Apr. 26, 2023

Tonight we look at a fiery passage in 2 Peter in which the apostle weighs in on "destructive heresies" and on the realities of God's deliverance and His judgment. The apostle also alludes to some aspects of the next life that we do not know a great deal about--and these writings are all the more interesting for that reason. The passage is 2 Peter 2:1-10.

LIVING THE CHRIST LIFE

WAYNE BARRETT

H ILLTOP LAKES CHAPEL

A PRIL 26, 2023

2 Peter 2:1-10

But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly

bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift

destruction. 2 And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of truth will be blasphemed.

3 And in their greed they will exploit you with false words. Their condemnation from long ago is not idle, and

their destruction is not asleep.

4 For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to chains of

gloomy darkness to be kept until the judgment; 5 if he did not spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah, a

herald of righteousness, with seven others, when he brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly; 6 if by

turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to ashes he condemned them to extinction, making them an example

of what is going to happen to the ungodly; 7 and if he rescued righteous Lot, greatly distressed by the sensual

conduct of the wicked 8 (for as that righteous man lived among them day after day, he was tormenting his

righteous soul over their lawless deeds that he saw and heard); 9 then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly

from trials, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgment, 10 and especially those who

indulge in the lust of defiling passion and despise authority.

________________________

v 1 – “But false prophets...”

The history of God’s Israel was rife with false prophets

pseudoprophētai

“just as there will be...”

pseudodidaskaloi

and since the Ascension of Jesus, false teachers have been active in the Church

in every era...and conforming to those eras, including our own

“who will secretly bring in destructive heresies...”

“will secretly bring in” – pareisagó – from pará, “close beside" + eiságō, "introduce"

by stealth, without your suspecting or noticing

destructive heresies

“heresies” – haíresis, from the word for a personal choice or opinion, meaning a group so

formed, often translated “sect”

“destructive”—this is a key part of the phrase—perishing, destroying, even hellish—“whose end

is destruction” (Philippians 3:19), the “son of destruction” (2 Thessalonians 2:3), etc.

Peter is not referring to honest differences of understanding among those who are the servants of

Christ

“Even denying the Master who bought them”

denying who Jesus actually is, not that He existed

denying that He is the Christ, the eternal Son of God, the Savior of the world, the Lord of all

“who bought them”

2

Peter highlights the treachery of their actions: Jesus died for their sakes, and this is the way they repay

Him.

This practice continues...

“bringing upon themselves...”

their punishment is the result of their own choices and actions; they have only themselves to thank

“swift destruction”

from the same root word as above

their teachings are destroying and by so doing they will bring destruction on themselves

v 2 – “And many will follow their sensuality...”

“their” – the false teachers

their false teaching included teaching that sinful lifestyles were not, in fact, sinful -- and they lived

accordingly

“sensuality” – aselgeia, "unbridled lust, excess, licentiousness, lasciviousness, wantonness,

outrageousness, shamelessness, insolence" (Thayer’s)

This is not only sexual misconduct, but all sorts of unrestrained behavior, dishonoring Christ and

certainly not guided by Him

“because of them the way of truth will be blasphemed”

This has occurred for 2000 years

The Christian witness is largely undergirded (or undermined) by Christian living; “message” alone is not

enough and never has been

The “way of truth”—more than teachings, but teachings that correspond with living—or better, living

that is explained by the teachings

v 3 – “And in their greed...”

with fabricated words – plastois logois

more lit. “they will make merchandise out of you, make a retail trade out of you, ...” They will use you!

“Their condemnation from long ago...”

Peter’s strong pronouncement of the certain judgment that is coming upon destructive, false teachers

vv 4-10 – God does punish evil, and He does deliver those who are His.

v 4 – “For if God did not spare angels...”

even angels who sinned were not spared

alluding to a rebellion we have only some knowledge about

“hell” – here, Tartarus- from “Tartaros (the deepest abyss of Hades); to incarcerate in eternal torment --

cast down to hell” (Strong’s); Jewish word was Gehenna. The NT uses many words to describe the

place of eternal punishment: outer darkness, lake of fire, eternal fire prepared for the devil and his

angels....Perhaps it is not intended that this place be given a proper name.

v 5 – “if He did not spare the ancient world...”

This was long before the Law was given—but sin was sin and was not spared judgment

“but preserved Noah...” – something God did, He delivered Noah from the judgment—He did so by

giving Noah instructions well in advance to prepare for his own deliverance

3

cf. “After being made alive, he [Jesus] went and made proclamation to the imprisoned spirits— 20 to

those who were disobedient long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark

was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water”—1 Peter 3:19-20

vv 6-7 “If by turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to ashes...”

Sodom and Gomorrah have become a byword throughout history representing both evil and God’s

judgment upon it.

It’s sinfulness is most associated with homosexuality, relating to the mob who demanded that the men

(who were angels) be sent outside Lot’s house to them so that they could “know them.” (Genesis

19:5)

But the wickedness of the city was widespread and varied

“Now the men of Sodom were wicked, great sinners against the LORD .”—Genesis 13:13

From Ezekiel’s scathing prophesy against Jerusalem: 46 “And your elder sister is Samaria, who

lived with her daughters to the north of you; and your younger sister, who lived to the south

of you, is Sodom with her daughters. 47 Not only did you walk in their ways and do according

to their abominations; within a very little time you were more corrupt than they in all your

ways. 48 As I live, declares the Lord G OD , your sister Sodom and her daughters have not done

as you and your daughters have done. 49 Behold, this was the guilt of your sister Sodom: she

and her daughters had pride, excess of food, and prosperous ease, but did not aid the poor and

needy. 50 They were haughty and did an abomination before me. So I removed them, when I

saw it. 51 Samaria has not committed half your sins. You have committed more abominations

than they, and have made your sisters appear righteous by all the abominations that you have

committed.”—Ezekiel 16:46-51

20 Then he began to denounce the cities where most of his mighty works had been done, because

they did not repent. 21 “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty

works done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in

sackcloth and ashes. 22 But I tell you, it will be more bearable on the day of judgment for

Tyre and Sidon than for you. 23 And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? You

will be brought down to Hades. For if the mighty works done in you had been done in

Sodom, it would have remained until this day. 24 But I tell you that it will be more tolerable

on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom than for you.”—Matthew 11:20-24

“and if he rescued righteous Lot...”

Probably the most favorable description of Lot in Scripture

Lot was a weak man, and his life was not exemplary

But his weakness did not equate with wickedness, he was distressed by it, and God had mercy on him

“the Lord knows how to rescue the godly”—Lot trusted in God and did not lived like the world around

him—and he was saved from judgment.

“to keep the unrighteous under punishment [chastisement] until the day of judgment”

An interesting phrase.

more lit. “to keep the unrighteous undergoing punishment [chastisement] until the day of judgment”

the message: some type of punishment is immediate after death until the final judgment. This is certain.

v 10 – “especially those who...”

more lit. “most of all those walking after the flesh in the passion of defilement”

then and now

“and despising authority”—meaning primarily spiritual and moral authority.

likewise, then and now.