2 Peter 2

1. But even in those days there were false prophets among the people. Just as there will be false teachers among you today. There will be men who will secretly introduce dangerous teachings. They would deny the Lord who redeemed them and it will not be long before they bring their destruction on themselves.

Most of second Peter is a book of warning about false teachers. The book of Jude repeats the same warnings. Learn to pay close attention whenever God repeats Himself.

For false Christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the called-out ones. Matthew 24:24

These false teachers are the type who thinks so highly of themselves they want a church which tells them that they are the elect.

Peter does not say that did not they deny the church but they deny the Lord. The church may see Christ as a good teacher but they do not accept him as Lord.

If a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises among you and gives you a sign or a wonder, and the sign or the wonder comes true, concerning which he spoke to you, saying, ‘Let us go after other gods (whom you have not known) and let us serve them,'

You shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams; for the LORD your God is testing you to find out if you love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul. Deut. 13:1-3

Peter denied the Lord but His faith was restored because Jesus had prayed for him.

But I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned again, strengthen your brothers. Luke 22:32 See also Jude 4.

2. Many will follow their immorality and bring disgrace on the truth.

Just because many people follow a lie does not make it true.

If the godly give in to the wicked, it's like polluting a fountain or muddying a spring. Proverbs 25:26

Therefore do not let what is for you a good thing be spoken of as evil. Romans 14:16. See also Jude 4.

3. Trying to get some followers, these men will try to use you with their fake arguments, but their judgment is on the way.

The original language is like our word for “plastic” when talking about their fake words. How many plastic things have we bought which soon break or fall apart?

These are grumblers, finding fault, following after their own lusts; they speak arrogantly, flattering people for the sake of gaining an advantage. Jude 16

4. If God did not spare angels who sinned against Him but sent them to the pits of darkness, waiting for judgment.

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. Jude 6

See the notes in the book of Jude for the background on the judgment of these angels.

5. If He did not spare the old world, but only saved Noah the teacher of righteousness, with seven others, when He brought a flood on the world of the ungodly ...

Here we discover that Noah was a teacher. He must have tried to convince people that the judgment of God was coming.

6. And if He condemned Sodom and Gomorrah to destruction in ashes as an example to those who live ungodly ...

Just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities around them, since they in the same way as these indulged in gross immorality and went after strange flesh, are exhibited as an example in undergoing the punishment of eternal fire. Jude 7

7 – 8

And if the Lord rescued Lot who was tortured by the filthy lives of men with no character. For Lot, who was declared righteous by God, had his soul tormented day after day because of the filthy lives of the godless.

Lot is righteous because he at least trusted God in his own weak way. He was foolish in thinking that he could live in friendship with evil and that it would not affect him or his family. Lot's family was destroyed and our family will be destroyed if we live this way. See also Jude 4.

9. And you can be absolutely sure that the Lord knows how to rescue good men who are surrounded by temptation and will keep His punishment for the wicked when their day comes

I wrote you in my letter not to associate with immoral people; I did not at all mean with the immoral people of this world, or with the covetous and swindlers, or with idolaters, for then you would have to go out of the world. 1 Corinthians 5:9 – 10

I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. John 17:14 – 16. See also Jude 6.

10. His judgment is reserved for those who have let anything go in their lower nature and have nothing but contempt for authority. They are proud and they think they know everything. They think nothing at mocking the glory of God's unseen world.

If God does not exist, then everything is permitted. Dostoevsky

See also Jude 8, 16.

11. Angels (who are greater in power and strength) do not bring accusations against them before the Lord.

The Lord rebukes the devil -not us. If a powerful man like Daniel could have the devil stand against him, we should see that we do not have power over the devil. Christ has the power and we ask HIM to rebuke the devil.

But Michael the archangel, when he disputed with the devil and argued about the body of Moses, did not dare pronounce against him a railing judgment, but said, “The Lord rebuke you!” Jude 9

12. But there like animals to be captured and killed, mocking what they have no knowledge of, and they will also be destroyed with those creatures.

False teaching causes false thinking.

But these men revile the things which they do not understand; and the things which they know by instinct, like unreasoning animals, by these things they are destroyed. Jude 10

13. Their evil has earned them more evil and they will be paid back in full. They enjoy pleasure for themselves even in the daytime. They are dirty spots playing tricks even at your communion table.

The communion table was called the love feast by the early church. We are warned against offering strange fire [worship mixed with evil] in God's house. Numbers 26:61

Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner, shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord. 1 Corinthians 11:27

These are the men who are hidden reefs in your love feasts [communion table] when they feast with you without fear, caring for themselves; clouds without water, carried along by winds; autumn trees without fruit, doubly dead, uprooted; Jude 12

14. They cannot look at a woman without lust and they take every chance they can to do evil. They capture unstable women in their technique of getting what they want is through long practice highly developed. They are born under a curse.

There is such a thing as a generational curse. We would be very foolish if we thought that a family which offered territory to Satan would have no effect on the children of that family. Daniel asked forgiveness for the sins of his ancestors. Daniel 9:6

For among them are those who enter into households and captivate weak women weighed down with sins, led on by various impulses. 2 Timothy 3:6

For they cannot sleep unless they do evil; and they are robbed of sleep unless they make someone stumble. Proverbs 4:16

15 – 16

They have pushed away the right road and follow the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved to be paid for doing evil. But he was rebuked for his evil by a donkey, who spoke like a man, and stopped the insanity of the prophet.

Anyone who listens to demonic thoughts and puts them into action will become confused in their thinking. When we go against what we know is right, we release confusion in our brain. The Bible is saying that Balaam had a mental breakdown of temporary insanity.

Balaam was frustrated because God would not allow him to curse Israel. He wanted the money that he was promised, so he listened to the suggestion of a demonic spirit. The suggestion was to cause God's people to sin, which would then cause God to punish them. This is the devil's strategy, he looks for our weak spot and gives us an excuse for us to give into our weakness. He knows that we will be punished by God, and he hopes that we will be destroyed.

But I have a few things against you, because you have there some who hold the teaching of Balaam, who kept teaching Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols and to commit acts of immorality. Revelation 2:14

See also Numbers 24 and 25, Jude 11, Micah 6:5.

17. These are fountains with no water, clouds driven away by a storm in the black darkness that has been made ready for them.

Wild waves of the sea, casting up their own shame like foam; wandering stars, for whom the black darkness has been reserved forever. Jude 13

18. They speak proud words to your flesh as if they were good friends. The ones who listen to them will have a hard time escaping from these evil men.

The enemy will use soft words talk to trick you, “I understand how you feel when nobody else does. I am telling you a secret that is just for me and you. Do not tell anyone else.” See also Jude 16.

19. They promise them freedom how can they promise freedom, when they themselves are tied up with chains. For man is a slave of whatever controls him.

Sinners do not face their sin - do we? If your sin is too hard to carry, just tell God that you are in bondage and cannot get free without His help.

If you listen to a false prophet, then you are controlled by them.

Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness? Romans 6:16

20. If men who escaped from the world by knowing our Lord Jesus Christ and then become tangled and defeated again. Their last situation is worse than the first.

Now when the unclean spirit goes out of a man, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and does not find it. Then it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came'; and when it comes, it finds it unoccupied, swept, and put in order. Then it goes and takes along with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there; and the last state of that man becomes worse than the first. Matthew 12:43

21. It would have been better for them not to have known the way of goodness then, after knowing it to turn their backs on the commandments that were given to them for them.

But Jesus said to him, “No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”

And that slave who knew his master's will and did not get ready or act in accord with his will, will receive many lashes. Luke 12:47

For in the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance, since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame. Hebrews 6:4-6. See also Jude 3.

22. The Proverb has come true about a dog returning to his vomit and a pig that has been washed goes back to play in the mud.

Christians are sheep – feed my sheep. John 21:16

Sheep try to get out of the mud, but pigs stay in the mud.

Pigs can be cleaned up but not they will not have a new nature.

Like a dog that returns to its vomit is a fool who repeats his folly. Proverbs 26:11