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Scripture Reading: 2 Pet. 2:10-22
In this message we shall consider the evils of the false teachers and their punishment under God’s judgment (2:10-22).
In 2:10 Peter says, “And especially those who go after the flesh in defiling lust, and despise lordship. Darers, self-willed, they do not tremble while reviling dignities.” From here to the end of the chapter, the exposure returns to the false teachers and their followers, a continuation of the exposure in verses 1 through 3. In God’s governmental dealing, they will be especially kept under punishment for the day of judgment because they go after the flesh, indulging in defiling lust and corrupting luxury for pleasure, and despise the Lord’s government, rebelling against His authority (vv. 10, 13-14,18). Thus, they become persons like animals without reason (v. 12), spots and blemishes to the believers as God’s treasure (v. 13), Balaam, in forsaking the straight way for unrighteous gain (v. 15), springs without water and mists driven by a storm (vv. 17-19), and dogs and sows that become defiled both inwardly and outwardly (vv. 20-22).
Peter says that the false teachers despise lordship. Here “lordship” must refer to the lordship of Christ, which is the center of the divine government, dominion, and authority (Acts 2:36; Eph. 1:21; Col. 1:16).
Peter also says that the false teachers are self-willed and do not tremble while reviling dignities. They are self-willed in that they are self-pleasing, seeking pleasure for self. The Greek word rendered “dignities” literally means glories. It probably refers both to angels and men in power and authority (v. 11; Jude 1:9; Titus 3:1-2).
In verse 11 Peter continues, “Whereas angels, being greater in strength and power, do not bring a reviling judgment against them before the Lord.” Here “angels” and “them,” referring to dignities in verse 10, are mentioned in a general way. But in Jude 9 regarding the same case, the archangel Michael and the Devil are singled out. Because Michael realized that in the angelic order the Devil was higher than he, he did not dare to bring a reviling judgment against him. The words a “reviling judgment” in 2:11 actually mean a condemnation. To refrain from bringing a reviling judgment against them before the Lord is to keep the order of authority in God’s government.
In verse 12 Peter goes on to say, “But these, as animals without reason, having been born natural for capture and corruption, reviling in things of which they are ignorant, shall also in their corrupting be corrupted.” Here “animals” literally means living creatures (including man) and refers to men living as animals. The King James Version adopts the rendering “natural brute beasts.”
“Without reason,” or “irrational” here means having no sense of moral issues. The highest sense within man is his spirit with the conscience as its leading part. Conscience governs man under God’s government since man’s fall. Some have “ceased from feeling” (Eph. 4:19) by giving up the consciousness of their conscience through their denial of God (Rom. 1:23-32). The first century heretics, like the Sadducees in ancient Judaism (Acts 23:8) and the Modernists of today, are in this category. They have denied the Lord to the uttermost so that their conscience is seared and has lost its consciousness (1 Tim. 4:2), as if they do not even have a spirit (Jude 1:10, 19). Thus, they become as animals without reason, as creatures of instinct, born natural to be captured, through their lust, by Satan the destroyer of man, that they may be corrupted unto destruction.
Peter says that those who become as animals without reason have been born for capture and corruption. The word “for” literally means unto and indicates that they are destined to be captured for corruption, to be made slaves of corruption (v. 19). But by the supply of life through the divine provision (1:3-4) we are able to escape this corruption that brings in destruction.
Peter tells us that the false teachers will also “in their corrupting be corrupted.” This means that while they are corrupting others, they themselves will also be corrupted.
Verse 13 says, “Suffering unrighteousness as the wages of unrighteousness, counting luxury in the day to be pleasure; spots and blemishes, reveling in their deceits, feasting together with you.” In verse 13 some manuscripts read “receiving the wages of unrighteousness.” Here unrighteousness refers to unrighteous doings. Peter uses the word “unrighteousness” in this verse in a governmental way.
According to verse 13, the false teachers are spots and blemishes. This means that the lust-indulging heretics are to genuine believers, who are God’s treasure, like spots and blemishes to precious gems.
Furthermore, these false teachers revel in their deceits. They are happy, beside themselves with pleasure, whenever they deceive others. They revel in the fact that they cause others to be deceived.
Verse 14 continues, “Having eyes full of adultery and not ceasing from sin, enticing unstable souls, having a heart practiced in covetousness, children of curse.” These details also describe the false teachers.
Verse 15 says, “Forsaking the straight way, they have gone astray, following the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness.” The straight way here, as the way of the truth (v. 2) and the way of righteousness (v. 21), is to live an upright life without crookedness or bias, without unrighteousness.
Having gone astray, the false teachers followed the way of Balaam. Balaam was not a false prophet of the Gentiles, but a real prophet. However, Balaam was one who loved the wages of unrighteousness (Num. 22:5, 7; Deut. 23:4; Neh. 13:2; Rev. 2:14).
Verse 16 says, “But had reproof of his own transgression — a dumb beast of burden, speaking with a man’s voice, restrained the madness of the prophet.” This refers to Balaam, who was restrained by a donkey, a beast of burden, speaking with a human voice. This verse says that this miraculous speaking restrained the madness of the prophet. This indicates that the prophet Balaam was mad in his pursuit of money, in his pursuit of the wages of unrighteousness. Therefore, God used the miraculous speaking of a beast of burden to restrain him.
Verse 17 continues, “These are springs without water and mists driven by a storm, for whom the gloom of darkness has been kept.” Here we see that the heretical teachers are dried up. They are springs without water and mists driven by a storm. They are waterless clouds carried along by winds (Jude 1:12), having nothing of life to meet the need of the thirsty ones.
Peter says that the “gloom of darkness has been kept” for these false teachers. This also refers to God’s governmental dealing and indicates that a particular place has been prepared for them.
In verse 18 Peter says, “For uttering great swelling words of vanity, they entice by fleshly lusts, in sensuality, those who are barely escaping from them who live in error.” The Greek word rendered “sensuality” also means licentiousness, as in verse 2. The word “live” also means to behave, to conduct themselves.
Verse 19 says, “Promising freedom to them, while they themselves are slaves of corruption; for by whom anyone has been overcome, by this one he has been enslaved.” In this verse the Greek word rendered “corruption” is phthora and denotes corruption unto destruction, destruction that comes with corruption, destroying by means of corrupting.
The false teachers promised freedom, but they themselves are slaves of corruption. They have been overcome by Satan, and now they are enslaved by the one who has overcome them.
Verse 20 says, “For if having escaped the defilements of the world by the full knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and having again been entangled in these, they are overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first.” This verse indicates that, at least to some extent, the false teachers had the full knowledge of Christ. However, they again became entangled, and therefore the last state became worse for them than the first.
In verse 21 Peter goes on to say, “For it were better for them not to have fully known the way of righteousness, than fully knowing it to turn back from the holy commandment delivered to them.” This means that it would have been better for them if they had not known anything concerning the Lord than to have turned back from the holy commandment delivered to them.
In verse 21 Peter speaks of the way of righteousness. The way of righteousness is to live a life that is right with both God and man. This is another aspect of the way of the truth (v. 2) and the straight way (v. 15). This is the way to live a life according to God’s justice, a way that can take His governmental judgment (vv. 3, 9) for His kingdom of righteousness (Rom. 14:17; Matt. 5:20). Peter in his Epistles stresses both the manner of life and the way of life, because his writings are based on the governmental point of view of God’s administration. In order to fit in with the government of Him who is holy and righteous, God’s people need to live in a manner of life that is holy, pure, good, and excellent (1 Pet. 1:15; 2, 3:16; 2:12; 2 Pet. 3:11), not licentious or vain (2:7; 1 Pet. 1:18), in His straight way of righteousness and truth.
Verse 22 concludes, “It has happened to them according to the true proverb: The dog has turned to its own vomit, and the washed sow to wallowing in the mud.” Here Peter is quite strong and uses two kinds of animals, a dog and a sow, to describe the unclean, false teachers. Dogs and sows are unclean animals, according to the ordinances of God’s holiness (Lev. 11:4, 7; Matt. 7:6). Dogs have a habit of eating filthy things. They vomit what they eat and turn to their own vomit to become filthied inwardly. Sows wallow in the mud to make themselves filthy outwardly. The God-denying heretics eventually become like these dirty animals, making themselves filthy both inwardly and outwardly. What serious judgment they deserve according to God’s righteousness in His governmental administration! Because the defilement of the false teachers is very contagious, the believers’ contact with them is prohibited (2 John 1:9-11).
We have seen that in 2:10-22 Peter exposes the evils of the false teachers and their punishment under God’s judgment. Because the false teachers go after the flesh, indulge in defiling lust, corrupt luxury for pleasure, despise the Lord’s government, and rebel against His authority, in God’s governmental dealing they will be especially kept under punishment for the day of judgment. We have seen that they become like animals without reason, spots and blemishes, Balaam, springs without water and mists driven by a storm, and dogs and sows. Peter is unique in giving us such a description of the evil condition of the false teachers.
Chapter two of 2 Peter proves that this Epistle was written during the degradation of the church. The church had become degraded through apostasy. Apostasy is a deviation from the right track of God’s truth. This apostasy was the background of this Epistle. Peter’s burden was to inoculate the believers against the poison of apostasy.
The Epistle of 2 Peter was probably written between A.D. 65 and 68, approximately thirty years after the establishment of the church in Jerusalem. During those years, the church became degraded, and apostasy crept in.
The Epistles of 2 and 3 John were also written during a time of apostasy. However, those Epistles were written about a quarter of a century later than 2 Peter, that is, approximately A.D. 90. Thus, five books — 2 Timothy, 2 Peter, 2 and 3 John, and Jude — were written during a time of the church’s degradation in apostasy.
It is important for us to realize that the element of apostasy continues today. Because a number of basic truths have been given up, even by those who apparently are fundamental believers, there is the need for us in the Lord’s recovery to fight the battle for the truth. At the time of Martin Luther it was necessary to fight regarding justification by faith. It certainly was worthwhile for Luther to fight that battle. But today we need to fight for the deeper truths revealed in the Word of God. We believe not only in all the genuine items held by fundamental Christians, but also in the deeper truths. We definitely believe that the Bible is fully inspired by God word for word. We would follow the literal translation of 2 Timothy 3:16 to say that all Scripture is God-breathed. We believe that the Lord Jesus is the Son of God. He is true God and true man. We believe in Christ’s incarnation and in His death on the cross for our redemption. According to the Scriptures, we believe that the Lord’s death was all-inclusive. Through His crucifixion He terminated the old creation, including us with our flesh and our fallen nature. We fully believe in the Lord’s resurrection and ascension. We believe that the Lord is now on the throne. But we also believe that He is not limited to the throne, for as the life-giving Spirit He dwells in our spirit. We believe in every aspect of what Christ is and of what He has done, is doing, and will do. We also believe in all that Christ has attained and obtained. Furthermore, according to the Bible, we believe in transformation and in being constituted of the element of God for the rearrangement of our being. We may say that all this is our deeper faith. In a time of apostasy, we believe and testify the full revelation of the pure Word of God.
