CHAPTER 2

(A.D. 66)

FALSE PROPHETS

¹But there were false Prophets also among the people (refers to the false prophets who plagued Israel of Old), even as there shall be false teachers among you (the false teacher is one who presents a way of Salvation, or a way of Sanctification, other than the Cross), who privily shall bring in damnable heresies (the idea is that these false teachers would teach some true Doctrine, and then cleverly include false teaching with it; it is the introduction of false teaching alongside the True that makes it very subtle, and which abrogates the True), even denying the Lord Who bought them (refers to denying the Cross), and bring upon themselves swift destruction (upon themselves and upon those who follow them, which refers to the ultimate loss of the soul).

²And many shall follow their pernicious ways (actually most!); by reason of whom the way of Truth shall be evil spoken of (proclaims the fact that not only is the Truth castigated, but the bearer of Truth as well! in short, it is a denigration of the Cross).

³And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you (the people are exploited instead of developed; the underlying cause is money): whose judgment now of a long time lingers not, and their damnation s_lumbersnot (the Judgment seems to be delayed, but it definitely is not idle; sooner or later all who travel the path of damnable heresies, which refers to any way other than the Cross, will ultimately face utter ruin and destruction).

THE PENALTY

⁴For if God spared not the Angels who sinned (refers here to a specific type of sin, which was actually the sin of fallen Angels cohabiting with women that took place before the Flood, and then after the Flood [Gen. 6:1-4]), but cast them down to Hell (refers to Tartarus, visited by Christ after His Death on the Cross and immediately before His Resurrection; in fact, He preached unto the spirits in prison, which refer to these fallen Angels [I Pet. 3:19-20]), and delivered them into chains of darkness (where they have been imprisoned), to be reserved unto Judgment (refers to the coming Great White Throne Judgment, when they will then be cast into the Lake of Fire [Rev. 20:10]);

⁵And spared not the old world (the world before the Flood), but saved Noah the eighth person(there were eight people in the Ark), a Preacher of Righteousness (proclaims the fact that Noah preached to the Antediluvians for a number of years, but without success), bringing in the Flood upon the world of the ungodly (lends credence to the thought that God would have spared the old world had the Antediluvians heeded the Message Preached by Noah; Grace spurned is always Judgment pronounced);

⁶And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow (tells us in no uncertain terms what God thinks of Sodomy), making them an example unto those who after should live ungodly (Sodom and Gomorrha were meant as a warning);

RIGHTEOUSNESS

⁷And delivered just Lot (refers to Lot and his two daughters; his wife perished [Gen. 19:15-26]; Lot was just, meaning that his Faith was in Christ, even though his actions at times were not commendable), vexed with the filthy conversation (lifestyle) of the wicked (presents the attitude of this man with the behavior of the Sodomites):

⁸(For that Righteous man dwelling among them (Lot did not become contaminated by the vices of Sodom), in seeing and hearing, vexed his Righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;) (Vexed pertains to torment or torture, meaning he was not only vexed with the sin of Sodom, but vexed at himself as well. In this word, we find a certain sense of personal culpability. The situation in which Lot now finds himself was ultimately due to his own selfish choice.)

⁹The Lord knows how to deliver the Godly out of temptations (modern Believers are delivered out of temptations by placing their Faith exclusively in Christ and the Cross, which then gives the Holy Spirit latitude to help), and to reserve the unjust unto the Day of Judgment to be punished (in effect, says that all who reject Jesus Christ and what He did at the Cross will definitely be judged):

FALSE TEACHERS

¹⁰But chiefly them who walk after the flesh (refer to false teachers who are advocating a way of victory other than the Cross [Rom. 8:1) in the lust of uncleanness (proclaims that which is guaranteed to happen as a result of walking after the flesh), and despise Government. (This refers to despising the Lordship of Christ, meaning to despise His Way, which is the Cross.) Presumptuous are they, selfwilled (refers to arrogance), they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities. (When one speaks against the Cross, one is speaking against the Godhead.)

¹¹Whereas Angels, which are greater in power and might (greater than men), bring not railing accusation against them before the Lord. (When reporting to the Lord concerning fallen Angels, etc., Righteous Angels merely report facts as they are without bitterness and railing.)

¹²But these (false teachers), as natural brute beasts (evidence no more common sense than an animal), made to be taken and destroyed (proclaims what will happen to all false teachers), speak evil of the things that they understand not (reduces their ridicule to their rejection of the Finished Work of Christ); and shall utterly perish in their own corruption (presents the only conclusion for those who reject the Cross);

¹³And shall receive the reward of unrighteousness (ultimately the loss of ones soul), as they who count it pleasure to riot in the day time (speaks of false teachers who live luxuriously off the money they get from those they have led astray by their false doctrine). Spots they are and blemishes (a soiled unrighteousness because it is self-righteousness), sporting themselves with their own deceivings while they feast with you (putting on a show of Righteousness, which is only deception);

¹⁴Having eyes full of adultery (spiritual adultery, which refers to ways other than the Cross [Rom. 8:1-4]), and that cannot cease from sin (if our Faith is in anything other than the Cross, we will find ourselves being unable to cease from sin); beguiling unstable souls (enticing with bait, which the modern Word of Faith Doctrine does): an heart they have exercised with covetous practices (the love of money); cursed children (children of cursing, referring to a curse placed on all who attempt to establish a way other than the Cross [Gal. 1:8-9]):

¹⁵Which have forsaken the right way (means they once knew the right way, but now they have forsaken it; the right way is the Cross), and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor (that way is money), who loved the wages of unrighteousness (this false prophet was willing to prostitute himself to secure gold);

¹⁶But was rebuked for his iniquity (Balaam was sinning): the dumb ass speaking with mans voice forbad the madness of the Prophet. (A dumb animal rebuked the Prophet. Modern popular theology denies this, and so accuses the Holy Spirit of falsehood.)

¹⁷These are wells without water (despite the claims, there is no water of life in the teaching of these false prophets), clouds that are carried with a tempest (for dry and thirsty hearts, these clouds carry no water of life; the word tempest proclaims the fact that much is promised, but nothing is delivered): to whom the mist of darkness is reserved forever. (It is either the Cross or Eternal darkness!)

¹⁸For when they speak great swelling words of vanity (false doctrine is often presented in such a way as to impress the listener), they al lure through the lusts of the flesh (the allurement is the appeal of material things), through much wantonness (particular types of bait used to catch the hearers), those who were clean es caped from them who live in error. (New converts or even Christians not well-grounded in the Faith become easy marks for these hucksters.)

¹⁹While they promise them Liberty (they guarantee their way will lead to riches and happiness), they themselves are the servants of corruption (while they are promising liberty, they are themselves in bondage, as is anyone who doesnt have the Cross as the Object of his Faith): for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage. (If the false teaching is followed, which is the opposite of Grace, bondage will be the result [Gal. 5:1].)

²⁰For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ (they were saved by trusting Christ and the Cross), they are again entangled therein, and overcome (proclaims the fact that if the Believer ceases to place his Faith and trust in what Jesus did at the Cross, that entanglement in the pollutions of the world will once again become a fact; it cannot be otherwise), the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. (If Believers reject the Message of the Cross after it is plainly given, there is nothing left but destruction.)

²¹For it had been better for them not to have known the way of Righteousness (Peter is dealing with individuals who have had the privilege to hear the Gospel, accept Christ, and then for whatever reason cease to believe, and, thereby, lose their way), than, after they have known it, to turn from the Holy Commandment delivered unto them. (Its bad enough to have never known the way. However, to have known it and then turn to another direction is unthinkable. Yet millions have done so. The far greater majority of the modern Church falls into this category. They have abandoned the Cross for other things.)

²²But it is happened unto them according to the true Proverb (Prov. 26:11), The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire. (This completely refutes the Unscriptural Doctrine of Unconditional Security, and gives the reason a departure from Christ and the Cross.)