Chapter Study & Analysis
Overview
2 Peter 2 is a stern warning against false teachers who "privily shall bring in damnable heresies." Peter describes their character and their judgment, citing historical examples like the fallen angels, the flood, and the destruction of Sodom.
CONTEMPORARY APPLICATIONS
1. Discerning Deception: False teachers often use "feigned words" to make merchandise of believers (v. 3). We must be biblically literate to detect teachings that promote license under the guise of liberty.
2. God’s Deliverance: "The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations" (v. 9). Just as He delivered Lot and Noah, He is able to preserve His faithful remnant in the midst of a corrupt generation.
3. The Danger of Relapse: It is better not to have known the way of righteousness than to turn from the holy commandment (v. 21). We must persevere in the truth, avoiding the enticements of those who promise freedom but are themselves servants of corruption.
Practical Lessons
FORMAL PRAYER
O Lord, who knowest how to deliver the godly out of temptations: preserve us from the deceptions of false prophets. Keep our feet in the way of righteousness and grant us the discernment to reject any doctrine that leads away from Thy holiness. Amen.