The objective of this lesson: (a) to emphasize evil always opposes those committed to good in service to God; (b) to emphasize those committed to evil will be accountable for the evil they do.
Satan always has had his spokespeople among God's people. Their relationship with Satan is rarely obvious. The effectiveness of their influence is great. Just as there were false prophets among God's people in the past, there will be false teachers among God's people in Christianity. The key to awareness among those who want to be faithful to God is found in recognizing the motives of such people. They will successfully deceive many. They will cause people among and outside of God's people to speak harshly of God's ways.
Call attention to the fact that Peter addressed discouragement among God's people by those who were supposed to be a part of God's people. Satan defines the objectives of such people, not God. They serve agenda's and objectives that are not God's agendas or objectives. They are physically focused, not spiritually focused.
Some of the most discouraging, severe opposition Christians will endure are caused by men and women in the Christian community. There always have been those who pretended to speak for God who were concerned for themselves, not God.
The primary dividing line between a false teacher and a teacher of truth is the motive(s) of the person. An effective deceiver tells people what they want to hear.
The fact that wicked people existed among Christians should not come as a surprise to Peter's readers. In the ages when men wrote because God's Spirit moved them (2 Peter 1:19-21), there were false prophets (2 Peter 2:1). Also in the age when God has revealed Jesus as His own son and the Christ, there will be false teachers.
God always has been opposed by those who have reason to be grateful to Him--from the time of the Garden of Eden!
Those people in Peter's day introduced destructive teachings that denied Jesus. They were described as sensual people (those who existed for the physical "here and now") who were greedy (slick talkers who easily deceived). Of such people, Peter said they brought swift destruction on themselves, caused the truth to be maligned, exploited, and faced certain destruction. God is aware of what they do and why (their destruction is not ignored).
The people Peter spoke of denied the divinity of Jesus and denied he was the way to God. They focused on things that gratified physical desires, not the eternal. The result: they were sensual and greedy. While such is easy to do today, it was even easier to do in Peter's lifetime. Then, forms of idolatry emphasized the sensual with the divine (temple prostitutes sometimes were a reality in fertility cults) and greed was a "good thing" since idolatry often equaled power and prosperity. Then, as now, many thought having what you wanted was the best of the divine and the physical.
Three examples are used of God's awareness and power. The first focused on the fact that God did not spare those who persisted in wickedness. The second focused on the fact that God persisted in extending opportunity even as preparation for divine wrath continued. The third focused on the fact that God could rescue the righteous at the same moment He administered accountability to the evil.
God is no idiot! His great love for people does not blind Him to evil acts! He knows who is trying and penitent and who is not! Because He is patient and forgiving does not mean He has no anger, no limits. People do not determine God's limits, but He has them. The examples show both God's awareness and His patience.
In the first example, Peter declared God did not spare angels that sinned. God brought an end to their sinful activities. He also imprisoned them to hold them until their judgment. Peter does not mention what angels he spoke about or what their sinfulness was.
Peter evidently knew much more about this than we do. Just as humans rebel against God, beings who exist in the divine sphere rebelled against God. God was aware of that rebellion and dealt with it decisively.
The second example is a reference to the flood. In the ancient world, God saved Noah and his family while God destroyed the wicked. However, God used Noah as a proclaimer of righteousness even as Noah prepared for the flood.
If you wish to refresh your memory of the flood incident, read Genesis 6-8. God through Noah both proclaimed and prepared for the flood. Stress that God can both preserve and hold accountable at the same time. Stress that God provided opportunity to repent even as He prepared for destruction.
The third example was that of Sodom and Gomorrah. In this example, God both destroyed and rescued. He destroyed by reducing the cities of the wicked to ashes. He rescued Lot who was continually frustrated by the lawlessness of those people. While Lot was a mixture of both good and bad characteristics (as are most of us), Peter stressed Lot's good characteristics.
If you wish to refresh your memory of the events of Sodom and Gomorrah, read Genesis 18:16 through chapter 19. Peter focused on Lot's good qualities and stressed again that God knows how to rescue and hold accountable at the same time.
Peter's emphasis on the wicked is on their physically indulgent nature. They respect nothing but their own desires. They reduce themselves to the level of dangerous animals who think of nothing but what they want. They literally are ruled by their physical desires. They delight in deceiving the unstable to satisfy their physical wants. They view others as opportunities to satisfy themselves. They have no idea of how blind they are to the enslavement of their own passions.
The examples exist to stress two facts about God. God knows how (a) to rescue the godly from trials and (b) to keep the unrighteous under punishment (accountable for their wickedness) until the judgment day. The examples exist as a warning to those who are tempted to live ungodly lives and as an encouragement to those who live godly lives.
Stress the fact that GOD KNOWS HOW. It has been a great conclusion that God can be deceived (see Galatians 6:7-10). He or she who seeks to deceive God deceives only himself or herself. (See 1 Corinthians 6:9-11.) While distinguishing between the sincere and the insincere is often a problem for us, it is never a problem for God.
The particular people Peter spoke of were what we might refer to as "out of control" people. Peter describes the people as daring (afraid of nothing), selfish, and disrespectful of everything. He compares them to unthinking animals who are suitable only for capture and death. They are people who act in ignorance, who rejoice in things that should make them ashamed, who focus only on physical pleasure, and who are captivated by greed.
Again, stress that Peter targets those who are physically indulgent--people who are slaves to their own passions and respectful of nothing.
Peter described such people in these ways: (1) They are like Balaam--so filled with greed they would listen to a donkey without realizing the donkey is talking. (2) They are springs without water, stormy mists. (3) They are arrogant, vain people who exist only for sensual satisfaction. (4) They promise freedom but only give slavery.
One of the truly funny episodes in scripture is Balaam talking to his donkey as if his donkey were a man! Anger combined with greed truly blinds people! (See Numbers 22.)
These people seem to offer relief from an oppressive situation, but they are like clouds with no water or dried up springs which the thirsty traveler anticipated.
They are all words and no action. They sound good, but produce nothing.
They are slaves promising freedom. Everyone is a slave to that which is bigger than he or she is!
Please note these people were Christians! They would have been better off if they had never escaped evil defilement through Jesus Christ than to become again entangled and overcome by those defilements. Knowing Jesus Christ resulted in them being worse people! Peter compares them to dogs eating their own vomit (that which made them sick becomes the food) and cleaned sows returning to the mud hole (that which made them filthy becomes their pleasure). They value more what they were without Jesus Christ than what they could be with Jesus Christ.
The people Peter spoke of had escaped from defilement through Jesus Christ. Unfortunately, these people were again tangled up in that which they escaped, and did not escape a second time. The contempt God feels for people who so abuse what He did in Jesus Christ is enormous--they would have been less punished if they had never known Christ--see Hebrews 6:4-8; 2 Corinthians 4:4).
Their desire is to return to what they left even though it was part of their sickness or their filth.
The value God places on people is seen in two things: (1) Even when people became extremely wicked, God gave them opportunity to repent. Humans rarely, if ever, give any consideration to those who frustrate them to the core! (2) Even when the overwhelming majority were wicked, God rescued the righteous minority. God knows how to rescue and punish at the same moment!
God values people so much that He does not give up on them easily.
For Thought and Discussion
Satan has always had spokesmen among God's people.
In the past, they were false prophets. Since the beginning of Christianity, they are false teachers.
They must maintain a key awareness of those people's motives.
They introduced destructive teachings that denied Jesus.
God did not spare angels who sinned.
The second example was centered in the flood.
The third example centered in Sodom and Gomorrah.
God knows how to rescue the godly from trials, and God knows how to keep the unrighteous under punishment.
He describes them as daring, selfish, and disrespectful of everything.
Peter compares them to unthinking animals suitable only for capture and death.
They would have been better off if they had never escaped defilement through Jesus Christ.
They were worse people.
They were like a dog that ate his own vomit and a clean sow that went back to her mud hole.
Link to Student Guide
Lesson 11