Introduction
“But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves. Many will follow their immoral ways, and as a result, the way of the truth will be maligned. In covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words: whose sentence now from of old doesn’t linger, and their destruction will not slumber.” 2 Peter 2:1-3
False Teachers And Their Destruction
Just as there were false prophets in Old Testament times, we should expect false teachers in our day, Matthew 7:15-23.
Barclay, in his commentary, says the following.
‘The false prophets said, Peace, Peace, when there is no peace, Jeremiah 6:14. Its priests teach for hire, and its prophets divine for money, Micah 3:11. The priest and the prophet reel with strong drink; they are confused with wine, Isaiah 28:17. They commit adultery, and walk in lies, they strengthen the hands of evil-doers, Jeremiah 23:14. They lead my people astray by their lies and by their recklessness, Jeremiah 23:32. The prophets invited the people, Let us go after other gods, Deuteronomy 13:1-5 / Deuteronomy 18:20. Paul evaluated the character of false teachers in the New Israel in the same terms, 1 Timothy 6:5 / Titus 1:11.’
When Peter uses the term false prophet not only here, 2 Peter 2:1, but throughout this chapter, he’s implying that they are more than someone who is teaching out of ignorance, someone who is sincerely mistaken, like Apollos, Acts 18:24-28.
He’s talking about those who know full well what they are doing and are purposely trying to mislead others and he says if we want to know what a false teacher is like, look at the damage they cause.
He says they have their own destructive heresies, 2 Peter 2:1. In other words, some people will come into our assemblies with their own secret agendas.
They may have an appearance like any other Christian, they will be polite and sound godly and even come across as if they know the Scriptures but they will have an agenda that we’re not aware of. And if we listen closely to what they say, we will begin to hear their agenda the more time we spend with them.
Not only will you hear it but you will see it. Look at the damage which is being caused. Just try and disagree with their thinking and watch what happens and sadly, churches start arguing over matters of opinion, churches start splitting because people have different goals.
Peter says, be careful, some people will come into our assemblies and try to teach their own doctrine and cause division in the Lord’s church because of that doctrine, 2 Peter 2:1. When Christians fight each other, everybody loses, Galatians 5:15.
And so, one sign of a false teacher is someone who tries to bring in their own agendas and causes division within the church because they want to push their own doctrinal ideas.
The good news is that Peter doesn’t leave us in the dark about how false teachers go about doing their work, he says they will work ‘secretly’, 2 Peter 2:1.
Isn’t it interesting that most crimes are committed during the night? And that’s because there are fewer people around, they have the cover of darkness and they are more likely to get away with the crime. In much the same way, these false teachers can’t stand the light of truth, so they set out to work behind the scenes.
They divide and conquer, they will work on creating good relationships with people within a congregation, invite them for dinner, give certain people a call regularly, etc. And it’s then behind the scenes, they will begin to share their own ideas about something.
And when they have enough people to support their ideas, all of a sudden, out of nowhere it becomes a congregational matter. And so something which can be easily explained using the Scriptures is rejected because these false teachers don’t want to hear it.
We must be careful of anyone who organises secret meetings with a select few, we must be careful of anyone who claims one thing but can’t back up what they believe with the Bible.
Peter says these false teachers will cause others to deny Jesus, 2 Peter 2:1. The very person who bought them and we know that this was already a problem for the early church, 2 John 7. Were these false teachers whom Peter had in mind, true Christians at one point in their lives?
I would like to suggest that they were, that’s why Peter uses the phrase ‘bought them’, 2 Peter 2:1. All Christians were bought by the precious blood of Christ, Acts 20:28. We know that our bodies are a temple of the Holy Spirit because we were bought with a price, 1 Corinthians 6:20.
I believe that these false teachers were once true Christians but over a period of time, they started to deny the very person who bought them with His blood. And they deny Him by twisting God’s word to suit their own agendas and their own beliefs, 2 Peter 2:20.
The real damage they cause is seen in the many people who follow them. They secretly come in with their own agendas and they go out of their way to convince others that what they are teaching is right or they go out of their way to convince others that what everyone else believes is wrong.
But they can’t back up what they believe using the Scriptures without either twisting them or taking the text out of context and so this causes division and they now have their own following.
Notice that Peter tells us what will eventually happen to these false teachers. He says that they will bring on themselves swift destruction, 2 Peter 2:1. In other words not only will their doctrines destroy others, but their doctrines will end up destroying them too.
Peter says many will follow their immoral ways, 2 Peter 2:2. In other words, instead of following the Lord as they should, they follow what they think is right. Instead of following the Lord who is the only way to salvation, John 14:6, they separate themselves from the only true source of salvation.
That’s what Peter means when he says, ‘the way of truth will be maligned’, 2 Peter 2:2. Peter says, be careful, don’t follow them or we may end up losing our soul because of their false doctrine.
The sad news is that what these false teachers say often sounds very convincing, doesn’t it? That’s because they are not appealing to the Scriptures, they are appealing to covetousness. Peter says to be careful because these people will take advantage of you, 2 Peter 2:14 / 2 Peter 2:18.
They offer things that the flesh often desires, things like wealth, health, power, and influence and they use misleading words, 2 Peter 2:3. Peter says they will take advantage of us by using deceptive words, 2 Peter 2:18.
He says these false teachers will be smooth talkers, who know exactly what they are doing. And they are and will continue to deceive those who follow them, 2 Timothy 3:13.
Peter says if a person cannot give us book, chapter, and verse, but appeals to something that sounds good, be careful, hence why Peter has been reminding his readers to keep growing in the knowledge of Christ, 2 Peter 3:18.
The more we know Christ, live Christ and keep our heads in the Bible, the less chance we will have of becoming deceived when these false teachers come along.
We may think, the destruction of these false teachers isn’t that swift but Peter goes on to reassure us that it hasn’t gone unnoticed, 2 Peter 2:3. In other words, Peter is saying, when there are false teachers around, don’t worry about them. God is not idle, and God isn’t asleep when it comes to their judgment and destruction, 2 Peter 2:3.
Peter now goes on to give us a few examples of how God doesn’t let the guilty off with their sin.
“For if God didn’t spare angels when they sinned, but cast them down to Tartarus, and committed them to pits of darkness, to be reserved for judgment; and didn’t spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah with seven others, a preacher of righteousness, when he brought a flood on the world of the ungodly; and turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them to destruction, having made them an example to those who would live ungodly; and delivered righteous Lot, who was very distressed by the lustful life of the wicked (for that righteous man dwelling among them, was tormented in his righteous soul from day to day with seeing and hearing lawless deeds): the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptation and to keep the unrighteous under punishment for the day of judgment.” 2 Peter 2:4-9
Peter asks have you forgotten the angels who tried to overthrow God in heaven? God hasn’t. Peter asks have you forgotten all those who wouldn’t listen to Noah and turn to God? God hasn’t. Peter asks have you forgotten what happened to those who sinned at Sodom and Gomorrah? God hasn’t.
To reinforce the idea that the false teacher’s judgment is certain, Peter gives us three examples of God’s righteous judgment from the past. Notice that Peter tells us that these angels sinned, 2 Peter 2:4, which means angels must have had some form of divine law to follow.
And notice also that angels were free-will agents, Peter tells us that these angels exercised their God-given free will and chose to disobey God’s sacred law. And so because of disobeying God’s law, Peter tells us they were cast out of heaven and committed to pits of darkness, 2 Peter 2:4 / 1 John 1:5.
Tartarus
Before we look at the word, ‘Tartarus’, we need to think about the meaning of the word, ‘Hell’ itself, because a little thought will help us to clear up some of those misconceptions and erroneous theories which, for centuries, have been sources of needless confusion and unnecessary anxiety, unnecessary that is, if one is a Christian!
The Words
There are, in fact, three Biblical words, the meanings of which are often confused because people tend to use them very loosely. Two of the words are New Testament Greek words and the third is an Old Testament Hebrew word. For instance, in the New Testament, we have these words.
1. ‘Gehenna’, which occurs 12 times, and, in the A.V., is always translated ‘hell’, and
2. ‘Hades’, which occurs 10 times, and which is also always translated as ‘hell’.
3. The third word is the word ‘Sheol’, found in the Old Testament, and which sometimes is erroneously said to be the word that corresponds to ‘Gehenna’.
You clearly see the confusion that has been created about the meaning of this word when you understand that, in the A.V., out of the 65 instances it occurs, 34 times it has been translated ‘hell’ and 31 times it has been translated ‘the grave’!
Now, although the word ‘Sheol’ literally means ‘the Place of the Dead’, you don’t need much intelligence to recognise that Hell and the Grave are not the same place! When a body is placed in the grave, it has not been consigned to Hell!
But there is a history behind this inconsistent rendering of the word ‘Sheol’. Whilst the translators of the A.V. believed Hell to be the place of punishment for the wicked, they recoiled from the idea of saying that good people also go to Sheol, and so in passages that related to the death of good people, they decided to translate ‘Sheol’ as ‘the grave’!
Hell
Like I just noted, the word ‘hell’ is, unfortunately, a bad translation in many places. The New Testament clearly describes the destination of the wicked after the Judgment and their place of punishment, as ‘eternal banishment from the presence of God’, 2 Thessalonians 1:9-10
The wicked will be denied the fellowship and blessing of ‘everlasting life’, ‘the life of the ages’, and, there will be no need for fire and brimstone, for they will know that their banishment is something they have deserved because of their rejection of God’s offer of forgiveness. What will add to the pain of banishment will be the knowledge that it could have been so very different.
No fire! No burning! But the pain and suffering of experiencing the loss of what might have been will be painful enough. This means that the future of those who reject the Gospel and refuse to accept the Lordship of Christ isn’t annihilation and not extinction.
In other words, it’s not the cessation of being, it’s exclusion from the presence of God and all the redeemed, those faithful souls who have accepted His offer of forgiveness. The alternative to this enjoyment of the bliss of salvation shouldn’t be overlooked because it’s horrible to contemplate.
Eternal punishment involves spending eternity in the presence of all those who have chosen to reject God’s grace and His love. In other words, with the unforgiven, this means the immoral, murders, liars, and all the vicious, cruel and evil in the history of the world. Surely, that is the most appalling punishment imaginable!
In Greek mythology, Tartarus was both a ‘primaeval deity’ that existed before the Olympians, as well as a name to describe a region of the ‘underworld’. As a god, he was third in rank after Chaos and Gaea, preceding Eros.
As a place, it was far below where Hades resided, and it was used as the most horrible prison. Some accounts say that the distance between Tartarus and Hades was the same as between the earth and the heaven. Although the kingdom of Hades was the place of the dead, Tartarus was where ferocious monsters and horrible criminals were banished, or where the gods imprisoned their rivals after a war.
The three judges of the ‘underworld’, Rhadamanthus, Aeacus and Minos, decided who would go to the realm of Hades and who would be banished to Tartarus.
The Greek word, ‘tartaroo’ only occurs here in 2 Peter 2:4, and has unfortunately been translated as the word ‘hell’ in several different translations.
In fact, it’s nowhere found in the Septuagint translation of the Old Testament and the only place where there’s anything about it is in Greek classical literature, where writers such as Homer, describe it as ‘a place of darkness, with iron walls and a brass gate, deep under the Earth, where rebellious angels have been confined’.
And please note, this was a place solely for these rebellious angels, it’s never used in connection with sinful mankind!
Context
Peter is speaking about the work of false teachers, 2 Peter 2:1-3, and he’s saying that these false teachers will face God’s judgment. We know this because he gives three examples of sinfulness from history, which led to judgment, Noah, Sodom and Gomorrah and Lot, 2 Peter 2:5-7.
Notice the similarities between 2 Peter 2:4, and Jude 6. Jude is dealing with false teachers, and he also gives three examples of God’s judgment, the Israelites who rebelled against God after being brought out of Egypt, Jude 6:5, the rebellious angels, Jude 6 and Sodom and Gomorrah, Jude 7. Both Peter and Jude are reminding us that God will move against false teachers and judgment will come upon them.
Who were these angels and what did they do? We don’t know when this angelic rebellion against God took place, but we know that it did because both Jude and Peter tell us so, and God condemned them for it because they ‘didn’t keep their positions of authority’.
We know Satan was the leader of these sinning angels, and we know it because of pride that he fell, Isaiah 14:12-15 / 1 Timothy 3:6.
Where is Tartarus?
I’m sure you are aware that there are many theories concerning, ‘Tartarus’, but little information, some believe it’s actually Hades, that is hell, where the Rich Man was, Luke 16:23, but notice, the rich man was ‘in agony because of the fire’, Luke 16:24.
Both Jude and Peter mention nothing about ‘fire’, these angels were ‘awaiting their judgment’, whilst the Rich Man had received his final judgment.
Some believe Tartarus is ‘the deepest part of hell,’ this can’t be right because whether it’s the deepest part of hell or the highest part of hell, it’s still located in hell, it’s still hell. Others believe that Tartarus is actually describing the condition of the angels and not an actual location.
Wherever or whatever Tartarus is, it’s not nice, it’s a place of temporary torment for these rebellious angels until they are judged with everlasting torment, Matthew 25:31-46 / 2 Thessalonians 1:5-10 / Revelation 20:10 / Revelation 14-15.
Why did Peter use the word ‘Tartarus’? Who knows! Maybe by using Greek mythology, he wanted to help the Greek Christians to understand there’s a place of torment for these rebellious angels until the final judgment comes.
Conclusion
All we know about Tartarus is what Peter writes in 2 Peter 2:4, and we know this much, there are no humans in Tartarus, only fallen angels, those in Tartarus are bound by chains of darkness, there are no flames of fire mentioned, it’s dark there, which means it’s not ‘hell’, Matthew 13:50, and finally their restraint in chains isn’t forever, they are ‘being held for judgment’, Leviticus 24:10-12 / Numbers 15:32-36, in other words, they haven’t been judged as yet, but they will be, Revelation 20:10.
Remember Tartarus is the place where certain sinful angels are presently kept bound, awaiting final judgment. It has no reference to the final destination of the wicked, hell, Tartarus isn’t even the final destination of these angels.
It’s, unfortunate that some English versions translate the term ‘Tartarus’ as ‘hell’ because it confuses this place with the place of the final judgment of the wicked, Matthew 25:41 / Revelation 20:10.
And so these disobedient angels are now kept in hell ‘Tartarus’, awaiting judgment and it seems fairly obvious to me at least that some angels didn’t like the position they were given by God and tried to seek higher positions by rebelling against God, Jude 6.
When Jesus is describing what His people should be doing, He tells us that those who don’t follow Him will be eternally punished but notice who else is mentioned as being eternally punished, the devil and angels, Matthew 25:41.
If God did not spare the angels who beheld His glory when they sinned, 2 Peter 2:4, He will certainly punish false teachers who purposely lead His people astray.
Peter reminds us that God used the flood to judge the ungodly, 2 Peter 2:5 / Genesis 6:5-7. Notice that the wickedness of man was great in the earth and every intent of the thoughts of his heart was continually only evil and at this time the earth was corrupt in God’s eyes and filled with violence, Genesis 6:11-12.
If we know anything about it, we know it was bad enough for God to be grieved in His heart, Genesis 6:6, to such an extent that He found it necessary to destroy both man and beast from the face of the earth.
Noah was the first evangelist mentioned in the Bible and his life should teach us some lessons. For example, Noah faced the same circumstances that Christians face today.
Just as most people today do not believe Jesus is coming back at all, let alone soon, the people of Noah’s day did not know when the Flood was going to happen, Matthew 24:36-39.
They would have seen Noah building the ark and surely some people would have asked what on earth he was doing and why he was doing it, Hebrews 11:7.
And so like people today, almost certainly the people of Noah’s day were busy enjoying the pleasures of life and did not believe or care that judgment was coming.
The point that Peter is trying to remind us of is this if God destroyed the whole world because of their ungodliness, will He not destroy these false teachers who deny the Lord who bought them? And be assured, all people will be judged, no-one is going to escape the great Judgment Day which is coming, Hebrews 9:27.
It’s not all bad news because as we know God spared Noah, 1 Peter 3:20. In other words, that very same flood that God used to destroy the world was used to save Noah and his family’s lives. And it’s here as we begin to find comfort for the Christians who find themselves surrounded by the ungodly.
Noah walked with God, even amid a perverse generation Genesis 6:8 / Genesis 7:1. He was a preacher of righteousness, both in deed and word. And so while God was bringing judgment upon the ungodly, He did not lose sight of the godly.
God sees what the ungodly are up to but don’t forget that He also provides deliverance for the godly. In other words, not only will God bring destruction upon the false teachers, but He will also preserve all those who remain faithful to Him.
Peter also reminds us that God turned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, 2 Peter 2:6-8 / Genesis 19:24-28. Why would God use such a terrible judgment on these cities? They were involved in sexual immorality and pursued unnatural desires, Jude 7. Their sin was simply blatant, Genesis 18:20.
Macknight, in his commentary, says the following.
‘The sin of Sodom was unnatural lusts, Genesis 19:5, and pride with fullness of bread, and abundance of idleness, especially among the women, and hard-heartedness towards the poor, Ezekiel 16:46 / Judges 1:7.’
We remember that Lot had a visit from two angels who wanted to stay in the town square but Lot persuaded them to stay at his house and eat. A bunch of people came to his house and demanded to have sex with his visitors, Genesis 19:4-11.
And when we read that whole account we can understand why their sin was so great, now we can understand why God totally destroyed these cities.
But once again notice, that even though God destroyed the ungodly, He delivered righteous Lot, 2 Peter 2:7. And this should serve as another reminder of how God does not lose sight of His faithful children when He brings judgment upon the ungodly.
Lot was delivered because he was righteous. In 2 Peter 2:7, Peter describes him as righteous Lot. In 2 Peter 2:8, Peter describes him as a righteous man. In 2 Peter 2:8, Peter describes him as a righteous soul.
If God destroyed these cities because of their sin, He will certainly destroy these false teachers for their sin. So we leave these false teachers for God to deal with, their fate is already awaiting them.
It’s difficult living in this world, surrounded by so much evil and sometimes we can get very discouraged because of what’s happening. Peter says if God can rescue Noah from a corrupt generation, then He can rescue us. Peter says if God can rescue Lot from a perverse generation, then He can rescue us, 2 Peter 2:9.
So not only is God in the business of rescuing His people, but He always is also in the business of keeping the unrighteous in a secure place until judgment day comes, 2 Peter 2:9.
Peter says our God not only knows how to deliver the godly out of temptation but He hasn’t forgotten those who have sinned either. And so, we must be careful because false teachers are everywhere, and although we cannot tell by their appearance, we can tell by their fruit, Matthew 7:15-20 / Galatians 5:22-23.
It is entirely possible to have a good tree and a bad tree that look nearly identical in trunk, limbs, and leaves, yet they differ in the quality of fruit they produce. But if we listen closely to these false teachers, their hypocrisy will eventually be shown to all those who observe them.
So why doesn’t God deal with these false teachers and all the ungodly people of this world today? Peter says, God is not controlled by time like we are, and He doesn’t want anyone to perish but everyone to come to Him in repentance, 2 Peter 3:9.
In other words, as long as today is called today, we have a chance to reach some soul with the true Gospel of Jesus. Sinners everywhere have still got time to come to God because God is patiently waiting for them to come. He’s waiting but He won’t wait forever and when judgment day comes, it will be too late because Peter says He will come like a thief in the night, 2 Peter 3:10.
Peter reminds us that false teachers would come amongst us and totally destroy the Lord’s church with their words and teachings. He reminds us that they would bring on themselves swift destruction and he also reminded us that their judgement will not be forgotten by God.
“Especially those who indulge their fleshly desires and who despise authority. Brazen and insolent, they are not afraid to insult the glorious ones, yet even angels, who are much more powerful, do not bring a slanderous judgment against them before the Lord. But these men, like irrational animals – creatures of instinct, born to be caught and destroyed – do not understand whom they are insulting, and consequently in their destruction they will be destroyed.” 2 Peter 2:10-12
So far, Peter has informed us about the damage these false teachers can and do cause, 2 Peter 2:1-3. He has informed us that God sees what they are doing and they will certainly not go unpunished for it, 2 Peter 2:4-9. And here, Peter informs us of just how corrupt these false teachers can be.
Insulting those who are in authority is something that these false teachers are very good at doing, 2 Peter 2:10. Peter is describing a specific type of person here, a person who was once a true Christian but has now fallen from grace.
Notice how Peter describes these false teachers, he says they indulge in their fleshly desires, he says they are brazen and insolent, 2 Peter 2:10. And as a result of their inner character, they behave more or less like irrational animals who have absolutely no respect for authority.
Peter talked about submission to our local authorities in his first letter, 1 Peter 2:13-17, but here, Peter says these false teachers despise authority. Submission is not in their vocabulary but what is in their vocabulary is the way they speak about the glorious ones, 2 Peter 2:10.
Who are the ‘glorious ones’ that Peter has in mind here? If we keep the text in its context, it’s clear he’s speaking about angelic beings, Jude 8-9.
In other words, Peter is saying that these false teachers would speak evil of fallen angels which is something that the angels who have greater power would never do, 2 Peter 2:11.
Plummer, in his commentary, says the following, concerning 2 Peter 2:11.
‘Against them’ may possibly mean ‘against the false teachers.’ The angels bring no accusation against the false teachers, but leave all judgment to God, Deuteronomy 32:35-36 / Romans 12:19 / Hebrews 10:30. This explanation avoids the awkwardness of making ‘dignities’ in 2 Peter 2:10 mean ‘good authorities’ and making it refer in this verse to ‘evil powers only.’
Clothes may disguise a fool, but their words will give them away and all that comes from these false teachers’ lips is corruption. So not only are they speaking evil against fallen angelic beings, but Peter also says they are speaking evil of things that they haven’t got a clue about, 2 Peter 2:12.
And so these false teachers have this condemning attitude and despise authority, they speak evil about things they don’t know the whole story about. Peter describes them as ‘unreasoning animals, creatures of instinct, born only to be caught and destroyed, and like animals’ and so because they despise authority, they themselves will be destroyed, 2 Peter 2:12 / Jude 10.
Plummer, in his commentary, says the following.
‘Animals cannot help themselves; it is their nature to rush after what will prove their ruin; but the false teachers voluntarily seek their own destruction against nature.’
“Suffering harm as the wages for their harmful ways. By considering it a pleasure to carouse in broad daylight, they are stains and blemishes, indulging in their deceitful pleasures when they feast together with you. Their eyes, full of adultery, never stop sinning; they entice unstable people. They have trained their hearts for greed, these cursed children!” 2 Peter 2:13-14
Have you ever wondered how a worm gets inside an apple? We might think the worm burrows in from the outside, but it doesn’t, scientists have discovered that the worm comes from inside.
But how does he get in there? An insect lays an egg in the apple blossom. Sometime later, the worm hatches in the heart of the apple and then eats his way out.
Sin, like the worm, begins in the heart and works out through a person’s thoughts, words, and actions. And these false teachers are not afraid to speak evil of others or even show it in their lives. Peter says these guys revel with great pleasure, they love to carouse, 2 Peter 2:13.
These false teachers revel in pleasure, 2 Peter 2:13, it’s the idea of going out and painting the town red as we would say. But this is taking it to the extreme, it’s extreme because they don’t hide it, they think it’s great acting like this even during the day, 2 Peter 2:13.
Peter says, like stains and blemishes, they carouse in their deceptions while they feast with you, 2 Peter 2:13. In other words, they take advantage of gathering Christians.
We always need to be careful because these false teachers are very skilled in the art of deception, and so they will come in and take advantage of us, even in broad daylight, 2 Peter 2:13 / John 9:4 / Romans 13:13 / 1 Thessalonians 5:7.
Peter says these guys are full of corruption, their eyes are full of adultery, 2 Peter 2:14 / Matthew 5:28, their eyes and their heart are so corrupt, 2 Peter 2:18. So these false teachers come into our assemblies teaching one thing but practising another.
Peter says they can’t help themselves, they can’t stop sinning, which again tells us just how corrupt they are, 2 Peter 2:14 / Ephesians 2:3. They take advantage of unstable people but notice what Peter says about their hearts here. He says they have trained their hearts for greed, 2 Peter 2:14, now what does that mean?
It means that these false teachers are very skilled in the art of deception in order to get what they want. No wonder Peter calls them cursed children, 2 Peter 2:13, no wonder Peter says to the church, grow Christian but be careful, 2 Peter 3:18.
“By forsaking the right path they have gone astray because they followed the way of Balaam son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness, yet was rebuked for his own transgression (a dumb donkey, speaking with a human voice, restrained the prophet’s madness)”. 2 Peter 2:15-16
I suggested earlier that I believe that these false teachers were once true Christians and one of the reasons I believe this is because of what Peter says here.
He says they have forsaken the right path and gone astray, 2 Peter 2:15. It is hard to forsake what we never had or to go astray if we were never in the right way in the first place.
Peter says just like the prophet Balaam, they were swayed by the wages of unrighteousness, 2 Peter 2:15 / Jude 1:11-13. Interestingly, Peter mentions the wages of unrighteousness in 2 Peter 2:13, in terms of the eternal compensation one receives for their sins.
But here, the wages of unrighteousness refer to the momentary compensation one receives for their sins. In other words, there’s a price for everything in this world.
The story of Balaam is found in Numbers 22:22-35, Balaam is a seer and diviner who has been hired by Balak, king of Moab, to curse Israel, because Balak fears Israel’s growing strength. And in the story, we find a talking donkey, which God uses to make Balaam see the danger of following Balak’s order.
God turns Balaam’s curses into blessings, and Israel will continue safely on its way, altogether unaware of either its danger or its rescue. Having seen the angel of the Lord with his threatening sword, the donkey tries three times to keep Balaam from going down that path. The tension heightens each time, but Balaam perseveres.
Finally, God opens the animal’s mouth, and it argues with Balaam, but the amazing thing is that it is Balaam who has misunderstood everything.
The point is Balaam was rebuked and restrained by a dumb donkey who spoke, 2 Peter 2:16. Peter is saying how much more should we pay attention to when it is the voice of an inspired apostle who seeks to rebuke and restrain the madness of false teachers.
Coffman, in his commentary, says the following.
‘Balaam was not always a false prophet; because, at one time, he was a genuine prophet of God, one of the great Messianic prophecies of the Old Testament being accredited to him:’ There shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a scepter shall rise out of Israel, and shall smite the corners of Moab, and destroy all the children of Sheth, Numbers 24:17.’
“These men are waterless springs and mists driven by a storm, for whom the utter depths of darkness have been reserved. By speaking high-sounding but empty words they are able to entice, with fleshly desires and with debauchery, people who have just escaped from those who reside in error. Although these false teachers promise such people freedom, they are enslaved to immorality. For whatever a person succumbs to, to that he is enslaved”. 2 Peter 2:17-19
Peter says these false teachers will promise much but deliver nothing. He says they are springs without water, they are mists carried by a storm and their eternal fate is awaiting them, 2 Peter 2:17. In other words, they promise much but they never truly deliver what they promise, Jude 12-13.
Macknight, in his commentary, says the following concerning the ‘Blackest darkness reserved for them’,2 Peter 2:17.
‘In Scripture darkness signifies a state of disconsolate misery. Here it denotes the punishment of the wicked after judgment, which our Lord also hath represented by persons being cast into outer darkness, Matthew 8:12.’
Earlier Peter said that these aflame teachers ‘will exploit you with deceptive words’, 2 Peter 2:3, now he says, ‘they speak high sounding empty words’, 2 Peter 2:18.
Peter says that these false teachers sound great and impressive and they promise much but sadly they lack any true substance. Why? Because they actually appeal to the flesh, 2 Peter 2:18 / Galatians 5:19-21.
Peter says it’s by using this deceiving method that they seek to charm those who have escaped from those who live in error, 2 Peter 2:18. And not only do they appeal to the flesh, but they also promise freedom from the flesh, 2 Peter 2:19.
Peter says they promise freedom but they don’t deliver, especially if it is freedom from the lusts of the flesh. He has just told us that they appeal to the flesh to lure people in but at the same time they are promising freedom from the flesh, 2 Peter 2:19.
What’s going on here? They are enslaving people through the very thing they promised deliverance from. These false teachers promise freedom, while they are still slaves, John 8:34 / Romans 6:16.
Peter says they are slaves to immorality, trying to promise what they don’t have themselves, 2 Peter 2:19. And so, these false teachers who promise freedom, are themselves still enslaved by the very things they promise to free us from. No wonder Peter goes on to tell us that they are worse off now than they were before.
“For if after they have escaped the filthy things of the world through the rich knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they again get entangled in them and succumb to them, their last state has become worse for them than their first. For it would have been better for them never to have known the way of righteousness than, having known it, to turn back from the holy commandment that had been delivered to them. They are illustrations of this true proverb: “A dog returns to its own vomit,” and “A sow, after washing herself, wallows in the mire.” 2 Peter 2:20-22
Peter says their latter end is worse than their beginning, 2 Peter 2:20, he says it would have been better for them never to have known the way of righteousness, 2 Peter 2:21 / Luke 12:47-48.
Caffin, in his commentary, says the following, concerning 2 Peter 2:21.
‘This verse implies that these unhappy men once had the full knowledge of Christ.’
I can’t picture a more sickening scene than a dog that has just been sick all over the kitchen floor going back and eating it, that’s just gross, 2 Peter 2:22.
Or what sense does it make for a female pig to spend hours cleaning herself just to go back into a pool of mud to get dirty again? 2 Peter 2:22 / Proverbs 26:11. In other words, these false teachers have become like the dog returning to his vomit, and the washed sow wallowing again in the mire.
Coffman, in his commentary, says the following.
‘The origin of the second half of this verse is not known; but it is exactly the same kind of stark, realistic, down-to-earth saying as the other half, both expressions being exactly the type of homely wisdom that would have been familiar to a man like Peter.’
Peter has been encouraging us to keep growing in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ but we also need to listen to his warning and be careful of these false teachers. Because if we don’t, we too may end up becoming just as lost as them.
Peter warns us about falling away because it’s a very real possibility and he’s not alone in the Bible with that concept, Galatians 1:6-9 / Hebrews 3:12-13.
Peter believes that Christians can fall from grace and he believes Christians can be led away by the error of false teachers. That’s why he dedicates a whole chapter to describe these false teachers who are losing their salvation and trying to take others with them.
