2 Peter 2 Commentary
In Chapter 1, Peter mentions the “prophetic message as something completely reliable.” It’s a reference to the Old Testament. Chapter 2 picks it up from that point. There was another prophetic message by the false prophets, completely unreliable, evil, and designed to work against the Sovereign LORD.
This chapter is fully devoted to unpacking the life character and the future of the false prophets.
They existed; they still exist. Their work is secret. “They secretly introduce destructive heresies”. While the gospel is based on simple truth, the false prophets pride themselves on secrecy and complicated ideas.
“For we did not follow cleverly devised stories…” The gospel is simple. There are no myths. Ordinarily, the saint won’t see or hear things.
Worryingly, these false prophets weren’t false for lack of knowledge or correct information. They deliberately chose their path. They sought to influence others into their path. Nothing has changed, Peter observes.
But their day comes. The LORD will rain punishment on them. The references to Noah and Lot, two Old Testament characters, assure the saint of God’s generosity. The righteous won’t suffer the punishment of the sinners.
Balaam is an example of a false prophet. His antics with Barak against Israel reveal more about the “false teacher movement”. It is carefully planned. It involves money and rewards. But it’s all deception. It’s slavery. “They promise freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity – for people are slaves to whatever has mastered them.” Verse 19.
The vanity world promises great but delivers less than zero. You aren’t the same after a trip there. You are in serious negatives. Check it again and see it for yourself. They ever decrease deeper into nothingness. There is but one gear into vanity. Only Jesus can engage the reverse gear for you but you must ask Him.
This chapter looks like an extraction from Jude. Of course, the apostles heard each other speak and immersed themselves in the word. They embraced the word of the Spirit through each other as something very important and sought to repeat the same ‘everywhere’. Why not, the same Spirit spoke through them all.
So we have the same themes repeated ‘everywhere’. See how Paul’s second letter to Timothy, probably his last and ‘farewell’ letter, compares to Peter’s ‘last days’ letter. They both underline the same thoughts. Paul would go ahead and give actual names as examples of the false teachers. Even in our own day, these are real individuals with names and physical addresses (with online platforms and a huge following).
Check 2 Timothy 3 verse 6 and 2 Peter 2 verse 14. See how sexual immorality underlines their lives! They preach for money and their own glory. The saint must watch out!
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