2 Peter - Verse-by-Verse Biblical Exegesis

LWB 2 Peter 2:21 By all means, it would have almost been better for them [false
teachers and their reversionistic followers] to have never fully known the way of
righteousness [protocol plan of God for Church Age believers], than, having fully
known it [having lived the Christian life for a considerable period of time], to turn
away from [in reverse-process reversionism] the holy mandate [to walk in the
Spirit] which had been delivered to them [by His legitimate teachers].
KW 2 Peter 2:21 For it were better for them not to have known the way of righteousness
than, having known it, to turn back from the holy commandment which was delivered to
them.
KJV 2 Peter 2:21 For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness,
than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them.
TRANSLATION HIGHLIGHTS
“Those to whom much is given, much is required.” This is important because Peter uses
the verb form of epignosis twice in this passage, both times referring to a full knowledge
of what the Christian way of life is and a full knowledge of what it is like to have lived it
personally for a considerable period of time. As previewed in the prior verse, the false
teachers and their reversionistic followers had a greater spiritual distance “to fall” than
new converts who had “barely escaped” the cosmic system with the small amount of
doctrinal resources at their disposal. The divine discipline that would eventually be
administered upon these false teachers and their followers would be far more severe than
that administered upon new converts. Since both false teachers and their followers are
Christians, I include them both in the “they” in this verse. I do not include the escaping
new converts in this verse, because as pointed out by Dunham, “to know the way of
righteousness in verse 21 implies they have gone further in the Lord than those “barely
escaping” in verse 20.”
What they have the potential to “fall from” is not their salvation, but their steadfastness
3:17). “Having an epignosis (full knowledge) of the Lord and Savior is proof they had a
regenerating experience, not just a superficial understanding of the gospel from a
comparative religion course in college. “One would be hard pressed to find another New
Testament occurrence of the words “the knowledge of the…Savior Jesus Christ” which
does not imply a valid regenerating experience.” (D. Dunham) But this “falling” is still
no light matter, because the discipline will be horrible if they turn their backs on the
Christian way of life (experiential sanctification) after having walked in it for a
considerable period of time. You shouldn’t be hung up on this being a reference to
believers. Believers still sin; the indwelling of the Holy Spirit doesn’t eradicate the sin
nature. What did these believers do? What were they like? “They are deceived (v. 18 ),
they are entangled and overcome (v. 20 ), and they turn from the holy commandment (v.
21 ). Are these sins the equivalent of apostasy?” (D. Dunham) The answer is No.
The false teachers and their deluded followers did not abandon Christ; they abandoned
the Christian way of life after salvation. The ‘way of righteousness’ is experiential life,