2 Peter 2

In this chapter, Peter warns the believers about false teachers and the dangers they bring to the church. He draws comparisons between these individuals and examples from the Old Testament, demonstrating God’s judgment upon the ungodly. Peter emphasizes the need to be aware of these false doctrines while reminding believers that God will protect the righteous.

2 Peter 2:1-2 (NKJV)
But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction. And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed.

Peter begins by acknowledging that just as false prophets existed in the past, false teachers will also arise in the present. These individuals will introduce heresies that undermine the truth of the Gospel, even to the point of denying Christ's redemptive work. Many will be deceived and follow these destructive teachings, which will cause the Christian faith to be maligned and dishonored among unbelievers.

2 Peter 2:3 (NKJV)
By covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words; for a long time their judgment has not been idle, and their destruction does not slumber.

These false teachers, motivated by greed, will manipulate and deceive people to achieve their own ends. However, Peter reassures believers that God’s judgment against them has been determined, and though it may seem delayed, their eventual destruction is inevitable. This verse highlights the certainty of God’s justice against those who pervert His truth.

2 Peter 2:4-5 (NKJV)
For if God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them down to hell and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment; and did not spare the ancient world, but saved Noah, one of eight people, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood on the world of the ungodly;

Peter provides examples from history to illustrate that God’s judgment on the wicked is certain. First, he refers to the angels who sinned and were cast into hell to await judgment. Second, he recalls how God judged the ancient world with the flood, sparing only Noah and his family. These examples serve as warnings that God’s justice is both thorough and unavoidable.

2 Peter 2:6 (NKJV)
And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them to destruction, making them an example to those who afterward would live ungodly;

Peter continues by reminding readers of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah as another example of divine judgment. These cities, known for their extreme wickedness, were destroyed by fire as a warning to future generations about the consequences of living in rebellion against God. This serves as a reminder that God will not tolerate persistent sin.

2 Peter 2:7-8 (NKJV)
and delivered righteous Lot, who was oppressed by the filthy conduct of the wicked (for that righteous man, dwelling among them, tormented his righteous soul from day to day by seeing and hearing their lawless deeds)—

Amidst the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, God saved Lot, a man described as righteous and deeply troubled by the wickedness around him. Peter emphasizes that Lot’s soul was tormented daily by the lawless behavior of the people he lived among, showing that God is aware of the struggles of the righteous who live in corrupt environments. It also demonstrates that God can rescue His people from the midst of judgment.

2 Peter 2:9 (NKJV)
then the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment,

Peter assures the believers that just as God rescued Lot, He knows how to deliver the righteous from trials and temptations. Simultaneously, He is preparing judgment for the unjust, ensuring that the wicked will face punishment on the day of judgment. This verse serves as a reminder of God’s justice and His ability to protect His people.

2 Peter 2:10-11 (NKJV)
and especially those who walk according to the flesh in the lust of uncleanness and despise authority. They are presumptuous, self-willed. They are not afraid to speak evil of dignitaries, whereas angels, who are greater in power and might, do not bring a reviling accusation against them before the Lord.

Peter now shifts to describe the character of the false teachers. They live according to their sinful desires, rejecting authority and displaying arrogance. These individuals are bold and reckless, showing no fear in speaking against spiritual authorities or dignitaries. In contrast, even the angels, who are far more powerful, exercise restraint and humility in their actions before God.

2 Peter 2:12 (NKJV)
But these, like natural brute beasts made to be caught and destroyed, speak evil of the things they do not understand, and will utterly perish in their own corruption,

Peter compares the false teachers to irrational animals, driven by base instincts and destined for destruction. They speak arrogantly about things they don’t truly comprehend, and their ignorance will ultimately lead to their downfall. Their corruption will be their undoing, showing the futility of living apart from God’s truth.

2 Peter 2:13 (NKJV)
and will receive the wages of unrighteousness, as those who count it pleasure to carouse in the daytime. They are spots and blemishes, carousing in their own deceptions while they feast with you,

Peter warns that these false teachers will face consequences for their unrighteous actions. They indulge in sinful behavior openly and without shame, even during the day. He describes them as "spots and blemishes," meaning they corrupt the Christian fellowship by their presence and deceitful actions, especially when they gather with believers.

2 Peter 2:14 (NKJV)
having eyes full of adultery and that cannot cease from sin, enticing unstable souls. They have a heart trained in covetous practices, and are accursed children.

Peter describes the false teachers as morally corrupt individuals who are constantly lusting and unable to stop sinning. They target and manipulate those who are spiritually unstable, taking advantage of their weaknesses. These teachers are skilled in greedy, deceitful practices, and Peter calls them "accursed children," indicating their dire spiritual condition and their ultimate condemnation.

2 Peter 2:15-16 (NKJV)
They have forsaken the right way and gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness; but he was rebuked for his iniquity: a dumb donkey speaking with a man's voice restrained the madness of the prophet.

Peter draws a parallel between the false teachers and Balaam, a prophet in the Old Testament who loved material gain more than righteousness. Balaam’s greed led him astray, but God used a donkey to rebuke him and stop his madness. Similarly, these false teachers have abandoned the path of righteousness for personal gain, but their fate will be as disastrous as Balaam’s.

2 Peter 2:17 (NKJV)
These are wells without water, clouds carried by a tempest, for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever.

Peter uses metaphors to describe the emptiness of the false teachers. Like wells without water and clouds blown aimlessly by storms, they offer no true nourishment or guidance. Instead, they are driven by their own destructive forces. Their fate is eternal darkness, symbolizing the judgment and separation from God they will face.

2 Peter 2:18 (NKJV)
For when they speak great swelling words of emptiness, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through lewdness, the ones who have actually escaped from those who live in error.

Peter notes that these false teachers use impressive but empty words to attract people. They appeal to the sinful desires of the flesh and use immorality to entice those who have only recently escaped from the deceptions of the world. This makes them especially dangerous, as they prey on vulnerable individuals who are new to the faith.

2 Peter 2:19 (NKJV)
While they promise them liberty, they themselves are slaves of corruption; for by whom a person is overcome, by him also he is brought into bondage.

Although these false teachers claim to offer freedom, they themselves are enslaved by their own sinful desires and corruption. Peter emphasizes that whatever controls a person, be it sin or false teachings, brings them into bondage. The supposed “freedom” they promise is actually a trap, leading to spiritual slavery rather than liberation.

2 Peter 2:20 (NKJV)
For if, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning.

Peter warns that those who have come to know Christ and then turn back to the world’s sinful ways are in a worse condition than before. Having experienced the truth of Christ, their deliberate return to sin results in greater spiritual harm, as they now reject what they once knew and believed. Their state is more perilous because they have hardened their hearts against the truth.

2 Peter 2:21 (NKJV)
For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them.

Peter emphasizes the seriousness of apostasy. It would have been better for these individuals never to have known the path of righteousness than to have known it and then rejected it. Turning away from the Gospel after receiving it leads to greater accountability before God, and their rejection of the truth is more grievous because of their prior knowledge.

2 Peter 2:22 (NKJV)
But it has happened to them according to the true proverb: "A dog returns to his own vomit," and, "a sow, having washed, to her wallowing in the mire."

Peter concludes the chapter by quoting two proverbs that illustrate the behavior of those who turn back to sin. Like a dog returning to its vomit or a pig returning to the mud after being washed, these individuals revert to their old, sinful ways despite having known the truth. This imagery conveys the foolishness and degradation of abandoning the Gospel to embrace sin again.