The Father Exposes and Judges False Teachers
False teachers are described without flattery: greedy, sensual, promising freedom while enslaved themselves. Peter argues from history — the angels, the flood, Sodom, Lot — that our Father knows how to rescue the godly and hold the wicked for judgment.
2 1False prophets arose among the people, just as false teachers will arise among you. They will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even deny the Master who bought them, and bring swift destruction on themselves. a a v1 The "Master who bought them" is Jesus, who paid for their freedom with his own blood — making their denial of him all the more tragic. 2Many will follow their lust, and because of them the way of truth will be slandered. 3In their greed they'll exploit you with made-up words. Their judgment, decreed long ago, isn't idle; their ruin isn't asleep.
4For if our Father did not spare angels who sinned, but threw them into the deepest pit of gloom, chained in darkness, kept for judgment; b b v4 Tartarus is a place of confinement for fallen angels — a different word from the usual term for hell, naming the prison where rebellious spirits await judgment. 5if he didn't spare the ancient world, but protected Noah, an announcer of righteousness, with seven others, when he brought a flood on the wicked world; 6and if he condemned Sodom and Gomorrah, reducing their cities to ashes, as an example of what awaits the wicked; 7and if he rescued righteous Lot, worn out by the shameless behavior of lawless people. 8That righteous man, living among them, was tormented day after day in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard, 9then our Father knows how to rescue the godly from trials, and keep the wicked under punishment until judgment day. 10Especially those chasing flesh's corrupt desires and despising authority—bold, arrogant, unafraid to slander celestial beings. 11Whereas angels, greater in strength and power, don't bring a slanderous judgment against them before our Father. 12But these people, like unreasoning animals born by instinct to be caught and destroyed, insult what they don't understand, and will be destroyed in their destruction, 13suffering wrong as pay for wrongdoing. They count it a pleasure to revel in broad daylight. They are stains and flaws, reveling in their deceptions while feasting with you. 14Their eyes are full of adultery, never stopping from sin, luring unstable souls, hearts trained in greed—cursed children! 15Abandoning the straight path, they went astray, following the way of Balaam son of Beor, who loved the wages of wrongdoing. c c v15 Balaam was a prophet for hire who pursued money over faithfulness and was rebuked by his own donkey — his full story is in Numbers 22–24. 16But he was corrected for his own wrongdoing: a mute donkey spoke with a human voice and stopped the prophet's madness.
17These are dry springs, storm-driven mists—thick darkness is kept for them. 18With inflated, empty words they lure through the sensual desires of the flesh those barely escaping from people living in error. 19They promise them freedom, while themselves enslaved to corruption—for whatever overcomes a person enslaves them.
20For if, having escaped the world's corruption through knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are entangled in it again and overcome, their end is worse than their start. 21It would have been better for them never to know the way of righteousness than to know it and turn back from the holy commandment given to them. 22The true proverb has happened to them: "A dog returns to its vomit," and "A washed sow returns to wallow in mud."
