Lesson 25

Second Peter

Warning against dangers facing the Church

 

Peter next draws a contrast between the characteristics of the false teachers and elect angels.

2:11  whereas angels who are greater in might and power do not bring a reviling judgment against them before the Lord.

 

 

- in might (ivscu,j) speaks of inner strength, often refers to one’s inner character that gives them influence and value.

- and power  (du,namij) inherent operating power with the emphasis on the ability to use it

 

do not bring a reviling judgment against them before the Lord.                   

 

- point here is that these elect angels with their greater strength and power do not take the law into their own hands; they are totally oriented to God and serving Him.

 

2:11 Whereas angels who are greater in strength and power do not bring a maligning judgment against them (false teachers) before the Lord. 

 

Observations:

1.  As we have noted in the previous portion of the text, these false teachers in the Church age by word and lifestyle  speak out against bonafide authority but especially the essence and character of God and the person and work of Christ which they have rejected.

 

2.  These elect angels who intently observe mankind take note of their maligning or blaspheming yet they themselves don’t accuse these false teachers before the Lord.

 

3.  This implies several things about these elect angels:

a. they are totally subservient to the plan of God.

b. totally oriented to God’s timing.

c. they are patient.

d. not arrogant about their nature even though they are greater, superior.

 

4.  They’re confident in the manner which God’s justice will deal with the false teachers therefore are relaxed knowing He can and will handle them.

 

5.  Application: The advancing believer must acquire the same confidence in God to handle these false teachers abandoning any desire to retaliate personally.

 

Peter draws an analogy between the false teachers and animals.

But these, like  the these refers to the false teachers; like is (w`j) which establishes the analogy between the F/T and animals.

- unreasoning  - unreasoning   a;logoj  lit. no words; therefore no thinking, without reasoning ability or rationality, irrational 

- animals,  zw/|on  neuter  > zaw  refers here to non-human living creatures 

 

Animals are not created in the image of God; they are created with instinct, preprogrammed convolutions in brain and they are never able to rise above their nature.

 

We hear a great deal today about man descending from an animal, evolutionary viewpoint but both the Old and New Testaments make it very clear that man is capable of choosing to live lower than the animals.

 

born as creatures of instinct  perfect passive neuter participle of genna,w  having been born; since is neuter it clearly is speaking of the animals

 

-  these false teachers Peter says are analogous to animals in that they were negative at God consciousness  and became as animals only cognizant of the physical and material world, totally oblivious to the realm of the spiritual.

 

2:12a But these (F/T’s) like unreasoning animals having been born as creatures of natural instinct,

-  to be captured and killed,  eivj  the preposition indicates that this is the result of their being creatures of natural instinct, that is operating under their sin nature will result in their  being ready to be captured and killed

 

reviling where they have no knowledge, 

 

- the main verb here is  avgnoe,w  meaning to be ignorant, no thinking

 

-  As unbelievers these false teachers are ignorant of BD, any DVPT, their thinking is totally corrupted by their ruling sin nature so that they cannot know truth.

 

will in the destruction of those creatures also be destroyed,

 

- literally in their own corruption also will be corrupted/destroyed

 

 

2:12 But these (F/T’s) like unreasoning animals having been born as creatures of natural instinct, to be captured and destroyed, blaspheming in the sphere of those things (glories) which they keep on being ignorant will in their own corruption also be corrupted (judged).

Observations:

1.  Negative volition to God and the Word can render even the most brilliant person by human standards animal like. They can only operate from the source and rulership of their sin nature and its corrupting desires.

 

2.  They often demonstrate their negative volition by being anti-God, DVPT, even blaspheming “the glories” which manifests itself in being anti-authority, anti-LDE i.e. capital punishment, effective law and order, anti-military, free enterprise.

 

3.  These false teachers judge the supernatural and spiritual info from a standpoint of ignorance and their conclusion is that it is foolishness. 1 Cor 1:23

 

4.  Peter’s very harsh language  here in this analogy of false teachers being as animals, slaves to their instincts to be captured and destroyed, indicates just how serious he considered the destructive heresies of the false teachers.

 

5.  What these false teachers sow they will also reap.  They sow corruption through their teaching in time and will reap in the future being corrupted that is destined for judgment.

 

6.  Think about it, the unbelieving false teachers of the last generation of the Church age who today appear to be prospering and expanding rapidly will reap corruption during the tribulation.

 

7.  For those false teachers who are reversionistic believers they will undergo discipline in time for the corruption they have sown and will not receive rewards at the JSC.

 

8.  These false teachers have also failed to follow a common sense principle, to keep their mouth shut when ignorant of any subject.

 

9.  We as advancing believers are not to be ignorant of the Satan’s schemes, his counterfeits designed to appeal to our area of weakness in order to take us away from MPR.  2 Cor 2:11

 

2:13  suffering wrong as the wages of doing wrong.

-  suffering wrong  (avdike,w)  present passive participle describes the consequences to the false teacher’s judgment; means to be treated unjustly, wrong, evil

 

-  From God’s viewpoint its not, but from the human viewpoint of the false teachers they are being wronged, treated unjustly.

 

as the wages of doing wrong (misqo,j) actually singular; wage, or payment followed by the genitive of description of (avdiki,a)  unrighteousness

 

Point is that these false teachers will receive just payment for their unrighteousness.

Next Peter details the attitude or thinking of the false teachers.

They count it a pleasure to revel in the daytime.

 

These F/T’s consider it a pleasure to live a life a affluence, luxury in the day time, indicating that they are not working for a living but living off those they are leading astray with their teaching.

 

See here their (F/T’s) impact on society of the day!

They are stains and blemishes,  reveling in their deceptions, as they carouse with you,

 

 

they are stains and blemishes while living luxuriously in their deceptions

 

-  Both of these, the stains and blemishes are readily observed in these F/T’s as they are reveling  present active participle,  (evntrufa,w) circumstantial of manner describing the F/T’s conduct.

 

as they carouse with you, (suneuwce,omai)  the idea is to feast together, being entertained with you;  refers to social contact between false teachers and those who are being deceived by them.

 

 

2:13  Receiving evil as the wage of unrighteousness considering luxurious living in the daytime a pleasure, they are stains and blemishes while living luxuriously in their deceptions being entertained with you.