2 Peter 2

Chapter two paints a picture of false teachers and their teaching as opposed to the true teaching presented in chapter one. Essentially, chapter two is one long excoriation of those that Peter predicted would eventually make their way into the church to pervert it. Using well-known stories from the Hebrew Scriptures, Peter compared the coming false teachers to “THE ANGELS WHO SINNED” (2 Peter 2:4), “THE ANCIENT WORLD [OF] NOAH” (2 Peter 2:5), and “SODOM AND GOMORRAH” (2 Peter 2:6), all of whom suffered extreme judgment by God. He called them “BRAZEN AND INSOLENT” (2 Peter 2:10) and “CURSED CHILDREN” (2 Peter 2:14), comparing them to “IRRATIONAL ANIMALS” (2 Peter 2:12) and “WATERLESS SPRINGS” (2 Peter 2:17), and stated that they would have been better off not knowing the truth than turning away from it (2 Peter 2:21).

The reason for all this is because their teaching cuts out the very heart of truth, “EVEN TO THE POINT OF DENYING THE MASTER WHO BOUGHT THEM” (2 Peter 2:1). Though their message promotes freedom (2 Peter 2:19), their lives exhibit greed (2 Peter 2:3), adultery (2 Peter 2:14), debauchery (2 Peter 2:18), and immorality (2 Peter 2:19). They even practice what they preach, encouraging their followers to throw off the demands of Christ and wallow in “THE FILTHY THINGS OF THE WORLD” (2 Peter 2:20) like dogs and pigs (2 Peter 2:22). Peter said these would be accepted into the church and praised rather than condemned. There is no doubt that prophecy has proven true.