2 Peter - Verse-by-Verse Biblical Exegesis

glories, whether the glory of Christ (“the excellent glory”), or the glory of the angels, or
the glory of holiness, or the glory of earthly sovereignty. (B. Caffin) Two charges are
leveled at these ungodly men and women: they walk in uncleanness, according to the lust
of the flesh; they despise government. (T. Westwood) It is possible that Peter means
church leadership ... Bigg is probably right to refer “them” to church leaders, against
whom the false teachers were insubordinate. (M. Green) The false teachers despise
authority. They are independent free-thinkers, bowing to nobody’s authority – certainly
not to that of church leaders. (N. Hillyer)
The principal accusation brought against these evil persons concerns their grossly
immoral conduct. They allow themselves to be dominated by the lusts of the flesh. Then,
also, they are defiant in their attitude. Just what dominion it is that they despise, or
against what dignities they rail, is not perfectly clear. Perhaps they flout the control of
Christ by rejecting those ideals of Christian living which the older teachers in the church
advocated, and perhaps they speak lightly of such things as happened to dignitaries like
the fallen angels. Whatever may be the nature of their preposterous reviling, they assume
for themselves a freedom which not even the angels ventured to claim. All of this proves
their utter senselessness, and is in line with their disposition to follow the impulses of
their animal nature. They are no better than beasts. They are sure to receive, as the wages
of their wrongdoing, divine punishment. (J. Case) God has set up governments in this
world. “The powers that be are ordained of God.” They are His institutions for the
protection of the weak, and for the punishment of the evil doer. It is characteristic of our
age that the masses are rising in revolt against constituted authority. (T. Westwood) The
primary reference seems to be to the lordship of Christ as the authoritative head of the
Church. But the author may well have intended the abstract term to include the human
leaders administering His authority in the Church. (D. Hiebert)
2 Peter 2:10 And (continuative) particularly (superlative
adv.; greatly, above all) those (Acc. Appos.; false
teachers) who continue to conduct themselves (poreu,omai,
PMPtc.AMP, Iterative, Substantival, Deponent; following) by
pursuit of (Prep. Gen.; after, according to, following)
their (ellipsis) corruptible (Descr. Gen.; polluted refuse,
defiled by sewage) flesh (Gen. Disadv.) in the sphere of the
lust pattern (Loc. Sph.; of the old sin nature), and
(continuative) who continually disregard and despise
(katafrone,w, PAPtc.AMP, Iterative, Substantival) legitimate
church authority (Obj. Gen.; bearers of ruling power:
pastors & teachers, dignities). Arrogantly (Noncompl. Nom.)
presumptuous (Descr. Nom.), they are not (neg. adv.) afraid
(tre,mw, PAI3P, Descriptive; reckless daring) to malign
(blasfhme,w, PAPtc.NMP, Progressive, Predicative; slander,
revile, defame) their (ellipsis; pastors & teachers)
reputations (Acc. Dir. Obj.),
BGT 2 Peter 2:10 ma,lista de. tou.j ovpi,sw sarko.j evn evpiqumi,a| miasmou/ poreuome,nouj kai.
kurio,thtoj katafronou/ntajÅ tolmhtai. auvqa,deij( do,xaj ouv tre,mousin blasfhmou/ntej(