2 PETER CHAPTER 2 2 Peter 2:1-6 The apostle foretelleth the appearance of false teachers, the impiety of them and their followers, and the judgments that would overtake them. 2 Peter 2:7-9 The godly shall be delivered, as Lot was out of Sodom. 2 Peter 2:10-19 The wicked principles and manners of these seducers described. 2 Peter 2:20-22 The mischief of relapsing into sin. But there were false prophets also: the apostle having been exhorting them to continuance and progress in faith, admonishes them here of such as might labour to draw them from it; and having made mention of the Old Testament prophets, holy men of God, he hereby takes occasion to tell them of, and caution them against, false teachers which would be among themselves. This also in the text plainly relates to what went before: q.d. Together with those prophets which were sent by God, there were likewise false prophets, such as were not sent of him. Among the people; the people of Israel. Even as there shall be false teachers; teachers of false doctrine, Matthew 7:15 Acts 20:29. Among you; among you Jewish, as well as among the Gentile Christians; or, among you as Christians and God's people under the New Testament, in opposition to the people of God under the Old. Who shall privily bring in: the Greek word signifies either to bring in slily and craftily, under specious pretences, and without being observed, Galatians 2:4 Judges 1:4; or, to bring in over and above, or beside the doctrine of the gospel, which they did not renounce; or both may be implied. Damnable heresies; Greek, heresies of destruction, i.e. destructive, such as lead to destruction, viz. eternal, or damnation. Even denying; either in their words or their practices, either directly, or by consequence of their doctrines or actions; they that profess they know God, but contradict that profession in their lives, are said to deny him, Titus 1:16. The Lord; either:
1. God the Father, so called, Luke 2:29 Acts 4:24, &c., and probably Revelation 6:10; nor is there any necessity, but, Judges 1:4, the word may be understood of God the Father. Or rather:
2. Christ. That bought them: if we understand it of God the Father, the sense is, either:
1. Denying God that bought them, or acquired them and made them his, viz. by calling them out of the darkness and gross wickedness of the world, to the knowledge of Christ and the gospel, and the fellowship of his church. In this general sense the word buying is sometimes taken, Isaiah 55:1 Revelation 3:18. Or:
2. Denying God that bought the people of Israel (whereof these false teachers that should be among the Christian Jews were to be a part) out of Egypt, to make them his peculiar people, whereof they would boast themselves, and yet by their wicked practices deny that God that bought them; the words seem to be taken out of Deuteronomy 32:6: Is not he thy Father that hath bought thee? As likewise from 2 Peter 2:5 of that chapter. Peter calls them spots, 2 Peter 2:13 of this chapter. But if we understand it of Christ, which seems most probable, the sense is, either:
1. That Christ bought or redeemed them, (in which sense the word is sometimes taken), in that by his death he purchased the continuance of their lives, and the staying of their execution, and rescued them from that present destruction which, without Christ's interposition, had seized on them, as it had likewise on the whole visible creation immediately upon the apostacy of mankind. Or:
2. This is spoken not only of their pretences, that they should profess themselves redeemed by Christ, but in the style of the visible church, which should judge them to be so till they declared the contrary by their wicked actions; and it likewise holds true in a forensical or judicial style, according to which whosoever professeth himself to be redeemed by Christ, and yet denies him in his deeds, is said to deny the Lord that bought him; it being alike as to the greatness of the crime, whether he be really redeemed, or, professing himself to be so, denies his Redeemer. And bring upon themselves swift destruction; shall hasten their own destruction, it may be temporal in this world; to be sure, eternal in the other. It may be called swift, as coming upon them unawares, and when they think least of it, as 1 Thessalonians 5:3.