LIVING THE CHRISTLIFE

WAYNE BARRETT

OCTOBER 29, 2025

2 Peter 2:13b-17

They count it pleasure to revel in the daytime. They are blots and blemishes, reveling in their deceptions,

while they feast with you. 14 They have eyes full of adultery, insatiable for sin. They entice unsteady

souls. They have hearts trained in greed. Accursed children! 15 Forsaking the right way, they have gone

astray. They have followed the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved gain from wrongdoing, 16 but

was rebuked for his own transgression; a speechless donkey spoke with human voice and restrained the

prophet's madness.

17 These are waterless springs and mists driven by a storm. For them the gloom of utter darkness has

been reserved. 18 For, speaking loud boasts of folly, they entice by sensual passions of the flesh those

who are barely escaping from those who live in error. 19 They promise them freedom, but they

themselves are slaves of corruption. For whatever overcomes a person, to that he is enslaved. 20 For if,

after they have escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior

Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the last state has become worse for them

than the first. 21 For it would have been better for them never to have known the way of righteousness

than after knowing it to turn back from the holy commandment delivered to them. 22 What the true

proverb says has happened to them: “The dog returns to its own vomit, and the sow, after washing

herself, returns to wallow in the mire.”

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PRELIMINARIES

—What’s in a participle? … not usually theological issues, but issues of tone and emphasis are

certainly conveyed. In the first paragraph of this passage, almost all of the Greek verbs are present

participles (“ing” verbs in English), which describe and more vividly bring to the mind continuous

action. In this translation (and many others), most of these phrases with present participles have been

replace by descriptive phrases. In so doing, the English is more normalized, but the sense of action is

sacrificed. For example, v14:

ESV More Literal Rendering

“They have eyes full of adultery, insatiable for

sin. They entice unsteady souls. They have hearts

trained in greed. Accursed children!”

“having eyes full of adultery, and unceasing from

sin, enticing unstable souls, [with] a heart having

been exerciseda in craving, children having a

curse!”

—Peter’s prophetic language is a strong, rhetorical denouncing of the false teachers mentioned in v. 1.

It most strongly and effectively speaks for itself, and we lose some of its rhetorical power when we

study its meaning in more prosaic terms. But the study is needful. It is helpful, for example, to reflect

upon what Peter means by “waterless springs and mists driven by a storm” (v. 17), although we

momentarily lose the evocative imagery when we do so. But then, the more informed we are, even more

effective and powerful is the text.

a This verb is a perfect participle, not a present participle

2

v 13 – “They count it pleasure …”

We begin to get a profile

“revel” — tryphe, to enfeeble by overindulgence; related to soft, effeminate, delicate living

“blots and blemishes” – spiloi kai mōmoi, may have been a Greek turn of phrase

reveling in their deceptions – some manuscripts read “love feasts”

more lit. “feasting with you.”

v 14 – “having eyes full of adultery and unceasing from sin”

One note: nothing yet has been said about any “false doctrines” they were teaching. No doubt

they were doing so—but the chief false doctrines were in lifestyle—both taught and

demonstrated.

more lit. “enticing unstable souls.”

This highlights the need for Christian growth in discipleship

more lit. “a heart having been exercised/trained in craving”

“craving” – pleonexia - greedy desire to have more, covetousness, avarice

more lit. “children having a curse [on them]”

This is certainly a strong condemnation for “children”—those who know better, but

“forsaking the right way …” (v. 15)

“If anyone has no love for the Lord, let him be accursed. Our Lord, come!”—1

Corinthians 16:22

“But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the

one we preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say

again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him

be accursed.”—Galatians 1:8-9

v 15 – “Forsaking the right way …”

Balaam – most of his story is contained in Numbers 22-24. He was later killed by the army of the

Israelites, sent by Moses, for vengeance upon the Midianites. He is negatively referenced in

several places in Scripture both for his love of money and his participation in leading Israel

astray. Balaam is identified as a prophet had interaction with God. But the Scripture also says

that he “practiced divination” (Numbers 22:7; Joshua 13:22). He is not an easy figure to

describe.

The reason for the reference here is clear: he “loved gain from wrongdoing,” [more lit. “he loved

the wage of unrighteousness”] and the false teachers fit right into this mold.

v 17 – “These are waterless springs …”

Like the barren fig tree, they are devoid of the very thing they promise

“for whom the gloom of darkness has been reserved.”

“I tell you, many will come from east and west and recline at table with Abraham, Isaac, and

Jacob in the kingdom of heaven, while the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer

darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”—Mathew 8:11-12

“And the angels who did not stay within their own position of authority, but left their proper

dwelling, he has kept in eternal chains under gloomy darkness until the judgment of the great

day”—Jude 1:6

see v. 4 in this chapter