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This Chapter Verse Commentaries:
2 PETER CHAPTER 2
2Pe_2:1-6 The apostle foretelleth the appearance of false
teachers, the impiety of them and their followers,
and the judgments that would overtake them.
2Pe_2:7-9 The godly shall be delivered, as Lot was out of Sodom.
2Pe_2:10-19 The wicked principles and manners of these seducers
described.
2Pe_2:20-22 The mischief of relapsing into sin.
But there were false prophets also: the apostle having
been exhorting them to continuance and progress in faith, admonishes
them here of such as might labour to draw them from it; and having
made mention of the Old Testament prophets, holy men of God, he hereby
takes occasion to tell them of, and caution them against, false
teachers which would be among themselves. This also in the text
plainly relates to what went before: q.d. Together with those
prophets which were sent by God, there were likewise false prophets,
such as were not sent of him.
Among the people; the people of Israel.
Even as there shall be false teachers; teachers of false doctrine,
Mat_7:15 Act_20:29.
Among you; among you Jewish, as well as among the Gentile
Christians; or, among you as Christians and God’s people under the New
Testament, in opposition to the people of God under the Old.
Who shall privily bring in: the Greek word signifies either to
bring in slily and craftily, under specious pretences, and without
being observed, Gal_2:4 Jud_1:4; or, to bring in over and above,
or beside the doctrine of the gospel, which they did not renounce; or
both may be implied.
Damnable heresies; Greek, heresies of destruction, i.e.
destructive, such as lead to destruction, viz. eternal, or damnation.
Even denying; either in their words or their practices, either
directly, or by consequence of their doctrines or actions; they that
profess they know God, but contradict that profession in their lives,
are said to deny him, Tit_1:16.
The Lord; either:
1. God the Father, so called, Luk_2:29 Act_4:24, &c., and probably
Rev_6:10; nor is there any necessity, but, Jud_1:4, the
word may be understood of God the Father. Or rather:
2. Christ.
That bought them: if we understand it of God the Father, the sense
is, either:
1. Denying God that bought them, or acquired them and made them his,
viz. by calling them out of the darkness and gross wickedness of
the world, to the knowledge of Christ and the gospel, and the
fellowship of his church. In this general sense the word buying is
sometimes taken, Isa_55:1 Rev_3:18. Or:
2. Denying God that bought the people of Israel (whereof these false
teachers that should be among the Christian Jews were to be a part)
out of Egypt, to make them his peculiar people, whereof they would
boast themselves, and yet by their wicked practices deny that God
that bought them; the words seem to be taken out of Deu_32:6:
Is not he thy Father that hath bought thee? As likewise from
2Pe_2:5 of that chapter. Peter calls them spots, 2Pe_2:13
of this chapter.
But if we understand it of Christ, which seems most probable, the
sense is, either:
1. That Christ bought or redeemed them, (in which sense the word is
sometimes taken), in that by his death he purchased the continuance
of their lives, and the staying of their execution, and rescued
them from that present destruction which, without Christ’s
interposition, had seized on them, as it had likewise on the whole
visible creation immediately upon the apostacy of mankind. Or:
2. This is spoken not only of their pretences, that they should
profess themselves redeemed by Christ, but in the style of the
visible church, which should judge them to be so till they declared
the contrary by their wicked actions; and it likewise holds true in
a forensical or judicial style, according to which whosoever
professeth himself to be redeemed by Christ, and yet denies him in
his deeds, is said to deny the Lord that bought him; it being alike
as to the greatness of the crime, whether he be really redeemed,
or, professing himself to be so, denies his Redeemer.
And bring upon themselves swift destruction; shall hasten their
own destruction, it may be temporal in this world; to be sure, eternal
in the other. It may be called
swift, as coming upon them
unawares, and when they think least of it, as 1Th_5:3.