Down to Earth But Heavenly Minded

What does 2nd Peter Chapter 2 mean?

In 2 Peter chapter 2, Peter describes and harshly condemns the false teachers who had entered the church. He promises their destruction, which will be brought by God. Peter also shows the impact of their lies on those who might believe them. Who are these false teachers? They were not strangers who showed up spouting false doctrine in a full frontal attack against the community of Christians. Instead, they came from within the church. They were sneaky. They “secretly” introduced their destructive heresies, or “lies about the truth.”

This passage highlights a few of the more serious sins involved, but not all possible details. Peter doesn’t fully reveal all of the contents of their false teaching. This is deliberate, so that the point is not lost: any false teaching is a problem, not only some specific doctrinal error. By leaving this description general, Peter ensures that his meaning is applied in all such situations.

Peter does highlight three main aspects of these deceptions. First, these false teachers denied the sovereignty of Christ. They taught that He was not Lord, even though He bought them with His blood. Second, they openly indulged in sexual sin and taught others to do the same. Finally, they used lies to exploit the Christians for their own gain. They were greedy.

As both encouragement and warning, Peter assures his readers that God is aware of the practice of these false teachers. Their destruction is coming, hanging over them even now. This is not something God is ignorant of, or powerless against. Peter lists historical examples to demonstrate that God is ready and willing to bring destruction on those who reject Him. He did not spare even the angels who sinned. He did not spare the entire ancient world that lived in the time of Noah, though only Noah and his family were saved. And God burned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to ashes for their wickedness, though He saved Lot.

Peter’s point is that God knows how to both rescue His people, and punish the unrighteous at exactly the right time. The final and ultimate reckoning will occur on the day of judgment.

Another sin of these false teachers is that, in their arrogance and ignorance, they insult or heap abuse on celestial beings without fear for the destruction that is coming on them. They practice their sexual sin right out in the open with “eyes full of adultery.” They’ve had so much practice with greed that they have become experts in it. Peter calls them cursed children, echoing a Hebrew phrase meant for those who were damned by God. He compares their path to that of the Old Testament prophet Balaam, who was headed blindly toward an attacking angel until his donkey revealed what Balaam could not see.

Finally, Peter details the impact these teachers have on those who believe them. They are like rain clouds that never bring rain, their boastful words are empty, and they blatantly appeal to lustful desires. Even so, some people buy their deception. Those most vulnerable are the ones just coming out of the world and into the church. They lack the experience, or the knowledge, to know better.

Although the false teachers themselves are slaves to their own sinful desires, their victims are attracted by a false promise of “freedom.” They feel released to indulge in sin, assuming it will happen without consequence. In the end, they are entangled by that sin and dragged back into their old place in the world. Once these deceived ones turn their backs on the “sacred command” to believe in Jesus for their salvation, they end up worse than if they had never heard about the gospel in the first place.

Chapter Context
In chapter 1, Peter urged his Christian readers not to be unproductive in their knowledge of Jesus. Peter now describes the false teachers in the church who were leading people away from a true understanding of Christ. These deceivers were lying to the believers and encouraging them to indulge in sexual sin. Peter promises that God’s judgment is coming on these ”cursed children” and details the tragic impact their lies have on anyone who believes them.

Verse by Verse

Verse 1. But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction.

Peter ended the previous chapter by affirming the validity of the Old Testament prophecies about the Messiah. In no small part, Peter’s confidence was based on his own personal experiences with Jesus. Peter now begins to warn his readers about false teachers.

He acknowledges that false prophets have always plagued Israel, even in the days of the genuine prophets of God. Men would attempt to make a name for themselves, and mislead God’s people by claiming that God had given them a message for Israel when He had not. Often, in fact, their false prophecies would directly contradict the messages of God’s actual prophets.

Peter reveals that a similar problem was going to happen now for Christians. Rather than false prophets, it will be false teachers who will rise up amid the ranks of Christianity to mislead believers. What will they teach? Biblically, “heresy” is any teaching which contradicts or twists the truth. These doctrines are destructive to Christianity, attempting to internally change it to something false. They are also harmful to individual Christians, by leading them away from God’s Word.

Peter warns that this won’t be an obvious attack on the truth. These false teachers will try to introduce their deception secretly. Their goal, ultimately, is to convince Christians to join them in denying Jesus, the “Master” or “sovereign Lord.” The following verses will reveal why anyone would do this. Regardless of motivation, the result will always be the same for those who attempt to mislead Christians into denying Jesus’ place as Lord and Master: swift destruction.

In a modern application, we see groups even today which claim the title “Christian,” but which deny the Lordship or deity of Jesus. They teach ideas contrary to the Scriptures, but claim them to be true. Some even deny that Peter’s words and warnings in this book are the actual Word of God.

Context Summary
2 Peter 2:1–9 describes false teachers who greedily spread lies about Christ’s authority. They encourage Christians to indulge in sexual sin. They pursue erotic desires in the open, are experts in greed, despise authority, live in bold arrogance, and blaspheme things they don’t understand. Peter assures that these deceivers will be punished for the harm they’ve caused. This includes leading people away from Christ and back into the sinful practices from which they had begun to escape. God did not spare sinful angels, or the wicked of Noah’s day, or the people of Sodom and Gomorrah, and will not spare these false teachers, either.

Verse 2. And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of truth will be blasphemed.

In the previous verse, Peter revealed that false teachers will rise up from within the community of Christians. These deceivers will use deception in an attempt to convince believers to deny Jesus as Lord and Master.

One trait of these false teachers will be participation in immoral sexual conduct. This is something they will encourage Christians to join in, as well. Sadly, many in the church will follow their lead and do just that. In fact, Peter reveals that so many in the Christian church will join in these “depraved” or “sensual” practices that it will damage the reputation of the “way of truth.” This is an all-too-familiar image of modern day cultures.

Many in the outside world, based on their experience of the Christians they know, will arrive at the conclusion that sexual immorality is normal for those who follow Jesus, harming the reputation of Christ Himself in the world.

For those of us in the church now, we have heard Peter warn us against two traits of false teachers. First is any teaching that would call into question Jesus’ place as Lord. Second is any teaching from those who participate in sexual immorality, or suggest it is permissible for Christians to do so.

Verse 3. And in their greed they will exploit you with false words. Their condemnation from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.

According to the previous two verses, Christians should expect to encounter false teachers. These will arise from within the church. In other words, we should expect that men and women will claim to be Christians themselves, but teach things which contradict the message of Jesus and His apostles.

So far, Peter has said these false teachers will use deception to try to get believers to deny Jesus as Lord. They will also take part in sexual immorality and lead others in the church to do so, as well.

In this verse, Peter shows one motive of the false teachers: greed. They want power and money, and they’re willing to distort God’s Word to try to get it from God’s people. They won’t just lie about the truth of God’s Word, though; they will tell false stories about other things, as well. If it helps their cause, the false teachers will just make things up. In short, they’re con-men (and women).

How can Christians protect ourselves against these sneaky attacks on the truth from those who claim to be one of us? We must work to know and understand God’s Word and pay attention to what we’re hearing and seeing from those with influence among us.

The consequences for these false teachers will be harsh. Peter uses ominous language: Their condemnation has been hanging over them; their destruction has not been sleeping. In other words, God has not forgotten; His judgment will come at exactly the right time. Later in the chapter, Peter will use the phrase “accursed children,” which in Hebrew thinking always referred to those under God’s ultimate condemnation. In short, such persons are not saved believers and will suffer the eternal consequences of their sins.

Verse 4. For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to chains of gloomy darkness to be kept until the judgment;

Peter has just affirmed that the false teachers in the church will, ultimately, be condemned and destroyed by God. Here, he begins a series of “if” statements to make the case that God does indeed bring judgment upon those who rebel against Him.

In this verse, he begins with the angels who sinned. Peter may be referring to the events described in Genesis 6:1–4, during which the “sons of God” took human wives. Some understand this to mean that it was angels who inter-married with human women in rebellion against God and were punished. Others suggest Peter means to describe angels who were cast from heaven along with Lucifer, the devil, when he rebelled.

In either case, God did not let this rebellion stand. He judged and punished these fallen angels. Specifically, Peter uses the Greek word “Tartarus,” which was a part of the Greek underworld. This is somewhat different from the other biblical references to “hell,” though it shares a close relation. Peter says that these angels remain there, being held in chains, or pits, of darkness until God is ready to fully judge them for their sin.

Verse 5. if he did not spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah, a herald of righteousness, with seven others, when he brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly;

After revealing that God will bring judgment—condemnation and destruction—upon the false teachers in the church, Peter offers a list of historical examples to show that God does indeed judge those who rebel against Him.

The previous verse mentioned rebellious angels condemned to darkness and awaiting their judgment. Now Peter points to the great flood of Noah. In this fierce act of judgment, God destroyed every person in the entire ancient world, aside from Noah and his family (Genesis 6:1–8).

Why would God do such a thing? In addition to possessing great mercy and love, our God is a righteous judge. Genesis 6:5 says the world was in a catastrophic state of evil prior to the flood: “The LORD saw that wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

” But our God also saves. Noah is described as a preacher of righteousness. Instead of being done with humanity completely, God spared Noah and began again. It’s important to note that, as he also did in 1 Peter 3:20, Peter affirms the flood of Noah as a historical event. Jesus, too, referenced Noah’s flood. In fact, Jesus said that the world would be as it was in Noah’s day when He returned (Matthew 24:36–44). Peter will also describe that day before the end of this letter.

Verse 6. if by turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to ashes he condemned them to extinction, making them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly;

Peter continues his list of “if” statements, citing examples of God’s judgment against those who rebel against Him. He is making the case that God will also bring the same kind of judgment against the false teachers in the church.

After mentioning God’s judgment of the rebellious angels, then that of the entire world except for Noah and his family during the flood, Peter now points to the example of the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 19:1–29). In response to the sinfulness of the people of those cities, God sent fire from the sky to destroy both towns and all of their residents.

We generally associate Sodom with the sin of homosexuality, which was the most pervasive and famous of their errors. But Ezekiel described the wickedness of her people in much greater detail, saying they “…had pride, excess of food, and prosperous ease, but did not aid the poor and needy. They were haughty and did an abomination before me. So I removed them…” (Ezekiel 16:49–50). Modern culture has much in common with these ancient people.

Again, Peter uses an example in which God’s judgment on those in rebellion was sudden and unexpected, offering no chance of escape (Proverbs 29:1). But as we see in the next verse, the righteous Judge has offered mercy in the form of a warning to those He wants to save. Peter will soon make the same connection for his readers: God’s judgment is coming, but He offers salvation to those who trust in Christ.

Verse 7. and if he rescued righteous Lot, greatly distressed by the sensual conduct of the wicked

To convince his readers that God would be faithful to judge the false teachers in the church, Peter has been citing historical examples of God’s swift and comprehensive judgment. At the same time, Peter has shown that God is faithful to save those He calls righteous from that judgment. Peter’s first example of that salvation was Noah and his family. Here, he comes to Abraham’s nephew Lot, a citizen of the town of Sodom. God reigned fire from the sky, utterly destroying Sodom and Gomorrah, but Lot was saved.

Peter’s description of Lot sometimes raises eyebrows. Peter speaks of Lot far more generously than we might expect after reading Genesis 19. After all, Lot chose to live near Sodom, knowing what kind of moral sewer it was (Genesis 13:12–13). He certainly had other options, but he remained, eventually moving into the city itself. He stayed long enough to raise his daughters there. He got along with the people of the city well enough to be an elder, sitting at the gates (Genesis 19:1).

Still, Peter calls Lot “righteous,” and says he was “distressed” or “oppressed” by the sexually immoral and violent conduct of the people of Sodom. The Greek term translated as “distressed” here is kataponoumenon. While rare in the New Testament, it means to be tired, exhausted, worn down, afflicted, or treated roughly. Verse 8 will refer to Lot’s soul as “tormented” over the situation. Peter is saying, therefore, that Lot was beaten down and discouraged by what he saw in Sodom.

In its own way, this is actually quite an encouragement! It’s true that God’s judgment of those in rebellion against Him is swift and complete, far more devastating than any human judgment. And yet, it is also true that God’s grace and mercy far exceed what we as humans might grant to each other. Lot was righteous in God’s eyes because he had been justified by God. This was in part due to Lot’s place in God’s family as Abraham’s nephew. In both letters, Peter has taught that we Christians also have been justified—made righteous in God’s eyes—because of our place in God’s family through faith in Christ.

We may read Lot’s story and conclude he was worthy of God’s judgment. We may even be tempted to look at our own choices and wonder if God will condemn us. But the only question is whether we have been declared righteous because of Christ (Romans 8:1), not whether we have made perfect choices since then.

Verse 8. (for as that righteous man lived among them day after day, he was tormenting his righteous soul over their lawless deeds that he saw and heard);

In the previous verse, Peter said that God rescued Lot, a “righteous man,” from the destruction of Sodom. He mentioned in that verse that Lot was “distressed” or “oppressed” by the depraved conduct of his neighbors. Now in this verse, Peter writes that Lot was “tormented” or “tortured” in his soul by all the sinful deeds he witnessed and heard about. This Greek term is ebasanizen, which means to torture, test, or bring pain. The word is sometimes used to describe a ship trying to sail into a headwind.

Also, according to verse 7, Lot was considered a “righteous” man. Clearly, this was not because of his own choices, or his own ability. Lot was considered “righteous” because he had been justified by God. As Abraham’s nephew and a believer in the Lord, Lot could be declared righteous by God. God’s declaration of righteousness is all that matters when it comes to our eternal salvation, not our personal choices. For Christians, God declares us righteous based on Christ’s sinless life and death for our sins.

Like it or not, those who belong to God will not be sinlessly perfect on this side of eternity. However, we should be burdened by the blatant and rebellious acts of sinfulness in the world around us. Lot felt “tortured” by those actions, though clearly not enough to leave town without being dragged out by angels!

Any discussion of Sodom and Gomorrah needs to be clear: the “lawless deeds” which had become normal there were truly heinous. Homosexuality was only the most flagrant and well-known sin. The deeds of Lot’s neighbors also included group rape. In their final moments, the men of Sodom demanded that Lot release to them his visitors so they could rape them (Genesis 19:4–7). They became incensed by Lot’s judgment of them when he refused.

Lot did not make all the right choices, but he knew in his soul that the violent actions of his “lawless” neighbors were evil. That awareness tortured him. It’s essential that God’s imperfect-yet-righteous people today remain sensitive enough to the reality of sin to be “tormented” by its impact on the culture around us.

Verse 9. then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgment,

Peter finally concludes his long “if” statement by arriving at the “then.” This is his conclusion.

The point of this lengthy statement has been this: God’s judgment is coming. The false teachers in the church will be condemned and destroyed. This is not a question of “if” God will repay, only “when.” If God condemned the rebellious angels and the world of Noah’s day and Sodom and Gomorrah, then He won’t hold back in condemning those rebelling against Him now.

But there’s more to the sentence: If God saved Noah and Lot, men He declared to be righteous, He will also save those He declares to be righteous now. God knows how to do both. He knows how to rescue His people, the ones He declares to be godly, from trials. And He knows how to hold those who are ungodly to be punished for their rebellion on the coming day of His judgment.

The message is clear. We may be tempted to look at the world and think that those who oppose God are winning. It may seem that standing with God costs more than it’s worth. We must never forget that God is still paying attention. Destruction will come, and so will salvation. The faithfulness we demonstrate today will be vindicated, one day.

Verse 10. and especially those who indulge in the lust of defiling passion and despise authority. Bold and willful, they do not tremble as they blaspheme the glorious ones,

In prior verses, Peter wrote that the Lord knows how to keep the unrighteous for punishment until the coming day of God’s judgment. Here, he adds that this is especially true for those guilty of two things. One is indulging in sexual sin and despising—living in contempt of—authority. As this passage continues, it will become clear that Peter is specifically referring to the false teachers among the Christians in the church. He is comparing them to the sinful men of Sodom and Gomorrah (2 Peter 2:6–8).

The specific sexual sins these false teachers did, and urged others to do, may have differed from the men of Sodom. Both, however, were guilty of unrestrained sexual expression. They were living in defiance of God’s commands and His instructions on the right way to live. Peter calls them bold and daring, arrogant and willful, unafraid of the consequences of what they were doing and teaching.

Apparently, these false teachings also included some condemnation of spiritual powers. Peter uses the Greek noun doxas, which the NIV renders as “celestial beings,” the ESV as “glorious ones,” and the NASB as “angelic majesties.” We don’t know the specifics, but what Peter will condemn in the following verses is the irreverent and clueless arrogance with which these men delivered their false message.

God would not allow that to go unpunished.

Context Summary
2 Peter 2:10–22 further describes the sins of the false teachers spreading deception in the early church. Prior verses explained how God judged evil in the past, while saving those who were faithful. This passage describes those who reject Christ in favor of the world as ”enslaved” by their own sins. No matter what they may claim, such persons prove their spiritual condition by constantly returning to their moral filth.

Verse 11. whereas angels, though greater in might and power, do not pronounce a blasphemous judgment against them before the Lord.

In the previous verse, Peter revealed evidence of the conceit of the false teachers. For starters, they were not afraid to speak arrogantly about angelic beings. This might have meant insulting them, ignoring the influence of spiritual beings, or even telling lies about what such beings could or would do. In other words, they were speaking of these beings with great disrespect. Contempt leads to carelessness; speaking rudely of spiritual beings not only makes a person less cautious, it can invite unwanted attention.

We do not know what, specifically, these false teachers were saying, but we get a clue in this verse that they may have been saying it about fallen angels. Peter tells us that even angels—apparently non-fallen angels speaking for God—would never speak so disrespectfully of fallen angels. Even when pronouncing God’s judgment, they would not “heap abuse” on these rebellious angels.

Peter says that, clearly, the angels are far more powerful than these false teachers. If anyone had the moral authority to speak disrespectfully about the fallen celestial beings, the angels that remain loyal to God would. And yet, they don’t. They won’t. The fact that the false teachers do such a thing demonstrates both their arrogance and ignorance.

Verse 12. But these, like irrational animals, creatures of instinct, born to be caught and destroyed, blaspheming about matters of which they are ignorant, will also be destroyed in their destruction,

Peter continues his condemnation of the false teachers among the people of the church, describing both their reckless sins before God and the consequences those sins will cause for them. Peter has revealed that these false teachers were, apparently, insulting or mocking celestial beings as part of their teaching. Peter calls that blasphemy: speaking without proper reverence about sacred things. We don’t know what they were saying, specifically, or why they were saying it, but Peter makes it clear that they didn’t know what they were talking about.

For this and other reasons, Peter compares these false teachers to animals driven only by instinct and not by rational thought. He writes that they are doing what comes naturally in the same way a wild animal, for instance, might attack a human being without apparent cause. Like that wild animal, Peter says these false teachers will be caught and destroyed. In their case, though, it is God who will destroy them. Likely, Peter is referring to their eternal judgment.

It is interesting that Peter contrasts those who act like animals with those who act with reason. Christianity, from the very beginning, has been friendly to the mind. In fact, a major aspect of the faith is purposeful control of one’s thought life (Romans 12:2). The idea of ignoring the intellect, to focus only on feelings, is completely at odds with biblical faith.

Verse 13. suffering wrong as the wage for their wrongdoing. They count it pleasure to revel in the daytime. They are blots and blemishes, reveling in their deceptions, while they feast with you.

Peter continues describing the sins and impending judgment of false teachers. These men have been attempting to lead the original readers of this letter away from the truth of the gospel of Jesus. In this verse, Peter writes to assure his readers that the false teachers will not get away with what they’re doing. As much as they seem to be succeeding in the present moment, they will suffer wrong as the payment for the wrong they are doing. God is paying attention; judgment and destruction will follow.

One of the characteristics of these false teachers was an indulgence in sexual immorality. Peter now writes that they are so bold about their sin that they carouse or revel in their immorality in broad daylight. They lack even the shame to hide their sinful choices under the dark of night. In a more modern sense, this is the “loud and proud” attitude. Those who take this approach do not hide their sin, and are not subtle about it. Instead, they parade it for others to see.

Peter reveals that these false teachers are disfiguring the church. This is in the same way a stain or blemish might mar a shirt, for instance. They feast with the true believers while continuing to tell their lies about who Jesus is. This feasting Peter mentions may refer to immoral partying that people in the church were being lured into by these false teachers. Or it may be that the false teachers were attending the official gatherings of the early church, which included taking part in the Lord’s Supper, creating a serious “stain” on that meaningful time before God.

This relates to an important point about church purity. Paul makes the point in Ephesians 5:3 that certain kinds of immorality should not be tolerated within the community of the church. It can be difficult to strike a balance between loving sinners, and not accepting sin. However, it is important for the church to stand for moral conduct. At some point, associating with an unrepentant sinner damages the reputation of the church, interfering with the spread of the gospel.

Verse 14. They have eyes full of adultery, insatiable for sin. They entice unsteady souls. They have hearts trained in greed. Accursed children!

This section of Peter’s letter is clearly written with passion. He continues to condemn the false teachers at work in the early church. Jesus Himself had given Peter the mission to tend the sheep of God. At times, a shepherd’s job includes driving away wild predators (1 Samuel 17:34–35). This naturally comes with some ferocity, and Peter shows in defending his flock from these attacking wolves.

In this verse, Peter writes that these false teachers have eyes full of adultery. The Greek phrase implies a man who sees sex every time he looks at a woman. These deceivers are looking for every opportunity to engage in sexual immorality but are never satisfied, never stopping.

Such people are skilled in the art of seduction and persuasion. This is particularly effective against those in the church who are weak or “unsteady” in their faith, those who are most vulnerable to temptation. In addition, these false teachers have trained their hearts for greed to the point that Peter calls them experts. That is, they have developed the ability to get what they covet by any means necessary.

The verse concludes with Peter’s exclamation: Accursed children! This was apparently a well–known Hebrew phrase meaning “children of a curse.” This is a crucial point for understanding Peter’s meaning in this passage. “Children of a curse,” in that time and place, was a reference to those completely damned by God. In other words, in plain and unmistakable terms, Peter sees these false teachers as non-believers. Those who act in such ways do not have a saving faith in Christ (1 John 3:9).

Verse 15. Forsaking the right way, they have gone astray. They have followed the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved gain from wrongdoing,

Peter has been castigating the false teachers who will seek to seduce Christians away from the truth. Here, he writes that they have left the straight way or the right way. More specifically, they have left “the way” of Jesus. They may at one point have been on a parallel path with other Christians, traveling alongside the people of God. However, particularly in verse 14, Peter makes it clear that these false teachers were never true followers of Christ. Now they are on the path of Balaam son of Beor.

Balaam was a strange combination of prophet and fortune-teller through whom God spoke truth to Israel’s enemies. In Numbers 22–24, Balaam refused to curse Israel even when commanded to by Balak, the king of Moab. Instead he delivered the blessing for Israel given to him by God and described how Israel would defeat Moab.

But later Balaam used his influence, and his knowledge of Israel and Israel’s God, to counsel Israel’s enemies to use immoral sexual seduction to compromise and weaken God’s people. Moses called it the “Peor incident” (Numbers 31:15–16). By sleeping with the Moabite women, some of Israel’s men brought God’s judgment on the camp. Revelation 2:14 also recounts Balaam’s betrayal of God’s people to her enemies. Eventually Balaam was killed along with the five kings of Midian.

Peter now describes Balaam as loving the wages or gain that came from his wrongdoing. This is apparently a reference to the payments he received as a freelance, mercenary prophet. In this way, the false teachers in the early church were very much like Balaam. Both loved the personal gain they received from their wrongdoing, and both used sexual seduction to weaken God’s people. Peter warned the people not to follow these false teachers headed for destruction.

Verse 16. but was rebuked for his own transgression; a speechless donkey spoke with human voice and restrained the prophet ‘s madness.

Peter continues to compare false teachers among the Christians of the early church to the Old Testament prophet Balaam, mentioned in verse 15.

In verse 16, Peter refers to the story for which Balaam is most commonly known: the talking donkey. This incident is recorded in Numbers 22:22–35. Balaam was riding to a meeting with Israel’s enemy, against the will of God. The donkey he was riding on saw what Balaam did not: the angel of the Lord, on the path ahead, with a drawn sword and ready to strike. Very reasonably, the donkey refused to go forward, no matter how vehemently Balaam beat her. After several stops and beatings, the Lord granted the donkey speech. She promptly protested about the beatings. Only this shock rattled Balaam enough to see the angel.

Peter is making the case that the false teachers in the church are just like Balaam was in that story. They cannot see what would be obvious to even a barnyard animal: God’s judgment is waiting on their path.

Verse 17. These are waterless springs and mists driven by a storm. For them the gloom of utter darkness has been reserved.

The false teachers in the early church were con men. Their teaching included, apparently, the ideas that Jesus was not Lord and that Christians should be free to indulge in sexual immorality (2 Peter 2:1–3). They promised greater freedom, which they claimed came from unrestrained behavior. Sadly, there are many in congregations today who encourage believers to ignore biblical warnings about sexual sins. They dismiss God’s words as out of date, and inspire others to violate God’s will.

Despite these false teacher’s claims of better knowledge, Peter uses pictures from nature to describe their true form. Following their path will leave the thirsty unquenched. Like a dried up spring, or a lurking raincloud that provides only a bit of mist, their teaching will lead to disappointment. More than that, it will lead to destruction. These false teachers who lie about Jesus will reach the destination that is reserved for them: the blackest darkness. This is likely a description of hell, a place without even a hint of light.

Verse 18. For, speaking loud boasts of folly, they entice by sensual passions of the flesh those who are barely escaping from those who live in error.

Many people are tempted by the idea of indulging every possible sexual sin, free from guilt and shame. The same people often want to be free from the earthly and eternal consequences of those choices. The lie of the false teachers seems to be just that: you can sin without remorse or consequence, keeping all the benefits of belonging to Christ, and with the full approval of God.

According to Peter, these liars use words as tools of deception. If you listen, he says, you’ll notice their impressive-sounding talk is, in reality, simply boastful and empty. The sad truth, though, is that their words and invitation to sexual sin was very effective. Those who had just begun to escape from the lies of the culture, attracted by the gospel of Jesus, found the false teaching of these men hard to resist. Once again, the same is true in the modern world. Immature Christians in particular are easily swayed by these temptations.

No wonder Peter sounds angry. With their lies, these false teachers were attempting to snatch people away just as they were coming to Christ, all for their own arrogance and profit.

Verse 19. They promise them freedom, but they themselves are slaves of corruption. For whatever overcomes a person, to that he is enslaved.

The world typically claims that “freedom” means doing whatever you want, whenever you want, and however you want. The false teachers in the early church promised this kind of freedom. For them, this meant guilt-free indulgence in every kind of sexual sin. This, they claimed, came with no risk of God’s judgment. As Peter has made clear, the promise was a lie. It’s not just wrong because these teachers are wrong about Jesus. It’s also wrong by the practical evidence of their own lives.

They promise a freedom they don’t have. Instead of being free to indulge in their sexual passions, they simply cannot do anything else. They are, in fact, slaves, mastered by their own sinful desires. This is one of the most poorly understood, but powerful truths about sin. What Satan tells you is an expression of freedom is actually the very thing which enslaves you.

Peter recites what may have been a proverb of the day: “For whatever overcomes a person, to that he is enslaved.” This can be positive or negative. Those “overcome” with addictions and sins are certainly controlled by those. On the other hand, Peter began this letter by referring to himself as a slave—or bond servant—of Jesus Christ. One of the promises of life in Christ, life under the master Jesus, is true freedom, even from the harsh demands of our sinful selves.

What is true freedom? It is the ability to say no to ourselves, to leave the path of destruction, and to say yes to Christ and find true joy, meaning, and abundant life (John 10:10).

Verse 20. For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first.

The last three verses of 2 Peter chapter 2 are troubling for some. Especially when taken out of context, they raise the question of whether a believer can lose or walk away from his or her salvation. It is helpful to read these verses in the context of chapter 2, as well as within the context of both 1 Peter and 2 Peter together. And, of course, one has to consider the overall message of the Bible.

The first question is who exactly Peter is referring to. Who are these people who had escaped the defilements or corruption of the world? It’s possible that Peter is referring to the false teachers he has been condemning, but it seems more likely that he has in mind the ones the false teachers are leading astray. This seems to suggest the newer, less mature, or less experienced believers. Or, those who were just hearing the gospel, and still uncommitted.

In verse 18, Peter wrote that the false teachers were enticing those just escaping from error. These are people who had come out of the world and entered into the community of the church. They had heard and understood the gospel of Jesus Christ. However, the Bible is very clear that intellectual knowledge is not the same as saving faith (James 2:19). It seems most likely Peter is referring to those who were attracted to the gospel, but who had not come to a full faith in Christ.

If they had been saved, what Peter wrote in 1 Peter 1:5 would apply to them. They would have been shielded or guarded by through their faith and by God’s power until salvation was revealed. Instead, as John wrote, “They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us” (1 John 2:19).

Now these people, distracted and enticed by the false teachers, are worse off than before. They had begun to escape the sinful corruption of the world, and begun to associate with a community of believers. And then, they were fooled by the false teachers into participating their old sinfulness. Once more they were entangled, overcome, and dragged back to their old place in the world by their own sinful desires. Worse, now their concept of the gospel is tainted.

Verse 21. For it would have been better for them never to have known the way of righteousness than after knowing it to turn back from the holy commandment delivered to them.

This verse is part of a larger thought contained in verses 20 through 22. Peter appears to be referring to the ones enticed and deceived by the false teachers in the church. One of the lies of the false teachers was that Christians should freely participate in indulging their sinful desires. Peter describes the effect of this teaching on those who had escaped from the practice of the world and entered into the community of the church.

These were people who heard and understood the gospel of Jesus but who had apparently not yet fully trusted in Christ. According to scripture, merely knowing about God is not the same as having a saving faith in Christ (James 2:19). These potential believers were misled by the false teachers and overcome again by their worldly practices.

Peter writes that it would have been better for them never to have heard the gospel, and never to have been told about the way of righteousness, than to know “the holy command”—the gospel, the command to trust in Christ—and to turn away from it.

Why would it be better? Partly because once that message has been heard and rejected, or corrupted, it is very unlikely someone will return again to believe and trust in it. Their attitude towards the gospel is now warped, distorted, and stained. They have added a series of roadblocks and hang-ups to their path towards genuinely accepting Christ. These complications make it all the harder for them to submit to God, and experience eternal salvation with God the Father.

No wonder Peter comes across as so angry in his condemnation of the false teachers. They were effectively leading people away from the hope of Christ and back to their own path of destruction.

Verse 22. What the true proverb says has happened to them: “The dog returns to its own vomit, and the sow, after washing herself, returns to wallow in the mire.”

This verse concludes Peter’s teaching about those who had been led astray by the false teachers. He has in mind those who had come into contact with the community of Christians, only to return to the sinfulness of the world. These people had apparently heard about the gospel of Jesus without genuinely placing their faith in Christ. Instead, enticed by the lies of the false teachers, they had gone back to their old place in the world among those who live only for their sinful desires.

Peter now writes that those who persist in continual sin embody the wisdom of Proverbs 26:11: the fool returns to his folly just as a dog returns to eat his own vomit. Similarly, they are like a pig who can be scrubbed clean, but soon returns to wallow in the muck again. This is a particularly pungent analogy for Peter, as pigs and dogs were two of the most despised and unclean animals in Jewish thinking.

In other words, these people were never truly changed in their nature. Dogs and pigs do what dogs and pigs do. Those truly in Christ don’t merely get rid of the sin in their lives and, thus, become acceptable to God. Through faith and by God’s power, true believers are changed in their very nature, becoming more and more like Jesus over time through the power of God at work in them. This does not mean perfection, but it does mean a changed life. Those who show evidence that they were never changed, it stands to reason, are still exactly what they used to be.

End of Chapter 2.

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