2Pe 2:3, Mal 3:5, Phi 3:19

Reciprocal: Exo 15:16 – which thou Lev 13:44 – utterly unclean Lev 15:8 – General Deu 13:6 – entice Deu 31:29 – corrupt yourselves 1Ki 13:18 – But 1Ki 18:22 – Baal’s prophets 1Ki 22:25 – Behold 2Ch 18:11 – all the prophets Ezr 4:2 – Let us Job 31:3 – destruction Job 31:28 – for Psa 88:11 – in destruction Pro 11:9 – An hypocrite Pro 19:9 – and Pro 19:27 – General Pro 28:18 – but Ecc 1:9 – that hath Son 2:15 – the foxes Isa 5:20 – them Isa 8:19 – should not Jer 5:31 – prophets Jer 6:14 – Peace Jer 8:10 – for Jer 14:15 – Sword and famine shall not Jer 20:6 – thy friends Jer 23:14 – in the Jer 44:15 – all the Eze 13:2 – prophesy against Eze 13:17 – prophesy Eze 22:25 – a conspiracy Dan 11:34 – cleave Zep 3:4 – light Zec 13:2 – cause Mat 13:25 – men Mat 13:41 – and they Mat 13:47 – and gathered Mat 15:14 – And if Mat 24:4 – Take Mar 4:24 – Take Luk 17:2 – better Joh 10:1 – He Joh 10:10 – thief Joh 16:13 – he will show Act 13:6 – a false Act 24:14 – heresy Rom 14:15 – Destroy Rom 16:17 – cause 1Co 3:10 – But let every 2Co 2:17 – which 2Co 11:3 – so Gal 1:7 – pervert Eph 6:11 – the wiles 2Th 2:2 – by spirit 1Ti 1:19 – which 1Ti 4:2 – lies 2Ti 3:8 – resist Tit 1:10 – there Heb 12:15 – and thereby Jam 3:6 – a world 2Pe 3:16 – unto their own 2Jo 1:7 – many Rev 2:2 – how Rev 16:13 – three Rev 18:3 – the merchants

Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

YET EVERYTHING OF GOD, and therefore good, is counterfeited by Satanic power, consequently chapter 2 begins with a warning. When in old time the Holy Ghost was moving holy men to give us utterances from God the great adversary moved and brought in among the people false prophets. We have many examples of this in the Scripture. In the days of Ahab things had reached such a pass that Elijah could say, I, even I only remain a prophet of the Lord; but Baals prophets are four hundred and fifty men (1Ki 18:22), and even after the destruction of the prophets of Baal there were about four hundred prophets luring Ahab to his death against one prophet, Micaiah, the son of Imlah, who told him the truth; and all these prophets spoke not in the name of Baal but said, Go up to Ramoth-gilead, and prosper; for the LORD shall deliver it unto the kings hand (1Ki 22:12).

Now once again God was giving prophetic testimony by inspired utterances through the apostle and others, and the adversary was preparing to repeat his tactics. Peter therefore warned these early Christians that they must be on their guard against false teachers who would bring in privily damnable or destructive heresies. Satan is never more dangerous than when he works privily or by stealth; when instead of delivering a frontal attack, boldly denying truth, he creeps in on the flank, making merchandise of the people of God with feigned words, as verse 2Pe 2:3 puts it. Indeed the very word translated privily shall bring in means literally shall lead in sideways.

The flank attack invariably succeeds in much larger measure than the frontal attack. Illustrations of this are common. Many years ago, a bold direct attack on the Deity of Christ was launched, and a Unitarian body was formed. It remains to this day a comparatively insignificant movement. Of more recent years unitarian doctrine has been brought sideways into professedly orthodox denominations and the plague has spread like wildfire.

Be on your guard then against these false teachers. They will have a wholly pleasing exterior and their words will be feigned or well-turned-cleverly adapted to throw the simple believer off his guard. They will tell you how they believe in the divinity of Christ-but then of course they hold every man to be more or less divine. They accept the truth of the atonement-as long as you permit them to print it, at-one-ment. They can juggle marvellously with the word eternal and show you that it merely means age-long when it stands in connection with punishment. And so on.

They go even to the length of denying the Lord that bought them. He bought them for by His death He bought the whole of the world for the sake of the treasure hid therein (see, Mat 13:44). It does not say that He redeemed them, for redemption applies only to the true believer. Revealing thus their true character they bring upon themselves swift destruction-which means, not that destruction will reach them in a very short time, but that when it comes it will fall upon them swiftly for their guilt admits of no question, and no lengthy judgment process will be necessary to establish it. Their judgment will not slumber. Yet alas! many will follow them, as we see; and the effect of their heresies is not merely the ruin of themselves and of their dupes but the bringing of the way of God into disrepute so that it is blasphemed. This is ever Satans way. In his blind hatred he may desire to ruin souls, but he even more ardently desires to discredit God and His truth.

God, however, is more than equal to dealing with the situation thus created. He is perfectly able to disentangle all the confusion, as verses 2Pe 2:4-10 tell us. Read those seven verses, and notice that not one full stop comes until the last word of verse 2Pe 2:10 is completed. They are one tremendous sentence. If God spared not the angels… and spared not the old world… and… condemned with an overthrow [the cities]… and delivered just Lot… the Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly… and to reserve the unjust… to be punished. A most consoling fact this for the believer, however fearful it may be for the ungodly.

The god created mentally by modern theology who being too weak or too indifferent, spares everybody and everything, that thereby he may show himself to be love, is no more the God of the New Testament than he is of the Old. The God of the New Testament is the God of the Old as this Scripture emphasizes. When of old the angels sinned He did not spare them, but holds them in chains reserved for judgment. When the ante-diluvian world had filled up the cup of its iniquity God did not spare them though He saved a little remnant of eight souls in the ark. Later He overthrew Sodom and Gomorrha yet He delivered righteous Lot. So it shall be again. He will deliver the godly and reserve the unjust to judgment, and this specially when they are marked by licentiousness and the despising of authority.

However much destructive heresies are brought in, and consequently people are deceived and the way of truth blasphemed, the Lord will know how to disentangle His people and judge the ungodly. We usually find it impossible even to discern, and much less can we disentangle. Who of us, reading only the story of Lot as unfolded in Genesis could discern with any certainty what was his true state before God? He shared Abrahams path for a while, but did he at all share in Abrahams faith? His subsequent history did not look like it, so who of us could tell? Our Scripture however sets all questions at rest. He is pronounced to have been a righteous man, though sadly enmeshed by the world and living a life of continual vexation in consequence. God knew him and delivered him by angelic hands.

What a voice this has for us. How pitiful for us if we get so entangled that, though true believers, it would not be possible for our fellows to decide that we were such except God Himself made a pronouncement on the point. It is intended on the contrary that we stand out from the world clear and distinct as epistles of Christ, known and read of all men (2Co 3:2, 2Co 3:3). This will be profitable for us in the day that is coming. It will deliver us too at the present time from much of that vexation of soul, that mental torment, that Lot suffered. The worldly believer is well nigh the most miserable of all men.

The two evils mentioned in verse 2Pe 2:10 seems always to accompany damnable heresies as their natural result. The flesh finds an attraction in the heresies, because it loves to gratify itself and to do its own will and to despise and speak against all that would hold it in check. The truth puts the sentence of condemnation on the flesh; the heresy on the contrary fosters it.

These twin evils-self-gratification and that of the lowest character, and insubordination under the plea of obtaining a larger liberty-are very prominent in the latter part of this second chapter. The contrast between verses 2Pe 2:11-12 is very striking. These false teachers are but men. Angels who are greater than man in their power and might would never impeach those in dignity or authority, however much they might deserve censure, in the reckless way these men do. But as a matter of fact these teachers, who speak of dignities in a way that would suggest that they themselves were greater than the angels, are really just like-not angels-but natural brute beasts made to be taken and destroyed. The poor animal without reason-for that is what the word brute means-may heedlessly destroy what it is not capable of understanding, like the proverbial bull in a china shop. These men are like that; they violently attack and destroy, as far as words can do it, what they do not understand.

Many teachers there are of modernist persuasion who exactly exemplify this. How trenchantly they attack the old foundations of the faith. What is the authority of a Paul, a Peter, a John or even indeed of Jesus Himself before their slashing words and pens? As a matter of fact however the simplest person, who being born again has become a child of God, is conscious that they have not the least comprehension of that which they attack. The most costly china is to a bull just what the truth of the Scriptures is to them.

Are some of us, who are old-fashioned believers in Christ, to tremble and be intimidated by these assaults? There is really no need for it. It may look as if nothing can stand before them in their mad career, but it is only so because God is very patient and has plenty of time in which to settle accounts. We remember a nursery picture and rhyme book which amused us in childhoods days. There was the story of the bad dog who ran amuck and bit a large slice out of a mans leg. The last words of the rhyme however were:

The man recovered from the bite

The dog it was who died!

We are irresistibly reminded of this by the closing words of verse 12. The faith of God survives in unbroken health; the false teachers perish in their own corruption, and receive the due reward of their unrighteousness.

How terrible is the indictment laid against them in verses 2Pe 2:13-14! The adultery laid to their door may not be literal in all cases, but in its spiritual significance it certainly applies to all false teachers, for they all either teach or sanction unholy alliance with the world. Hence not only do they sport themselves in their own deceits-the foolish ideas engendered in their own minds-but they beguile unstable and unestablished souls. They destroy themselves, but they also bring themselves under the curse of destroying others.

In verse 2Pe 2:15 their secret motives are unmasked. They have followed the way of Balaam. There is then nothing original about their performances. They follow in a well beaten track first trodden by Balaam of infamous memory, who sold his prophetic gifts for money. He was not the first person to prophesy for hire, for this has always been a custom in idolatrous religions, but he appears to have been the first to offer to prophesy in the name of the

Lord for hire. With Balaam the supreme question was Will it pay? If a paying proposition he would prophesy to order-as far as he could. This was terrible madness involving terrible moral degradation. In verse 2Pe 2:12, notice, the false prophets are on a level with the natural brute beasts; in verse 2Pe 2:15 Balaam is below them. A dumb ass was able to rebuke him.

What then is the secret motive behind the many and various onslaughts of the modern false teachers? It is the same old story. The real drive behind them is in this-IT PAYS.

Generally it pays financially. When years ago the late Pastor Russell conducted a great campaign in London, hiring the most expensive halls and advertising on lavish scale, he was reported by a daily paper to have said, that he really did not know what to do with the money that poured in upon him.

It always pays if fame and notoriety is the desired thing. The sensational newspaper always patronizes the man retailing a false novelty. Thoroughgoing modernism is alas! a high road to preferment in ecclesiastical circles.

And when preferred and in high office, what have they to give? Just, nothing. They are wells without water and so no spiritual thirst can ever be slaked by them. They are as clouds carried by a tempest which deposit little or nothing to refresh the weary earth.

Do they accomplish anything? Yes, alas! they do. They speak great swelling [or, high-flown] words of vanity to the ensnaring of many souls. Oh! with what deadly accuracy are the inspired words of Scripture aimed. Certain secular papers have recently been making merry over the amusing medley of scientific jargon used at the recent meetings of the British Association. Great high-flown words were in plenty of evidence; and words of vanity they were also, wherever they touched upon the things of God known by no man but the Spirit of God (1Co 2:11). By these vain words they capture some who have just fled those who walk in error (N.Tr.), promising them liberty.

Liberty! That word has a very familiar sound. Has not someone said to you in effect.- Why be enslaved by blind adherence to a Bible which you imagine to be inspired? Why not adopt the enlightened modern view? Treat it as an ordinary book, classical and interesting of course, but of no supernatural authority. Thus you will emancipate your mind from its trammels and begin to move with full liberty in the vast fields of modern speculation. Oh, how enticing the proposition! How fatally it works amongst well-meaning folk of unsettled minds, just fled from those walking in error and from the gross pollutions of the world, yet though thus reformed not born again. It opens up before them a way, quite high class and scientific, right back into the old corruption from which they had just emerged.

The poor victims of these false teachers, who are thus freshly and finally entangled in the worlds pollution so that their latter end is worse than their beginning, are not truly converted souls, but merely people who through a certain knowledge gained of the Lord are outwardly reformed in their ways. They are consequently likened to the dog and the sow, both unclean animals. Such is dog nature that it has the unpleasant habit of returning to its own vomit. Such is sow nature that however well washed it loves the mire and plunges into it at the first opportunity. The person who may be intellectually enlightened and consequently reformed in outward actions, yet without that fundamental change of nature produced by the new birth, falls an easy victim. The false teacher promises him liberty and by his great high-sounding words of vanity cuts the slight mental leash that held him in restraint, and there he is back again in the old ways of sin, whether vomit-uncleanness generated from within, or mire,-uncleanness from without.

They had a knowledge of the Lord and Saviour, they knew the way of righteousness, they escaped from them who live in error, yet back they went to their own eternal loss. Sad, sad for them, but what pen can portray the judgment that will overtake the false teachers who have encompassed their ruin? In due season it will not slumber, as verse 2Pe 2:3 states.

Fuente: F. B. Hole’s Old and New Testaments Commentary

Timely Warnings

2Pe 2:1-22

INTRODUCTORY WORDS

It has been said that “to be forewarned is to be forearmed.” If God had not told us the things which would surely come, to pass, we would not be prepared to meet them. It is not a delight to know of the days of darkness hovering around us, but it is necessary to know.

1. The sweep and sway of false teachers. The opening verse of our Scripture says, “But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you.”

We remember the words of the Apostle Paul, and how he gave warning that after his departure grievous wolves would creep in to destroy the flock.

We remember also how the Holy Spirit spoke of the Coming of our Lord saying that they shall not come except there be a falling away from us. The word for “falling away” is “apostasy.” In the last days many have turned away from the faith once delivered.

2. The general church conditions which shall prevail in the end times. The Spirit tells us in the Epistle to Timothy that in the last days there will be a form of godliness, and that men will deny the power thereof. This is actually true now. Men have not only departed from the faith, but they have departed from the power of the Gospel. These two things naturally go together. The sad part of it all is that there have crept in unawares into the assembly of the saints people who are ungodly, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy. and these very people carry with them a form of godliness.

The Book of Revelation tells us the story of the Laodicean church which is the dominant church of our own day. They say they are rich and increased with goods. They feel that they have need of nothing, and yet they are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked. The Lord describes them as neither cold nor hot, while He, Himself, is standing outside the door.

3. Why we need to know these things. (1) First of all, we need to know of this general apostate and worldly condition in the church of today lest we ourselves become entangled in the sweep and sway of it. It is easy to drift into worldly pleasures when we are living in the atmosphere which produces such things.

(2) We need to know these things lest we should begin to think that Christ has failed. When our preacher, or anyone else tells us that the work of the church is to save the world, and to bring to society the reign of love, joy and peace, we are liable to become shaken in our faith.

God seeks to fortify our souls against the conditions which will prevail in the last days.

I. THE FALLACY OF FALSE TEACHERS (2Pe 2:1)

This verse, in speaking of false teachers, says that they will bring in “damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them.”

1. The basis upon which damnable heresies are builded. The word “damnable” seems very strong to you, and it is strong. The word should not be commonly used. It is used here, however, because the heresies which the twentieth century false teacher acclaims are heresies which damn souls; that is, they leave the people without God, and without hope in this world, sweeping them on to hell.

These heresies which undermine the faith and destroy the soul have their beginning in the. denial of the inspired Word. “Thy Word is truth.” Heresy is a denial of truth.

The tendency of a godless philosophy such as young people often meet in colleges, and even high schools, is the tendency to dethrone the authority of the Word, and the power of God.

Students are often told that man evolved from some protoplasm, or amoeba; and that mankind, as we see him today, is the climactic work of his own genius. All of this denies the Divine creation on the one hand, and Divine salvation by grace on the other hand.

2. The climax of these heresies is the denial of the Lord who bought us. This is the statement of our verse, and it makes this denial of Christ’s salvation work as the climax and capstone of the damnable heresies. It says, “even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.”

We need to know that in some circles the story of redemption through the Blood of Christ is being utterly repudiated. The Bible says we were bought with the precious Blood of Jesus, a Lamb without spot and without blemish. Modern heresy says, that man is his own savior.

II. THE EFFECT OF FALSE TEACHERS UPON THE PEOPLE (2Pe 2:2)

“And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.”

1. We have before us a deceived populace. They are like a group of dumb beasts who follow their leader no matter where he goes. Their ways, God says, are pernicious, but to the masses they are pleasant, perfumed paths.

2. We have before us the way of truth evil spoken of. As the people follow the pernicious ways of the false teachers they began to reject the True Teacher. Not only that, but they speak evil against the way of Truth.

We remember how our Lord was despised and rejected, His Truth spurned. We remember how the Apostles were imprisoned or slain because of the Truth which they taught. Today there is a set determination on the part of many to belittle and undermine the Truth of God.

This age is ripening into the following condition prophesied by the Holy Ghost through Paul in writing to the Thessalonians: “because they received not the love of the Truth, * * God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a He: that they all might be damned who believed not the Truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.”

We plead with you to walk in the Truth, and to love the Truth which “shall make you free.”

III. THE CLINGING TALONS OF COVETOUSNESS (2Pe 2:3)

It may seem strange that so closely allied to the denial of the truth is 2Pe 2:3. This verse reads, “And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you.”

God places back of these false teachers their love for money, their desire to enrich themselves. In order to accomplish this they use feigned words which belittle the Bible, and deny the Lord Jesus in order to make merchandise of saints.

1. Seeking self-enrichment is always the spirit of the false. We remember how Achan saw the Babylonish garments, the wedges of gold and silver. He saw, he coveted, and he took. God says that these false teachers, being covetous in spirit, adapt themselves to feigned words.

Let me give you an example taken from another Scripture. “His watchmen are blind: they are all ignorant, they are all dumb dogs, they cannot bark; sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber. Yea, they are greedy dogs which can never have enough, and they are shepherds that cannot understand; they all look to their own way, every one for his gain from his quarter. Come ye, say they, I will fetch wine, and we will fill ourselves with strong drink; and to morrow shall be as this day, and much more abundant.”

This is the spirit which dominates the false teacher. He is unwilling to warn his flock of dangers. “He says peace when there is no peace.” He looks for his own gain, and with feigned words he prophesies that everything is all right ahead. “The world is getting better.” “Tomorrow shall be as this day, and much more abundant.”

2. Making merchandise of saints. God does not mince matters when He speaks. He says that false teachers make merchandise of simple-minded saints. They are trafficking in the people who sit in the pews, using them for their own gain. Our verse tells us that their “judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.”

IV. DESPISING DIVINE AUTHORITY (2Pe 2:10)

Our verse speaks of these false teachers as despising government. It says they are presumptuous, self-willed, and “not afraid to speak evil of dignities.”

1. The enthronement of self. We saw this in our discussion of 2Pe 2:3. How these false teachers turn themselves to covetousness!

2. The negation of God. When self takes the throne, God is dethroned. The deification of man is always followed by the humanizing of God. If we worship self, we will refuse to bend the knee to God. These false teachers despise government because they are self-willed.

Those who, according to 2Pe 2:1, deny the Lord that bought them, will certainly not obey Him, nor listen to His commands. Those who enthrone themselves, who are self-centered, self-willed, will by no means seek to know, or to follow the will of God.

There is a verse in Isa 53:1-12 which reads, “We have turned every one to his own way.” When men seek their own way, they seek not their Lord’s way.

The Spirit reminds us that even the angels, who are greater in power and in might, dared not to bring any railing accusations against dignities. Yet, these false teachers speak of Satan and his hordes of fallen hosts as though they themselves could match with the. wicked one. God says they speak evil of things they understand not.

I beseech you to look well into your own hearts. Is there any of that domination of self in your life? Are you rejecting the leadership of Christ? Let us walk carefully for “pride goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.” If we exalt ourselves, we shall be abased.

V. THE REWARD OF UNRIGHTEOUSNESS (2Pe 2:13)

We stand amazed as we read God’s pronunciations against false teachers. Many of us today are willing to walk with them, to sit raider the sway and spell of their oratory, to back by our presence and financial support, their denials of Jesus Christ and of the. Truth.

What, however, saith the Lord? May we tabulate for you a few statements in this one chapter which set forth. the rewards of unrighteousness:

1. 2Pe 2:1 tells us that they will bring upon themselves swift destruction.

2. 2Pe 2:3 says that their damnation slumbereth not.

3. 2Pe 2:9 says that they are reserved unto the day of judgment to be punished.

4. 2Pe 2:12 puts it this way: utterly perish In their own corruption.

5. 2Pe 2:14 speaks of them as cursed children.

6. 2Pe 2:17 gives the climactic statement: “to whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever.”

What can be more terrible than the consideration of these Divine anathemas against false teachers who bring in damnable heresies and deny the Lord that bought them? Surely it is no small matter to deny the Lord on the one hand, nor is it a small matter to have fellowship with those who deny Him, on the other hand.

The Second Epistle of John says, “If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed, for he that biddeth. him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds.”

If we partake with a man in his evil deeds, we will, no doubt, be a partaker with him in the Divine judgments that shall fall upon him.

With all of our being we plead in behalf of fidelity to the faith once delivered, and we plead with everyone to refuse to fellowship in any way anyone who denies that faith.

VI. WALKING THE WAY OF BALAAM (2Pe 2:15)

The second chapter of this Book gives several illustrative pictures of false teachers.

They are likened unto the angels that sin in 2Pe 2:4. They are likened unto brute beasts taken and destroyed in 2Pe 2:12. They are likened unto Balaam in 2Pe 2:15. This list will suffice for the present. The angels who sinned left their rightful habitation. They were called to worship God and to praise Him, but they turned from their high estate, and were cast down into hell, being delivered into chains of darkness.

The “natural brute beasts” of 2Pe 2:12 were made to be taken and destroyed, and God says that they “shall utterly perish in their own corruption.” Balaam the son of Bosor loved the wages of unrighteousness. So do these false teachers walk in Balaam’s lure for gold. A dumb ass, speaking with a man’s voice forbade the madness of Balaam, yet Balaam went on his way seeking to help Balak against the Children of Israel. God save us from the fate of false teachers!

They call it but a patchwork, and a fabricated gem

From the best of ancient stories, disconnected seam and hem;

That a group of fancied authors turned their scrapbooks inside out,

Just to choose fantastic readings from the heathen round about;

That the best of myths, by magic, leaped from many an unknown pen,

And were added to the Bible by some half-ape-budding men;

That the story of creation found within God’s Holy Word,

Is no more than early legend gathered from some ancient hard.

They have relegated Jonah to the scrap-pile long ago,

just because the god they worship, can’t work miracles, you know;

They would take out from the Bible all the words of “Virgin Birth,”

And would give the world a savior who would be of little worth:

They would rob Christ of His glory, and the Christian of his Lord,

And defame the resurrection, and destroy the Living Word;

They would humanize the Saviour, and His Coming would disdain,

While they deify the “scholars,” and immortalize their “brain.”

VII. THE FINAL ANALYSIS (2Pe 2:17)

As the Holy Spirit brings to a conclusion His testimony through Peter against false teachers, He describes them under two pictorial statements,

1. They are wells without water.

2. They are clouds carried with the tempest.

Did you ever thirst for a drink of water only to find the well to which you went dry? False teachers know nothing of the Water of Life of which we drink; and drinking, never thirst. They have nothing of the Bread of Life of which we eat; and eating, never hunger.

They promise liberty, but they themselves are servants of bondage. They speak great words of vanity, and they allure men to follow them, but their words are only vanity without substance.

What have false teachers (and their number is legion) to offer to sinners? They know nothing of a Saviour. They know nothing of the power of a Risen Lord. If they talk to a lost soul in terms of “ethical conceptions” they can never profit thereby.

If they seek to offer themselves as a savior, the sinner knows well enough that they cannot save him.

If they speak to them of the inherent force of their own human nature, and the supremacy of their own good, sinners know immediately that they are drinking from a well where there is no water.

A cloud carried about by the tempest never waters a thirsty land. How often have our American deserts seen clouds borne above them by strong winds. The thirsty land cried. “Water! Water! Water!” Not a drop of water came. People who sit in their congregation, famishing, never receive a drop of water.

The hardest statement, perhaps, in our whole study is in 2Pe 2:22. These false teachers once knew the way of righteousness, but they have turned to follow after fables. God says, “It is happened unto them according to the true proverb. The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.”

AN ILLUSTRATION

THE COMET AND THE SUN

“We gaze more on a comet than on the sun.” This is the reason why erratic teachers are for a while popular, and attract public attention. It is given out that they are “some great one,” and alt the town is staring with open mouth. The nine days’ wonder is every day’s talk. The new teaching is something marvelous, and the old creed is to be driven out of the land. New lights arc to eclipse the old; at least, so we are told. Let us wait a while, however, and the cornet will have vanished, and the half-forgotten fixed stars will be seen to be shining on with unfading splendor.

May the Lord give us such fixed and established judgments that no novelties of doctrine may ever dazzle us. Children are fond of new toys; let us be men and keep to the tried Word of the Lord.”-Chas. H. Spurgeon.

Fuente: Neighbour’s Wells of Living Water

2Pe 2:1. All good things can be abused and that which is true will always have pretenders or imitators. In old times the Lord had faithful prophets and many people learned to love them for their work’s sake. Profiting by the respect that was rightly had for the true prophets, others attempted to put over some unrighteous schemes in the name of prophecy. Among the people of Israel were many false prophets and the number of instances is too great to enumerate, but the one in 1 Kings 18 is a noted case. Likewise in the time of the New Testament Peter says there will be false teachers (one name for prophets). Damnable heresies means false doc- trines that will condemn all who accept them. The apostle specifies one of the false doctrines namely. a denial of the divinity of the Lord notwith-standing that He has bought them with his own blood. Privily means secretly; false prophets or teachers are not usually open ith their wicked works for fear of being exposed by someone who knows the truth. (Joh 3:19-21.) Swift destruction means the condemnation that God will bring on these false teachers: it will be swift in that it will be sure and the Lord will not hesitate to inflict the punishment when the time comes.

Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary

2Pe 2:1. But there arose also false prophets among the people. Israel is obviously meant by the people here (comp. Rom 15:11; Jud 1:5, etc.). As in the former Epistle, therefore, so here Peter regards the N. T. Church as the Israel of God, and finds in what took place within the O. T. Israel an image of what is to take place in the N. T. Church. The but introduces a contrast with what was stated at the close of the previous chapter. There were prophets in Israel who spake from God, but there arose in the same Israel false prophets, and so it shall be in the N. T. Israel. The term false prophet occurs in the O. T. (e.g. Jer 6:13), but is of much commoner occurrence in the N. T. The form of the word leaves it somewhat uncertain whether it means precisely one who prophesies false things, or one who falsely pretends to be a prophet. The latter sense is preferred by some of the best interpreters. The class of false prophets is dealt with in Deu 13:1-5.

as also among you there shall be false teachers. The term false teachers occurs nowhere else in the N. T. As in the case of the false prophet, it is uncertain whether it has the sense of pretended teachers, or that of teachers cf. falsehood. Both amount, however, to much the same. Christ Himself foretells the rise of false prophets (Mat 24:24), and Paul warned the elders of Ephesus of men who should arise within the Church speaking perverse things to draw away disciples after them (Act 20:30).

who shall privily bring in destructive heresies. The who means here rather such as, pointing not merely to the fact that they shall so act, but to their character as such. The verb (which occurs only here) means literally to bring in by the side. It may convey the idea of secrecy or insidiousness, which both the A. V. and the R. V. represent by privily bring in. Compare Pauls use of the corresponding adjective, false brethren unawares brought in (Gal 2:4). Jude (Jud 1:4) uses a different term to express the same idea, and speaks of the event as already accomplished (crept in unawares), while Peter speaks of it as still future. The damnable heresies of the A. V. is an unhappy rendering of the original, which means heresies of destruction, that is, heresies which lead to destruction, or, as the R. V. gives it, destructive heresies. It is doubtful whether the word heresies is to be understood here in the sense now attached to it, namely, that of heterodox, self-chosen doctrines, or in the sense of party divisions. The latter is undoubtedly the regular sense of the term in the N. T.; comp. Act 5:17; Act 15:5; Act 24:5; Act 26:5; Act 28:22 (in all which it is rendered sect in the A. V.), and also Act 24:14; 1Co 11:19 (where it goes with schisms), and Gal 5:20 (where it ranks with divisions). There is nothing to necessitate a departure here from the stated use. For the idea of party divisions created by false teaching suits the context well enough. Some good interpreters (Huther, etc.), however, are of opinion that the matter in view is the opinions themselves, that this is more in keeping with the phrase privily bring in, and that the word, therefore, in this one instance at least, approaches the modern sense.

even denying the Lord that bought them, having brought upon themselves swift destruction. The construction of these clauses is uncertain. It is possible that one or other of the participles stands instead of the finite verb, and that the whole, therefore, takes the form, and shall deny the Lord that bought them, bringing on themselves, etc., or better, and denying the Lord… shall bring upon themselves, etc. It is best, however, to retain all the participles as such, and we have then an intensification of the previous statement. In bringing in these heresies of destruction the false teachers will be even denying the Lord, and their doing so will mean that they have brought doom upon themselves. If Peter writes this Epistle, this reference to the denial of Christ as the climax of all possible evil in faith, becomes doubly significant. The name given to Christ here is the term Master, which is repeatedly used to designate the head of a house in his relation of authority over, or in his rights of possession in, the members of his house (comp. 1Ti 6:1-2; 2Ti 2:21; Tit 2:9; 1Pe 2:18). Christs claims upon them are further described as the claims of One who had made them His own by purchase. Jude (Jud 1:4) omits this notice of the purchase. The purchase price, which is elsewhere stated to be His blood (1Co 6:20; 1Co 7:23; Rev 5:9), is left unexplained. The passage is one of several, in which Christs death is presented in its world-wide attitude, as the means of instituting new relations between God and all mankind. These are balanced by others which ascribe a special effect and a particular design to His death in relation to His own, who have been given Him of His Father. Both must find a place in our doctrine of His reconciling work. As to the swift, see on chap. 2Pe 1:14. As there, so here it means suddena destruction speedy, inevitable, like the lightnings stroke (Lillie).

Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament

Division 2. (2Pe 2:1-22.)

The progress of evil, and the seduction of false teachers.

We come now, in the second division, to look at the development of evil, alas, in what is the professing Church of God on earth; the opposition of the enemy, which we have already learned to be so commonly by imitation of the truth, as well as also by weaving error and truth together, so that the truth shall attract true souls and thus put them off their guard against the error mixed with it. How essentially is the present day a day of such mixture! And how abundant are the sanctions of false prophets at the present time, whether professedly Christian or as nearly as possible assuming a Christian aspect in order to deceive! Man’s will, as we shall find, throughout distinguishes the false prophet, the very thing which the apostle has carefully assured us is absolutely foreign to the true one.

1. Looking back, the apostle reminds those whom he addresses -Israelites, as we know -that there were, there always have been, false prophets among the people. This was not to cease in Christianity, as one might easily think and would surely hope; the brightness and blessedness of God’s grace in it allowing no successful imitation. Nay, says the apostle, there shall be false teachers among you, and that going on to the extreme of revolt against the Master that bought them. He does not say “redeemed.” He has no thought of redeemed people here. Christ has bought everything. The whole world is His, with all that is in it, and not merely as the Creator, but as the One who has paid an infinite price to get it back, as it were, to Himself.* But purchase is not redemption. What it does imply is the right over them of the One who has made this purchase, a right they may deny, as, in fact, those mentioned would deny it. They would develop a spirit of rebellion which would bring swift destruction, not upon themselves alone, but upon all who followed them. Their ways would be ways of dissoluteness, -their own way manifestly, -but which would cause, by the number of their followers, the way of truth to be blasphemed by those who were professed followers of it.** Seeking their own ends, they would be but merchantmen on their own account, making merchandise, with well-turned words, of the people of God themselves, to satisfy simply their own covetousness, their lust of power, lust of money, lust of fame, every other kind of lust that presses upon man. The judgment upon these was ordained from of old, and, as it were, ready to break forth. The patience of God was not indifference, and the seeming prosperity that they might in the meantime have would not hinder the completeness of their final destruction.

{*Thus the whole field was purchased (Mat 13:1-58) for the sake of the hidden treasure -the world, for the sake of Israel. So also in Heb 10:29, apostates are spoken of as having been “sanctified” (set apart) by the blood of the covenant. Of course, this is only external, and has no thought of redemption. -S.R.

**In like manner, the name of God was blasphemed among the Gentiles by the godlessness of the Jews (Rom 2:24). The world is always ready to attribute to the true the excesses of the false imitation. -S.R.}

2. The apostle now exhorts those who might be in danger of being carried away by the false pretensions of such as these to remember the judgment which is already passed upon those who in former times walked in the same course of lawlessness and rebellion against the authority of God. The angels who sinned God has cast down to the pit, delivering them to chains of darkness to be kept for judgment -a company which, as it seems by what is said of them, must be kept separate from the more general class of Satan and his angels, who are, as we know, not in confinement as yet, but going to and fro in the earth and walking up and down in it, Satan himself being the prince of this world at the present time. These, on the other hand, are already in chains, not in hell exactly, which in the force that it has now with us would mean the final place of torment. Here, evidently, is a condition preliminary to the judgment which is at hand for them and for all else, one and the same judgment at the same time. The apostle brings forward again the judgment of that old world out of which Noah, “the eighth person,” -or one among eight, -“a preacher of righteousness,” was preserved, the flood being brought in upon the world of the ungodly. It is the same example that we have had in the first epistle, and evidently used in the same way: not to dilate upon God’s grace to those thus perishing, but the very opposite -to emphasize their judgment, and that, out of a whole world of ungodly, only eight persons were preserved. Next, he passes on to the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah which God had turned into ashes, condemning them with an overthrow, making them an example to those that should live ungodly.* Here, too, was a careful discrimination in favor of the righteous, though it might be only one man who manifested himself really as that. He, too, was in a place where manifestly he had no call from God to justify his being in it. Righteous man he was, vexed with the evil behavior of the godless, and that from day to day, as in their midst he saw and heard what was taking place. But why was he there to vex his soul with it? Yet, after all, though in Sodom, he was not of Sodom, and the Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptation while keeping the unrighteous to the day of judgment under punishment. Even in that preliminary prison-house of the lost there must of necessity be the sense of God’s anger abiding upon those shut up there, although the time of full and final apportionment has not come. The apostle emphasizes two things especially as noted among them -the outbreak of the flesh in its grossest character, and the setting aside of all authority. These two things, of course, necessarily go together; at least, the latter will accompany the former. Thus, then, had God manifested Himself able to destroy on the one hand, able to deliver on the other, and faithful on both sides to His nature and to His word.

{*In the three instances of sin and its judgment there seems to be a development of evil: in the angels, self-will and rebellion are prominent; in those judged at the flood, violence and lawlessness are present; while in Sodom and Gomorrah, it is the abominable corruption of the flesh. Thus departure from God is the beginning of a course of sin which is fully manifested in unutterable corruption. It will also be noticed that, while not in the final place of doom, the penalty and judgment inflicted in each case is irrevocable. -S.R.}

3. We have now the full manifestation of these ungodly ones of the last days. The same general character is seen in them, only ripened in the constant resistance to the longsuffering of God, which is salvation, and to the full light which has come in. This is, in fact, what makes the last days so evil: not that, if you look at the mere outward condition, you could always say that it is worse than what the world has been ever full of; but, as we have learnt in Paul’s epistle to Timothy, the evil has wrought in the presence of the truth, to which, in the first place, it had seemed indeed to be in allegiance, and which, in fact, had more or less control. Thus there was a form of godliness while the power of it was denied. Here we have a similar thing, but with a fuller description, and therefore more loathsome as seen nearer at hand. They are “bold,” “self-willed, they do not fear to rail at dignities,” whereas angels, so much greater in might and power, did not bring railing accusation against them before the Lord.* But these are only as animals naturally, without the constraint of reason or the fear of God, having lost the capacity for communion with Him, and thus all that implied or necessitated continuance at all. They were but as beasts “born to be caught and destroyed,” much lower therefore than the beast, for man cannot sink to them without sinking lower. These, therefore, railing about things of which they are ignorant, will perish in their own corruption. There is in sin a necessary element of destruction. It has no justification of its existence, no right to live, and the perpetual degradation downward tends necessarily to the same thing. Thus they receive the reward of unrighteousness, being such as count it pleasure to revel in the daytime, not in the night, as men do usually for shame. They have learnt to face the light and defy it. Thus they can take their place even with Christians, while mere spots and blemishes upon all the Christian name; reveling at last in their very deceivings at the superior wisdom with which they trick the more credulous souls around them, their very heart going out in their restless eyes, never ceasing from sin, having the heart practiced in ways of personal gain, following Balaam in his path of old, who loved the reward of unrighteousness and walked, with the very hand of God upon him, in the folly of his own self-seeking. Thus the dumb ass was used of God in fitting rebuke to him -a human voice, yet with a beast’s nature; but the beast rebukes the man, as even beast nature does. These, then, are “springs without water,” those to whom men look for something but find nothing of what they want -“obscuring mists,” driven by the storm of their own passions, with divine judgment at the back, unto whom the gloom of darkness is reserved forever. Such is the description of those of whom God’s warning voice would remind men during the time of His longsuffering endurance of them. None must think that He is deceived, or that the judgment which He predicts is a thing that may be slighted or trifled with.

{*Note the contrast here between the unfallen angels and Satan, and presumably all his hosts. He is the “accuser of the brethren.” Man, alas, shows his kinship with this arch railer by doing what the mighty angels do not dare to do. -S.R.}

4. And now the effect of all this upon others is specially marked. “Speaking great swelling words of vanity, they allure with the lusts of the flesh those just escaping from those that live in error,” men under a certain power of the truth, convicted in their own conscience, while, after all, the heart is not drawn to or satisfied with the things of God. Men are forced from evil by the conviction of judgment at hand, and this is the well-known character of so many apparent conversions under the chastening hand of God. They are, after all, driven, not drawn; and thus the lusts of the flesh still allure them. They would love to have the liberty which these men promise them, although, indeed, they are but themselves the mere slaves of corruption, least their own masters when they think most surely that they are that. But thus those who “have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ” may be again entangled and overcome, men at heart halting between two opinions, although the truth has so far prevailed with them as to compel their separation from the very things that still invite them. We must note carefully here that those of whom the apostle has spoken in the first chapter are those who have escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. This is the real Christian character. The heart is satisfied, and satisfied with Christ; and thus they have in them a principle of stability which those spoken of here have none of. They have escaped the pollutions of external things. They have never had their own inner malady healed. Thus, though it be the “knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ” that has done this, they are but dogs that turn back to their forsaken vomit, and, like the washed sow, which one surely knows, spite of her washing, will go back to the mire she loves. It is plain, therefore, that the apostle is, in all this, not contemplating that which could be a possibility to any real Christian. They have reformed, as men say; they know the way of righteousness. They are convinced of that which the light has thus discovered to them; but that is all, and it is plain how in such a condition, when in spite of this they turn back to that which they have left, their last state has become worse than the first. Such, then, is the spreading character of this canker of evil, while at the same time we are made carefully to know how God, has provided for and shields His own.

Fuente: Grant’s Numerical Bible Notes and Commentary

OCCASION OF THE WARNING

We now consider the last division which treats of the occasion for this warning and exhortation, chapters 2-3. In brief, this occasion was in the incoming of false teachers in the church, 2Pe 2:1, whose success is predicted in 2Pe 2:2; whose punishment is certain and dreadful, v. 3-9; and whose description follows in verses 10-22.

We shall not enter upon this description in detail, and, indeed, it presents many difficulties of interpretation. The presence of such teachers, in the visible church, is almost inconceivable, but we should recall what Christ said about wolves in sheeps clothing. Their leading characteristics are carnality (2Pe 2:10), presumption (2Pe 2:10-12), reveling (2Pe 2:13), and covetousness (2Pe 2:14-16), but it is clear that the first-named played the largest part in the power exercised over their followers. Just what the features of this uncleanness were may come before us when we reach Jude, whose epistle contains the same picture of false teachers in about the same words.

CHARACTER OF THE FALSE TEACHING

No portion of this epistle is more important than the last one which we now enter, and which, in connection with the description of the teachers describes their teaching. The latter focuses upon the second coming of Christ (chapter 3).

In the first place notice the second verse concerning the authority of the New Testament as compared with the Old, and how the apostle places his writings on a par with the prophets.

What period is being referred to (2Pe 3:3)? Remember that the last days means the last days of the present age, not the end of the world. What is the subject of the scoffing marking the period spoken of (2Pe 3:4)? Of what fact do the scoffers seem to be in practical ignorance (2Pe 3:5-6)? How will the next cosmic catastrophe differ from the last (2Pe 3:7)? The reference in 2Pe 3:7 is to the end of the world, but this will not be reached till a thousand years after the coming of the Lord. How does this fact seem to be alluded to in 2Pe 3:8? For what reason is the coming of the Lord delayed (2Pe 3:9)? To what period does 2Pe 3:10 refer? We have seen in 1 Thessalonians the distinction between the coming of Christ for His church, and the introduction of The Day of the Lord which follows. This day begins and ends with judgment as Revelation reveals, although between the two series of judgments the millennium intervenes. We have been taught that the prophets see events in space rather than in time, often overlooking intervening occurrences between the objective points. In this way the church period is not alluded to in the Old Testament, while in the present instance Peter says nothing about the millennium. What application does he make of these words (2Pe 3:11-12)? What hope is set before the believer (2Pe 3:13)? With what warning and exhortation does he close (2Pe 3:17-18)?

QUESTIONS

1. What was the occasion for the warning?

2. Name some characteristics of the false teachers.

3. What is meant by the last days?

4. When does The Day of the Lord begin and end?

5. How do the prophets see events?

Fuente: James Gray’s Concise Bible Commentary

Observe here, 1. How the apostle foretels the coming of false teachers into the gospel-church, as there had been false prophets in the Jewish church; no age of the church ever was or will be free of them; but the run of the last times is most likely to have most of these sour dregs. There shall be false teachers among you, false teachers then may find a Scripture-prophecy for their being in the church, but they will hardly find a Scripture-warrant for their being there.

Observe, 2. The doctrines which they will teach; and they are damnable heresies.

Where note, That Almighty God never intended a certain remedy against heresy, any more than he did against sin and vice: It is certain, that there is no certain and effectual remedy against either of them; God does what he sees best and fittest, not what we think to be so.

Note also, That infallibility itself is no effectual remedy against heresy; the apostles were certainly infallible, and yet they could neither prevent nor extinguish heresy, which never more abounded than in the apostles times; St. Paul says, there must be heresies, 1Co 1:19 St. Peter here says, that there shall be false teachers: Now, if there must be heresies and false teachers, either the church is not infallible, or infallibility is no effectual remedy against heresy.

Observe, 3. That Christ is here called the Lord that bought these men who brought destruction upon themselves, denying the Lord that bought them; because none should perish for want of a sufficient sacrifice for sin; Christ by his blood purchased for them pardon and life, to be theirs, upon condition of believing acceptance.

Observe lastly, As the seeds-men, false teachers, and the seed they sow, damnable heresies, so the crop they shall reap, and that is swift destruction; as damnable heresies are brought in privily, so the blasphemous heretic, the seducing heretic, the seditious heretic, brings upon himself swift destruction; sometimes temporal destruction in this world, certainly eternal, without repentance, in the next.

Fuente: Expository Notes with Practical Observations on the New Testament

Destructive Doctrines

In stark contrast to Holy Spirit inspired prophets who spoke true words that gave light, there were false prophets who led the people astray ( Deu 13:1-5 ; Isa 28:16-17 ; Jer 6:13-15 ; Jer 14:14 ; Jer 23:14 ; Jer 23:32 ; Eze 13:1-9 ; Mic 3:8-12 ). Unfortunately, Peter had to warn that there will be false teachers who try to lead the church astray ( Act 20:28-31 ; Rom 16:17-18 ; 1Ti 4:1-3 ; 1Ti 6:3-5 ; 2Ti 4:1-5 ). They would quietly bring in false teachings that would divide the church ( Jud 1:4 ). Usually false teaching is brought in subtly beside truth. They may have denied the Lord through some teaching which destroyed his Lordship (see 1Co 15:1-58 ), or they may have denied him through living lives as if they had not been bought with Christ’s blood ( 1Co 6:13-20 ). Their end was going to be unexpected, yet brought on by their own misdeeds ( 2Pe 2:1 ).

Peter warned that these false teachers would lead many to engage in unbridled lust. People who were not yet Christians would not be able to distinguish between true Christians and those following false teachers, so the way of truth would be spoken against, or blasphemed, as if it were evil. These false teachers lead people astray out of a desire for personal gain. They used words made up for the occasion, which indicates they knew what they were saying was not true ( 2Co 2:17 ; 2Th 2:5 ; 1Ti 6:3-5 ; Tit 1:9-11 ; Jud 1:11 ; Jud 1:16 ). God has always held such false teachers in contempt. Their lives are headed down a path of destruction and their punishment neither loiters along the way nor nods off to sleep ( 2Pe 2:2-3 ; Php 3:18-19 ).

Fuente: Gary Hampton Commentary on Selected Books

2Pe 2:1. But Now that I am speaking of the divinely-inspired Jewish prophets, whose writings you must give heed to, I must remind you that there were also false prophets among the people Of Israel, whose doctrine and pretended predictions were to be disbelieved and disregarded, and whose society was to be shunned. Under the name of false prophets, that appeared among the Israelites of old, those that even spake the truth, when God had not sent them, might be comprehended; and also those that were truly sent of him, and yet corrupted or softened their message. Even as there shall be false teachers As well as true; among you Christians. The entrance of false teachers into the church of Christ, their impious doctrines, their success in perverting many, and the influence of their doctrines in corrupting the morals of their disciples, were all very early made known by the Spirit to the Apostle Paul, as we learn from his speech to the elders of Ephesus, and from his epistles to the Thessalonians, to Timothy, and to Titus. The same discoveries were made to the Apostles Peter, John, and Jude, who, as well as Paul, published them in their writings, that the faithful might oppose these false teachers, and confute their errors, as soon as they appeared. Peter, therefore, here records the revelation which was made to him concerning the false teachers who were to arise in the church, and concerning their destructive ways. But, lest the prospect of these great evils should grieve the faithful too much, as suggesting a fear that God had forsaken his church, he observes, by way of preface, that such a thing was not unexampled; because that, together with many true prophets, there were also many false ones in Gods ancient church, which, however, God had not therefore forsaken, but continued to superintend and take care of it. Who privily shall bring in Into the church; damnable, or destructive heresies As signifies; understanding by the word heresies not only fundamental errors in doctrine and practice, but divisions and parties occasioned by them, formed among the faithful. See note on 1Co 11:18-19. Even denying the Lord that bought them They either, first, by denying the Lord, introduced destructive divisions, or they occasioned first those divisions, and then were given up to a reprobate mind, even to deny the Lord, both by their doctrine and their works. By the Lord here may be understood either the Father, who hath redeemed mankind by the blood of his Son, or the Son, who hath bought them with his own blood. Observe, reader, the persons here spoken of as denying the Lord, and therefore as perishing everlastingly, were nevertheless bought by him; by which it appears that even those who finally perish were bought with the blood of Christ; a full proof this of the truth of the doctrine of general, redemption. And bring upon themselves swift destruction Future and eternal misery.

Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

2 Peter Chapter 2

The next two chapters set before us, on the other hand, the two forms of evil that characterise the last days-the false and corrupt teaching of bad men, and the unbelief which denies the return of the Lord on the ground of the stability of the visible creation. The former really denies the Master who bought them. It is no question here as to the title of the Lord, nor of redemption. The simile is of a master who has purchased slaves at the market, and they disown and refuse to obey him. Thus among the converted Jews there would be false teachers, who disowned the authority of Christ-His rights over them. Many would be led away by them; and as they bore the name of Christians, the way of truth would be bought into disrepute by their means; while in fact, by their covetousness and hypocritical words, they would make merchandise of Christians for their private gain, count them as mere instruments of it. But the resource of faith is always in God. Judgment would overtake them. The examples of the fallen angels, of Noah and the deluge, of Lot and Sodom, proved that the Lord knew how to deliver the righteous out of their trials, and to reserve the unrighteous for the day of judgment.

That which would characterise this class of evildoers would be the unbridled license of their conduct. They would indulge their carnal lusts, and despise all authority in a way that angels would not dare to do. Still they would call themselves Christians and associate with Christians in their love-feasts, deceiving their own hearts, addicting themselves continually to evil, promising liberty to others, but themselves the slaves of corruption.

Now, to be thus re-entangled in evil, after having escaped it through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour, was worse than if they had never known any thing of the way of truth. But it was according to the true proverb-The dog had returned to his own vomit, and the sow that had been washed, to her wallowing in the mire. They were apostates therefore, but here the Spirit of God does not so much point out the apostacy as the evil, because the government of God is still in view. In Jude the apostacy is the prominent thing. Peter tells us that the angels sinned; Jude, that they kept not their first estate. But God will judge the wicked.

Fuente: John Darby’s Synopsis of the New Testament

ARGUMENT 2

FALSE TEACHERS IN THE GOSPEL DISPENSATION

1. In the old dispensation false prophets swarmed like locusts. If God had not spoken we never would have known that they had lived or died because they were the popular and influential preachers, much beloved and appreciated. Jesus said unto His disciples, Woe unto you when all men speak well of you, for so they spoke of the false prophets who were before you, thus revealing the fact that the false prophets were the beloved pastors, well spoken, while Gods prophets were the incorrigible cranks, disturbing the Church by their fanaticism, suffering terrible persecutions and sealing their faith with their blood. Were they not avowedly prophets of Baal? But Baal is a Hebrew word which means Lord, in contradistinction to Jehovah, the excarnate Christ of the Old Testament. Those false prophets claimed to be true, and they thought that Gods prophets were false. The simple fact of these false prophets is, they preached a bloodless and spiritless religion. They despiritualize the plan of salvation. Their successors are all round us, pursuant to Peters prophecy; their name is legion. Truly they have flooded the world with damnable heresies, which largely constitute the popular preaching of the day. Denying the Lord that bought them, they bring on themselves swift destruction. Satan fought four thousand years against the Fatherhood and broke down the divine Fatherhood, receiving full recognition before the incarnation. When God came incarnate he turned all his battering rams against the Sonship of God, dividing the Church into Arians and Trinitarians, the war sweeping hot through ten centuries. On that line he suffered signal defeat, the Christhood of Jesus signally triumphing. We are now in the midst of Satans last war period, i.e., against the Holy Ghost, the third person in the Trinity. He is stirring earth and hell against the Holy Ghost. When he suffers defeat on this battlefield, as soon he will, the apocalyptic angel will come down and chain him, and lock him up in hell.

The false teachers of the present day are preaching a bloodless religion, and fighting holiness, i.e., the personal Holy Ghost, just as their predecessors in the early centuries fought the divinity of Christ and four thousand years ago the Fatherhood of God.

2. Many will follow their impurities; through them the way of truth will be evil spoken of. They preach the doctrine of impurity, i.e., a sinning religion which, of course, suits the carnal mind.

3. And in their covetousness they will sell you by their soft words. How signally Peters prophecy is this day fulfilled. These anti-holiness preachers please the people with an impure gospel which tolerates sin in some form, and in this way they sell their congregations to the devil for filthy lucre. The picture is awful but the fact is worse. How many preachers, if paid money enough, will let their own members slip through their fingers into hell. These are the false prophets of the present, seen by Peters prophetic eye, and discerned by the Holy Ghost. For whom, i.e., these counterfeit preachers, who in their covetousness sell the people to the devil by their soft speeches. Judgment of old tarrieth not and their destruction slumbereth not. So surely as God is true an awful retribution is destined to overtake these men. God never forgets anything. Peter reminds us of the horrible judgments which overtook their predecessors.

4. In confirmation of the awful judgments awaiting the false preachers and teachers of the Gospel dispensation, Peter reminds us of the angels who sinned and were cast down to hell, destined to meet their appalling doom when they stand before the great white throne.

5. He portrays before us the dismal doom of the wicked antediluvians, where bloodless religion prevailed over holiness, especially after the holy people committed the sad mistake of intermarrying the wicked race of Cain, the great patriarch of bloodless religion.

6. Sodom and Gomorrah, whose very sites are now covered by the Dead Sea, are an everlasting reminiscence of divine retribution. Even Jericho, fifteen miles up the Jordan Valley, the successor of Sodom, was shouted down, and prohibited ever being rebuilt.

7, 8. Lot is here commended as a preacher of righteousness, true to God amid the iniquities of Sodom. He belonged to the patriarchal dispensation under which God called and sent His preachers, as under the Gospel.

9. Peter testifies to the perfection of the divine administration in rewards and punishments.

10. Especially those going after depravity in the lust of pollution, and despising lordship, i.e., the divine sovereignty. Dominion is kuriotees, from kurios , Lord, and means lordship, i.e., Gods government, i.e., holiness. These carnal preachers despise and reject it with contempt. Audacious darers, they tremble not at glories speaking evil. Such is their audacity that they criticize and speak evil of the glory which holiness gives.

11. The angels who are greater in power and majesty than men tremble with awe at the very thought of the slightest infringement on the divine administration.

12. But these (false teachers) are irrational animals, having been naturally born for capture and destruction, speaking evil of those things in which they are ignorant, shall even be corrupted in their own corruption. This is certainly an appalling picture, describing these false teachers as irrational animals which are brought into the world, like bears and deer, to be caught and eaten without mercy. So the counterfeit preachers, carnal, worldly, and opposed to holiness, are to be caught by devils and devoured in hell.

13. Receiving the reward of unrighteousness, considering luxury, which is through the day (as well as night) their pleasure, i.e., they make temporalities, fine salaries, and luxuriant living, their chief desideratum. Spots and blemishes swelling in their delusions feasting along with you. As they are the chief ministers, of course they are with you, not only in the sacraments, but in the church festivals, fetes and receptions, though so corrupt that the Holy Ghost anathematizes them as spots and blemishes. Satan has so wrapped them in his delusions as not only to fill them with self-confidence, but inflate them with the most imperious egotism.

14. Having eyes full of an adulteress, and can not cease from sin. Throughout the Bible Gods Holy Church is represented by a pure virgin, while the counterfeit church is symbolized by a harlot. These carnal creatures are devout servitors, not of God, but of the fallen ecclesiasticism, here denominated an adulteress. We now live amid the awful fulfillment of this prophecy. Every young preacher is forced to face the emergency and decide between God and fallen churchism, i.e., the adulteress, settling the question whether he will be loyal to the Holy Ghost or to some one of Babylons daughters. In his conservatism and rigid loyalty to the adulteress, i.e., the fallen church, of course he can not cease from sin. Beguiling unestablished souls in the economy of grace. When regenerated people get sanctified they must move forward into the establishing grace, or get caught in some of Satans traps, especially those set and manipulated by his unconverted preachers, with whom the world is flooded. Having a heart which has been made fat with covetousness, the children of the curse. These preachers are actuated by the love of money, big salaries, fine houses, luxurious living, social position, pomp, pageantry and popularity. Children of the curse, is an orientalism, significant of the most appalling divine retribution.

15. Leaving the straight way they have wandered off. We see in 2Pe 2:21 that these preachers were once converted, but backslid because they would not seek sanctification. Hence they have become false prophets and money lovers, like Baalam.

16. Who, despite the miraculous rebuke of the donkey on which he rode, persisted in his enterprise, cursing Israel, for Baal likes gold. Myriads are the followers of Baalam this day, who, despite all of Gods faithful warnings, persist in cursing Israel, i.e., Gods holy people, in order to please the fallen churches and get their gold. Despite of all of Baalams good resolutions, he fell in the Moabitish war, fighting against Israel, and lost his soul. So these anti-holiness preachers, despite a thousand conscientious compunctions, providential warnings and spiritual awakenings, predominated by the love of gold, continue to curse Israel, till they drop into the pit. As in case of Baalam, of course, God turns their cursing into a blessing to His true people, causing the wrath of man to praise Him. It is wonderful how God uses the opposition to confirm His true people and scatter holiness over the earth.

17. These are fountains without water and mists driven away by the storms. In vain do the people look to these preachers for the water of life to revive their famishing souls, for they have not a drop. We hear them preach, but receive not a drop of water or a crumb of bread to satisfy hunger and thirst. When they rise in the pulpit the people hope they will send down a rain to save their famishing gardens and fields; but how badly are they disappointed. They have neither rain nor dew. For whom the blackness of darkness has been reserved. We see here in the clear revelation of the Holy Ghost the preachers hell is the blackest, darkest, deepest and hottest abyss in the dismal regions of irretrievable woe. In my humble way I have been a preacher forty-three years. Good Lord, deliver me from a preachers hell! I would prefer that of any other reprobate in all the gloomy dungeons of damnation. An apostle lost his religion and went to hell for money. I doubt whether any other apostle has a larger ministerial following this day than Judas. Oh, the preachers who for the love of money oppose holiness.

18. Speaking great swelling words of vanity through the lusts of the flesh, by their impurities they beguile those who have but slightly escaped, being exercised in the delusion. These are the men who preach grand, eloquent sermons, containing everything but Gospel, which Paul says is Gods dynamite unto salvation to the believer, thus speaking great swelling words of vanity, i.e., preaching these eloquent, despiritualized and degospelized sermons, to feed the vanity of the carnal people who pour out their gold, till they live like kings. Meanwhile their poor souls slip through their fingers into hell. If you have not been converted, sanctified and established in holiness, you are very likely to be caught by the sophistical eloquence, soft palaver, etiquette, socialism, mannerism and galvanized diabolism of these men, led away, alienated from God, your experience evanesced, your soul lulled to sleep, till you wake up in hell.

19. Promising them liberty they themselves being the slaves of corruption, for to whatsoever any one has been made inferior, to this he has become enslaved. These carnal preachers denounce holiness as narrow, fanatical, illiberal and cranky, alluring the people with their generous proclamation of liberty, thus in fact teaching a broad way to heaven, flatly contradicting Jesus, amid all their boasted proclamations of liberty, themselves are the slaves of their own carnal appetites and corrupt predilections, from which nothing but entire sanctification can deliver. They are utterly ignorant of the freedom which belongs only to God, and becomes His gracious gift to the wholly sanctified.

20. This verse justifies the conclusion that these false preachers have once known the Lord, but as hopeless backsliders are now in an infinitely worse condition than before they were converted.

21. For it were better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than knowing it to turn from the holy commandments, having been delivered unto them. This verse furnishes us the key which unlocks the sad problem and reveals the mournful secret of the miserable condition and appalling doom of these false teachers (2Pe 2:1), certifying that they backslide and become confirmed reprobates, because they turned away from the holy commandment which was delivered unto them, i.e., they backslide because they did not get sanctified; became carnal, worldly and covetous. Meanwhile they gather up great libraries, study hard, becoming able pulpit orators, standing in the front of the clerical ranks.

22… The dog having returned to his own vomit and the sow that was washed unto the wallowing of the mire. The metaphors vividly enforce the indisputable possibility and fearful probability of apostasy. The dog gets terribly sick and vomits. What a vivid picture of a true penitent down at the mourners bench, vomiting up his sins. How strange to see the same dog ere long go back and eat up his vomit, and still more so to see a man who has been born from above, going back and taking up his old sins, which he vomited out when he drank the bitter cup of repentance. While the preachers here described in Peters prophecy are backsliders for the want of sanctification, doubtless many of their comrades never did know the Lord. Rest assured we are living amid the momentous fulfillment of these terrible latter day prophecies.

Fuente: William Godbey’s Commentary on the New Testament

2Pe 2:1. False teachers who bring in damnable heresies. Sects leading to perdition, and to the extreme of punishment. Who were they? They were yet to come, in part; the roots only began as yet to shoot; hence the apostle says, there shall be false teachers among you. Now these were roots, or offsets of the gnostics or knowing ones. This sect boasted of superior knowledge, and assumed superior liberty. They broke through the oriental restraint, and introduced women to their feasts. There was no crime that they did not glory to commit. The bacchanalians of Rome, described by Livy in the darkest shades, seem to have received their maxims from this sect by means of a Greek who brought the curse to Rome. The mysteries of their orgies were concealed under the idea of music rooms. The senate most laudably condemned them to death and banishment, being guilty of a singular system of drunkenness, whoredom, and murder. But what had they to do with the christian church; because, as they plagued the world prior to christianity, and perpetuated their system for ages, they could not fail to be known? Answer: some of those hypocrites crept in privily as teachers to make a gain of godliness, and to deceive the unwary.

The Cerinthians may also be alluded to by St. Peter. This sect despised baptism. Epiphanius heres. 28. They affirmed that Jesus Christ was a mere man. Iren. ib. 1. c. 25. They abused the doctrine of the millennium, as an age of carnal pleasure. Irenus says that St. John seeing Cerinthus in the bath at Ephesus, said on perceiving him, Let us go out quickly, lest the building should fall and crush us. Lib. 3.

The Carpocratians were another sect who greatly troubled the primitive church; and the heathen often confounded the morals of the one with the other. This sect rejected the old testament, and said that the decalogue, or ten commandments, were not binding upon christians. Epiph. heres. 13. They affirmed that Jesus was the son of Joseph; and differed from other men, only by surpassing them in impiety. They did more; they said that the difference between good and evil was only in opinion, and consequently launched the reins to corruption, and brought upon themselves the destruction foretold in this chapter, and by St. Paul, and St. Jude. Now, as the christian church encreased in number and in wealth, these heretics often brought upon them very great shame and grief, denying the Lord that bought them.

St. Peter had in his eye, through the Spirit of prophecy, the Arian apostasy, which caused the candlestick to be removed from the east, and the mosques of mahomet to succeed the temples of the Lord. Happily, as Eusebius remarks, the churches in the western empire were warned on the breaking out of this controversy to hold fast the pure faith as once delivered to the saints. This alarum of the venerable apostle is to be associated with the voice of Christ. Mat 24:11; Mat 24:24. Also of Paul, in Act 20:29-30, 2Th 2:3, 1Ti 4:1.

2Pe 2:3. Through covetousness, or greediness, shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you; but their long-impending judgment doth not linger, neither doth their destruction slumber. The character of a true teacher is to be known by this one test, whether he be seeking the salvation of souls, or his own sordid gain. The false prophets alluded to, were those of Jezebel and of after times, walking in their imaginary revelations. The same illusive spirit in men called christian teachers, differed only in circumstances, not in character; they were wolves in sheeps clothing.

2Pe 2:4. God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness in Tartaro adstrictos tradit, restricted them to Tartarus to be reserved unto judgment. As St. Peter uses the word Tartarus, and as it is the prominent word in the poets for hell, neid. 6., I can see no reason why it should not be retained in modern versions. As the fall of angels led to the fall of Adam, it is probable that the patriarchs knew more facts by revelation and by tradition than are come down to us. It is said, they sinned they kept not their first estate they abode not in the truth; that all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. This, according to the fathers, and largely so in our Milton, Satan refused to do. But those apostate teachers did worse; they denied the Lord that bought them, and denied him after knowing the way of truth!

2Pe 2:9. The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations. The sacred writer knew from painful experience that the godly in the present life are exposed to the power of temptation, and that the Lord only can effect their deliverance. Christ himself was tempted in the wilderness; but when the prince of this world came he found nothing in him favourable to his designs, and temptation had no power over him. It is not so with his servants; in them the evil one finds much moral weakness, a comparative ignorance of his devices, a relaxation of their watchfulness, a party within ready to listen to the voice of the charmer, who therefore finds but little difficulty in drawing them into his snare, and entangling them in his net. But He who knows the weakness of the tempted, and the power of the adversary, knows also how to deliver the godly out of temptation, either by enabling them to resist and to overcome, or by making a way for their escape.

When Satan desired to have Peter, that he might sift him as wheat, Jesus prayed for him that his faith might not fail, and at length delivered him out of temptation by a look of mercy in the hall of the highpriest. And still all our safety depends on his intercession, which brings to our aid the succours of his Spirit, and the merciful interpositions of his providence. He delivered Noah, as mentioned in this chapter, by bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly. He delivered Lot, by turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes: 2Pe 2:5-7. And if we keep the word of his patience, he will also keep us from the hour of temptation. Rev 3:10. Our great Highpriest before the throne having himself suffered, being tempted, is able to succour them that are tempted. Heb 2:18; Heb 4:15.

2Pe 2:10. That walk after the flesh and despise government. The Jews, at the time of the writing of this epistle, were beginning the war against the Romans. The old proverb was realized in them: He whom God destroys is first mad. The reins were launched to passion, and the tongue to infamy.

2Pe 2:14. Having eyes full of adultery. The Latin versions read, adulteries, for some copies have the word in the plural: is literally adultress. But vices and virtues being clothed by the ancients in the feminine dress, the sin seems to be so designated here. Those false teachers, the vermin of the primitive church, like the sons of Eli at the altar, had their eyes and hearts, even in the lovefeasts, wandering after the objects of desire. And that cannot cease from sin. Non cessantes peccato, that do not cease from sin.

Beguiling unstable souls: , a fishermans phrase, that as he angles, so those men seduce souls by the bait of present or of promised pleasures. It is said of antichrist in the latter day, Neither shall he regard the desire of women. Dan 11:37. Or he shall disregard the hallowed bonds of wedlock. Greedy of gain, the more to support their sinful desires, they are cursed children, sons of excision, who shall be cut off from the house and altar of the Lord. Jude, writing nearly at the same time, and of the same apostates, calls them clouds without rain, and wells without water; true wisdom is not in their breast. What more can we say? Is not the best comment we can give of men so depraved, a horror of all the miseries into which they are plunged, and a terror of the judgments suspended over them by a vindictive God.

REFLECTIONS.

St. Peter having declared the true faith on which the church is built, raises a strong voice against the false and profligate teachers and heretics, whom he foresaw would attempt to overthrow it by denying the Lord of glory, who had given his life a ransom for men. This is a sin which comprises the essence of every crime; if the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do? And would he not have been equally moved, had he lived to the present evil times, to see a multitude of learned professors in the colleges of Europe joining their voices with Arians, Socinians, and others, to overthrow the faith once delivered to the saints. For the present, they speak rather in the dark, but resemble the ancient heretics in being greedy of gain, and die leaving heaps of gold for their heirs, because they know not the charity of him who was delivered for our offences, and raised again for our justification.

Fuente: Sutcliffe’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

2Pe 2:1-9. As there were false prophets in Israel, so there will arise false teachers among the faithful. (Writing from the assumed standpoint of the apostolic age, he projects their coming into the future; in 2Pe 2:10 they are regarded as already active; cf. 2Pe 3:3; 2Pe 3:17.) By their vicious lives they will deny the Master who bought them. Many will follow them, thus causing the Gentiles to blaspheme the Church. But their punishment is certain. Gods judgment on sin, pro nounced long ago, has always been and still is fulfilling itself; witness the judgment on the angels that sinned, on the world in the days of the Flood, and on Sodom and Gomorrah. But, as God saved Noah an

d Lot, so He will always save the godly, while keeping the unrighteous under punishmentas the fallen angels are kept in pits of darkness until the final judgment day. (Cf. Enoch 10:12, 5:43.)

The whole passage should be compared with Jud 1:4-7. For the reference to Israel in the wilderness, which Jude places first, 2 P. substitutes the Flood, placing it, to secure chronological sequence, after the fallen angels. He also adds, in order to soften the severity of Jude, the two cases of mercyNoah, who in accordance with later Jewish tradition (cf. Josephus, Ant. I. iii. 1) is described as a preacher of righteousness, and Lot; for just Lot, cf. Wis 10:6.

2Pe 2:4. The sin of the fallen angels is not specified, but was traditionally connected with Gen 6:1-4*. Judes account of the sin of the angels is fuller, and shows dependence on Enoch (see on Jud 1:6). Here, as elsewhere (see on 2Pe 2:11; 2Pe 2:17), 2 P. shows more reserve than Jude in the use of the Apocrypha.

Fuente: Peake’s Commentary on the Bible

But the true government of God has been hated and rejected -even by men claiming to be Christian. Peter, a true prophet, has forewarned of this in this chapter; and the day has come of which he has prophesied. As there were false prophets among the children of Israel in the Old Testament, so there are false teachers today, their number multiplied astonishingly. In subtle, insidious ways they introduce destructive heresies. Heresy may not at first be actually wicked teaching, but teaching of a sectarian character, using truth out of proportion, pressing a certain line to the exclusion of another line. When this is accomplished, then the repulsive, wicked doctrine follows, for souls have then been snared. And the denial of the Lord (or Master) who brought them is most flagrant, even at the time they pretend to honor Him. It is said that the Master bought them, not redeemed them. By His death He has “bought the whole world (“that field,” as Mat 13:44 expresses it); but redemption applies only to those who are truly born again. If evil teachers seem to prosper for a time, yet their end is swift destruction.”

Sadly, the number of followers of false teachers is many, and because of their corrupt religious pretensions, the ungodly world itself speaks evil of Christianity: for the world does not discern between what is true and what is corruption of the truth. This is a painful trial for the godly.

But more than that, these teachers will seek to use believers as cunningly as possible, manipulating the truth by smooth words, that they may gain an advantage at the expense of believers. But God takes account, and will not delay their judgment. Their destruction may seem far off, but it “slumbereth not:” it is nearer than we may feel it to be.

Now three distinct records of God’s judgment are referred to, to enforce the fact that sin in any sphere will not escape the judgment of God, whether it be, first, among the highest dignitaries — -even angels;– or secondly, though the whole world embraces it; or thirdly, though in a limited, local area.

Angels were not spared: there was no salvation for any of them. These were cast down to the deepest pit of gloom. They are those of course who followed Satan’s lead. These spoken of are bound in chains of darkness in view of judgment. We may wonder as to why other evil spirits are evidently allowed some freedom of movement, even coming before God (1Ki 22:20-23); and allowed to take possession of men, as seen during the history of the Lord Jesus on earth. So far as we are aware, Scripture gives no direct answer to this question, and it is wise to leave it there. Luk 8:11 how-ever shows that evil spirits had a fear of being commanded to go into “the deep” or “the bottomless pit;” and Rev 9:23 indicates that out of that pit, during the tribulation period, will come a horde of evil spirits to torment men. But our verse presses the fact of God’s unsparing judgment against the highest created beings.

Verse 5 now speaks of the whole world not spared. No matter how iniquity strengthens itself by large acquisition of numbers, yet God’s judgment does not spare; and this awesome judgment is accented by the fact that Noah and his household alone in all the world were spared. In the face of overwhelming odds, he was a preacher of righteousness, and consistently so, evidently for a period of 100 or 120 years.

Sodom and Gomorrah did not involve the whole world, but its local and confined sphere does not escape God’s notice: awful in-deed was the overthrowing of those cities, a standing warning to all who choose to live ungodly. Here too God was able to single out one man for preservation, a believer, called here “just Lot,” though, being in no proper associations for a believer, he was distressed by the filthy manner of life adopted by the wicked residents there.

For he was a righteous man, but in circumstances far from righteous and continually, every day, by seeing and hearing the lawless conduct of the Sodomites, he was tormented in his soul. He evidently tried, ineffectively, to stem the tide of evil, but he did not separate himself from it, as he ought to have. Therefore God Himself intervened, and delivered Lot out of the city be-fore its dreadful destruction He knows how to do this In the case of every true child of God, while at the same time reserving the unjust for judgment.

V.9 shows that there is special judgment for those who, though they show high religious pretension, are walking after the flesh, in lust and uncleanness, and despising government. This is notorious in many religions today, and deserves greatest punishment.

The false prophets of whom v.1 speaks are presumptuous and self-willed, assuming a status altogether unbecoming to them, and blatantly forcing their way into what they want. Moreover, they dare to speak in bold defiance of dignities far, higher than they. Christians should never be deceived by such men, for even angels, greater in power and might than men are, do not resort to such evil speaking as that of railing accusation, which after all, is used only as a means of putting another down, with no honest concern for his proper welfare.

The language here then is stern and solemn, comparing these to natural brute beasts. For they have lowered themselves to such a level by their totally materialistic attitude. They act as though they were made to be taken and destroyed. This is true of the beast, but man has eternity set in his heart, and if he acts otherwise than in view of eternity, then he is virtually debasing, himself to the level of the beast. Instead of seeking to understand things of eternal importance, they speak evil of them. Of course, this is unreasonable, brazen corruption, in which they shall utterly perish.

The due reward of their unrighteousness they may expect to receive, as those who count it pleasure to riot in the daytime. At a time when they ought to be working, they take pleasure in damaging the work of others. They are unsightly spots and blemishes in the Christian profession, making sport by the deceptions they dare to practice, while at the same time wanting to be linked with the benefits of Christianity, — feasting with believers.

Their eyes are not single, but full of adultery, fully set on impure indulgence, with no desire of ceasing from sin; and using every artifice to entice unstable souls into the same evil. What exercise of heart they have is only along lines of covetousness. Little wonder that God designates them as “cursed children,” yet how awful a title!

For they have willingly forsaken what has been shown to them as the right way, and have deliberately gone astray. And the motive is exposed as greed, which was that of Balaam, the false prophet, who to sought to pass as a prophet of the Lord, but all the while really desiring the wealth that Balak offered him. Yet God used a miraculous, arresting way of rebuking his iniquity, giving a voice to a dumb beast, that ought to have penetrated his hardened conscience, but sadly had no fruitful effect: his senses had been too numbed by the delusions he preferred. Today too how shocking is the number of such hardened cases!

They are wells that promise refreshing water, but are empty; mists carried with a tempest, obscuring the light, yet bringing no rain to a thirsty earth; and carried wherever the tempests of circumstances blow; no stability, no dependability.

They are able to speak great, swelling words, but “of vanity,” that is, emptiness, like a puffed up balloon. And by this they entrap souls for whom they are watching, those who are just escaping from others who live in error. For there are some who are concerned that their associations are bad, and look for something else; and these men are ready with both fleshly inducements and high sounding religious sentiments, to allure them into this morass of corruption. Notice these people are not said to be escaping from corruption, but from those living in error. How different it is for those who seek to escape from the guilt and folly of their own sins. These men would have no message for such. Thank God His message of pure grace is, ready for every soul who is brought, to a state of repentance as regards his own ruin and need.

One of Satan’s wretched deceits is to suggest that subjection to the Lord is bondage. So his agents promise liberty, while they themselves are slaves of corruption for having been overcome by corruption themselves, they are under its bondage; so that their load cries of liberation are only intended to bring others into their own slavery.

By a professed knowledge of the Lord and Jesus Christ, they have outwardly escaped the pollutions of the ungodly world. But having no genuine faith in Him Personally, they dare to intro-duce the same pollutions into their religious profession. They are caught in their own net, entangled and overcome. The end of this is necessarily worse than their first condition, for they have added to it the corruption of the pure truth of the grace of God in Christ Jesus.

Of all such false teachers, it is true that it had been better for them never to have known anything of the way of righteousness, never to have had any knowledge whatever of Christianity, than after knowing it, to turn deceitfully away from its pure truth, “the holy commandment.”

Now Pro 26:1-28 :ll is quoted, likening such men first to a dog returning to its own vomit. The dog being an unclean animal, this is its very nature. What has been once rejected as obnoxious and harmful, a man will again embrace, just adding a little religious spice to it, because there is no fundamental change in the man: he Has not been born again: he remains unclean. Similarly, a sow may be washed, but its very nature will lead it back to roll in the first mud-hole it finds. If as a dog he feeds on corruption, as a sow he chooses a filthy environment. This is apostasy; for though a person may still pretend to be a Christian, he has in practice really turned against Christ. None of this could be true of any who had been born again, for believers are sheep, not dogs or sows; and the of the nature of the sheep is not to return to it vomit, or to wallow in the mud.

Fuente: Grant’s Commentary on the Bible

Verse 1

False prophets also; that is, in ancient times, when the true prophets, referred to in the 2 Peter 2:1, made their predictions. For various allusions to these false prophets, see Jer. 28:15-17. Ezek. 13: 22:22, 25, 28.–Privily; privately, by stealth.–Damnable heresies; that is, heresies fatal to the welfare of the soul.–Denying the Lord; denying him as their Lord and Master.

Fuente: Abbott’s Illustrated New Testament

3.

False Teachers and Destructive Heresies

(2 Peter 2)

Having, in the first part of the Epistle, set before us the practical life of godliness whereby we can resist the corruptions of the world, the apostle passes on to expose, and warn us against, these corruptions. Having sought to establish us in the present truth (2Pe 1:12), he can proceed to warn us against present error. In the remainder of the Epistle, therefore, we are definitely warned against the two forms of evil that characterise Christendom in the days in which we live. First, in 2 Peter 2, the apostle warns us against the destructive errors of false teachers; secondly, in 2 Peter 3, we are warned against the unbelief of scoffers who deny the return of the Lord, and the setting up of His kingdom.

(V. 1). In this chapter the apostle exposes and warns us against the appalling conditions arising in the Christian circle through false teachers. The first verse describes the character of the evil which arises, not from opposition without, but from corruption within the Christian profession. As in the days of old there were false prophets among the people of God, so we are warned, false teachers will arise in the Christian circle among you.

These men profess to be teachers, and so deceive the simple, as one has said, by weaving error and truth together so that the truth shall attract true souls, and thus put them off their guard against the error mixed with it. They are among you, says the apostle. Evidently they had made a fair profession of Christianity that had deceived those who had admitted them into the Christian company. If, in the days that followed the apostles, such arose in the Christian circle, need we be surprised if, in our day, false teachers arise in the most enlightened companies of believers?

The errors of these false teachers are brought in secretly, or by the bye, a statement that intimates that false doctrine is always introduced insidiously, not openly. This secrecy carries its condemnation, for there is no need to cover up the truth. There may indeed be times when certain companies of the Lord’s people are not in a condition to appreciate the deep truths of God, as in the case of the Corinthian assembly (1Co 3:2); but there was no secrecy as to the truths for which they were not prepared.

These errors secretly introduced are destructive heresies. They are not simply defective views of the truth, but denials of the truth, errors that are fatal, or destructive of Christianity, which lead to the denial of the Lord that bought them. This is lawlessness that throws off the authority of the Lord and opens the door to every form of self-will. The apostle does not say, The Lord that redeemed them: he does not admit that these false teachers are among the redeemed. The simile refers, it is said, to a master who has purchased slaves at the market, and they disown and refuse to obey him. These men had professed the Lord’s Name, and had been received into the Christian circle, but now taught errors that deny the Lord. They are not really the Lord’s, and their end will be swift and overwhelming destruction. They had taught destructive heresies and they themselves meet swift destruction.

(Vv. 2, 3). We are next warned of the terrible effect produced on the mass of the Christian profession by the errors of these wicked men. Many, we are told, shall follow their dissolute ways. Connected with destructive heresies there will ever be found the grossest worldliness, for bad doctrine leads to bad practice. The mass may not understand or be able to follow their evil doctrines, but worldly ways the flesh can appreciate and follow.

Leavened with evil doctrine, Christendom has sunk into the gross worldliness that marks the Christian profession of the day, with the result that the way of truth is evil spoken of. The world may not be able to discern between error and truth, but it can at least see and condemn the dissolute lives of these professors. Judging of Christianity by these men, and their evil lives, it naturally speaks evil of the way of truth.

Moreover, this worldly-mindedness opens the door to worldly methods. Moved by covetousness, these false teachers by well-turned words make merchandise of the Christian profession. As of old the Jews turned the temple of God into a house of merchandise, so these false teachers use their profession of Christianity, and their natural eloquence, to make a living.

Under the influence of these false teachers, the great mass of Christendom has become lawless, denying the Lord, worldly, dissolute in its ways, and indifferent to the way of truth. Such a condition must inevitably call down the judgment of God upon these wicked men. It is not an idle tale that of old judgment fell upon the lawless and rebellious. For a time evil may appear to prosper without being judged, but God is not indifferent, as one in slumber, unconscious of all around. Judgment is surely coming!

(Vv. 4-8). The apostle gives three solemn illustrations from actual history to prove that lawlessness and rebellion call down the overwhelming judgment of God. First, the angels that sinned have been cast into the deepest pit of gloom, held in chains, awaiting their final judgment. Secondly, in the days of Noah, the old world of the ungodly was overwhelmed by the judgment of the flood. Thirdly, the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah were condemned and overthrown. These solemn judgments, by which God intervened upon the ordinary laws of nature and the course of the world, are ensamples for the ungodly that come after. Heedless of these warnings, Christendom, falling into the same lawlessness and rebellion, will meet the same overwhelming judgment.

Nevertheless, the judgments of old that are a warning to the ungodly have in them encouragement for the godly. They plainly tell us that, in the midst of fearful evils, God had His elect who were saved from judgment. Nor is it otherwise today, for in the midst of the increasing corruptions of Christendom God has His true saints. Even so, the Spirit of God indicates that there will be a great difference between the separate saint living the life of practical godliness and the worldly-minded saint who, lacking the qualities of the godly life, slips back into worldly associations, only to vex his soul and bring sorrow upon himself.

Noah is an example of the separate saint bearing testimony to the world. We read that Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God (Gen 6:9). Peter tells us that he bore witness for God as a preacher of righteousness. Lot is a picture of that large class of believers who, without faith for the separate path, settle down in the world and, though ultimately saved, are no testimony to God while passing through it. The apostle Peter tells us indeed that Lot was a righteous man, yet, through dwelling among the wicked, he vexed his righteous soul from day to day hearing their filthy conversation and seeing their unlawful deeds. He knew nothing of a walk in peace and nearness to God.

(V. 9). The apostle thus concludes that the Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of trials and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment. Already the apostle has set before the believer the day dawn of the coming glory; now he warns us of the day of judgment for the wicked.

How solemn and searching is this picture of the condition of Christendom since those days. First, we are reminded that there will be false teachers bringing in destructive errors, lawlessness and worldliness. Secondly, the great mass will follow their worldly ways, being lured on to destruction by their well-turned words. Thirdly, we are encouraged with the knowledge that, in the midst of all the corruption, there will be those who will be preserved from the evil and be a witness to the truth. Fourthly, there will be those who are truly righteous and saved from the judgment, and yet by reason of their associations are no witness for God.

The remainder of the chapter presents in greater detail the terrible characteristics of those who, in the Christian profession, come under judgment.

(Vv. 10-12). Walking after the flesh in its unbridled lusts, these lawless men are naturally impatient of every form of restraint that would hinder the gratification of lust; they despise lord-ship. Being marked by lust and lawlessness they are bold and self-willed. The lust of uncleanness makes men bold in wickedness; lawlessness makes them self-willed. Their tongues are unbridled, for they speak evil of dignities in a way that angels would not dare to do. Like beasts without reason they speak evil of the things that they understand not. Such will perish in their own corruption. Lust and lawlessness have in them elements of corruption that lead to the destruction of those walking in these things.

(V. 13). The unbridled lust, lawlessness, boldness, self-will and corruption of the last days will be more terrible than any outbreak of evil in the past, inasmuch as it is found in the Christian profession, and exists in the full light of the truth. Men, usually, for very shame await the darkness of night for their evil deeds. These men, without shame, riot in the day time. As one has said, They have learnt to face the light and defy it. They take their place with Christians; in reality they are only spots and blemishes on the Christian name. Without shame they make sport of the fact that they are deceiving others.

(Vv. 14-17). Carried away by the lusts of the flesh, they have eyes that cannot cease from sin, hearts filled with covetousness, and feet that have forsaken the right way. As with Balaam of old, God uses the very beasts to rebuke their madness. They are wells without water, to whom men turn for help and refreshment, only to find they have nothing to meet the need of the soul. They are mists driven by storm of their own passions, which obscure the light of heaven. For such the gloom of darkness is reserved for ever.

(Vv. 18, 19). In greater detail the apostle describes the effect of these false teachers upon others. Appealing to men with great high-flown words of vanity that throw a glamour over worldliness and the lusts of the flesh, they allure those who have just escaped from evil. It does not say that such have come under the convicting power of the truth, or that they have been drawn to God, but at least they have a conscience as to evil. Such, coming under the influence of these wicked men, are promised liberty by those who, themselves, are the servants of corruption.

(Vv. 20-22). In spite of the profession that they are the servants of the Lord, these false teachers with their swelling words of vanity are the servants of corruption. They had made a profession of Christianity and, through the knowledge of the Lord, had escaped for a time the pollutions of the world; but again being entangled and overcome, they prove that though they had known the way of righteousness, they had not followed in the way, and after all their profession and high-sounding words, they are not truly among the sheep of Christ. They can only be likened to a dog that returns to its vomit, or to a sow that, though washed, is still a sow, and when occasion arises returns to her wallowing in the mire.

Fuente: Smith’s Writings on 24 Books of the Bible

2:1 But {1} there were false prophets also among the {a} people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.

(1) As in times past there were two kinds of prophets, the one true and the other false, so Peter tells them that there will be true and false teachers in the Church, so much so that Christ himself will be denied by some, who nonetheless will call him redeemer.

(a) Under the law, while the state and policy of the Jews was yet standing.

Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes

A. The Characteristics of False Teachers 2:1-3

Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)

"The people" in view are God’s people in Old Testament times, the times to which Peter had just been referring (2Pe 1:19-21). False prophets in Old Testament times sought to lead God’s people away from the revelations of the true prophets (cf. Numbers 22-24; Jer 6:13; Eze 13:9). False teachers in Peter’s time would try to lead God’s people away from the teaching of the apostles. These men-they were typically males in Peter’s day-would arise from the believers (cf. Jer 5:31; Jer 23:9-18; Act 20:29). The term "false prophets" (Gr. pseudoprophetai) may refer to those who falsely claim to be prophets of God and or those who prophesy falsely. Likewise "false teachers" (Gr. pseudodidaskaloi) can refer to those who claim to be teachers of God’s truth but whom the churches’ leaders do not recognize as teachers and or those who teach falsehood. This is the only place that this Greek word for false teachers occurs in the New Testament.

Peter’s contrast between false prophets in Israel and false teachers in the church may suggest that teachers in the church had replaced prophets in Israel. However other references to prophets and teachers in the New Testament indicate that both were present in the church, and both were present in Israel. The contrast intended, therefore, must not be between former prophets and present teachers but between the true communicators of God’s Word and the false. In Israel prophets were the more prominent communicators of God’s truth whereas in the church teachers were. In Peter’s audience Jewish rabbis and other teachers who professed to communicate God’s truth posed the greatest threat to the Christians. By comparing false teachers in the church with false prophets in Israel Peter was saying that just as there were those who misrepresented God in Israel so there would be those who misrepresent Him in the church.

"Secretly introduce" literally means to bring in alongside. The heretics would seek to add some other teaching to the orthodox faith and or some other teaching as a substitute for the truth (cf. Gal 2:4). The implication is that they would seek to do this in some underhanded way. They would unobtrusively change the doctrinal foundation of the church and thereby make it unstable. "Heresies" refers to ideas inconsistent with the revealed truth of God.

These men would go as far as even repeatedly or typically denying (present participle in Greek) teaching and practices associated with Christ. The inconsistency of their position is that they deny the Person they profess to submit to as Christians, their Master (Gr. despoten) Jesus Christ. Peter himself had denied Jesus three times, so he did not want others to follow his example.

When Jesus Christ died, He paid the penalty for everyone’s sins and redeemed (purchased, Gr. agorasanta) every human being in this sense, even unbelievers (Joh 3:16; 1Ti 2:4-6; 1Ti 4:10; Act 17:30; Heb 2:9; 1Jn 2:2). This verse supports the doctrine of unlimited atonement, the view that Jesus Christ died for everyone, not just for those whom He would later save. One limited atonement advocate believed that the whole case for unlimited atonement hangs on this verse. [Note: Gary D. Long, Definite Atonement, p. 68. For an analysis of Long’s arguments, see Andrew D. Chang, "2 Peter 2:1 and the Extent of the Atonement," Bibliotheca Sacra 142:565 (January-March 1985):52-63.] This is an over-simplification. Another writer said, ". . . no assertion of universal redemption can be plainer than this." [Note: Henry Alford, Alford’s Greek Testament, 4:402.]

Peter was not claiming that all the false teachers were Christians. In view of how he described them, most of them appear to have been unbelievers (cf. 2Pe 2:4-6). However some of them could have been believers. Peter could have made it clear if he had in mind either unbelievers or believers exclusively, but he did not. Therefore the warning concerns any false teacher, unbeliever or believer. Of course, frequently only the teacher himself knows whether he is an unbeliever or a believer; others cannot tell.

". . . New Testament writers sometimes use the language of Christian conversion for such people [non-Christians] on the basis of their appearance." [Note: Moo, p. 154.]

The destruction of these heretics will be swift in the sense that when their judgment descends it will be sudden, not that it was about to descend shortly after Peter wrote. They were saying that the Lord was slow in coming to exercise judgment (2Pe 3:9). Yet their own judgment was imminent (Gr. taxinen). Their spiritual rather than their physical destruction seems to be in view primarily. In the case of Christian false teachers who departed from the truth they previously embraced, they too brought sudden spiritual ruin on themselves. This ruin would come on them at Jesus Christ’s judgment seat (2Co 5:10) if not sooner.

"Ironically, the false teachers incur judgment by teaching that there will be no future judgment and thereby leading themselves and others into immorality." [Note: Bauckham, p. 241.]

 

". . . ’destruction’ for leading others to ’destruction’ is inevitable." [Note: Moo, p. 93.]

 

"False teachers are better known for what they deny than for what they affirm." [Note: Wiersbe, 2:447.]

Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)

Chapter 23

THE LORD KNOWETH HOW TO DELIVER

2Pe 2:1-9

THIS second chapter contains much more of a direct description of the heretical teaching and practices from which the converts were in danger, and is full of warning and comfort, both alike drawn from that Old Testament prophecy to the light of which St. Peter has just been urging them to take heed. The chapter has many features and much of its language in common with the Epistle of St. Jude. But the opening of the chapter seems a suitable place to call attention to a difference of motive which is manifested in this Epistle and in that. They resemble one another greatly in the illustrations which they have in common, but St. Peter makes a twofold use of them: while showing that the ungodly will assuredly be punished, he comforts the righteous with the lesson that, be they ever so few, even as the eight who were saved at the Deluge, or as Lot, with his diminished family, at the overthrow of Sodom, the Lord knows how to deliver His servants out of trials. Of this latter side of the prophetic picture St. Jude shows us nothing. The evil doings of the tempters must have waxed grosser in his day, and he is only concerned to preach the certainty of their condemnation. The unbelievers in the wilderness, the angels who sinned, the Cities of the Plain, the error of Balaam, and the overthrow of Korah are all cited in proof that the wicked shall not escape; but he has no word about the deliverance of those whose souls are tortured by the wicked doing of the sinners among whom it is their lot to live.

“But there arose false prophets also among the people, as among you also there shall be false teachers, who shall privily bring in destructive heresies, denying even the Master that bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction.” It is as though the Apostle would say, Be not unduly dismayed. The lamp of Old Testament prophecy shows that yours is a lot which has befallen others. As Israel of old was Gods people, so the Church of Christ is now And among them again and again false prophet arose, not only those of Baal and Asherah, not only those who served the calves at Dan and Bethel, but those who called themselves by Jehovahs name, and of whom He says to Jeremiah, “The prophets prophesy lies in My name. I sent them not, neither have I commanded them, neither spake I unto them: they prophesy unto you a false vision and divination, and thing of naught, and the deceit of their heart.” {Jer 14:14} The picture is exactly repeated for these Asian Churches. False teaching had attached itself to the true, used its language, and professed to be at one with it, except in so far as it was superior. For the history of corruptions in the faith repeats itself, and-

“Wherever God erects a house of prayer,

The devil always builds a chapel there.”

It is the most perilous aspect of error when it parades itself as the truest truth. Hence the name by which St. Peter calls this dangerous teaching: “destructive heresies.” They beguile unstable souls to their ruin. Their exponents choose the name of Christ to call themselves by, but cast aside the doctrine of the Cross both in its discipline for their lives, and as the altar of human redemption; And the men to whom St. Peter alludes were either among the teachers, or put themselves forward to teach; and there was a danger lest their authority should be recognized. They accepted Christ, but not as He loves to be accepted. He has called Himself Lord and Master, and has paid the price which makes Him so; but by their interpretations both of His nature and His office these men in very deed renounced and deserted His service, ignored their relation as His bondservants, and in this way denied the Master that bought them. Soon they chose other masters and became the slaves of the world and the flesh. Thus they entered on the path that leads to destruction, and soon it will come upon them. They who destroyed others shall themselves be destroyed. The lords whom they serve have all their empire in this life; and when the end thereof comes, it comes all too soon, and is a dread overthrow of everything they have set store by. On their lot the lamp of prophecy sheds its light: “How suddenly do they perish and come to a fearful end.”

“And many shall follow their lascivious doings; by reason of whom the way of the truth shall be evil spoken of.” St. Jude, who had seen the results of such teaching, says these men turned the very grace of God into lasciviousness; they perverted the teachings of the Gospel concerning the freedom which is in Christ, and their phraseology they made to have a Pauline ring about it. Did he not teach how Christ had made men free? Had they not heard from him that men should cast off trust in the bondage of the Law? In this wise they taught a doctrine of lawless self-indulgence, which they extolled as the token of entire emancipation and of a loftier nature on which the taint of sins could leave no defilement. In the blindness of their hearts, self-chosen blindness, of which they boasted as knowledge, they gave themselves over to the flesh, to work all uncleanness with greediness.

St. Peter knows that baits of this sort appeal to the natural man; that there is within the citadel of the heart a traitorous weakness which is ready to betray it to the enemy. So, with prophetic foresight, he laments, Many shall follow after them. And such sinners do not gin unto themselves: their falling away brings calamity on the whole Church of Christ. It did so then; it does so still. The faithful cannot escape from the obloquy which is due to the faithless; and the world, which cares little for Christ, will readily point to the evil lives which it sees in the renegade brethren, and draw the conclusion that in secret the rest run to the same excess of riot. Evil-speaking of this kind became abundantly common in the first Christian centuries, and furnishes the object of many Christian apologies.

“And in covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you.” St. Paul in writing to Timothy gives a comment which throws much light on these words. He tells of men who consent not to sound words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, thus denying the Master that bought them. He speaks of them as bereft of the truth, supposing that godliness is a way of gain; and he adds, “They that desire to be rich fall into a temptation and a snare, and many foolish and hurtful lusts, such as drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, which some reaching after have been led astray from the faith, and have pierced themselves through with many sorrows”. {1Ti 6:3-10} From the first days of the Churchs history we see, from the instances of Ananias and Sapphira, and of Simon, with his offer of money to the Apostles, that both among the disciples and the would-be teachers covetousness made itself very apparent. The communistic basis on which the society was constituted lent itself to the schemes of those who desired to make a gain of their Christian profession. In the time when St. Peter wrote the evil had spread. Teachers were discovering that, by a modification or adaptation of the Christian language and doctrines, they could draw after them many followers. These were the feigned words to which the Apostle alludes, and the contributions of their satisfied hearers were proving a gainful merchandise. The Gnostic teachers were of various sorts, but of all alike the language was boastful as coming of superior insight; great, swelling words they spake, having mens persons in regard because of the prospects of advantage. The evil was a sore one, and is so wherever it finds entry. And later ages have also known somewhat of its mischief. It is the wisdom of all Christian communities so to order themselves that their teachers and guides may be safe from this temptation. For such teachers do not stop at small beginnings of error, hut prophesy smooth things, and close their eyes at evil; nay, in this case they seem to have encouraged sensual living, as though it were an indication of the freedom of which they boasted.

“Whose sentence now from of old lingereth not, and their destruction slumbereth not.” In thought the Apostle reads the book of prophecy. It is as if he said, “It is written in the prophetic word.” And when the overthrow of the sinners comes to pass, those who behold it may say, “Thus is the prophecy fulfilled.” The doom of such sinners is sure. They may seem to live their lives with impunity, for a while, as though Gods eternal law were inoperative; but the issue is certain. None such escape. Gods mills grind slowly, but they grind exceeding small. And the lot of such men is destruction. Of illustrations the Apostle chooses three, applying each to a different vice of these teachers of error. These men were proud; so were the angels that sinned, but their pride was only a prelude to their fall. These men were disobedient; so were the antediluvian sinners, and would neither hearken nor turn, and so the Flood came and swept them all away. These men were sensual; so were the dwellers in the Cities of the Plain, and their overthrow remains still a memorial of Gods wrath against such sinners. Verily the sentence of all such men is written from of old.

“For if God spared not angels when they sinned, but cast them down to hell, and committed them to pits of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment.” To each of the three instances St. Peter adduces the reader is left to supply the unmistakable conclusion, “Neither will He spare the sinners of today.” The sentences are all the more solemn from their incompleteness. Some have thought that the reference in this verse is to the narrative found in Gen 6:3; but that account is very full of difficulties, and there is no mention of a judgment upon those who offended. It seems more sound exposition to take the Apostles words as spoken of him concerning whom Christ has told us {Joh 8:44} that he was a murderer from the beginning and stood not in the truth, and of the condemnation of whose pride St. Paul speaks to Timothy. {1Ti 3:6} For him and for his fellow-sinners the Gospel teaches us {Mat 25:41} that eternal fire was prepared, and an apostle {Jam 2:19} says that “the devils believe and shudder,” it must be in apprehension of a coming judgment. All that St. Peter here says is implied in these Scriptural allusions to Satan and his fall; and it is more prudent to apply to them the highly figurative language of the Apostle here, which is exactly after his manner, than to seek for fanciful interpretations of the Mosaic story. We may rest assured by the way in which these things are spoken of, though but dimly, by Christ and His Apostles, that they formed a portion of Jewish religious teaching and constituted part of the faith of St. Peter and his contemporaries, though there is but little mention of the fallen angels in the Old Testament.

“And spared not the ancient world, but preserved Noah with seven others, a preacher of righteousness, when He brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly.” Here the Apostle points to a consolation for the converts amid their trials. The ungodly do not escape, be their multitude ever so great. A world full of sinners is involved in one common overthrow. Nor are the righteous forgotten, though their number be but few. The lamp of prophecy sheds much light here. Amid all Gods dispensations toward Israel, His faithful ones were the remnant only; but these were saved by the grace of the Lord, they were brought out from the destruction, and not forsaken, and had a promise that they should take root downward and bear fruit upward. The words in which St. Peter describes the chief person of the few saved in the Deluge appear intended to point out that feature in Noahs history which most resembled the lot of the Asian Churches. They were now, as he was of old. Gods heralds in the midst of a naughty world; and to bring to their minds the thought of his long-sustained opposition and mockery could hardly fail to nerve them to stand fast. What lot could be more desperate than the Patriarchs? For a hundred and twenty years by action and by word he published his message, and it fell on deaf ears; yet God was guarding him () through it all, and words could not express more complete safety than when the early record tells us, ere the Flood came, “The Lord shut him in.”

“And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, having made them an example unto those that should live ungodly.” These cities stood in a land fair enough to be likened to the garden of the Lord. To Lot himself their fertile fields had been a temptation, and by yielding thereto he brought on himself a plenitude of sorrow; and the sacred record counts his deliverance-rather to the faith and righteousness of Abraham than to himself. God remembered Abraham, and brought Lot out of the overthrow. One of the fairest parts of His world God condemned for the wickedness of them that inhabited it. Nature was defaced for mans sin, and still lies desolate as a perpetual homily against such ungodly living as often comes of wealth and fullness of bread. After such a state were these false teachers seeking while they made their gain of their disciples; and in the later times of which St. Jude speaks, having fostered all that was carnal within and around them, in those things which they understood naturally, there they cast themselves away.

“And delivered righteous Lot, sore distressed by the lascivious life of the wicked (for that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their lawless deeds).” The thrice-named righteousness of Lot is perhaps thus set down because of the struggle which it must have been to maintain the fear of Abrahams God among such sinful surroundings. Lot was in the land of the enemy, and his deliverance is pictured as a very rescue: he was saved, yet so as by fire. He had gone down into the plain with thoughts of a life of abundance, and it may be of ease, a contrast to the wandering life which he had hitherto shared with Abraham. Instead of this he found anguish and distress of mind, which no amount of temporal prosperity could alleviate; and to this would be added self-reproach. It was of his own choice that he was dwelling among them. The Apostle points his misery in the strongest terms. He was distressed; and of the sights and sounds on every side, and never ceasing, he made a torture to his soul. It was no mere offence to him that these things were so. It was very anguish to see men setting at defiance every law human and Divine. To behold the evils of a lascivious life waxing rampant in the midst of the Christian Churches, and countenanced by those who assumed the office of teachers, must have been an agony to the faithful akin to that with which Lot tortured himself. St. Peter would strengthen the drooping hearts of the brethren; and no greater comfort could there be found than this which he offers, taking the lamp of prophecy and shedding its rays of hope into the dark places of their lives.

“The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptation.” Already he has given the lesson {2Pe 1:6} that true godliness must have its root in patience. It is a perfect trust, which rests securely on the Fathers love, and willingly waits His time. The hearts of the faithful ones must have found solace in the thought which he here joins to his former teaching. The trials they endure are grievous, but “The Lord knows” is an unfailing support. The floods of ungodliness make His servants many a time afraid; but when they feel that there, as amid the raging ocean, the Lord ruleth, they are not overwhelmed. They are protected by Omnipotence; and the tiny grains of sand, which check the fierce tide, are an emblem of how out of weakness He can ordain strength. Hence there comes a knowledge to the struggling saint which makes him full of courage, whatever trials threaten. The world has its wrathful Nebuchadnezzars, whose threats at times are as a fiery furnace; but he is proof against them all who can say and feel, “The Lord knows.” I am not careful nor disturbed; my God, in whom I trust, is able to deliver me, and He will deliver me. The Lord knoweth the way of the godly, and His knowledge means safety and eternal deliverance.

“And to keep the unrighteous under punishment unto the Day of Judgment.” The unrighteousness, over them too God keeps ward. They cannot hide themselves from Him, and through their conscience He makes life a continuous chastisement. They may seem to men to walk on heedlessly, but they have hidden tortures of which their fellows can take no count. Even the offender against human laws, who dreads that his sin will be found out, carries in his bosom a constant scourge. Fear hath torment ( ), and this it is of which the Apostle speaks. And if the dread of mans judgment can work terror, how much sorer must their alarm be who have the fiery indignation of the wrath of God in their thoughts and stinging their soul. Such men are kept all their life long under punishment. Yet in this constant anguish we trace Gods mercy: He sends it that men may turn in time. His blows on the sinful heart are meant to be remedial; and those who disregard His chastisements to the last will go away, self-condemned, self destroyed, despisers of Divine love, to a doom prepared, not for them, but for the devil and his angels.

Fuente: Expositors Bible Commentary