2 Peter - Verse-by-Verse Biblical Exegesis
2 Peter - Verse-by-Verse Biblical Exegesis 2 Peter - Verse-by-Verse Biblical Exegesis
KW 2 Peter 2:19 While they are promising them liberty, they themselves are slaves of corruption. For by whom a person has been overcome with the result that he is in a state of subjugation, to this one has he been enslaved with the result that he is in a state of slavery. KJV 2 Peter 2:19 While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage. TRANSLATION HIGHLIGHTS The irony is that while these false teachers are promising their deluded followers freedom (Temporal Participle), they themselves exist in a state of slavery characterized by spiritual ruin (Attributive Participle). Freedom and slavery are obviously in contrast here. Freedom, though, has been redefined by the false prophets to be freedom from divine discipline for their sinful lifestyle. In other words, their antinomian practices will escape any possible future punishment because (and here’s the heresy) those sins were already covered on the cross. The false teachers totally reject the confession of sin in the daily life as a means of having their temporal sins forgiven. They claim it is unnecessary to acknowledge your sins to God because they were already taken care of by Jesus on the cross. This is a heresy that is being spread today by those with a corrupt understanding of hamartiology. They do not understand the difference between forensic forgiveness and familial forgiveness. They do not understand the difference between state and standing, or experiential sanctification and positional sanctification. The one-time forensic remission of sins restores God’s relationship to the depraved sinner, but familial forgiveness is required for believers to have fellowship with Him. Jesus Christ took care of forensic remission of sins for His sheep when He died on the cross. The false teachers appear to have understood this at least initially, since they did become born-again Christians. They understood that the basis of God’s relationship with us is taken care of by one-time forensic forgiveness (Acts 26:18). What they didn’t understand was that the basis of our fellowship with God is taken care of by repeated familial forgiveness (1 John 1:9). What that means in our context is that the false teachers are slaves to sin and slaves to Satan’s cosmic system. They are in a continual state of spiritual ruin; they are never in fellowship with God because they have rejected the only means of maintaining that fellowship with God: familial forgiveness by the confession of sin. Moreover, anyone who had succumbed to their heretical teaching and their sinful lifestyle had also been brought into the same state of slavery (Consummative Perfect tense). The false teachers were successful in bringing new converts into bondage to sin and life in the cosmic system. Never forget that Satan’s #1 priority in life is to bring Christians out of the freedom of the divine system into the slavery of his cosmic system. And the worst thing about Satan’s great success is that he uses doctrinally-ignorant Christians as his emissaries (false teachers) to make other doctrinally-ignorant Christians (friends and family) his victims. RELEVANT OPINIONS
The antithesis of freedom-slavery is used in irony to charge that, while the false teachers promise freedom from eschatological judgment, they themselves are in slavery to its destruction ... The metaphor of fishing is used of the proselytizing practices, and the victims are designated as unsteady Christians. (D. Watson) What an irony to hear the false teachers talk about freedom which they themselves do not possess. They are unable to fulfill their promise of freedom because they are in bondage to sin. Slaves of sin are promising their fellow men freedom. (S. Kistemaker) There were false teachers who maintained that the true Gnostic was free from moral restraints, in fact, that liberty meant libertinism, liberty to sin. (B. Caffin) In politics it has always been common for those bound by their own lusts and vanity to make loud professions of liberty, and to invite men to partake of its delights. (J. Thomson) Situational ethics wants freedom or liberty from moral rules. (G. Clark) A totally evil man has an irresistible charm and excites the envy and admiration of those who dare not display their own true selves so completely. Total evil has a kind of virtue of its own, an honesty. (Scaevola) This kind of freedom is like that of the free fall of the man who jumps from his plane and delays opening his parachute … being wholly in bondage to gravity. (A. Custance) We must observe, that what is condemned here is vicious doctrine, connected with impurity of life; for the apostle’s design was to obviate the deceptive allurements by which they ensnared the foolish. (J. Calvin) The precise opposite of liberty is slavery, not legalism (though of course legalistic living does involve a kind of slavery). A believer may be in the position of liberty but practice legalism in the conduct of his life. Position and attitude are not the same; therefore, liberty and legalism are not exact opposites. (C. Ryrie) These treacherous teachers offer enticing promises of “freedom” without doctrine, yet “they themselves” are in bondage to their sin natures. The Bible says, “You shall know the truth [doctrine], and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:32). Enslaved to corrupt doctrine, apostate ministers are unable to free anyone and actually set up and perpetuate a system of slavery. (R.B. Thieme, Jr.) People are slaves to whatever masters them. (D. Watson) Since these teachers arise within the folds of the professing church and should, therefore, possess regenerated natures, what is the explanation for their fleshly conduct and creed which can only arise out of an unregenerate nature? Many will throw up their hands in unmistakable bewilderment today. Peter does not hesitate at the apparent difficulty nor shrink from expressing the withering truth. At the outset he insists that there has been retrogression in conduct (v. 20) and along with it a repudiation of creed (v. 21), both of which constitute a revelation of character in verse 22. (H. Hoyt) 2 Peter 2:19 While they (the false teachers) promise (evpagge,llomai, PMPtc.NMP, Customary, Temporal, Deponent) them (Dat. Disadv.; their deluded followers) freedom (Acc. Dir. Obj.; no discipline for their sinful lifestyle), they themselves (Subj. Nom.; the false teachers) are in a state of (u`pa,rcw, PAPtc.NMP, Durative, Attributive; exist in) slavery (Pred. Nom.) characterized by spiritual ruin (Gen. Attendant Circumstances), for (explanatory) anyone who
- Page 51 and 52: (K. Gangel) He means the entire Wor
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- Page 55 and 56: keeping them from sin and error. (S
- Page 57 and 58: [of true doctrine] destructive here
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- Page 65 and 66: (evpa,gw, PAPtc.NMP, Gnomic, Result
- Page 67 and 68: maligned (blasfhme,w, FPI3S, Predic
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- Page 73 and 74: of their large numbers? (K. Gangel)
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- Page 81 and 82: In my opinion, Peter returns to the
- Page 83 and 84: occasionally occurs whether we unde
- Page 85 and 86: VUL 2 Peter 2:10 magis autem eos qu
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- Page 95 and 96: VUL 2 Peter 2:15 derelinquentes rec
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- Page 99 and 100: created them. In some cases, the lu
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- Page 107 and 108: LWB 2 Peter 2:21 By all means, it w
- Page 109 and 110: “way of righteousness.” Their i
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- Page 121 and 122: will also be so after the judgment
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- Page 127 and 128: 2 Peter 3:8 But (adversative) do no
- Page 129 and 130: (A. Knoch) While unbelievers surely
- Page 131 and 132: and stubble) and other production.
- Page 133 and 134: The verb ought indicates that a div
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- Page 137 and 138: VUL 2 Peter 3:13 novos vero caelos
- Page 139 and 140: most serious thing not to fulfill G
- Page 141 and 142: undisciplined in habits of thought,
- Page 143 and 144: - note that he does not say, “fal
- Page 145 and 146: LWB 2 Peter 3:18 But [rather] keep
- Page 147 and 148: grace) and (connective) the knowled
- Page 149 and 150: 2 Peter, Duane F. Watson, The New I
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The antithesis of freedom-slavery is used in irony to charge that, while the false teachers<br />
promise freedom from eschatological judgment, they themselves are in slavery to its<br />
destruction ... The metaphor of fishing is used of the proselytizing practices, and the victims<br />
are designated as unsteady Christians. (D. Watson) What an irony to hear the false teachers<br />
talk about freedom which they themselves do not possess. They are unable to fulfill their<br />
promise of freedom because they are in bondage to sin. Slaves of sin are promising their<br />
fellow men freedom. (S. Kistemaker) There were false teachers who maintained that the true<br />
Gnostic was free from moral restraints, in fact, that liberty meant libertinism, liberty to sin.<br />
(B. Caffin) In politics it has always been common for those bound <strong>by</strong> their own lusts and<br />
vanity to make loud professions of liberty, and to invite men to partake of its delights. (J.<br />
Thomson) Situational ethics wants freedom or liberty from moral rules. (G. Clark)<br />
A totally evil man has an irresistible charm and excites the envy and admiration of those who<br />
dare not display their own true selves so completely. Total evil has a kind of virtue of its<br />
own, an honesty. (Scaevola) This kind of freedom is like that of the free fall of the man who<br />
jumps from his plane and delays opening his parachute … being wholly in bondage to<br />
gravity. (A. Custance) We must observe, that what is condemned here is vicious doctrine,<br />
connected with impurity of life; for the apostle’s design was to obviate the deceptive<br />
allurements <strong>by</strong> which they ensnared the foolish. (J. Calvin) The precise opposite of liberty is<br />
slavery, not legalism (though of course legalistic living does involve a kind of slavery). A<br />
believer may be in the position of liberty but practice legalism in the conduct of his life.<br />
Position and attitude are not the same; therefore, liberty and legalism are not exact opposites.<br />
(C. Ryrie)<br />
These treacherous teachers offer enticing promises of “freedom” without doctrine, yet “they<br />
themselves” are in bondage to their sin natures. The Bible says, “You shall know the truth<br />
[doctrine], and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:32). Enslaved to corrupt doctrine,<br />
apostate ministers are unable to free anyone and actually set up and perpetuate a system of<br />
slavery. (R.B. Thieme, Jr.) People are slaves to whatever masters them. (D. Watson) Since<br />
these teachers arise within the folds of the professing church and should, therefore, possess<br />
regenerated natures, what is the explanation for their fleshly conduct and creed which can<br />
only arise out of an unregenerate nature? Many will throw up their hands in unmistakable<br />
bewilderment today. <strong>Peter</strong> does not hesitate at the apparent difficulty nor shrink from<br />
expressing the withering truth. At the outset he insists that there has been retrogression in<br />
conduct (v. 20) and along with it a repudiation of creed (v. 21), both of which constitute a<br />
revelation of character in verse 22. (H. Hoyt)<br />
2 <strong>Peter</strong> 2:19 While they (the false teachers) promise<br />
(evpagge,llomai, PMPtc.NMP, Customary, Temporal, Deponent) them<br />
(Dat. Disadv.; their deluded followers) freedom (Acc. Dir.<br />
Obj.; no discipline for their sinful lifestyle), they<br />
themselves (Subj. Nom.; the false teachers) are in a state<br />
of (u`pa,rcw, PAPtc.NMP, Durative, Attributive; exist in)<br />
slavery (Pred. Nom.) characterized <strong>by</strong> spiritual ruin (Gen.<br />
Attendant Circumstances), for (explanatory) anyone who
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