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Commentary on 2 Peter 2 verses 10–22
The apostle's design being to warn us of, and arm us against, seducers, he now returns to discourse more particularly of them, and give us an account of their character and conduct, which abundantly justifies the righteous Judge of the world in reserving them in an especial manner for the most severe and heavy doom, as Cain is taken under special protection that he might be kept for uncommon vengeance. But why will God thus deal with these false teachers? This he shows in what follows.
I. These walk after the flesh; they follow the devices and desires of their own hearts, they give up themselves to the conduct of their own fleshly mind, refusing to make their reason stoop to divine revelation, and to bring every thought to the obedience of Christ; they, in their lives, act directly contrary to God's righteous precepts, and comply with the demands of corrupt nature. Evil opinions are often accompanied with evil practices; and those who are for propagating error are for improving in wickedness. They will not sit down contented in the measure of iniquity to which they have attained, nor is it enough for them to stand up, and maintain, and defend, what wickedness they have already committed, but they walk after the flesh, they go on in their sinful course, and increase unto more ungodliness and greater degrees of impurity and uncleanness too; they also pour contempt on those whom God has set in authority over them and requires them to honour. These therefore despise the ordinance of God, and we need not wonder at it, for they are bold and daring, obstinate and refractory, and will not only cherish contempt in their hearts, but with their tongues will utter slanderous and reproachful words of those who are set over them.
II. This he aggravates, by setting forth the very different conduct of more excellent creatures, even the angels, of whom observe, 1. They are greater in power and might, and that even than those who are clothed with authority and power among the sons of men, and much more than those false teachers who are slanderous revilers of magistrates and governors; the good angels vastly exceed us in all natural and moral excellences, in strength, understanding, and holiness too. 2. Good angels are accusers of sinful creatures, either of their own kind, or ours, or both. Those who are allowed to behold the face of God, and stand before his throne, cannot but have a zeal for his honour, and accuse and blame those who dishonour him. 3. Angels bring their accusations of sinful creatures before the Lord; they do not publish their faults, and tell their crimes to their fellow-creatures, in a way of calumny and slander; but it is before the Lord, who is the Judge, and will be the avenger, of all impiety and injustice. 4. Good angels mingle no bitter revilings nor base reproaches with any of the accusations or charges they bring against the wickedest and worst of criminals. Let us, who pray that God's will may be done on earth as it is in heaven, imitate the angels in this particular; if we complain of wicked men, let it be to God, and that not with rage and reviling, but with compassion and composedness of mind, that may evidence that we belong to him who is meek and merciful.
III. The apostle, having shown (Pe2 2:11) how unlike seducing teachers are to the most excellent creatures, proceeds (Pe2 2:12) to show how like they are to the most inferior: they are like the horse and mule, which have no understanding; they are as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed. Men, under the power of sin, are so far from observing divine revelation that they do not exercise reason, nor act according to the direction thereof. They walk by sight, and not by faith, and judge of things according to their senses; as these represent things pleasant and agreeable, so they must be approved and esteemed. Brute-creatures follow the instinct of their sensitive appetite, and sinful man follows the inclination of his carnal mind; these refuse to employ the understanding and reason God has given them, and so are ignorant of what they might and ought to know; and therefore observe, 1. Ignorance is the cause of evil-speaking; and, 2. Destruction will be the effect of it. These persons shall be utterly destroyed in their own corruption. Their vices not only expose them to the wrath of God in another world, but often bring them to misery and ruin in this life; and surely such impudent offenders, who glory in their shame, and to whom openness in sin is an improvement of the pleasure of sinning, most justly deserve all the plagues of this life and the pains of the next in the greatest extremity. Therefore whatever they meet with is the just reward of their unrighteousness. Such sinners as sport themselves in mischief deceive themselves and disgrace all they belong to, for by one sort of sins they prepare themselves for another; their extravagant feastings, their intemperance in eating and drinking, bring them to commit all manner of lewdness, so that their eyes are full of adultery, their wanton looks show their own impure lusts and are designed and directed to kindle the like in others; and this is what they cannot cease from - the heart is insatiate in lusting and the eye incessant in looking after what may gratify their unclean desires, and those who are themselves impudent and incessant in sin are very diligent and often successful in deceiving others and drawing others into the same excess of riot. But here observe who those are who are in the greatest danger of being led away into error and impiety, even the unstable. Those whose hearts are not established with grace are easily turned into the way of sin, or else such sensual wretches would not be able to prevail upon them, for these are not only riotous and lascivious, but covetous also, and these practices their hearts are exercised with; they pant after riches, and the desire of their souls is to the wealth of this world: it is a considerable part of their work to contrive to get wealth; in this their hearts are exercised, and then they execute their projects; and, if men abandon themselves to all sorts of lusts, we cannot wonder that the apostle should call them cursed children, for they are liable to the curse of God denounced against such ungodly and unrighteous men, and they bring a curse upon all who hearken and adhere to them.
IV. The apostle (Pe2 2:15, Pe2 2:16) proves that they are cursed children, even such covetous persons as the Lord abhors, by showing, 1. They have forsaken the right way; and it cannot be but such self-seekers must be out of the right way, which is a self-denying way. 2. They have gone into a wrong way: they have erred and strayed from the way of life, and gone over into the path which leads to death, and takes hold of hell; and this he makes out by showing it to be the way of Balaam, the son of Bosor. (1.) That is a way of unrighteousness into which men are led by the wages of unrighteousness. (2.) Outward temporal good things are the wages sinners expect and promise themselves, though they are often disappointed. (3.) The inordinate love of the good things of this world turns men out of the way which leads to the unspeakably better things of another life; the love of riches and honour turned Balaam out of the way of his duty, although he knew that the way he took displeased the Lord. (4.) Those who from the same principle are guilty of the same practices with notorious sinners are, in the judgment of God, the followers of such vile offenders, and therefore must reckon upon being at last where they are: they shall have their portion with those in another world whom they imitated in this. (5.) Heinous and hardened sinners sometimes meet with rebukes for their iniquity. God stops them in their way, and opens the mouth of conscience, or by some startling providence startles and affrights them. (6.) Though some more uncommon and extraordinary rebuke may for a little while cool men's courage, and hinder their violent progress in the way of sin, it will not make them forsake the way of iniquity and go over into the way of holiness. If rebuking a sinner for his iniquity could have made a man return to his duty, surely the rebuke of Balaam must have produced this effect; for here is a surprising miracle wrought: the dumb ass, in whose mouth no man can expect to meet with reproof, is enabled to speak, and that with a human voice, and to her owner and master (who is here called a prophet, for the Lord appeared and spoke sometimes to him, Num 22:23, Num 22:24, but indeed he was among the prophets of the Lord as Judas among the apostles of Jesus Christ), and she exposes the madness of his conduct and opposes his going on in this evil way, and yet all in vain. Those who will not yield to usual methods of reproof will be but little influenced by miraculous appearances to turn them from their sinful courses. Balaam was indeed restrained from actually cursing the people, but he had so strong a desire after the honours and riches that were promised him that he went as far as he could, and did his utmost to get from under the restraint that was upon him.
V. The apostle proceeds (Pe2 2:17) to a further description of seducing teachers, whom he sets forth,
1.As wells, or fountains, without water. Observe, (1.) Ministers should be as wells or fountains, where the people may find instruction, direction, and comfort; but (2.) False teachers have nothing of this to impart to those who consult them: the word of truth is the water of life, which refreshes the souls that receive it; but these deceivers are set upon spreading and promoting error, and therefore are set forth as empty, because there is no truth in them. In vain then are all our expectations of being fed and filled with knowledge and understanding by those who are themselves ignorant and empty.
2.As clouds carried with a tempest. When we see a cloud we expect a refreshing shower from it; but these are clouds which yield no rain, for they are driven with the wind, but not of the Spirit, but the stormy wind or tempest of their own ambition and covetousness. They espouse and spread those opinions that will procure most applause and advantage to themselves; and as clouds obstruct the light of the sun, and darken the air, so do these darken counsel by words without knowledge and wherein there is no truth; and, seeing these men are for promoting darkness in this world, it is very just that the mist of darkness should be their portion in the next. Utter darkness was prepared for the devil, the great deceiver, and his angels, those instruments that he uses to turn men from the truth, and therefore for them it is reserved, and that for ever; the fire of hell is everlasting, and the smoke of the bottomless pit rises up for ever and ever. And it is just with God to deal thus with them, because (1.) They allure those they deal with, and draw them into a net, or catch them as men do fish; and, (2.) It is with great swelling words of vanity, lofty expressions, which have a great sound, but little sense. (3.) They work upon the corrupt affections and carnal fleshly lusts of men, proposing what is grateful to them. And, (4.) They seduce persons who in reality avoided and kept at a distance from those who spread and those who embraced hurtful and destructive errors. Observe, [1.] By application and industry men attain a skilfulness and dexterity in promoting error. They are as artful and as successful as the fisher, who makes angling his daily employment. The business of these men is to draw disciples after them, and in their methods and management there are some things worth observing, how they suit their bait to those they desire to catch. [2.] Erroneous teachers have a peculiar advantage to win men over to them, because they have sensual pleasure to take them with; whereas the ministers of Christ put men upon self-denial, and the mortifying of those lusts that others gratify and please: wonder not therefore that truth prevails no more, or that errors spread so much. [3.] Persons who have for a while adhered to the truth, and kept clear of errors, may by the subtlety and industry of seducers be so far deceived as to fall into those errors they had for a while clean escaped. "Be therefore always upon your guard, maintain a godly jealousy of yourselves, search the scriptures, pray for the Spirit to instruct and establish you in the truth, walk humbly with God, and watch against every thing that may provoke him to give you up to a reprobate mind, that you may not be taken with the fair and specious pretences of these false teachers, who promise liberty to all who will hearken to them, not true Christian liberty for the service of God, but a licentiousness in sin, to follow the devices and desires of their own hearts." To prevent these men's gaining proselytes, he tells us that, in the midst of all their talk of liberty, they themselves are the vilest slaves, for they are the servants of corruption; their own lusts have gotten a complete victory over them, and they are actually in bondage to them, making provision for the flesh, to satisfy its cravings, comply with its directions, and obey its commands. Their minds and hearts are so far corrupted and depraved that they have neither power nor will to refuse the task that is imposed on them. They are conquered and captivated by their spiritual enemies, and yield their members servants of unrighteousness: and what a shame it is to be overcome and commanded by those who are themselves the servants of corruption, and slaves to their own lusts! This consideration should prevent our being led away by these seducers; and to this he adds another (Pe2 2:20): it is not only a shame and disgrace to be seduced by those who are themselves the slaves of sin, and led captive by the devil at his pleasure, but it is a real detriment to those who have clean escaped from those who live in error, for hereby their latter end is made worse than their beginning. Here we see, First, It is an advantage to escape the pollutions of the world, to be kept from gross and scandalous sins, though men are not thoroughly converted and savingly changed; for hereby we are kept from grieving those who are truly serious and emboldening those who are openly profane; whereas, if we run with others to the same excess of riot and abandon ourselves to the sins of the age, we afflict and dishearten those who endeavour to walk as becomes the gospel, and strengthen the hands of those who are already engaged in open rebellion against the Most High, as well as alienate ourselves more from God, and harden our hearts against him. Secondly, Some men are, for a time, kept from the pollutions of the world, by the knowledge of Christ, who are not savingly renewed in the spirit of their mind. A religious education has restrained many whom the grace of God has not renewed: if we receive the light of the truth, and have a notional knowledge of Christ in our heads, it may be of some present service to us; but we must receive the love of the truth, and hide God's word in our heart, or it will not sanctify and save us. Thirdly, Those who have, for a time, escaped the pollutions of the world, are at first ensnared and entangled by false teachers, who first perplex men with some plausible and specious objections against the truths of the gospel; and the more ignorant and unstable are hereby made to stagger, and brought to question the truth of doctrines they have received, because they cannot solve all the difficulties, nor answer all the objections, that are urged by these seducers. Fourthly, When men are once entangled, they are easily overcome; therefore should Christians keep close to the word of God, and watch against those who seek to perplex and bewilder them, and that because, if men who have once escaped are again entangled, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.
VI. The apostle, in the last two verses of the chapter, sets himself to prove that a state of apostasy is worse than a state of ignorance; for it is a condemning of the way of righteousness, after they have had some knowledge of it, and expressed some liking to it; it carries in it a declaring that they have found some iniquity in the way of righteousness and some falsehood in the word of truth. Now to bring up such an evil report upon the good way of God, and such a false charge against the way of truth, must necessarily expose to the heaviest condemnation; the misery of such deserters of Christ and his gospel is more unavoidable and more intolerable than that of other offenders; for, 1. God is more highly provoked by those who by their conduct despise the gospel, as well as disobey the law, and who reproach and pour contempt upon God and his grace. 2. The devil more narrowly watches and more closely confines those whom he has recovered, after they had once gone off from him and professed to be the followers of the Lord Jesus Christ (Mat 12:45); they are kept under a stronger guard, and no wonder it should be so when they have licked up their own vomit again, returning to the same errors and impieties that they had once cast off and seemed to detest and loathe, and wallowing in that filthiness from which they appeared once to be really cleansed. Well, if the scripture gives such an account of Christianity on the one hand, and of sin on the other, as we have here in these two verses, we certainly ought highly to approve of the former and persevere therein, because it is a way of righteousness, and a holy commandment, and to loathe and keep at the greatest distance from the latter because it is set forth as most offensive and abominable.
To know the way of righteousness is to know Christ and the holy gospel. Peter is talking here about people who have been baptized after professing faith in Jesus but who have then turned away from him.
Peter shows by this that these men were not liberating those who followed them from their deception but merely making that deception worse.
For if, after having fled from the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled and overcome, the latter end has become worse for them than the beginning. 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. But it has happened to them according to the true proverb: A dog returns to its own vomit, and a pig, having washed, to her rolling in the mud.
"For if, after having fled." In the present discourse, Peter strives to establish two things: that it is necessary for the one who is overcome to serve the one by whom he is overcome; and that those who, after the recognition of the Truth, embrace again the former things, fall into worse conditions than the evil things they previously experienced. He also adds a proverb for support. Therefore, the entire discourse should be arranged in this way: For if, after the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they have fled from the pollutions of the world, and are again entangled and overcome by them, they certainly serve them, and in their servitude they experience worse things than before the knowledge, greatly aided by our adversary Satan, so that they may be dragged down to worse in repayment for their former termination from evil deeds. Therefore, the Apostle also says that since this happens to them, that they sing a retractation of evils, it would have been better for them not to have known the truth at all than to be captured by worse things after they having known it.
For since a dog returns to its own vomit is more abominable. For what nature had hated, and thus had compelled it to reject, this again having in delight, and as if eating those things that corrupt, and as if ejected through a miscarriage of nature, is more abominable. And the pig again seeking to roll in the mud, if it does this, will appear dirtier than the previous filth.
Peter is saying that the evil awaiting those who turn away from their faith is so great that it would have been better if they had never accepted it in the first place. At least that way their wickedness would seem natural, instead of being as bizarre as a dog returning to its own vomit.
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SUMMARY
Second Peter 2:21 delivers a profound and sobering warning concerning the spiritual peril of those who, having gained a comprehensive understanding of Christian truth, subsequently abandon it. The apostle Peter asserts that it would have been preferable for such individuals never to have encountered the Gospel message and the path of righteousness at all, rather than to acknowledge its divine precepts and then deliberately turn away from the holy standard delivered to them. This verse underscores the immense responsibility that accompanies divine revelation and highlights the severe consequences of apostasy.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Peter employs several powerful Literary Devices to convey the gravity of his warning. The most prominent is Hyperbole, where he states it would have been "better" never to have known the truth than to turn from it. This is not a literal statement that ignorance is preferable, but a rhetorical exaggeration designed to emphasize the extreme culpability and dire consequences of apostasy. This hyperbole creates a strong Contrast between the state of ignorance and the state of informed rejection, highlighting the increased guilt associated with turning away from known truth. Furthermore, the phrase "the way of righteousness" functions as a Metaphor, portraying the Christian life as a journey or a path. This metaphor is deeply rooted in biblical tradition, where life choices are often depicted as choosing between two paths: the way of the righteous and the way of the wicked (Psalm 1:6). The "holy commandment" serves as a Synecdoche, where a part (a single commandment) represents the whole (the entire body of Christian doctrine and ethical teaching). These devices collectively amplify Peter's solemn warning and underscore the profound seriousness of one's response to the Gospel.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
This verse profoundly impacts our understanding of the nature of true conversion, the responsibility of knowledge, and the seriousness of apostasy. It highlights that genuine faith is not merely intellectual assent but a transformative commitment to a new "way" of living, guided by divine "commandment." The tragic state described is not of those who never heard, but of those who heard, understood, and then deliberately rejected the truth, demonstrating that a superficial or temporary adherence to Christian principles is insufficient. Such a turning away, particularly from a "holy commandment delivered unto them," is depicted as a grave affront to God's grace and authority, leading to a state worse than their original ignorance because it involves a conscious rejection of the light they once embraced. This underscores the theological truth that God holds individuals accountable for the light they have received, and greater light brings greater responsibility.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Second Peter 2:21 serves as a profound and sobering call to introspection and steadfastness for all who claim to follow Christ. It challenges us to examine the depth and authenticity of our commitment to the "way of righteousness" and the "holy commandment." This verse is not meant to instill fear in those who genuinely struggle with sin or doubt, but rather to warn against a deliberate, conscious, and final abandonment of the truth after having fully apprehended it. It compels us to cultivate a deep, abiding relationship with God, rooted in genuine transformation rather than superficial adherence. We are reminded of the immense privilege and responsibility that comes with knowing the Gospel, urging us to persevere in faith, to diligently guard against deception, and to continually grow in our obedience to God's Word. Our response to divine truth is not a trivial matter; it has eternal consequences, and therefore, we must strive for unwavering fidelity to the Lord who called us out of darkness into His marvelous light.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Does this verse mean that true believers can lose their salvation?
Answer: This verse, along with other passages in Peter and Hebrews, is often cited in discussions about the perseverance of the saints and the security of salvation. It describes a scenario where individuals have "known the way of righteousness" and received "the holy commandment," suggesting a significant engagement with Christian truth. The turning away implies a deliberate and final rejection of this truth. Different theological traditions interpret this in various ways: some see it as a warning that genuinely saved individuals can indeed forfeit their salvation if they apostatize; others argue that those who ultimately turn away never truly possessed saving faith to begin with, and their "knowledge" was intellectual or superficial rather than a true spiritual regeneration. Regardless of one's theological stance on eternal security, the verse unequivocally serves as a solemn warning against the immense danger and severe consequences of abandoning the truths of the Gospel after having been exposed to them, emphasizing the need for genuine, enduring faith and perseverance in the Christian life. It underscores that a mere temporary association with Christian teachings is insufficient for salvation.
What is the "holy commandment delivered unto them"?
Answer: The "holy commandment delivered unto them" refers to the authoritative and sacred teachings of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, as proclaimed by the apostles and recorded in Scripture. It encompasses the entire body of Christian doctrine, including the message of salvation through Christ, the call to repentance, and the ethical demands for a life transformed by the Holy Spirit. This is not a single, specific command, but rather the collective divine instruction and moral standard that defines the Christian walk. It is "holy" because it originates from God and leads to holiness, and it was "delivered" by divine authority through the apostles to the early believers, establishing the foundational truths and practices of the Christian faith. To turn from it means to reject the very essence of what it means to follow Christ and live in obedience to His will, which is the "way of righteousness" itself (1 Peter 1:15-16).
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
While 2 Peter 2:21 sternly warns against turning from the "way of righteousness" and the "holy commandment," its ultimate fulfillment and resolution are profoundly found in Jesus Christ. He is not merely the one who taught the "way of righteousness," but He is the Way itself, the embodiment of all righteousness. Jesus declared, "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me" (John 14:6). The "holy commandment delivered unto them" finds its perfect expression and ultimate fulfillment in Christ's life, teachings, and atoning work. He perfectly fulfilled the Law and established the new covenant, under which believers are called to live by His Spirit (Romans 8:4). The tragedy of turning away from this "way" is a turning away from Christ Himself, who is the source of all truth, grace, and eternal life. His sacrifice on the cross provides the only means by which one can truly walk in righteousness, and His resurrection power enables believers to persevere in the "holy commandment" and not turn back to the spiritual death from which they were saved. Thus, the warning of 2 Peter 2:21 implicitly calls us to cling ever more tightly to Christ, the author and perfecter of our faith (Hebrews 12:2), for in Him alone is the power to remain steadfast on the path of life.