The Bible — World English Bible
2 Peter 2
In brief
In 2 Peter 2, the apostle warns that, just as there were false prophets in Israel, there will be false teachers among believers. They introduce false doctrines, lead many into their excesses and profit from the community through greed. Peter recalls that God judged the angels, the ancient world and Sodom, but that he knows how to rescue the righteous like Noah and Lot. He then describes these false teachers and the danger of returning to sin after knowing the Lord.
The chapter in 4 parts
1But false prophets also arose among the people, as false teachers will also be among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, denying even the Master who bought them, bringing on themselves swift destruction.
2Many will follow their immoral ways, and as a result, the way of the truth will be maligned.
3In covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words: whose sentence now from of old doesn’t linger, and their destruction will not slumber.
4For if God didn’t spare angels when they sinned, but cast them down to Tartarus, and committed them to pits of darkness to be reserved for judgment;
5and didn’t spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah with seven others, a preacher of righteousness, when he brought a flood on the world of the ungodly;
6and turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them to destruction, having made them an example to those who would live in an ungodly way;
7and delivered righteous Lot, who was very distressed by the lustful life of the wicked
8(for that righteous man dwelling among them was tormented in his righteous soul from day to day with seeing and hearing lawless deeds):
9the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptation and to keep the unrighteous under punishment for the day of judgment,
10but chiefly those who walk after the flesh in the lust of defilement and despise authority. Daring, self-willed, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignitaries;
11whereas angels, though greater in might and power, don’t bring a railing judgment against them before the Lord.
12But these, as unreasoning creatures, born natural animals to be taken and destroyed, speaking evil in matters about which they are ignorant, will in their destroying surely be destroyed,
13receiving the wages of unrighteousness; people who count it pleasure to revel in the daytime, spots and defects, reveling in their deceit while they feast with you;
14having eyes full of adultery, and who can’t cease from sin; enticing unsettled souls; having a heart trained in greed; children of cursing;
15forsaking the right way, they went astray, having followed the way of Balaam the son of Beor, who loved the wages of wrongdoing;
16but he was rebuked for his own disobedience. A mute donkey spoke with a man’s voice and stopped the madness of the prophet.
17These are wells without water, clouds driven by a storm; for whom the blackness of darkness has been reserved forever.
18For, uttering great swelling words of emptiness, they entice in the lusts of the flesh, by licentiousness, those who are indeed escaping from those who live in error;
19promising them liberty, while they themselves are bondservants of corruption; for a man is brought into bondage by whoever overcomes him.
20For if, after they have escaped the defilement of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in it and overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first.
21For it would be better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than after knowing it, to turn back from the holy commandment delivered to them.
22But it has happened to them according to the true proverb, “The dog turns to his own vomit again,” and “the sow that has washed to wallowing in the mire.”
Key verses
But false prophets also arose among the people, as false teachers will also be among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, denying even the Master who bought them, bringing on themselves swift destruction.
Peter warns that the danger comes from within: false teachers who bring destructive doctrines in among believers. These are not outside enemies but people who present themselves as teachers.
For if God didn’t spare angels when they sinned, but cast them down to Tartarus, and committed them to pits of darkness to be reserved for judgment;
God did not spare the angels who sinned. Readers differ on the details of where they are held, but the text stresses above all that God's judgment is real and certain.
the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptation and to keep the unrighteous under punishment for the day of judgment,
The Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trial and to keep the unrighteous for judgment. The examples of Noah and Lot show that God protects his own in the midst of a corrupt world.
promising them liberty, while they themselves are bondservants of corruption; for a man is brought into bondage by whoever overcomes him.
They promise freedom while they are themselves slaves of corruption. Everyone is a slave to whatever overcomes them: what we cannot master ends up mastering us.
For if, after they have escaped the defilement of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in it and overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first. For it would be better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than after knowing it, to turn back from the holy commandment delivered to them.
Returning to sin after knowing the Lord is serious. Christian traditions understand differently what these verses say about salvation, but all hear in them a serious call to persevere.
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Frequently asked questions about 2 Peter 2
Who are the false teachers of 2 Peter 2?
They are teachers who call themselves Christians but who introduce false doctrines, live a dissolute life and profit from believers through greed. Peter says that they come from the midst of the community itself. He invites us to recognize them by their fruits: their teaching, their conduct and their relationship to money.
Why does Peter cite Noah, Sodom and Lot in 2 Peter 2?
To show two things. First, God judged the angels, the ancient world and the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, so judgment is real. Second, he rescued Noah and Lot in the midst of those judgments, so he knows how to protect his own. These examples encourage believers and warn the false teachers.
What does it mean to be a slave to whatever overcomes you (2 Peter 2:19)?
The false teachers promise freedom but remain prisoners of their passions. The verse states a principle: whatever dominates us becomes our master. It joins the New Testament teaching that true freedom comes from Christ, who frees us from slavery to sin.
What does the proverb of the dog and the sow mean in 2 Peter 2:22?
Peter cites two images of turning back: the dog that returns to what it has vomited, and the sow that goes back to wallow in the mire. They describe those who, after knowing the way of righteousness, return to their old life. Christians debate what this implies for salvation, but agree on the seriousness of the warning.
Articles quoting 2 Peter 2
World English Bible translation — public domain.