2 Peter 2

2 Peter 2:1-9

The apples here gives them fair warning of false teachers, by whom they ought be in danger of being favoured. To prevent this, 1. He describes these seducers as impious in themselves, and very pernicious to others, vers. 1, 2, 3. 2. He assures them of his punishment that shall be inflicted on them, vers. 3, 4, 5, 6. 3. He tells us how contrary the method is which God takes with those who fear him, vers. 7, 8, 9. 4. He fills up the evil of the chapter with a further description of these seducers of whom he would have them beware.

1. But, viz. 1. BUT there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heretics, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. 2. And many shall follow their pernicious ways, by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. 3. And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whofe judgment now of a long time lituperth not, and their damnation flumbreth not. 4. For if God spared not the angels that finned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkeness, to be reserved unto judgment; 5. And (pawd not the old world) but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly; 6. And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly; 7. And delivered just last, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked: 8. (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day, with their unlawful deeds.) 9. The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished.

False teachers in the church have ever been more dangerous and destructive than all the perfections of the enemies without. Against these the apolite here warns the people. 1. He describes them. But there were false prophets also among the people of Israel of old, men as there shall be false teachers among you, who, under pretences to divine inspiration, prevails shall bring in damnable heretics, craftily perverting the word of God, and adulterating the doctrines of the gospel; even denying the Lord that bought them, redeemed them from Egypt with his mighty hand, and in a long succession of miracles repeatedly delivered them out of the hands of their enemies, Deut. xxxii. 6. yet they both doctrinally and practically renounced and disowned him; and, as the dreadful consequence of their disobedience, bring upon themselves swift destruction, which shall quickly come upon them to the uttermost. And many shall follow their pernicious ways, seduced by their cunning and ill examples; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil system of, and blasphemed by the enemies of the Christian name: and through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you, influenced merely by the identifiable principles of avarice, and, amidst all their glorious professions, making religion their trade, and designing wholly their secular advantage. Note, (1.) They who enter the ministry for gain must need be deceivers, and perish in their wickedness. (2.) Deluding teachers are sure to find followers; error being much more acceptable to the fallen heart than holy truth.

2. He foretells their destruction. Whofe judgment, now of a long time lopsomed, yet lingreth not, and their damnation flumbreth not, but soon shall it terribly overtake them in the midst of their security and sensuality. Note, Vengeance against sinners is often slow, but always sure. Three awful influences are here produced of God’s judgments.

Vol. II.

(1.) The fallen angels. For if God spared not the angels that finned, but cast them down to hell, though creatures of so much higher rank than men; and, on their first offence, delivered them into chains of darkeness, to be reserved unto judgment at the great day; much less will he spare these obstinate offenders.

(2.) The antediluvian world. And God spared not the old world, when abandoned to wickedness; but saved Noah, the eighth person, with whom only seven more escaped in the ark, a preacher of righteousness, both of the righteousness of faith, and that moral righteousness to which he exhorted the men of his generation, calling them to repent of their iniquities: and, when they continued obstinate against his warnings, God should earth the dread decree, opening the windows of heaven, bringing in the flood upon the world of the angels, and swallowing them up in the mighty waters. If therefore he executed such vengeance upon them, let not other incorrigible sinners think at present to escape.

(3.) The destruction of Sodom. And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, he condemned them upon an eternity, or, raising fire and brimstone upon them; making them an enjangle unto those that after should live ungodly, that, taking warning by their helpful punishment, they might avoid or repent of their crimes before it be too late; otherwise the same wrath shall still seize upon the ungodly and the sinner.

3. For the encouragement of the faithful, he mentions the wonderful escape of Lot from the flames. When God destroyed the cities where he dwelt, he delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked, grieved for the dishonour brought thereby upon God, and for the ruin which must invariably descend upon their devoted heads: for that righteous man, dwelling among them, in living and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their universal deeds, enduring the most painful reflections in the view of their wickedness and the vengeance which hung over them. The Lord knoweth, as is evident by this influence, how to deliver the godly out of temptations; and he will do it in his own good time; and to receive the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished, who, though they should escape any legal stroke of divine vengeance in this life, are reserved unto the last dreadful day, when their iniquities shall receive their just reward.

4. But chiefly them that walk after the flesh, in the lust of uncleanness, and deplote government: presumptuous are they, self-willed, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities; 11. Whereas angels, which are greater in power and might, bring not railing accusation against them before the Lord. 12. But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not, and shall utterly perish in their own corruption; 13. And shall receive the reward of unrighteousness, as they that count it pleasure to riot in the day-time: spots they are, and blamishes, sporting themselves with their own decevings while they feast with you; 14. Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; beguiling unstable souls: an heart they have exercised with covetous practices: curled children; 15. Which have forefaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the sin of Boöer, who loved the wages of unrighteousness; 16. But was relooked for his iniquity: the dumb ass, speaking with man’s voice, forbad the madness of the prophet. 17. These are wells without water, clouds that are carried with a tempest, to whom the mist of darkeness is reserved for ever. 18. For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error. 19. While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage. 20. For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world, through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein and overcome; the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. 21. For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. 22. But it is happened unto them according to the true papers, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and, The sow that was washed, to her wallowing in the mire.

2 Peter 2:10-22

The apolite here,

1. At large describes the seducing teachers, whose practices copied after the vileth of those ungodly workers whom he had mentioned, and who with them must perish. But chiefly them

will God reserve unto judgment, that weall after the flesh, in the lust of unchoneys, like the man of Sodom; and deftly government, seditious and refractory, unwilling to submit to any restraint: presumptuous are they, and self-willed; they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities, reviling both the ministers and apostles of Christ, and the civil magistrates let over them for the restraint of evil-doers. Whereas angels, which are greater in peace and might than every earthly potentate, yet bring not a railing aversion against them before the Lord, reviling their persons or governments. But these despisers of God’s ordinances, as natural brute busys, made to be taken and destroyed by men, for whose use they were created, speak evil of the things that they understand not, reviling persons and things civil and religious, of whose excellence they have not the least knowledge; and shall utterly perish to their own corruption, abandoned to their wicked hearts and left to their ruin: and shall receive the reward of unrighteousness, as they that cause it pleasure to visit in the day-time, daring and impudent to sin, not even waiting for the night to cover their shame. Spots they are, and blunders, a reproach to the name of Christian which they presume to bear; sporting themselves with their own deserving, whilst they feast with you, and live in the indulgence of their sins, which they outwardly appear to maintain communion with you; having eyes full of adultery, whose wanton looks bespeak the impurity of their hearts; and that cannot arise from sin, enslaved by their sensual appetites, and infatate in the indulgence of them; beguiling unstable souls, as Satan beguiled Eve through his futility, and tempting them to comply with their corrupt and irred desires. As hours they have exercised with covetous practices, all their contrivances and pursuits being to amish wealth: useful children, under the wrath of a holy God; which have forsaken the right way of salvation by Jesus Christ, and are gone astray from the paths of truth and holiness, following the way of Ransom the son of Buser, who loved the wages of unrighteousness, and, notwithstanding his precious professions to Balak’s messengers, really coveted the king of Mnah’s offers; but was rebuked for his iniquity in a very lyrical manner, the dumb ass, on which he rode, speaking with man’s voice, by miraculous power, forbid the madness of the prophet in presuming to go, after the warnings to the contrary which he had received, or to attempt the curling of that people whom the Lord had blessed. These are well without water, pretending to piety, but disappointing those who, like the thrifty traveller, come to them for the water of life, which that are carried with a tempest, that promise rain, but prove noxious vapours; to whom the maj’ of darkness is reserved for our, going from the darkness of sin and error to the horrible and eternal darkness of hell. For when they speak great dwelling words of country, pretending to high flights of science, and building their vast attainments, they allow through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, by temptations suited to the corrupt inclinations of their hearers, those that were clean escaped from them who live in errar, and had made a creditable profession for a traitor, but now relapse into all their former abominations. While they promise them liberty, a carnal liberty to live as they lilt, without restraint, they themselves are the servants of corruption, the verest slaves in nature to base and vile affections: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought into bondage; and on bondage to dreadful as that of sin and Satan. Note. (1) The sins of lewdness are the dreadful rock on which unstable souls make shipwreck of the faith. (2) They who have hearts far on their covetousness are hardly turned away from their vile pursuits, though conscience, like the faithful monitor of Balsam, often thrifts and accuses them. (3) None are to far escaped from the world, but they have need to watch and pray that they fall not into temptation. (4) However (personally the same may be laid, and whatever liberty we may promise ourselves in sin, to our cost we shall find the dire delusion, and prove how fearful is the bondage of corruption.

2. He warns them, by all the dreadful consequences of apostles, to beware of their seduents. For if after they have escaped the pollution of the world, through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, and from the preaching of the gospel have been laid under such restraints as for a while to appear creditable in their profession, they are again entangled therein and overcome, so as to become thorough slaves to their lusts and appetites, the latter end it warns with them than the beginning, and their share more guilty than when they lay before in utter darkness, ignorance, and error. For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, or to have heard of Christ and his salvation, then, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. But it hath happened unto them according to the true pretends. The dig is turned to his own vomit again; and, The Jew, that was weighed, to her auditioning in the more. Note. (1) Under convictions of sin, many for a while naufrate their former lewdness, who soon return to their forsaken iniquities with precincts, when the impressions which have been made the away. (2) Whatever outward reformation may be made, if the heart is not right with God, all is still naught within; the swindling nature is not changed by the wathing, and apolacy will inevitably be the issue. (3) None perish with such aggravated guilt as those who have made the fairest professions, and seemed to begin well, but fail in their course, and relapse into iniquity. Weful will be the end of apostles.