Bob Utley You Can Understand the Bible - 2 Peter 2:4 - 2:10

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Bob Utley You Can Understand the Bible - 2 Peter 2:4 - 2:10


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This Chapter Verse Commentaries:

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 2Pe_2:4-10 a

 4For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to pits of darkness, reserved for judgment; 5and did not spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah, a preacher of righteousness, with seven others, when He brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly; 6and if He condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to destruction by reducing them to ashes, having made them an example to those who would live ungodly lives thereafter; 7and if He rescued righteous Lot, oppressed by the sensual conduct of unprincipled men 8(for by what he saw and heard that righteous man, while living among them, felt his righteous soul tormented day after day by their lawless deeds), 9then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from temptation, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment for the day of judgment, 10and especially those who indulge the flesh in its corrupt desires and despise authority.

2Pe_2:4 "if" This is a first class conditional which is usually assumed to be true from the author's perspective or for his literary purposes. This begins an extended sentence which runs through 2Pe_2:10 a. It is possible that this conditional pattern is to be repeated through this long, involved Greek sentence. The NRSV has an "if" in 2Pe_2:4-7; NIV has an "if" in 2Pe_2:4-7; 2Pe_2:9, but it only occurs in the Greek text in 2Pe_2:4. This context delineates a series of OT judgments involving angels.

▣ "angels when they sinned" This is parallel to Jud_1:6. The following are the notes from my commentary on James and Jude (Vol. 11).

Notes from Jude Commentary

Jud_1:6 "And angels who did not keep their own domain, but abandoned their proper abode, He has kept in eternal bonds under darkness for the judgment of the great day" Sodom and Gomorrah, in the same way as these angels, indulged in gross immorality and went after strange flesh. Both are exhibited as examples undergoing the punishment of eternal fire.

Jud_1:6 "and angels" This verse adds angels to his lists of those who initially worshiped and later rebelled against YHWH and were thus destroyed or judged. But which angels? Some information is given to describe this particular group of angels:

1. they did not keep their own domain

2. they abandoned their proper abode

3. they will be kept in eternal bonds under darkness for judgment day

4. "sinned" (2Pe_2:4)

5. "committed them into Tartarus" (2Pe_2:4)

6. "committed them to pits of darkness reserved for judgment" (2Pe_2:4)

Which angels in the OT rebelled and sinned?

1. angels as powers behind pagan worship

2. the lesser angelic beings, called by specific demonic names in the OT. Examples: Lilith (cf. Isa_34:14), Azazel (cf. Lev_16:8), and goat demons (cf. Lev_17:7)

3. the "sons of God" in Genesis 6 (often discussed in intertestamental apocalyptic writings, I Enoch 86-88; 106; II Enoch 7,18; II Baruch 56; Jubilees 5)

4. angels mentioned in an example from a Jewish apocalyptic intertestamental writing (because of Jude's use of other books of this kind in Jud_1:9; Jud_1:14)



NASB     "who did not keep their own domain"

NKJV     "who did not keep their proper domain"

NRSV     "who did not keep their own position"

TEV      "who did not stay within the limits of their proper authority"

NJB      "who did not keep to the authority they had"

There is a play on the tense of the verb "keep" in 2Pe_2:6. The angels did not keep their place (aorist active participle) so God has kept them in a place of imprisonment until judgment day (perfect active indicative). Those angels who violated God's will faced both temporal and eschatological judgment, just as the rebels of Israel during the wilderness wandering period and the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah.

The term "domain" is the Greek term archç, which means the "beginning" or "origin" of something.

1. beginning of the created order (cf. Joh_1:1; 1Jn_1:1)

2. the beginning of the gospel (cf. Mar_1:1; Php_4:15)

3. first eyewitnesses (cf. Luk_1:2)

4. beginning signs (miracles, cf. Joh_2:11)

5. beginning principles (cf. Heb_5:12)

6. beginning assurance/confidence (cf. Heb_3:14)

It came to be used of "rule" or "authority"

1. of human governing officials

a. Luk_12:11

b. Luk_20:20

c. Rom_13:3; Tit_3:1

2. of angelic authorities

a. Rom_8:38

b. 1Co_15:24

c. Eph_1:21; Eph_3:10; Eph_6:10

d. Col_1:16; Col_2:10; Col_2:15

These false teachers despise all authority, earthly and heavenly. They are antinomian libertines. They put themselves and their desires first before God, angels, civil authorities, and church leaders.

NASB     "but abandoned their proper abode"

NKJV     "but left their own habitation"

NRSV     "but left their proper dwelling"

TEV      "but abandoned their own dwelling place"

NJB      "but left their appointed sphere"

These angels left their heavenly domain and went to another (earth). This fits the angelic interpretation of Gen_6:1-4 very well. This act was a willful rejection of God's will and authority.

▣ "in eternal bonds" Chains are used on angels in I Enoch and Satan is bound with a "great chain" in Rev_20:1-2. The term "eternal" may mean "powerful," "adequate," "sure," not literally eternal, because these angels are only held until Judgment Day, when other means of incarceration shall be used (cf. Rev_20:10; Rev_20:14-15). The point is, some angels are imprisoned now, so as to control their evil activities.

▣ "under darkness" The term Tartarus (not used in Jude but present in 2Pe_2:4 and I Enoch 20:2) was used in Greek mythology for the holding place of the Titans, the half divine, half human giants. This fits the angelic interpretation of Genesis 6. I Enoch describes the new abode of these rebellious angels (cf. I Enoch 10:5,12) as eternal darkness. How different from heavenly brilliance (glory). The rabbis divided Sheol into "Paradise" (for the righteous) and Tartarus (for the wicked). The term "abyss" (cf. Luk_8:3, Rev_9:1; Rev_11:7; Rev_20:3) is synonymous with the metaphors of darkness used in 2Pe_2:13 b.

▣ "the great day" This is another way of referring to Judgment Day, the day when God will hold all conscious creation responsible for the gift of life (cf. Php_2:10-11; Isa_45:23; Rom_14:10-12).

hyperlink

NASB, NKJV,

NRSV, TEV,

NIV"Hell"

NJB      "the underworld"

Weymouth"Tartarus"

See note above on "under darkness" in notes on Jud_1:6.

▣ "pits of darkness" The term sirois is found in the ancient Greek uncial manuscripts à , A, B, and C. The King James Version has "chains" (seirais), which is similar in meaning to the word "bonds" (demois) in Jud_1:6, which is found in the ancient papyri manuscript P72, also compare I Enoch 10:12, ).

2Pe_2:5 "and did not spare the ancient world" This refers to God's judgment on the wickedness of mankind (cf. Gen_6:5; Gen_6:11-13; Gen_8:21 b). This judgment by water is described in Genesis 6-9. This same event is mentioned in 1Pe_3:18-22.

▣ "Noah" One man and his family "found favor in the eyes of the Lord" (i.e., Noah, cf. Gen_6:8-9; Gen_6:18). This event is also described in Josephus' Antiquities of the Jews 1.3.1; I Clement 7.6, 9.4; and the Sibylline Oracles 1.128).

▣ "a preacher of righteousness" The OT does not mention Noah's preaching, but rabbinical tradition surely does (cf. Jubilee 7:20-29; Sibylline Oracles 1.128-129).

▣ "a flood" From this Greek word comes the English word "cataclysm." According to I Enoch, this was God's judgment on the mixed races of the human/angelic sexual relationships of Gen_6:1-4.

2Pe_2:6 "Sodom and Gomorrah" The destruction of these wicked cities is described in Gen_19:24-28. Angels were the means of escape for Lot and his family and, by implication, they were involved in the destruction of these cities of the plain.

This is parallel to Jud_1:7. It seems that Noah is an example of judgment by water and Sodom and Gomorrah an example of judgment by fire.

I have included the following notes from my commentary on Jud_1:7



Notes from Jude Commentary

Jud_1:7 "Sodom and Gomorrah" This is the third example of rebellion that involved sexual activities outside of God's revealed plan of marriage:

1.the Canaanite fertility worship at Shittim (cf. Numbers 25)

2. the attempt by angels to mix the orders of creation (cf. Gen_6:1-4; 2Pe_2:4)

3. the homosexual activity of Sodom and Gomorrah toward angels (cf. Genesis 19; 2Pe_2:6)



▣ "and the cities around them" These cities are listed by name in Deu_29:23.

▣ "same way" This is an accusative which relates grammatically to the angels (cf. Jud_1:6), not "the neighboring towns." It has been speculated that Jude used these OT illustrations because as angels took women in Genesis 6, so here men tried to take angels (cf. Gen_18:22; Gen_19:1). If so, this would be another example of the attempt to mix the orders of creation. However, to me it seems that the inhabitants of Sodom did not know these were angels and thought them to be men (cf. Gen_18:22).

▣ "gross immorality and went after strange flesh" This is in reference to "different kind of (heteros) flesh." This seems to relate both to (1) the angels and women according to Josephus in Antiquities of the Jews 1:3:1 and (2) the homosexuality (cf. Rom_1:26-27) so prevalent in the area of Sodom.

▣ "are exhibited as an example in undergoing the punishment of eternal fire" Jude uses these OT examples as a clear warning to his readers. Beware of sexual exploitation by anyone.

The NT speaks clearly of eternal punishment (cf. Mat_25:41; Mat_25:46; 2Th_2:8-9; Rev_19:20; Rev_20:11; Rev_20:14-15; 21:28; and also I Enoch 54:1). This subject is difficult to discuss because the Bible does not give much information about heaven or hell. It affirms their reality, but does not reveal specific information, usually describing them in metaphorical language. Jesus uses the "valley of the sons of Hinnom," which was just south of Jerusalem and was used by the Israelis under Manasseh for the worship of Molech, the Canaanite fire god who required child sacrifice. The Jews, out of shame and regret for their own participation in these fertility rites, turned this locality into the garbage dump for Jerusalem. Jesus' metaphors of fire, smoke, and worms came from this place, Gehenna.

This place of torment was not created for mankind, but rebellious angels (cf. Mat_25:41). Evil at all levels will be removed and segregated from God's creation. Hell is the Bible's way of describing this permanent divide.

Before I leave this topic let me express the pain with which I approach this subject. This is the only suffering in the Bible that is not redemptive. This is not the will of God for anyone. It is a result of willful, continuous rebellion, both angelic and human. It is an open, bleeding sore in the heart of God that will never heal! God's willingness to allow free will among His creatures results in some painful, eternal losses.

The Jerome Biblical Commentary, vol. II, p. 379 mentions that Jude's description of the punishment of these angels is very similar to I Enoch 10:4-6,11,13; 12:4; 15:3; 19:1. This seems to confirm Jude's familiarity with this interbiblical Jewish apocalyptic work.



2Pe_2:7-8 "the righteous Lot" This may be an allusion to (1) the extra-canonical Jewish book of the Wisdom of Solomon 10:6 or (2) a rabbinical tradition. Lot was spiritually grieved by the actions of contemporary evil people (some rabbinical tradition reflected in 2Pe_2:8 and I Clem. 11:1) as 2 Peter's readers were by the immoral false teachers.

This entire section is a form of OT typology. Things that happened in the history of Israel were being repeated in Peter's day.

2Pe_2:9 This is the conclusion of the extended sentence begun in 2Pe_2:4. God will rescue His own (i.e., Noah, 2Pe_2:5 and Lot, 2Pe_2:7) and hold the unrighteous accountable for their deeds (i.e., angels and humans).

2Pe_2:10 "those who indulge the flesh in its corrupt desires" This refers to human instincts given by God but with certain restrictions (i.e., human sexuality, but within marriage). Fallen mankind takes God's gifts beyond their God-given bounds for selfish, egocentristic purposes (more and more for me at any cost).

 ▣ "and despise authority" This is parallel to Jud_1:8 in several ways.

2Pe_2:10 Jud_1:8 1. indulge the flesh

2. despise authority

3. revile angelic majesties 1. defile the flesh

2. reject authority

3. revile angelic majesties Jude obviously refers to angels by this phrase, but 2 Peter may very well link it to 2Pe_2:4 and further refer to rejecting Christ. I have included my notes of Jud_1:8.



Notes from Jude Commentary

Jud_1:8 "Yet in the same way" The false teachers of Jude's day had similarities to the rebellious ones of old. The exact nature of the similarity is not specified.

 ▣ "these" This is Jude's way of referring to the false teachers who had invaded the church (cf. Jud_1:8; Jud_1:10; Jud_1:12; Jud_1:14; Jud_1:16; Jud_1:19).

▣ "also by dreaming" This term is used of OT false prophets (cf. Deu_13:1-5; Jer_23:25-32), those who claimed special revelations from God (cf. Col_2:18).

▣ "defile the flesh" This is the metaphorical use of the term "stain." There was obviously an amoral aspect to their teachings and/or lifestyles. All of these OT examples involved some type of sexual sin (cf. 2Ti_3:1 ff; 2 Peter 2).

▣ "reject authority and revile angelic majesties" There are three characteristics of "these."

1. "defile the flesh"

2. "reject authority" (NASB, NKJV, NRSV)

"despise God's authority" (TEV)

"disregard Authority" (NJB)

3. "revile angelic majesty" (NASB)

"speak evil of dignitaries" (NKJV)

"slander the glorious ones" (NRSV)

"insult the glorious beings above" (TEV)

"abuse the Glories as well" (NJB)

It is obvious the first has to do with sexual sins, but what of the second and third? The second designation, "reject authority," has been interpreted at least two ways.

1. the Greek term for "authority" is kuriotça, which is related to the term "Lord" (kurios); therefore some link this rejection (although the verbals are different) to the denial of Jesus in Jud_1:4 ( "our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ")

2. the Greek term for "authority" is kuriotçta, which is related to kuriotçs, used in 2Pe_2:10 (cf. Eph_1:21; Col_1:16) to refer to angels

This context seems to be referring to angels, #Song of Solomon 2 fits best.

The third designation uses an OT term "glory" (kabod), which was used of God (cf. Jud_1:24-25; 2Pe_1:3; 2Pe_1:17; 2Pe_3:18) and all things connected to God, especially in heaven or the life to come. In this instance Jude is picking up on the interbiblical expansion of this OT concept to refer to angelic beings, beings of power and authority.

This might even refer to the rejection of the OT Law because the Jews believed that angels served as mediators for YHWH giving the Law to Moses on Mt. Sinai (cf. Act_7:35).

This point of the context is the out-of-bounds lifestyle of "these" false teachers in the area of morality and authority. The list of characteristics of the false teachers which began in Jud_1:1-4 is continued: (1) despise authority, 2Pe_2:10; (2) like animals 2Pe_2:12; (3) pleasure seekers, 2Pe_2:13; (4) subvert love feasts Jud_1:13; (5) cause weak believers to sin Jud_1:14; and (6) promise freedom but they are slaves, Jud_1:19.