Dear Friends,

I hope you can join us tonight as we look at 2 Peter 2:1-13. Notes are attached.

LIVING THE CHRISTLIFE

WAYNE BARRETT

OCTOBER 15, 2025

2 Peter 2:1-13a

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;a 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.

Bold and willful, they do not tremble as they blaspheme the glorious ones, 11 whereas angels, though

greater in might and power, do not pronounce a blasphemous judgment against them before the Lord.

12 But these, like irrational animals, creatures of instinct, born to be caught and destroyed, blaspheming

about matters of which they are ignorant, will also be destroyed in their destruction, 13 suffering wrong

as the wage for their wrongdoing.

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v 1 – “But false prophets …”

false prophets then, when Scripture was given – like unto false teachers now

not a new thing

“destructive heresies” – lit. “heresies of destruction”

these are not honest differences among servants of the Lord

These are teachings that destroy the Gospel and the people who accept them

as an example: “even denying the Master who bought them”—false teaching about the person of

Jesus Christ

“bringing upon themselves swift destruction”—they bring upon themselves the very thing which

they are doing—destruction

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

These heresies were often related to (seeking to justify) immoral living.

This brings disgrace upon the reputation of Christianity

v 3 – “And in their greed …”

Another motive for false teachers

“false” words – plastos (!), molded, fabricated

This is clearly still a relevant teaching

a Some manuscripts an example to those who were to be ungodly [ESV]

2

more lit. “for whom the judgment of long ago is not idle, and whose judgment slumbers not.”

There are eternal judgments and plans and decrees of Almighty God, Creator of the universe,

that cannot be altered and against which the pride and posturing of sinful man is hopelessly

foolish.

These are arrogant people, going against God, about whom Peter says their time is coming.

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

Lest anyone doubt God’s judgment against sin and against those who choose living for sin rather

than living unto him

Even angels are being punished and will he judged

“hell” – Tartarus. This word only appears once in the N.T., but was well-known in the Greek

cultural word and even in Jewish writings (in the Greek language). It was, in all cases, a dark

pit of imprisonment. Here, Peter uses the word to mean a dark pit, or chains in darkness,

where angels were placed by God to be kept there until judgment.

“chains” – some mss. have “pits’

v 5 – “if he did not spare …”

God destroyed the world and those in it because of sin

Noah and seven others were spared

Noah had his faults and was nonetheless a “herald of righteousness”

v 6 – more lit. “and the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, having reduced to ashes, he condemned to

destruction [katastrophé], having set an example of what is coming upon the ungodly”

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

see Genesis 19

vv 7-8 – “and if he rescued righteous Lot …”

“righteous Lot” – Lot was not without his weakness and flaws, but he imperfectly was a follower

of the Lord in the midst of a people who were anything but that (among whom he had chosen

to live).

Peter gives some insight into Lot, perhaps partially by way of a defense of Lot, in describing

how distressed he was “day after day” by what was going on around him

Lest we be judgmental of Lot, we might reflect upon our own distress about things that go on

around us, things which we do not have the ability to change—but regarding which someone

might question if we had made much of an effort to do so.

vv 9-10a – “Then the Lord knows how to rescue …”

Peter is summarizing and affirming: God will deliver those who are the godly and he will judge

those who are not.

“godly” – eusebés, devout, reverent

Peter is emphasizing not just judgment, but the ultimate deliverance of God for all who follow

him.

more lit. “and moreover to keep the unrighteous, being punished, until the day of judgment.”

also affirming, as Scripture does over and over, that there is a Day of judgment.

Here, the teaching is that those who are condemned and who have died are currently in a

holding place of punishment until the Day of judgment, as are the angels who sinned.

more lit. “and especially those walking according to the flesh in lust that comes from corruption,

despising authority.”

corruption – miasmos, moral contamination, moral uncleanness

3

This kind of living was promoted by some of the false teachers within the church.

despising authority – a prevalent attribute, then and now, for those who live by their own rules

and/or their own desires

They despise authority generally, unless it is in agreement with themselves, and they

despise the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ specifically, he who has all authority in

heaven and on earth.

vv 10b-11 – “Bold and willful …”

willful – authadés, self-pleasing

“blaspheme the glorious ones …”

It would appear, because of what follows, that Peter means that these people make light of the

evil spiritual powers and teachings about these powers, even blaspheming them. If this is the

teaching, calling them “glorious ones” is referring to their created nature and power which

remains far above ours, even tough they are fallen and evil. Scripture teaches us to resist

Satan. It does not teach us to mock him or to ridicule him.

A case can be made that Peter is referring to angels in v 10, who no doubt were blasphemed by

the false teachers, and that the example he uses in v 11 is that even angels do not pronounce

judgment on (even) fallen angels. This interpretation seems to be less likely.

vv 12-13 – “But these …”

Peter continues in the strongest terms of condemnation

Bear in mind—he is addressing wicked, destructive teachers within the church, not the lost

people of the world in general

more lit. “and these, as irrational natural beasts, made to be caught and destroyed” (YLT)

Not a compliment now in our own culture, but being compared to animals is more

offending—is stronger language—in other cultures than it often is received in our

own. There are exceptions, of course: weasel, pig, snake, rodent …

The is a reciprocity of judgment in Peter’s next phrases:

The false teachers

“in the destruction of them will also be destroyed” – “them” meaning the wild animals, i.e. you

live that way, you will be treated that way

“suffering wrong as the wage of doing wrong” – they will reap what they sow